Pulled from her hiding place in an old Saxon church, Lady Lily is forced to face the warrior who's been hunting for her — Radulf, the King's Sword, a man known as cold and heartless/merciless; a man whose name all fear to speak. But when she looks into his coal-dark eyes, it is not fear that makes her tremble, but desire. She may have to conceal her true identity to save her life, but there's little hope of shielding her heart.
Radulf is a proven warrior who knows better than to ignore his instinct that Lily is not entirely who she pretends to be, but instead he finds himself fighting his burning need to possess her. When her true identity is revealed to his — and the King's — fury, he nevertheless marries her... not to protect her from the king's wrath, he tells himself, but to watch her closely. For Radulf was betrayed by a woman once before and trusting Lily could cost him his life. But it's a risk he's willing, even eager, to take.