Lord of The Isles
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Synopsis
After traveling to Scotland on business, the bed of a highland laird is the last place Ali Graham expected to wake up. But there's no mistaking the irresistibly masculine Scottish Highlander whose chamber she's accidentally infiltrated--or the severe wound he's suffered in battle. As a doctor, Ali knows how to heal his injury, how to nurse his body back to health. What she doesn't know is how to heal his heart. . . A proud warrior and the leader of a powerful clan, Rory MacLeod is ready to fight to the death to protect his homeland. After all, ever since tragedy robbed him of his wife, he has had nothing to lose. Yet the mysterious woman sent to tend his wounds is beginning to reawaken something inside him--something that he'd rather stay buried. But when true passion is mixed with Scottish magic, even the most fearsome warrior could begin to fall. . . "Debbie Mazzuca weaves Fairy magic, Scottish highlanders and time travel into a delightful adventure of love that's meant to be!" --Melissa Mayhue, author of A Highlander of Her Own "Delightful. A wonderful debut!" --Hannah Howell, New York Times bestselling author
Release date: April 1, 2010
Publisher: Zebra
Print pages: 352
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Lord of The Isles
Debbie Mazzuca
The red hatchback came to a grinding stop at the bottom of a desolate gravel road, and the driver flipped off the meter. Wide-eyed, Ali stared at the back of the bald man’s head. “You’re kidding, right?”
The cabbie shrugged. His eyes meeting hers in the rearview mirror. “I canna’ make it up the hill, lass, on account of all the rain we’ve had. My car’s too heavy you ken, but Dunvegan’s just up the road a bit,” he said in his thick brogue.
Ali leaned forward, peering past the rhythmic swipe of the windshield wipers to the mist-shrouded trees and the faint outline of a stone tower just beyond them, and released a resigned sigh. She shouldn’t be surprised. Lately, where she was concerned, if something could go wrong, it did.
“Okay then, what do I owe you?” she asked as she dug her wallet from the bottom of her black leather satchel.
“Two hundred pounds,” the older man answered as he opened the door and heaved himself off the front seat.
Ali let out a soft whistle before she followed after him, her low-heeled shoes sinking in the mud. “Can you give me a receipt, please?”
Her agent and best friend, Meg Lawson, had told her the magazine would pay all her expenses and Ali wasn’t about to argue. It meant more money to go toward the hefty student loans she’d accumulated while going to medical school. And the sooner they were paid off the better. It was one of the reasons she’d agreed to take the modeling job in the first place. The money was great, and she’d get a chance to see some of Scotland—at the very least Skye, where the photo shoot was taking place. She just wouldn’t think about why she had the time to take the job. If she did, she’d cry, and she’d done enough of that already.
“Aye.” He lifted her luggage from the trunk and settled the strap of her carry-on over her shoulder. “I wish I could help with yer bags, lass, but I have a bum knee and wouldn’t be much good to you.”
“No problem.” Ali managed a tight smile as she dragged the heavy suitcase around the back of the car, its wheels getting stuck in the mud. She thanked the man and shoved the receipt he handed her into her bag before heading out on what she hoped would be a short walk to Dunvegan Castle.
The trek was slow going, with the wheels of her suitcase getting stuck in every rut on the narrow, unpaved road. Her mud-splattered black shoes were waterlogged from the puddles she couldn’t seem to avoid. In an attempt to save her jeans from ruin, she bent down and rolled them several inches above her ankles. She buttoned the navy blazer she wore over her white blouse—a blouse that had been crisp and clean when she left New York twelve hours earlier, but now was as limp and dirty as she was, or would be, after her little adventure.
Five minutes later she had to admit it wasn’t so bad. The air was fragrant with the heady aroma of flowers, the misty rain warm and gentle on her face, and the scenery amazing. Some of the tension eased from her shoulders, and then she heard an ominous rumble, and a bolt of lightning crackled across the gloomy afternoon sky. Within seconds the clouds opened up and the rain came down in buckets. Ali shook her head and laughed. What else could she do—cry?
