Historical
Branded
By Chrissy Dionne
Nov 17, 2007 - 4:33:50 AM

It’s been a year since Lily McCourt’s husband’s death.   It had been an arranged marriage and they had been more friends than lovers.   From the moment she first met Troy Hammond she knew that she was in love with him.   Now her worst fear is that he’ll disappear from her life forever when he moves onto the next job - she can sense the growing restlessness within him.  

Troy Hammond’s feelings for Lily go far beyond simple friendship.   He’s stayed on at the Triple M since John’s death in order to help Lily but acting on his desire for her would be a betrayal to his deceased friend.

An attack by some neighboring ranch hands presents Lily with the opportunity to finally attempt to seduce Troy.   He’s been by her side, helping to run the Triple M ranch for the past year but it’s obvious that he’s getting restless and she’s fearful that he’ll be leaving her soon.   There’s no doubt that Troy will never act on the desires she’s glimpsed in his face.   Lily’s nervous about taking the initiative with Troy and he’s convinced that her attempt at seduction is only because she feels obligated to him for saving her from the would-be rapists.   Convincing him that her feelings are more than gratitude may take a little more than some hot sex but Lily’s up for the challenge.   Will Troy still have his wanderlust once Lily reveals the truth behind her marriage and her true feelings for him?

Liza James’s short story BRANDED will have readers’ toes tingling with the intensity of the sexual encounters between Troy and Lily.   From the first page right through to the last there’s no doubt that this couple is meant to be together.   What I hadn’t expected was to become so enraptured by the tale that I didn’t want it to end.   At only nineteen pages BRANDED is an excellent short story that will satisfy your need for a hot story when you don’t have a whole lot of time to invest in reading.   Wonderfully written Ms James!