Dare she turn her hand over, let his shaft rest against her palm? She wanted to, yet she wasnât sure she had the courage.
âDo you want to touch me, Maggie?â Cord asked hoarsely.
She swallowed and nodded, but couldnât seem to move.
He trailed his fingertips over her knuckles, his touch a light dusting. âHave you ever seen a man naked before?â
She widened her eyes at the outlandish notion, briefly met his gaze before hers flickered away. âNo.â
He picked up her hand and turned it over, palm up. To her amazement, his hand wasnât too steady. It made it easier to look at him, see the unexpected vulnerability in his face. See the slight tremble of his shoulders. He was actually trembling. Why? And then she met his eyes.
Without looking away from her, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her palm, and then he wrapped her fingers around his smooth, hot manhood. She jumped at the initial touch, as if heâd scorched her, and then watched in awe as the trembling in his shoulders spread through his chest.
Dear Reader,
Itâs my hope that by now youâve read about the fantastical journey of the two Winslow sisters, Reese and Ellie, in Once an Outlaw and Once a Gambler. The heroines and readers were transported to 1870s Deadwood. Now, in Once a Rebel, we return there with Cord Braddock, an ex-stuntman turned private detective who is searching for the two women. Since Cord is half Navajo Indian, the challenges he faces extend beyond traveling through time and falling for a virginal heroine.
Although Iâm currently working on a contemporary story, I really hope there are more time-travel romances in my future. Hmm, Iâm thinking logging in the Pacific Northwest or maybe even the early frontier of Alaska? Sometimes my mind is a dangerous place. Sure keeps me entertained, though. I hope this story does the same for you.
Happy reading!
Debbi Rawlins
Once A Rebel
DEBBI RAWLINS
TORONTO ⢠NEW YORK ⢠LONDON
AMSTERDAM ⢠PARIS ⢠SYDNEY ⢠HAMBURG STOCKHOLM ⢠ATHENS ⢠TOKYO ⢠MILAN ⢠MADRID PRAGUE ⢠WARSAW ⢠BUDAPEST ⢠AUCKLAND
Debbi Rawlins lives in central Utah, out in the country, surrounded by woods and deer and wild turkeys. Itâs quite a change for a city girl, who didnât even know where the state of Utah was until four years ago. Of course, unfamiliarity never stopped her. Between her junior and senior years of college she spontaneously left home in Hawaii and bummed around Europe for five weeks by herself. And much to her parentsâ delight, she returned home with only a quarter in her wallet.
HARLEQUIN BLAZE
13âIN HIS WILDEST DREAMS
36âEDUCATING GINA
60âHANDS ON
112âANYTHING GOESâ¦
143âHEâS ALL THAT*
160âGOOD TO BE BAD
183âA GLIMPSE OF FIRE
220âHOT SPOT**
250âTHE HONEYMOON THAT WASNâT*
312âSLOW HAND LUKE*
351âIF HE ONLY KNEWâ¦*
368âWHAT SHE REALLY WANTS FOR CHRISTMASâ
417âALL OR NOTHING
455âONCE AN OUTLAWâ â
I would like to acknowledge that Once a Rebel
is a work of fiction and meant solely to entertain. While I have paid close attention to historical detail, now and then I may have stretched the facts for the sake of the story.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
âMAD DOG MANSON still in the wind?â Cord Braddock asked casually as he pocketed the much-needed check heâd just received for his last job. Another messy divorce case. Yeah, the guy was cheating, and Cord had delivered the proof that would net the soon-to-be ex-wife a nice settlement. But if he had to spy on one more sleazy, lying dirtbag husband, he was gonnaâ¦
âNo.â
âWho caught him?â His gaze shot to Leslieâs impassive face.
âNo, you canât have the job.â Slowly, she shook her head, her blue gaze firm and unwavering. Behind her on the beige office wall was a poster from one of her earliest movies.
âSo no one else has bagged him yet.â Now, that was some serious money to be made. Enough for five monthsâ rent, five lease payments on Cordâs Porsche and next yearâs gym membership.
âYouâre a private detective, not a bounty hunter, and even if you were, I wouldnât give you this one.â Leslie slid open her desk drawer and pulled out a strongbox where he knew she kept petty cash. âThis is Mansonâs third strike. Heâs not coming in without taking down anything that moves.â
Yeah, Cord had his P.I. license now, even a gun and permit to carry it, but calling him a private detective was being too generous with the kind of jobs heâd been doing. âIâm not looking for easy.â
âYou should be.â She gestured with a lift of her chin. âHowâs the shoulder?â
âI want Mad Dog, Leslie.â Out of habit, or because sheâd called attention to it, he flexed his injured shoulder. Today it didnât hurt too much. âIâm dead serious about this.â
She leaned back in her creamy yellow leather chair and stared at him with a sympathy he found hard to stomach. Yet she wasnât that unlike him. Chewed up and spit out by Hollywood when her use and youth had hit a wall. Still, sheâd done okay for herself, invested well while sheâd been making some dough, and then bought old man Barkerâs detective and bail bonds agency.