“A little time away from here is all I ask.” Arabella ignored them all. “I’ve grown weary of waiting for another suitor to make his bid. The last one who dared approached you over a year ago and —”
“The bastard was a MacLeod!” Her father’s face ran purple. “Dinna tell me you’d have gone happily to the bed of a sprig of that ilk! We’ve clashed with their fork-tongued, cloven-footed kind since before the first lick o’ dew touched a sprig of heather!”
“Then what of the Clan Ranald heir who came before him?” Arabella uncurled her fists, no longer caring if anyone saw how her hands trembled. “You can’t deny you’ve called the MacDonalds good allies and friends.”
Her father spluttered, frowning.
Lifting her chin a notch higher, she rushed on. “He was a bonny man. His words were smooth and his blue eyes kind and welcoming. I would have —”
“All MacDonalds are glib-tongued and bonny! And you would have been miserable before a fortnight passed.” Her father gripped the back of his chair, his knuckles white. “There isn’t a race in the land more irresistible to women. Even if the lad meant you well, sooner or later, his blood would have told. He would’ve succumbed, damning himself and you.”
Arabella flushed. “Perhaps I would rather have chanced such a hurt than to face each new day knowing there won’t be any further bids for me.”
Mortification sweeping her, she clapped a hand over her mouth, horror stricken by her words.
Openly admitting her frustration was one thing.
Announcing to the world that she ached inside was a pain too private for other ears.
“Why do you think I ceded you the Seal Isles?” Her father’s voice railed somewhere just outside the embarrassment whipping through her. “Soon, new offers will roll in, young nobles eager to lay claim to our Hebrides will beat a path to —”
“Nae, they will not.” She pushed back from the table, standing. “You’ve frightened them away with your black stares and denials! And there isn’t a man in all these hills and isles who doesn’t know it. No one will come. Not now, not after all they’ve seen and heard —”
She broke off, choking back her words as she caught glimpses of the pity- filled glances some of her father’s men were aiming her way.
She could stomach anything but pity.
Heart pounding and vision blurring, she spun on her heel and fled the dais, pushing past startled kinsmen and serving laddies to reach the tight-winding stairs that led up to the battlements and the fresh, brisk air she craved.
Running now, she burst into the shadow-drenched stair tower and raced up the curving stone treads, not stopping until she reached the final landing and, throwing open the oak-planked door to the parapets, plunged out into the chill wind of a bright October morning.
“Ach, dia,” she gasped, bending forward to brace her hands on her thighs and breathe deeply. “What have I done. . . .”
Shame scalded her, sucking the air from her lungs and sending waves of hot, humiliating fire licking up and down her spine.
Never had she made a greater fool of herself.
And never had she felt such a fiery, all-consuming need to be loved.
Wanted and desired.
Cherished.
Near blinded by tears she refused to acknowledge, she straightened and shook out her skirts. Then she tossed back her hair and blinked hard until her vision cleared. When it did, she went to the nearest merlon in the battlements’ notched walling and leaned hard against the cold, unmoving stone.
Across the glittering waters of Loch Duich, the great hills of Kintail stretched away as far as the eye could see, the nearer peaks dressed in brilliant swatches of scarlet and gold while those more distant faded into an indistinct smudge of blue and purple, just rimming the horizon. It was a familiar, well-loved sight that made her breath catch but did absolutely nothing to soothe her.
She’d lied and the weight of her falsehoods bore down on her, blotting everything but the words she couldn’t forget.
Not her own words, railing against how long it’d been since a suitor had come to call for her. Or the gleefully announced tidings of a courier, keen to share his lord and lady’s good fortune.
Nor even her hotly defended wish to see the Seal Isles.
O-o-oh, nae, it hadn’t been any of that.
It’d been her sister’s words when last they’d visited.
Innocently shared accountings of the wonders of marital bliss and how splendorous it was to lie naked with a man each night, intimately entwined and knowing that he lived only to please you.
Exactly how that pleasing was done had also been revealed and thinking of such things now caused such a brittle aching in Arabella’s breast that she feared she’d break if she drew in too deep a breath of the day’s chill, autumn air.
Worst of all were her sister’s repeated assurances that Arabella, too, would soon be swept into such a floodtide of heated, uninhibited passion.
Everyone, Gelis insisted, was fated to meet a certain someone. And, she’d been adamant, Arabella would be no different.
It was only a matter of time.
Then she, too, would know tempestuous embraces and hot, devouring kisses the likes of which she couldn’t begin to imagine.
As for the rest . . . it boggled the mind.
And ignited a blaze of yearning inside her that she feared would never be quenched.
Frowning, she flattened her hands against the cold, gritty stone of the merlon and turned her gaze away from her beloved Kintail hills and imagined she could stare past the Isle of Skye far out into the sea.
But still she heard her sister’s chatter.
