A life forever changed
A heart on the mend
Mysterious events abound
To receive his family’s fortune, Sean Gunn must wed the lady
thrust upon him by his dying uncle. As a Gunn clan protector and guardsman, he’s
honor-bound to accept his uncle’s legacy and the woman whose voice alone
affects more than his heart.
Lady Frances Jordan never thought to feel the stirrings of
love since she’d lost her husband, but Sean Gunn’s irresistible manner and
handsomeness is just what she needs to move on with her life. He awakens her
desire with his passionate kisses and romantic gestures.
When many a lady goes missing near the border of Scotland
and England, Sean is determined to find out who the knave is. Frances becomes
the target of the would-be attacker and needs the aid of the Gunn protector.
Can Sean keep his lady safe and embroil himself in border politics to ferret
out the assailant?
Prologue excerpt A Highlander In Peril copyright @ 2019 Kara Griffin
Border
region, Selkirkshire, Scotland
January
1223
His craving was about to be sated. He’d kept his fervor at
bay but now lust sent its anxious tremble through his body for he hadn’t had a
woman in many months. Duty and travel kept him from his desires, and now that
he’d returned, he would appease his longing.
For more than a fortnight, he’d courted the lady, and she
like the others didn’t meet with his expectation. He’d sent gifts, poems, and
sweet gestures, in hopes to win her favor. Alas, the declarations did little to
sway her heart. It mattered not, because he would have her one way or another.
The selfish women dismissed his affections without care of
his feelings, and his desires turned from the deepest love to the dark yearning
now coursing through his blood. He would do anything to possess them. Why did
they deny him? Was he not as handsome as the young lords they chased after? Was
he not in a powerful position, having the ear of the king himself? There wasn’t
a single thing that should have caused their aversion of him and yet…
“Set her there on the log. Careful now, don’t muddle her
hair. Place her hands and legs as I instructed. She’s perfection.”
His brother, whom he paid handsomely to guard his secrets,
did as he bade. He gave his brother no choice but to assist, for his life would
be ended were he to refute his orders.
Once his brother set the lady on the log and positioned her
arms over her abdomen and crossed her legs, he turned to him for further
instruction. “Do you wish me to stay?”
“I will handle the matter from here. You may leave. Speak of
this to no one.”
“I won’t.” Without dispute, his brother left the dense
woods.
Now alone, he could do his will. He stood in the silent
frozen forest and gazed at her tranquil form. A light snow drifted through the
sparse branches overhead and the cold flakes hit his face. Her dressing was
impeccable, and for a brief moment, he thought she might be cold. The silk
fabric of her gown did little to protect her against the elements. She would
feel nothing for she wasn’t asleep.
Before he would take his pleasure, he pressed a
hefty-bloomed crimson rose between her dainty fingers. Joy came when he beheld
her lifeless body, lying in wait, holding the precious reminder of her
rejection. With a light caress to her dewy lips, he tasted the thorn apple powder
he’d put in her wine. He’d been prepared for her rejection and made his plans.
How easy she made it for him. Within an hour, she was akin to a lamb being
caught by the fox. He enjoyed watching the poison weave its spell upon her,
taking her soul from her once spry body, and ending once and for all her
aversion of him.
He ambled around the log, content to ogle her, and wished he
hadn’t had to end their liaison so soon. The chase always gratified him and
when he no longer enjoyed the game, there was only one way to ensure she
remained his. Though he’d spent a good amount of time courting her, he
suspected her abhorrence. Like the others, she pretended fondness when she had
her heart set on another.
As if the lady responded, he ceased his amble and gazed at
her. “How dare you dangle such a glorious prize before me and expect to throw
me over as though I’m nothing?”
He caressed her hair and slowly moved his hands over her
breast and down her body. “You’re remorseful? Ah, dearest, it’s too late for
regrets, my love.”
He knelt and ripped the rose from her grasp and held the
fragile blossom in his hand. With a whiff of the bloom’s fragrance, he sighed
and gently set it aside. “Why couldn’t you appreciate my gifts? You’ll never
receive adoring sentiments from another. Evermore, you shall be mine.”
Don't miss A Highlander In Peril
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M4IL96K
Great read if you love historical romance with highlanders then this is a must...
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