Merriam
Webster defines ‘cowboy’ as an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches,
traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other
ranch-related tasks.
Then
I saw this other definition: One having qualities (such as recklessness,
aggressiveness, or independence) popularly associated with cowboys.
Lightbulb Moment!
Thus inspired, I created
Blaze, a dare devil stuntman who wears leather chaps and rides a Harley instead
of a horse. And like any cowboy who
loses his ability to rope and ride due to an accident, Blaze has to reinvent
himself after a failed stunt nearly kills him. Which is when we meet him.
“You’re early.” Kaitlin opened the door to see a man clad in
dusty, formfitting leather, his shaggy caramel-colored hair badly in need of a
trim. She stepped back a pace. “Come on in. Let’s see what you look like
under all that road dust.’’
The stranger stepped past
her and into the front hall. “You must be Kaitlin. Steve said—’’
“My brother knows I
can’t resist a challenge.’’ Kaitlin circled the man, eyes narrowed as she inspected
him from all angles. Actually, in the right clothes, this one should clean up
quite nicely. And he did possess a certain undeniable something.
“One good thing. We
should be able to fit you off the rack. There’s no time to wait for custom
tailoring.” Broad shoulders tapered to lean hips, which were hugged by a
modern-day version of cowboy chaps in supple-looking black leather.
“But those chaps. The
look is all wrong unless you’re auditioning for a cowboy commercial.” The
garment in question sheathed him like an intimate glove, up over snakeskin
boots to hug an impossibly long length of leg, before ending in a V of faded
denim below his belt. The scrap of exposed denim was the exact same shade as
his eyes. Realizing where her gaze
lingered, she looked away and hoped she wasn’t blushing.
He rocked back on his
heels and crossed his arms over his impressive chest. One side of his mouth quirked up in an
endearing half-smile. “I wasn’t
expecting an audition.”
Dead silence hung
between them and Kaitlin felt herself flush.
Weren’t people supposed to outgrow adolescent blushing? Apparently not her. Even her ears were
burning. “Somehow, I get the feeling you’re not my brother’s friend/wannabe
model I was expecting.”
“Is that what he told
you?” The newcomer braced one shoulder
against the doorframe as if he had every right to be there, thumbs hooked in
the pockets of his jacket. His half-smile turned into the real thing. The change in expression deepened the grooves
in his cheeks and gave him a lazy look that matched his careless pose.
His smile was addictive and Kaitlin caught herself starting to smile back. “How about I introduce myself properly? The name’s Blaze.” Lazily his right hand stretched toward her, broad and sun-browned with a faint line of scars visible across the first two knuckles. “I’m your date for the weekend.”
One Fantasy Fall is on sale in the US for only 99cents this week. Grab your copy here! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096CRGV1L
USA Today
Bestselling Author, Kathleen Lawless, blames a misspent youth watching Rawhide,
Maverick and Bonanza for her fascination with cowboys, which doesn’t stop her
from creating a wide variety of interests and occupations for her many alpha
male heroes.
With well over
40 published novels to her credit, she enjoys pushing the boundaries of
traditional romance into historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic
suspense and women’s fiction. and stories for young adults.
Sign up for Kathleen’s VIP Reader Newsletter to receive a free book, updates, special giveaways and fan-priced offers. http://eepurl.com/bV0sb1
Nice ending to that excerpt, Kathleen!! Congratulations on your new release. I'm already drooling, lol.
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