Medieval romance… sigh… conjures up images of gothic
castles, knights in shining armor, damsels in distress and now we can add hot
bottomed spankings and Conquered Brides.
Dinah McLeod is visiting today and has brought along
an excerpt from Kidnapped and Claimed for our wicked wanton reading pleasure.
Enjoy...
Kidnapped and Claimed
When her husband’s repeated infidelities and drunken
insults become too much to bear, Lady Cecily flees to her childhood home at
Hohenzollern, but things quickly go from bad to worse and she is kidnapped from
the castle stables only moments after her arrival. Cecily ignores her
abductor’s warnings of ruin about to befall Hohenzollern and his claim that he
took her from the castle only to keep her safe. She resists him every step of
the way, until at last he spanks her long and hard. Despite his firm
chastisement, it soon becomes clear to Cecily that her captor cares for her in
a way her husband never did. But can she forgive him for stealing her from her
home?
Excerpt:
At first, the stable seemed empty. I shouldn’t be
surprised—it was time for the evening meal, after all—yet, I was annoyed. Now
that I’d dismounted, I realized how hungry and tired I was. I wanted nothing
more than to see my horse cared for so that I could seek solace with my mother,
and perhaps partake in a bit of supper myself. A movement out of the corner of
my eye had me turning my head and when I saw a figure crouching down low,
watching me, my irritation grew.
“Are you the stable boy?” I demanded, my voice harsher
than I normally would have used, but justified given the circumstances.
“Ah…”
“Whatever are you doing on the floor?” I snapped. “Get
up, then. There’s work to be done.” I held out the reins, arching a brow when
he stood, dusted off his trousers, yet made no move to take them. “Well? What
are you waiting for?”
“Forgive me, Princess, I don’t mean to—”
“Oh, for Heaven’s sake,” I exclaimed, with an
unladylike snort of laughter. “You must be new.”
“What gave me away, my lady?”
“I am not the princess. Any servant worth his salt
would know that.” Not that he could be blamed entirely for the slipup. We both
had the same thick, dark raven hair. Though mine spilled in curls down my back,
with it held up in pins as it was at the moment, it would be hard to tell. We were
of a similar height and build—both with small waists and narrow hips, though
Susanna’s chest was more endowed than mine own. We also shared smooth skin as
white as milk, and full, rosebud mouths. Still, for all those shared qualities,
no one could deny that Susanna had the presence of a queen, the bearing of a
ruler, which added to her beauty in a way that I would never know.
“Forgive me, my lady. And whom do I have the honor of
addressing?”
I tilted my head to the side, examining him. My first
thought was that he did not speak very much like a servant. Nonetheless, I
opened my mouth to answer him when it occurred to me that perhaps it would be
better if I did not. If he didn’t know who I was, then perhaps he would not
remember seeing me at all when my lord husband began asking questions. Smiling
to myself, pleased with my own cleverness, I dismissed his question with a wave
of my hand. “Never you mind. Go about your business and leave me to mine.” I’d
barely spoken when I felt him move behind me. A sudden chill ran down my spine
and heeding my instincts, I spun around to find him right behind me.
“I would very much like to,” he said in a quiet,
steady way that would have been comforting but for his unnatural closeness.
“But I’m afraid you’re my business now.”
“I beg your pardon?” I huffed the question, even as my
heart began to pick up speed. “Do you forget yourself, sir? Do you forget that
you address a lady, one far above your station?”
He did not smile, but a twitching around his lips told
me that he would like to. “You high-breds are all the same, aren’t you? Always
concerned with your own importance. There is more to the world than you know,
Princess.”
“I already told you—”
“Hush.”
The word was spoken softly, but with enough authority
to shock me. I took a step back, until I was leaning into my horse. “You do not
command here! Why, you are nothing more than a…than a…” I trailed off
helplessly, thrown by his calm, by his quiet authority in the face of my anger.
“I do not know why you are here, but it is not the
place for you. It would go better for you if you returned at once.”
