A Rougher Touch
available now!
available now!
A sneak peek...
A sneak peek at A Rougher Touch…
He moved closer. She carried a small bouquet of white flowers, but they were grasped so tightly in her small gloved hands, they looked as if the life was being choked out of them. She had on a blue dress that was the exact blue of her eyes, and a matching blue hat covered with white feathers. He found himself tilting his head downward to see her hair. It looked dark; the exact color he couldn’t tell.
When he heard a girl’s giggle from his left, his blue-eyed young woman turned to see who it was. Joe’s mouth grew flat. It was Jenny Spade. She was pointing at the young woman’s hat and laughing.
Tightness built in his chest as he saw the reaction of the girl in the doorway. Her blue eyes grew wider, then slightly sad, and she took yet another step toward the entrance.
Feeling as if he needed to do something, he strode toward her to stop her exit. Suddenly, she spotted his sister, and moved slightly away from the door.
He relaxed, watching.
“Allie!”
He stared. What a delightful voice she had. He stayed out of sight just far enough to be able to keep an eye on her as Allie threw her arms around her neck. Relieved, he watched her move another step or two away from the entrance.
So, she wouldn’t be leaving after all. Good.
Allie was looking around the room, suddenly. “I’m sorry, Bethy. I’d hoped to introduce you.”
Was that disappointment that clouded the lovely young woman’s eyes? She was shaking her head now, and an auburn curl fell over one shoulder.
“No, it’s all right. I was just hoping to meet him, that’s all, since you spoke so highly of him on the trip.”
He knew who she was now. She was Allie’s friend Elizabeth. He took a step toward them. Both girls were turned away now, but from the corner of his eye, he saw Jenny Spade rise from her seat and move in his direction.
From behind Elizabeth and Allie, he spoke. “Looking for someone?”
They both jumped and turned. Those blue eyes he’d been admiring since the moment he arrived were mesmerizing. He couldn’t help himself. He was grinning at her expression.
Allie’s eyes were sparkling as she glanced from him to Elizabeth. She was saying something, but for the life of him he barely heard anything except the words Beth Harris.
The young woman gazed upward, her mouth slightly open, but her voice seemed to be absent.
“Miss Harris,” he spoke, keeping his voice deep. “You shared a stage all the way from Philadelphia with my sister? My utmost apologies, Miss.”
Allie smacked his arm. But it was Beth’s expression which surprised him. Those gorgeous eyes flashed with blue flame as she suddenly found her voice.
“Apologies… not accepted, Mr. Castle. I admire Allie,” she paused to moisten those luscious lips, “more than anyone I know. She saved our lives on the way here.”
He watched as she continued speaking, fighting the urge to take her into his arms and silence those lips with his.
“Yes, I heard about that.” He knew he was showing amusement, when she blinked, and shook her head, causing the curls to bounce.
“Then—then…” She paused. “Then, behave yourself.”
Joe was no longer amused. His smile disappeared, and a brow rose, warning taking the place of mirth.
She seemed to realize it too, and her hand flew to her mouth. Allie reached for her arm to lead her away a few steps.
Beth glanced back at him, her eyes large and penitent, before turning back toward Allie. Their voices were lost, but Beth’s shoulders seemed to sag.
Allie was shaking her head, and Beth was looking sorrowfully down at the floor. On his right, Jenny began once again to slowly approach. But she stopped suddenly as Miss Harris began to turned toward him from his left. He pivoted slowly on his heel, giving her a look of warning.
She barely met his eyes before lowering her gaze. “Mr. Castle, I,” She spoke in a whisper. Licking her lips, she tried again. “I apologize. I should never have…” Another pause.
“Quite right, young lady. And I don’t expect it to ever happen again.”
She looked down, and turned as if to move away from him.
Joe encircled her wrist, bringing her closer. When she looked up, her expression was wary. He lifted his mouth on one side, and took the flowers from her hands. She’d been clasping them so tightly the palms of the white gloves bore tell-tale greenish stains. She gasped when she saw it.
