Rogue's
Hostage
By
Linda McLaughlin
Historical
Romance
4 ½ stars and a Top Pick from Romantic Times!
Romantic
Times Nominee—Best Small Press Romance of 2003!
2nd
Place - Lorie Awards - Best Historical Romance!
His hostage...
In 1758 the Pennsylvania frontier is wild, primitive and
dangerous, where safety often lies at the end of a gun. Mara Dupré's life
crumbles when a French and Indian war party attacks her cabin, kills her
husband, and takes her captive. Marching through the wilderness strengthens her
resolve to flee, but she doesn't count on her captor teaching her the meaning
of courage and the tempting call of desire.
Her destiny...
French lieutenant Jacques Corbeau's desire for his captive
threatens what little honor he has left.
But when Mara desperately offers herself to him in exchange for her
freedom, he finds the strength to refuse and reclaims his lost self-respect. As
the shadows of his past catch up to him, Jacques realizes that Mara, despite
the odds, is the one true key to reclaiming his soul and banishing his past
misdeeds forever.
(Previously
published by Amber Quill Press)
Buy
links:
Amazon:
http://amzn.com/B00BJO26OY
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/291719
Excerpt from Rogue’s Hostage:
Holding the towel to his shoulder, he walked over and stood by the bed to check on the woman, who was still in a faint. Despite her pallor, he noted that her skin was fine, her nose straight and thin. She had a lower lip just full enough to entice a man to taste it, and a stubborn chin that dared him to try. Under different circumstances…
She was perhaps not as lovely as he’d thought when he first saw her standing in the clearing—her hair, the color of corn silk, shining in the sunlight. Still, she was tall and fair, with slender curves and shapely ankles visible beneath the short skirts of a farm wife.
And now she was a widow. He stared down at the woman and silently vowed to see that no more innocents died today.
The woman gave a soft moan and opened her eyes. When she spotted him, she shrank back against the wall, arms folded defensively across her breast. His gut tightened. He didn’t enjoy terrifying women, but fear should make her easier to control. She had already proven unpredictable.
Terror, stark and vivid, glittered in her eyes. "Who are you?"
"My name is Jacques Corbeau, lieutenant in the army of France. And you are my captive."
* * *
Mara inhaled sharply, panic building inside her. This couldn’t be real. It was all a bad dream. She would wake up soon and tell Emile about it, and they would laugh. And laugh and laugh and…. She swallowed the hysteria engulfing her.
"Madame, are you listening to me?"
The Frenchman’s voice, sharp and insistent, demanded her attention. "There is not much time. My companions are not patient men. We must leave soon, but first I want you to bind my shoulder. Where do you keep bandages?"
Her mouth and throat were dry when she swallowed, but she choked out an answer. "The trunk. Under the bed."
He squatted beside the bed, pulled out the trunk and rummaged through it. She watched his every move, unable to take her eyes off him, alarmed by the physical threat he represented.
He was a tall man who dominated the cabin as Emile never had, and his state of undress revealed nearly every inch of his lean and powerful form. Not only was he bare to the waist, but his breechclout and leggings failed to completely cover his thighs and buttocks. He had a wide-shouldered, rangy body and long, sinewy legs. He looked strong, virile, and infinitely dangerous.
A cold knot formed in Mara’s stomach. The French had killed her father and now her husband. What would they do to her?
She wrapped her arms around her waist. Her grandfather would say whatever happened was God’s will, but she rejected that idea. What kind of God allowed such awful things to happen?
Fearfully, she watched as the Frenchman shoved the trunk back under the bed and stood. He held out the bandages, and she froze. She couldn’t touch him, she just couldn’t.
The man’s heavy black brows drew together in a fierce frown, but his voice was without emotion. "Madame, I am all that stands between you and the men who killed your husband. I can be persuaded to act as your protector. It is to your advantage to do what I command."
He dropped the bandages beside her on the bed, then reached out to touch her hair. "Must I remind you, in my companion’s eyes, scalps are more valuable than live captives?"
Horror sliced through her fear. "Emile!" She shot off the bed and bolted for the door. The Frenchman caught her around the waist before she could reach it.
"It is too late, madame," he said in a hushed voice. "It is done."
"No," she moaned, as she fought to banish the image of a bloody scalp, raw flesh.
The Frenchman turned her toward him, holding her by the shoulders, and spoke in an insistent voice. "Listen to me and be sensible. You must be strong now. We have a long journey ahead of us."
Dazed, she stared at him. "A journey? To where?"
"Fort Duquesne."
Mara gasped. The dreaded enemy stronghold deep in the wilderness. She struggled to get free, clawing at his powerful arms.
He gripped her tighter, grimacing as he did. "Stop it! What chance do you think you have against three men? Do as I say and you will live. Refuse and…" He let the implication hang in the air between them.
Live. Yes, that was what she must do. She must bide her time and stay alive. Her brother would find her and exact revenge. But for now, she was on her own.
She straightened her spine and stared into the Frenchman’s eyes. "How do I know I can trust you, monsieur?"
He met her gaze, but a shadow darkened his eyes. "You have my word of honor."
Bitterness filled her. "The word of a Frenchman? What is that worth?"
"For the moment, madame, your life."
My
thanks to Tonya for hosting me today. Hope you are enjoying the Egg-cerpt
Exchange.
Linda
Linda McLaughlin grew up with a love of history fostered by
her paternal grandmother and an incurable case of wanderlust inherited from her
father. She has traveled extensively within the United States and has visited
Mexico, Canada, & Australia. A lifelong dream came true with a trip to
England where she was able to combine sightseeing and theater with research for
her novels. A native of Pittsburgh, she now lives in Southern California with
her husband.
Her first book was Worth The Risk by Lyn O'Farrell.
Now Linda writes historical and Regency romance. She loves transporting her
readers into the past where her characters learn that, in the journey of life,
love is the sweetest reward.
She also writes sexy to erotic romance under the name Lyndi
Lamont.
Website:
http://www.lindamclaughlin.com/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/LyndiLamont
Tonya, thanks so much for hosting me today. I'm loving your excerpt, too, over at Lyndi's Love Notes.
ReplyDeletehttp://lyndilamont.com/blog/2013/03/22/night-pleasures/