Christine Young
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Amorica Hepburn was sent to London to find a husband. However, finding
a man was the last item on her agenda. With her two cousins, Amorica wagers she
can dissuade her suitor before the others. Despite her efforts she discovers a
chemistry that cannot be denied. Suddenly she is the arrogant man's wife,
pledged to a marriage neither desire. But swept off to his ancestral home above
the Dover cliffs and into his strong embrace, Amorica is soon possessed by a raging
passion for the husband she had vowed to despise…
Damian
Andrews can't afford to trust the emerald-eyed spitfire who happened upon
his secret. Amorica's hatred of all men of his kind only inflames the war that
rages between them. Still, he can not control the intense desire his stubborn
bride inspires, or make her surrender to his will until he has conquered the
headstrong beauty on the battlefield of love…
EXCERPT
Coast of England 1816
"It's a bloody cursed day."
Damian Andrews swept the child into his arms and waded through the pounding
surf to the beach. He braced himself against the out-going current then sloshed
through the crashing waves. Salt spray clung to the wind, stinging his
nostrils.
Damian turned. Beneath his ribs, his heart pounded
the cadence hard and fast. He swore again as he watched the captain shout
orders to his crew. The French brandy that was supposed to have arrived this
night would have to wait.
Standing in the longboat, the captain of
the ship that brought the brandy as well as the political refugees from the
Germanies held a torch aloft--the only light in the vast darkness. "Hurry,
laddie. We have human cargo tonight and the tide is changing."
A little girl whimpered.
Damian pulled her into his arms, bent on protecting
her at all cost.
"It's all right. You will all be
together soon." The smuggling of French brandy was a cover for the cause
that meant so much to him. Religious and political refugees--at times it seemed
they came in droves. All were seeking a better life. A life of freedom.
"Your mother is coming as well as your baby brother. You will all be
safe."
Damian looked to the captain. "The
father?" he queried.
"He didn't come with his family. He
said he had one more thing to do. You must hurry."
The child leaned into Damian, her little
face nuzzling his shoulder, her silent sobs gut-wrenching. He pulled her
closer, cursing at the elements as well as mankind and wishing he could find a
way to shield the tiny child from all harm. He knew the feat to be impossible.
The little girl touched a place in his heart and for a moment filled that
broken space with light. Yes, the mother would be with her children, but why
had the father stayed where his life was in peril? He had learned long ago one
could come to regret rash actions. And he'd also learned one could lose all
chance at love in one instant.
Lord, but he'd lost his concentration and
in losing that, he could well lose his edge.
No secrets-- no lies. The thought haunted
him.
His life was a lie, but he would change
nothing until his penance was paid. A constant drizzle soaked him to the skin.
The wind sent goose bumps rising on his arms. He reached shore and handed the
girl over to Aric Lakeland, a trusted friend and accomplice in this night's
work, then turned and walked back to the longboat. Her baby brother as well as
her mother waited.
He had never meant to get involved. It was
the greatest of ironies that he was here now. He'd been a man who loved his
family and his home.
He'd been content but that seemed years
ago--a life time.
It felt like centuries.
The captain spoke, his voice hushed.
"Hurry, now, Master Damian.
It's the watch. They are due to ride by
here any time now. The patrols have doubled these last few weeks. I fear it's
not as safe as it used to be." The captain handed over the baby wrapped in
blankets. Damian stared at the child. The babe couldn't be a year old. The
child didn't make a sound, not even a whimper.
This was injustice, a travesty. He looked
at the mother. "Can you make it on your own?" He prayed the fragile
lady standing before him had more courage than she appeared to have. She nodded
and with the captain's help, she stepped into the ocean, struggling for
balance. Yet her shoulders were squared and her spine stiff.
As soon as the captain placed the babe in
Damian's arms and the three of them were headed for land, he gave orders. Two
sailors rowed out to sea, moving toward the black ship that rose and fell on
the distant waves.
On a cliff above, the dark silhouette of a
third man, Ryder McClaren, could be seen for a brief moment. He waved his arms
then disappeared into the shadows once more.
"Hurry," Damian bade the mother,
his hand resting on the small of her back, urging her forward.
