Reluctant Bride Anthology

He’s older, wiser, and always gets what he wants. This wedding is happening … whether the bride likes it or not.

Our twelve hand-picked stories feature young reluctant brides and the older men determined to claim them. These forced marriages may start out frigid, but our authors will prove that love can conquer all.

Evernight’s Reluctant Bride anthology stories are sure to deliver passion that is off the charts, scorching hot sex, and sigh-worthy happy ever afters.

Gambit by Elyzabeth M. VaLey
His Love Contract by Helen Walton
Ambivalence by Jessica Jayne
Loving Obsession by Allyson Young
Marrying the Devil by Jade Marshall
Arrogant CEO by Laura M Baird
Highland Fling by Lily Harlem
Crushed Violet by Sam Crescent and Stacey Espino
Heartless by Beth D. Carter
Reluctant Love by Arabella Sheen
Roman’s Prize by Winter Sloane
Between a Rock and Mr. Big by Kait Gamble

Extract

“I’m not getting out of this car.” Odette pressed herself against the supple leather behind her as she glared at the goon beckoning her from the dark interior.

She’d spotted him lurking outside of her practice and had managed to get into her car before he could grab her, but the mountain of a man had prevented her from slamming the door shut on him and driving away.

“Signorina, please.”

The last word sounded like it nearly got stuck in his throat, quite a feat considering how thick it was. She’d been around plenty of men like him and knew that he was to follow orders. Seeing as she was being treated with kid gloves, it was obvious he knew who she was and that she wasn’t to be harmed. That, along with the Italian he spewed, only put her more on edge.

“Signorina Gallo…” he implored.

Stunned that he knew her name, Odette eyed him suspiciously. “Who do you work for? How do you know who I am?” Did her father send him?

“Ti prego, come with me. You are not safe.”

His warning lanced a shaft of ice down her spine, but she shook her head. He thought she’d just trust him? “Not until you answer my questions.”

All she wanted to do was get on with her life without having to deal with her father or his “business.” She’d moved to a completely different country to get away from his influence, for goodness’ sake! Not that she’d ever regretted her decision. Moving to rural France and opening up a medical practice in an area that sorely needed the help had been the best thing she’d ever done.

She wasn’t going to allow her father to ruin this, too. “Tell my father that I want nothing to do with him or anything he’s doing.”

“Signorina, I didn’t want to have to do this, but…” Somehow, he tugged her out of the car and heaved her over his shoulder and to hurry down the sidewalk.

“Put me down!” She beat the massive back ineffectually.

He only held on tighter. Moved faster. “Scusa, I cannot.”

The shoulder digging into her stomach prevented her from arguing more. It didn’t stop her from kicking and punching, however.

“Odette?”

“Gaël!” She gasped when she saw the tall, broad figure of her friend and managed to force herself to croak, “Help!”
She was swiftly turned around as the man carrying her faced off with the newcomer. “Help me, Gaël!”

Both men were oddly quiet. Eerily so. What was going on? What were they doing? Fighting telepathically?

She was about to scream again when there was the pop of a silenced gun. “Gaël!” Even as she shouted his name, Odette became aware of the world tilting at an alarming angle before she was smashed into the ground by the heavy body of her kidnapper.

Odette lay there for a moment in a tangle of pain and limbs. Thank goodness Gaël had shown up … with a gun?
What the hell was a gardener doing with a gun?

The weight was slowly rolled from her. “Get up, Odette.” Gaël’s voice was colder than she’d ever heard it. His jade- green eyes and his gun glinted with the same deadly shine. And both were trained on her.

Her legs took some convincing to hold her up. “Gaël? What’s going on?”

He wearily swept his unruly, sandy- blond hair out of his eyes. “You’re coming with me.”