A Cowboy's Muse

By Beth Williamson

Clio is not only the muse of history, she has virtually lived her life through books. When a lightning strike sends her through space and time, Clio finds herself in the Old West with no way of getting home and none of her powers. Relying on her book learning is not working out like she’d hoped.

Ace Nevada is an unwilling sheriff who has spent the last year trying to get out of town. When a crazy woman lands in the horse trough in front of a saloon, he finds himself strangely attracted to her. He can’t help himself from sampling her lips or her incredibly lush body.

Clio learns how to be human and Ace remembers what it is to be human. They are two halves of the same whole. Mates. When Clio’s powers return, will their love pass the test of time?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beth Williamson
• Release date: Sep 10, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452421452

Beth Williamson

Beth has never been able to escape her imagination and it led her to the craft of writing romance novels. She’s passionate about purple, books, and her family (not to mention long cruises). She works full-time and writes romance novels evening, weekends, early mornings and whenever there is a break in the madness.She is compassionate, funny, a bit reserved at times, tenacious and a little quirky. Her cowboys and western romances speak of a bygone era, bringing her readers to an age where men were honest, hard and packing heat.For a change of pace, she also dives into some smokin’ hot contemporaries, bringing you heat, romance and snappy dialogue.Beth is a Career Achievement Award Nominee in Erotic Romance by Romantic Times Magazine, in both 2009 and 2010.

Book preview

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A Cowboy’s Muse

by Beth Williamson

Smashwords Edition

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Published by Beth Williamson at Smashwords

ePub ISBN:   978-1-4524-2145-2

A Cowboy’s Muse

Copyright 2011 by Beth Williamson

(Cover art by Croco Designs)  

All Rights Reserved

This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author's imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.    

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes  

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.  

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To learn more about Beth Williamson, visit:

www.bethwilliamson.com

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Chapter One

Clio spent most of her time reading books. Books and family were her life. She tried to spend some time on Earth, but really, it was minimal.

I should have tried harder.

Her belated thought meant nothing when she slammed into the water in a wooden container, spraying the filthy muck five feet into the air. A round of cursing and whinnies decorated the air and she tried not to swallow any of the nasty stuff that surrounded her. She had landed in a horse trough. A trough!

A hand grabbed her arm and yanked hard. She flew out of the water only to land on her knees in the dust, coughing and sputtering. Trying to forget what the water smelled like or what animals—two or four legged—had been drinking from it. Her stomach heaved and she fought against it.

Somebody get her a towel or something, a deep voice said. For Chrissakes, stop staring, Billy! Ain’t you ever seen a woman in a purple peek-a-boo before?

Not like that, Ace. I was hoping to get a look at her… answered another voice, this one a bit whiny.

Shut up and get back inside that damn saloon before I shoot you, you stupid cowpoke.

Just when she had gotten her breath back, a green cloth was shoved in her face.

Here, dry off with this.

Clio accepted it gratefully and pressed her face into it. It smelled of smoke, sweat and something she suspected was whiskey.

It’s a tablecloth. There ain’t much else to find in this part of town.

She took a deep breath and reemerged from the cloth to look up into the face of the man who had pulled her from the trough. He had longish, chocolate-brown hair that brushed his collar and matching eyes, framed by lashes that would make any woman jealous. He was no woman though, that much was for certain. His face was hard, his expression even harder. He wore a black hat, a gray shirt with a black leather vest, a dark-colored neckerchief and denims, with some pointy boots on his feet.

What really drew her attention, though, was the gleaming silver star pinned to his vest.

Are you an officer of the law?

One brown eyebrow went up as he frowned at her. Do you need any help besides what I already gave?

Clio stood and sourly noticed he did not offer his assistance and even though she nearly fell on her head in the dust. She finally noticed her surroundings and gasped in surprise.

Oh hell and damnation. She shouldn’t have sneaked her father’s book, or read the words aloud. Honestly, she knew books had power, but this was beyond expected. She had cast a spell on herself and gone back in time! Not only the past, but from the looks of things, the Old West. In front of her, at least a full head taller, stood her savior.

Problem?

She bit her lip and contemplated her question before asking it. Clio certainly didn’t want to raise any more suspicion than she already had. Can you tell me where we are and what day it is?

There, that ought to be as innocuous as she could make it.

It’s Tuesday and you’re standing in front of The Iron Bell saloon.

She shook her head and was mortified when a bit of green goo flew from her hair to land on his vest. She watched in horror as it slid toward his exceedingly firm stomach.

No, I mean town and state. And the actual date if you wouldn’t mind.

Both eyebrows went up this time and his gaze raked her up and down. You must’ve hit your head right good, lady. This here is Peyote, Texas, and it’s the fifteenth of June.

Yes, I believe I did hit my head. Can you also provide the year?

This time he stepped back a pace and his hand crept close to the dark pistol she noticed riding his thigh. Her pulse notched up.

It’s 1875. Now what kind of game are you playing?

Clio had no words. She was in Texas, 1875! She closed her eyes and focused on Mt. Olympus, trying to return there as she always could. It was no use. Nothing happened.

She didn’t intend on traveling to earth or back in time. Books had never harmed her before now. If only she hadn’t sought out her father’s book. Ever curious, okay nosy, she had been looking for the gold edged book for some time. It was the one tome she hadn’t read or even been able to touch. Clio could hardly be blamed for wanting to seek it out. According to lore, Zeud had walked amongst humans, but she hadn’t believed it was all true. Now she knew it must be because here she was. On earth, unable to return. Perhaps she missed part of the spell when she read it aloud.

Was she mortal for good? Would she ever be able to return to Mt. Olympus and her family? Her father would be furious, that is, if he ever found her.