Mastered by Love

Book excerpt: They proved their bravery fighting for His Majesty's Secret Service and were rewarded with brides of great beauty and breeding. But now that each member of the Bastion Club has married, their mysterious leader seeks his own bride. Shocked by his father's unexpected death, Royce Henry Varisey, now 10th Duke of Wolverstone, sometimes known as Dalziel, answers the urgent summons to return to his principal estate, Wolverstone Castle, from which he has been exiled for the past sixteen years. The last thing he expected was to - literally - run into Minerva Chesterton, his parents' paid companion. His desire for her is immediate, as is his apprehension. But Minerva has no time for fear. Regardless of her lifelong infatuation with Royce, Minerva has more pressing concerns. Bound by promises given to his parents on their deathbeds, she is determined to right the wrongs of the past. But with Royce refusing to give in to any emotion, save his lust for her, will she be able to resist the lure of his bed long enough to save his soul? Or will she find that the quickest way to success is in his bed ... and in his heart?