Rounding a bend in the road, a massive gray stone edifice came into view, and she felt an unexpected spurt of excitement. It looked like something out of a fairy tale with its majestic towers reaching toward the sky. Maybe Meg was right—the change of scenery would do her good.
Gripping the suitcase with two hands, she hauled it onto the pavers of the long driveway. The mud from the wheels on her suitcase splattered her legs, but at least it no longer felt like she was dragging a hundred-pound weight behind her. Hiking up the strap of her carry-on, she dashed toward the massive oak doors.
When she received no response to her first tentative knock she rapped harder, relieved when the door creaked open. She’d begun to think the place was deserted. A tall, elderly man stood framed in the doorway, staring at her, his bright blue eyes wide in his grizzled face, his mouth hanging open.
Ali didn’t blame him. She could only imagine what she looked like with her long hair plastered to her head, and mascara no doubt running down her cheeks. “Hi, I’m Ali Graham.” She offered her hand, but he didn’t take it. Ali didn’t think he even noticed—his gaze was riveted on her face.
Splat.
She glared up at the offending carved overhang from which the water had cascaded to land on her head, then back to the man blocking the entrance. “Uhmm, do you mind if I come in?” She didn’t want to be rude, but she was drenched.
With a brief shake of his head the befuddled look left his eyes. “Sorry, lass, please…please come in.” He ushered her into the warmth of the cavernous entrance.
Ali set down her bags on the slate floor and swiped her dripping hair from her face. She pulled her wet clothing from where it stuck to her body and shook it out. “It’s really coming down out there,” she said in an attempt to make conversation.
“Aye,” he murmured, giving her an odd look before closing the door.
The intensity of his stare was beginning to give her the creeps. She wondered if she’d made a mistake coming inside—she was alone and didn’t know this man from Adam. Not one to let things slide, Ali asked, “Is something wrong?”
“Sorry, lass, it’s just that…och, you’ll have to excuse an old man for his rudeness.” He gave her an embarrassed smile. “I’m Duncan Macintosh, Dunvegan’s caretaker. Who did you say you were?”
“Ali…Ali Graham. I have a reservation,” she said, searching her bag for the elusive piece of paper. “Somewhere.” Ali grimaced and pulled the sodden reservation from her jacket pocket. With a wry grin she handed it to him.
A frown creased his brow, and he looked from her to the paper. “Lass, you’ve come to the wrong place. It’s Dunvegan Hotel you’d be looking for. You passed it a ways back.”
She looked at the paper he handed back to her, the writing barely legible, but there it was, plain as day, Dunvegan Hotel. “I don’t know how I could have been so stupid. Sorry for bothering you.” Ali bent down to retrieve her bags from the puddle they’d left on the floor.
“It’s no bother, Miss Graham. I was just about to have a spot of tea. You’re welcome to join me if you’d like.”
“Please…call me Ali, and a cup of tea sounds wonderful. Would you have something I could dry off with? I don’t want to…oh, no.” She groaned. “Look what I’ve done.” The beautiful wool area rug beneath her feet was now marked with her muddy footprints. “I’m so sorry.”
He chuckled. “It’s seen worse. Don’t fret. I’ll get you some towels and then you can come by the fire and warm up. My wife is off on a wee shop, but when she returns with the car I’ll take you over to the hotel. How does that sound?”
“Terrific.”
With her jacket and mud-caked shoes disposed of, Ali followed Duncan. She gazed appreciatively at the wood-paneled room he led her into, noting its decorative ceilings with interest. The antique furniture was tasteful and inviting; muted greens and golds complemented the heavy crimson draperies and ornate cherrywood bookcases that ran the length of the drawing room.
“This place is amazing, Mr. Macintosh. You must love taking care of it.”
“Och, now, Duncan will do just fine. And aye, it’s a wonderful job I have,” he said as he dragged a high-back chair closer to the fire and placed a forest green throw over its delicate embroidered fabric. “Sit down, lass. Dry off a bit and I’ll get us our tea.”
