by Connie Mason
“Try me,” Jack challenged.
Mayhew decided to do just that. The moment he walked through the door, he bolted—and ran straight into the arms of Spence and the watch.
“Ah, just in time, I see,” Spence said as the watch wrestled Mayhew into a pair of manacles.
“So much for following orders,” Jack said dryly. “All joking aside, I’m damned glad to see you.”
“I’m not alone. I’ve brought several of my retainers to aid us should Mayhew prove unmanageable.” Several men materialized from the shadows, none of whom Jack would have cared to meet while alone on a dark street.
Jack turned to Mayhew, his face cold and unrelenting, his insides a seething cauldron of rage. “Where is she, Mayhew? What have you done with Moira? I’d better find her unharmed, or your life is forfeit.”
Roger Mayhew was a coward. Unless backed by an army of men, he was all bravado and no courage. He cowered in fear when Spence’s men made threatening moves in his direction, even pleading with the watch to protect him.
When the watch stepped away, leaving him to Jack’s mercy, he started babbling incoherently. “Pier ten, aboard the Lady Jane. She’s locked in the hold.”
“Take him away and lock him up with his henchmen,” Jack said, shoving Mayhew toward the watch. “If he’s hurt Moira, I’ll make him sorry he was born.” With his threat hanging in the air, Jack whirled on his heel and sprinted toward pier ten. Now he knew the meaning of Lady Amelia’s warning. The ship was probably set to sail on the midnight tide. Spence and his retainers were hard on his heels.
Moira began to know true despair. She had searched the dark, dank hold thoroughly and found no visible means of escape. She had taken the lantern from the hook and searched every nook and cranny. She stumbled over crates and peered inside boxes containing cargo, foodstuffs and sundry other goods. On the verge of giving up, she found a crowbar lying atop a crate and crowed in delight. A weapon of any kind was a welcome gift.
Alerted by noise filtering through the hatch, Moira paused to listen. She heard muffled shouts, then running steps and indications of a scuffle. When the hatch opened suddenly, Moira blew out the lantern, grasped the crowbar and waited at the foot of the ladder. She had every intention of bashing the first person to step foot into the hold.
Jack lifted the hatch leading down to the hold and stared into the darkness. He saw nothing, heard nothing. He was more than grateful that it hadn’t taken much persuasion to talk the unscrupulous captain and scurvy lot of seamen to tell him where Moira was being imprisoned. And he owed it all to Spence and his foresight in bringing help. He could have handled Mayhew alone, but defeating an entire ship’s crew single-handedly went beyond his capabilities. It never dawned on Jack that Moira’s abductor would take her out of the country.
Fearing that Moira had been hurt, Jack stumbled down the ladder. When he reached the bottom, he heard a rustling noise and ducked instinctively. He felt the breeze from a heavy object ruffle his hair as it missed him by scant inches. Had it hit him, it would have fractured his skull. He cursed roundly. He’d been so intent on finding Moira that he’d thrown caution to the wind.
Moira froze, the crowbar slipping from her nerveless fingers. “Jack?” She’d recognize his voice anywhere. It was as familiar to her as her own, and dearer. The crowbar hit the deck with a resounding thunk.
Jack whirled on his heel when he heard her voice. “Moira? Is that you? Dear God, please let it be you.” He opened his arms and Moira unerringly found her way into them, guided by the light of his unquenchable love.
Sobbing quietly into his chest, Moira clung to Jack with a desperation that was as great as his own. “I thought you were dead,” she said. “Lord Roger said his henchmen killed you.”
“I’m very much alive, sweetheart,” Jack said soothingly, brushing her hair with his lips. “This time I’m going to make damn sure Mayhew never bothers us again. I’ve enough evidence against him to have him transported to the penal colony in Australia.” He lifted her chin with his finger and found her lips with his.
“Is everything all right down there?”
Jack sighed and broke off the kiss. “We’d better leave before Spence and his men come charging down here to save us. Are you and the babe all right? Mayhew didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“He never laid a finger on me,” Moira said. “But if you hadn’t come when you did…” Her sentence trailed off and she shuddered.
“You would have bashed Mayhew over the head and escaped,” Jack said with a laugh. “Your ingenuity and courage never cease to amaze me. Let’s go home, sweetheart.”
