“Livvie!” Sam dove from the paddleboat, swimming toward her.
“Sam.” Fear shot through her. He’ll be fine. He swims the ocean in storms, he can navigate the muddy Mississippi.
“Hang on, Livvie.” His powerful strokes brought him to the boat. He gripped its side and laughed, water streaming down his face. “Will you save me?”
“It depends. Tell me again why Millie was at your cottage.”
“I was the only one who knew where Liam hid his money. She stayed there while I retrieved it. She’s now on her way to California.”
“And you knew nothing about the letter?”
“What letter?”
“From the publisher. My novels will be published, Sam.” She reached for him, and the rowboat rocked perilously.
He steadied his hold on the side. “They will? That’s wonderful.”
She must look a fool, with this ridiculous grin on her face, but she couldn’t stop.
“Now that you’re wealthy and successful, will you have pity on me and let me in the boat?”
The boat seesawed as she reached over to tug him inside. Once he was seated across from her, she kneeled and wound her arms around his neck, all her misgivings melting away. This was where she belonged. In his arms.
He nuzzled his cheek to hers. “You’ve salvaged my heart from the depths.”
“I’ll pay you a fair price.” She drew back to appraise his reaction. “My heart for yours.”
The gleam returned to his eyes, the same light that shone in Key West.
“Done. Now, can we continue our negotiations on land?”
“Anywhere, Sam.”
As he rowed them toward shore, she knew she could go anywhere with him, and it would be home.
###
About the Author
Cate Masters loves stories with a dash of magic, mayhem and romance. Multipublished in contemporary to historical, sweet to erotic, fantasy/dark fantasy to speculative, she sometimes mashes genres. Reviewers have described her stories as “so compelling, I did not want to put it down,” and “such romantic tales that really touch your soul.”
For 2012, her re-release of Sixties-era short, Seventh Heaven, was an EPIC finalist. In 2011, three stories placed in the Top Ten Finishers at the Preditors & Editors Poll and four stories finaled in the EPIC competition, including Soul for Sale.
In 2010, The Pearl S. Buck Foundation awarded first place to her short literary story, Christmas Eve at the Diner on Rathole Street. Her short literary story, All is Calm, All is Bright, was awarded second place in the annual Pennwriters Short Story contest in 2005.
Most days, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of fantasy/paranormal, contemporary and historical stories with her cat, Chairman Maiow, and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com, Facebook, Goodreads, and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.
Cate loves to hear from readers. Email her at: cate.masters AT gmail.com.
Current Releases by Category
Contemporary Romance
Design for Life, Top Ten Finisher in 2011 Preditors & Editors poll
Going With Gravity, a 2011 EPIC finalist
Just the Right Amount of Wrong, interracial erotic romance
Picture This, a 2011 EPIC finalist
Rock Bottom, a rocking romance novel
Tonight You Belong to Me, 1NS short
Writing Off the Past
Fantasy/Paranormal
A Hard Day’s Knight, 1NS short Arthurian-themed fantasy
Clio’s Choice, midlength dark paranormal
Dancing With the Devil, Book 2 of The Goddess Connection, erotic romance novel
Dead to Rights, dark paranormal
Death Is A Bitch, dark paranormal novella with erotic/romantic and humorous elements
The Duende and The Muse, short fantasy
Ground Rules, Christmas fantasy
The Magic of Lavender, Book 1 of The Goddess Connection, sensual romance novel
The Twelve Dancing, Zombie-Killing Princesses, futuristic retold fairy tale novella, sweet romance
Romancing the Hero, short fantasy
Soul for Sale, 2011 EPIC finalist, dark paranormal novella
Surfacing, fantasy novel about a mermaid and a rock singer
Historical
A Midwest Summer Night’s Dream – Western historical with Shakespearean twist
Angels, Sinners and Madmen – set in 1850s Key West, Florida and Top Ten Finisher in 2011 Preditors & Editors poll
Cinderella Dreams (Are Tough to Shake) – Vintage 80s freebie short
Follow the Stars Home – 1870s Native American historical about the opening of the Carlisle Industrial Indian School and Top Ten Finisher in 2011 Preditors & Editors poll
San Francisco Dreams – set during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
Seventh Heaven – 2012 EPIC finalist set in 1960s in my hometown of Lambertville, NJ
Mainstream
The Bridge Between – dramatic novel also set in my hometown of Lambertville, NJ
Orion Rising – literary family saga
Winning – short mainstream/speculative
Freebies and Indie Shorts
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