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Worth the
Risk
The McKinney Brothers # 2
The McKinney Brothers # 2
By: Claudia Connor
Releasing Feb 3rd, 2015
Loveswept
When a
McKinney brother falls in love, powerful emotion and overwhelming desire are
never far behind.
Two hearts
locked away . . . Hannah Walker spends her days coaching children through
injury and trauma, one therapeutic horseback ride at a time. She knows all too
well how violence can change a child and leave scars that never heal. It’s easy
for her to relate to the kids; what isn’t easy is the thought of facing her own
harrowing past.
Millionaire
playboy Stephen McKinney could use a little coaching himself. Five years ago he
encountered his most horrible nightmare—and the nightmare won. No matter what
he achieves, nothing can make up for that awful night . . . or so he believes.
Both
desperate for a second chance . . . Stephen is used to getting what he wants.
And he wants Hannah. So when she turns him down, he’s intrigued. What he
doesn’t know is that her secrets will lead him to a place he never wanted to go
again . . . to a side of himself he’s tried to forget . . . a side that would
scare Hannah away from ever loving him. Now his only chance to win her trust is
to bare his soul, risking everything he tried so hard to protect.
She showered, replaying the rules her brothers had drilled into her
over the years, assuring herself she wasn’t breaking any. She’d broken a rule twelve years ago and it had nearly
ruined all their lives. She stepped out of the hot water, wrapped her hair
tightly in a towel, and piled it on top of her head. The steam-covered mirror
blocked her reflection, but still, she closed her eyes as she dried her body.
She didn’t
feel the marks over a decade old, didn’t
feel the crisscrossing pink and purple lines. She inhaled the scent of vanilla
and lavender lotion and pretended just for a moment they weren’t there. That she was
normal. Inside and out.
But she wasn’t,
and they were there.
Her brothers thought they needed to remind her to be careful and
cautious. They didn’t.
All she had to do was look at herself. Ugly. Marked.
She knew what a knife could do. What a man could do. How he could
strike and slice and break your body until he broke your soul.
After a short drive into town, Hannah stopped at the valet in front
of Reno’s, heart
pounding, damp palms gripping the steering wheel. Maybe she wasn’t ready. And she might
have slipped right on through the parking lot and straight back home, but for
the baby-faced attendant who opened her door and offered his hand.
Just inside the restaurant, one she’d only heard of in terms of how impossible it was
to get a table, she was greeted by a pretty little hostess in a black,
knee-length cocktail dress. “Good
evening. Welcome to Reno’s.”
“Thank
you.”
She wiped her hands on her silky black pants. She didn’t own dresses, so this
and a flowing top would have to do. Zach bought her clothes for Christmas, or
rather his current girlfriend helped him make online purchases. Rarely needed,
but tonight she was grateful. She’d
added sandals with tiny gems and for once left her hair down.
“A
table?”
“I’m um . . . meeting
someone, but I . . .”
She looked past the girl into the elegant bar area.
“Mr.
McKinney?”
“What?”
“You’re meeting Stephen
McKinney?”
How could she know that? Had Stephen told her? Described
her? “Yes. I am.”
“He’s waiting at the bar.
Just through there.”
She gestured with her hand. “Or
I can get him if you’d
like.”
So he came here often enough to be known. And the woman in front of
her looked all too eager to get him herself. Probably not a
murderer then. Probably. “No. I’ll
find him. Thank you.”
Excitement warred with nervous energy as she moved into the darkened
space. Delicate glasses clinked among conversations and laughter, soft light
and shiny people. Heads turned, casually taking in the stranger entering their
midst.
She spotted Stephen easily. He stood at least half a head above the
rest, looking completely at ease, his forearm resting against the bar, a glass
of clear liquid in his hand. Nerves fluttered and she stared, undecided which
way to go, advance or retreat. Then he looked up. His hot gaze locked with hers
and he crossed the room like a cat approaching prey. He was wearing black dress
pants as he had this morning, his white shirt revealing a hint of dark hair at
his open collar. Absolutely lethal.
“Hi.”
He leaned in, brushed his lips against her cheek. “You came.”
“Yes.” The subtle scent of aftershave combined with the
sheer size of him and the silky caress of his freshly shaven cheek did funny
things to her stomach. And other parts.
Very emotional read about two people who have closed themselves off to love due a tragic past. For Hannah, a very violent crime that left her fearful and untrusting. For Stephen, the guilt of losing his fiancee prevents him from wanting to have another relationship. As they start spending time together, they start believing in a second chance at happiness, until one mistake almost costs them their future.
Overall, good story and great writing. With so many McKinney's, I know their are more good books to come.
ARC via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review.
Claudia Connor is
a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of
heartfelt contemporary romance. Claudia attended Auburn University, where she
received her undergraduate and masters degrees in early childhood education,
and completed her studies in Sawbridgeworth, England. Always a lover of happy
endings, she enjoys movies, reading, and travel, but spends most of her time
typing out the love stories of the almost real people that live in her head.
Claudia lives near Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband and three daughters.
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