I’m over with Carrie at Seductive Musings today, still celebrating the release of RUTHLESS HEART. I’m giving away another $15 Amazon GC so swing on by and hang out!

I’m tickled pink to see the release day finally arrive for RUTHLESS HEART!

*tosses confetti as she dances around like a lunatic*

Thank you to my wonderful agent, Laura Bradford, who inspired me to create Eliza and Grady’s story. You’re the best LB.

A big thank you to Megan Records at Kensington. She was my editor while Kate was ill and after Kate passed away, she was still there for me. She gave RUTHLESS HEART a chance.

A big thank you to my DH for letting me sit for hours and write without grumbling about it.

And finally, thank you to all of you. Without readers, there are no writers.

I’ll be grinning all day as I celebrate Emma’s first release. Be sure to visit me over on Fatin’s blog today too!

Okay, it’s countdown time y’all. There are less than 24 hours left until RUTHLESS HEART releases.

Today’s excerpt brings us back to where we left Eliza and Grady. He’s wounded and she’s come to his rescue. I love to twist the age old hero rescues damsel in distress bit. :D

Excerpt #8

His face and head had suffered the worst of the beating. His lip was split with coagulated blood in the wound, yet it was still seeping, and would require stitches. Both eyes were swollen and bruised, as were both cheeks. There was a gash at the hairline above his right eye, and a large lump above his left ear which had dried blood crusted on it. That was the injury that had caused the loss of consciousness, she was sure of it.

“If you’re done taking advantage of me, I’d appreciate a drink of water.”

His voice startled her so badly she lost her balance and fell forward onto him. A soft oof popped out of his mouth as she pushed on his already sore ribs.

“Oh, Grady, I’m so sorry.” She scrambled back up onto her knees and peered down at his battered face. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I fell off a horse, then got stomped by it.” He tried to lick his lips and flinched when his tongue touched the open wound. “Shit.”

“Let me get you that water.” She opened the canteen before holding the back of his head and dribbling some into his mouth.

“I’m not a baby, Liz. Give me a goddamn drink already.” He obviously felt a bit better if he was cursing at her.

“I can’t give you too much or you may vomit. I believe you have a concussion, so we need to take care of your injuries.” Eliza felt calm, but her heart still raced as she touched him, the person she’d been closer to than any other in her life. And he was the bounty hunter after her sister, the person she loved the most. What a tangle.

“What’s a concussion?” His words were a bit slurred.

“It’s what happens after a heavy blow to the head. It can cause dizziness, nausea, and unconsciousness. You also have a large bump above your ear caused by the scalp’s veins leaking blood into and under the scalp. It may take days or even weeks to completely go down.” She recited the medical text as fresh as the day she’d read it. Then of course she’d never met someone who’d been kicked in the head.

“Oh, that’s happy news. And here I thought I just needed a nap after the sheriff and the bastard bartender beat the shit out of me.” He swallowed more water, then met her gaze. “I’ve never been in debt to a woman before, but thanks for what you did.”

Eliza felt her cheeks warm at his thanks. Not many people said thank you where she grew up, and if they did, it wasn’t sincere. Grady was more than sincere, he grudgingly thanked her, which meant he was being truthful and grateful.

“You’re welcome. We, um, are traveling together and I want to contribute to our success.” Again, she sounded so awkward, tripping over her words like a fool. One day she might be able to sound like a normal woman.

He frowned, then winced again. “You talk so odd, woman. I wish you’d just get on with the tending.”

Eliza inwardly cringed, after he said out loud what she’d been thinking. What she should do was listened to how he spoke and then mimic the cadence of his speech. She should have thought of it sooner. First she needed to tend to his medical needs.

“I need wash and sanitize your wounds, then I’ll stitch your lip. All of this is going to cause you pain. I mean, it’ll hurt a lot.” Eliza managed a small smile and was rewarded with what she was beginning to refer to as a “Grady frown”.

“Understood, just do what you gotta do.”

She set up the bandages and antiseptic on a clean cloth. With a silent apology knowing she was about to cause him more pain, she cleaned his face with the hot water, paying special attention to the open wounds. He gritted his teeth, but didn’t make a peep even when she put carbolic acid on the cuts.

After cleaning the needle and thread into hot water, she dipped it in the antiseptic. Although she’d sewn enough fabric to clothe ten people, she’d never stitched skin. The thought that she was about to pierce Grady’s skin made goosebumps dance up and down her skin.

Eliza closed her eyes and thought about what could happen to him if she didn’t stitch his lip. When she opened her eyes again, she felt prepared to do what she needed to. With surprisingly steady hands, she stitched his lip as if it were the seam of a very delicate fabric.

Each time the needle went through, she bit her own lip. She was causing someone else pain, a practice she had always strived to avoid. Yet she held fast to her science and her ideals, and did what she had to.

By the time she’d finished, his frown had disappeared and his gaze unfocused. He reached up and touched her lip.

“Don’t hurt yourself, Liz. I sure as hell ain’t worth it.”

She managed to chuckle although inside she knew exactly what he felt. It was what she always felt as well. Perhaps she and Grady were more alike than she thought. His touch made butterflies dance in her stomach.

“Kiss me before I change my mind.” He sounded pained, as though he didn’t want to kiss her, but rather needed to kiss her.

“But your lip.” She didn’t want to cause him any further pain.

“To hell with my lip.” Grady tugged at her hair, pulling loose a long lock from the simple bun at the back of her head. He curled his hand around the long raven strands. “Softest thing I’ve ever felt.”

Eliza felt their relationship shift at that moment and the earth moved beneath her. She was beginning to have feelings for Grady and it frightened her more than riding along across the Utah prairie.

Regardless of her fear, she bent down and kissed him softly on the left side of his lip. He groaned deep in his throat and an answering howl sounded within her. This was arousal, lust, animal heat swirling around them.

