Just a quick update on Caterina…
I finished the first draft (Hooray!) and word count is at 92,550.
I hope to have this edited and ready to send to my proofreaders very soon!
In the meantime, here’s a little peak into the story:
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“Have it your way, then,” Kade said, acting like he was going to leave, then jumping off the horse and running into the creek, grabbing Caterina around the waist. Before she could splutter an objection, he threw her over his shoulder and waded to the bank.
“You…you…brute! I insist you put me down this instant,” Caterina yelled, beating her fists against Kade’s broad back. The sensation of having her middle balanced on his brawny shoulder made her stomach flutter wildly while the desire to have his lips pressed to hers became almost unbearable. “You are ten times worse than all five of my brothers together.”
“If you’d just stop being so obstinate, everything would be fine,” Kade said, stooping down to grab her shoes and stockings with one hand while he balanced her on his shoulder, feeling the cool of the water along with the heat of her body soak into his shirt.
“I’m not any more obstinate than you are hard-headed.” Continuing to pound against his back while she squirmed trying to free herself, he didn’t seem bothered by her efforts in the least. “You’re a despicable man who picks on helpless women.”
“I don’t pick on any women, period. As for you being helpless, that’s ridiculous. You’re about as far from helpless as a female could get.”
Struggling, she tried to kick at him and felt a steely arm clamp across her legs holding them in place.
“How old are you?”
Caught off guard by his question, Caterina stopped wiggling and raised her head, trying to look at Kade over her shoulder. “Twenty-two. Why?”
“Just curious.”
Caterina gave him a long look, trying to guess his age. She finally gave up. “How old are you?”
Old enough to know better than to get involved with you. “Twenty-seven.”
Digesting that bit of information, Kade was younger than she thought. He always acted so sure and determined, but then again as a lawman, he’d probably experienced a lot that gave him a sense of maturity that others wouldn’t necessarily have.
Kade’s voice tugged her from her musings about his age. “So you’re older than Aundy, yet still act half her age.”
“Oh, you awful, spiteful man,” Caterina said, renewing her efforts and pounding on Kade’s back. Twisting around she contemplated biting him to see if that would inspire him to release his hold on her.
