The Lass Who Kissed a Frog by Lee, Caroline (big ebook reader .TXT) 📗

when Bonnie walks in on him uninvited in The Lass Who Loved a Beast…

* * *

When they’d stepped into the room, Lyon Prince had looked up from whatever he was writing, his golden hair falling away from his face as he scowled in irritation. He had the most impressive face for scowling, she had to admit, but even that wasn’t what occupied her attention.

Nay, it was his chest. His scarred, sweaty, massive, muscled verra much naked chest.

Oh my.

Bonnie swallowed, unable to drag her eyes up to even meet his angry gaze. If she’d been a man, and he a woman, and she’d been staring at her breasts so intently—

Wait, no, that analogy was far too rambling. Suffice it to say that, were their positions reversed, and he was staring at her chest this hard, this hungrily, she would slap—nay, that wasn’t true either.

If Lyon Prince stared at her as intently, as interestedly, as she was staring at him right now, Bonnie would likely offer to remove her blouse and allow him to look harder. With his hands. And tongue.

Dear God, ye’re getting off topic, are ye no’?

Right.

Right.

With supreme effort, she dragged her attention back to his face, which really was locked into a frozen glower, thanks to those scars, as he stood up.

“What are ye doing here?” he growled, and Heavens! That sound seemed to reverberate all through Bonnie’s chest in the most delightful way, settling between her thighs.

She opened her mouth to answer, before realizing the Beast of the Oliphants was glaring at his brother. When she turned, Phineas was smiling that easy-going grin of his.

“I told ye I’d be stopping by, Lyon, remember?”

“Alone.” He didn’t even look at her.

But he also didn’t seem to care that he was standing, shirtless, in broad daylight in his study.

Phineas waved dismissively. “I dinnae mention the state I’d be in during my visit.”

“Phin.”

“Lyon, this is Lady Bonnibelle Oliphant. Ye might remember her from Roland’s wedding to her sister, Lady Vanessa.” Then, as if he hadn’t just unnecessarily recounted their family relationship to the laird’s heir, turned to Bonnie. “Bonnie, my perpetually grumpy oldest brother, Lyon Prince. Ye may call him Lyon.”

“Why is she here, Phin?” growled Lyon.

And since the man was doing a remarkable job of not acknowledging her, Bonnie also directed her comment to Phineas. “To be fair, Phineas, if I had a stranger drop in on me unannounced while I was in a state of undress, I too would be grumpy.”

“I’m no’ undressed; I was sparring with Keith.”

She pretended to startle as she turned back to him, and said brightly, “Oh, we’re speaking directly to one another now? Excellent! And I’m pleased ye take yer physical health so seriously, and no’ that this was just a Castle full of half-dressed inhabitants.”

She could swear his lips twitched, but then he pressed them so tightly together she couldn’t be certain.

“Bonnie is here to see yer collection, Lyon,” Phineas announced, and it was only then that she realized he was backing toward the door. “I’ll let her explain it to you.”

Both she and Lyon asked, “And where are ye going?” at the same time, which might’ve been comical, had she not been struck with panic at being left here alone with Lyon Prince.

Panic, but of a good sort.

Should I take my shirt off as well, to fit in?

Phineas didn’t seem to notice. He nodded toward the window, which had thankfully been modernized with glass, rather than a bearskin or something equally medieval. “We’re expecting snow, and I need to see to my team. My estate isnae too far, and I’ll come fetch ye when ye’re ready, Bonnie.”

It was entirely inappropriate. It was scandalous.

It was thrilling.

“Phineas!” they both called—her in exasperation, him in warning—as the man in question waved cheekily.

“I’ll see myself out, ta!”

And then he was gone, and Bonnie was left alone in a man’s study with said man wearing not nearly enough clothing.

Or—hear me out—just the right amount, eh?

* * *

Bonnie is snarky and irreverent and brilliant—just the sort of beauty Lyon needs. But it’s going to take almost losing her for him to realize that. But first…a blizzard, on behalf of the Godmothers, to trap them together for a bit! Check out The Lass Who Loved a Beast!

About the Author

Caroline Lee has been reading romance for so long that her fourth-grade teacher used to make her cover her books with paper jackets. But it wasn't until she (mostly) grew up that she realized she could write it too. So she did.

Caroline is living her own little Happily Ever After in NC with her husband, sons, and new daughter, Princess Wiggles. And while she doesn't so much "suffer" from Pittakionophobia as think that all you people who enjoy touching Band-Aids and stickers are the real weirdos, she does adore rodents, and never met a wine she didn't like. Caroline was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2006 (along with everyone else) and is really quite funny in person. Promise.

You can find her at www.CarolineLeeRomance.com.

Other Books by Caroline Lee

Want the scoop on new books? Join Caroline’s Cohort, an exclusive reader group! Or sign up for my mailing list by texting “Caroline” to 42828 to get started!

Steamy Scottish Historicals:

The Sinclair Jewels (4 books)

The Highland Angels (5 books)

The Hots for Scots (8 books)

Highlander Ever After (3 books)

Sensual Historical Westerns:

Black Aces (3 books)

Sunset Valley (3 books)

Everland Ever After (10 books)

The Sweet Cheyenne Quartet (6 books)

Sweet Contemporary Westerns

Quinn Valley Ranch (5 books)

River’s End Ranch (14 books)

The Cowboys of Cauldron Valley (7 books)

The Calendar Girls’ Ranch (6 books)

Click here to find a complete list of Caroline’s books.

Sign up for Caroline’s Newsletter to receive exclusive content and freebies, as well as first dibs on her books! Or if newsletters aren’t your thing, follow her on Bookbub for a quick, concise new release alert every time she publishes a book!