Seduced by a Highlander Read online

  “Ye’re even bonnier in the moonlight.”

  His deep voice played over her nerve endings as if on a drum. Her palms felt moist and her breath labored. How dare he speak to her as if he were her suitor, or more?

  She turned to face him fully. “Why do ye waste yer flowery words on me, when there are at least a hundred ladies in the Palace who would enjoy hearing them? What compels ye to take interest in me, Tristan MacGregor? Our clans are sworn enemies. My name is spat with contempt from yer kin’s lips, as yers is from mine. So, tell me why?”

  Judging by the way he stared at her, as if he was finally at a loss for words, Isobel guessed that no woman had ever questioned his motives before. But then his gaze skimmed across her hair, over the bridge of her nose, softening on her lips.

  “Ye’re a flame, Isobel,” he said, lifting his eyes to meet hers. “And a flame is more allurin’ than a pile of embers.”

  “Scottish romance at its very best! Deliciously romantic and sensual, SEDUCED BY A HIGHLANDER captures the heart of the Highlands in a tender, passionate romance that you won’t be able to put down.”

  —MONICA MCCARTY, New York Times bestselling author

  Praise for the novels of PAULA QUINN

  Ravished by a Highlander

  “Deftly combines historical fact and powerful romance… There’s much more than just sizzling sensuality: History buffs will love the attention to period detail and cameos by real-life figures, and the protagonists embody compassion, responsibility, and unrelenting, almost self-sacrificial honor. Quinn’s seamless prose and passionate storytelling will leave readers hungry for future installments.”

  —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

  “4½ Stars! TOP PICK! Quinn once again captures the aura of the Highlands. Here is an amazing love story where characters’ deep emotions and sense of honor for their countrymen will enchant readers.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “Incomparable… Paula Quinn expertly interweaves fact and fiction so well that you will come to truly believe every one of her characters can be found in the pages of history… Ms. Quinn has a gift for creating characters for whom you genuinely feel affection and even come to adore, and this couple are two of the most memorable I have had the pleasure of reading lately… a romantic adventure of the heart, where emotional confrontations leave an unforgettable impact.”

  —SingleTitles.com

  “5 Stars! I found myself amazed… The writing style is so vivid, I could almost see the scenery and hear the battles within the halls of Camlochlin Castle. This author is one to watch!”

  —HuntressReviews.com

  “I absolutely enjoyed this book. It’s full of action, adventure, and more than a little bit of passion… This was my first venture into Paula Quinn’s writing, but it will not be my last.”

  —NightOwlReviews.com

  A Highlander Never Surrenders

  “4½ Stars! TOP PICK! Quinn uses her wit and whimsy to develop memorable characters who steal your heart… a romance that brings passion and history to life.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “5 stars! Paula Quinn is a master storyteller and her gifted skill stands out in each enchanting scene of this breathtaking story…. As for the suspenseful action and secretive mysteries in the story, Ms. Quinn is unparalleled when it comes to keeping the reader riveted… an innovative and unforgettable love story.”

  —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

  “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.”

  —RomRevToday.com

  “Claire is a proud, stubborn warrior princess… 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. 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. Quinn has done awesome research…. With this story’s strong plot, wonderful repartee, and well-developed characters, this is a 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.”

  —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 a 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

  Ravished by a Highlander

  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 ac
tual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright © 2010 by Paula Quinn

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

  Excerpt from Ravished 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: September 2010

  ISBN: 978-0-446-57479-2

  Contents

  Copyright

  Praise for the novels of PAULA QUINN

  Also by Paula Quinn

  The Prodigal Son

  Prologue

  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

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  Chapter Thirty-nine

  Chapter Forty

  A preview of Tamed by a Highlander

  A preview of Ravished by a Highlander

  THE DISH

  To knights and the ladies who love them…

  and to Dan, my one and only.

  The Prodigal Son

  CAMPBELL KEEP

  GLEN ORCHY, SCOTLAND

  1675

  Prologue

  Well, we all know that Tristan would have won the competition if not for what happened. No one can outrun him.” Robert Campbell, Eleventh Earl of Argyll, turned to his nephew sitting beside him, smiled, and winked.

  Sitting across from them in the earl’s private solar, Callum MacGregor growled in agreement. “Aye, that’s why the bastard Fergusson tripped him and provoked a fight. It should be his nose broken instead of my son’s.”

  “I did manage to land a solid punch to his jaw, faither,” Tristan defended. “Besides, it doesna’ pain me anymore.” He lifted his finger to his wounded nose. It still hurt like hell, but MacGregors did not whine or weep about broken bones. “ ’Tis Alex Fergusson’s honor that will be more difficult to repair.”

  “Well spoken,” his uncle commended, patting him on the shoulder. “You have the blood of knights in you and will grow to be a man of honor.”

  Tristan swelled with pride.

  “I like the way it crooks slightly at the bridge.” Kate MacGregor set down her embroidery to aim her most loving smile at her son. “Now you look even more like your uncle. Does he not, Anne?”

