“Christ, we doona want to drown her, Darach—or knock the lungs right out of her. Maybe you should give her to one of us to hold for a while?” Lachlan’s laughing eyes told Darach his foster brother deliberately provoked him. Another time-honored tradition.
Gare jumped in. “Oh, aye. I’ll hold the lass.”
“You?” Brodie asked. “You canna even hold your own sword. Do you think those skinny arms will keep her safe? I’ll hold the lass.” Brodie was a few years older than Gare and had already filled out into a fine-looking man. He was a rogue with the lasses, and they all loved him for it. No way in hell would he be holding her.
“Cease. Both of you,” said Oslow. “If anyone other than our laird holds the lass, it will be Laird MacKay. If she be a lady, she’ll not want to be held by the likes of you.”
Darach glowered at Lachlan, who grinned.
Then she stirred, drawing everyone’s attention. They waited as her eyelids quivered before opening. A collective gasp went up from the men, Darach included.
He couldn’t help it, for the lass staring up at him had the eyes of an angel.
They dominated her sweet face—big, round, innocent. And the color—Darach couldn’t get over the color. A piercing, light blue surrounded by a rim of dark blue.
A shiver of desire, followed by unease, coursed through him. He tamped down the unwelcome feeling.
“Sweet Mary,” Gare whispered. “She’s a faery, aye?”
All except Lachlan looked at Darach for confirmation. He cleared his throat before speaking, trying to break the spell she’d cast over him. Not a faery, but maybe a witch.
“Nay, lad,” he replied, voice rough. “She’s naught but a bonny maid.”
“A verra bonny maid,” Lachlan agreed.
Her throat moved again, and Darach lifted the flask. Opening her mouth, she drank slowly, hand atop his, eyes never leaving his face. He couldn’t look away.
When she’d had enough, she pressed his hand. He removed it, and she stared up at him, blinking slowly and licking her lips. Her pink tongue tempted him, and he quelled the urge to capture it in his mouth.
Then she raised her hand and traced her fingers over his lips and along his nose, caressed his forehead to the scar that sliced through his brow, gently scraped her nails through the whiskers on his jaw.
A more sensual act he’d never experienced, and shivers raced over his skin.
Finally, she spoke. “Par l’amour de Dieu, etes-vous un ange?”
Check out book one in
The Sons of Gregor MacLeod series
Highland Promise
On sale now
Acknowledgments
I had a crazy year last year. Baptism by fire as I got swept into the world of publishing and put on my professional-writer hat. What did I discover? How much I had to learn about everything! I was no longer just sitting by myself in my chair, writing stories when I wasn’t being a mom. I was writing one story, editing another, and doing a final read-through on a third; having a website built; learning about newsletters and blogs; sending a gazillion emails about everything; and attempting to conquer all things social media.
I thought my brain might explode. Especially as Highland Betrayal took a lot more coaxing to reveal itself to me than either Highland Promise or Highland Conquest.
But I got through the fire—maybe a little burnt but still OK—because I had people who helped me out of the flames. Not just people—teams of people! Team Sourcebooks, Team Home Front, and Team Romance Writers!
Team Sourcebooks: Cat Clyne, Rachel Gilmer, Stefani Sloma. These are my main peeps at Sourcebooks who shepherd me through editing, production, and promotion, and they do it with intelligence, professionalism, hard work, humor, kindness, and understanding. They are my first cheering squad and do whatever they can to help me make and sell the best books possible. Thanks to all three of you! There are also people at Sourcebooks with whom I don’t work directly but who create my gorgeous covers, promote my books to other markets, and so much more! Thank you, Team Sourcebooks!
Team Home Front: I couldn’t do this job without having help with my kids. First and foremost, hugs and kisses to my husband, Ken, who steps up whenever he can, even though he also works long, demanding hours. To my dad, Jim, who will have two five-year-olds down for breakfast so I can sleep in after a late night writing, or will pick them up from school or come upstairs just to watch them color when I’m pushing a deadline. To Courtney, my lifesaver, who put on her flip-flops, grabbed the kids, the puppy, and the car keys, and took all three of my babies on lots of summertime adventures. To Cherie, who will take on my two and never bat an eye when I only have to take on one of hers in return. Thank you, Team Home Front!
Team Romance Writers: Hey You Guys! Big thanks go out to all my fellow romance writers. They are the best group of writers evah! Here at home, I get to chat about all things publishing with the gals at GVWA and with Eileen Cook and Alexia Adams, who are always up for wine, appies, and inappropriate humor. In addition, I chat online almost daily with my fellow Mermaids and members of the Golden Network, who offer so much support, information, and laughter. A few of these women I text with daily (sometimes hourly!) as we each race toward our deadlines, try to figure out promo or how we can possibly manage all the different hats we wear. For the past year, those women have been Layla Reyne, Melonie Faith Johnson, and Kari Cole. Love you, ladies! Lastly, a special thanks to the fellow writers who helped me in all the other aspects of being a writer this year—the brilliant Crystal Stranaghan, who created my gorgeous website and knows everything there is to know about self-publishing, and the amazingly diverse and knowledgeable Monica Burns, who held my hand, got me set up, and taught me everything else I had to know. Thank you, Team Romance Writers!
About the Author
Alyson McLayne is a mom of twins and an award-winning writer of contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance. She’s also a dog lover and cat servant with a serious stash of dark chocolate. After getting her degree in theater at the University of Alberta, she promptly moved to the west coast of Canada, where she worked in film for several years and met her prop master husband.
Alyson has been nominated for several Romance Writers of America contests, including the Golden Heart, the Golden Pen, the Orange Rose, Great Expectations, the Molly, and the Winter Rose.
Her self-published works in short contemporary romance include her Sizzling, Sexy, Santa Barbara series—The Fabrizio Bride, The D’amici Mistake, and The Berrucci Rules. The Fabrizio Bride was recently nominated for the RONE Awards.
Alyson and her family reside in Vancouver with their sweet but troublesome chocolate Lab puppy named Jasper.
Please visit her at alysonmclayne.com and look her up on Facebook (facebook.com/AlysonMcLayne) or Twitter (@AlysonMcLayne). She loves chatting with her readers!
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Highland Betrayal Page 31
