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To Tempt a Viking
Michelle Willingham
SHE'S TESTING HIS RESOLVE!Warrior Viking Ragnar Olafsson stood by as his best friend claimed the woman he desired the most. There was only one way to quench the deep darkness within him–become merciless in battle.When Elena is taken captive, fearless Ragnar risks everything to save her. Now they are stranded with only each other for company. Suddenly every longing, every look, every touch is forbidden. Elena could tempt a saint–and sinner Ragnar knows he won't be able to hold out for long!Forbidden VikingsResist them if you can!
His eyelids were heavy and he closed them, surrendering to the temptation of unconsciousness. Sleep was what he needed now.
But a moment later Elena’s arms were around him and she was supporting his shoulders.
‘Ragnar!’ She shook him lightly, demanding that he open his eyes.
His vision flickered, but he managed to look at her.
‘Don’t leave me,’ she demanded. Her eyes welled up with tears and she commanded again, ‘You can’t leave me here alone.’
‘Just … resting,’ he told her. Sleep would make it easier to bear the pain. The darkness was tempting him to let go, to fall into nothingness.
‘Your lips are blue,’ she told him. ‘If you go to sleep now you might never awaken.’
He didn’t answer her, for his body had been transformed into lead and the last bits of consciousness were sliding away. Though a part of him understood what she meant, he lacked the strength to fight it.
‘Don’t you dare die on me!’ She wept, shaking him again. ‘I can’t survive out here alone. Do you hear me?’ she demanded. ‘If you die, I’ll die as well.’
He tried to form the word no, to tell her he wasn’t going to die at all. But before his lips could move her mouth came down on his in a searing kiss.
FORBIDDEN VIKINGS
Resist them if you can!
Styr Hardrata has travelled to Ireland with his wife Elena to save their marriage. They have grown apart and, when he is captured and she kidnapped, both find themselves faced with irresistible temptations …
Fiercesome warrior Styr is captured by the beautiful Irish maiden Caragh in
TO SIN WITH A VIKING Already available
Lonely Elena is stranded with her husband’s best friend, Viking warrior Ragnar Olafsson, in
TO TEMPT A VIKING February 2014
Read both stories in this powerful new duet of forbidden passion by Michelle Willingham
To Tempt a Viking
Michelle Willingham
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
RITA
Award Finalist Michelle Willingham has written over twenty historical romances, novellas and short stories. Currently she lives in south-eastern Virginia with her husband and children. When she’s not writing Michelle enjoys reading, baking and avoiding exercise at all costs. Visit her website at: www.michellewillingham.com (http://www.michellewillingham.com)
Previous novels by this author:
HER IRISH WARRIOR*
THE WARRIOR’S TOUCH*
HER WARRIOR KING*
HER WARRIOR SLAVE†
THE ACCIDENTAL COUNTESS††
THE ACCIDENTAL PRINCESS††
TAMING HER IRISH WARRIOR*
SURRENDER TO AN IRISH WARRIOR*
CLAIMED BY THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR**
SEDUCED BY HER HIGHLAND WARRIOR**
TEMPTED BY THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR**
WARRIORS IN WINTER*
THE ACCIDENTAL PRINCE††
TO SIN WITH A VIKING§
Also available in Mills & Boon
HistoricalUndone!eBooks:
THE VIKING’S FORBIDDEN LOVE-SLAVE
THE WARRIOR’S FORBIDDEN VIRGIN
AN ACCIDENTAL SEDUCTION††
INNOCENT IN THE HAREM
PLEASURED BY THE VIKING*
CRAVING THE HIGHLANDER’S TOUCH**
And in M&B: LIONHEART’S BRIDE (part of Royal Weddings Through the Ages)
And in M&B eBooks: RESCUED BY THE HIGHLAND WARRIOR (part of Highlanders anthology)
*The MacEgan Brothers †prequel to The MacEgan Brothers mini-series **The MacKinloch Clan ††linked by character §Forbidden Vikings
Did you know that some of these novels are also available as eBooks? Visit www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
AUTHOR NOTE
TO TEMPT A VIKING is the second book in my Forbidden Vikings series (Book One was TO SIN WITH A VIKING). This duet is centred around the idea that sometimes arranged marriages don’t work … and what will happen when a husband and a wife meet their true soul mates?
