Excerpt of Hold Me Together by Felice Fox

"CHAPTER ONE As Gavin heaved the barn door open, Holly bounced on her boot heels, eyes closed beneath a white eyelet blindfold that matched her knee-length wedding dress. Goodness knows she wasn’t used to waiting for sex, and he had been making her wait ever since their arrival at his family’s ranch three days ago. She needed the grind of his hard body against her soft skin. Scorching or sweaty, she didn’t care. She just wanted him. He was finally hers to have and she needed him now. Holly’s breath caught on the lingering sweet smell of hay and cedar, as Gavin untied the blindfold to reveal the most magical transformation of a barn she’d ever seen. The floor had been swept clear and sprawling, colorful woven carpets were scattered all around. Lanterns, mounted on posts and hanging from beams overhead, cast soft light over the cavernous room and a king-sized wrought-iron bed, the posts draped with twinkle lights, occupied the long far wall. “They’d do anything for you, wouldn’t they?” He shrugged, and smiled. His brothers must have busted their gorgeous asses getting this place exactly as big brother Gavin instructed. “Yes, ma’am. I believe they would.” Gavin was proud of his family, and with good reason. Every last one of the Cameron brothers was as smart as he was sexy, and neither Holly nor their female wedding guests had let them sit out a dance all night. A huge cut of an old cedar tree served as the bedside table, and was covered in candles big and small. No fancy hotel honeymoon suite could ever compare. “You’re lucky I met you first.” She winked. “Oh yeah, Mrs. Cameron?” Gavin grabbed her by the waist and twirled her around to hug her from behind. Her eyes fluttered closed at the enveloping warmth of his chest against her back. “Which one would you have picked if it hadn’t been me?” “Gavin!” she elbowed him lightly, giggling. “I could never pick just one.” Gavin went quiet and released her. Uh-oh. Her heart sank. What a thing to say to her husband on their wedding night! He knew which movie stars she had the hots for and never minded her panting over them. It only ever made her hotter for him. But there was such a thing as sibling rivalry, and if she’d grown up with any family of her own she might have been more sensitive about it. Holly turned to face him. “You know you’re the only one for me, Gav,” she said softly. He shook his head and smiled. “I’m just happy to be the one you love best, is all.” As Holly twirled around the space, Gavin rolled the door closed with a thud loud enough to make her jump. She squealed and, scooping her around, Gavin planted a deep, warm kiss on the side of her neck, followed by a trail of smaller kisses to her lips. She laughed into his mouth and they hugged each other. She loved the smell of him, earthy and rugged, as if growing up on a ranch had permeated his skin and remained there, despite the fact he was a city boy now. Gavin slipped his hand into Holly’s and her limbs, tired from boot stomping with every last male in the Cameron family all night, became warm and languid, melting for him. Her heart beat a slow, sultry rhythm that pulsed lower and lower as she turned into her new husband’s broad, warm chest, seeking a thorough, you’re-all-mine kind of hug. She had only ever had that kind of embrace from one man in her life, and that was him. Her Gavin. She wanted to meld with him and fall asleep in his arms in this magical place. “One of your brothers messing around?” Holly laughed, noticing the soft cotton rope wound into a neat cone at the foot of the bed. “Oh, I assure you,” he said, taking her around the waist. “It’s no joke.” There was a flicker of something dark in his eyes. She’d seen it before but could never draw its meaning from him in words. It rattled her now, needy as she was to join their bodies, having been deprived of that soothing melt of connection for days. She sucked in a deep breath to calm her nerves. Maybe he was nervous too? He lifted her high to wrap her legs around his waist, his belt buckle pressing against her mound, cold metal catching a slip of exposed skin. She ground her hips for a better position and found the sweet spot, a laugh bubbling up as he carried her to the bed. Gavin threw her down and raised the hem of her short dress with one hand while pulling her panties aside with the other. His fingertips barely brushed the softness there, as he bit his lower lip. She watched his chest rise and fall, quietly at first, then with a low growl that resonated in her own body. He slid a hand up her belly and squeezed her breast through her dress. Gavin touched her slowly, gazing intently at the bare, shiny creases between her legs. “Like what you see cowboy?” she said in a sweet, breathy drawl to match his own. “Indeed I do.” He bent to sniff between her legs and her skin heated all over, puckering her nipples. His lips barely grazed her exposed flesh and the fog of his breath made her bite her lower lip and whimper. “P-pull off my boots?” “Sure, darlin’. You’ll have everything you want. I promise you.” There went the dark flicker again. Holly’s stomach tightened with anticipation as Gavin grasped her boot by the heel and dragged it off slowly, not losing eye contact. He did the same with the other. Gavin released her, pulled her knees together and ran his rough, warm hands along her thighs when she scooted back on the bed. "