Ali sank gratefully into the chair, then leaned forward to warm her hands in front of the blazing fire. Its woodsy aroma reminded her of a damp day in fall, even though it was only the beginning of August.
Duncan reentered the room carrying a heavily laden silver tray. “Move that wee table over here, lass.”
“That’s quite a spread. I hope you didn’t go to any trouble on my account, Duncan,” she said as she placed the table between them.
The older man settled in the chair beside her. “No trouble at all.” He smiled. Looking over the rim of the porcelain teacup, he asked, “What brings you to Skye, Ali?”
“I’m doing a photo shoot for Vogue. It’s a magazine.”
“I know of it. They requested permission a few months back to take photos here. So, you’re a model, then?”
Ali laughed. “Actually, I’m a doctor, fourth-year resident. But my friend is an agent and every once in a while she passes a job my way. Helps pay the bills,” she said, biting into a dainty sandwich.
“I thought you residents were a harried lot. Was it not difficult for you to get the time off?”
Ali choked and took a deep swallow of her tea before she answered, “Not really.” Anxious to change the subject, she pointed to a tattered piece of silk encased in glass above the fireplace. “What’s that?”
“Ah, that would be the fairy flag,” he said, gazing at the box with reverence.
Intrigued, Ali asked, “Fairy flag?”
“Would you be wanting to hear the tale?”
“I’d love to. If you’re sure you have the time.”
“I always have time for this story, lass.” He made himself comfortable; stretching out his long legs, he crossed them at the ankles.
“A long time ago, according to the legend, the Laird of the MacLeods fell in love with a fairy princess.”
“Fairy princess? You mean like in storybooks?”
“Aye. Do you not believe in magic, Ali?”
She didn’t. As far as she was concerned only children who had been loved and protected had the luxury to believe in magic and fairy tales. Not someone like her, who had been slapped with the harsh realities of life at an early age. But Duncan didn’t need to know that.
“Of course.” She smiled. “Now don’t keep me in suspense, what happened next?”
He studied her with kind eyes, then went on with his story. “The two wished to wed, but the King of the Fairies refused to grant his permission. Noting his daughter’s sorrow, he reluctantly relented, but on with one condition; after a year and a day she must return to the fairy realm.
“Within that year the happy couple were blessed with a bonny baby boy. Their time together went quickly, and too soon the heartbroken princess had no choice but to keep her promise to her father. As she tearfully left her husband and baby at the fairy bridge, she made the laird promise never to leave their son alone, or to allow him to cry. Even in the fairy realm, the sound of his sorrow would cause her great suffering,” Duncan explained.
Flames shot up from the fire with a loud crackle and pop, and Duncan leaned over, taking a poker to the logs before continuing. “Their laird was grief stricken, and his clan, wanting to cheer him up, organized a celebration. The maid who had been left to mind the wee one could not resist the music and left the bairn alone while she went to watch the festivities. The baby started to cry, and hearing his cries, the fairy princess came back to comfort him. She wrapped him in her silk and was speaking to him in a lyrical voice when the maid returned. The princess kissed her son good-bye, then vanished.
“Years later, the lad came to his father with the story of his mother’s visit, and repeated her instructions to him. If ever the clan was in danger, the laird was to wave the silk to call upon the fairies and their help. But the magic could only be summoned three times, and—”
Curiosity getting the better of her, Ali interrupted. “Has it…did the MacLeods ever raise the flag?”
“Aye, they did, back in 1570. The MacDonalds, an enemy to the MacLeods, attacked them. Severely outnumbered, the MacLeod unfurled the flag and its fairy magic. To this day no one knows for certain what happened, but the MacDonalds retreated. Some say it’s because the fairies made the MacLeod’s army swell, but others say something happened to the MacDonald’s wife and daughter that day, drawing him from the field, leaving his army in disarray.”
“Well, Duncan, that story alone was worth getting soaked for. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” The older man glanced at her and seemed slightly embarrassed. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I was a wee bit disconcerted when you first arrived.”