Her insistence that the feel of a man’s hands sliding up and down one’s body, his fingers questing knowingly into dark, hidden places, brought a more intoxicating pleasure than the headiest Gascon wine.
Arabella bit down on her lip, sure she didn’t believe a word.
What she did believe was that she had to be on the merchant trader when it set sail from Kyleakin.
And what she knew was that — if she made it — her life would be forever changed.
THE DISH
Where authors give you the inside scoop!
From the desk of Sue Ellen Welfonder
Dear Reader,
My editor absolutely thrilled me when she told me this book’s title: SEDUCING A SCOTTISH BRIDE (on sale now). After all, seduction plays a strong role in romance, and Scotland is the heartbeat in every book I write.
SEDUCING A SCOTTISH BRIDE conveys the grand passion shared by the hero, Ronan MacRuari, also known as the Raven, and his heroine, Gelis MacKenzie, youngest daughter of Duncan MacKenzie, the hero of DEVIL IN A KILT. The title also alerts readers that the book is Scottish-set. Of course, with Scotland being my own grand passion, readers familiar with my work already know that they’ll be going to the Highlands when they slip into the pages of my books.
Passion and a vivid setting are only two of the magic ingredients that bring a book to life. I enjoy weaving in threads of redemption and forgiveness, a goodly dose of honor, and always a touch of Highland enchantment. Another crucial element is hope.
Heroines, especially, should have hopes and dreams. Lady Gelis bursts with them. Vibrant and lively, she’s a young woman full of smiles, light, and laughter. Her greatest wish is to find love and happiness with her Raven, and even when terrible odds are against her, she uses her wits and wiles to make her dreams come true.
Lady Gelis also believes in Highland magic and takes pleasure in helping her Raven solve the legend of his clan’s mysterious Raven Stone. And, of course, along the way, she seduces Ronan MacRuari. Or does he seduce her? I hope you’ll enjoy discovering the answer.
Readers curious about my inspiration for the Raven Stone (hint: a fossilized holly tree in the vault of a certain Scottish castle), or who might enjoy a glimpse into the story world, can visit my Web site, www.welfonder.com, to see photos of the special Highland places they’ll encounte
r in SEDUCING A SCOTTISH BRIDE.
With all good wishes,
From the desk of Larissa Ione
Dear Reader,
In PLEASURE UNBOUND, the first book in the Demonica series, you met the three demon brothers who run an underworld hospital. There’s Eidolon, the handsome, dangerous doctor. Wraith, the cocky half-vampire treasure hunter. And Shade, the darkly confident, insatiable paramedic.
Shade was a favorite of mine from the beginning, so naturally, I had to torture him a little.
Okay, a lot.
See, before I became an author, I was a reader, and as a reader, many of my favorite romances were those in which the hero and heroine are forced together by some external force. So when I started thinking about DESIRE UNCHAINED (on sale now), the second book in the Demonica series, I saw the perfect opportunity to employ a favorite plot element.
Shade was less excited by my decision . . . but then, his life was on the line, and the only way out of the mess would be death. Either his, or Runa’s.
Yes, fun was had by all in the writing of Shade’s book!
Oh, but it gets better—or would that be . . . worse?
Because not only do Shade and Runa have to deal with being forced together, they also have to go toe-to-toe with a madman bent on revenge . . . which is another of my favorite plot elements.
In real life, the need for revenge comes from powerful emotion that drives people to unbelievable acts. We watch the news and wonder how someone can snap like that. And if humans can lose it so impressively, imagine what an insane demon can do!
Speaking of demons, I’ve put together a downloadable compendium of all species in the Demonica world, available on my Web site, www.LarissaIone.com. The guide, available to all Aegis Guardians, aids in the identification of demons and includes descriptions, habitats, and pronunciations.
Get yours now, and happy reading!
www.larissaione.com
From the desk of Leanne Banks
Dear Reader,
There are some personalities so powerful that they refuse to die. Sunny Collins, late mother of Lori Jean Granger, is the mother who keeps on giving. Advice, that is. But it’s not the typical, stand-up-straight, brush-your-teeth, study-hard-in-school kind of advice. Sunny wasn’t exactly the typical mother, either. Here’s a taste of her advice so you’ll understand why she’s unforgettable . . .
“High heels weaken men’s knees.”
“Dogs are generally more devoted than men are.”
“When you’re a teenage girl, think of dating as a visit to the candy store. Remember you can visit more than once, and make sure to try everything that looks interesting.”
“The true test of a man’s ardor is if he will go shoe shopping with you on Black Friday.”
“If you must do a nasty chore, listening to rock and roll will help the time pass more quickly.”
“Sanity is overrated.”
“You will always be my little sunbeam.”
You’ll find more advice from Sunny in TROUBLE IN HIGH HEELS (on sale now), SOME GIRLS DO, and WHEN SHE’S BAD. Enjoy!
Best Wishes,
www.leannebanks.com
Seducing a Scottish Bride Page 32