Epilogue
Moira curled up against Jack, safe and content in their own bed. “Every time I think of how close I came to losing you, I get chills,” Jack admitted, hugging her tightly. He placed a hand on the small mound of her stomach, cherishing the child that grew beneath her heart.
“You didn’t lose me, Jack. I’m very much alive. I’m going to be here when Pettibone finally finds the nerve to ask Matilda to marry him and when Jilly and Colin decide to tie the knot. And I’m going to give you a healthy child. But right now, I want to think of us and no one else. I wanted to die when Lord Roger told me you were dead. I need you, Jack. Make love to me. Replace Lord Roger’s vileness with your sweetness.”
“I don’t think it’s wise, sweetheart. You’ve been through a lot and…”
Rising on her elbow, Moira shushed him with a kiss that sucked the breath from him. “Witch,” he growled as he pulled her atop him. “Are you sure?”
“Very sure.”
He roused her slowly, tenderly, with a thoroughness that brought tears to her eyes. Her breasts swelled against his mouth as he licked and sucked her nipples into erect buds, so sensitive she was inundated with waves of exquisite pleasure. The effect on Jack was profound, rendering him instantly hard, violently aroused. Everywhere Moira touched Jack was hard and tense and straining. Flipping her on her back, his lips blazed a trail down her body, lavishing careful attention on the hollow of her waist, the turn of her hip, the slightly convex roundness of her stomach, the satiny smoothness of her inner thigh.
Moira sighed and felt herself go liquid with need. Then he lowered his head and tasted her, his breath a scorching flame that licked erotically against her damp and dewy flesh. He groaned. She tasted tangy-sweet, and hot enough to scald him. She thrashed wildly as again and again he teased sleek, swollen recesses, passion-slick and wet. She whimpered, her hips unconsciously seeking a deeper union as his tongue sought her swollen core. A convulsive shudder wracked her as he brought her to the pinnacle of sensation.
Feeling himself losing control, he brought himself over her and, with a groan, plunged deep, embedded tight within her scorching heat. Again and again he came inside her, pumping with mounting frenzy. He felt his seed rising, felt his blood thickening, burning him from within, yet he held back, waiting for Moira. He was but a moment away from spilling himself when he felt her nails sink into his shoulders and heard her cry out.
Her cry echoed in his throat as he claimed her mouth in a kiss that gave full vent to his hunger, his love, his total commitment to his wife. He thrust harder, deeper, faster, until he felt the explosive force of her contractions. His control shattered. With a cry of surrender, Jack joined his wife in a prolonged outpouring of bliss.
“I love you, Moira,” Jack whispered moments before she slipped into peaceful slumber.
Sighing in perfect contentment, Jack held Moira against his chest and smiled when he thought about the son or daughter she would give him. Either would be welcome, he decided, imagining a child who looked like Moira.
The child is a boy.
Jack jerked his head from the pillow and searched the dark recesses of the chamber for Lady Amelia. She was standing by the door, clothed in light and mist, her face radiant.
“You manage to show up at the oddest times,” he whispered so as not to awaken Moira. For the first time in his life he blushed, wondering
if Lady Amelia had been present when he made love to Moira. “Are you positive Moira is going to give me a son?”
The child is a boy. But fear not, there will also be daughters.
“What? What did you say?”
You will have a son.
Lady Amelia folded her hands and smiled a secret smile. Jack watched in awe as her image flared with luminous intensity, forcing him to close his eyes. When he opened them again, she was gone, leaving naught but a pale flicker of light in her wake. Jack experienced an unaccountable sadness. He knew intuitively that his meddling ancestor had made her final visit. Hugging Moira tightly, he smiled wistfully. He was going to miss Lady Amelia.
Author’s Note
Dear Readers,
This book is somewhat of a departure for me, but I hope you enjoyed it. Creating Lady Amelia was a delight. For my next book, I’m going back to the American West. I still depend on your letters to let me know what you enjoy. For a prompt reply, newsletter and bookmark, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. I regret that I cannot reply unless a stamped envelope is enclosed. I hope my readers will understand. Sometimes the letters become separated from their SASE, and unless your address is placed on the letter itself, I am unable to reply. I hate disappointing any of my readers. Write to me in care of Leisure Books at the address listed at the front of this book.
