{"product_id":"the-bride-and-the-beast-isbn-9780553581836","title":"The Bride and the Beast","description":"Dear Reader,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI'd been prowling the crumbling ruins of Castle Weyrcraig for so long that I could no longer remember if I was man or beast. Then one stormy night the superstitious Highlanders of Ballybliss decided to leave a helpless virgin bound to a stake in the castle courtyard to satisfy my insatiable appetites. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy demands might strike terror in the hearts of men, but this bold beauty dared to defy me. After she informed me that she didn't believe in dragons, I had no choice but to make her my prisoner—or risk being exposed to those I had sought to deceive with my dangerous masquerade. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSoon I found myself stealing into the moonlit tower just to watch her sleep. Little does she know that beneath this beast's gruff exterior beats the passionate heart of a man. Gwendolyn Wilder may not believe in dragons, but I intend to use all my sensual wiles to teach her to believe in something even more magical—true love.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEternally yours,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Dragon of Weyrcraig\"A beguiling blend of myth and magic ... sure to win your heart.\"\u003cbr\u003e-- \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Tami Hoag\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A beautiful, enchanting fairy tale ... the ultimate romance reader's fantasy.\"\u003cbr\u003e-- \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Kristin Hannah\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDon't miss any of the magic in these bestselling romances by Teresa Medeiros:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCharming the Prince\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNobody's Darling\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTouch of Enchantment\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBreath of Magic\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFairest of Them All\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThief of Hearts\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Whisper of Roses\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eOnce an Angel\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eHeather and Velvet\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLady of Conquest\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eShadows and Lace\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eComing soon in hardcover:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Kiss to Remember\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eUSA Today \u003c\/i\u003e  and \u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly \u003c\/i\u003e  bestselling author Teresa Medieros was recently chosen one of the Top Ten Favorite Romance Authors by \u003ci\u003eAffaire de Coeur\u003c\/i\u003e magazine and won the \u003ci\u003eRomantic Times\u003c\/i\u003e Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Historical Love and Laughter. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA former Army brat and a registered nurse, she wrote her first novel at the age of twenty-one and has since gone on to win the hearts of critics and readers alike. The author of twelve novels, Teresa makes her home in Kentucky with her husband, Michael.\u003cb\u003ePrologue\u003cbr\u003e Scotland, The Highlands\u003cbr\u003e 1746\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Gwendolyn was nine years old the day she almost killed the future chieftain of Clan MacCullough.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She was hauling herself up a sturdy young oak, carefully testing each branch to make sure it would bear her weight, when his shaggy pony came into view.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She settled her backside into a well-worn hollow in the trunk and peered through the minty green veil of leaves, her heart skipping a beat. Aye, it was he. There was no mistaking Bernard MacCullough's regal bearing or the shock of dark hair that tumbled across his brow. He wore a scarlet and black tartan draped over his saffron shirt. A silver badge emblazoned with the MacCullough dragon secured the tartan, drawing her attention to shoulders that seemed to grow broader with each passing day. Below his short kilt, his long, tanned legs hugged the pony's flanks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Gwendolyn rested her chin on her hand and sighed, content simply to drink in the sight of him as he guided the pony down the rocky path with a grace and mastery beyond his fifteen years. Although he rode through this pass every day, she never tired of watching him. Never tired of dreaming chat one day he would look up and catch a glimpse of her.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Who goes there?\" he would call out, reining his pony to a halt. \"Could it be an angel fallen from the heavens?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"'Tis only I, m'laird,\" she would reply, \"thine fair Lady Gwendolyn.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Then he would flash his white teeth in a tender smile and she would gently float to the ground. (In her dreams, she always had a pretty pair of gossamer wings.) Using only one hand, he would sweep her up before him on the pony and they would ride through the village, basking beneath the proud smiles of her mama and papa, the slack-jawed gazes of the villagers, and the envious stares of her two older sisters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Look! There's Gwennie at the top of that tree. And they say pigs can't fly!\" A burst of raucous laughter jerked Gwendolyn out of her reverie.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As she looked down and saw the circle of children gathered around the tree, her skin began to crawl with an all too familiar dread. Perhaps if she ignored their taunts, they would just go away.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I don't know why ye're wastin' yer time up there. All the acorns are down here on the ground.\" Ross, the burly son of the village blacksmith, slapped his knee, howling with mirth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Oh, do stop it, Ross,\" laughed Glynnis, Gwendolyn's twelve-year-old sister. She twined an arm through his and tossed her flowing auburn curls. \"If you'll leave the poor creature alone, I'll let you steal a kiss later.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Gwendolyn's eleven-year-old sister, Nessa, whose silky straight hair was a shade more gold than red, captured his ocher arm, pouting prettily. \"Keep your lips to yourself, wench. He's already promised his kisses to me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Don't fret, lasses.\" Ross squeezed them both until they squealed. \"I've kisses enough to go 'round. Although 'twould take more kisses than I've got to go 'round that sister of yers.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Gwendolyn couldn't stop herself from replying. \"Go away, Ross, and leave me alone!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"And what will you do if I don't? Sit on me?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Glynnis and Nessa made a halfhearted attempt to smother their giggles with their hands. The rest of Ross's companions roared with laughter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Then an unfamiliar voice sliced through their merriment. \"You heard the lady. Leave her be.