It was positively exhilarating.

Tomorrow I’ll be counting the hours until Tuesday at midnight. And then the countdown starts again for UNBRIDLED. It’s an exciting day in my neighborhood y’all!

Okay, on to today’s excerpt. When we left our heroine and hero yesterday, she had rescued him from the crooked sheriff and burly barkeep by pretending to be a raving lunatic. Today, we rejoin them and see what happens next…

Excerpt #7

Grady’s head throbbed in tune with his jaw, his eye and his knuckles. Jesus, that sheriff had fists like oak and he was faster than hell, considering he blindsided Grady. Someone else was in the alley too, likely that big son of a bitch behind the bar. He wanted to ride back into town and teach them a thing or two about ambushing someone.

He should be sitting in a jail cell instead of riding away with two dozen cuts and bruises on his face. Eliza surprised him, a feat she seemed to enjoy doing every hour or so. When she pulled out the bible and started quoting scripture, he had to clench his jaw shut to keep his mouth from falling open.

She had looked like one of those bible beating preachers in a tent he’d seen on occasion in his travels. All full of passion and God, reminding him that the schoolmarm was so much more than the little brown wren.

“We should stop so I can provide medical assistance to your wounds.”

Oh, yeah, there was the book head again. “You mean put some bandages on me?”

“Perhaps stitches as well. Don’t worry, I have had experience with medical procedures before. We don’t have, I mean, we didn’t have a physician in town when I was a child so there was always a woman trained in medicine and healing.”

Interesting bit of information about her, one he wouldn’t have guessed judging by what she carried in her traveling bags.

“You have medical supplies?”

“We do now. I had that horrible shopkeeper put some in with your purchases.” She looked down at her hands, fiddling with the reins clutched in her slender fingers. “I apologize for spending so much on me. I never intended on it and honestly I’m mortified by the amount.”

Grady knew the dress cost around eight dollars, so he couldn’t imagine what she would have spent so much money on, but he was damn curious now. Did she buy some kind of undergarments for her “services”? He’d handed over thirty dollars to the bastard Abe and now he was mentally tallying what he’d put on the counter to buy. Somewhere in there, Eliza had spent another ten or twelve dollars.

Question was, what did she buy?

“There is a clearing with access to a stream. It’s an ideal spot for us to stop.” She pointed ahead, but when Grady turned to look, the world began to spin a bit.

Oh shit.

He leaned forward and closed his eyes. As he wrapped his arms around the horse’s neck, he hoped Eliza would be able to move his two hundred pound carcass when he passed out again. Damn sheriff likely cracked Grady’s skull. Now he really had a reason to go back and kill him.

His stomach roiled as the world refused to stop spinning. He wanted to warn Eliza that they really needed to stop but all that came out was a grunt. However, he underestimated Eliza yet again.

“Hold on, Grady. We’re almost there.”

Was that worry he heard? Wouldn’t that be a neat trick. Someone actually worried about him. Although in the saloon she’d certainly put on quite a show when she had seen him beaten and bloody. Her voice sounded closer, then when her hand touched his back, he realized she’d ridden up next to him.

It he wasn’t about to lose what was left of his stomach, he might think she cared about him. He snorted at the thought, then started to slide sideways and he grasped the horse’s mane, but it wasn’t enough. Then Eliza took hold of his belt and held on firmly.
She anchored him on the saddle and apparently took the reins from him. How the hell she could manage all that when she was short, soft and round, he would never know. Obviously the woman had a spine of steel and muscles to match.

“Here we are.”

The horses stopped and Grady focused on breathing and not vomiting.

“I’m going to let go of you for just a moment or two while I ah, dismount.”

He knew just how graceful she was getting on and off and horse. Hopefully he wouldn’t hit the ground before she did. Before he even knew she’d let go of him, she was by his side taking off his hat. Her cool hand touched his forehead.

“I believe you have a concussion, Grady. It’s caused by a blow to the head and I’m afraid it’s quite painful, although you probably already know that.” She talked faster with each word and Grady knew then that aside from her fancy talk, Eliza did feel fear. This time it was for him, a unique and disconcerting thing.

“I’ve laid out your bedroll on the grass near the stream. I’m going to help you down off the horse and if we’re lucky, I can get you over to the bedroll successfully.” She cupped his cheek. “I apologize in advance if my clumsy efforts result in more injuries.”

“Let’s just get on with it,” he managed to get out.

She took hold of his belt again and wrapped his left arm around her shoulders. He slid off the saddle and the world began to gray around the edges. Eliza held him up like a tiny shadow pushing his chest. He knew he was likely crushing her, but he was barely conscious.

“That’s it, now it’s only a few feet. We can do it.” Her breath came in pants as he felt himself moving across the ground, although his feet barely moved.

Before he realized she was dexterous enough to throw anything down, the bedroll was below them and slowly he got closer to it. She was holding his weight and sinking down until he was close enough to gently roll off onto the blanket. When he hit the scratchy wool, he saw her sweaty face with worry clearly written all over it.

“Don’t worry, Liz. It’s not the first time somebody’s broken my head.”

“Oh Grady.”

He would have sworn he saw a tear snake down her cheek, but it would mean someone was crying for him. Impossible really.

Everything went black.

Okay y’all, one day closer. :D I’m back in NC after a successful trip to GA to visit Samhain Publishing. This weekend I’ll be writing my butt off (ha, if only that were possible, 30 lb please?) and getting ready for the release of RUTHLESS HEART.

Today’s excerpt demonstrates that Grady needs Eliza as they pretend to be married and find the town of Black Rock is not so welcoming.

Excerpt #6

“Excuse me? You’ve arrested my husband?” Eliza stared at the sheriff’s seemingly boyish face. He wore a mask on the outside and she could only wonder what lurked beneath it.

