As Tears Go By {McCullough Mountain 6}
Braydon's Story Releases November 18, 2014!Excerpt Below!
Sometimes love speaks without a word and throws the world into color.
Blurb:
Braydon McCullough has spent his life searching for the perfect woman. When a shy beauty propositions him, he assumes he’s found her. Blindsided by their chemistry, his life takes a bewildering turn when she vanishes as quickly as she appeared.
Becca Stevens can’t afford to take risks, but when persuaded by friends to commemorate her divorce by approaching a gorgeous stranger in a bar, common sense abandons her. After an unforgettable night of passion, she panics, running back to her methodical life, promising never to be so reckless again. That is until her Braydon unexpectedly tracks her down.
Braydon’s unwelcome persistence is a complication to Becca’s already challenging life. As a single mother of a son living with autism, she has no room for personal affairs. Braydon’s determination tempts to show Becca how vibrant life can be if she’d only dare to dream again.
Excerpt:
“Have mercy. I love watching your mouth work.”Dropping her chin and tossing the plate on her desk, she scowled. “That lasted all of two seconds.”“Well, that’s not what any man wants to hear. Go on. Finish eating. I’ll behave.”“Will you?”“I suppose. But it won’t be easy. I should be rewarded for my efforts.”“I’ll be sure to pass along my praise to your boss.”“Oh, I wouldn’t do that. We just broke up.”Her mouth paused mid-bite. “You dated your boss?”He shrugged and dug through the box of takeout. “Dated isn’t the right term. We…satisfied each other for a time.”The sudden jealousy snaking through her was completely inappropriate and uncalled for. “Like…she was your booty call?”He unwrapped another eggroll. “More like I was hers.”“What’s the difference?” What kind of man sleeps with the boss? One, it was unethical. Two, the woman was about twenty years older than Braydon—weren’t men supposed to be superficial about that sort of thing? And three, the idea of Braydon with that beautiful, dark skinned, willowy CEO made Becca really covetous and insecure about her own shortcomings. Not characteristically territorial, her bitterness was unsettling.“The difference is, she called the shots.”Becca frowned. “You mean you only came over when she suggested it?”“No. More along the lines of I only came when she permitted it.”“What?” She hadn’t meant to rudely blurt her shock, but… What?This was the same man that had dominated her body the other night, owned the boardroom the other morning. She simply couldn’t imagine him acting subservient in any way, even to an impressive woman like Miranda.Braydon shrugged. “We had a different sort of relationship, but it worked…for a while. When it no longer suited both our needs, it ended. We’re still friends.”Her mind went over everything she knew about Braydon. He wasn’t a softy. He definitely had an intimidating presence, nothing short of capable. As a matter of fact, he had a distinct air of authority about him, something a man didn’t acquire, but was born with. Imagining him being bossed around by a woman like Miranda Robinson simply didn’t make sense.“To each his own, I guess.” And if he was the sort of guy who only entertained a relationship “when it suited”, all the more reason to steer clear of him.Braydon paused and cocked his head to the side. “Really? I didn’t expect judgment from a woman who had sex as infrequently as cicadas over the past decade.”Her mouth snapped shut. The humiliating truth of his words stung even if he was only teasing. She resented his knowledge regarding her personal past. “That’s not nice. And for your information, I had sex more than once every seven years and I’d appreciate it if you’d butt out of my personal business.”He chuckled and went back to eating. “You know,” he said, almost contemplatively. “I have no problem with taking control. The dynamic Miranda and I shared was unique. I liked pleasing her and she enjoyed asserting herself. You shouldn’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”Tried what? Bossing him around or allowing him to take control? Both were unlikely. She already had enough people to decide for and whenever people tried to tell her how to live her life she tended to get uppity. With no time for dating she had even less time to contemplate fetish dynamics. All she’d hoped for in life was a typical marriage and family. Captain Kinky over there was again proving way out of her league.She really didn’t need to think about this. “I don’t think so.”“Could be fun.” Unwelcome memories of their encounter flooded her mind. He was probably right, it could be fun, but she couldn’t allow things to go that far—no matter how much her body wanted it. Shifting her weight, her legs crossed in an attempt to relieve some of the unexpected tension building inside of her. Flutters of excitement teased her lower belly as pressure built.She needed to focus. Finished with her pizza, she dropped the crust on the plate and wiped her mouth with a napkin, making sure there wasn’t any grease on her chin.When she looked at Braydon, his easy manner evaporated. “What the hell happened to your face?”“What?” Her hand fluttered to her jaw.“Did somebody hit you?” He stood and rounded her desk, not giving her a chance to brace for his nearness.Crap. She must have accidentally wiped away her concealer. Quickly reaching for her purse, she said, “It’s nothing. I bumped—”Her words cut off as he gently cupped her jaw and turned her face. His eyes were hard as he scowled at the bruise. “How did this happen?”“I told you. I bumped—”“You said you had to see your ex yesterday. Did that son of a bitch do this to your face?”Fury radiated from him, completely contradicting the gentle way he held her chin as he examined her. “No. Kevin would never hit me. It’s nothing. Really. Just drop it.”Braydon’s gaze roamed over her body. His strong hand picked up her wrist and turned her arm. “What are these marks from?”Feeling cornered, she snatched her arm back. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but I assure you it’s misplaced.” She grabbed her purse and stood, hating how exposed he made her feel. “I have an appointment. Thanks for lunch. I’ll send the paperwork over to Mr. Dillard’s assistant when I get back. You should have it by Thursday at the latest.”He didn’t look pleased, but that wasn’t her problem. Taking the long way to the door so she didn’t have to get close to him again, she fled her office. She held her breath as she raced to the elevators and didn’t exhale until she was safely tucked inside and rushing toward the ground.
