Today on Medieval Monday I’d like to give you an excerpt from A Knight To Call My Own that is currently on sale for just $0.99! Not bad for a full length medieval romance! I hope you enjoy this excerpt from Lynet and Ian’s journey to finding love. Happy reading and enjoy.
Excerpt:
The music came to a close. She could only manage to stand there with her chest heaving as she attempted to breathe normally and kept wondering how she could escape his presence without appearing rude and incurring Dristan’s wrath. Afore she could take flight, Ian gently took her elbow and began guiding her from the hall. Others attempted to stop their progress and keep them from leaving the chamber, but Ian managed to brush aside those who would ask for the honor of her next dance.
She barely felt the turret stairs beneath her slippered feet as they began their steady climb to the upper floors housing Berwyck’s family. Up they went ’til they reached the third landing, and she suddenly began to wonder at his ploy. Surely, he does not expect to go to my chamber now, does he? Alarm flashed briefly in Lynet’s eyes as he did, indeed, steer her towards the right and down the passageway.
“Where are you taking me?” Her voice shook with her distress. Ian gave her a look that almost shouted she should know better than to think he would harm her.
They continued onward, passing her doorway, and Lynet finally let out her breath in relief. ’Twas only a momentary reprieve, for he opened the door to Amiria’s solar, sliding the bolt into place behind them once they entered.
She put as much distance between them as she could. Looking around the room, Lynet quickly came to the conclusion there was not much space in the chamber, and she began to feel as though the walls were closing in on her. He advanced. His plaid swayed about his muscular legs that were no longer encased in tight fitting hose. Her eyes darted to find someplace to rest upon other than his handsome face and spectacular body; a body that radiated such a heat as she had never felt afore. He reached out for her hand and took it.
Her breath left her with a rush of excitement that practically blinded her to anything other than Ian’s warm skin. Scorching hot awareness to his every move raced up her arm at his touch, and she felt as though her very blood was on fire. She felt herself losing a battle she had no idea she was even in. She needed to get away from him quickly, and yet, with this fleeting thought, he brought her closer. He lifted her chin so she had no alternative other than to stare upon his face.
She tried to calm her nerves and strengthened her resolve to not give in to this man who had broken her heart. God’s bones, but no man should look so beautiful, she mused. For beautiful he was, in her mind, even more so than she had remembered him. He had always had such an effect on her, and it mattered not that he was older than she. For as long as she could remember, he had been the man she had fallen in love with at such an early age. The heart knows what it wants, and their age difference was not a concern, at least not for Lynet.
Ian ran his finger down one of her cheeks. She shivered in delight as her body naturally responded to the subtle caress. “We have not much time for speech, Lynet,” he whispered tenderly.
She saw his lips moving, but her feeble attempt to pay attention to his words failed her as panic of being alone with him began to set in. “What?”
He looked on her with an amused expression. “Dristan… he will come in search of us,” he answered. “I but wished to speak with you privately so we could come to an arrangement.”
“An arrangement?” Her eyes narrowed when she became suspicious of his motives for being here. Does he honestly believe he can just lay claim to me as easily as that?
“Aye.”
He does! Merciful heavens, did she appear to him as some simpleton, or merely a naive fool who would willingly come to him after a crook of his finger?
Lynet pulled out of his arms and stood behind a chair, as if this simple act of putting such an inconsequential piece of furniture between them in itself would protect her from his advances. “Surely, you jest, or did you not witness the spectacle outside our gates?” She was doing everything within her power not to let her temper flare out of control.
“Nay, I do not see the matter as something to jest about,” Ian replied, taking several steps towards her. “I would have thought you to be happy to see me after all this time, or am I mistaken?”
“I would have been happier if I had seen you afore you sent that bloody note!”
“I had nothing to offer you at the time ’twas written, Lynet. Surely, you can understand my plight and reasoning for sending such a missive.”
“I waited for you for all those years, and you wrote me but a few lines. A few lines, Ian!” Her fingers balled into fists at her side. Although, in truth, she would have liked to have beat them against his chest to drive the point of her frustration into his thick skin. How could he not know what his absence had done to her poor little heart?
“I told you at my leaving not to wait. Nothing changed over the years, and ’twas not ’til recently that I was told I should write so you could go on with your life.”
