Excerpt of Vow of Seduction by Angela Johnson

A fierce cry startled Kat from a deep sleep. Drowsy and
disoriented, she sat up and blindly reached for the dagger
under her pillow. Her hair tumbled over her face. She
shoved it back and stared into the darkness. The guttural
cry came again from the antechamber, followed by the
hissing sound of a steel sword being withdrawn from its
scabbard.

That was when she suddenly remembered Alex was
sleeping in the other room. Or had been sleeping. Kat
pulled the blankets up to her neck, wondering what Alex
could possibly be doing when all honest men were fast
asleep? She wiggled her toes, and jiggled her legs, but
unable to contain her curiosity, she pulled the bedclothes
aside and slid off the bed. She crept quietly to the
curtained archway and peered into the other room.

Kat gasped. Alex knelt completely unclothed amid his
disheveled pallet brandishing his drawn sword. The fire
shimmered golden light over his smooth muscular chest and
the indentions down his taut stomach. His powerful hips
and thighs flexed as he got to his feet. Unable to keep
her eyes from going to his groin, she stared wide-eyed,
then flushing with embarrassment, quickly raised her gaze
back to his face.

But he was not looking at her. His eyes were oddly
vacant, even as they darted around the room as if he
expected an attack from imaginary foes.

“Alex, what are you doing?”

When he did not respond, Kat slowly approached
him. “Alex,” she said more loudly, sternly.

Alex turned towards her with his sword extended. She
jumped back when the tip nearly sliced her stomach, her
heart leaping into her throat. “Don’t come any closer,” he
swore, his voice sounding as though slurred with sleep. “I
demand you release me. I have told you numerous times I
have the means to pay ransom.”

Shock held her immobile as she tried to make sense of
his strange behavior. Obviously he was not cognizant. He
was trapped in a nightmare that held him as surely as the
Saracen fortress once had. She wondered what had happened
to Alex that he would be reduced to fighting demons in his
sleep?

Her heart contracted at his fear. But Alex was a
proud man and would despise her pity.

Desperate to do something to wake him, she ran back
to her room. When she returned, she tossed the water in
her basin at his head. It was a direct hit. Alex roared
in outrage, shaking his doused head. Kat gasped as water
splattered her thin chemise and face.

He took a menacing step towards her, his furious gaze
raking her face. “What the hell did you do that for, Kat?”

“I had to do something to wake you.” She motioned
vaguely to his bared body, the sword dangling in his hand.
Her gaze purposely avoided his groin area.

Frowning, he looked down. “Jesu,” he swore. His
sword clattered to the floor. He raised his gaze to her,
fear replacing his anger. “My God, Kat. Did I hurt you?”
He stepped forward with his arms outstretched, then jerked
to a halt. A shutter fell over his eyes and his arms
dropped to his side.

Kat sat the basin down on the small table by the
fire. “I am fine, Alex. But I’m concerned about you.
What just happened here?”

Not looking at her, Alex shrugged. “Tis naught but a
waking dream,” he said, his voice gruff. “I had too much
wine after little sleep. You need not be worried.”

Then Alex’s gaze moved to her breasts. His eyes
darkened. Midnight flame engulfed her. ”Mayhap I spoke
too soon,” his voice a hoarse caress.

Kat followed his gaze. Gilded by the firelight, the
dark crests of her breasts were visible through the flimsy
fabric. She swore and crossed her arms over her chest, but
Alex shoved them away.

“You have beautiful breasts, Kat. You need not
shield them from me.”

Kat turned her back on him and moved towards her
chamber. “I’m going to bed. I suggest you do the same.”

“Is that an invitation?” his voice wickedly amused.

At the threshold, she turned around and glared at
him. Dark and ruggedly handsome, he stood naked as bold as
Adam, the flesh between his legs stiff and stretching
skyward. He was a large man; his tumescent shaft, long and
thick, sprouted from a nest of curly black hair. Her
stomach quivered in primal reaction, but she ignored it.

“Don’t hold your breath or you will choke on it.”
Then she yanked the curtain closed on his grinning face.