Sometimes love speaks without a word and throws the world into color.
Blurb:
Braydon McCullough has spent his life searching for the perfect woman. When a shy beauty propositions him, he assumes he’s found her. Blindsided by their chemistry, his life takes a bewildering turn when she vanishes as quickly as she appeared.
Becca Stevens can’t afford to take risks, but when persuaded by friends to commemorate her divorce by approaching a gorgeous stranger in a bar, common sense abandons her. After an unforgettable night of passion, she panics, running back to her methodical life, promising never to be so reckless again. That is until her Braydon unexpectedly tracks her down.
Braydon’s unwelcome persistence is a complication to Becca’s already challenging life. As a single mother of a son living with autism, she has no room for personal affairs. Braydon’s determination tempts to show Becca how vibrant life can be if she’d only dare to dream again.
Excerpt:
“Have mercy. I love watching your mouth work.”Dropping her chin and tossing the plate on her desk, she scowled. “That lasted all of two seconds.”“Well, that’s not what any man wants to hear. Go on. Finish eating. I’ll behave.”“Will you?”“I suppose. But it won’t be easy. I should be rewarded for my efforts.”“I’ll be sure to pass along my praise to your boss.”“Oh, I wouldn’t do that. We just broke up.”Her mouth paused mid-bite. “You dated your boss?”He shrugged and dug through the box of takeout. “Dated isn’t the right term. We…satisfied each other for a time.”The sudden jealousy snaking through her was completely inappropriate and uncalled for. “Like…she was your booty call?”He unwrapped another eggroll. “More like I was hers.”“What’s the difference?” What kind of man sleeps with the boss? One, it was unethical. Two, the woman was about twenty years older than Braydon—weren’t men supposed to be superficial about that sort of thing? And three, the idea of Braydon with that beautiful, dark skinned, willowy CEO made Becca really covetous and insecure about her own shortcomings. Not characteristically territorial, her bitterness was unsettling.“The difference is, she called the shots.”Becca frowned. “You mean you only came over when she suggested it?”“No. More along the lines of I only came when she permitted it.”“What?” She hadn’t meant to rudely blurt her shock, but… What?This was the same man that had dominated her body the other night, owned the boardroom the other morning. She simply couldn’t imagine him acting subservient in any way, even to an impressive woman like Miranda.Braydon shrugged. “We had a different sort of relationship, but it worked…for a while. When it no longer suited both our needs, it ended. We’re still friends.”Her mind went over everything she knew about Braydon. He wasn’t a softy. He definitely had an intimidating presence, nothing short of capable. As a matter of fact, he had a distinct air of authority about him, something a man didn’t acquire, but was born with. Imagining him being bossed around by a woman like Miranda Robinson simply didn’t make sense.“To each his own, I guess.” And if he was the sort of guy who only entertained a relationship “when it suited”, all the more reason to steer clear of him.Braydon paused and cocked his head to the side. “Really? I didn’t expect judgment from a woman who had sex as infrequently as cicadas over the past decade.”Her mouth snapped shut. The humiliating truth of his words stung even if he was only teasing. She resented his knowledge regarding her personal past. “That’s not nice. And for your information, I had sex more than once every seven years and I’d appreciate it if you’d butt out of my personal business.”He chuckled and went back to eating. “You know,” he said, almost contemplatively. “I have no problem with taking control. The dynamic Miranda and I shared was unique. I liked pleasing her and she enjoyed asserting herself. You shouldn’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”Tried what? Bossing him around or allowing him to take control? Both were unlikely. She already had enough people to decide for and whenever people tried to tell her how to live her life she tended to get uppity. With no time for dating she had even less time to contemplate fetish dynamics. All she’d hoped for in life was a typical marriage and family. Captain Kinky over there was again proving way out of her league.She really didn’t need to think about this. “I don’t think so.”“Could be fun.” Unwelcome memories of their encounter flooded her mind. He was probably right, it could be fun, but she couldn’t allow things to go that far—no matter how much her body wanted it. Shifting her weight, her legs crossed in an attempt to relieve some of the unexpected tension building inside of her. Flutters of excitement teased her lower belly as pressure built.She needed to focus. Finished with her pizza, she dropped the crust on the plate and wiped her mouth with a napkin, making sure there wasn’t any grease on her chin.When she looked at Braydon, his easy manner evaporated. “What the hell happened to your face?”“What?” Her hand fluttered to her jaw.“Did somebody hit you?” He stood and rounded her desk, not giving her a chance to brace for his nearness.Crap. She must have accidentally wiped away her concealer. Quickly reaching for her purse, she said, “It’s nothing. I bumped—”Her words cut off as he gently cupped her jaw and turned her face. His eyes were hard as he scowled at the bruise. “How did this happen?”“I told you. I bumped—”“You said you had to see your ex yesterday. Did that son of a bitch do this to your face?”Fury radiated from him, completely contradicting the gentle way he held her chin as he examined her. “No. Kevin would never hit me. It’s nothing. Really. Just drop it.”Braydon’s gaze roamed over her body. His strong hand picked up her wrist and turned her arm. “What are these marks from?”Feeling cornered, she snatched her arm back. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but I assure you it’s misplaced.” She grabbed her purse and stood, hating how exposed he made her feel. “I have an appointment. Thanks for lunch. I’ll send the paperwork over to Mr. Dillard’s assistant when I get back. You should have it by Thursday at the latest.”He didn’t look pleased, but that wasn’t her problem. Taking the long way to the door so she didn’t have to get close to him again, she fled her office. She held her breath as she raced to the elevators and didn’t exhale until she was safely tucked inside and rushing toward the ground.
No comments have been added yet.
