Beneath the fiery gaze of her captor, Caitlin finds herself bound by the only enemy she could not defeat?her passionate nature.

Initially, the renegade female pirate plundering Spanish galleons on the high seas, Caitlin had despised Trey Cameron, the man commissioned by the queen to tame her. As he forces her to conform to an appropriately feminine role, wearing gowns and performing the tasks of housekeeper, Caitlin vows she will avenge herself. She will rule the waves again...free of the restraining hand of any man.

As the lush green of the Caribbean brings them to tumult, both Trey and Caitlin find themselves locked in a fiery battle of wills. Will they surrender to the refuge of each other's arms?or tear each other apart in the frustration of unrequited love?

Chapter One

July 10, 1704

One hundred miles east of Barbados, the Windward Islands stretch around the eastern end of the Caribbean Sea like stepping-stones to South America. A mere speck among them, the isle of Los Gatos basks in the golden sun, a small tropical paradise cooled by constant tradewinds from the northeast. High and craggy cliffs pounded by the windward surf protect the Atlantic shores, but on the leeward side of the island, calm inlets cut into deep natural harbors. It was in one of these quiet coves, where turquoise waves lapped at the fine black volcanic sand, that the Anna rode at anchor, her tall masts empty of sail, her well-worn decks scrubbed and shining. Verdant hills climbed like green-backed giants behind the sloop's anchorage; high on a windswept promontory overlooking a vast sea vista of dazzling pale green and aquamarine waters, a slender girl stood bathed in the delicate pink rays of early sunrise.

She was very small, and from a distance looked like a young lad in the unlikely garb she wore. A loose linen shirt was cinched about her tiny waist with a wide black belt, while snug black breeches clothed her slim hips. As she braced one foot upon a flat rock, the brilliant red wink of a ruby gave away the presence of a bejeweled dagger sheathed in her black leather boot. One small sun-browned hand rested on the hilt of her elegantly crafted rapier of fine Cordovan steel where it hung from a wide red satin sash. In her other hand, she held a long silver-plated spyglass.

Squinting one eye, she raised the glass to observe the treacherous barrier reef that ringed the island. A great treasure galleon had come to rest on the submerged coral like a gigantic sea turtle upended on a beach, rocking to starboard as incoming waves battered its hull. The girl moved her glass slowly, examining the listing decks. The main mast was down, splintered and resting across the forecastle, while smoke still wisped in desultory columns from the main hold. Amid fire-blackened debris and downed riggings were sprawled the dead -- their white-and-gold Spanish uniforms battle-stained with blood and grime.

Caitlin Alexander's soft lips curved in a satisfied smile as she lowered the spyglass, absently pushing her hair over one shoulder, the long silky tresses shimmering like red gold fire as they settled over her back in thick tangled ringlets. Her amber-gold eyes gleamed with excited anticipation.

How lucky to have drawn the dawn watch this day! When she had come to the lookout post, she never expected to find so coveted a prize! A soft laugh escaped her. How wonderful it looked -- that Spanish flag, tattered and torn. It was only too bad that the Anna had not been the one to wreak such havoc on the Spanish dogs! A British man-of-war had no doubt earned the victory. Since Queen Anne had waged war on the Bourbons of France over the succession to the throne of Spain, many a Spanish galleon and French corsair had gone to the bottom at the hands of Her Majesty's navy. And it pleased Caitlin that many more had been defeated by the guns of her own beloved Anna. Caitlin's father, James Alexander, had named his ship for Anne when he had sailed as a privateer for her father, long before Caitlin was born. But her father was dead now, executed as a pirate six years ago by Pedro de Enriquez, the Spanish governor of Santiago de Cuba.

Caitlin's eyes darkened with anger.

 

Since she was a little girl, Linda Ladd has always been a romantic -- loving nothing more than to lose herself completely in the far-away times and places of great novelists such as Jane Austen, Margaret Mitchell, and the Bronte sisters. Little did she dream that someday she would be transporting legions of her own fans into exciting love stories where darkly handsome heroes swept away beautiful, high-spirited heroines.

Her novels have been enjoyed by millions since her first historical romance, Wildstar, hit the shelves in 1984. Since then she has penned fourteen best-selling historical novels, which have been acclaimed by readers and booksellers alike.

An award-winning author with a loyal following all over the world, Ms. Ladd resides in Missouri with her husband.

 

 

Fire Glow by Linda Ladd
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