Scottish Devil (Brethren of Stone Book 1)

by Tammy Andresen

  Those words made him weak and he gathered her closer. “Ye saved me lass.” He gave a chuckle. “Maybe not fer the last time. I sometimes need to be rescued from my own hard-headedness.”

  She looked up at him. “Just never forget that you love me and we’ll be fine.”

  “I can promise that,” he whispered. “I love ye, Eliza McLaren.”

  “I love you, too.” She snuggled into his side. He’d never been more content in his life.

  Epilogue

  Two weeks later…

  Eliza held her husband’s hand as they walked toward the fires that dotted the cliffs.

  They’d married that morning in the garden of the castle, under the willow tree where they’d first been intimate.

  Blair had performed the ceremony and the rest of their family had stood in a circle about them. She missed her mother, but in their loss, a new family was being forged. Her fingers fluttered briefly to her belly.

  They wouldn’t share that news with their families for some weeks yet, but that was special in its own way. It was theirs when so much of their life would be shared with Stone’s family and the people he was responsible for. This, at least for now, was theirs alone.

  Stone had been staying in her room every night for the past two weeks and it would be a little strange to move to his room. Though, she’d peeked in and noted his bed was far larger. A good thing, with such a large man as a husband.

  She grasped his hand tighter and he smiled down at her. “Are ye all right, love?”

  “Perfect.” She grinned back.

  “We don’t have to stay long.” He frowned a little. “Ye need tae rest.”

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll lounge the entire day away tomorrow.” She didn’t bother to roll her eyes. Stone had been adamant that she do less. She had hired a teacher and school had begun for the village children. Stone had hired the men who built the schoolhouse to build seven more. It filled her heart to know she had a husband who would care for those who needed him. Care for her.

  “Ye had better. Ye need yer rest.” He moved her hand so that he held his on the other side and then he slipped an arm about her waist. “I’m sorry we can’t go away now. I promise I’ll make it up tae ye.”

  She gave him a glowing smile. “I don’t care about that. You’ve work here. It’s important and I am proud to be married to a man who takes it as seriously as you.”

  They’d nearly reached the crowd that was huddled about a large bonfire. Food tents had been erected and bagpipes played off to one side where people were dancing. At Stone’s gesture, the entire party seemed to stop and everyone turned to them.

  Stone straightened his shoulders and squeezed her waist tighter. “I’ve an announcement tae make.” He called. “I’d like tae introduce you to the new Lady Alban.”

  His voice boomed over the crowd and it was met by a cheer that shook the ground under them. “As a wedding gift tae all of you, I’m providing ale fer all of ye to toast the momentous occasion.”

  Another, louder cheer, shook the ground. Eliza thought she might burst from happiness. “You sounded quite confident, and dare I say happy, addressing that crowd.”

  He grimaced at her. “You’ll be in charge of that from now on. But I am happy. Happy to be married to ye.”

  “Me too,” she whispered. In the end, Stone won. They didn’t stay for long. Ale would keep the partygoers company and they had a new bed to try.

  Wicked Laird

  Brethren of Stone

  Tammy Andresen

  One family united by loss, driven to find love

  After the death of their parents, six siblings unite around their eldest brother, Stone. They consider blood a binding oath and vow to protect one another. They all must face their own demons as they find love and their places in the world.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Blair Sinclair stood in the early morning light, surveying the land that now belonged to him. The vestiges of winter still clung to the landscape, but the air smelled of spring. Its scent filled him with hope. He was on the right path for the first time in a long time.

  He raked his hand through his hair as memories of his mistakes filled his thoughts. The parade of women he’d wasted time with, the one woman who’d tossed him aside, and the death of his parents that had jarred him into facing some hard truths.

  Shaking away the memories, he focused on the present. His eyes swept to the east where he could just catch a glimpse of the ocean. This was the Highlands and the laird who’d maintained the land before him had failed. It was a difficult and sometimes unforgiving landscape. But Blair would not fall prey to this place the way the last laird had. Not just because he wouldn’t try to farm this land, or raise sheep on it, at least not for a profit. He was sure to succeed because he was the next branch of the Sinclair Shipping Company. And because he would will it into being if it came to that.

  He stood straighter, filling his chest with clean Highland air. He would be part of his brother’s business, but he had done this on his own. Saved and scraped until he could buy the perfect piece of land on a beautiful harbor.

  As his eyes sought the water again, he caught a flicker or a flash of light. He’d grown up on the ocean and knew that it was the sun glinting off a white sail. Blair had yet to put in docks, or purchase the ships that would join his brother’s fleet. So who was sailing into his harbor?

