For My Lady's Hand — Joanna McGauran

Saving the life of the blue-eyed Ciel Valoir from two would-be attackers, Ian Stewart, laird of Scotland's Stewart Castle, becomes the object of the lady's affections but holds to his vow that he will never permit a woman to hurt him again.

He was the king's man...

And she was the peasant beauty...Ian Stewart, lord of Scotland's Stewart Castle, first saw her when she burst from a dark thicket with her raven hair streaming behind her and her turquoise eyes shining with fear. Saving her from two would-be attackers, Ian won her thanks and much more on that fateful day. As Ciel Valoir looked up at her golden hero on his magnificent black war-horse, she lost her heart to the man she was destined to love.

Ian was drawn to Ciel's strength and grace, but he had been betrayed once by a beautiful woman and was reluctant to trust his heart again. Determined to put Ciel behind him, by day he served the king; but by night he was consumed with thoughts of Ciel--he burned to hold her, he ached without her. Though Ciel spared him the humiliation of wedding a Norman peasant, never allowing her love for the Scottish laird to tarnish his noble name, Ian knew he must somehow make her see that their love was not proud.