“He was sneaking out of the saloon without paying for his drink.” The younger man tucked his fingers into his gun belt. “He was also, ah, found leaving the saloon from a back window.”

Eliza’s heart dropped to her feet. He was sneaking out of the saloon? What in the world would have possessed him to do something so stupid?

“I highly doubt that my husband would have left without paying. May I speak to the person levying the charges?”

The sheriff frowned. “Levying what?”

“Whoever said Grady did these things.” She had to remember to use the vernacular instead of using her accustomed method of speech. People didn’t expect a woman to be book learned and she could not afford to appear any stranger than she already did.

“Ah, that would be Butch, the barkeep.” The sheriff took her elbow. “I can take you down there now if you like.”

“Please do.” She didn’t like the feeling of his touch and couldn’t say why. However, she endured it, as she was trained to submit to men.

They walked down the street with Eliza’s head held high. She maintained her dignity and the illusion that she was a concerned wife. Truthfully, she was worried about him. Grady had money, she was certain of it, and it made no sense for him not to pay for a drink of whiskey. There had to be another explanation.

She stepped into the saloon, named The White Dog, and immediately wrinkled her nose at the memory. It smelled like the alley she’d waited in back in Tolson. At least she didn’t flinch outwardly even if her stomach clenched at the noxious memory.

Then she spotted Grady.

His face was bloody and purpled on the right side. He was sitting on a chair leaning his elbows on his knees. She gasped at the small puddle of blood on the floor beneath him.

“Grady!” Eliza dropped to her knees in front of him and pressed the hem of her skirt to the open wound on his lip. “Sheriff, do you mind explaining on how my husband was beaten?”

“Well, you see ma’am, he resisted arrest.”

Eliza shot the sheriff a dark look. “It would appear it was more than simply resisting arrest.”

“He broke the law, Mrs. Wolfe.”

She saw a burly, hairy man behind the bar watching her with an intense stare. “You sir, are you the barkeep?”

One bushy eyebrow went up. “I sling the booze here.”

“You are the one who told the sheriff my husband didn’t pay for his drink?” She was alarmed by Grady’s silence.

“That’s right, ma’am. He went upstairs without paying, then jumped out the window.”

Grady’s gaze slammed into hers and she realized the bartender was telling the truth. Her “husband” didn’t appear apologetic either.

“I paid Joy.”

The barkeep snorted and the sheriff leaned against the bar, crossing his arms. “That so? She didn’t say a thing about that.”

“Give me the money.” Eliza whispered to Grady.

He frowned and reached into his shirt pocket to pull out bills, which he pressed into her hand. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Me too.”

She rose, conscious of the blood stains on her tattered skirt. “We stopped here to purchase supplies, eat a meal and rest. The people of this town must not want any money in their pockets because we’ve been treated horribly since our arrival. Our mission is to spread the word of God and you have sullied that mission.”

Eliza was pleased to see the sheriff’s smug look slide from his face. “What?”

“You heard me. We are missionaries here to spread the word of God.” She pulled a small book from her pocket, a well worn one that would be mistaken for a bible. “We had hoped your town as not full of sinners, but it appears there is enough sin here to fill Satan’s cup.”

The barkeep backed up and headed toward the door. “I ain’t dealing with no preachers.”

“You want me to believe you are here to spread the word of God, when your husband was upstairs with a whore?”

Eliza flinched at the sheriff’s harsh words, but she knew there was only one chance to save Grady from jail. “Did they fornicate? No, they didn’t and it was because he was testing just how far you sinners will go.” She held up the bible. “Heal them, God, for they do not know what they do. ‘Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth’”

“Oh hell, I’m leaving, Striker.” The burly barkeep disappeared behind a door beside the bar like a rat deserting a sinking ship.

“I forgive you sheriff for your transgressions as will God. As the bible says, ‘let the Lord judge the peoples. Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity.’” Eliza managed a smile for him and held out the money. “We have funds to pay for everything we purchased, as you can clearly see.”

“You two are loco.” Striker held up his hands. “You need to turn your tails east and get the hell out of my town.”

“Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!” Eliza stepped toward him and the sheriff jumped back a foot. She bit back a smile. Who knew listening to the Bible study on Sundays would serve her well when she’d run away from it?

“Be on your way.” Striker held the door open.

Eliza took Grady’s arm and helped him rise. He leaned into her and whispered.

“You are loco.”

She smiled and walked toward the door with her bleeding, whore-visiting bounty hunter in tow. Just another day out on the trail with Grady Wolfe.

Three more days until RUTHLESS HEART releases. It’s amazing to think it’s been nearly a year since I originally created Eliza and Grady’s tale and now it’s almost here.

Today’s excerpt brings a danger to our intrepid hero assassin and scientist heroine.

Excerpt #5

Grady wanted to shoot the damn blacksmith. The one-eyed old bastard simply chattered on about nothing in particular without answering Grady’s questions. The one thing he did determine was that his quarry had not passed through town, or maybe the other man had lied.

Either way, he was ready to throttle the smitty. He needed to get Bullseye shoed and anyone would have thought he’d asked the old man to sing and dance.

“Listen, old timer, can you shoe my damn horse or not?” Grady put himself between the grizzled smitty and the forge.

The man was old, but he was build like a tree with arms as big around as Grady’s waist. If he wanted to, no doubt the smitty could simply break Grady in half and throw him in the fire. The heat from the forge almost burned his back from five feet away.

“You’d best move out of the way stranger.” His voice was soft but icy enough to make Grady believe the man had done more than worked as a smitty.

“There’s no livery in town, so you’re the one who can shoe a horse. Just answer the question and I’ll move.” Grady wasn’t intimidated by the man, just aware of what could happen. His hand never left the guns slung low on his hips.

