SOFT AS VELVET Commanded to marry a Saxon heiress in order to secure her lands for his king, Norman knight Royce, Sword of William, did not expect to find the lovely creature who stood before him. Her flaxen hair billowed behind her, windswept from a recent ride. Her defiant eyes the color of cornflowers on a summer day revealed the intelligence and gentleness her awesome beauty could not hide. For once, Royce was struck speechless--and he knew that he would be the one to spark the fire that would set this maid aflame with desire. HARD AS STEEL He was the largest, most intense man she had ever encountered. His well-muscled chest rippled with every movement; his thick black hair fell in waves like the softest silk. But it was his gaze that both unnerved her and touched her soul. His golden eyes glanced over her body and heated her to the very core of her being. For though he was the Sword of William=-a knight so passionate and powerful on the battlefield, legends told his tale--Lynette saw the pain behind his handsome visage, and knew that she would be the one to heal the wounds of his tormented past.