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Return of the Warrior
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Royal Lockdown
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Chase felt Julienne tremble, saw her sink against the wall, her ivory skin blotched by fear. Then he watched in fascination as she pulled herself together, straightened, lifted her chin as though her family still owned this place and he was the trespasser.

She'd been beautiful as a child, more so as an adolescent. But now...she was stunning. The pale skin, the wide blue eyes, and the wild golden hair creating a vision that called to him with a familiar, forbidden longing. For an instant, he wondered if this was really her or some dream from his subconscious come to life.

Her gaze flicked from his face to the pistol in his hand.

"Are you going to shoot me, Chase?" she asked in the musical voice that he remembered so well — the voice that still had the power to stir his senses.

He pulled himself together. "Why shouldn't I? You're trespassing on my property."

Doubt kindled in her eyes. "I know. But we were...friends. I thought you'd..."

"I'd what?"

She gave a small shrug, but he was still dealing with her previous statement.

"Friends." He threw the word back at her. "I was the hired help. You were the little princess who wound your father — and everybody else — around your fingers."

"My father's dead now." She said it with deep sorrow.

"I'm sorry," he murmured before he remembered that he owed her nothing. They had played together as children. And when they had reached adolescence, he had longed for more than friendship. He'd even been foolish enough to think she returned his feelings — until the night he'd found out she was just toying with him.

He gave a small shake of his head. She'd dashed his hopes in the cruelest way possible, and he had left the next day to enlist in the army.

His eyes must have given him away, because he saw her cringe. Well, she was going to find out that he had a long memory.

"How did you get in here?" he demanded.

"It wasn't difficult. I opened a window."

He made his voice flat and hard. "What — did your brothers send you on ahead to try to persuade me to leave? Or are you supposed to get me to let down my guard so they can kill me?

"My brothers don't know I'm here."

"I'll bet."

"It's the truth."

Julienne stared into his dark eyes, seeing the new anger and the old hurt. A wave of sadness swept over her. She'd come here in desperation. Now she realized her mistake — and she was terrified.

But she wouldn't let him see that, couldn't let him see.

"I knew Grandfather left you the plantation," she whispered. "I was happy for you when I heard."

"Why should I believe that — or any other lie you have to tell me?"

She tried to push past the harsh words, past the rigid way he held his body. Once his good looks had been boyish. Now he was all grown up and truly magnificent with a strong face and well developed muscles. Even the dark hair that was a little too long and a little too shaggy added to the picture of defiant masculinity.

"Why should I believe you?" he said again.

She felt her eyes grow moist and struggled against the sudden surge of pain and fear.

"Because if you don't, then I'm in even worse trouble than I thought," she whispered.

To be continued...



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