Stephanie Laurens - Mastered By Love

Through her happiness, she managed a frown. “Inciden tally, I was serious. Don’t ever, ever do that again-put your life before mine. Why would I want to live if you die?” She narrowed her eyes on his. “Much as I value the sentiment-and I do, nothing more highly-promise me you will never give up your life for mine.”

He held her gaze steadily, as serious as she. “If you promise not to get caught by a murderous maniac.”

She thought, then nodded. “I’ll promise that, as far as I’m able.”

“Then I’ll promise what you ask, as far as I’m able.”

She looked into his dark eyes, and knew that would never hold. “Humph!”

Royce grinned, bent, and kissed her nose. “Go to sleep.”

That was one order he seemed always to get away with. As if she’d heard his thought, she humphed again, less forcefully, and snuggled down, within his arm, her head on his shoulder, her hand over his heart.

He felt her relax, felt the soothing warmth of her sink to his marrow, reassuring, almost stroking, the primitive being within.

Closing his eyes, he let sleep creep up, in, over him.

In the now peaceful stillness of his mind, the thought that had jarred and jangled as, weeks before, he’d raced back to Wolverstone to bury his father and assume the ducal mantle echoed, reminded him of the uncertainties, the loneliness, he’d left behind.

Since then, through Minerva, Fate had laid her hands on him. Now, at long last, he could surrender; at last he was at peace.

At last he could love, had found his love, and his love had found him.

It wasn’t supposed to have been like this.

That’s what he had thought, but now he knew better.

This was precisely how it was supposed to be.

New York Times bestselling author STEPHANIE LAURENSspecializes in writing historical romances set in Regency England. Mastered By Love is her thirty-ninth such work and her eighth and last in a group of novels about the members of the exclusive Bastion Club, first introduced in her novel The Lady Chosen .

Readers can write to Stephanie c/o The Publicity Department, Avon Books, HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299, or via e-mail to slaurens@vicnet.net.au.

For information on Stephanie’s books, visit Stephanie’s website at www.stephanielaurens.com.

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.