Jade Lee - Wicked Seduction (Berkley Sensation)

Table of Contents

Praise for

Wicked Surrender

[A] darkly sensual, erotically complex historical romance. Wicked Surrender is a definite keeper.

Elizabeth Hoyt, New York Times bestselling author

Lees beautifully nuanced characters and impeccably crafted historical setting are guaranteed to cast their own seductive spell over readers.

Chicago Tribune

And for the other novels of USA Today bestselling author Jade Lee

[A] refreshingly different, sexy Regency romance.

Chicago Tribune

Lovely historical romance.

Publishers Weekly

Its unflinching and unabashed in historic social and cultural detail... Elegant complexity and beautifully rendered.

Booklist (starred review)

Strangely hypnotic.

Romance Reviews Today

An exotic and emotional historical romantic tale.

ParaNormal Romance

I enjoyed the sensual and hot love scenes, and boy were they hot. WOW!

Night Owl Reviews

Lee... [has] brought something new and intriguing to erotic romance. This is what places her in a class with the best.

Romantic Times

A highly enjoyable read.

All About Romance

Delightfully different.

Midwest Book Reviews

Berkley Sensation Titles by Jade Lee

WICKED SURRENDER
WICKED SEDUCTION

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

WICKED SEDUCTION

A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

PRINTING HISTORY

Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / March 2011

Copyright 2011 by Katherine Ann Grill.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

eISBN : 978-1-101-47752-6

BERKLEY SENSATION
Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
BERKLEY SENSATION and the B design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

http://us.penguingroup.com

To Barbara Vey,
for all you have done, for the industry, for women,
and most especially for me.
Youre a true friend.
Thank you!

To Kate Seaver,
because youre teaching me how to be great!
Thank you!

Prologue

One English boy shackled to the mast. Thats what Kit Frazier saw as he crept over the side of the slave ship. One boy of about seventeen years, feet tied with rope, arms shackled with iron. There was blood dripping to the deck too, but Kit couldnt see from what wound.

Bloody hell, this was a trap.

He wasnt sure what tipped him off. Everything was silent. The man on watch stood like a statue on the foredeck, not even bothering to whistle. Kit cocked his ear toward the hold. No sobs. No low moans. So, no slaves trapped below either. Just the one English adolescent, his dirty blond hair a mat that obscured his face.

Kit crept around the edge, slipping through shadows. Hed spent years on this boat as a slave, and coming back now made his hands slick with sweat. If he had any sense, hed turn and run now before it was too late. What did he care that another English aristocrat had been abducted for ransom? But once, long ago, hed been chained to the mast, waiting for a ransom that never came. He couldnt leave this boy to the same fate.

A flash of yellow teeth caught his attention. Kit froze, peering into the blackness, waiting until he heard a telltale pop of knuckles. That had to be Abdur, the one who liked to whip the children. Kit smiled. Suddenly he didnt care if it was a trap so long as he could strike against the nightmare of Venboers slave ship.

Kit crouched, wiped the sweat from his hands, then struck. After four years as a free man, he was faster than Abdur. And stronger too. The bastard collapsed to the deck. Kit even remembered to cushion his fall so that all was done in silence. Then he looked around. One down, how many more?

Three that he could see, spaced behind barrels set much too obviously along the rail. Perfect spacing from which to attack. Not so good for defense. Kit slipped behind each one, his panic easing now that he was in action. One by one, they fell. Easily done, but it took too much time.

Kit looked around again. The boy had raised his head to listen. Sharp ears that one, but was he smart? Would he know to keep quiet until Kit could effect a rescue? Taking a huge risk, Kit slid Abdurs knife across the deck, wincing at the sound. Not so loud, but not so quiet either. And sadly, no help against the shackles. But at least the boy would be able to defend himself while Kit went in search of the key. Or a heavy axe.

The boy didnt appear to move as the blade settled against his leg. But a blink later, the knife was gone and he was drooping more where he sat, presumably so he could cut the rope at his ankles. So. The kid was smart too.

Kit began to creep toward the forecastle. The slave key was kept...

Three figures stepped out of the shadows, two large men flanking their very large captain. Kit spun around. Two more men stepped behind him, one of them the watchman who had jumped down to join the fray. Five to one with the boy still chained to the mast.

Hell.

Then a miracle happened. The boy stood up, his iron shackles dropping to the deck with a clang. Kit raised his eyebrows in surprise. Apparently, he was rescuing a lockpick. Which narrowed the odds to five against two. Better, though he doubted the boy really knew how to fight. Still, things were definitely looking up. Especially since he could see the boys wounds now. Swollen face from a beating, jagged cut along his arm, but nothing that would keep him from swimming to safety.

I knew you would come, Venboer gloated and Kit slid his attention back to the bastard who had destroyed so many lives, Kits included. He looks like you, yes?

Kit shifted into the cocky drawl that he knew irritated Venboer. We English are a pretty lot.