Ravished by a Highlander Read online

  SHE KNEW SHE SHOULD STOP HIM,

  BUT SHE WANTED HIM TOO MUCH.

  His fingers slipped behind her nape, drawing her closer. The stroke of his tongue coaxing her lips apart sent fire through her veins. When he deepened the kiss, she had the feeling of falling deep into a chasm where only he existed, ready and waiting to catch her.

  Then he let her go.

  “Forgive me.” His voice broke on a ragged breath. “I fear I canna’ resist ye.”

  She watched his lips while he spoke, enraptured by their sensuous contours, remembering how they felt pressed against hers, how he tasted. He was always so in control.

  She wanted to tell him the truth about everything, but not now. She would tell him later and pray he would not turn her away. Now, she wanted him to kiss her again….

  Praise for the novels of

  PAULA QUINN

  A HIGHLANDER NEVER SURRENDERS

  “Five stars! Paula Quinn is a master storyteller and her gifted skill stands out in each enchanting scene of this breathtaking story…. Graham and Claire are a couple about whom I came to care deeply. As for the suspenseful action and secretive mysteries in the story, Ms. Quinn is unparalleled when it comes to keeping the reader riveted…. A Highlander Never Surrenders is an innovative and unforgettable love story which will fill your dreams and touch your heart.”

  — SingleTitles.com

  “Sparks fly between Claire and Graham…. The love scenes are hot and romantic…. I also liked the historical quality of the book; the author did a fine job of providing different viewpoints of the Scottish situation.”

  — LikesBooks.com

  “Ooh, if ever a man met his match it’s in A Highlander Never Surrenders…. The author does a fabulous job of making history come alive…. With plenty of humor, romance, and characters you can’t help but fall in love with, this charming story is sure to please and leave you sighing for more. Get your copy of A Highlander Never Surrenders and fall in love with history and romance all over again.”

  — RomRevToday.com

  “I enjoyed Paula Quinn’s Highlanders in this story…. Claire is a proud, stubborn warrior princess… Robert believes in the cause that he’s fighting for, and it’s admirable to see the honor within him because I really enjoyed his character…. Graham is a great hero and a delicious one at that… everything he stood for—brotherhood and honor—made me love him all the more.”

  — TheBookBinge.com

  “A sexy romance. Passionate emotions abound as historical politics, honor, betrayals, and irresistible love draw unlikely forces together…. Paula Quinn makes history and romance come alive as passions both personal and political collide, setting hearts ablaze… inspires late night reading!”

  — MerrimonBookReviews.com

  “5 Stars! [A] gripping tale of seventeenth-century romance. Paula Quinn has done awesome research…. Graham is the quintessential Highland hero, lusty, strong, and with a strong sense of honor and justice…. With this story’s strong plot, wonderful repartee, and well-developed characters, this is truly a book that will captivate you and one you won’t want to put down! Definitely a top pick and I look forward to more great reads from this very talented writer!”

  — FreshFiction.com

  “I love the characters! At some points of the book, I couldn’t help but laugh, while at others I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how on earth they were going to get out of such a predicament!… Overall, a great read.”

  — ArmchairInterviews.com

  “Fast-paced… A great story, full of romance and adventure. Claire is a regular Amazon of a heroine, equal to or better than most men in battle, and beautiful to boot. Graham is pretty near irresistible.”

  — CoffeeTimeRomance.com

  LAIRD OF THE MIST

  “4½ Stars! TOP PICK! Quinn captures the aura of the Highlands brilliantly, delivering a tale rife with Scottish lore and infamous feuds. She combines passion, history, danger, and intrigue to perfection.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “The romance is special, the characters are terrific, and there is plenty of action and suspense. Paula Quinn outdoes herself this time. Bravo!”

  — RomanceReviewsMag.com

  “The Highlands of Scotland come alive in Laird of the Mist…. Paula Quinn knows exactly how to capture the imagination of her readers by giving them memorable characters and enthralling plots.”

  — SingleTitles.com

  LORD OF SEDUCTION

  “Quinn is an author to watch.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  “4 Stars! Readers will fly through the pages and wiggle in their seats…. Feast on this medieval banquet!”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “Passion, peril, and plenty of medieval political intrigue… expertly crafted historical romance.”

  —Booklist

  LORD OF TEMPTATION

  “Features a sinfully sexy hero who meets his match in a strong-willed heroine…. An excellent choice for readers who like powerful, passion-rich medieval romances.”