Joe removed the blue hat from her, and set it on the shelf above her head. Her hair was an auburn color that complemented the fairness of her skin perfectly. The flowers, he took a look at. With a brief glance at Jenny, who was still scowling at Beth, he held out the flowers.
“Miss Spade, would you mind holding these while I take this young lady for a dance?”
Jenny’s mouth fell open. She stared, as he pressed the flowers into her hands and drew Beth out onto the dance floor, his arm about her waist.
“That was mean,” she whispered, with an apologetic glance backward at Jenny.
“No more so than the way she was treating you this evening when I first saw you. I noticed you trying to sneak your way back out of the dance hall.”
Her face began to grow crimson, and he stopped. Taking one of her hands, then the other, he removed her white gloves and tucked them into his pocket. By the time he finished, her face was completely scarlet.
“Don’t worry, young lady. I won’t completely disrobe you.”
He moved closer. She carried a small bouquet of white flowers, but they were grasped so tightly in her small gloved hands, they looked as if the life was being choked out of them. She had on a blue dress that was the exact blue of her eyes, and a matching blue hat covered with white feathers. He found himself tilting his head downward to see her hair. It looked dark; the exact color he couldn’t tell.
When he heard a girl’s giggle from his left, his blue-eyed young woman turned to see who it was. Joe’s mouth grew flat. It was Jenny Spade. She was pointing at the young woman’s hat and laughing.
Tightness built in his chest as he saw the reaction of the girl in the doorway. Her blue eyes grew wider, then slightly sad, and she took yet another step toward the entrance.
Feeling as if he needed to do something, he strode toward her to stop her exit. Suddenly, she spotted his sister, and moved slightly away from the door.
He relaxed, watching.
“Allie!”
He stared. What a delightful voice she had. He stayed out of sight just far enough to be able to keep an eye on her as Allie threw her arms around her neck. Relieved, he watched her move another step or two away from the entrance.
So, she wouldn’t be leaving after all. Good.
Allie was looking around the room, suddenly. “I’m sorry, Bethy. I’d hoped to introduce you.”
Was that disappointment that clouded the lovely young woman’s eyes? She was shaking her head now, and an auburn curl fell over one shoulder.
“No, it’s all right. I was just hoping to meet him, that’s all, since you spoke so highly of him on the trip.”
He knew who she was now. She was Allie’s friend Elizabeth. He took a step toward them. Both girls were turned away now, but from the corner of his eye, he saw Jenny Spade rise from her seat and move in his direction.
From behind Elizabeth and Allie, he spoke. “Looking for someone?”
They both jumped and turned. Those blue eyes he’d been admiring since the moment he arrived were mesmerizing. He couldn’t help himself. He was grinning at her expression.
Allie’s eyes were sparkling as she glanced from him to Elizabeth. She was saying something, but for the life of him he barely heard anything except the words Beth Harris.
The young woman gazed upward, her mouth slightly open, but her voice seemed to be absent.
“Miss Harris,” he spoke, keeping his voice deep. “You shared a stage all the way from Philadelphia with my sister? My utmost apologies, Miss.”
Allie smacked his arm. But it was Beth’s expression which surprised him. Those gorgeous eyes flashed with blue flame as she suddenly found her voice.
“Apologies… not accepted, Mr. Castle. I admire Allie,” she paused to moisten those luscious lips, “more than anyone I know. She saved our lives on the way here.”
He watched as she continued speaking, fighting the urge to take her into his arms and silence those lips with his.
“Yes, I heard about that.” He knew he was showing amusement, when she blinked, and shook her head, causing the curls to bounce.
“Then—then…” She paused. “Then, behave yourself.”
Joe was no longer amused. His smile disappeared, and a brow rose, warning taking the place of mirth.
She seemed to realize it too, and her hand flew to her mouth. Allie reached for her arm to lead her away a few steps.
Beth glanced back at him, her eyes large and penitent, before turning back toward Allie. Their voices were lost, but Beth’s shoulders seemed to sag.
