Beth Andrews - Winter's Kiss

He didn’t believe in fairy tales

Romantic fantasies and happy endings don’t fit Oakes Bartasavich’s reality. Of course, neither does his breathtaking attraction to Daphne Lynch. From his prestigious career to his volatile family, there’s too much at stake to risk one kiss—let alone one night—with her.

But a snowy Christmas stranded together in Shady Grove, Pennsylvania, shines light on everything he’s fighting to deny. Daphne isn’t just a beautiful temptation. She’s a strong, intelligent, kind woman who deserves a happily-ever-after. One that Oakes isn’t sure he can give her...no matter how much he’d like to.

“I mean it, Daphne. Don’t kiss me.”

She widened her eyes. Blinked innocently. “I hadn’t planned on it.”

“I know what you’re doing,” Oakes said, his voice harsh. “You’re trying to lure me in, messing with my head. Trying to get me to break.”

“Oh, Oakes.” She cupped his face with her gloved hand. “I would never want to break you.”

“I’m not going to kiss you,” he told her gruffly. But he was pulling her toward him slowly. So slowly she could stop him at any time.

“If you say so.”

“But if I do kiss you,” he said, a desperate man fighting a losing battle, looking for a way to justify his actions, “it’s only to prove, again, that there’s nothing there.”

But his words were weak. How could they be anything, but when he was drawing her nearer, his arms wrapped around her waist.

“If that’s what you need to tell yourself,” she whispered.

It was. He wished he could believe it, too. Eyes on hers, he lowered his head and pressed his mouth to hers.

Dear Reader Dear Reader Title Page About the Author Dedication PROLOGUE CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE CHAPTER TEN CHAPTER ELEVEN CHAPTER TWELVE CHAPTER THIRTEEN CHAPTER FOURTEEN CHAPTER FIFTEEN CHAPTER SIXTEEN CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Extract Copyright ,

Thank you so much for picking up a copy of Winter’s Kiss! If you’re a return visitor to Shady Grove, welcome back, and I hope you’re enjoying the In Shady Grove series. Hello and welcome to all new readers. The town of Shady Grove is near and dear to my heart as it’s based on my hometown—the town where I’ve lived my entire life, met and married my best friend, and raised our children. I’m so happy to be sharing with you all the very best of what makes small towns so wonderful!

I love everything about the holidays: the decorations and music, the food and family time. I even love the sappy commercials! So when I decided to write Oakes and Daphne’s story, I knew they’d need a bit of holiday magic to achieve their happily-ever-after. Thanks to a winter storm that strands them in Shady Grove over Christmas, they find that magic—along with the strength and courage to fall in love.

Charming, nice guy Oakes Bartasavich is a good man trying to do what’s right. He puts others first and never rocks the boat. Too bad he’s about to be hit by a tidal wave in the form of Daphne Lynch! Daphne is irrepressible, fun and always follows her heart. And her heart is telling her that Oakes is the only man for her. Now she not only has to convince him she’s right, but that together, they can weather any storm life throws their way.

I loved writing Oakes and Daphne’s story and returning once again to Shady Grove and catching up with the people there. I hope you’ll look for the next In Shady Grove book out in August 2016 where Zach Castro, the last Bartasavich brother, finds love and his own happy ending with Shady Grove resident Fay Lindemuth.

For more about future releases and a listing of all my books, please visit my website, bethandrews.net, or drop me a line at beth@bethandrews.net. I’d love to hear from you.

Happy reading!

Beth

Winter’s Kiss

Beth Andrews

www.millsandboon.co.uk

While writing Winter’s Kiss, the seventh book in her popular In Shady Grove series, Romance Writers of America RITA® Award winner BETH ANDREWS drank copious amounts of iced coffee, finished off several bags of Dove dark chocolates and shed many a tear over her youngest daughter’s high school graduation (though she isn’t saying whether those were happy or sad tears). When not drinking coffee and eating dark chocolate...oh, and writing, of course...she can be found cheering on the Pittsburgh Penguins, scrolling through Instagram or reading a good book with a happy ending. Learn more about Beth and her books by visiting her website, bethandrews.net.

For Trevor and Hannah Grace.

Thank you for the best present ever!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction “I mean it, Daphne. Don’t kiss me.” She widened her eyes. Blinked innocently. “I hadn’t planned on it.” “I know what you’re doing,” Oakes said, his voice harsh. “You’re trying to lure me in, messing with my head. Trying to get me to break.” “Oh, Oakes.” She cupped his face with her gloved hand. “I would never want to break you.” “I’m not going to kiss you,” he told her gruffly. But he was pulling her toward him slowly. So slowly she could stop him at any time. “If you say so.” “But if I do kiss you,” he said, a desperate man fighting a losing battle, looking for a way to justify his actions, “it’s only to prove, again, that there’s nothing there.” But his words were weak. How could they be anything, but when he was drawing her nearer, his arms wrapped around her waist. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself,” she whispered. It was. He wished he could believe it, too. Eyes on hers, he lowered his head and pressed his mouth to hers.

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Extract

Copyright

PROLOGUE

IF SOMETHING SEEMS too good to be true, Daphne Lynch’s mother had always told her, then it probably is. Especially if that something is a man.

Hard-earned wisdom from a woman who’d been burned not once, but twice by men who’d swept her off her feet only to stand by and watch as she landed flat on her ass.

Daphne knew her mother had reasons—valid ones—to feel the way she did. To want to protect herself from being let down again. From being hurt. But Daphne didn’t want to live life that way. Afraid to trust. Afraid to love.

Life was about taking chances. Seeing the good that was out there and, most importantly, believing in that good.

So when she’d received an email from her father over a year ago—the first time she’d heard from Michael Lynch in six years—she’d been cautious. She may be only seventeen but she wasn’t stupid. Far from it. And she hadn’t forgotten what he’d done to her and her mother. What he’d done to Zach. She couldn’t. Just as she wouldn’t forget what type of man he’d been.

But she’d also been curious. Optimistic. Willing to give him a second chance. So she’d begun a correspondence with him over the last year. Hopeful, and eager even, to believe him when he’d said he’d changed.

Guess she wasn’t all that smart after all.

Because it was now pretty clear that while Michael Lynch had changed physically over the last seven years—his face was puffier and more heavily lined, his once trim frame carried thirty extra pounds, his black hair was threaded with gray—the transformation was only superficial. The man approaching her was older and harder-looking, but he hadn’t changed. Not really.