Ali grinned. “Now that you mention it, I did.”
Color bloomed in the man’s heavily lined cheeks. “I should have said something. Come, I’ll show you the reason.”
Ali padded barefoot across the thick oriental carpet to the far end of the room where Duncan stood in front of a large gilt-framed portrait. He stepped aside and her jaw dropped. At first glance it was as though Ali stood in front of a mirror. The woman in the painting could have been her.
“That would be Brianna MacLeod, wife to Rory. He was laird in the latter part of the sixteenth century. The resemblance is uncanny, don’t you think?”
“I do,” she murmured, touching her wavy and still wet platinum blond hair. The woman in the portrait’s long spiral curls were a burnished gold and caressed her delicate heart-shaped face. Her eyes were coffee colored, whereas Ali’s were blue, but other than that, they could have been twins.
The man chuckled at her expression before turning back to the portrait. “She was a MacDonald. Their marriage brought an end to the families’ long-standing feud, but they didn’t have many years together before she died in childbirth.”
“How sad,” Ali said, drawn to the woman in the portrait. Although Brianna MacLeod radiated happiness in the painting, an almost palpable sense of sadness washed over Ali, and she took an unconscious step backward. She looked at Duncan to see if he felt the same thing, but he’d already moved away.
“And this is Rory, her husband.” Duncan pointed proudly to the portrait on the other side of the large picture window.
For one moment, just as she turned away from Brianna’s portrait, Ali sensed the coffee-colored eyes following her. She shook off the feeling. Dismissing the notion out of hand, she joined Duncan in front of the second portrait. Her uneasiness faded the instant she looked at the man in the painting. She sucked in an appreciative breath. Now that was a highland hunk.
Rory MacLeod was breathtaking. Wavy black hair accentuated high, chiseled cheekbones and a firm jaw. The sensual curve of his full mouth hinted at a man who laughed often. His green eyes glittered with a penetrating intelligence as he looked down his straight and aristocratic nose at her. He exuded power and strength. A man’s man—no metrosexual there.
A sudden draft swirled around her bare feet and ankles. The cold air enveloped her in its icy embrace, causing goose bumps to form beneath her skin. Ali tried to contain the teeth-chattering shiver by wrapping her arms around herself.
“Och, and look at you, freezing in those wet clothes while I blather on. Come, I’ll set you up in one of the rooms where you can change.”
Ali nodded, unable to tear her gaze from Rory MacLeod, mesmerized by the powerful warrior he portrayed. She jumped when Duncan patted her shoulder. “Oh…sorry.” With one last look at her handsome highlander, she followed the caretaker from the room.
“I’m going to give you a special treat.” Duncan winked at her as he unhooked the red velvet rope that blocked the polished wooden staircase. “But you must promise never to tell.”
“I promise.” She smiled.
As they made their way up the curved staircase, Duncan relayed more of the MacLeod family’s history, but Ali barely heard him, her mind filled with images of Rory and Brianna. She thought if she closed her eyes she would see them, young and in love, roaming the halls of Dunvegan Castle. Touching the wood-paneled walls, running her hand along the thick balustrade, Ali felt close to them, a part of their history. Hundreds of years ago they had walked these stairs; laid a hand on the same railing and walls.
Ali snorted, shaking her head at her whimsical musings. Totally out of character for her, she blamed it on jet lag.
“Here you go.” Duncan opened the door with a flourish. “The laird’s chambers.”
Ali quirked a brow. “Are you sure, Duncan? I don’t want to get you in trouble.”
“Don’t give it another thought. The present day laird doesn’t sleep here, but Rory MacLeod once did. And after my behavior earlier, I thought it the least I can do.”
“Please.” Ali shook her head with a smile. “It was no big deal, but I’m not going to refuse. This is amazing,” she said, stepping into the bedroom.
