I looked down at my drink as I tried to figure out a nice way of phrasing my
next question. โWhen you say theyโre possessiveโฆ?โ I couldnโt figure out a way
to finish, but both women seemed to know where I was going with that statement.
โPossessive as in protective,โ Cara clarified, slowly circling her pint glass on
the glossy wood table.
โBridgewater men put their woman first, always,โ Katie said. โThey believe in
making sure she is always taken care ofโher problems are their problems. Itโs
their duty to make sure sheโs happy.โ
โAnd satisfied,โ Cara added with a waggle of her eyebrows that had all three of
us cracking up. Theyโd made me feel better and reassured me that Declan and Cole
werenโt like Brad. What they said only reaffirmed what my gut had told me from
the moment Iโd met them. They were good menโkind men. They were also sexy men
and they were watching me.
โSo whatโs the verdict?โ Katie asked, biting her lip to obviously keep from
grinning. โAre you interested?โ
I opened my mouth to respond and paused. Was I? The ache between my thighs was
my answer. But thatโs not what she meant. I had no doubt sheโd be fine with me
jumping her brother and his friend for a wild night, but she probably didnโt
want to hear about it. She was more interested in whether I wanted to become her
sister-in-law. โI, uhโฆI donโt know. This is um, well, the first date, so
marriage isnโt really on my mind. Besides, I hadnโt planned on sticking around
for long.โ
โYou donโt have to know tonight whether youโre serious about them,โ Cara said.
โAt this point, you just need to know if youโre attracted to them. If you are,
the rest is up to them.โ
โThem?โ
Katie nodded authoritatively. โBelieve me, last summer I was in the same boat
youโre in right now. I didnโt intend to stick around but my men showed me how
good it could be if I did.โ
โI take it they made a good case in the back hallway?โ I asked.
She gave me a smug grin. โOh yeah. And I can happily say that staying in
Bridgewater was the best decision I ever made. But what about you? Forget long
term, are you interested in these guys?โ
Cara and Katie were watching me closely. There was no way I could bring myself
to lie. โYeah,โ I said. โIโm interested.โ I glanced back over at the men again
and the sight was enough to make me drool. โWho wouldnโt be?โ
โThatโs my girl.โ Cara was grinning at me like weโd been friends since childhood
just like her and Katie.
โBut I canโt make any promises,โ I started.
Before I could get any further, Katie cut me off with a wave of her hand. โNo
one expects you to, least of all them. They know itโs on them to show you how it
can be.โ She gave me a wink. โTrust me, youโll have the time of your life being
convinced.โ
Now that I could believe. I snuck another peek over at the men and saw
that Cole and Declan were heading back in our direction. Girl talk time was
over. But I was better for itโmy head felt a whole lot clearer and theyโd helped
to calm some of my nerves.
Hiding from a crazy ex-boyfriend, Hannah Winters is determined to keep her
head down and her heart locked safely away. Burned out from practicing medicine
and dealing with a controlling jerk, her interest in romance is at absolute
zero...until they walk in. One look at Cole and Declan and Hannah is going to
have a very hard time keeping the ice around her heart from melting.
Declan grew up in Bridgewater, and his job as a police officer means he's got
an instinct for trouble, and Hannah Winters stirs up all kind of feelings he
can't fight. When his friend, Cole finds out about the sexy type-A woman with
desire in her eyes but lies on her lips, he's just as determined to tame her and
uncover her deepest fearsโand desires.
When her past catches up to her, it'll be Cole and Declan who convince her to
stop running, from her past, and from the desire burning white hot between them.
They're going to claim her, even if they have to do it the hard way...one
seductive kiss at a time.
Warning: Panty melting! Claim Me Hard is book 2 in the wildly dirty series
where two obsessed alpha cowboys meet their Type-A heroine. This standalone HEA
is all about her - no M/M.
Vanessa Vale is the USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books, sexy
romance novels, including her popular Bridgewater historical romance series and
hot contemporary romances featuring unapologetic bad boys who don't just fall in
love, they fall hard. When she's not writing, Vanessa savors the insanity of
raising two boys, is figuring out how many meals she can make with a pressure
cooker, and teaches a pretty mean karate class. While she's not as skilled at
social media as her kids, she loves to interact with readers.
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