Marissa is an angel from the top of her veiled head to the tips of her dainty feet, and Stone wants her with every fiber of his being. She appeals to everything within him, including his dark beast, and when she climbs out the window into his waiting arms, the wolf throws back his head and howls in excitement.
This woman is hot to the touch and liquid fire in his arms. When she claws his back and screams his name, he knows she’s the one for him. However, things aren’t as simple as they may seem. When danger finds them, Stone must do whatever it takes to keep his runaway bride safe.
**This title is a part of the Naughty Nuptials Themed Quickies set available through Ellora’s Cave, and is currently only available as an ebook**
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Excerpt
“Sorry to ruin your story for you.”
His massive shoulders shrugged. “You didn’t ruin anything. At least I’ve got the inside scoop on the McRae bride gone wild.”
Marissa gaped at him. “I haven’t gone wild.”
He moved closer and pressed his forehead against hers. “You ran away from your own wedding.”
She blinked and stared into his icy eyes. “True, but it wasn’t really my wedding. It was my father’s. I had no say in it.”
“Do you love Thayer?”
She jerked in response to his question. In the months since the wedding announcement, he was the first person to ask her that. Marissa shook her head. “I can’t stand the guy.”
“Then why marry him?”
Marissa just stared at him. “How much do you know about my father? Once he decrees something, it’s done no matter what the people involved think.”
Each time she moved, her skirts rustled. She should have grabbed a change of clothes on her way out the church window, but getting away had been her primary concern. “You wouldn’t happen to have something I could change into, would you?”
His blue eyes flared for a split second and his head shook. “I’m afraid I’m fresh out of women’s clothing.”
“Really long t-shirt? Boxers? I’m not picky.”
Strange expressions that she couldn’t place crossed his handsome features. “Give me a second to see what I can scrounge up.”
Marissa smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”
He muttered something as he left her alone in the living room. Marissa looked around at the sparsely furnished room. The place screamed bachelor pad. What was such a handsome man doing living alone? She mentally shook herself. It’s none of your business, Mari. However, she could not deny being curious about her rescuer.
She found no family pictures anywhere. A large TV took up the space on most of one wall and the entertainment center around it housed electronics of all sorts. Not a feminine touch anywhere in sight. A sound behind her had her spinning around to find Stone staring at her from the hallway. He lifted his hand, which held the clothing he managed to find.
“These are the best I could come up with.”
Marissa smiled and closed the distance between them. Her fingers brushed against his when she took the clothes from him and electrical shocks traveled up the length of her arm. Odd, that reaction. “Thank you.”
“You can change in my room. Last door at the end of the hall.”
She skirted around him and moved down the hallway with the loud sound of her rustling skirts echoing off the walls and sounding even louder in the confined space. Feeling around on the wall, she found the light switch and flipped it on. Marissa lifted a brow when she saw the room. Definitely a bachelor. There were no sheets on the bed, just an old comforter. Marissa shook her head and pushed the door closed. The sooner she got out of the wedding gown, the sooner she could at least feel more like herself again.
~*~
Reviews
This Side of Desperate
“Shut off the phone and put out the DO NOT DISTURB sign. You do not want any interruptions with this one. Stone is the ultimate alpha male, strong, dependable, and a whole lot of wild thrown in for good measure. Even his name is hot. Who cares if he sheds? Marissa is no one’s pawn, not even her father’s. She puts her life on the line to protect Stone and is strong enough to accept who he really is. The chemistry between these two is intense and erotic. I was glued to my seat and loved it. ~ Lototy,Coffee Time Romance 5 cups
“This Side of Desperate is an enchanting tale of unexpected love.”
“Heather Holland has created believable characters that will charm the reader.” ~ Tewanda, Fallen Angel Reviews
“Heather Holland is a very gifted writer that had me from the first page. The way she wrote the “Pure” emotion Stone had when he saw Marissa blew me away. The passion between the two was written very beautifully. I loved the way she wrote some intrigue and danger into the story that kept you on the edge of your seat until the end.” ~ Nicole Harvey, Paranormal Romance Reviews
“This Side of Desperate is a fast, action-filled, suspenseful read.” ~ Kerin, TwoLips Reviews