  There was only one way to find out. He brushed the dirt from his kilt and started down the path that would take him to the water’s edge, mildly relieved to have a break from the monotonous task he was trying to complete. He’d been using a scythe to cut back the weeds from around the caretaker’s dilapidated cabin.

  It would take all his money to get the harbor ready to begin shipping. And though his brother, Stone, had offered, he refused to take aid from his family. He was a man who could support himself. So that meant, for now, making the small cottage his home. He couldn’t afford to renovate or staff the crumbling manor that came with the land.

  Not that he cared. His brother was the Earl of Alban. His title literally meant stone. And though the name likely came from the rocky cliffside they called home, the Sinclair clan was about as hard-headed as they came. A point of pride for them, really.

  He’d push his way to success no matter the cost.

  Making his way down the slope that led to the beach, he caught sight of a tiny sailboat once again. It listed to one side, its angle at odds with the waves. Narrowing his gaze, he watched as the sail dipped into the water. He heard the cry, so faint, it might have been a gull. Or a person, who’d just been tossed into the near freezing water.

  Redoubling his efforts, he barreled down the rest of the path and stripped his shirt as he ran. He barely noticed the cool morning air as he pushed his feet through the sand. The boat was still afloat but sinking, and as he moved closer he could see someone clutching at the mast.

  It was an older boy, he’d wager by the size and the sound of the voice, wearing a floppy fishing hat on his head. Why the lad didn’t swim in Blair couldn’t say, but as the lad screamed again, Blair knew he was getting in the water. Hell and damnation.

  “Help,” came the cry.

  Diving in, Blair ignored the blast of cold as he began taking long, smooth strokes, cutting through the water, slicing beneath the waves. He was an excellent swimmer, but the little boat was sinking quickly and now only the boy’s head remained above the water. “Kick,” Blair yelled, not stopping to see if the boy obeyed.

  “I can’t, my—” But Blair’s head went back under the water as he made a final push to reach the boy and he missed the rest. Taking one last long stroke, he made it to the boat, just as it sank below the surface. The boy reached up with one arm, his head just rising out of the water as Blair grabbed his elbow. “Let go of the mast,” he yelled over the rush of the surf.

  He did and Blair pulled him through the water, intent upon putting the boy on his back and swimming to shore.

  But as his body came into c
ontact with the lad, he realized in a split second that it was no child at all and certainly not a boy. Arms around his neck and the crush of breasts against his bare chest couldn’t be mistaken. He looked down at the delicate features of a bloody woman. Her wide green eyes stared at him as her full lips opened in a tiny O. Not just a woman but a beautiful one at that.

  Hell and damnation.

  Elle clung to the neck of the man who’d swum out to rescue her, wishing for the thousandth time that morning she could just go home and begin this day again. It had gone wrong from the first and was only getting worse with each breath she took.

  “Let go of my neck,” the man’s deep voice rumbled through her near frozen body.

  The last thing she wanted to do was let go. “What?”

  “I need to put ye on my back tae swim ye in. Let go.”

  He didn’t give her a chance to respond as they both dipped under the water while he grabbed her hands to pull them from his neck then shifted her around his body.

  Settling her on his back, he gave a powerful kick, muscles rippling underneath her as they shot through the water toward the shore.

  Despite the cold and the pain radiating out from her ankle, she couldn’t help but be aware of the man who now carried her to safety. He was handsome as sin and muscled like few men she’d ever met.

  She closed her eyes. She didn’t need a man to help her through life. Well, except for right now, of course. But in general, she was determined to raise her brother on her own. Help usually came at a cost.

  Oh dear lord, what would be the cost for this man’s help today? Surely there would be some form of recompense required. Life had taught her there always was.

  “Is there anyone else wit ye?” he asked as they neared the shore.

  She nodded and then realized he couldn’t see her head. Between chattering teeth, she answered. “No, just me.”

  His chest rumbled, the vibrations travelling through her, but she couldn’t say what it meant.

  Using the waves, he brought them into shore, and stumbled out of the water with her still on his back. Elle sucked in her breath as the cold air hit her back. It was worse than the water.

  Hardly able to breathe, she didn’t have a moment to tell him that her ankle was hurt when he set her down on the shore.

  Pain like she’d only experienced once before shot through her leg and with a scream, she fell into the sand.

  “Hell and damnation,” the man cursed, turning back to her. “What is it?”

  “My ankle,” she cried as she curled onto her side to clutch at the hurt limb.

