Lei'd in Paradise

By Bethany Lopez

Carmen is a little high-strung, completely loyal, and totally in love with Branson Braswell. Bran's a guy who knows what he wants, and he insists he wants her...in his bed...in Hawaii.

In Carmen's experience, when things are going great, the other shoe's usually about to drop. That's why she doesn't think they're ready for a tropical vacation this early in their relationship.

When a misunderstanding has her following Bran to Hawaii, the Big Island may never be the same. Between their fledgling romance and the intrigue of a pop-up investigation, one thing's for sure... they're both going to get Lei'd in Paradise.

Cupcake Series - Should be read in order
Always Room for Cupcakes
Cupcake Overload
Lei'd with Cupcakes
Cupcake Explosion
Cupcakes & Macarons: Honeymoon Short
Lei'd in Paradise: A Delilah Horton Novella (Carmen and Bran)
Crazy for Cupcakes ~ Coming Soon

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bethany Lopez
• Release date: Jan 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005358532

Bethany Lopez

Bethany Lopez is a USA Today Bestselling author of more than thirty books and has been published since 2011. She's a lover of all things romance, which she incorporates into the books she writes, no matter the genre.When she isn't reading or writing, she loves spending time with family and traveling whenever possible.Bethany can usually be found with a cup of coffee or glass of wine at hand, and will never turn down a cupcake!Sign up for her newsletter and get a free eBook! https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/r7w3w5

Book preview

One

"I’m leaving first thing in the morning, so I’ll probably head to my place for the night. I wish you were coming with me," Bran said, dropping a kiss on my upturned lips.

I kissed him back and gave him a sad smile.

Me, too, I said, although that wasn’t really true.

I was a champion worrier and I thought it was too soon to go away with Bran, even though I’d always wanted to go to Hawaii.

We were still too new and I didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize what we had going. It was really, really good. Plus, Lila and Cade were about to come back from their honeymoon and we’d need to go over everything she’d missed at work.

The timing just wasn’t right.

Still, I didn’t want Bran to know I had reservations about going away with him, so I’d used work as an excuse.

I’ll be thinking of you as I drift from one boring meeting to another, Bran murmured in that sexy, deep voice of his.

I swear, his voice gave me goose bumps every time he spoke, but especially when his words caressed my lips, as they were now.

Mmmmm, and when you’re lounging on the beach with a Mai Tai? I asked softly, hating that I was making him go alone.

Bran had some sort of lawyers’ convention in Hawaii. The convention itself was only two days, but he was taking a week’s vacation right after. Since he was going to be in Hawaii already, it made sense. That was why he wanted me to go with him, so we could spend a week in paradise together.

Bran chuckled.

"Probably not a Mai Tai. Now, if you’d said Maker’s neat, you’d be right on the money. But, yes, I’ll be thinking of you constantly, no matter what I’m doing."

I sighed and cuddled into him.

We were still in the beginning make people sick with our cuteness stage of the relationship, and I loved it.

We said our goodbyes and I took a good long look at him.

Branson Braswell was out of my league. At least, that’s what that doubting inner voice of mine had been trying to tell me since the first time I saw him. Tall, devastatingly handsome with striking blue eyes, the body of a man who watched what he ate and worked out daily, and the voice of a sex phone operator. Well, a male sex phone operator.

Add to that a kind soul, giving heart, and ability to overcome a rough past, and you had the perfect package.

At least, my perfect package.

Our first date had been a disaster. So much so that I’d given up on the idea of Bran that had been building since the first time he taught Lila and me self-defense moves. When Lila had begged me to give him another shot, saying we’d both been so nervous about the date and unsure of our own worth we’d basically sabotaged ourselves, I’d been hesitant.

But, Lila being Lila, and having the ability to talk me into pretty much anything, had convinced me to give him another shot and things had been going great ever since.

Maybe too great.

I was confident in every other aspect of my life. I was a good person, loved my jobs, and could find the good in almost everyone. I’d had an almost charmed life … except where men were concerned.

My luck with men was the worst.

I always seemed to attract losers. Men who couldn’t hold a job, lived with their parents, or thought joggers and a hoodie were appropriate first date attire. I’d begun to give up on my chances of ever finding an actual man who’d want to date me and then I’d found Bran.

Now that I had him,