“Livery up and left last year after the owner got shot dead. Wife took off for her mama’s house. Ain’t nobody been there since.”

More information about shit Grady didn’t care about.

“Do you go somewhere else for shoeing?”

“Ayup, usually get to Montgomery. There’s a livery there.” The smitty pointed at Grady with the hammer in his hand. “You look like you already tangled with a wildcat. I know you don’t want to tangle with me. Now move.”

Grady stepped toward the old man, tired of the foolish discussion and the threats. He leaned over until he was almost nose to nose with the smitty.

“Ain’t too many men who can threaten me and walk away on two legs. Next time I ask you a question, answer it.” Grady kept his coldest stare on the man for a full minute before stepping away, confident the smitty wouldn’t give him a hammer in the back.

He had just made it to the door when a woman’s scream ripped through the air. Grady’s entire body clenched when he recognized Eliza’s voice. He threw himself up on Bullseye and rode hell for leather toward the sound of her voice. It was only a short distance, perhaps three hundred yards, but it seemed to be a mile.

There didn’t appear to be anyone on the street as he flew past, a streak of horse and man in the midday sun. He reached the mercantile and dismounted before the horse even stopped.

Eliza was nowhere to be seen but the sidewalk in front of the mercantile was littered with cans, a broken sack of cornmeal, and liniment.

Eliza.

He looked around, furious that he couldn’t see her. Although he didn’t want her to scream again, without a noise there was no way for him to find her. There were alleys on either side of the mercantile. He had to take a chance and pick one. Each second weighed on his shoulders like lead.

Grady focused on Eliza’s smiling face and then took off for the left alley because she favored her left hand when she wrote. If he were wrong, she might die because of it. The sun didn’t penetrate the gloom of the alley. He stepped forward, straining for a sound, anything besides the scurrying of the rats.

His blood thundered through his veins as he put all his focus on listening. Rushing in might make her attacker panic, but creeping up might surprise him. Although it was the hardest thing he ever had to do, Grady crept along at a snail’s pace. He kept his breath shallow and silent, letting no one and nothing know if his presence.

He reached the darkest part of the alley and stopped dead. There was nothing here but him and the rats. It was empty, which meant he’d chosen wrong. Where the hell was she? Grady’s fury mixed with fear for her, a lethal combination for whoever had touched her.

There was no hope for it. He’d simply have to reveal his presence and hope she heard him.

“Eliza!” Her name was torn from his throat and echoed down the alley.

“Grady!” Eliza’s scream made the hairs on his arms stand up. It was one of terror and pain—he knew it well.

He berated himself for not continuing to the end of the alley because her scream had come from beyond it, and behind the mercantile. Both guns were in his hands before he even realized he’d touched them.

His teeth were clenched so hard, his jaw throbbed. When he burst around the corner, he found two men holding her down while a wrinkled old midget in a skirt had her hands all over Eliza.

Grady didn’t hesitate.

He killed the two men with a single shot to the head. The old midget continued to touch Eliza, but now that her arms were free, she could fight back. She stood up and started slapping at the hands that were all over her. A chilly chuckle burst from the old woman as the two of them started rolling on the ground.

Grady didn’t want to hit Eliza and he couldn’t get a clear shot. He holstered the guns and reached in to try to separate them.

That’s when he saw the knife.

Tick-tock, time is ticking away and only 4 more days until RUTHLESS HEART hits the shelves.

Today’s excerpt follows Grady and Eliza as they journey together across Utah…

Excerpt #4

“I’m covered in mud.” Eliza looked down at herself and realized that having sex with Grady against a tree wasn’t the smartest idea. She wouldn’t have changed her mind about it though—it was almost like a mating. She’d never felt more alive in her life.

He grunted and continued dressing.

“I need to wash off the mud off myself as well as the clothes. I can’t ride with itchy dirt all over me.”

“So wash up.” He was distant again, pulling away from her as soon as they parted. It was as if there was a connection between them only if she were physically touching him. That would make riding difficult on two different horses.

She gathered up her clothes and walked toward the sound of the rushing water. There was no need to stand around and wait for him to be rude to her again. Eliza still had trouble believing she’d yelled at Grady and slapped him. No matter how many times she wanted to do it to her father, she’d kept the impulse in check.

Grady opened up the passion she kept locked away inside her. For that she’d be grateful to him. That didn’t mean she would allow him to speak to her in whatever what he wanted. Eliza’s self-confidence had reached new heights. She knew there was no way she’d ever go back to the life she’d led before embarking on this journey.

“Where are you going?”

She kept walking toward the river, which she could now see had a grassy bank. “I’m going to wash as you ordered.” She couldn’t keep the sarcasm from her voice.

“Liz, you can’t just walk off by yourself. I thought you already learned that lesson.” He was obviously following her.

“I’m fine, just dirty. I’ll only be a few minutes.” Eliza reached the river and walked right toward the water.

She yelped in surprise when she was again scooped off her feet. A shirtless Grady scowled at her.

“Woman, you’re going to drive me loco. Do you even know how deep the water is? Or how strong the current is?” He gently bounced her on his arms.

Eliza had to admit she hadn’t thought of either of those things. The current in the river in front of her didn’t appear too strong. However, after the bend twenty yards away, there were larger rocks and an incline where the river grew much fiercer.

“I was planning on finding out.” She wiggled in his arms, aware of every inch of his skin against hers. They’d just finished an amazing sexual experience, how could she desire him again so soon?

“I’ll bet you were. Now before you get swept away to Colorado, let me check it for you.”

Very chivalrous and surprising. Eliza had never anticipated the gruff Grady would even come close to acting like a gentleman. He was the first to admit it or rather bark it at her.