Duncan set her suitcase beside the four-poster bed. “It’s chilly in here,” he said as he crouched beside the stone fireplace across from the bed. “I’ll get a fire going and leave you to freshen up. You can take a wee lie-down if you’d like, Ali. You’re probably tired from your long journey. Afterwards you can join my wife and me for supper and then I’ll take you over to the hotel, if you’d like.”
“If you’re sure it’s no trouble I’d love to.” Her gaze was drawn to the window and the breathtaking view. Dunvegan sat on top of a rocky hill with a rain-swept lake at its feet and cloud-draped hills beyond.
“There, you’re all set, lass,” Duncan pronounced, rubbing the soot from his palms onto the sides of his brown corduroy pants before heading for the door.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Ali stripped off her wet clothing. She laid them over the chintz-covered chair, but not before retrieving a white towel from the foot of the bed to protect the obviously expensive piece of furniture. Everything in the castle looked as though it belonged in a museum. Ali gave a rueful grin. It was a museum, and if she planned on using her paycheck to pay off her loan, she’d better not damage anything.
Settling her suitcase on the big bed with its opulent scarlet coverings and mounds of pillows, Ali flipped it open. She pulled out a long black T-shirt—her nightwear of choice—and slipped it over her still-damp head. Anxious to warm her chilled bones, Ali walked to the fireplace and sat on a small area rug in front of the roaring blaze. Tugging a brush through her hair, she studied the tapestry that took up most of the white plastered wall on the opposite side of the room. It depicted a battle in all its gruesome glory, and Ali was thankful she hadn’t been born back then—an era when bloodshed was an everyday occurrence, and life, at least in her opinion, held little value.
The shiver that ran through her had nothing to do with the cold. Ali couldn’t abide violence of any kind. She turned away from the tapestry, afraid she’d have nightmares if she didn’t. Running her fingers through her hair and finding it dry, Ali walked to the bed and crawled beneath the crisp, cool sheets.
She sighed—heavenly.
Ali snuggled into the warmth that enveloped her and drifted off to sleep.
“Uhmm,” she murmured when a heavy hand caressed her thigh. Sliding the stretchy fabric over her hips, the man kneaded her bottom, pressing her to his long, powerful body. Ali groaned. This was one dream she didn’t want to wake up from. All she wanted to do was get rid of the material that bunched between her and the man in her dreams, Rory MacLeod. It seemed he had the same idea. He tugged the T-shirt over her head, and she lifted her arms to help him. Free from the confines of her nightshirt, she wrapped a leg over his, stroking the taut muscles beneath her hand.
A deep, husky voice whispered in her ear words she didn’t understand, but she didn’t care, not with his big hand cupping her breast. Ali arched her back, her body begging for more. She heard a low chuckle, and gasped when he squeezed her breast, tweaking the puckered nipple between strong, calloused fingers. She nuzzled his chest, inhaling his heady, masculine scent before she lifted her face for a kiss. His mouth closed over hers—hot, so very hot—and he swallowed her moan of pleasure. His tongue dueled with hers, exploring with a tenacity that left her weak with desire. She quivered with anticipation when he trailed his fingers over the heated flesh between her thighs, inching his way to her moist core. Ali shuddered. She’d never had an erotic dream before and was afraid to open her eyes, not wanting him or his fingers to disappear. She didn’t want to wake up, not when it felt so good. She’d rather sleep forever.
He raised his mouth from hers. “Ah, Bree, my love, I’ve missed you.”
Ali stiffened. What the hell did he just say?
It was bad enough the men in her life wanted someone else—what was wrong with her that she couldn’t even satisfy them in her dreams? Before she had a chance to mull over her ineptitude with men, he took her nipple deep into the heat of his mouth and suckled. Ali shifted, pressing her breast to his lips, rocking her hips against the hard, banded muscles of his thigh. She was close, so close. Rubbing harder, faster, she anchored herself with a hand to his side.
Her dream lover cursed, loudly, and shoved her aside.
Ali blinked, and slowly turned her head. In the dim light of the flickering candle she saw him: big, powerful, and grimacing in pain. She scrunched her eyes shut and took a steadying breath.
He wasn’t real.
He couldn’t be.
