Mystery Stallion
Available at All Romance Ebooks
Long ago a striped Horseman lost his heart to the only Horsewoman ever born. Feared and rejected, he allowed his bitterness to destroy them both. Since then, no striped Horseman has ever known love. . .until now.
Sold into slavery by his father, Grigori de Forest arrives home twenty years later to reclaim his birthright. Now lord of a land where superstitious villagers despise and fear him because he bears “the marks”, he intends to live alone in his family’s ancestral castle.
Since childhood, Violeta has been fascinated by the mysterious Grigori, whose striped coat sets him apart from other Horsemen. Desperate for work and knowing he has run off all his servants, she requests he hire her to cook and clean. She doesn’t realize that he remembers her for an act of kindness toward him years ago.
Lust spurred on by shared dreams hurls them into a storm of passion, but their love and lives are endangered by the villagers and a plague that threatens to destroy the mighty race of Horsemen.
The following excerpt from MYSTERY STALLION is for readers 18 and over.
Grigori reached for her hand and she tried to tug away but he held her fast.
“I have dirt on them,” she said.
Still holding her gaze, he stroked her inner wrist with his thumb. “I apologize if I was abrupt this morning.”
“It doesn’t matter. Maybe I made too many demands of you too soon. However either we agree to act on the dreams or we don’t. It’s not in me to be a clinging female, but I won’t be your plaything either.”
He narrowed his eyes and a look of irritation, or perhaps guilt, flashed across his face. She thought he’d let go of her hand, but instead he continued stroking her, distracting her, making her wish he’d sweep her into his arms and carry her to bed, despite what she’d just told him.
“I don’t consider you a plaything and I didn’t mean to make you feel like one.” He closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. When he met her gaze again, his expression revealed an inner struggle that struck at her heart, yet she had to remain strong, to let him know that he needed to trust her before she surrendered to him. “Violeta, I’ve been alone most of my life. Until I went into slavery and met Jian, I belonged nowhere.”
“Who’s Jian?”
“My mentor. The healer and warrior I told you about.”
“The man you visited today?”
“Yes. After we were freed, Jian and I along with several other slaves, both Horseman and human, settled in Salvation Valley. A few years ago it was an uninhabited section of land. Now it’s a thriving village. Many of the gladiators have families—wives and children. I lived on the outskirts in a nearby forest.”
“Of course.” She sighed. “You would. Grigori, I know the villagers are ignorant and cruel and I can’t imagine what you went through in slavery, but you have to give some people a chance.”
“That’s easy for you to say. You have no idea what it’s like to be…” He shook his head again. “Violeta, I don’t want to argue.”
“All I’m trying to tell you is I’m not like them. You don’t have to stay on the outskirts with me. Even if you don’t want to be my lover, you may still be my friend.”
His expression took her aback. She swore that for a few seconds his eyes misted over. The hand holding hers tightened a bit and he tugged her so close that her breasts pressed against his chest.
Cupping her face he said in a husky voice, “That means more to me than you can ever know, but I couldn’t be simply your friend. Not when I want you this badly.”
Violeta’s heartbeat quickened and she resisted the urge to kiss him. The first move had to be his and she tried to tell him this with her eyes.
His head dipped toward hers and he covered her mouth in a possessive kiss.
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