Is there anything more American than the gritty frontier stories of the Wild West? This Independence Day, why not take a trip back to a time when hard work and dedication built our nation from the ground up!
Check out this excerpt from Last Chance Cowboys: The Outlaw and have a spectacular 4th of July weekend!
###
Amanda fought her
attacker with all her might, ineffectually flailing away at him with both
fists. Then, realizing her nails and teeth were better weapons, she raked his
neck even as she bit down hard and got a mouth filled with the taste of her attacker’s
leather glove for her trouble. She struggled to free herself from his solid,
muscular body pinning hers to the ground by straddling her. She went completely
still, hoping to surprise him, but he hauled her to her feet, leaving her hat
in the dirt and her hair falling free of the pins she’d used to hide it under
the crown of the Stetson.
She took some
pride in the realization that she’d put up enough of a fight to leave the man
breathless. On the other hand, he was practically “Amanda?” Seth Grover was
breathing hard and staring down at her, one hand touching her breasts, which
were heaving noticeably after the exertion of the fight.
“Explain yourself,
Mr. Grover,” she demanded as she planted both hands flat on the solid wall of
his chest and shoved him away. He let go, but the sound of fabric ripping told
her he’d taken the top couple of buttons of the shirt with him. When she saw
his eyes riveted on her exposed skin, she covered herself with crossed hands
and felt heat race through her body. “Well?” she hissed, aware that they were
standing outside and anyone might pass by or hear them.
“I thought…are you
following me, Amanda?”
“Do not flatter
yourself, Seth. Miss Jensen might keep tabs on you, but your comings and goings
are of no interest to me whatsoever.” She dusted off the seat of her pants,
then realized she’d once again exposed herself to him by letting go of her
shirt front. “A gentleman would avert his eyes,” she said, “or at the very
least offer a lady the cover of his coat.”
He chuckled. “Have
to say I’m not much a gentleman, ma’am, but if you’re feeling a chill…” He
shrugged out of his coat and draped it over her shoulders, allowing his hands
to linger there until she stepped out of reach.
“Thank you.” She
bent to retrieve her hat and slapped it against her thigh as she’d seen her
father, brothers and the cowboys at the ranch do more times than she could
count. The gesture made her feel tougher and taller at the same time. She shook
her hair back from her face and planted on the hat, tugging at the brim until
the fit was snug. “I’ll leave your coat outside your room. Good evening, Seth.”
“I’ll walk you
back.” He fell into step beside her. “Shall we take the street or the alley?”
He was mocking
her. She remained silent but picked up the pace.
“Oh, then we’re
going to race back?” He matched her step for step, an easy feat given his long
legs.
“Will you please…”
He took hold of
her arm, forcing her to stop walking. “I am not leaving you alone, Amanda. You
shouldn’t be out at this time of night.” His tone bordered on patronizing. He
sounded like her brother Jess, and that irritated her.
“Why do you care?”
she snapped and meant it to be a challenge, but found that she really wanted to
him to tell her. “You hardly know me.”
He was still
holding her upper arm. She could feel the heat of his fingers through the coat
and realized that he’d removed the leather gloves. While she processed this
thought, he led her to a small lane that passed between the pharmacy and the
milliner’s shop. There he took hold of her other arm and pulled her closer.
She was sure he
planned to kiss her. She was also sure that she had never wanted anything in
her life quite as much as she wanted to find out what kissing Seth Grover might
be like. Here at last was the true adventure she’d come to Tucson to find.
“Listen to me,
Amanda. You’re looking for trouble, and I won’t always be around to make sure
you don’t find it, so fair warning. You need to stop these midnight wanderings.
You need to stop getting yourself dressed up to look like a boy. You need to…”
So, kissing her
was clearly the last thing on his mind.
She wrenched
herself free of his hold. Not that he fought to hold on. “I can take care of
myself,” she muttered as she massaged her arms, wanting him to believe he had
hurt her when in fact his touch had been firm but gentle.
“Really?”
“Really,” she
snapped, and started to walk away.
He caught her
hand, and then before she knew what was happening she was pressed up against
the side of the building by the length of his body. He had his other hand over
her mouth again—this time without his glove. His skin smelled like leather,
though. She struggled and he tightened his hold on her. His face was so close
she could feel his breath, hot against her cheeks.
“Wake up, Amanda.
You are no longer residing on your family’s ranch where no doubt you had others
looking out for you. You are alone here in Tucson, and you need to take
care.”
Amanda had no idea what came over her. Maybe she just
wanted him to stop telling her what she already knew. She cupped his face with
her hands and kissed him.
###
“‘Someone
like me?’ Is that how you see me, Amanda? As someone people should fear?”
“I
don’t know what to think,” she said. “One minute you seem so dangerous, and the
next you’re sweet and caring and…”
He took a step closer, his eyes sweeping her face. “And which do you want me to be?” His voice was low; it sent shivers down her spine.
“Both,”
she whispered, and lifted her face for a kiss.
Amanda
Porterfield longs to experience real adventure. So when she’s offered a
position in bustling Tucson, she leaps at the chance despite unknown
dangers—dangers like the mysterious Seth Grover.
As
an undercover detective working to stop a gang of outlaws, Seth can’t afford
the distractions a woman like Amanda inspires. Yet when the fiercely
intelligent beauty is thrust into the middle of a heist gone wrong, Seth will
fight for a future that may never be theirs…even if it means risking everything
he holds dear.
Award-winning
author ANNA SCHMIDT delights in
creating stories where her characters must wrestle with the challenges of their
times. Critics have consistently praised Schmidt for her ability to seamlessly
integrate actual events with her fictional characters to produce strong tales
of hope and love in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. She resides
in Wisconsin.
Find her online:
Comments
Post a Comment