It's a 99 cents sale extravaganza!! Sept. 18-22!! Check out these 36 historical western romances by some of your favorite authors -- each only 99 cents this week, including my book THE DOVE.
Click here for links to ALL the wonderful books.
The Dove is available for 99 cents at all vendors and can be read as a standalone.
AMAZON | NOOK | iBOOKS | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY
Reunited with Logan Ryan on the steps of the White Dove
Saloon, Claire Waters hides under the guise of a fancy girl...and lets the
ex-deputy believe the worst.
“Ms. McCaffrey writes from the heart…a definite must read.”
~ The Romance Studio
Disappointment hits ex-deputy Logan Ryan hard when he finds
Claire Waters in the midst of a bustling Santa Fe Trail town. The woman he
remembers is gone—in her place is a working girl with enticing curves and a
load of trouble. As a web of deceit entangles them with men both desperate and
dangerous, Logan tries to protect Claire, unaware his own past poses the
greatest threat.
Plagued by shame all her life, Claire is stunned when Logan
catches her on the doorstep of The White Dove Saloon dressed as a prostitute.
She lets him believe the worst, but with her mama missing and the fancy girls
deserting the place, she's hard-pressed to refuse his offer of help. As she
embarks on a journey that will unravel the fabric of her life, one thing
becomes clear—opening her heart may be the most dangerous proposition of all.
A steamy historical western romance set in 1877 New Mexico
Territory.
Excerpt from THE DOVE
They continued north,
passing through Ocate Crossing and watering the horses at Rayado, a stagecoach
stop with only a handful of buildings. The Sangre de Cristos flanked their
progress, a protective barrier as the sun moved to a steady descent behind the
hills. By late afternoon they rode into Cimarron .
The town was located in
the foothills, the mountains on the left a looming reminder of the mining hopes
of the many men who ventured into the interior. Struck by the allure of the
immense slopes, strongly outlined by the setting sun, Claire couldn’t take her
eyes off the promise of anonymity and peace the high country represented. Would
losing herself in those hills give clarity to her life? Make all of the
struggles disappear? It was an enticing thought, and an entirely unrealistic
one. But she tucked the image away to revisit when needed.
They rode past the jail,
the structure surrounded by a ten-foot-high stone wall, and guided their horses
behind the Barlow, Sanderson & Company stage office. On the opposite side
of the road Claire noticed Schwenk’s Hall and beyond was a three-story square
building with a sign that read Aztec Grist Mill.
Glancing in the direction
of the saloon again Claire knew that soon women would start peddling their
bodies to any man willing to pay for it. She wondered if her mama would be
there. More than likely she was at the St. James—if she was here at all. She
had frequently mentioned that saloon in the past.
They approached the Old
National Hotel, situated across from a hardware and livery stable. Next to it
was a gazebo that covered a well. Having been here once before Claire noted
that not much had changed.
“I’m going to check the
registry,” she said and climbed down from Reverend, giving a tug on her skirt
when it caught on the sombrero tied behind the saddle. “I’ll be right back.”
It didn’t take long to
learn that her mama’s name wasn’t in the hotel’s logbook. She stewed over that
while she returned to the porch and stared at several men to her right. One in
particular caught her eye—a tall Mexican with a splotchy, scarred face shaded
by the brim of his hat. He was walking toward them. Fear slammed through her
and her heart pounded at twice its speed. Her throat tightened and she
struggled to breathe.
Sandoval.
His lips were warm, but
Claire was too tense to do anything other than stand there, her hands clutching
his shoulders for dear life.
It was seldom life threw
the unexpected at him, but Logan
He shifted so his body
shielded her from anyone on the street and pushed her up against the hotel
exterior. If it was a show she wanted, he’d teach her a thing or two about
kissing a man while he had her at a distinct disadvantage. Taking control of
the situation, he brought his hands to the sides of her head and took her lips
with his. She was a temptation he hadn’t planned to indulge, but now he gave
himself to the task with a focused tenacity. He would enjoy Claire like he’d
wanted to since the first moment he’d laid eyes on her, months ago at the SR.
She hardly moved. And her
eyes were wide open. “Relax,” he murmured, and covered her mouth fully with
his. Tentative, yes, but she wasn’t completely unwilling. Slowly she yielded,
her mouth surrendering in small increments, teasing him with the promise of so
much more.
Sweet and soft, he
savored the intimate contact with her. He’d needed to touch her and now that he
had he wondered how long he could go before needing to again. He was a man who
could control himself but damn if he wasn’t close to tossing all that control
to the wind. It’d been a long time since he’d felt this way about a woman.
“Are they gone yet?” he
asked quietly. He still protected her with his body.
“What?” Her rapid breath
and flushed face aroused him yet again and he willed himself not to skim her
curves with his hands. He took it as small comfort that she wasn’t immune from
him, no matter how hard she tried to pretend otherwise.
“I’m sorry I threw myself
at you,” she said in a frantic whisper. “I saw Sandoval and wanted to hide.”
“You can hide behind me
anytime.” Logan
“He’s gone,” Claire said
from behind him. “My mama’s not at this hotel, but she could still be in town.
I plan on staying the night. If you need to move on I understand.”
“No,” he said and
continued to scrutinize the street. “I’ll be staying, too. I’ll get us a room
together.”
“Pardon me?”
“There’s no way in hell
I’m leaving you alone if Sandoval is here. I’ll sign us in as a married couple.
Do you have a middle name?”
Claire appeared flustered
and confused. Logan
“Margaret,” she replied.
“Why?”
“Well, that won’t do,” he
said. “I’ll register us as Logan and Peggy Ryan.”
She nodded uncertainly.
“That kiss,” she said, “you realize that I’m not going to…that I’m not going to
entertain you, no matter how much you offer me.”
“I seem to recall you
threw yourself at me, Claire, not the other way around. Your inexperience
shows.” Hell, that came out wrong. And the flash of humiliation on her face
confirmed it.
“Claire—” But she
disappeared into the hotel before he could stop her. Nice going.
He went inside and within
ten minutes they were registered as Mr. and Mrs. Ryan. In an uneasy silence
they went to their room to get settled.
Copyright © 2005 K. McCaffrey Inc.
No comments:
Post a Comment