It’s just a dream, Ali. You were thinking about the man before you went to sleep, that’s all it is—an illusion.
Ali opened her eyes one at a time. Biting the inside of her lower lip, she pinched the big arm that lay on top of the covers, jumping when a guttural curse exploded from his lips. He was real, and he was in her bed.
Ali screamed and tried to scramble from the bed, tugging her entangled foot from the sheets.
Thud.
She fell onto the cold, hard floor.
Ali didn’t have time to contemplate the damage to her lower anatomy, not with the pounding of running feet coming closer. The last thing she wanted was to be caught bare assed on the floor by Duncan Macintosh. She scanned the room for somewhere to hide. Seeing no other choice, she scurried beneath the bed in time to hear the door crash open.
Beneath the heavy canopy of timber, she saw two men rush into the room. Duncan Macintosh was not one of them. Afraid if she could see them they’d see her, Ali shuffled farther into the shadows. The men spoke in hushed tones at the entrance of the room. Certain she was soon to be discovered, Ali felt around for her T-shirt. Relieved when her fingers came in contact with the stretchy fabric, she carefully pulled it toward her. Her muscles tightened as cold from the floor seeped into her skin.
Ali blinked, touching the hard surface beneath her, positive when Duncan had shown her into the room earlier the floor had been hardwood. She ducked her head to get a better look at the rest of the interior. Nothing looked the same, right down to the chocolate-brown comforter that had been scarlet.
How the hell had that happened?
“I’m no’ dead yet, so you can stop with yer whisperin’,” the man in the bed above her rasped.
Far from it, Ali thought, remembering the heat of his kiss, how his hands had caressed her bottom, bringing her…She shook the thought from her head before embarrassment consumed her, leaving a pile of ashes in her place. How could she have done that with a stranger? The men moved closer, their brown leather boots inches from her face.
Who are these people, and where’s Duncan?
“You’d be all right then, Rory? We heard a scream and a loud crash. We thought you’d fallen from yer bed.”
Rory? Oh, come on, this had to be some kind of a joke. Lying flat on her back, Ali wriggled into her T-shirt, smoothing it over her thighs.
“’Tis no’ me you heard, but the lass.” The bed creaked, a groan of pain accompanying his statement.
Ali stilled, frozen in place.
“There’d be no one aboot but you, lad.”
“Rory, ’tis on account of yer wound. You must have imagined it.”
“Nay, she was in my bed, of that I’m certain—willin’ and eager.”
Ali’s face flamed. Now, isn’t he a gentleman. The big jerk.
One of the men cleared his throat. “Mayhap ’twas one of the serving wenches.”
“Nay, I thought ’twas Bree come to take me with her.” The last was spoken so quietly Ali had to strain to hear what he said.
Someone cursed before saying, “You’ll no’ die, Rory. I’ll no’ allow it. ’Tis why I…” The man grunted as though he’d had the wind knocked out of him.
“I ken it wasna’ Bree. The lass had the look of her, but bigger. Her breasts were full, and her arse…” His voice trailed off.
Ali groaned inwardly, deciding if this Rory person didn’t soon shut up, she’d make sure he felt worse than he obviously did now.
“Nay, Rory, lie back,” one of the men said before gasping, “Yer wound, ’tis reopened.”
“I think she tried to finish me off.”
Both men cursed at the same time Ali did. She’d had enough. It was her bed the man had crawled into—either that or he’d somehow managed to get her into his own, taking advantage of her while she slept. She ignored the little voice inside her head that said it would be a toss-up on who had taken advantage of whom. And now he seemed to be accusing her of trying to kill him.
Kill him? For God’s sake!
It was too much, and Ali didn’t plan on listening to any more of it, not without defending herself. With a closed fist, she whacked at the men’s feet. “Get out of my way,” she said, dragging herself from under the bed.
