Authors: N.J. Walters
MacNamara’s Lady
Sixth in the
Awakening Desires series.
Missy Sinclair
knows what she wants out of life—a secure job, a fine home, financial
independence and, eventually, a man to share it with. That man will have class
and style, share her goals and tastes and like fine wine and classical music.
Why then is she so attracted to T.S. MacNamara, who is the complete opposite?
T.S. makes no
apologies to anyone for his life. He’s worked hard to make his general
contracting business a success. He likes beer and football. He’s not looking
for anything permanent. Problem is, he can’t stop wanting Missy.
When he rescues
Missy from a violent mugging, the seething physical attraction that’s been
shimmering between them for months finally explodes. Classy and rough, dark and
light, educated and blue-collar. Opposites attract—at least in the bedroom. But
they both have secrets that won’t stay buried…secrets that threaten to drive
them apart unless they’re both willing to face their pasts.
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
MacNamara’s Lady
ISBN 9781419933547
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
MacNamara’s Lady Copyright © 2011 N.J. Walters
Edited by Shannon Combs
Cover art by Syneca
Electronic book publication June 2011
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MacNamara
’
s Lady
N.J. Walters
Dedication
For all the readers who asked about T.S.
MacNamara and waited patiently for me to get around to his story. This one is
for you.
Prologue
Missy Sinclair sniffed delicately and
blinked hard to keep from crying. She wasn’t usually the sentimental type, but
it wasn’t every day she watched her best friend get married. Candy was staring
at her husband-to-be with such a rapt expression of love on her face it was impossible
not to be moved by it.
The chapel was quiet, except for the even
tone of the minister’s voice. A small group of family and friends watched on as
the couple exchanged vows. Candy’s bouquet—pink roses—filled the air with its
perfume. Fabric rustled and someone in the back coughed.
The bride was wearing a three-quarter
length, off-white dress that hugged her curves to perfection. She and Candy had
spent days searching for just the right dress. Her cinnamon-brown hair was
swept up and held with several silver clips that Missy had helped her pick out.
Lucas Squires, the groom, looked handsome
in his black tuxedo with his blond hair and pale blue eyes. He’d wanted to be
married right away, but Candy had wanted a real wedding. She’d stated in no
uncertain terms that since she was only doing this once she wanted to do it
right. The tough guy had caved immediately, wanting Candy to be happy.
How must it feel to be loved like that?
She looked away from the happy couple and
her gaze was immediately snared by that of the best man—T.S. MacNamara. Now
there was a man to catch any woman’s attention. She’d have to be dead not to
notice such a prime specimen.
Strangely enough, he wasn’t handsome in a
classical sense, but his rough good looks drew many a female eye. His nose
looked as though it might have been busted once and even though he’d probably
shaved this morning, his jaw was already starting to darken. With his
shoulder-length black hair, olive complexion and golden-brown eyes, he looked
tough and compelling, strong and confident.
She’d met him back in early spring when
Lucas and Candy had officially become a couple. Now it was only a couple of
weeks away from Thanksgiving. This year had certainly flown.
He looked right at home in blue jeans and
work boots, which was fortunate considering he was a general contractor and
owned his own business—MacNamara Contracting. But he looked equally at home in
a formal tuxedo. His shoulders strained at the seams of the jacket, hinting at
the muscular physique beneath.
She’d noticed that body more than once over
the past months as they’d been thrown together more and more. They’d shared
many a dinner with Lucas and Candy as the couple planned their wedding. T.S.
was an easygoing guy. He laughed and smiled easily, conversed readily about
current events and sports, but Missy always had the feeling there was much more
to him than he allowed anyone to see. Or maybe he was exactly what he seemed to
be, a hardworking, fun-loving man who had no intentions of ever settling down.
She’d never seen him with one particular woman and Lucas ribbed him from time
to time about the way he played the field.
Missy was not a one-night-stand kinda girl,
but that hadn’t stopped her from fantasizing about T.S. over the past few
months. And why not? She was a healthy woman, even if she didn’t have a very
active sex life. Oh, she dated frequently enough, but she was very picky when
it came to who she let into her bed.
