Title: Ariella’s Escape
Author: Carolee Croft
Genre: Epic Fantasy Romance
Ariella had always believed that the life of a warrior should include indulging in wine and men whenever they were on offer… And in Chaldea, the capital of the old empire, they certainly were.
Especially the man she finds in her bedchamber, a slave provided by her hosts to entertain her
in any way she wishes.
But when betrayed and surrounded by enemies in a strange land, there is only one man she
can trust—the slave who was meant only for her pleasure but is much more than he seems.
Demetrius had been captured in a battle at the age of fifteen, and slavery was all he had
known in his adult life. When his chance for freedom comes along, his fate is bound to the
noble warrior maiden whose voice and body he cannot resist. Duty calls him to return to his
kingdom, but the journey will take him places that will change him forever.
Together, they make their way through a den of thieves and an enchanted elf forest, but the
biggest danger of all may be their fiery attraction to each other and the secret that will draw a
dividing line between them.
Author Bio
Enchanted by romance on page and screen, I have always tried to write my own versions of the
perfect fairytale. As for real life, I believe I may have already found the man of my dreams, but I still
haven’t found the dog of my dreams. Currently, I’m obsessed with Italian greyhounds. I can usually
be found enjoying the outdoors or relaxing with a good book on the west coast of Canada.
~ Book Excerpt ~
It was strangely reassuring to know that he was not Chaldean, judging from his sun-bronzed
skin, fine eyebrows and long brown hair, a shade so dark it was nearly black. And his eyes…
like two pieces of a summer sky. She had always been a fool for a blue-eyed man. Judging by
his elegant speech, very likely, he came from a noble lineage but was held here as a hostage to
ensure peace with another kingdom.
“Then what is it, my lady?”
He sat down beside her on the bed, the scent of some innocent field flower with something
more heady and musk-like tempting her to get closer to his bronzed body. She tried to discern
his age… late twenties perhaps. His forehead was unlined, but there was something about him
that made him appear older, a world-weariness perhaps behind his charming and carefree
disposition.
There had been one or two times when she had bedded a man after less conversation than this,
but this was strange territory with too many possible complications, and she could not afford
to indulge herself on a whim. There was also his status to consider. As a slave, he was
obviously not free in his choices, and she could sympathise with that. Ariella knew she would
loathe being ordered to “entertain” guests in this manner were she in his place.
“Do my looks please you?” she asked tentatively.
“Yes,” he replied, a slight hoarseness in his voice
.
His eyes scorched her, and she had to look away.
“It’s just that… I do not wish you to do this merely out of a sense of duty…” she said softly,
“that is… if you did not want to…”
“My lady, I want to,” he said.
~ ~ ~