Two men dressed in old-fashioned attire—fitted suede pants tucked into their boots and white linen shirts—backed away from her with their mouths agape. The older one was tall and had a powerful build, his dark red hair threaded with silver, his brown eyes wide as he stared at her. The other man was much younger, his hair a golden brown, almost as handsome as the man from her dreams. He opened and closed his mouth, his gaze swiveling from Ali to his companion.
Hands on her hips, she turned to confront the man in the bed. “I didn’t try to kill you…you big jerk, and what the hell were you doing in my bed in the…”
The rest of the question died on her lips. It was him—Rory MacLeod—the man in the portrait. She rubbed her eyes, but nothing changed. He was still there, in all his glorious perfection—except he was bleeding. A circle of crimson spread over the thick white linens pressed to his side.
“You’re hurt,” she gasped.
“Aye.” Even in the dim light she could see the accusation in his emerald gaze.
Ali shook her head. “I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t know.” She leaned over him to get a better look before being roughly jerked away. Strong hands restrained her, biting into the flesh of her upper arms.
She struggled to free herself from the younger man’s grasp. “Let go of me. This man needs medical attention. I can help him—I’m a doctor.”
“Let her go, Iain.” The older man forcibly removed Iain’s hands from her arms before dragging her to the other side of the room. Iain followed in their wake.
“Who are you?” the red-haired man growled, his expression fierce.
“Dr. Aileanna Graham, and there’s no time for this. I told you, that man needs my help.” She’d had to de. . .
The cabbie shrugged. His eyes meeting hers in the rearview mirror. “I canna’ make it up the hill, lass, on account of all the rain we’ve had. My car’s too heavy you ken, but Dunvegan’s just up the road a bit,” he said in his thick brogue.
Ali leaned forward, peering past the rhythmic swipe of the windshield wipers to the mist-shrouded trees and the faint outline of a stone tower just beyond them, and released a resigned sigh. She shouldn’t be surprised. Lately, where she was concerned, if something could go wrong, it did.
“Okay then, what do I owe you?” she asked as she dug her wallet from the bottom of her black leather satchel.
“Two hundred pounds,” the older man answered as he opened the door and heaved himself off the front seat.
Ali let out a soft whistle before she followed after him, her low-heeled shoes sinking in the mud. “Can you give me a receipt, please?”
Her agent and best friend, Meg Lawson, had told her the magazine would pay all her expenses and Ali wasn’t about to argue. It meant more money to go toward the hefty student loans she’d accumulated while going to medical school. And the sooner they were paid off the better. It was one of the reasons she’d agreed to take the modeling job in the first place. The money was great, and she’d get a chance to see some of Scotland—at the very least Skye, where the photo shoot was taking place. She just wouldn’t think about why she had the time to take the job. If she did, she’d cry, and she’d done enough of that already.
“Aye.” He lifted her luggage from the trunk and settled the strap of her carry-on over her shoulder. “I wish I could help with yer bags, lass, but I have a bum knee and wouldn’t be much good to you.”
“No problem.” Ali managed a tight smile as she dragged the heavy suitcase around the back of the car, its wheels getting stuck in the mud. She thanked the man and shoved the receipt he handed her into her bag before heading out on what she hoped would be a short walk to Dunvegan Castle.
The trek was slow going, with the wheels of her suitcase getting stuck in every rut on the narrow, unpaved road. Her mud-splattered black shoes were waterlogged from the puddles she couldn’t seem to avoid. In an attempt to save her jeans from ruin, she bent down and rolled them several inches above her ankles. She buttoned the navy blazer she wore over her white blouse—a blouse that had been crisp and clean when she left New York twelve hours earlier, but now was as limp and dirty as she was, or would be, after her little adventure.
Five minutes later she had to admit it wasn’t so bad. The air was fragrant with the heady aroma of flowers, the misty rain warm and gentle on her face, and the scenery amazing. Some of the tension eased from her shoulders, and then she heard an ominous rumble, and a bolt of lightning crackled across the gloomy afternoon sky. Within seconds the clouds opened up and the rain came down in buckets. Ali shook her head and laughed. What else could she do—cry?