I blinked my large, blue eyes in surprise. “Why? Is
there danger afoot? Something I should tell Princess Susanna?” Something in his expression changed when I
said her name and I smiled, finally feeling as though I had the upper hand.
“Yes, perhaps I shall go fetch her right now, I think she would like to know
there are impertinent stable boys in her household.” I turned to go, but I had
not gone two steps when I felt his hand close over my arm in a surprisingly
strong grip.
“I cannot allow you to do that.”
I whirled on him, irritated with his matter-of-fact
tone as well as the fact that he would dare lay hands on me. “Who do you think
you are?” I demanded. “How dare you touch me!”
If anything, his grip on me tightened. “I’m afraid I
can’t risk you’re leaving. You’re going to have to come with me. Just remember,
I did try to warn you.”
“Warn me about what?” I practically spat the words at
him, my fury incensed when he did not so much as blink. “Unhand me, you brute!”
“Come along quietly now, or I’m afraid I’ll have to
gag you.”
The way he spoke without wavering, the dead-set of his
eyes, told me that he would not hesitate to carry out his threat. Yet, I dug my
heels in and yanked with all my might. When I did not find myself released, I
took a deep breath, preparing to scream at the top of my lungs and alert anyone
nearby to my plight. Before I could, however, I felt his hand come down sharply
on my backside. It was only once, but it was swift and hard. I opened my mouth
to shout my indignation, but his hand came clamping down over my lips,
smothering my outraged cries.
“Do as I say, or it’ll be worse for you,” he promised.
Buy Links
Commanding the Princess by Korey Mae Johnson
As the ruler of Hohenzollern Castle in name only,
Susanna has watched helplessly for years as her power-hungry uncle made one
enemy after another for her. One enemy stands out, and the moment she catches
sight of him, Princess Susanna is certain that it will be Gerhard of Bavaria
who brings her world down around her. As his army smashes through her gates,
Susanna makes the only choice she has left. She surrenders herself to Gerhard,
hoping to win mercy for her people, though she fears it will come at the cost
of her life. But she soon learns that Gerhard has other plans for her, plans
which may end with her surrendering much more than just her castle to him.
The Knight’s Seduction, by Renee Rose
Avowed to never again yield to a man’s ill-treatment, Lady Daisy stands ready
to fight to the death when her castle is sacked. The imposing knight Sir
Barrett has other ideas, however, and to her dismay, Daisy soon finds herself
not only disarmed, but soundly spanked as well. Sir Barrett takes her as his
captive bride, but when she shows real terror at the prospect of consummating
their marriage, he offers her a bargain. She will offer her body to him and
accept the pleasurable torments he inflicts, but he will not claim her fully
until she aches for it so badly she begs him. Certain she will do no such
thing, Daisy agrees, but can she resist the knight's seduction?
The Widow Is Mine, by Ashe Barker
Since her husband’s untimely passing, Lady Natalia has resigned herself to a
quiet life as a young widow and perhaps one day as a nun. But when her adopted
home is conquered by the enemy, her world is turned upside down. After he
rescues her from the chaos of Hohenzollern’s fall, Duke Stefan of Richtenholst
cannot imagine allowing Natalia to languish behind the walls of a convent. The
duke takes Natalia home as his wife, and he quickly proves himself ready to
compel her obedience when it is necessary, but can he ever truly make her his
own?
Conquering Lady Claire, by Sue Lyndon
As Hohenzollern Castle falls, mayhem unfolds around
Lady Claire, and her only aim is to lead as many women and children of the
castle to safety as possible. In an odd turn of fortune, her courageous efforts
ultimately lead to her capture by none other than Lord Galien of Minrova, the
very man that her brother, a powerful duke, recently commanded to find her and
claim her as his wife. Claire’s defiance is quickly overcome by means of a firm
hand applied to her bare bottom, but Galien is not content merely going through
the motions of a political marriage. His skilled lovemaking soon leaves his new
bride begging for more, but can he conquer her heart as well?
Join me next week when my guest author will be Morganna Williams
Another taste to whet your appetite... 