  He dropped down next to her and carefully lifted the leg. “We’ll have to get the boot off. If yer ankle is too swollen, we might need to cut it away.”

  Her eyes bulged. “We can’t cut it. It’s the only pair I have.” They had once been beautiful leather boots and while they were now worn, they were at least whole.

  “All right, lass. We’ll try to remove it now.” Working quickly, he loosened the laces and then began to remove the shoe.

  She scrunched her face as she watched his massive hands work, but to her surprise, they were achingly gentle as they pulled the boot away. Without a word, he handed her the shoe and scooped her into his arms.

  The feel of his heat made her aware of how cold she’d become and she snuggled down into his massive chest. Sneaking a peek, she looked up at his features again. She’d only noted in the water that he was handsome, but now she took a better look. Dark brown eyes, fringed with dark lashes, drew her eye from the hard lines of his face. His square jaw and thick neck might have frightened her, but his lips softened them, full and near perfect. He was a man of contradiction, looking formidable and fierce but with a gentleness that had surprised her. Not that she’d allow that to lull her into feeling safe. She’d trusted a man to rescue her once, and she’d been far worse off for his supposed help.

  His long strides carried them up the hill and she had a moment to wonder how he moved so quickly with her weight in addition to his own.

  She didn’t realize her teeth were chattering until he leaned down and whispered in her ear. “We’re almost there.”

  “W-w-where?” she managed to push out between near-frozen lips.

  “My cottage,” he replied.

  She tried to make her mind work. She’d been near Laird McCullen’s lands, though the old laird had sold them. But McCullen had a large house on the water and the man holding her had said cottage. This must be one of the new laird’s workers? “McCullen’s lands?”

  “Not anymore,” he rumbled.

  Her insides tightened with uncertainty. Where was she being taken and with whom?

  Want to read more? https://amzn.to/2NanX8i

  Other Titles by Tammy

  Want a free novella?

  https://instafreebie.com/free/M0QWQ

  Wicked Lords of London

  Earl of Sussex

  My Duke’s Seduction

  My Duke’s Deception

  My Earl’s Entrapment

  A Laird to Love

  Christmastide with my Captain

  My Enemy, My Earl

  Heart of a Highlander

  A Scot’s Surrender

  A Laird’s Seduction

  The Earl’s Forsaken Bride

  Taming the Duke’s Heart

  Taming a Duke’s Reckless Heart (FREE!! Check it out today!)

  Taming a Duke’s Wild Rose

  Taming a Laird’s Wild Lady

  Taming a Rake into a Lord

  Taming a Savage Gentleman

  Taming a Rogue Earl

  Fairfield Fairy Tales

  Stealing a Lady’s Heart

  Hunting for a Lady’s Heart

  Entrapping a Lord’s Love

  American Historical Romance

  Lily in Bloom

  Midnight Magic

  The Golden Rules of Love

  Boxsets!!

  Taming the Duke’s Heart Books 1-3

  Taming the Duke’s Heart Books 4-6

  American Brides

  Join Tammy’s Newsletter!

  For all the latest news, giveaways and releases, join Tammy’s newsletter at www.tammyandresen.com!

  Want a free book?

  https://instafreebie.com/free/M0QWQ

  More about Tammy

  Tammy Andresen lives with her husband and three children just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up on the Seacoast of Maine, where she spent countless days dreaming up stories in blueberry fields and among the scrub pines that line the coast. Her mother loved to spin a yarn and Tammy filled many hours listening to her mother retell the classics. It was inevitable that at the age of 18, she headed off to Simmons College, where she studied English literature and education. She never left Massachusetts but some of her heart still resides in Maine and her family visits often.

  What the Critics are saying:

  “The characters are well-developed and interesting, the plot is edge-of-your-seat intriguing, and the setting is one with so much history. If you are a fan of history mixed with mystery and intrigue, you won't be disappointed.” Linda Thompson THE AUTHOR SHOW

  “While the relationship between Lily and Eric is the primary focus of this story, the mystery/suspense factor is what kept this from being JUST a historical romance. Lily in Bloom was a fast-paced, romantic read that I absolutely LOVED.” http://alysenovak.blogspot.com

  ”… it held not only a pure romance but the simple magic that goes with it. I was enchanted with this story from the beginning until the end and I didn’t want it to end. I wanted it to go on.” Robin

  Find out more about Tammy:

  http://tammyandresen.com

  https://www.facebook.com/authortammyandresen

  https://twitter.com/TammyAndresen

  https://www.pinterest.com/tammy_andresen/

  https://plus.google.com/+TammyAndresen/

  1)