When he stepped into the river with Eliza in his arms, she took back the thoughts of how chivalrous he was. The water hit her heated skin and she nearly screamed at how cold it was.

“Good gracious, why is it so cold?” She was absurdly grateful she hadn’t jumped in alone.

“It’s mountain run off. This was snow a few days ago.” He must be absolutely frozen considering how cold she was and the water was only touching a part of her body.

“Let me get cleaned up quickly then before we suffer from hypothermia. Please set me down.” She didn’t really want to wash in the cold water but she didn’t have much of a choice and she was already partially wet.

“You asked for it.” He set her on the sandy river bottom and it took her a moment or two to get her balance.

The wickedly cold water swirled around her, instantly numbing her from the waist down.

“Now those are some diamond hard nipples.” Grady’s voice was husky, making her shiver from more than the water.

She glanced down and realized the areole were so tightly puckered, there was almost no color left on the actual breast.

“I can’t remember ever being so c-cold before.” She wanted to explore the attraction between them further, but she really had to get out of the water before they suffered hypothermia.

Grabbing sand from the bottom, she scrubbed herself and her clothes as quickly as she could. He did the same, unsuccessfully getting his back cleaned off. She couldn’t let him put on a shirt with that much dirt left on him.

Eliza stepped toward him. “Let me help you with your back.”

He grunted, but didn’t say no. She scooped up fresh sand and rubbed it between her hands before she started rubbing the mud and dirt of his back. Although he was lean, Grady had wide shoulders and upper back. She could hardly reach the very top, but fortunately that was the area he’d already cleaned.

His skin was smooth and tight. Truthfully it felt wonderful beneath her hands. Touching him was almost sensual as if washing each other was an extension of what they’d already shared. She enjoyed it so much she took her time rinsing off the sand until his back was clean at least twice over.

“I’m done.” Although she didn’t want to be done touching him, she was frighteningly cold in the water, particularly considering their state of undress.

He turned back around and watched her as she finished cleaning herself. Standing there half naked with a man should make her uncomfortable but it didn’t. In fact, she felt sexy, an awareness of her body beyond its required needs of food, sleep and daily ablutions.

Another first for the bookish Eliza Hunter, a shy creature who’d spent her life in the shadows was now a full-fledged woman in her own right. A surge of power accompanied the realization and she smiled at the sensation.

“Something funny?” He sounded annoyed. “The water’s making my balls crawl up into my belly so if you think this situation is funny, please tell me why.”

“It’s making your testicles crawl up into your belly?” She turned to look at his trousers. “That’s an interesting phenomenon. May I see?”

She reached for him but he swatted her hand away, but she saw a twitch in the corner of his mouth.

“Finish washing up, woman so we can go get warm.” His lips were starting to turn blue and her teeth were chattering so hard, she was afraid she’d bite her tongue soon.

“Yes sir.” She almost saluted him.

Eliza made quick work of the rest of the mud, then found herself having trouble walking back to shore. Grady sighed then threw her over his shoulder. All the breath whooshed from her body as her stomach was pushed against her spine.

She punched at his back, but he ignored her and slogged out of the freezing cold river. He didn’t stop walking until they returned to the campsite, then he dropped her on the bedroll, wrapped the other around her.

“Stay.” With that he walked back into the woods and left her shivering by the empty fire pit.

She wanted to be angry with him, but the truth was, she was grateful for the brusqueness of his methods. In this case, she needed to warm up badly and he obviously knew it. The quickness of his actions might be protectiveness, it might have been self-preservation. Regardless of what his reasons were, she didn’t move from her little cocoon until he returned with her pile of firewood.

“May I assist you?”

“No, just sit there.” He had put on his shirt, but it was unbuttoned, gaping open to reveal his own hard nipples.

She was fascinated by the small flat discs with the tiny points in the center. She’d not had the opportunity to truly look at them until now. The urge to touch them, maybe even taste them, washed through her.

Grady had turned her into a wanton. The thought made her smile again, much to his consternation apparently.

“You’d better quit that or I’ll toss you back in the river.”

This time Eliza laughed out loud, so delighted to not only be alive, but to feel alive. She hid her smile behind the blanket as he expertly made the fire. If she wasn’t careful, she could get very used to being around Grady Wolfe. A dangerous proposition indeed.

Ah the days are just flying by, aren’t they? :D Only 5 more days until RUTHLESS HEART! Yeehaw!!

Today’s excerpt picks up after yesterday’s… Eliza must convince the gunslinger Grady to let her accompany him on his journey or she may never find her sister.

Excerpt #3

Eliza wanted to moan in pain and confusion but she held it all in through sheer force of will. She had woken to the most beautiful pleasure she’d ever experienced, then it was taken from her instantly. Her body was excruciatingly sore, yet it still called out for Grady’s touch.

She’d never thought much about the sexual act between a man and woman beyond procreation, and of course what she’d read in books. It was a simple physical act, or at least that’s what she’d thought before now. There was nothing simple about what happened beneath her blanket.

His mouth, his tongue, and his hands. Sweet bliss with every second he’d touched her. Eliza wanted to weep from the perfection of those moments. As a scientist she appreciated the attraction between two bodies, as a woman she felt things for the first time.

Grady had been angry, as she knew he would, but beneath the anger, she sensed confusion for him as well. He didn’t know she’d be beside him when he woke, and she didn’t fault him for his actions even for a moment. The bald truth was she enjoyed it too much to think badly of him, although she knew she should have. What they did was meant to be done between a man and wife, not two strangers under a blanket.

Perhaps his confusion was rooted in the same cause as hers—there was no reason for them to be attracted to each other much less find physical pleasure, yet they were and they did. Eliza had spent enough time around animals to recognize the signs two creates were aroused. That fact was undeniable as the erection in his trousers.

