Bound to the Beard: A Man of the Month Club Novella: A small town, waking up married instalove romance

BOUND TO THE BEARD Man of the Month Club - Candy Cane Key EVE LONDON Contents Preface Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Epilogue Man of the Month Club 2023 Also by Eve London About the Author Copyright © 2022 by Eve London All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Cover Design: Yoly - https://www.cormarcovers.com/ Cover Photo: DepositPhotos Man of the Month Series Managed by Kara Kendrick - https://karakendrick.com/ Preface Bound to the Beard What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. Coral When my bestie whisks me away to Vegas for a girlfriend getaway to get my mind off the business I’m trying to buy, I expect to ring in the new year, not wake up with a ring on my finger. Despite my attraction to the red-hot bearded ginger in my bed, I hop a plane home to Candy Cane Key. A one-night stand wedding can't possibly be the start to something that will last forever... can it? Flynn The first time I see Coral, I know she’s the one. So when I get the chance to check an item off her visiting Vegas bucket list, I go all in. But what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas. I’ve got nothing to lose by following her home and convincing her to give us a chance for real. And maybe everything to gain. Flynn “Viva Las Vegas!” My buddy Josh handed me one of the three-foot-long vodka slushies he’d just bought from a woman dressed in nothing but feathers. “Can you believe this place? Come on, Flynn, it’s time to party.” So much for taking him outside to get some fresh air so he could sober up. “You’d better slow down on the vodka or you won’t make it to your own wedding.” “Don’t be such a party pooper.” Josh shoved the straw in his mouth and sucked down a quarter of his drink. His fiancée was going to hog tie us and leave us on the side of the highway somewhere between Nevada and my home state of Texas if he showed up at the wedding chapel wasted. I’d been on the fence about making the trip to Vegas so soon after the holidays, but our other friends guilted me into it. I could afford to take a long weekend off since Josh had just bought out my half or our construction business. But babysitting the groom hadn’t been part of my plans. “Give me that.” I yanked the huge drink out of his hand. The rest of the guys were still racking up chips at the craps table inside. I seemed to be the only one worried about sobering up the groom so he could say, “I do.” “Walk with me.” He slung an arm over my shoulder. We made slow progress down the sidewalk since he wasn’t doing a very good job of walking in a straight line. “Do you believe in love at first sight?” Josh was one of those guys who got way too philosophical when he drank. I ought to know since we met our freshman year of college and had shared a lot of beers over the years. “What the hell are you talking about?” I stopped next to the railing overlooking the front of the Bellagio. Based on the size of the crowd, it was probably time for the fountains to start again. “That’s how it was with me and Georgeanne.” Josh wedged himself between two groups of tourists and motioned for me to come closer. “She was standing next to me at the bar. We bumped elbows, and I spilled my drink on her jacket.” “I know, asshole. I was there.” They’d met senior year of college, and she’d been making his life a living hell ever since. Witnessing the ups and mostly downs of their rocky ten-year relationship had been more than enough to convince me that falling in love was a horrible idea. “Get over here. The fountains are about to start.” He scooted to the left to make room for me. We still had a few hours before we had to meet Bridezilla and crew at the chapel. Hoping his buzz would fade by then, I stepped closer. The woman on my right turned just as I approached. Full pink lips curled up in a contagious smile. I couldn’t help but offer a dopey grin in return. She laughed at something the woman next to her said. The sound did something funky to my insides. What the fuck was wrong with me? I felt like I was in a bad rom-com movie, but I couldn’t look away. Dark brown eyes stared up at me as my elbow bumped into hers. My grip on the giant plastic tube shifted, and the huge drink in my hand tilted toward her. Everything from that moment on happened in extreme slo-mo. Her eyes widened and her lips formed a perfectly shaped “O” as half of my slushie splashed down the front of her low-cut white top. Having her cleavage doused in a frozen cocktail must have caught her off guard because she jumped, bumping the top of her head under my chin. My teeth knocked together, which wouldn’t have been too painful except my tongue got caught between them. I dropped the tall plastic cup when my hand flew to my mouth, accidentally sending whatever had been sitting on the railing in front of her over the edge. “No, no, no!” She looked like was ready to hurl herself after whatever had gone sailing into the water below. I reached out to grab the back of her shirt. The thin fabric ripped. “Oh, shit!” Josh