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
couldn'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.
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