As she worked around camp cooking and cleaning up, her legs ached with pain, but she knew that muscles reacted to stretching to heal. Each time she bent over, she pushed herself to stretch even further, until her body shook and she could hardly stand it. However it was working and each time she stretched, the better she felt afterwards.

It was only after they’d eaten and cleaned up that she realized he hadn’t answered her request to guide her or her offer to cook and keep camp for him. His bawdy suggestion about other services still echoed in her head. Her embarrassment had been compounded by the fact she was in fact, embarrassed enough for her cheeks to heat. She couldn’t remember the last time that had happened.

“If, and that’s a big damn if, I let you tag along with me, we’re going to have to set some rules.” Grady’s voice nearly scared a year off her life. He’d come up behind her as she rinsed off the pan using the sand in the creek.

“What sort of rules?” She rinsed off the pan and stood up. Since this was the first time they’d actually stood nose to nose, or rather nose to chest, Eliza was quite surprised at how tall he was. Their previous encounters had been at a distance or on the ground, she had no reference as to their full distance in height.

It was almost a foot.

Up close, his whiskers were nearly menacing in his sculpted cheeks. However it was his eyes that told her the true story. In the morning light, they were dark brown with tiny flecks of gold that sparkled, topped with long, thick lashes. All in all, quite lovely eyes even if they were looking at her with impatience.

She stopped perusing him for a moment to realize what he said. He’d decided to take her with him!

“First, we ride when I say, how long I say, and you don’t complain about any of it. Second, you don’t tell me how to do anything, no matter what any of your books say.”

“Somewhat stringent rules for being a traveling companion.” Eliza didn’t want to tell him she wasn’t sure she could ride at all, given the current state of her thighs and buttocks.

“It’s going to be my way or nothing at all.”

“Then your rules are accepted provided you agree to allow me to cook and make camp in payment for your services.” She had to secure her own terms or he may think her too easy.

“My services? You make everything sound so fancy, woman.”

“My name is Eliza. Calling me “woman” makes me think of a Neanderthal who may grab my hair and club me.” Eliza didn’t know what possessed her to say that to him. It apparently surprised him as much as it surprised her. “What I meant to say was, please call me Eliza.”

His gaze narrowed. “I think you’ve got a smart mouth, Eliza. I prefer my women a bit dumber.”

With that, he turned away and walked toward his horse. “We’re leaving in ten minutes. Be ready or get left behind.”

Eliza wanted to shout with joy, but she kept it bottled inside. It would not do for him to see her victory dance in her eyes or on her tongue. However, it was a definite victory considering Eliza had spent her life in a small house in a small ward with a small-minded father. She’d broken free from the yoke forced upon her since birth.

She wanted to throw back her head and howl in triumph.

Instead, she walked over to her horse and began readying Melba for another day of riding. She got the blanket on just fine, but when she reached down to pick up the saddle, it was scooped up from her reach. To her utter astonishment, Grady put it on the horse for her.

“Cinch it.” The man was used to giving orders.

Although Eliza wanted to respond that she wasn’t a dog to be ordered what to do, she knew it wasn’t a wise idea. She didn’t want to jeopardize that fragile agreement five minutes after it happened.

She did as she was bid and finished getting ready, even packing his saddlebags and bringing them to him. He frowned at her when she brought them over.

“I mean to keep to my word to cook and clean.” Eliza went to retrieve her own bags when he grabbed her arm.

There were few times in her life she’d been touched and now three times in only a few days, Grady had laid hands on her. Once in anger, once in arousal. And now an almost innocent touch. This time she jerked as if she’d been scalded and it shocked her into immobility. His hand was hot on her skin, in sharp contrast to the cold morning air. Yet it wasn’t the heat that shocked her, it was her body’s reaction.

As soon as they made contact, a sharp twang resounded through her body like the string of a violin being plucked. An echo of awareness that hadn’t been there before they’d been intimate, or nearly so. Eliza wasn’t expecting it and she knew she looked as flummoxed as she felt.

He took his hand away slowly as if he were afraid she would protest. “What the hell just happened?”

“I-I don’t know.” She managed a small, strained smile. “Shall we be on our way?”

He stared into her eyes, peering into her soul, perhaps to find the desperate longing for more of his touch she was trying so hard to hide. She knew in moments she would blurt out exactly how she felt about his hands on her skin if he continued to gaze at her so intently.

“Should I bother asking you if you’ll leave the confounded books behind?” He moved his gaze to her traveling bags.

Eliza’s fascination with Grady’s touch flew away in a millisecond. Her protective instinct reared its head. “Never.”

“That’s what I thought. I ain’t picking them up for you so I hope you can do it yourself otherwise the rats will get them.”

He turned his back and began securing his saddlebags to his own saddle. Eliza was full of righteous anger and it helped her haul up the bag of books for what seemed like the hundredth time in mere days. She put the smaller bag on as well, then led Melba to a fallen tree.

When she stood on it to mount the horse, Eliza found Grady watching her. “I’m ready.”

He shook his head. “I seriously doubt that, but let’s go Liz.”

Liz?

Good morning all! I’m continuing my excerpt bonanza as we count down to the release of RUTHLESS HEART.

Today’s excerpt follows Eliza’s mad ride after the dark gunslinger Grady. Isn’t he just a hot assassin?

Excerpt #2

Without glasses, Eliza’s eyes were clear for the first time since the moment he’d met her. They shone like sapphires, accusing him of being the bastard he was. She had no idea just how much of a bastard he could be if he had a mind to.

“I ain’t a polite person by nature so don’t expect me to be otherwise.” He frowned as he noticed her old damn horse happily munching grass by his bay. “Now we start with the questions, Eliza. How did you find me and what the hell are you doing here?”

She shrugged. “After you left, I regretted the fact we hadn’t discussed a deal. I had thought perhaps we could travel together. There are many advantages to sharing our journey.”

