Seducing the Highlander Read Online Free PDF Page A

always gave her when they separated. Craig hesitated. He could not refuse, but if he held her even slightly close to him, she would know without a doubt that his claim to have no physical interest in her was a falsehood. Out of necessity, he gave her shoulders a squeeze and prayed she would not pursue the change in his behavior.
    The moment she was gone, he closed the door and leaned his forehead against it, closing his eyes. His composure had been a fragile shell on the verge of breaking. So he wanted her. What sane man wouldn’t? But desires could be quashed through various means, and love, like any emotion, could be controlled. Unlike his older brothers, sentiments for a woman were not going to dictate his life, let alone his future. Not even for the possibility of experiencing passion unlike anything he had ever, or would ever, know.
    His feelings for Meriel would remain what they had always been—brotherly.

    Meriel’s heart was pounding in her chest as she left the cottage. Pride had dictated that she agree to Craig’s emphatic decree that nothing had changed between them, but she knew her best friend better than anyone. She knew his looks, his mannerisms, and his reactions to uncomfortable situations. The man had very few fears. Being a disappointment was one, and emotional vulnerability was the other.
    Last year, he had finally admitted to himself and to his brother that he held no desire to be a clan chieftain. Commanding soldiers, leading men into battle, these were responsibilities he could confidently and expertly execute. Craig enjoyed entertaining a crowd, but the idea of a person—man or woman—seeking him out for emotional support frightened him. And until he met Meriel, that was a secret he had been able to hide from everyone, including his twin brother. Similarly, he was one of the few who could discern her true hopes and fears.
    From almost the beginning of their relationship their friendship had been an anomaly. She had never bared her thoughts and feelings with anyone as she did with Craig—not even with her sister. As a result, she had protected their friendship every bit as vigorously as Craig. But after last night, Meriel no longer felt like she was shielding a cherished relationship; now she was acting out in fear of the future.
    It took her hours of pondering, examining their relationship in multiple ways, but the conclusion was always the same—she loved him and he loved her. Rather than the sudden impact of two hearts recognizing each other, resulting in torrents of passion, their love had grown with time. She trusted him with anything and everything about herself, and remembered him once confiding about the incredible peace he felt, knowing that she would never think less of him for unburdening his true thoughts to her. They were friends, and maybe they should remain just friends. But how were they to know, if Craig refused to talk not only about their kiss, but the passion that had been between them. And last night proved beyond any doubt that between them there was not merely passion, but desire and an intense need that continued to burn inside her.
    Meriel made her way through the village, becoming angrier with every step. Friends! Friends were honest. And she and Craig had been far from honest with each other. What they felt for each other went way beyond friendship, and this morning only confirmed he was fighting the same conclusion.
    Unlike Craig, she believed preserving their friendship required them both to be candid about their feelings and decide together whether to act on them or not. And though a small, frightened piece of her wanted to capitulate to Craig’s dictates and keep their friendship just as it was, something far more powerful had taken over her heart and she was not sure she could keep things the same. Unfortunately, knowing him as well as she did, Meriel knew only one person could change his mind: Craig. No amount of persuasion, logic, or even passionate assaults