They were going to have to work together.
Swallowing hard, she tried to tell herself that everything would be all right. As long as the chain bound them together, they had to keep each other alive and well. Once they found some way to get the shackles off, they would go their separate ways.
For now, she just had to endure his presence and make the best of this deplorable situation.
Because her very life depended on it.
~ ~ ~
Buy this book now: Run Wild
Excerpt: After Sundown
Lawless Nights Series
Western Historical Romance
Meet the rugged men and daring women of Eminence, Colorado, a Rocky Mountain frontier town in a lawless time… when anything could happen.
After Sundown
(Lawless Nights Series, Book 1)
He vowed to bring her to justice…
U.S. Marshal Lucas McKenna has brought down some of the most notorious outlaws in the West. Now he’s on a personal mission: hunting the woman who killed his brother.
Antoinette Sutton is running for her life. The evidence against her is overwhelming—and no one will believe the truth about what happened. Lucas captures the dark-haired beauty in Colorado, but before he can take her back to Missouri to stand trial, the two are snowbound in a remote mining town. During the firelit nights of a Rocky Mountain winter, lawman and prisoner are caught in a dance of danger and desire… until Annie loses her heart and Lucas faces an impossible choice: will he do his duty and turn her in, or set her free and become an outlaw himself?
An RWA RITA Award Finalist: Best Historical Romance of the Year
“Fast-paced and poignant. One of the best romances of the year.” –The Oakland Press
~ ~ ~
Colorado, 1878
As she crossed the street, her gaze on the dust, something made her glance up. Maybe a shift in the wind. The sound of a door creaking as it swung open. A strand of her unruly hair blowing into her eyes. She wasn’t sure.
But that was when she saw him. Watching her.
A stranger. He stood in front of one of the saloons, directly ahead of her, almost hidden by the darkness and shadows beneath its balcony. Silent and still. In the shifting afternoon light, she got only an impression of a tall, lean figure standing alone. But her heart started beating harder. She didn’t know why, couldn’t even tell what had drawn her attention to him, what made her so certain he was staring at her.
But some instinct lifted the fine hairs on the back of her neck. Even as she looked right at him, she could glimpse no more than an outline of broad shoulders. A western hat tilted low over his eyes. A pistol holstered on his hip.
And all at once, the fear that she had thought burned away by sorrow came rushing back in a flood. She almost stopped in her tracks, almost turned around, but forced herself to keep walking. Steadily, casually.
He didn’t move. Didn’t seem especially threatening. Wasn’t nearly as big and frightening as Big Horace.
She tried to breathe evenly, calm herself. He was probably just another miner who’d come in from his claim after weeks away from civilization. Was probably staring at her because he hadn’t seen a woman in a long time. Or maybe he was a traveler passing through, newly arrived on the stage and drunk from his visit to the saloon.
He stepped down from the saloon’s porch and started across the street. Directly toward her.
And the way he moved wasn’t drunken or casual, but slow and purposeful. And Annie knew right then that there was something different about this man.
Something dangerous.
Her heart thudded a hard stroke. A single panicked thought rioted through her mind.
She’d been found.
All the breath seemed to leave her lungs. She had thought she no longer cared about being captured—but she’d been wrong.
Oh God, oh God, oh God. She lowered her gaze and remembered the letters in her hand. Started leafing through them as she walked. Told herself she looked like any ordinary homesteader who’d just come from collecting the weekly mail. She tried to hum but couldn’t remember a single tune.
She could hear his footsteps now as he came closer, the sound heavier than she would’ve thought for a man who seemed so lanky. Muscle, some part of her brain supplied. Every lean inch of him must be pure muscle.
An uneasy fluttering sensation filled her belly. Dear God, what should she do? Think damn it.
Annie lifted her head and nodded politely and said a cheerful, “Good afternoon.”
Without saying a word, he reached up to touch the brim of his hat. His fingers were long and tanned, his face as lean and spare as the rest of him, his jaw stubbled by a dark beard, his mouth bracketed by deep lines. He had black hair that curled below his collar.
And clear, green-gold eyes that fastened on her with an intensity that made her legs feel weak.
Cowboy, she thought desperately as they passed almost shoulder to shoulder. Maybe he was a cowboy. He was dressed like one, had the rough, hard look of a man who’d spent his life on the range. And cowboys were reputed to be men of long stares and few words.
But what would a cowhand be doing so far from the cattle trails?
It seemed to take her forever to reach Dr. Holt’s house on the corner. Her hand trembled as she knocked on the front door, barely aware of the sound over the rising buzz that filled her head. There was no reply. A tingling feeling began between her shoulder blades.
Like she was about to be shot in the back.
Unable to stop herself, she nervously glanced behind her. The dark stranger stood in front of the general store.
Watching her.
She forced a smile.
He didn’t return it.
Annie knocked on Dr. Holt’s door again, her heart hammering now. Open the door. Open it. Please, Dr. Holt, open the door!
~ ~ ~
Buy this book now: After Sundown
Bonus Content: The Making of HIS STOLEN BRIDE
The Story Behind the Story
~ ~ ~
Dear Reader,
HIS STOLEN BRIDE is a new, extensively revised edition of my very first novel, originally titled Falcon on the Wind. I had so much material I wanted to include in the “Making of” section for this book, I moved it to my website! To get an exclusive, multi-media behind-the-scenes look at all the inspirations that went into the creation of HIS STOLEN BRIDE—including links to historical sources, character photos, the original 1991 cover, and a special announcement about upcoming books in this series—please click here: http://www.shellythacker.com/the-making-of-his-stolen-bride/
While you’re online, please be sure to subscribe to my e-mail newsletter to get all my latest book news and sneak previews. Each monthly issue also spotlights hot new releases from some of my bestselling author friends. And there are contests and fab goodies and cocktails! Okay, not cocktails, but seriously, you want to subscribe. And follow me on all your favorite social-networking sites:
Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Pinterest
Thanks so much for your support of my books.
Until next time, best wishes & happy reading,
Shelly
About the Author
Reviewers use words like “exquisite” and “stunning” to describe Shelly Thacker’s unique blend of powerful emotion, edge-of-your-seat adventure, and sizzling sensuality. A USA Today bestselling author, Shelly has earned lavish praise from Publishers Weekly, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Oakland Press, who have called her romance novels “innovative,” “addictive,” “erotic” and “powerful.”
Twice honored as an RWA RITA Award finalist, Shelly has received numerous other accolades for her work, including a National Readers’ Choice Award, several Romantic Times Certificates of Excellence, and five straight KISS Awards for her outstanding heroes. The Detroit Free Press has twice placed her books on their annual list of the year’s best romances.
When she’s not at the compu
ter, you’ll find Shelly reading with her kids, knitting in local cafes, or kickboxing at the gym. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two daughters.
For more information about Shelly’s books, including excerpts and sneak previews, visit www.shellythacker.com
His Stolen Bride (Stolen Brides Series Book 0) Page 35