“That didn’t answer all my questions, lady.” He squatted down and stared hard into her innocent looking face. “How did you find me?”

“Your horse has a nick in the rear shoe. It was easy to follow your tracks.” She sounded so matter of fact, as if every person in the world would notice the nick much less follow it thirty miles through the rough terrain.

Grady frowned harder. “You a tracker, then?”

“No, but I read a book about tracking.” She picked up her spectacles from a rock nearby and brushed at her dress. “I’m afraid this outfit is nearly ready for the rag pile.”

He decided it had been ready for the rag pile before she’d even put the damn thing on. “A book. Of course, a goddamn book.” Grady paced for a few minutes as she sat there prim and proper with an innocent expression. He stopped and pointed. “So why did you follow me?”

She picked at the dirt on her skirt. “Well, as I told you I am traveling west and truthfully, I’m in need of a companion. A woman alone can be in danger.”

Grady threw back his head and laughed, something he hadn’t done in a very long time, if ever. Now she says she could be in danger. Who did she think he was, a Sunday school teacher? She was a completely confusing mix of smarts, innocence and annoyance. He had to admit though she had more courage than most men, not that he’d tell her that though.

“Are you planning on paying me? I ain’t cheap, lady, and sure as hell ain’t free.” He didn’t expect her to actually consider his services, no matter what the price. She didn’t know him from a killer who would leave her for the coyotes.

“Of course I would expect to pay you. What would you charge to escort me to my relations, for perhaps a week or two?” She got to her knees and poked at the fire with a stick.

Grady wanted to poke her with the stick. What the hell kind of joke was this? No woman in her right mind would act like Eliza. Maybe she really was loco and she’d leave him for the coyotes. He dismissed the thought as soon as it entered his mind. Grady had an ability to read people and although Eliza confused him, she was definitely not a physical danger to him or anyone.

“You couldn’t afford it.”

She calmly put more wood on the fire and stoked it. When she reached into his saddlebags for the frying pan, he could hardly believe his eyes.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“Making breakfast of course. I noticed you had some cornmeal so I thought I’d make some cornpone and coffee.” She blinked up at him like an owl. “Is that not acceptable?”

Truth be told, Grady had never had a woman other than his mother make him breakfast before. That sure as hell was a thought for another time. He didn’t want to think about his mother at the moment, or ever really. She’d done enough damage to his life.

“It’s damn odd, that’s what it is.”

She continued stoking the fire. “I am used to taking care of others.”

Grady didn’t doubt that for a minute. She sure as hell took care of herself.

“As to your price for being my escort. Well, would you consider payment to be my, ah, cooking and keeping camp for you?” She sounded hopeful and it made him cringe. He didn’t want the woman to be pinning her hopes on him, that was for damn sure.

“Cooking and cleaning, eh? You don’t know much about offering yourself to you?”

Surprisingly, she blushed, telling Grady in no uncertain terms that she’d never offered to pay a man in services before. “I would be happy to discuss details.”

Grady snorted. “There’s nothing to talk about. I’m not buying. Anything.”

She nodded and although he expected her to argue, she turned back to rifling through his bags and started fixing breakfast. The woman confounded him at every turn and he couldn’t decide if she was doing it deliberately or not.

The one thing she did well was cook. He sat down and watched as she expertly made coffee and cornpone. He’d planned on buying supplies before he set out, but by the time he’d left the saloon in Tolson, the store had been closed. Then he’d spent all day running from the woman who ended up in his bedroll with his hands all over her surprisingly sexy body.

It was like he’d entered a new world, one he was unfamiliar with and it angered him to feel that way. Eliza might have well have come with a warning pinned to her blouse that said “Dangerous.”

She handed him coffee in the only cup he had, which mean she was used to being the last served. He took the cup without comment and she busied herself looking around for something near the trees. When she found a plant with big green leaves, she picked two of them, and poured water from the canteen then patted them dry with her skirt.

Damned if she hadn’t found them some plates for the hot cornpone. He didn’t want to eat it, but it smelled heavenly and his stomach yowled from the scent. As they ate their silent breakfast, hers with water to drink from the canteen instead of coffee, he watched her.

Eliza did seem harmless at first glance. He had a sneaking feeling she’d continue to follow him, using her damn books to guide her, unless he allowed her to ride with him. Since he still wasn’t sure exactly what she was after, it was probably a better idea to keep her where he could see her. Some old saying about keeping friends close and keeping enemies closer rang in his head.

He’d be wise to heed that warning and keep Eliza within sight until he figured out exactly what she wanted.

Seven days until RUTHLESS HEART hits the shelves. *squeeeeeeeeeee*

I’m so excited! Can you tell?

I’ll be doing a blog-o-sphere tour next week and shouting from the rooftops. LOL. I’m really proud of this book. I think it’s a great story, a journey that the reader takes with Eliza and Grady.

I will post an excerpt a day to count down to release.

Excerpt #1 – meet Eliza and Grady

***
She created a perfect circle from the rocks, placing them so tightly together no sparks could get under or over them. Then she set about gathering twigs and he was so amused, Grady sat down to watch her. Like a little chipmunk, she used her skirt to gather as many twigs as she could find in the moonlight clearing. She sat down on her haunches and built a triangular shaped bundle in the middle of the ring of stones.

Grady wondered where the hell she’d learned how to make a fire. He’d never seen such a thing before. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

Again, she ignored him and continued on her task. She reached into a travel bag and pulled out what he recognized as waterproof matches. He honestly expected her to be there for at least another thirty minutes before she gave up and asked for help.

The fire flared to life, making his eyes sting at the sudden brightness.