  —Booklist

  “Quinn’s lively romance… offers two spirited protagonists as well as engaging minor characters…. The sharp repartee and dramatic finale make this a pleasant read.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  LORD OF DESIRE

  “4 Stars!… fast-paced and brimming with biting, sexy repartee, and a sensual cat-and-mouse game.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “Gloriously passionate… boldly sensual… Quinn deftly enhances her debut with just enough historical details to give a vivid sense of time and place.”

  —Booklist

  “An emotional and compelling story that brings together a strong but wounded hero and spirited and determined heroine. The characters quickly immerse the reader into their lives.”

  — RomanceJunkies.com

  ALSO BY PAULA QUINN

  Lord of Desire

  Lord of Temptation

  Lord of Seduction

  Laird of the Mist

  A Highlander Never Surrenders

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2010 by Paula Quinn

  Excerpt from Seduced by a Highlander copyright © 2010 by Paula Quinn

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Forever

  Hachette Book Group

  237 Park Avenue

  New York, NY 10017

  Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com.

  www.twitter.com/foreverromance

  Forever is an imprint of Grand Central Publishing. The Forever name and logo is a trademark of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  First eBook Edition: May 2010

  ISBN: 978-0-446-56960-6

  Contents

  Copyright

  The Firstborn

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter
Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Chapter Thirty-six

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  A Preview of Seduced by a Highlander

  The Dish

  To my Mom—

  Your strength knows no bounds…

  The Firstborn

  SOUTHERN SCOTTISH BORDER

  SPRING 1685

  Chapter One

  High atop Saint Christopher’s Abbey, Davina Montgomery stood alone in the bell tower, cloaked in the silence of a world she did not know. Darkness had fallen hours ago and below her the sisters slept peacefully in their beds, thanks to the men who had been sent here to guard them. But there was little peace for Davina. The vast, indigo sky filling her vision was littered with stars that seemed close enough to touch should she reach out her hand. What would she wish for? Her haunted gaze slipped southward toward England, and then with a longing just as powerful, toward the moonlit mountain peaks of the north. Which life would she choose if the choice were hers to make? A world where she’d been forgotten, or one where no one knew her? She smiled sadly against the wind that whipped her woolen novice robes around her. What good was it to ponder when her future had already been decreed? She knew what was to come. There were no variations. That is, if she lived beyond the next year. She looked away from the place she could never go and the person she could never be.

  She heard the soft fall of footsteps behind her but did not turn. She knew who it was.

  “Poor Edward. I imagine your heart must have failed you when you did not find me in my bed.”

  When he remained quiet she felt sorry for teasing him about the seriousness of his duty. Captain Edward Asher had been sent here to protect her four years ago, after Captain Geoffries had taken ill and was relieved of his command. Edward had become more than her guardian. He was her dearest friend, someone she could confide in here within the thick walls that sheltered her from the schemes of her enemies. Edward knew her fears and accepted her faults.

  “I knew where to find you,” he finally said, his voice just above a whisper.

  He always did know. Not that there were many places to look. Davina was not allowed to venture outside the Abbey gates so she came to the bell tower often to let her thoughts roam free.

  “My lady—”

  She turned at his soft call, putting away her dreams and desires behind a tender smile. Those she kept to herself and did not share, even with him.

  “Please, I…” he began, meeting her gaze and then stumbling through the rest as if the face he looked upon every day still struck him as hard as it had the first time he’d seen her. He was in love with her, and though he’d never spoken his heart openly, he did not conceal how he felt. Everything was there in his eyes, his deeds, his devotion; and a deep regret that Davina suspected had more to do with her than he would ever have the boldness to admit. Her path had been charted for another course and she could never be his. “Lady Montgomery, come away from here, I beg you. It is not good to be alone.”

  He worried for her so and she wished he wouldn’t. “I’m not alone, Edward,” she reassured. If her life remained as it was now, she would find a way to be happy. She always did. “I have been given much.”

  “It’s true,” he agreed, moving closer to her and then stopping himself, knowing what she knew. “You have been taught to fear the Lord and love your king. The sisters love you, as do my men. It will always be so. We are your family. But it is not enough.” He knew she would never admit it, so he said it for her.

  It had to be enough. It was safer this way, cloistered away from those who would harm her if ever they discovered her after the appointed time.

  That time had come.

  Davina knew that Edward would do anything to save her. He told her often, each time he warned her of her peril. Diligently, he taught her to trust no one, not even those who claimed to love her. His lessons often left her feeling a bit hopeless, though she never told him that, either.

  “Would that I could slay your enemies,” he swore to her now, “and your fears along with them.”

