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      The Samurai’s Forbidden Touch

      Ashley Radcliff

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

       1183 A.D., Heian Period, Northern Japan

      Miku had only experienced adventure and love in the verses that freed her mind and soul, poetry her uncle disparaged as improperly sensual for a noblewoman’s pen. That changed when her uncle left her alone, with his samurai warrior Takeshi to protect her. Never before had a man looked at her with such unveiled desire. The heat of the virile warrior’s gaze kindled exciting new sensations within Miku—cravings that only grew stronger with his forbidden kiss…

      About the Author

      Born on the Mississippi delta in the heart of Dixie, ASHLEY RADCLIFF grew up steeped in the rich story-telling traditions of the South, where personalities (and hair!) are bigger than life and setting is a character unto itself.

      A journalist father encouraged her early proclivity for creative writing, and a mother whose job required extensive international travel helped pave the way for Ashley’s appreciation for flavorful, exotic locales.

      After graduating college with a Bachelor’s degree in English and history and a Master’s degree in literature, Ashley taught high school English before stepping into the fast-paced world of corporate communications.

      Still involved in the fields of marketing, advertising, and public relations, Ashley has also finally found time to pursue her first love: writing fiction. Now settled in a small Appalachian town, she draws creative inspiration from the untamed landscape of the Smoky Mountain foothills.

      When not writing, Ashley enjoys hiking and kayaking, and she’s often found in the kitchen cooking for family and friends.

      Other Books By

      Enjoy more passion through the ages with the sensual Mills & Boon Historical UNDONE titles on sale now:

      One Night as a Courtesan by Ann Lethbridge

      The Taming of Mei Lin by Jeannie Lin

      Delight and Desire by Joanna Maitland

      A Scandalous Liaison by Elizabeth Rolls

      Pleasured by the Viking by Michelle Willingham

      Arabian Nights with a Rake by Bronwyn Scott

      Bitten by Desire by Marguerite Kaye

      The Virgin’s Pursuit by Joanne Rock

      Innocent in the Harem by Michelle Willingham

      Taming Her Gypsy Lover by Christine Merrill

      The Laird and the Wanton Widow by Ann Lethbridge

      Craving something a little longer? Find more historical romantic adventure from Mills & Boon Historical at www.millsandboon.co.uk.

      Interested in writing for Harlequin Historical UNDONE? Send your submission to [email protected].

      Dear Reader,

      Welcome to the opulent world of medieval Japan, where wealth dictates power and social castes are absolute. Here, the land’s untamed natural beauty stands in stark contrast to highly ritualized rules of courtship, and an elite few rule the impoverished masses with sword and bow.

      In this complex feudal realm blossoms a tenderhearted yet spirited poetess, Miku. Orphaned and alone, she dreams of a love that transcends the oppressive structure of her warlord uncle’s luxurious, yet intolerably restrictive, country estate.

      Though Miku’s journey occurs in a distant land veiled by mystery and beauty, I believe you will find her hopes and dreams intimately familiar. And please join me for future adventures in other equally exotic, sensual locales!

      With love,

      Ashley Radcliff

      To my Favorite, who reminded me of all that I’d forgotten and showed me truths I hadn’t yet discovered.

       1183 AD. The windswept mountains of northern Japan. The cultural renaissance of the Heian period is fading as regional nobles, fattened on the abundance produced by impoverished peasants, ignore the growing power of their samurai, hired warriors bound by tradition.

      Miku’s breath caught when she realized it wasn’t a breeze moving the translucent silk panels that hung across the wide veranda doorway, hiding her chaste beauty from her uncle’s garden and the world beyond his opulent estate.

      Seated at her low, black-lacquered writing table, she’d first assumed that the shadow moving across the silk kicho was merely a wayward cloud dancing in front of the late-afternoon sun. But then the tip of a man’s long sword curved against the edge of the elaborately painted golden drapes, and her calligraphy brush hesitated above the scroll. After being banished to her quarters earlier in the day by her enraged uncle, Miku had expected another quiet day writing. But the blade’s startling appearance implied something much less predictable—and potentially more dangerous.

      Yet danger—as well as love—was something she had only experienced in her poetry. Far from the wanton lifestyle available in the Emperor’s glittering court, the cloistered life of an unmarried country noblewoman offered little diversion beyond parlor games. Little diversion for most women, that was.

      Miku, however, unlocked her silken cage each day with her calligraphy brush, writing poetry that freed her mind and soul, if not her body. Poetry that stirred her imagination and gave flight to her fantasies. Poetry that her decidedly practical uncle never appreciated—an uncle who now dared to imprison her in her own home for what he called unforgivable breaches of etiquette. Just the thought of his self-righteous pettiness made her free spirit seethe in revolt.

      Perhaps soon, maybe even tonight, her dream of a life untethered to the hollow pomp of petty nobility—a life where she was free to be herself, and even appreciated for it—would be fulfilled. Until then, though, at least she had her brush and ink.

      But the armed man now standing silently just inches from her was no dream—not even a nightmare.

      Miku’s mind raced as she contemplated the gauzy screen, her only shield. Her uncle had taken all his servants when he’d left earlier to meet a distinguished—and politically connected—man journeying from the capital city of Heian-kyo. Though he would return the next morning, she was nonetheless alone now as the afternoon shadows lengthened. Alone, except for the single samurai her uncle had left to protect her in his absence. Or to guard her, she thought with bitter indignation.

      Her uncle controlled hundreds of vassals who worked the wide rice fields surrounding the thick walls of her home. Though lacking the more sweeping national power given occasionally by the Emperor to Shogun warlords, her uncle nonetheless wielded significant local power. And like so many other regional lords, he even commanded a private army of samurai, powerful warriors sworn to do his bidding alone.

      The thought of one of these common soldiers lurking so near her private chambers sent a surge of anger through Miku. She had expected the samurai to remain a respectful distance from her the rest of the evening, as he had all day—far enough away, in fact, for him not to notice her escape from the manor once darkness fell. But was he now so bold as to step on to her veranda, mere inches from her hidden form?

      Miku’s eyes fell to the scroll spread open across the lacquered table in front of her. The verse she was composing spoke of cherry blossoms, long considered the most beautiful yet most fragile flower. In her poem, however, one blossom remained open as the first winter snowfall began to drift down, the flower’s unexpected resilience against the frost magnifying its pale beauty.

      Though her heart thudded wildly, Miku’s resolve solidified. How dare this

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