Elena Karlsdotter has always dreamed of a loving husband and children, but after being barren for years she blames herself for the failure of her marriage. Her husband no longer desires her, and she’s afraid to let him go, but when she’s stranded with her husband’s best friend, Ragnar Olafsson, she comes to realise that the man of her dreams has been there all along. Fierce and strong, Ragnar holds dark secrets of his own, and Elena helps him to heal old wounds.
I hope you’ll enjoy these Irish Viking stories. Incidentally, the epilogue of this book is based upon a true story about friends of mine who struggled for years to have children.
My other Viking stories include THE VIKING’S FORBIDDEN LOVE-SLAVE, PLEASURED BY THE VIKING and THE HOLLY AND THE VIKING in Warriors in Winter.
Visit my website at www.michellewillingham.com for excerpts and behind-the-scenes details about my books. I love to hear from readers and you may e-mail me at michelle@michellewillingham.com or write via mail at PO Box 2242 Poquoson, VA 23662, USA. I can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/michellewillinghamfans (http://www.facebook.com/michellewillinghamfans) and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/michellewilling. (http://www.twitter.com/michellewilling)
DEDICATION
Dedicated to all mothers who love their children with special needs.
Your courage and steadfast love are inspiring.
Contents
Chapter One (#u4b7ca095-b49d-508b-a98e-72f62cdf1cf2)
Chapter Two (#uc7a6ae81-1720-5a42-a0b8-a930d8999323)
Chapter Three (#u92bc08c6-9651-52e0-8b39-0d0952e32b3a)
Chapter Four (#u3b19fb13-bcdd-5b44-86ac-991d3ff79a50)
Chapter Five (#uf411fdc3-742f-5ff3-bb43-ae77fab57a3b)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One
Ireland—AD 875
There was nothing worse than being in love with your best friend’s wife.
Ragnar Olafsson tightened his fists over the oars, pulling hard against the waves of the sea. He shouldn’t have gone with them to éire. But when Styr had asked him to come, he’d agreed in a weak moment. Though he’d buried all traces of his obsession with Elena, the idea of never seeing her again was worse than the torment of seeing her with her husband.
Never once had he let either of them know of his fascination. No one knew of the raw frustration gnawing within him when he watched Styr take the woman he loved into his hut. It was a dark torture, seeing them together.
And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to let her go.
As he rowed, Ragnar kept his gaze fixed upon Elena. Her fair hair held glints of red, like touches of fire upon gold. She was like a beautiful goddess—he worshipped her from afar.
She considered him a friend, but nothing more than that. It wasn’t surprising. A woman like Elena deserved a strong marriage to a high-born warrior. Her match with Styr had been arranged years ago and Ragnar wasn’t the sort of man to steal a woman away from a friend. Especially not his best friend.
She’d made her choice and Styr had done everything to make her happy. For that reason, Ragnar had stepped aside.
He’d tried to find another woman over the years. Although he was a strong fighter and several maidens had cast their eyes on him, none of them compared to Elena. Perhaps no one ever would.
He studied her as she stared off at the grey waters. Something had changed in the past few months. She and Styr were hardly speaking to one another any more. Her barrenness was eating away at her spirit, drowning her in misery. When she stared out at the sea, her face was unnaturally pale. There were no words to mend the broken pieces, nothing Ragnar could say to her.
As the boat neared the shore, the waters were shallower than they’d guessed.
‘We’ll stop here,’ Styr ordered. Glancing at the others, he moved to stand beside Ragnar. For a moment, his friend stared out at the shoreline. ‘Will you stay behind with Elena?’ he asked. ‘I don’t want her near the front, if there’s danger.’
‘I’ll keep her safe.’ He would bathe his sword in the blood of any enemy who dared to threaten Elena. Though she didn’t belong to him, she was his to guard. He wouldn’t hesitate to offer his life, if it meant saving her.
Styr rested a hand upon Ragnar’s shoulder. With a dark sigh, he admitted, ‘I am glad you came with us. A journey like this could only be endured with friends.’
‘None of the men has slept in three days,’ Ragnar agreed. ‘We all need a good meal and rest.’ Their vessel had been tossed upon the waves as if the gods had wanted to claim them as a sacrifice. They’d fought the hard winds, trying to battle the storm. And they’d won, at the cost of sleep. His body and mind were so strung out, he could hardly piece together any thoughts other than the desire to collapse upon the sand.
‘A pity you haven’t a woman to warm your bed,’ Styr added with a shrug.
Ragnar sent him a wry look. ‘The last I heard, there are women in éire. I might find one yet.’
