Free Bachelor's Bought Bride by Jennifer Lewis

ring was on her finger, did that mean she’d said yes? “It’s beautiful. Are you sure you want to part with it?”
    Gavin held her hand. “I don’t want to part with it. I want it on the finger of the woman I love.”
    Bree’s stomach clenched. The word love hung in the air like a flash of smoke from a magic trick.
    That’s what had been missing, why the whole proposal had felt rather odd, forced—because he hadn’t told her he loved her.
    Until now.
    “I love you, Bree.” He caressed her hand with his thumb. “It’s a new love, untried and untested, I’ll admit. But I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. Something in my gut, in my heart, tells me that you’re the woman for me.”
    The conviction in his voice wrapped around her like a cloak. Did she love him? She had no idea what love was even supposed to feel like. Arousal and desire sizzled through her like steam, no denying that. And Gavin was sweet and charming and intelligent and fun. And completely hot.
    All the things she would have looked for in her dream husband. If she was looking for a husband. Which she certainly should be, according to pretty much everyone she knew. She was just so used to being suspicious, to doubting the motives of any man who came near herbecause he might be more interested in the Kincannon coffers than in her.
    “There’s something special between us, isn’t there?” His voice interrupted her thoughts.
    “Yes, there is.” Bree frowned. The connection between them crackled right now, as she sat on the bed, her hands in his. She’d never felt so comfortable with a man, so safe. She’d certainly never felt so desirable and intriguing. “I do feel it.”
    She looked down at the three diamonds twinkling on her finger.
    “Will you marry me?” Gavin’s simple question, asked with hope in his wide gray gaze, blew away any last traces of resistance.
    “Yes. I will.” Exhilaration—and terror—flashed through her as she said the words. But she also felt a fierce conviction that this was right. Strange—and sudden—as it was, their pairing was meant to be.
    Gavin wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. The warmth from his body mingled with hers and possibly for the first time in her life—at least since her mother died—she felt totally protected and cared for.
    And loved.
     
    As they pulled onto the Golden Gate Bridge in Gavin’s car, Bree snuck a glance backward at the city. When she returned, she’d be a married woman. Mrs. Gavin Spencer. They were getting married right over the bridge in Sausalito.
    Gavin had wanted to get married as soon as possible. No guests, just the two of them—and Bree’s cats. Gavin had sweetly insisted that they come, too, since they were members of the family. One of his former clients owneda boutique hotel with a terrace overlooking the city that hosted small weddings quite often. He’d promised to provide the wedding officiant, a photographer and two witnesses.
    The whole thing had been arranged so fast. The only holdup was the prenup—Gavin had insisted on one, maybe to prove that he wasn’t a gold digger. She found the whole thing embarrassing. Didn’t it imply that they might one day get divorced? She didn’t want to think about that. Still, he’d managed to get one drawn up and signed in less than a day, and now here they were, barely forty-eight hours after his proposal.
    Gavin turned to look at her. “Nervous?”
    “A little.” It was all happening so quickly. And a wedding without any friends and family seemed odd.
    Still, despite some reservations, Bree had to admit it made sense. She didn’t want the kind of big society wedding her father would have insisted on, which would take a full year to plan and involve more fuss than a royal inauguration. Better to do it this way, quickly and privately. Oddly, her father hadn’t protested their impromptu plans the way she’d expected. He’d seemed quite unsurprised by her news and happy for both of