But a fantasy didn’t hurt anyone. And T.S.
had featured in all hers lately. She was a tall woman, but in her stocking feet
he’d probably top her by a couple of inches. His shoulders were incredibly
wide, his chest broad and roped with muscles. He’d done a lot of the work on
Lucas’ building and she’d seen him once without a shirt. It was a sight a woman
would never forget. The image was burned on her brain forever.
Hot and sweaty, he’d removed his shirt and
tossed it aside. Dark chest hair thinned as it angled downward and disappeared
into the waistband of his jeans. The weight of his tool belt had pulled the
jeans down slightly, exposing his bellybutton.
He’d been swinging a hammer, the muscles in
his biceps flexing and rippling. The man had corrugated steel for abs and her
fingers had itched to run up and down the broad bands.
She’d spent many a night wondering what he
looked like without the jeans. His thighs were thick and solid and a
substantial bulge filled out the front of his jeans.
Missy shifted restlessly, her pussy
beginning to pulse. She was mortified by her thoughts and behavior. She was at
a wedding, in a chapel. She shook herself and looked away from T.S., focusing
on her friend instead.
The ceremony was almost done. The couple
exchanged rings and then Lucas was kissing his bride. Applause erupted and the
couple started down the aisle. Missy waited for T.S. so they could follow.
“You okay?” His voice was low enough so no
one else could hear.
“I’m fine. Why?”
His eyes studied her face with concern.
“You look a bit overheated.”
Her spine stiffened and she tilted her head
up. With her heels she was a bit taller than he was and she used that now to
build her confidence. No way did she want him to ever know she was flushed
because she’d been imagining him naked. “It’s a bit warm in here.”
She hurried down the aisle, not giving him
the opportunity to continue his line of questioning. He could either keep up or
be left behind.
Missy glanced at T.S. out of the corner of
his eye. Damn man was watching her with a speculative gleam in his eyes. His
eyes dipped low. She refused to look down. She knew her nipples were puckered.
She only hoped that no one else noticed.
Plastering a smile on her face, she
congratulated the newly married couple and took her place in the small
receiving line. The reception couldn’t come fast enough to suit her.
Chapter One
Women were trouble.
But a beautiful woman was serious trouble.
And Missy Sinclair was a beautiful woman by anyone’s definition of the word.
T.S. MacNamara lifted the cold bottle of
beer and took a swallow of the mellow brew, his eyes never leaving Missy. Now
that was a woman to inspire a man’s fantasies. And he’d had more than his share
since he’d met her.
She stood about six feet tall. And that was
before she slipped on those four-inch killer heels she was wearing. She was
lean with subtle curves that tempted a man to put his hands on them. With her
smooth ebony skin and piercing brown eyes she resembled an ancient African
goddess. It was all too easy to imagine men falling to their knees and
worshipping at her feet.
Intimidating was one word he’d heard to
describe her. Cold was another. From what he’d observed the past few months,
Missy kept men at arm’s length. Her daunting demeanor put off some men. But not
T.S. If anything her confidence and innate intelligence made him want her even
more.
“Thanks for coming.”
T.S. raised his bottle to his best friend,
Lucas Squires, as he came to stand beside him. They’d met in prison when they
were still practically kids, two eighteen-year-olds scared out of their minds.
And they’d been tight ever since.
The saint and the sinner. The angel and the
devil. That’s what the other inmates had nicknamed them. Lucas with his blond
hair and blue eyes was the angel. He with his olive-toned complexion and black
hair was the devil. If you messed with one you messed with them both. Their
shared experience had forged one hell of a bond. One that had stood the test of
time.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” And he meant
it too. He was honored to have been asked to be the best man. As emotion welled
up inside him, he let his gaze flow over the small crowd of family and friends
who’d gathered back at the couple’s home for food and drink.
“Still, I appreciate it. I know you don’t
like weddings.” Lucas slapped him on the back.
Now that was an understatement. He usually
avoided weddings like the plague. Women, especially unmarried ones, got ideas
at weddings. They didn’t seem to understand that some folks didn’t want to get
married. And at forty-two, T.S. liked his bachelorhood just fine, thank you
very much.