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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