Lindsay's Romantics: knight

As part of the series of excerpts from the "One Yuletide Knight" anthology, today we have Beverly Wells and her apt Christmas novella "The Gift". Here's a blurb:

Blurb
Sir Geoffrey Eton, captain of Sir Royce’s regiment is a hardened, gruff warrior. All his life he served England, protected others, and trained men. Tavern wenches satisfied his occasional needs. There simply was no necessity for a wife. Orphan, Heather Douglas grew up in an abbey in Scotland, loving life. When she joins her best friend at the Scotland castle granted to Royce, she brings her smiles and laughter. She also brings her flawed leg, her stubbornness and determination. Will her bright smile and charm be the weapons to finally take down the mighty warrior Geoffrey’s resistance?

Here’s an excerpt from THE GIFT that will hopefully tickle your fancy. Enjoy!

“He will no’ harm me. We be the best of friends as long as I bring him a wee bit of apple ever’ day. He loves it when I pet or cuddle him too, he does.” Disregarding his words, she reached up to pat his muzzle and cheek. Thank the good Lord, Darktonian remained a statue. Geoff thought he might swallow his tongue at her blatant disregard for her safety and his order.

Pet or cuddle? Lord grant me strength not to strangle the irresponsible, foolish woman.

“He is a warhorse, trained to bite, strike with his hooves and batter or ram to

kill. You are foolish to think otherwise.” His bellow shook the rafters. “He could remove your head in one split second if he felt like it. Now step back so I may approach. Now!” She would suffer much more than her lopsided limp if the horse became skittish. He fought to gain his senses, to protect the foolish woman. He took a deep breath and bellowed, “Darktonian hold!”

The horse instantly responded, arching his neck which pulled him back away from her. He held perfectly still to the command. “Step back away from him.”

Expecting her to follow the curt order as if she was one of his men he captained, he planned to approach her and give her a harsh reprimand for endangering herself so foolishly. Instead, she turned her head, graced him with a wide smile and followed it with a husky chuckle.

He felt like an oaf, an ignorant oaf, yet she needed to understand the danger of her coddling such a temperamental, huge beast. He sighed in relief as she took several uneven steps back. He also noted how her lips tightened and her glare threatened to cook him to a charred cinder if she had any witchy powers in her control.