Highland Force Series - Book 1 | Add to Goodreads
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Wed by proxy to a baron old enough to be her grandfather, Lady Anne trudges up the gangway of a galleon that will deliver her into the arms of a tyrant. Crestfallen, she believes her disastrous life cannot get worse—until she awakes to the blasts of cannon fire.Facing certain death, Anne trembles in her stateroom while swords clash and the chilling screams of battle rage on the deck above. When a rugged Highlander kicks in her door, she prays for a swift end.But Laird Calum MacLeod has a reason for plundering the ship—and it’s not a stunning English lass. With no other choice, he takes Anne to his crumbling keep on the isle of Raasay and sends a letter of ransom to her husband. In time, Anne grows to understand MacLeod’s plight and finds it increasingly difficult to resist Calum’s unsettling charm—until the baron sends a reply agreeing to terms.Ripped from passion that will be forever seared into their souls, will Anne and Calum risk everything for love?
She
turned and caught him staring. He bowed and his heart melted when she smiled—a
smile with dimples that could light up the horizon. He half expected Anne to
turn up her pert little nose and head the other way.
Before
he could persuade himself otherwise, Calum pattered down the steps and stood
beside her. She watched the sunset and her warmth pulled him close like a
magnet.
“’Tis
beautiful,” she said when the sky shone with orange and pink, highlighted
against the strips of clouds that sailed toward the ship.
He
inhaled. Her scent ever so feminine, Calum inclined his head to capture more of
it. “Aye, milady.”
She
placed her hand on the rail. Again his reflexes took over and he rested his
palm atop it. Calum expected her to snatch it away, but she did not. Her
fingers were cold and he held his much warmer hand there as a comfort. They
stood in silence as the sun glowed orange-red on the horizon. He wanted to
stand there forever—touching her. Barely breathing, he watched the sun
disappear and held his hand still, unwilling to move it.
The
sun was replaced by darkness. Lady Anne slipped her hand out from under his and
the dark of the evening took up residence inside him. She was not his to lust
after. “May I walk you to your stateroom?”
“Yes.”
Her voice sounded husky. Had she felt the connection too? Of course not.
Calum
offered his arm and that same small, cold hand grasped it. “We’ll arrive at
Raasay in the morning.”
“Our
destination?”
“Aye.”
“Bran
told me.”
Secrets
were impossible to keep on a ship. “I will send a letter of ransom to yer
husband upon our arrival.” He didn’t like how that sounded—ye are my prisoner
until Lord Wharton pays for your release. But that’s how it had to be. If he
sailed up the mouth of the River Aln, he would incite yet another war between
Scotland and England—and this time his countrymen might side with the enemy.
When
they stepped into the corridor, warm air relaxed the tension in his shoulders.
Anne
stopped outside her cabin door, breasts straining against her bodice with every
breath. “I’ve never met him.”
Calum
forced himself to concentrate on her face. “Who?”
“Lord
Wharton.”
“What?
How?”
“We
were wed by proxy. My uncle made the arrangements.”
Ah
Jesus. Calum understood the way of highborn marriages, arranged for the trade
of lands and riches. “Ye ken he’s old enough to be your father?”
“He’s
three times my age plus one year to be exact. His children are older than I.”
A
hundred questions flooded his mind. “Why?” he clipped with shocked disbelief.
Anne
nodded as if fully understanding his monosyllabic inquiry. “I’m told the Baron
fancied me from across Westminster Abbey during the Queen’s coronation.”
“No.”
She doesn’t even know the bastard. That’s why she wears no ring.
“Yes.
My uncle said he kissed my hand, yet so many lords greeted me on that trip to
London, I’m at a loss to place him.”
The
despair in her lovely eyes twisted around his heart. “Mayhap ye will remember
if we playact it.” With a halfcocked grin, Calum reached for her hand. His
mouth went dry when her silken skin met the rough pads of his fingertips.
Though a grown woman, her fingers were fine and delicate.
When
she didn’t pull away, he moistened his lips and bowed. Hovering above her hand,
the soft scent of honeysuckle mixed with her—the unmistakable scent of woman
now more captivating than it had been on the deck—ignited his insides as if she
stood naked before him. Closing his eyes, he touched his lips to the back of
her hand and kissed. Anne’s sharp inhale made his skin shiver with gooseflesh.
She did not try to pull away but remained so still, her pulse beat a fierce
rhythm beneath.
Calum
held his lips there longer than necessary. He wanted this moment to linger. He
wanted a memory he could cherish long after she was gone. His eyes locked with
hers as he straightened. Her lips parted slightly, almost as if asking him to
kiss her mouth, but he knew she wouldn’t want that.
He
stood for a moment not saying a word. She did too.
“Any
recollection?” His voice rasped.
“No.”
Her voice low, she then blinked as if snapping back to the present. “You
mustn’t ever do that again.”
“Apologies,
milady.” Grinning, he opened her door and bowed, though he did not regret her
lack of recall.
Anne
stepped into her stateroom. Calum could not pull his gaze away until the door
closed and blocked the bewilderment reflected in her sapphire eyes. Calum
waited a moment and stared at the hardwood door—the same one he had kicked in
five nights ago. What the hell was he doing?
He
ground his teeth and headed back to the quarterdeck. He needed to get the lady
out of his life. She was not his to care for. Worst of all, she had wed the
enemy.
This book was fabulous! The characters were fantastic - even the minor characters had interesting personalities. Lady Anne was a spitfire which I loved and Calum didn't know what to do with her. She was perfect lady one moment and a brazen blunt argumentative monster the next. The plot was developed beyond pirate meets lady, they fall in love and fight to live happy ever after. I really wanted to know what was going on between Calum and Lady Anne's "husband." There were many twists that flipped my expectations upside down and I enjoyed every moment. The romance was built slowly and steadily with both parties chomping at the bit a little but "Captured by the Pirate Laird" has a well earned happy ever after. Definitely recommend for those of you who like historical type romances!
Amy has won multiple writing awards and lives in Utah with her husband, Bob. She writes
contemporary romance and Scottish historical romance. For fun, she hikes, bikes and plays a mean game of golf. Born in California, Amy holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Web site: http://www.amyjarecki.com/
Blog: http://amyjarecki.blogspot.com
Twitter: @amyjarecki
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyjarecki
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5306959.Amy_Jarecki
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