Captain of Her Heart
Sold into slavery by her jealous sisters, Ada finds herself captive on the ship of a Greek merchant. Expecting a harsh new master, she’s surprised to find the captain compassionate—and attractive. Yet she can’t fall for the man who owns her—not when she watched her enslaved mother pine after her unyielding father.
Nicolaus only wants to rescue the beautiful, mistreated woman from the auction block. He plans to free Ada, just as soon as he secures his inheritance. Which means racing the ship back to his homeland to best his brother. If he loses, all his cargo will be forfeited—including Ada. But as perilous storms reveal her courage and grace, the question becomes, can his heart stand to let her go?
“I should let the sea have you.”
She stiffened, frightened he would carry through with his threat. However, she would not respond, would not give him the knowledge that she knew his language, a language her father often spoke when conversing with traders.
“Save me the trouble. Good coin spent on saving you from disgrace. Should have let the procurer have you. I would have been richer.” He halted beside the ladder leading to the room and deposited her onto her feet. “Foolish, foolish woman, I’ll bind you to the mast if need be.”
Before she knew what she was about, she drew back her hand and slapped him.
Nicolaus furrowed his brow. “You do understand me.”
Her eyes widened and he smiled. “It is as I thought, but how?”
A wave sloshed over the boat. Her pallor did not look well as his ship rocked back and forth.
“Come along, then.” He lifted her into his arms and tucked her head beneath his chin. Her slight frame nestled perfectly against him when she wasn’t pushing her palms against his chest. That part of him that had been cold for so many months began to beat, to breathe and to hope for a better future than the one he’d resigned himself to.
CHRISTINA RICH is a full-time housewife and mother. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and four children. She loves Jesus, history, researching her ancestry, fishing, reading and of course, writing romances woven with God’s grace, mercy and truth. You can find more about her at authorchristinarich.com.
Captive on the High Seas
Christina Rich
I will extol Thee, my God, O king; and I will bless Thy name for ever and ever. Every day will I bless Thee; and I will praise Thy name for ever and ever.
—Psalms 145:1–2
To Ami Jo, Jordan, Logan and Katie,
I love you much. Thank you for blessing my life.
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Ashkelon 668 BC
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