His Dangerous Bride (The Brides of Paradise Ranch - Spicy Version Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

warm shiver passed down his spine, making parts of him jumpier than fire in a windstorm, at the prospect. Hell no, he wouldn’t mind.
    “Here you go, Luke.” Hubert groaned as he carried the long trunk enclosed by iron bands and a huge lock to the door. “Careful, it’s heavy.”
    “I think I can manage,” he told the boy with a wry grin. But when Hubert squatted to hand the trunk over, Luke sagged under its weight. “What does she have in here?”
    “Lead pipes?” Hubert suggested, hopping down from the car.
    It sure felt like it. Luke adjusted his grip on the trunk’s handles, bracing it to the point where the muscles of his arms strained against his shirt. He pasted on a smile as he turned to Eden, Josephine, and Charlie. He wasn’t about to make a fool of himself by looking like the trunk was heavy.
    Fighting the sheen of sweat breaking out on his back, he strode over to Eden and grinned. “Where do you want it?”
    Eden’s lips twitched, one dark eyebrow flickered up. She bit her lip, and said with a saucy hum, “Anywhere you want to put it, sweetie.”
    Luke nearly dropped the dang trunk on his foot. With the state her look and that comment had him in, it likely would have hit something precious on the way down. The sweat dripping down his back doubled, and not because of the weight in his arms.
    Josephine seemed to find the situation too funny to say anything. She had turned half away, her hand covering her mouth, as she pinched her lips shut to keep from saying anything. Typical Ma. Charlie was the one who answered, “I’m sure Herb Waters has a wagon you can rent for the afternoon, unless you can find someone heading out to Paradise Ranch who’d be willing to transport the trunk.” He shifted, spotting something in the street. “There you go, there’s Cody Montrose. He can take care of it for you.”
    Arms aching with the strain of holding the trunk, Luke glanced over his shoulder. Cody was walking at a leisurely pace from Cyrus Avenue toward the saddle-maker’s. Luke filled his lungs to call to his friend.
    “What do you need him for?” Eden cut him off. Luke whipped to face her. “Luke is perfectly capable of handling things himself, aren’t you, sweetie?”
    Her words had more of the ring of a statement of fact than a question about his competence. It was nice of her to build him up like that without knowing him…but why was she? A new, more deep-set tingle joined the one centered in his groin.
    “Yeah, of course I can handle it,” he told her, nodding to Charlie for good measure. He hefted the trunk higher in his arms and started for the edge of the platform. “Come on, Eden. We’ll drop this off at Waters’ Livery, get Herb to ready a wagon for us, then we’ll pop over to the church and get hitched.”
    “Fine by me,” Eden answered with a broad grin.
    “I’ll just pick up the flowers Theophilus Gunn has arranged for your bouquet at the hotel, and I’ll meet you at the church,” Josephine said.
    “You’re coming to the wedding?” Eden’s smile brightened.
    “Honey, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Josephine gave Eden a wink.
    It occurred to Luke as he and Eden started down the road that he might want to second guess anything his ma said in that tone of voice, but right at that moment, he was too pleased with himself for carrying a heavy trunk and making it look easy, and for taking charge of his almost-wife’s welfare.
    “The livery is just down here.” He motioned to the left with his head when they stepped onto the dust of Main Street.
    “Lead on,” Eden said with a satisfied grin.
    Luke was inclined to go above and beyond to make sure she stayed satisfied in every way. If he’d known getting married would be this sweet, he would have done it a long time ago.
    Ahead of them, Cody slowed his steps, waiting for Luke and Eden to catch up. “What’s all this? You suddenly decide work is a good idea?”
    The sweat down Luke’s back turned cold, and a frown