How to Abduct a Highland Lord Read Online Free PDF
Author: Karen Hawkins
and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Who is the father, Fiona? I should know, in case the bastard arrives to take retribution.”
Her cheeks burned. “There is no child. I mean, not yet. I haven’t been with anyone since you and I—” She bit her lip. Blast it, she hadn’t meant to tell him that.
His expression shuttered. “I don’t believe you.”
“It doesn’t matter what you believe. What matters is that—” She crossed the few steps that separated them. “Jack, you were right in what you said before: just getting married won’t stop the feud.”
He scowled, his clear blue eyes locking with hers. “Then what will?”
Lord, he was going to force her to say it. “To end this feud once and for all, we must also have a child. And soon.”
Chapter Three
The worst part of a MacLean is that when they think they’re right, they usually are. ’Tis a most annoyin’ habit, and I feel a bit of pity for the lads and lassies who marry into such a prideful clan.
OLDWOMANNORA OFLOCHLOMOND
TO HER THREE WEE GRANDDAUGHTERS ONE COLD NIGHT
Disbelief warred with shock on Jack’s face. “You are crazed if you think I will agree to that!”
She took a hasty step forward, so close that her skirts brushed against his knees. “We have no choice.”
Jack’s hard blue gaze glinted down at her, deep white lines beside his mouth. “Speak for yourself. I have many choices.”
“No, you don’t. Our families are on the brink of disaster.” Suddenly, the urgent words locked in her throat as a lost thought quivered in her brain:I am going to fail.
It was all too much. Callum’s death, her brothers’ anger and their determined plans, abducting Jack, Father MacCanney’s reluctance, the hurried marriage, Jack’s own fury…Every strained moment of the last week dropped upon her shoulders in a silentwhoosh.
Tears filled her eyes. She clenched her fists, swallowed a sob, and pressed her fingernails to the tender flesh of her palms, hoping the tears would fade.
But the sob grew. She gulped hard in an effort to control it, but with a hiccup, her hold on her emotions cracked, slipped, then shattered. An entire week’s worth of pent-up emotions and deep grief broke free, swamping her in pounding waves.
She dropped her face into her hands and let the sobs flow, unable to stop the torrent. She cried and cried. She missed Callum so much. He’d been her friend and confidant, understanding her better than anyone else in her family. And now he was gone.
Gone.
Sobs racked her body, draining her strength as tears fell from between her fingers. Grief, anger, pain, all of it rolled through her, wave after wave.
A warm hand closed over her wrists, and she was unceremoniously hauled against a broad chest. “Stop it,” Jack whispered, his cheek against her hair, his voice soft. “I hate it when women cry.”
Fiona cried harder. She didn’t want to do this in front of him, but now that the tears had begun, she couldn’t stop them. In trying to keep her brothers’ fury from exploding and destroying them all, she hadn’t allowed herself to grieve for Callum. Now the future stretched before her, bleak and cold and lonely without him.
The sobs came harder and harder still, until she thought her heart might break.
“Fiona,” Jack said, his voice deeper. “You cannot—Oh, blast it all!” He sank his hand into her hair and pressed her face to his chest, holding her tight. “Easy, lass.”
She buried her face against him and let the tears fall. She was no gilded miss who’d been sheltered from reality; she’d had her share of loss. But this time, life seemed brutal beyond acceptance.Callum, I miss you.
“Lassie, that’s enough,” Jack said, his voice resonating against Fiona’s ear. “We will deal with this.”
We?Fiona’s heart clutched at the word, a
Her cheeks burned. “There is no child. I mean, not yet. I haven’t been with anyone since you and I—” She bit her lip. Blast it, she hadn’t meant to tell him that.
His expression shuttered. “I don’t believe you.”
“It doesn’t matter what you believe. What matters is that—” She crossed the few steps that separated them. “Jack, you were right in what you said before: just getting married won’t stop the feud.”
He scowled, his clear blue eyes locking with hers. “Then what will?”
Lord, he was going to force her to say it. “To end this feud once and for all, we must also have a child. And soon.”
Chapter Three
The worst part of a MacLean is that when they think they’re right, they usually are. ’Tis a most annoyin’ habit, and I feel a bit of pity for the lads and lassies who marry into such a prideful clan.
OLDWOMANNORA OFLOCHLOMOND
TO HER THREE WEE GRANDDAUGHTERS ONE COLD NIGHT
Disbelief warred with shock on Jack’s face. “You are crazed if you think I will agree to that!”
She took a hasty step forward, so close that her skirts brushed against his knees. “We have no choice.”
Jack’s hard blue gaze glinted down at her, deep white lines beside his mouth. “Speak for yourself. I have many choices.”
“No, you don’t. Our families are on the brink of disaster.” Suddenly, the urgent words locked in her throat as a lost thought quivered in her brain:I am going to fail.
It was all too much. Callum’s death, her brothers’ anger and their determined plans, abducting Jack, Father MacCanney’s reluctance, the hurried marriage, Jack’s own fury…Every strained moment of the last week dropped upon her shoulders in a silentwhoosh.
Tears filled her eyes. She clenched her fists, swallowed a sob, and pressed her fingernails to the tender flesh of her palms, hoping the tears would fade.
But the sob grew. She gulped hard in an effort to control it, but with a hiccup, her hold on her emotions cracked, slipped, then shattered. An entire week’s worth of pent-up emotions and deep grief broke free, swamping her in pounding waves.
She dropped her face into her hands and let the sobs flow, unable to stop the torrent. She cried and cried. She missed Callum so much. He’d been her friend and confidant, understanding her better than anyone else in her family. And now he was gone.
Gone.
Sobs racked her body, draining her strength as tears fell from between her fingers. Grief, anger, pain, all of it rolled through her, wave after wave.
A warm hand closed over her wrists, and she was unceremoniously hauled against a broad chest. “Stop it,” Jack whispered, his cheek against her hair, his voice soft. “I hate it when women cry.”
Fiona cried harder. She didn’t want to do this in front of him, but now that the tears had begun, she couldn’t stop them. In trying to keep her brothers’ fury from exploding and destroying them all, she hadn’t allowed herself to grieve for Callum. Now the future stretched before her, bleak and cold and lonely without him.
The sobs came harder and harder still, until she thought her heart might break.
“Fiona,” Jack said, his voice deeper. “You cannot—Oh, blast it all!” He sank his hand into her hair and pressed her face to his chest, holding her tight. “Easy, lass.”
She buried her face against him and let the tears fall. She was no gilded miss who’d been sheltered from reality; she’d had her share of loss. But this time, life seemed brutal beyond acceptance.Callum, I miss you.
“Lassie, that’s enough,” Jack said, his voice resonating against Fiona’s ear. “We will deal with this.”
We?Fiona’s heart clutched at the word, a