Allie was shaking her head, and Beth was looking sorrowfully down at the floor. On his right, Jenny began once again to slowly approach. But she stopped suddenly as Miss Harris began to turned toward him from his left. He pivoted slowly on his heel, giving her a look of warning.
She barely met his eyes before lowering her gaze. “Mr. Castle, I,” She spoke in a whisper. Licking her lips, she tried again. “I apologize. I should never have…” Another pause.
“Quite right, young lady. And I don’t expect it to ever happen again.”
She looked down, and turned as if to move away from him.
Joe encircled her wrist, bringing her closer. When she looked up, her expression was wary. He lifted his mouth on one side, and took the flowers from her hands. She’d been clasping them so tightly the palms of the white gloves bore tell-tale greenish stains. She gasped when she saw it.
Joe removed the blue hat from her, and set it on the shelf above her head. Her hair was an auburn color that complemented the fairness of her skin perfectly. The flowers, he took a look at. With a brief glance at Jenny, who was still scowling at Beth, he held out the flowers.
“Miss Spade, would you mind holding these while I take this young lady for a dance?”
Jenny’s mouth fell open. She stared, as he pressed the flowers into her hands and drew Beth out onto the dance floor, his arm about her waist.
“That was mean,” she whispered, with an apologetic glance backward at Jenny.
“No more so than the way she was treating you this evening when I first saw you. I noticed you trying to sneak your way back out of the dance hall.”
Her face began to grow crimson, and he stopped. Taking one of her hands, then the other, he removed her white gloves and tucked them into his pocket. By the time he finished, her face was completely scarlet.
“Don’t worry, young lady. I won’t completely disrobe you.”
In celebration of the release of book two, book one, Rough and Honorable, is on sale for 99 cents from May 9th through May 17th!
Rough and Honorable
Rough Edges (Book One)
Allie has no idea what
awaits her when she's sent west
to Oregon Territory.
Her brother Joe seems to be
expecting the wild child
she once was. Does he even
realize she's a grown woman now?
Nate Winchester is waiting too.
He's already rescued her once.
Who will he see next?
Alexandra, full of grace, charm and
curves?
Or Allie the hellion?
Pippa Greathouse and Ruby Caine
are at it again,
penning passion, wit, laughter,
and love in...
Rough And Honorable
are at it again,
penning passion, wit, laughter,
and love in...
Rough And Honorable
A sneak peek...
“Just what were you trying to do, young lady? Run down the entire town?” His deep tone demanded an answer. The outrage in his voice brought her back to the realization they had stopped.
Her face felt hot as she glanced around at the crowd of people staring at her. She’d lost her matching bonnet, and her hair had come loose from its ribbon.
As she tried to smooth it down, she found it had become tangled into a mass of curls that were wild and unruly. Furiously, she pushed them away from her face.
The stranger was staring down at her with narrowed eyes the color of rich, dark coffee. His gaze was stern, his voice demanding as his jaw pulsed in anger.
“Of course I was.” Sarcasm crept into her voice as her eyes flashed. “The driver needs a doctor--quickly. He’s very sick. And I’ve never driven ateam this big before so—” The words came tumbling out quickly.
“So how dare you shout at me?”
“Just what were you trying to do, young lady? Run down the entire town?” His deep tone demanded an answer. The outrage in his voice brought her back to the realization they had stopped.
Her face felt hot as she glanced around at the crowd of people staring at her. She’d lost her matching bonnet, and her hair had come loose from its ribbon.
As she tried to smooth it down, she found it had become tangled into a mass of curls that were wild and unruly. Furiously, she pushed them away from her face.
The stranger was staring down at her with narrowed eyes the color of rich, dark coffee. His gaze was stern, his voice demanding as his jaw pulsed in anger.
“Of course I was.” Sarcasm crept into her voice as her eyes flashed. “The driver needs a doctor--quickly. He’s very sick. And I’ve never driven ateam this big before so—” The words came tumbling out quickly.
“So how dare you shout at me?”
