Bitten by Snake Oil
()
About this ebook
Since the death of his wife four years ago, blacksmith Jed Riker has been fighting his attraction to men. When sexy medicine-show man Peter Saint comes into Tumbleweed, Kansas, Jed buys his potion hoping for a cure, but receives vivid erotic dreams of the perfectly built salesman instead.
Jed uses all his strength and energy to fight the attraction in a town where the local preacher’s hellfire and damnation sermons promise repercussions if he dares to act on them. Can Peter Saint’s potions offer a solution and free the blacksmith to live and love as he wishes and not as his closed-minded neighbors demand?
Read more from Shiloh Saddler
Linatar's Pet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Private Pleasure Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Half-breed Wolf Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Clipped Wings Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSaltwater Lover Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Bitten by Snake Oil
Related ebooks
The Incarnator Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHeartful of Scars Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Master of Silence A Romance Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTurned Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Finding Me (Another Falls Creek Romance, #2): Another Falls Creek Romance, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Necklace of Rubies Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Working Couple Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArt & Grace Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Nightingale's Tooth Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFire and Ice: Books 1-2: Dragon Kings Collections, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Gift Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsForced Bride Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wildest Hunger: A completely epic crime fantasy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Strange Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fantasy Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Hand Me The Reins Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Scorpion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNeck 2 Knees Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Some novels – Volume 4 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Princess and the Keeper: The Kingdom of Light Series, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBlack Dog & Other Gothic Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEpilogue for a Lost Tale Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSweetapple Cove Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Secret Life of Lords: The Albright Sisters, #2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDestroy The Pretty: Destroy Me Trilogy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kate Haggis & the Stone Hunters: Pocketful of Existence Series: Book 3 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Window at the White Cat Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Endonshan Chronicles Book 1: DragonBond Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Reins & Ribbons Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Whisper of the Leaves: Daughter of Duri, #1 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Historical Romance For You
Pride and Prejudice Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Versions of Us Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bred By The King In Public: Dominant King Erotic History Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Slave Girl Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Kent Family Chronicles Volumes One Through Three: The Bastard, The Rebels, and The Seekers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dragonwyck: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Whitney, My Love Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pride and Pleasure Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When I Come Home Again: 'A page-turning literary gem' THE TIMES, BEST BOOKS OF 2020 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Kingdom of Dreams Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Memory Keeper of Kyiv: A powerful, important historical novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Visitors Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Once Upon A Time: A Collection of Folktales, Fairytales and Legends Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Temptress Unbound Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Dweller on Two Planets Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeven Years to Sin Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dancing at Midnight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Forgotten Home Child Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Until You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Tudor Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Accidental Empress: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Something Wonderful Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dreaming of You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Bitten by Snake Oil
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Bitten by Snake Oil - Shiloh Saddler
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by fines and federal imprisonment.
Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Bitten by Snake Oil
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2014 by Shiloh Saddler
ISBN: 978-1-61333-775-2
Cover art by Syneca Featherstone
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
Published by Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Look for us online at:
www.decadentpublishing.com
Decadent Publishing Beyond Fairytales
Once Upon a Marriage
A Riddle for Love
Operation Owl
Darkest Magic
You Belong to Me
Taliasman
Hunter’s Mark
The Thief and His Master
The Star Princess
Slumber
Don’t Call Me Iron Man
Coming Soon!
Razor
Her Real Life Hero
Lost and Found
Also by Shiloh Saddler
The Virgin Madam
Perfect Ride
Bitten by Snake Oil
By
Shiloh Saddler
A Beyond Fairytales Adaptation of The Brothers’ Grimm’s:
The Old Man Made Young Again
Prologue
1885, Kansas
Nicodemus smiled and motioned for the crowd of adults to enter the circus tent. This was the last night the circus would be in Jefferson Corner, Kansas, and he had promised those in attendance something special—another story. Many of the stories he’d told over the course of the circus had entertained the children, but this story was not for their ears, so he waited until the late hour when he was sure the young were tucked in bed.
He stood on the stage, tall top hat perched on his head adding to his stature of only four feet. A blue tarantula sat on his shoulder, watching the people take their seats. While many of the folks would have paid a coin just to see his spider friend, they had come to hear him, the master storyteller. Outside, the circus crew had begun taking down the other tents and equipment.
So many stories,
he whispered to the arachnid. Which one should I tell?
The last story was always the hardest to choose.
Stroking the tarantula with one hand, he patted the air with the other, motioning for the crowd to quiet. You have all been very kind,
Nicodemus said. Alas, my time in this town is drawing to a close. But, first, a parting tale.
He scanned the faces and the clothing of his audience. Many wore their Sunday best for the occasion. His gaze fell upon a brawny man still in his brown canvas work trousers, the sleeves of his shirt torn off. The blacksmith.
Yes,
he murmured to the tarantula. That story will be perfect.
The Western tale was one everyone in the audience could relate to.
I have shared many stories with you,
he said, his voice commanding their attention. But I doubt you have heard of this one. It took place in a small Western town similar to Tumbleweed. It is the story of a blacksmith and a man named Peter Saint.
A young woman stood. You mean St. Peter?
Nicodemus shook his head. No, ma’am. He was no saint; he had a medicine-show wagon.
Oh.
The woman took her seat again and ran her hands across her lap.
His tarantula crawled into his scraggily beard and settled in for the story.
He cleared his throat. Now time for my tale,
he said, deepening the tone of his voice. Tonight, I will be a lonely blacksmith. Once upon a time….
Chapter One
Mr. Riker,
a man called as I guided my mother-in-law down the stairs from my apartment
Just a minute,
I said, not looking at who had hailed me. All my attention focused on the wobbly old woman. Slowly, Martha took each step, her hand gripping the wooden railing. When we reached the bottom, Mr. Jones joined us.
How are you today, Mrs. Abram?
he asked.
Enjoying the sunny day,
she replied.
She was perhaps the only person in Tumbleweed enjoying this hot spell.
Something I can do for you, Mr. Jones?
Just wondering if you had time to make me something special.
My eyebrows rose. Mr. Jones was one of the wealthiest men in town, and I was curious to find out what he wanted made. Of course. I always have time for one of my best customers.
Shouldn’t be too hard for you to do,
he explained as we strolled toward the church. It is a secret, though.
All right. Shall I ride out to your ranch tomorrow?
He shook his head. Too many hands around with big ears. I’ll come to your place early in the morning.
Fine.
Mr. Jones opened the door, and I escorted Martha inside.
I sat in the pew next to my mother-in-law, my spine as straight as an iron bar. Ever since my wife had passed away, I felt uncomfortable in church. Not that I’d ever liked going to service. If it hadn’t been for my mother-in-law turned permanent houseguest, I would have given up the practice long ago.
Martha and I were accustomed to sitting in the back on account of her near-blindness and frailty. She shuffled along, and it took a long time for her to venture across the street. Some days I wondered if it would be easier to pick the petite woman up and carry her to her seat, but I wanted her to keep her dignity. I took a deep breath, trying to relax. Old age was not her fault, and taking care of her taught me patience although it frayed my nerves.
Reverend Barlow’s voice echoed in the quiet room as he preached about the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, railed about how the immoral would pay and spend eternity in the