Dangerous Seduction by Richard Jones

A noble woman and a lad of the forest meet and are immediately at odds. They unite when a conspiracy endangers her family, but can it lead to love?

Excerpt:
“Are you mad?” Elizabeth screamed at him. “No one enters my
chambers uninvited.” Then she noticed his wounds. Her anger
disappeared. “Oh my, you are injured.”
“No false concern, m’lady,” Galen said limping toward her.
“After all, you are in a large way responsible for my appearance.”
The anger that had propelled him to face her was fast giving way to
pain and exhaustion. He grabbed the back of a chair for support.
“What are you talking about?” Elizabeth seemed bewildered.
“I have just come from a lively conversation with your captors,”
Galen replied. “A very lively conversation.” He pointed to
the wound on his cheek as evidence.
“You are mad. How could those two possibly get past the
guards at the gate?”
“How indeed? It would seem they had the help of someone in
the castle. A noble, perhaps, or the daughter of the Baron.”
“You accuse me?”
“I do, m’lady. Not long ago a page approached whilst I sat in
the courtyard. He had a message: ‘The Lady Elizabeth requests
you meet her in the old stable,’ he said. Imagine my surprise when
only hours ago you gave your word not to leave your chambers
without me as escort.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “I sent no page with a message.” She
drew closer to him, clutching the cloak tightly around her.
“And yet he came to me,” Galen replied.
“I am not in the habit of lying.” She took another step closer. “I
gave my word to remain in my chambers unless accompanied by
you and I have remained here. Question the page outside my door,
if you like. He has been there since noon.”
Galen’s head was throbbing as he released his hold on the chair
and walked within an arm’s length of her. “Then swear to me that
you had nothing to do with this.”
“I swear to no man,” she retorted hotly. “I have given my word
and I stand by it.”
Galen searched her soft blue eyes for deception, but found
none. He grabbed her shoulders with both hands, partly for support
and partly because he felt a deep need to touch her. Elizabeth
loosened her grip on the cloak as she looked up into his eyes, but
made no move to free herself.
“I want to believe you,” he said softly. “I know not why, but I
need to believe you.”

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