As hard and as unyielding as the winter storms
that sweep through the countryside, Colin is irresistibly drawn to the impetuous
beauty who has magically appeared on his doorsteps.
Scotland
November 1512:
A heavy frost
sat on the frozen earth, and a full moon shone clearly between the heavy clouds
dotting the sky. Lady Callie Whitcomb looked over her shoulder as she raced
through the deepening gloom toward the lighted tavern ahead. Every shadow,
every mournful sigh of the wind sweeping through the trees, every chilling
animal sound filled her with terror. Fear for her life drove her to put all
thoughts of danger aside. He would follow her, find her, and drag her home.
Home.
"Don't
think of that now," she reminded herself fiercely, even while tears stung
in the back of her throat and fear made her limbs tremble. "Don't ye dare
think of home. It no longer exists." Nothing and no one could coax her
back or make her believe there was naught but terror in the home where she'd
been born.
"I will
never marry Lord Huntington. Never!" she whispered fiercely, the chill
night air solemnly echoing her words.
Her stepbrother,
Archibald Covington III, made sure she could never return.
"There ye
be, lass! I've been waiting for you."
The voice rose
from nowhere and surprised her. Her heart froze, lurched, then began an erratic
beat, while raw nerves snapped, sending a myriad of sensations racing down her
spine.
"Archibald--"
she whispered, panic sweeping through her. "He's found me." All she
could hear was the pounding of blood in her ears.
Before she could
reach her destination, before she could find safe refuge from him, his men had
found her. No! Not now. Not when she thought she had eluded them all.
A wave of fear
sweeping through her reminded her, that if caught, she would be taken back to
Archibald and forced to marry Lord Huntington.
"I'll help
you down, lass."
"No."
Before she could
react and spur her horse forward, callous, rough hands centered on her waist
then pulled her from her mount.
"No!"
She cried out to no avail. Regaining her wits, she beat fiercely upon the man's
broad chest, tearing at his face and his thick beard with her fingers.
"Ach, lass!
Hold still! I mean ye no harm. Stop this--" His voice was gruff and
impatient.
Fear for her
life had spurred her haste. Terror she might see Huntington or Archibald with
each turn of the road haunted every hour of her journey. Archibald had
retainers everywhere. Messages would have been sent. A highlander could be
bought.
"Ruffian!
Unhand me! Ye barbarous Scotsman."
If Archibald had
guessed what path she followed...
"Verra
well, ne'er let it be said that I dinna do a lass' bidding." Just as
suddenly as he'd grabbed her, his hold upon her vanished. She stumbled
backward.
Instantly, she
found herself sitting on the frozen earth. The man towering above her watched
her with concerned dark eyes. Despite the scar stretching from forehead to
chin, his mouth quirked upward in a humorous slant.
"Ye be a
handful, lass."
Mary of A Romance Review says, "Overall I
liked the story and can recommend it as a worthwhile read. The author has a lot
of talent and the plot and tension of the story are well handled."
BLURB:
With her
white-gold hair and azure eyes, Lainie MacPherson is as wild and untamed as the
rugged Scottish Highlands where she was raised. Lainie vowed to avenge a crime against her.
Recklessly, she defies English laws and the man who raped her puts a bounty on
her head. The man who is sent to bring her to Edinburgh sets a dangerous trap.
With nothing left to live for the beautiful Scottish spy steals the sealed
documents the English soldier has tempted her with.
When the exquisite temptress
takes the bait and runs off with not only the forged documents but the purses of
the men in the tavern, Aaron Slade vows to hunt her down and bring her to
justice, never dreaming she will tame his jaded soul. When Aaron discovers the
truth about the tempestuous woman who stirs his passion to the point of
madness, he dares not love her, but desires her with all his soul.
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