Hell and damnation. She sure didn’t look as if she could take care of herself but she’d just showed him that was untrue. Maybe she was much cleverer than he gave her credit for, or perhaps she was a confidence man, er, woman. Grady watched her with a new set of eyes.

There was still the matter of why she’d been following him, and why she was sitting there pretty as she pleased making camp with a man she didn’t know, alone and unprotected. It was the strangest situation and it didn’t sit right with him, which meant it was wrong.

“What’s your name, honey?”

This made her stop in her twig gathering to stare at him. “Pardon me?”

He leaned back against a rock and folded his arms, assessing the little wren. “Your name? Or is that a secret?”

“You may call me Miss, uh, Eliza.” It was the first time he’d seen her ruffled. The hunter in him assessed his prey, and she was not as confident as she appeared.

“Eliza what?”

“Just Miss Eliza.” She arranged her skirt in front of her, then began feeding larger sticks from the pile beside her into the fire. It flickered merrily enough to make him want to throw sand on it. “And you sir, what is your name?”

“Wolfe. Grady Wolfe.”

She glanced up at him, pushing her spectacles up her nose. The firelight danced across the glassy surface so he couldn’t quite see her eyes. “As in the big bad?”

Grady couldn’t help the annoyance mixed with amusement that raced through him at her wit. The woman definitely had a brain and a sharp tongue. “None other.”

“I read the Brothers Grimm once. Perhaps I am the hunter instead of the helpless girl.” She continued to the feed the fire, seemingly uncaring of the verbal game she was playing with him.

“You sure as hell don’t look like a hunter.” He watched her closely, her reactions would tell him a lot of exactly what his short charlatan had up her sleeve. “And more like a helpless girl.”

“Should I be afraid you’re going to swallow me whole then?” She rose to her feet and put her hands on her hips looking like the damn schoolmarm again.

Grady’s gaze raked her up and down, taking in the frumpy clothes, the brown hair, the ugly shoes. He didn’t know what to make of Just Miss Eliza yet, but he would. She could count on that.

*
“I’ll be grabbing some shuteye then. Much obliged for ah, building the fire.” He pulled his hat down low and blocked her out.

Eliza thought for certain he could hear her knees knocking together. She never thought herself a thespian but after that performance, she was ready for Shakespeare. Her heart thumped so hard, her throat vibrated from the force of it.

Various parts of her body ached from the tackle and then the fall. The man had a body harder than an oak tree, she could attest to that fact. Grady Wolfe was larger than life and he scared her to pieces. Eliza had dug up courage from somewhere near her feet to pretend she was unaffected by him.

However, that was far from the truth. She shook with her body’s reaction, whether it was fear, excitement or just plain shock. Thank God she’d read the book on how to start a camp fire. It was the only thing she remembered as she stood there quaking like a little girl in front of the exceptionally tall, strong man. The closest she’d ever come to touching a man was handing her father his clean shirt. Yet she’d been pressed against Grady Wolfe from head to toe and it had frightened her as much as it excited her.

She must’ve convinced him that she had been planning on stopping at the clearing. It was blind luck there had actually been a clearing and that it was a good spot to stop for the night. Eliza had been miserable enough to stop an hour earlier so the clearing was a gift she was quite thankful for, and glad it was suitable.
When a lizard darted near her foot, she bit her lip to the point of pain to keep the screech from popping out. Mr. Wolfe had apparently decided to sleep and she didn’t want him to wake up any time soon. It would take her most of the night to recover from her first encounter with the man.

She needed to keep up appearances, to convince him she was simply a fellow traveler so he would maybe offer to travel with her. That was her master plan anyway, whether or not it would work remained to be seen. What good would she do Angeline if she gave up so easily?

She fed the fire with some larger wood, still surprised it was crackling so nicely. Doing mundane chores almost as if she was keeping house definitely helped too.

She retrieved her blanket from the saddle and a book from her bag. Reading always relaxed her and she certainly needed relaxing. Eliza picked her favorite, Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. It transported her to a world outside her own and Professor Von Hardwigg reminded her of Ephraim Monroe, her mentor and friend who had taught her so much. She laid out her blanket up against a smooth rock and sat down, stifling a groan. After she managed to get her boots off, she couldn’t control the sigh that escaped. It felt so good to sit and not be bouncing up and down on a horse.

“You know if a man hears a woman sigh like that in bed, he’d know he did something right.”

Eliza squeaked before she could stop herself. It sounded so silly and childish, bringing a heat to her cheeks she could only hope he attributed to the fire.

“I don’t think that’s a subject we should speak of.” Eliza nearly cringed at how prim she sounded, almost like the mothers in her ward who used to chastise her.

“Obviously you ain’t spent a lot of time around campfires and cowboys then, have you?” He peered at her from beneath his hat. “Bedsport is what they jaw about.”

“Ah, well, it’s a very good thing I am not a cowboy then. I didn’t mean to bother you. I just wanted to read before I retired for the night.” Her mouth was drier than sand and she wondered if she would ever feel comfortable around Mr. Wolfe.

“Are you a schoolmarm or something?”

Eliza couldn’t stop the chuckle that erupted from her throat. “A schoolmarm? No, definitely not. I am a student, not a teacher.” She had no patience to teach anyone, especially the LDS teachings she didn’t agree with.

“Who is your teacher then?” He pushed up the brim of his heat to stare at her, his dark eyes more intense than the deepest embers of the fire.

“He-he died last year. I continue on learning though.” She again tried to distract the man. His unceasing perusal made her want to squirm so she looked away and loaded the fire with wood. “I’ll just put my book away so we can both get some sleep then.” She managed a weak smile and tucked the blanket around herself, turning her back on Mr. Wolfe.

His gaze was palpable, burning into her skin like the fire she’d built. It seemed like hours until her eyes finally closed in exhaustion, and her dreams plagued with uneasy images of dark creatures and danger.

***