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Bernard MacCullough's voice was both smoother and deeper than Gwendolyn had imagined. And he'd called her a lady! But her wonder over chat was quickly overtaken by mortification as she realized he must have heard the entire exchange. As she looked through the branches, all she could see of her defender was the top of his head and the polished toes of his boots.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ross turned to face the interloper. \"And who the bloody hell are ye to--?\" His snarl died on a croak as he went red, then white. \"I d-didn't realize 'twas ye, m'laird,\" he stammered. \"F-f-forgive me.\" He dropped to one knee at the feet of his chieftain's son.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Bernard seized the front of his shirt and hauled him to his feet. Ross might have outweighed the boy by at least a stone, but he still had to crane his neck to look Bernard in the eye. \"I'm not your laird, yet,\" Bernard pointed out. \"But I will be someday. And I should warn you that I never forget an injustice done to one of my own.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Gwendolyn bit her lip to still its trembling, amazed that their taunts couldn't make her cry, but that his kindness could.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Ross swallowed hard. \"Aye, m'laird. Nor will I forget the warnin'.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"See that you don't.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Although Ross was subdued as he led his companions from the clearing, Gwendolyn caught the smoldering look he shot the top of the tree. She would pay later for his humiliation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Her ragged nails bit into the bark as she realized they'd done exactly as she'd demanded. They'd left her alone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e With him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She pressed her cheek against the trunk of the tree, praying she would disappear right into it like some bashful wood sprite.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A matter-of-fact voice dashed her hopes. \"They're gone. You can come down now.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She closed her eyes, dreading the contempt that would darken his face if she accepted his invitation. \"I'm really quite comfortable where I am.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He sighed. \"Tisn't every day I have the privilege of rescuing a damsel in distress. I should think you'd want to thank me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Thank you. Now would you please just go away and leave me be?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Defying him was her first mistake. \"I'll not do it. 'Tis my land, and therefore my tree. If you don't come down, I'll come up after you.\" He planted one boot in the lowest crook of the trunk and reached for a dangling limb.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Already imagining how fast he could scale the tree with those long, limber legs of his, Gwendolyn then made her second mistake. She began to scramble higher. But in her haste she forgot to test each bough before she put her weight on it. There was a creak, then a crack, then she went plummeting toward the earth. Her last coherent thought was \u003ci\u003ePlease, God, let me land on my head and break my neck.\u003c\/i\u003e But the fickle branches betrayed her once again by breaking her fall instead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She had only a mercifully brief glimpse of Bernard's shocked face before she slammed into him, knocking him flat.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It took Gwendolyn a moment to catch her breath. When she opened her eyes Bernard was stretched out beneath her, his face only an inch from her own.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e His eyes were closed, his stubby, dark lashes fanned out against the masculine curve of his sun-bronzed cheeks. Gwendolyn was so close she could even make out a hint of the whiskers that would soon shadow his jaw.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"M'laird?\" she whispered.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He neither groaned nor stirred.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She moaned. \"Oh, God, I've gone and killed him!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If only the fall had killed her as well! Then the villagers could find them here, her body draped protectively across his, united in death as they'd never been in life. Unable to resist the heartbreaking pathos of the image, Gwendolyn buried her face against his breastbone and snuffled back a sob.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Are you hurt, lass?\" came a smoky whisper.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Gwendolyn slowly lifted her head. Bernard's eyes were open now, but not in the death stare she'd feared. They were a rich green, the color of emeralds spilling across a cache of hidden treasure.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e As he gently brushed a leaf from her hair, Gwendolyn scrambled off of him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I've bruised naught but my pride,\" she said. \"And you? Are you hurt?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I should say not.\" He climbed to his feet, swiping leaves and dirt from his backside. \"'Twould take more than a child landing in my lap to knock the wind from me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A child? Gwendolyn could almost feel her braids begin to bristle.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He brushed a twig from his hair, eyeing her from beneath that wayward lock across his brow. \"I've seen you at the castle before, haven't I? You live at the manor in the village. You're the daughter of my father's steward.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"One of them,\" she replied tersely, not wanting him to suspect that she lived for those days when her papa would take her to the castle while he conducted his business simply because she might catch a glimpse of Bernard bounding down the stairs or playing chess with the chieftain or sneaking up behind his mother to give her a teasing kiss on the cheek. To Gwendolyn, Castle Weyrcraig had always been a castle of dreams, a place of pure enchantment where even the most unlikely of wishes might come true.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You've a baby sister, haven't you? And another on the way. I've met your two older sisters,\" he said. \"A cheeky pair, aren't they? Always batting their eyelashes and wiggling hips they don't yet have.\" A bemused smile softened his lips as he took in her rumpled tunic and the faded knee breeches she'd pilfered from her papa's laundry. \"You're not like them, are you?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Gwendolyn folded her arms over her chest. \"No, I'm not. I'm fat.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He looked her up and down in frank assessment. \"You've a bit of extra flesh on your bones, but 'tis not unbecoming on a child your age.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eA child!\u003c\/i\u003e Somehow it galled her more that he'd called her a child again than that he'd agreed she was fat. How could she have ever thought she loved this arrogant lad? Why, she loathed him!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She drew herself up to her full four feet three inches. \"I suppose just because you live in a grand castle and ride a pretty pony, you fancy yourself a man full grown.\"","brand":"Bantam","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46303376769253,"sku":"NP9780553581836","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780553581836.jpg?v=1767738530","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-bride-and-the-beast-isbn-9780553581836","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}