  Robert’s bonnie wife looked up from her needle and agreed. “He’s just as pretty. Even with the blackened eyes.”

  Tristan blushed and then pushed his shoulder into his sister when she laughed at him.

  “I fear the boy’s nose would need to suffer a few more breaks before it resembles mine.” Robert Campbell picked up his nephew’s hand, curled it into a fist, and then covered it with his own. “Remember, blocking is as important as the speed of your punch.”

  Sipping his ale by the fire, Graham Grant, closest friend to the MacGregors and the Campbells of Argyll, kicked the tip of his boot into the MacGregor Chief’s ankle. “Callum, ye’re not allowing Robbie to instruct yer son in the art of hand-to-hand combat, are ye?”

  “Doubting my skill,” Robert said smoothly, “only proves that you are a poor teacher, Graham.”

  “I admit yer skills have improved vastly under my training over the years,” Graham replied playfully. “But had I been teaching Tristan, young Alex Fergusson would be missing a few teeth right now and mayhap an appendage or two.”

  Robert smiled and looked down at Tristan while the warriors around them all agreed that the troublesome Fergusson lad would someday find himself impaled on someone’s blade—preferably Tristan’s.

  “Remember also”—he leaned down so that only Tristan could hear him—“that there are many moments in a man’s life when the choices he makes will decide his destiny.”

  Tristan nodded. He understood that while warrior blood ran through his veins, it was not always necessary to do the most possible damage to his opponent—the fact that his father did not always agree with that sentiment sometimes made Tristan wish that the earl was his father instead of the Chief. He thought about his choice to fight Alex after he had picked himself off the floor. He wasn’t expecting the boy’s fist to fly as fast as it did. All he remembered after Alex hit him was the taste of blood in his mouth and his and Alex’s fathers shouting at each other. After that, his mother would not let him compete in the rest of the games—three of which he knew he could have won. He’d changed his destiny all right, and come home with nothing but a bloody nose.

  The sudden crash at the door brought the men in the solar to their feet. The shouts from beyond it drew their hands to the hilts of their swords.

  “MacGregor!” Someone outside the keep roared. “Come out and face me, if ye have the courage! Ye will not insult me and my kin and live another night!”

  Tristan barely heard his father ordering the women and children above stairs. He watched, all color draining from his face, as Graham and his uncle went to the door. It was Alex Fergusson’s father out there. Had he come to kill his father over a child’s fight?

  “Tristan, go!” his father commanded, but Tristan could not move. He could barely breathe. This was his fault. The men were going to fight; his father could possibly die because of him. He reached out his hand, as if to stop his father when he strode toward the door. “Dinna’ leave.” He wanted to shout it, but the plea broke through his lips as quietly as a whisper. He was only ten and four. They wouldn’t listen to him.

  “Show yer face, Fergusson!” Callum shouted, pushing past his brother-in-law and his best friend and swinging open the heavy door. “Show yer face and I’ll tell ye once again that ye’re the son of a pig!”

  More shouting ensued, but his mother pulling on his arm distracted Tristan. As he was led away to a room above stairs, he looked over his shoulder in time to see Graham and his uncle leave the keep behind his father.

  “I should be with them.” Tristan’s eldest brother tried to push past their mother, but she blocked the door with her body and held up her hand to stop him.

  “Your father will be fine, Rob. Sit down with your brothers. Please, my son.”

  Och, God, let him be fine, Tristan prayed. He felt sick to his stomach and a wee bit dizzy as wave after wave of fear engulfed him. His sister was crying in Lady Anne’s lap. The sound of her weeping made Tristan want to run from the room and dash outside. Would Alex’s father go back home if
he apologized? He would do anything… anything to make the pain in his head, his guts, his heart go away. If anything were to befall his father…

  A mournful roar pierced his gloom and stilled every other sound in the room. Graham’s wife paled and drew her sword. “I’m going down there.” Without waiting for anyone’s approval, she pulled on the door and ran for the stairs. Her cries an instant later sent terror through the keep and into the hearts of everyone she left behind.

  Tristan was not the first one to leave the room. When he stepped out of it, though, he wished he had remained and bolted the door, never to come out again. He had been afraid for his father’s life. It hadn’t occurred to him that someone else might die. And never, never him.

  “They are goin’ to die fer this!” he heard his father cry from somewhere deep in his chest. “They are all goin’ to die.”

  Tristan descended the stairs so slowly it felt as if he wasn’t really moving at all. Everything felt… unreal. It had to be. That could not be his uncle’s limp body being set on the floor by his father’s trembling hands, an arrow jutting from his chest. Robert Campbell could not be dead. He was too strong, too courageous and honorable to be struck down under cover of night, over a choice a child had made to fight. Too numb to cry just yet and too filled with despair and guilt to do anything but stand frozen in that terrible moment, he watched his mother and Anne fall to their knees, their anguished wails filling every corner of Campbell Keep.