“You did not even write of your own accord?” she shouted at him and began shaking with fury. She turned towards the fire to mask the anger that was about to get the best of her, but she could not keep the words from pouring out her mouth as she turned to face him once more. “Who told you to send me such a missive?” The words rushed from her pursed lips whilst uncontrolled rage wracked her frayed nerves.
“There was only one who would share such information with me, since she had recently come from Berwyck,” Ian answered. “I do not see how this makes any sort of difference other than, at the time, I thought ’twas only right to do you such a service.”
“Who?” Lynet said between clenched teeth.
“’Twas the Lady Katherine de Deveraux, Riorden’s wife. Was she mistaken by hinting you still held an undeniable fondness for me?”
“Nay, she was not mistaken,” Lynet whispered. Recent memories flooded her mind as she remembered unburdening her soul to Katherine. She had first come to the castle with Riorden, who was a lifelong friend and comrade of Dristan’s and had been the captain of his guard. Looking at the couple, one did not need Kenna’s gift of sight to see how much they were in love, although they had had a rough course to overcome to find how deep that love truly was.
Katherine had returned several months later, alone and distraught, thinking her husband had forsaken her and had turned to another. Heavily along with child, Riorden had at last found her, once he learned his wife was actually alive and not dead at the bottom of the Coquet River near their home of Warkworth. Lynet could only surmise Katherine had most likely felt she was doing Lynet a favor by confiding to Ian. She supposed she could forgive the lady such a trespass. The timing of his return, however, could not have been worse.
“And what of now, Lynet,” Ian continued. He sought to pull her to him, but she brushed off his attempts and folded her arms about her. He gave a heavy sigh.
“Now?” She cried out with a muffled laugh, showing how truly distressed she really was. “Now, my laird, you are far too late, or did you forget I am at present only a prize to be won to the highest bidder?”
“I am sure I can convince Dristan to halt this nonsense of finding you a husband amongst those who may want to win your hand,” Ian declared. “Besides, I must needs marry, else the elders of the clan plan on ensuring they choose a bride for me.”
“Oh, do they now?” she huffed. “And, I suppose, you think I would at least be biddable and thankful to become your wife more so than any other of your acquaintance?”
“Why should my bride not be, at least, someone with whom I am familiar? At least, I know you.”
“Ha! You do not know me, else you would have been here long ago and not kept me waiting six long years to see you again!”
He advanced on her ’til she felt the wall pressed against her back. With nowhere else to turn, she held him back by firmly placing her hands upon his chest. Touching him was a huge mistake, for there was nothing but hard muscles beneath her fingertips, as solid as the stones behind her!
“Tell me you are not happy to see me, sweet Lynet.” The huskiness in his voice was almost her undoing, yet again.
She lifted her eyes to meet his. Damn! Mistake number two! She would not give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much she had missed him. “I am not happy to see you!” she retorted meaningfully. Lifting her chin a notch, she prayed the expression she gave him was a defiant one. His chuckle led her to believe she had failed in her quest to appear indifferent to his charms.
“Perchance, you should tell your eyes that, little one, for your gaze tells me your lips speak a falsehood.” His grin was surely from the devil himself, as it broadened whilst she attempted to mask her feelings for him. His deep laughter rumbled in his chest, only giving evidence she had completely forgotten her hands were still pressed upon his granite-like torso. She let go quickly with the feeling she had been burned.
“Go back to the Highlands and marry some other witless girl. I care not who you wed, as long as ’tis not me,” she yelled, pulling herself from his arms and making her way to the door. She slid the bolt back and opened the door, only to come face to face with a very angry brother-in-law.
“Is there something amiss here?” Dristan demanded.
“Nay,” Lynet cried out in frustration, “nothing is amiss. Ian and I are finished here. Let the damn games begin!”
A Knight To Call My Own
on sale for $0.99
When your heart is broken, is love still worth the risk?
Lynet of clan MacLaren knows how it feels to love someone and not have that love returned. After waiting for six long years, she has given up hope of Ian’s return. Her brother-in-law, the Devil’s Dragon of Berwyck, is tired of waiting for her to choose a husband and has decided a competition for the right to wed Lynet is just the thing his willful charge needs to force her hand.
Ian MacGillivray has returned to Berwyck Castle in search of a bride and who better than the young girl who cared for him all those years ago. But Lynet is anything but an easy conquest and he will need more than charm to win her hand in marriage.
From the English borders to the Highlands of Scotland, the chase is on for who will claim the fair Lynet. The price paid will indeed be high to ensure her safety and even higher to win her love.
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