Claimed By The Rogue

A young love torn asunder by tragedy and deceit. A lady resolved to put away the past and learn to love again. A sea captain returned home after six years to claim his bride. Will the scathing secret Robert harbors tear he and Lady Phoebe apart once more, this time forever?

“It’s not as though I’ve been hiding myself. You’ve seen me every day for the past fortnight whether you would or not,” Robert said, trying for a smile.

Phoebe returned it but faintly. “True, but you have secrets. There are shadows in your eyes that weren’t there before. You hold things back and not only from me.”

He swallowed--hard. “I’m the man who loves you more than his own life. What more could you possibly need to know?”

Averting her gaze, Phoebe brushed a light finger over the carved ivory bracketing his left wrist. “For one, how did you come by this odd adornment? A love token from the bountiful Princess Nadia, perhaps?” she added, teasing but only in part.

“Phoebe, don’t—”

Before he could stop her, she’d pushed up his sleeve and the bracelet with it. “Dear Lord!”

Following her gaze to the white scar banding the pulse point inside his wrist, he bit back an oath. “'I have…a great many scars.”

Cornflower blue eyes lifted to his. “I’m only asking about this one.”

“An accident. It was…an accident,” he finally answered, and it was so clearly a lie that they both looked away.