  He meant to comfort her, but good heavens, she didn’t want to discuss the future on such a breathtaking night. “Thanks to you and God,” she said, leaving the wall to go to him and tossing him a playful smile, “I can slay them myself.”

  “I agree,” he surrendered, his good mood restored by the time she reached him. “You’ve learned your lessons in defense well.”

  She rested her hand on his arm and gave it a soft pat. “How could I disappoint you when you risked the Abbess’s consternation to teach me?”

  He laughed with her, both of them comfortable in their familiarity. But too soon he grew serious again.

  “James is to be crowned in less than a se’nnight.”

  “I know.” Davina nodded and turned toward England again. She refused to let her fears control her. “Mayhap,” she said with a bit of defiance sparking her doleful gaze, “we should attend the coronation, Edward. Who would think to look for me at Westminster?”

  “My lady…” He reached for her. “We cannot. You know—”

  “I jest, dear friend.” She angled her head to speak to him over her shoulder, carefully cloaking the struggle that weighed heaviest upon her heart, a struggle that had nothing to do with fear. “Really, Edward, must we speak of this?”

  “Yes, I think we should,” he answered earnestly, then went on swiftly, before she could argue, “I’ve asked the Abbess if we can move you to Courlochcraig Abbey in Ayr. I’ve already sent word to—”

  “Absolutely not,” she stopped him. “I will not leave my home. Besides, we have no reason to believe that my enemies know of me at all.”

  “Just for a year or two. Until we’re certain—”

  “No,” she told him again, this time turning to face him fully. “Edward, would you have us leave the sisters here alone to face our enemies should they come seeking me? What defense would they have without the strong arms of you and your men? They will not leave St. Christopher’s, nor will I.”

  He sighed and shook his head at her. “I cannot argue when you prove yourself more courageous than I. I pray I do not live to regret it. Very well, then.” The lines of his handsome face relaxed. “I shall do as you ask. For now though,” he added, offering her his arm, “allow me to escort you to your chamber. The hour is late and the Reverend Mother will show you no mercy when the cock crows.”

  Davina rested one hand in the crook of his arm and waved away his concern with the other. “I don’t mind waking with the sun.”

  “Why would you,” he replied, his voice as light now as hers as he led her out of the belfry, “when you can just fall back to sleep in the Study Hall.”

  “It was only the one time that I actually slept,” she defended, slapping his arm softly. “And don’t you have more important things to do with your day than follow me around?”

  “Three times,” he corrected, ignoring the frown he knew was false. “Once, you even snored.”

  Her eyes, as they descended the stairs, were as wide as her mouth. “I have never snored in my life!”

  “Save for that one time, then?”

  She looked about to deny his charge again, but bit her curling lip instead. “And once during Sister Bernadette’s piano recital. I had penance for a week. Do you remember?”

  “How could I forget?” he laughed. “My men did no chores the entire time, preferring to
listen at your door while you spoke aloud to God about everything but your transgression.”

  “God already knew why I fell asleep,” she explained, smiling at his grin. “I did not wish to speak poorly of Sister Bernadette’s talent, or lack of it, even in my own defense.”

  His laughter faded, leaving only a smile that looked to be painful as their walk ended and they stood at her door. When he reached out to take her hand, Davina did her best not to let the surprise in her eyes dissuade him from touching her. “Forgive my boldness, but there is something I must tell you. Something I should have told you long ago.”

  “Of course, Edward,” she said softly, keeping her hand in his. “You know you may always speak freely to me.”

  “First, I would have you know that you have come to mean—”

  “Captain!”

  Davina leaned over the stairwell to see Harry Barns, Edward’s second in command, plunge through the Abbey doors. “Captain!” Harry shouted up at them, his face pale and his breath heavy from running. “They are coming!”

  For one paralyzing moment, Davina doubted the good of her ears. She’d been warned of this day for four years, but had always prayed it would not come. “Edward,” she asked hollowly, on the verge of sheer panic, “how did they find us so soon after King Charles’s death?”

  He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head back and forth as if he too refused to believe what he was hearing. But there was no time for doubt. Spinning on his heel, he gripped her arm and hauled her into her room. “Stay here! Lock your door!”

  “What good will that do us?” She sprang for her quiver and bow and headed back to the door, and to Edward blocking it. “Please, dear friend. I do not want to cower alone in my room. I will fire from the bell tower until it is no longer safe to do so.”

  “Captain!” Barns raced up the stairs, taking three at a time. “We need to prepare. Now!”