All my romantic best,
Connie Mason
Romantic Times Raves About New York Times Bestselling Author Connie Mason!
VIKING WARRIOR
“This tale of a Danish vixen and a Viking warrior is full of action, heightened sexual tension and enough twists to keep readers glued to their chairs.”
THE PRICE OF PLEASURE
“She delivers what longtime romance readers want: remarkable characters and a story that sweeps them away.”
HIGHLAND WARRIOR
“This is a one-night read that truly satisfies.”
A TASTE OF PARADISE
“This deep-sigh love story is ideal for whiling away an afternoon.”
A KNIGHT’S HONOR
“This is classic Mason. Her fans will put this on the top of their to-read lists.”
GYPSY LOVER
“Mason’s romances are always a feast for readers seeking a passionate, exciting story peopled with larger-than-life heroes who take your breath away.”
THE PIRATE PRINCE
“A legend of the genre, Mason delivers a tried-and-true romance with a classic plot and highly engaging characters.”
SEDUCED BY A ROGUE
“Another wonderful story filled with adventure, witty repartee and hot sex.”
THE ROGUE AND THE HELLION
“Ms. Mason has written another winner to delight her fans who want sexual tension that leads to hot explosion, memorable characters and a fast-paced story.”
More Romantic Times Praise For Connie Mason!
THE LAIRD OF STONEHAVEN
“[Ms. Mason] crafts with excellence and creativity…[and] the added attraction of mystery and magic.”
LIONHEART
“…Upholds the author’s reputation for creating memorable stories and remarkable characters.”
THE DRAGON LORD
“This is a real keeper, filled with historical fact, sizzling love scenes and wonderful characters.”
THE BLACK KNIGHT
“Ms. Mason has written a rich medieval romance filled with tournaments, chivalry, lust and love.”
THE OUTLAWS: SAM
“Ms. Mason always provides the reader with a hot romance, filled with plot twists and wonderful characters. She’s a marvelous storyteller.”
THE OUTLAWS: RAFE
“Ms. Mason begins this new trilogy with wonderful characters…steamy romance…excellent dialogue…[and an] exciting plot!”
GUNSLINGER
“Ms. Mason has created memorable characters and a plot that made this reader rush to turn the pages.…Gunslinger is an enduring story.”
BEYOND THE HORIZON
“Connie Mason at her best! She draws readers into this fast-paced, tender and emotional historical romance that proves love really does conquer all!”
BRAVE LAND, BRAVE LOVE
“An utter delight from first page to last—funny, tender, adventurous, and highly romantic!”
Other books by Connie Mason:
TEMPT THE DEVIL
A TOUCH SO WICKED
VIKING WARRIOR
THE PRICE OF PLEASURE
HIGHLAND WARRIOR
A TASTE OF PARADISE
A KNIGHTS HONOR
GYPSY LOVER
THE PIRATE PRINCE
THE LAST ROGUE
THE LAIRD OF STONEHAVEN
TO LOVE A STRANGER
SEDUCED BY A ROGUE
TO TAME A RENEGADE
LIONHEART
A LOVE TO CHERISH
THE ROGUE AND THE HELLION
THE DRAGON LORD
THE OUTLAWS: SAM
THE OUTLAWS: JESS
THE OUTLAWS: RAFE
THE BLACK KNIGHT
GUNSLINGER
BEYOND THE HORIZON
PIRATE
BRAVE LAND, BRAVE LOVE
WILD LAND, WILD LOVE
BOLD LAND, BOLD LOVE
VIKING!
SURRENDER TO THE FURY
FOR HONOR’S SAKE
LORD OF THE NIGHT
PROMISE ME FOREVER
SHEIK
ICE & RAPTURE
LOVE ME WITH FURY
SHADOW WALKER
FLAME
TENDER FURY
DESERT ECSTASY
A PROMISE OF THUNDER
PURE TEMPTATION
WIND RIDER
TEARS LIKE RAIN
THE LION’S BRIDE
SIERRA
TREASURES OF THE HEART
CARESS & CONQUER
PROMISED SPLENDOR
WILD IS MY HEART
MY LADY VIXEN
Copyright
A LEISURE BOOK®
April 2010
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
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New York, NY 10016
Copyright © 1996 by Connie Mason
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