Bedded By Her Lord - Excerpt by Denise Lynn

...Guy opened the door to the cottage, tossed the bag through the opening and then pointed inside. "Elizabeth, do not make this harder than need be."

Certain he would do nothing to further embarrass her, she crossed her arms against her chest. "No. I am going back to Hartford."

Her certainty died a quick death when he raised his eyebrows. "So be it." He then nodded. One of the guards wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and lifted her from the ground.

Shock that one of Hartford's guards would dare lay a hand on her held her silent for half a heartbeat. Rage instantly replaced shock. Elizabeth kicked at the man behind her, struggling to gain her freedom, she shouted, "Put me down!"

He ignored her until they were directly in front of Guy. Only then did the guard lower her to her feet. She spun around and lifted her arm to slap his face for such an open display of disrespect.

But before she could make the contact, Guy grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to face him. "He acted on my orders. Direct your anger at me."

Her fingers itched to do just that. But he still held her wrist. "If any of the guard ever touches me again, so help me God I will gut them with their own sword."

Both guards backed a way. Guy blinked at her warning, but he finally released her wrist and conceded, "So noted."

Her heart pounded in her ears. She gasped for breath. "I have never been so mistreated in my life."

"Mistreated?" Guy tipped his head and ran his gaze down her body, before again meeting her stare. "You do not appear harmed. Angry? Yes. Harmed? No."

"I--"

"Take off your shoes."

His quietly issued order chased away what she'd been about to say. "I beg your pardon?"

"Your shoes, take them off."

She looked around. "We're in the middle of the woods, why would I take off my shoes?"

A smile sent surely from the devil himself lifted Guy's lips and shimmered in his eyes. "See how quick you catch on? Without your shoes you won't be able to leave these woods will you?"

She'd be neatly trapped if she did anything so foolish. "I will do no such thing."

He shrugged before catching her unaware and pulled her up over his shoulder, knocking the wind from her. "I will do it for you then." Deftly removing her shoes, he tossed them to the guards. "You are dismissed."

She had no time to catch her breath to issue a cursed protest before he marched into the cottage and kicked the door shut behind them.

"Guy, don't do this."

"I haven't even begun." He dumped her onto the bed. She landed on her back and when she moved to rise, he towered over her. "Do not."

Something in his voice held her still. She swallowed her anger and closed her eyes against the deep, deadly tone.

Dear Lord, what had she done to provoke this attack from him? A whisper from the depth of her soul supplied the answer. She'd committed adultery and then lied to him. How could she have expected anything from him besides anger and disgust?

"A good commander always stays one step ahead of his enemy at all times. Especially if he intends to win the war."

A tremor of uncertainty rippled down her spine. "Is that what I am? Your enemy?" Elizabeth despised the weakness evident in her whisper.

The mattress dipped. And the warmth of his body hovered a breath over hers. "If you believe that, you have lost all ability to reason."

Elizabeth braced herself to meet a gaze full of anger, rage and perhaps, after his actions of this day, even a measure of hate. She took a deep breath and clenched her jaw before opening her eyes.

The shimmer in his gaze spoke not of anger or rage, but of desire and heat. The expression on his face was not one of hate, but of longing.

His dangerous tone of a moment ago and the confusion she'd expected from being in this cottage buffeted her. She hesitantly wound her arms around his neck. "I don't know what to believe anymore."

He lowered himself to the bed alongside her and pulled her into his embrace. "Right now, this moment, I care only that you believe this." He took her lips in a kiss that was neither gentle, nor harsh.

But it was steady and sure, demanding her full attention. She'd been correct. They didn't always need words to communicate with each other. And right now, Guy's kiss and his touch beckoned her to accept what he offered.

She wasn't naïve enough to believe that his caress against the back of her head, or that the sweeping warmth of his tongue along hers spoke of love. But she'd learned enough of him to recognize the restrained passion awaiting her response.

Perhaps it wasn't everything she wanted. Though, maybe it could be a place for them to start...