Strong is Sexy Heroine of the Week: Melissa Dehavilland

Book: Suited to be a Cowboy
Author: Lorraine Nelson
Heroine: Melissa Dehavilland

Strong:

Melissa Dehavilland found out that money doesn’t guarantee happiness. When her marriage falls apart and she’s left with a young son to raise, she doesn’t allow it to get her down. Fate intervenes when she and her son inherit her Grandfather’s horse ranch, and she decides to move there. A new start…a better life, for herself and for her son.

Taking over the running of the ranch meant hard work and long hours, but she was determined to fulfill her grandfather’s trust. Melissa could ride and rope as good as any of her wranglers, but she had a lot to learn. She tackled it head-on, one project or chore at a time. During the process, she’s rebuilt her self-esteem and reinforced positive values for her son. Strong and determined, the only thing she refuses to tackle is paperwork. Give her the outdoors any day. She’d sooner muck out the horse barn than do accounting or try to balance her checkbook.

Sexy: (excerpt)

Not unexpectedly, she rode like the wind, at one with her horse, her golden tresses blowing out behind her, tempting him, as did her derriere. It bounced nicely up and down as she rode. Jimmy kept his horse at a slow trot as he followed in her wake, thinking that he’d love to cup those butt cheeks in his bare hands and make her body bounce on his. If they hadn’t been on horseback, he might’ve breached the employer/employee relationship back there. Her eyes had darkened with desire and those firm, full lips had begged to be kissed. Right or proper protocol had nothing to do with it. He’d wanted to hold her tight, mold her body against his.

When she dismounted and stood beside her son, the reddish haze of sunset provided the perfect backdrop to outline her enticing curves. He gave his head a shake and rode closer, ready to dismount, but a quick glimpse of the area beyond rooted him to his saddle.

Blurb:

Inheriting a ranch on the heels of her husband walking out has Melissa Dehavilland struggling to learn the ropes. James McGovern, raised in foster care, has saved all his life toward a dream…that of owning a ranch. Such diverse backgrounds don’t always converge in harmony, especially when their first meeting turned sour, but working together means saving her ranch and restoring his dream. Respect is hard-earned and trust non-existent as they fight their attraction to each other. Melissa’s ex shows up, wanting a cut and causing trouble. The difficulties bind them closer together as they strive to guarantee a future…together.

Excerpt: (Strong)

Walt’s was the lead truck in their little convoy. Although he tended to flirt outrageously, Walt was good company and he soon realized that Melissa could give as good as she got. It all served to help pass the time and she found she enjoyed the ride to Kentucky…until they pulled onto the racetrack to find her ex-husband waiting with the potential buyers.

She thanked Walt and jumped down from the cab ready to send Marcus on his way while the men unloaded the stock. The sale of her horses had nothing to do with his running of Dehavilland Downs. If he hadn’t been the father of her only son, she would have sent him packing when the marriage ended.

Still fuming, she motioned him to one side and confronted him. “What are you doing here?”

“Why, darling, I’m overseeing the sale of our horses. Surely you wouldn’t expect me to leave something so important in your incapable hands.” Marcus wore an evil smirk that did nothing to cool her anger.

“How dare you! These are my horses.”

“Oh, I dare. I can fetch a much better price for them than you can. My share of the proceeds will compensate for the pittance I’m allowed for managing the track.”

“These are my buyers and my horses. You get paid handsomely for what you do and you’re not getting one red cent of my sale money. Now get off this track before I call security and have you removed for good.”

“Tut, tut, darling. Such a temper. What would Aaron say if you followed through on that threat?”

That thought gave her pause, but only for a moment. “Oh, I think he’d understand well enough, given the way you’ve kept in contact with him. Not! And don’t call me darling. You gave up that right when you walked out.”

She palmed her cell phone and began to dial.

“All right. You’ve won this round, but you’ll be sorry. Those buyers will strip you bare of the horses’ real worth, but you’re on your own. Know that I’ll be laughing from my position on the bleachers.”

Melissa breathed a sigh of relief as he stomped off. He could watch the proceedings or not. She really didn’t care.

At this time, Suited is available at Secret Cravings Publishing. This post will be updated with the Amazon link as soon as it is available on that site.