Betting It All by Cate Masters
Historical Romance
Historical Romance
Decadent Publishing
Can the daughter of a well-known prostitute start a new life
where no one knows her family history? Norah Hawkins is sure going to try. When
a letter arrives deeding her property in San Francisco, she packs her bags.
Irishman Gerard MacKenzie likes his life free and easy, but
is tired of the snobbish East Coast folk. San Francisco has enough vice and
folly to suit his needs. Meeting Norah gives him the opportunity to bartend in
her saloon. Maybe he can convince her to let him play the piano. She’s a shrewd
businesswoman, and negotiating with her makes his blood boil. Damn if she
doesn’t make his blood boil in other ways, too.
The morning of April 18, 1906, a terrible earthquake buries
their dreams beneath the city’s ruins. Can Norah and Mac rebuild their lives?
Will rebuilding their dreams bond them forever, or tear them apart?
Teaser Excerpt:
Lord,
she must have left her common sense in New Jersey. A man like Mac would prove
to be nothing but trouble. Mischief twinkled in his eyes. Back in her hotel
room to repack her scant belongings, Norah felt it in her bones. Deeper than
your bones, a small voice told her. She felt it in a way unfamiliar to her. It
rattled her nerves. It turned her thoughts to him at the most inconvenient
times, wondering what sort of man Gerard McKenzie truly was beneath his sharp
tongue and wily ways. It robbed her of common sense and self-control, inventing
ways to stay near him. When he’d practically insisted she hire him, the thrill
running through her both startled and intrigued her. No man had so much as laid
a finger on her, not with her permission anyway. Yet she found herself
imagining what Mac’s touch might feel like.
In
the hallway, he whistled Melody of Love. She imagined him singing the lyrics:
Hold
me in your arms, dear
Dream
with me
Cradled
by your kisses, tenderly
While
a choir of angels from above
Sings
our melody of love.
What
must it be like, to know such a deep love? To trust a man with her heart?
A
small laugh burst forth. If she’d learned anything in her twenty-five years, it
was that men couldn’t be trusted. Especially not with a woman’s heart. The only
time she’d given in to curiosity and let her heart rule over her head left her
burning with shame. The thrill of Floyd Enders’s attentions turned to surprise
when his fluttering kiss grew forceful, his groping desperate as he pinned her
to the ground. Another attempt to prove her cut from the same cloth as Estelle,
another whore to be used at his whim and tossed aside.
A
bitter chuckle escaped. She’d done the tossing instead, and her kick to his
hard groin left him writhing in agony. Too bad it wasn’t the lasting kind of
pain, like he’d inflicted on her, claiming she’d begged for it. His lie
followed her for years on the whispering lips of other boys who wanted what
Floyd supposedly had.
Would
Mac treat her so poorly? Of course not. She’d provide him with wages. If she
wasn’t careful, he’d woo more from her, and soon she’d have less than nothing.
No money, no saloon and worst, a ruined reputation. No man would rob her of
that.
She
lifted her bag, then thought better of it. Let Mac learn right away to take orders
from her. After setting it on the bed, she put on her hat and opened the door.
Mac
leaned his shoulder against the wall, one leg crossed over the other, aimlessly
twirling his tweed cap in his hands. Glancing up, he straightened and scrunched
the cap.
At
least he pretended seriousness. “Please get my bags.”
He
flashed a smile and winked. “Yes ma’am.”
A
more fragile female might be devastated by his charms. Oh, she hoped this
wouldn’t turn out to be a terrible mistake.
Hoisting
one bag under his arm, he grabbed the handle of the remaining one. “All set.”
“Excellent.”
She led the way downstairs, stopping at the front desk to check out and settle
her account. Outside, she found Mac wearing his cap and a smile.
The
bustle of the busy street made her hurry in excitement. “I wish I had time to
explore the city.”
“It’s
something, isn’t it? Makes me feel more alive.”
Slowing
her pace, she glanced over. “Yes. Exactly.” She couldn’t hide her surprise at
sharing that feeling. “Once I make my success, I’ll indulge my curiosity. Until
then, I have too much work ahead.” She hurried on.
He
fell into easy step with her. “There’s always time for work. My mama always
said it’s more important to take time to celebrate.”
“Celebrate
what?”
“Life.”
He said it as if she should have known the answer.
Funny,
she’d never shared that inclination. Life presented too many challenges, too
many obstacles she had to scrabble over. “
Multipublished, award-winning author Cate Masters has made
beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at
heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her
lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and
fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company.
Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in
strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.
Catch up to Cate:
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1 comment:
Thanks so much for featuring Betting It All today, Dawn! Have a great weekend!
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