Highlander Unmasked Read Online Free PDF

a very impressive one. Beneath the heavily embroidered silk of his black doublet, Meg discerned broad shoulders and well-muscled—exceedingly well-muscled—arms. Her pulse jumped. His powerful legs, clad in fitted black venetians, left no doubt of his strength. In a room of colorful satin and silk, he stuck out for his dark masculinity. Even standing next to Jamie, who was a good five inches over six feet, he dominated the room. Although perhaps an inch or two shorter than Jamie, he appeared much larger owing to the solid muscle of his frame.
    “Who is he?” Meg asked in what she hoped was an appropriately nonchalant tone.
    “I haven’t seen him in years,” Elizabeth answered. “But I’m almost certain that it’s Alex MacLeod.”
    Meg raised a brow and tried not to get ahead of herself. “Brother to Chief Rory MacLeod of Dunvegan?” Rory Mor was one of the most revered chiefs in the Isles and a longtime ally of her father’s. An alliance with the MacLeods would be an excellent one.
    Elizabeth nodded.
    Vaguely, Meg recalled a gangly youth with sun-drenched blond hair and a heart-stopping lopsided grin. Many years ago, Alex had accompanied his brother to the Highland games held at Dunakin Castle one spring. Though Meg was too young herself, she recalled that he sent many female hearts a-patter at Dunakin with that grin.
    She frowned, suddenly remembering something else. Meg hoped seeing Alex again wouldn’t be too awkward for her friend. At one time, Elizabeth was to have married Chief Rory Mor.
    Confident that Elizabeth was showing no signs of discomfort, Meg returned her attention to the new arrival. It was odd how still he stood. Stone still. Watchful. Completely vigilant of his surroundings. Like a soldier. There was something in his stance that gave her a whisper of trepidation.
    Her brows drew together across her nose. “I’ve heard nothing of Alex MacLeod in years.”
    “Neither have I,” Elizabeth said. “It’s strange, isn’t it?”
    “Very,” Meg agreed, always intrigued by a mystery.
    Jamie saw her and smiled. He pointed in her direction and started heading toward her. The man turned, and anticipation prickled at the back of her neck as a strong, rugged profile and, moments later, a breathtakingly handsome face came into view. She gasped. Piercing blue eyes pinned her to the ground.
    Her heart dropped to her feet.
    She would know those ice blue eyes anywhere.
    It was him.
    Her warrior.
    She should have recognized the battle-hardened physique. Admittedly, he looked different. But a shave and a haircut could not disguise the man who’d haunted her dreams.
    Without the beard, the true masculine beauty of his face was revealed to startling perfection. His features combined the refined edge of the MacLeod’s Norse ancestors with the raw masculinity of the Celt. Tanned to a dark bronze, his skin gave proof of time spent outdoors beneath the hot summer sun. The hard angles of his cheeks and square jaw were exactly as she remembered. Now, bereft of whiskers, she could see the slight cleft in his chin and smattering of small scars across his nose and cheekbones. Another thin scar cut through his left brow, lending a wicked edge to an otherwise almost too perfect face.
    She was surprised to discover that his hair was more blond than brown, much lighter than she’d expected. It reflected the light like a golden halo.
    Though there was nothing angelic about this man.
    The dark expression on his face took her aback. His gaze swept over her without a flicker of recognition. A shadow of uncertainty stole through her consciousness.
    It was the same man…wasn’t it?
     
    Bloody hell, Alex thought. It’s her.
    The woman Jamie Campbell couldn’t stop talking about, his “Meg,” was the one Alex couldn’t seem to forget. He should be furious to find her here. If she recognized him, with one careless word—especially to Jamie—she could shatter a carefully constructed plan, making his task much more