by Terry Spear
Red-faced, Sim was trying to wipe Mai’s gown off with the sleeve of his shirt, which had her maid blushing furiously and grabbing his hand to make him stop.
“My lady,” Sim quickly said, dropping into a bow. “The king wished me to inform the earl that I will be coming with you. I was in too much of a hurry and ran into the maid, I dare say, and apologize profusely.” He was as wet as her maid, and all Aila could do was laugh.
Until she recalled that Sim had some affection for the healer’s assistant and so there would be no blossoming romance between her maid and him.
“And the lass you were going to wed?”
“Oh.” He looked down at the floor. “She has already set her eyes upon some other lad.”
Aila smiled. “Well, then, Sim, I will pass the word along to the earl. And no harm done.” Except that her maid was thoroughly embarrassed. “Why dinna you change into something dry in our old chamber, Mai, and I will get the water.”
“Nay, ‘tis my duty,” Sim said, and offered to take the pitcher from her maid.
Mai glanced at Aila to see if it was all right.
“Thank you, Sim,” Aila said and she couldn’t help but think back to the way she had met Alban. One pitcher of water between them. And then later a kiss. Which had sealed their fate from the beginning.
Suddenly, Alban was joining her, his arm settling around her shoulders. “This reminds me of something that happened to me a while back.”
Mai and Sim waited to hear what the earl was referring to.
Aila took Alban’s hand and led him straight back into the chamber and shut the door. “We dinna need for everyone to know.”
And then they were kissing again, as the newly married were known to do. As long as they could be quick about it, they were eager to make love one more time before their long journey, as if that were the last time they might ever do so.
Which was not the case, she realized, as he made love to her in their tent at night, all the way across Scotland, and she couldn’t have cherished him any more than she did.
Then when they had eaten their meal for the night and were about to retire to their tent, they saw the white stag, as if it were leading them on their new adventure. Alban wrapped his arms around Aila and kissed her cheek, her back snuggled next to his chest as they stood watching the stag. The hart finally dipped his head a little and moved off into the woods.
Alban and Aila knew the stag was a sign of only good things to come.
Alban never believed he’d be so lucky when he went to the king’s festivities, disgruntled and hoping to stay with his men out in the glen. That all changed when he ran into Aila in the castle that first day, and couldn’t stop thinking about her after that. She had turned his world inside out in the best way possible.
Despite the long road ahead of them, settling into their new castle and being comfortable with the people there, he knew with Aila at his side, he could conquer any trouble, no matter how difficult. But until then, he concentrated on making the journey as comfortable for Aila as he could, though his brothers teased him about how in the past he would always push forward no matter the hour. And now he couldn’t wait to stop for the night to join his lovely bride. Which had his wife saying they could continue their journey, if they were delaying it too much. And Alban giving his brothers his battle-stern look that told them to say not another word, and them laughing as brothers are inclined to do.
***
Hope you have enjoyed Vexing the Highlander!
Also by Terry Spear
Heart of the Cougar Series:
Cougar’s Mate, Book 1
Call of the Cougar, Book 2
Taming the Wild Cougar, Book 3
Covert Cougar Christmas (Novella)
Double Cougar Trouble, Book 4
Cougar Undercover, Book 5
Heart of the Bear Series
Loving the White Bear, Book 1
The Highlanders Series: Winning the Highlander's Heart, The Accidental Highland Hero, Highland Rake, Taming the Wild Highlander, The Highlander, Her Highland Hero, The Viking’s Highland Lass, His Wild Highland Lass (novella), Vexing the Highlander (novella), My Highlander
Other historical romances: Lady Caroline & the Egotistical Earl, A Ghost of a Chance at Love
Heart of the Wolf Series: Heart of the Wolf, Destiny of the Wolf, To Tempt the Wolf, Legend of the White Wolf, Seduced by the Wolf, Wolf Fever, Heart of the Highland Wolf, Dreaming of the Wolf, A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing, A Howl for a Highlander, A Highland Werewolf Wedding, A SEAL Wolf Christmas, Silence of the Wolf, Hero of a Highland Wolf, A Highland Wolf Christmas, A SEAL Wolf Hunting; A Silver Wolf Christmas, A SEAL Wolf in Too Deep, Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply, Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, SEAL Wolf Undercover (2017), Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas (2017), Flight of the White Wolf (2018), Billionaire Wolf Christmas (2018)
SEAL Wolves: To Tempt the Wolf, A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing, A SEAL Wolf Christmas, A SEAL Wolf Hunting, A SEAL Wolf in Too Deep, SEAL Wolf Undercover (2017)
Silver Bros Wolves: Destiny of the Wolf, Wolf Fever, Dreaming of the Wolf, Silence of the Wolf, A Silver Wolf Christmas, Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply, Between a Rock and a Hard Place (2017)
White Wolves: Legend of the White Wolf, Dreaming of a White Wolf Christmas (2017)
Billionaire Wolves: Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing, Billionaire Wolf Christmas (2018)
Highland Wolves: Heart of the Highland Wolf, A Howl for a Highlander, A Highland Werewolf Wedding, Hero of a Highland Wolf, A Highland Wolf Christmas
Heart of the Jaguar Series: Savage Hunger, Jaguar Fever, Jaguar Hunt, Jaguar Pride, A Very Jaguar Christmas
Romantic Suspense: Deadly Fortunes, In the Dead of the Night, Relative Danger, Bound by Danger
Vampire romances: Killing the Bloodlust, Deadly Liaisons, Huntress for Hire, Forbidden Love
Vampire Novellas: Vampiric Calling, Siren’s Lure, Seducing the Huntress
Other Romance: Exchanging Grooms, Marriage, Las Vegas Style
Science Fiction Romance: Galaxy Warrior
Teen/Young Adult/Fantasy Books
The World of Fae:
The Dark Fae, Book 1
The Deadly Fae, Book 2
The Winged Fae, Book 3
The Ancient Fae, Book 4
Dragon Fae, Book 5
Hawk Fae, Book 6
Phantom Fae, Book 7
Golden Fae, Book 8
Falcon Fae, Book 9
The World of Elf:
The Shadow Elf
The Darkland Elf (TBA)
* * *
Blood Moon Series:
Kiss of the Vampire
The Vampire…In My Dreams
Demon Guardian Series:
The Trouble with Demons
Demon Trouble, Too
Demon Hunter (TBA)
* * *
Non-Series for Now:
Ghostly Liaisons
The Beast Within
Courtly Masquerade
Deidre's Secret
* * *
The Magic of Inherian:
The Scepter of Salvation
The Mage of Monrovia
Emerald Isle of Mists (TBA)
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Donna Fournier, Dottie Jones, and Vonda Sinclair for being my beta readers and helping to make it the best it could be!
About the Author
Bestselling and award-winning author Terry Spear has written over sixty paranormal romance novels and four medieval Highland historical romances. Her first werewolf romance, Heart of the Wolf, was named a 2008 Publishers Weekly’s Best Book of the Year, and her subsequent titles have garnered high praise and hit the USA Today bestseller list. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry lives in Spring, Texas, where she is working on her next werewolf romance, throwing jaguars into the mix, and delving into some earlier wolf packs who are begging for attention. For more information, please visit www.terryspear.com, or follow her on Tw
itter, @TerrySpear. She is also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/terry.spear.
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