Pursued by kidnappers, Lady Tessa Woodward is running for her life. When handsome Captain Jeremy Williams comes to her rescue in the backstreets of Paris, she persuades him to help her escape France and return to her home in England.
Captain Jeremy Williams is captivated by Lady Tessa's fiery nature and agrees to give her passage aboard his ship. Once on board, his desire grows and soon reveals a sensual side to the woman he can’t deny. But when danger threatens his lady, will the captain dare all to save her?
Excerpt:
Chapter One
Paris, 1822
Tessa raced through the busy Paris streets, dodging pedestrians and horses. As thick skirts tangled in her legs, she grappled with her gown and petticoats, lifting them away from her ankles. The cool evening air whipped up her skirts, anyone watching could catch a glimpse of her stocking clad legs. But she didn’t care a fig about propriety right now.
She needed to get away. She needed to run. How could she escape the evil that chased her? Why wouldn’t anyone stop to help?
Each person she passed looked on, ignoring her plight. She couldn’t risk stopping to ask for help. Judging from their indifferent expressions, the people would not assist her in any case. Her shoes pinched her toes as she ran. Slippers certainly weren’t ideal for this race. She tripped over a crack in the cobblestone and lurched forward. Bracing her arms for a fall, she scrambled to catch her bearings, and crossed herself when she didn’t tumble.
The waning light made it harder to see where she was headed. The gas street lamps had yet to be lit and dusk was well on its way. Soon she wouldn’t be able to see anything in front of her. Where would she go then?
Ragged breaths wracked her body in spurts, and her heart pounded in tune with the relentless feet hitting the pavement behind her. Why were they after her? Fear chilled her to the bones and had her heart in a death grip. Her mouth was dry, and her lips felt like they might crack. She bit the inside of her cheek and willed herself to go on. She couldn’t stop now. There was no telling what they wanted from her, and if she’d even survive to find out.
Taking a sharp turn at an intersection, she hurried to duck into the nearest alley.
She pitched headlong into near blackness and ran to the end of the alley. Brick walls surrounded her on three sides. And the fourth side—that would only end in her capture.
Dear God, I hope they didn’t see me run in here.
Fear encompassed her inside and out. Her hands shook and at any moment her knees would buckle. Tessa doubled over with a searing cramp in her side. She panted heavily trying to catch her breath and calm her nerves.
Who were they? Why did they chase her? They’d already knocked out her footman who’d tried to protect her. No one was going to come to her aid. She was on her own now.
How had she gotten into this mess?
One minute she’d been riding back to her town home, and the next, a scruffy lecher had wrenched open her carriage door and yanked her out while his accomplice tore at her dress. Not one person had bothered to help. Carriages kept going, a few people stared with curiosity but that was all.
She looked up at the darkening sky. No stars in sight. She blinked to halt the tears threatening to spill. Her body convulsed. She took several deep breaths. This was no state to be in if she needed to defend herself.
If only her parents were still alive, she wouldn’t be in this mess…
Shouts on the street disrupted her thoughts and Tessa hurried to hide behind some wooden barrels. The scent of old wine and berries clung to the oak. Somehow she found it comforting. Memories of her childhood and playing hide and seek with her mother came flooding to the forefront. She’d loved to hide in the cellar between the barrels of wine and jugs of ale. Mother would roll over in her grave if she saw her now.
Tucking her torn skirts out of the way, she leaned her hands on the barrels and rested her face on them. She held her breath so she didn’t give away her position to anyone who entered.
The shouting passed and she let out her breath in a long slow swoosh. It wasn’t her captors. She didn’t dare move, even if she had to stay crouched like this all night. There was no telling where her violators were, and she didn’t want to encounter them again. She would get out of this mess. She would survive. She’d already endured so much.
Small feet scurried up and over her legs. She let out a low moan and swatted at the rodent, who scurried away. She bit her lip to keep from making any more noise, as she frantically searched her small space for more vermin. If it wasn’t vermin of the human kind attacking her it was rodents. Would she ever be left in peace?
If only she could find a way to get back home to England. Not that she had a home left—but maybe a friend of her parents would be kind enough to take her in until she could get settled on her feet. Two years had gone by since fire had engulfed the wing which held the master suite. The staff had been able to get her from the building but—it had been too late for her parents.
After their death, her only surviving relative, a French uncle, had taken her in. Unknown to her until recently, Uncle Leon had sold all of her parent’s properties to pay off his debts. Perhaps that was why the men had been after her. She wouldn’t be surprised if her uncle had bartered her away to pay more of his gambling debts. The man was an utter rogue and his wife a bitter woman. She’d never accepted Tessa into the family. She’d lived in a world of emotional abuse, only able to get away on the days she visited her lone friend, Lady Chloe. Today was one of those days.
Anger churned through her veins, and it took all of her willpower not to scream at the injustice of it all. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise that she’d been attacked. It would enable her to easily slip away from her uncle. Out of his grasp, maybe she could travel back to England. But how? She’d left her purse in the carriage, along with it, her only funds.
Tessa jerked at the sound of footsteps coming toward her. With all of her anger, she’d let her guard down.