Rounding a bend in the road, a massive gray stone edifice came into view, and she felt an unexpected spurt of excitement. It looked like something out of a fairy tale with its majestic towers reaching toward the sky. Maybe Meg was right—the change of scenery would do her good.
Gripping the suitcase with two hands, she hauled it onto the pavers of the long driveway. The mud from the wheels on her suitcase splattered her legs, but at least it no longer felt like she was dragging a hundred-pound weight behind her. Hiking up the strap of her carry-on, she dashed toward the massive oak doors.
When she received no response to her first tentative knock she rapped harder, relieved when the door creaked open. She’d begun to think the place was deserted. A tall, elderly man stood framed in the doorway, staring at her, his bright blue eyes wide in his grizzled face, his mouth hanging open.
Ali didn’t blame him. She could only imagine what she looked like with her long hair plastered to her head, and mascara no doubt running down her cheeks. “Hi, I’m Ali Graham.” She offered her hand, but he didn’t take it. Ali didn’t think he even noticed—his gaze was riveted on her face.
Splat.
She glared up at the offending carved overhang from which the water had cascaded to land on her head, then back to the man blocking the entrance. “Uhmm, do you mind if I come in?” She didn’t want to be rude, but she was drenched.
With a brief shake of his head the befuddled look left his eyes. “Sorry, lass, please…please come in.” He ushered her into the warmth of the cavernous entrance.
Ali set down her bags on the slate floor and swiped her dripping hair from her face. She pulled her wet clothing from where it stuck to her body and shook it out. “It’s really coming down out there,” she said in an attempt to make conversation.
“Aye,” he murmured, giving her an odd look before closing the door.
The intensity of his stare was beginning to give her the creeps. She wondered if she’d made a mistake coming inside—she was alone and didn’t know this man from Adam. Not one to let things slide, Ali asked, “Is something wrong?”
“Sorry, lass, it’s just that…och, you’ll have to excuse an old man for his rudeness.” He gave her an embarrassed smile. “I’m Duncan Macintosh, Dunvegan’s caretaker. Who did you say you were?”
“Ali…Ali Graham. I have a reservation,” she said, searching her bag for the elusive piece of paper. “Somewhere.” Ali grimaced and pulled the sodden reservation from her jacket pocket. With a wry grin she handed it to him.
A frown creased his brow, and he looked from her to the paper. “Lass, you’ve come to the wrong place. It’s Dunvegan Hotel you’d be looking for. You passed it a ways back.”
She looked at the paper he handed back to her, the writing barely legible, but there it was, plain as day, Dunvegan Hotel. “I don’t know how I could have been so stupid. Sorry for bothering you.” Ali bent down to retrieve her bags from the puddle they’d left on the floor.
“It’s no bother, Miss Graham. I was just about to have a spot of tea. You’re welcome to join me if you’d like.”
“Please…call me Ali, and a cup of tea sounds wonderful. Would you have something I could dry off with? I don’t want to…oh, no.” She groaned. “Look what I’ve done.” The beautiful wool area rug beneath her feet was now marked with her muddy footprints. “I’m so sorry.”
He chuckled. “It’s seen worse. Don’t fret. I’ll get you some towels and then you can come by the fire and warm up. My wife is off on a wee shop, but when she returns with the car I’ll take you over to the hotel. How does that sound?”
“Terrific.”
With her jacket and mud-caked shoes disposed of, Ali followed Duncan. She gazed appreciatively at the wood-paneled room he led her into, noting its decorative ceilings with interest. The antique furniture was tasteful and inviting; muted greens and golds complemented the heavy crimson draperies and ornate cherrywood bookcases that ran the length of the drawing room.
“This place is amazing, Mr. Macintosh. You must love taking care of it.”
“Och, now, Duncan will do just fine. And aye, it’s a wonderful job I have,” he said as he dragged a high-back chair closer to the fire and placed a forest green throw over its delicate embroidered fabric. “Sit down, lass. Dry off a bit and I’ll get us our tea.”
Ali sank gratefully into the chair, then leaned forward to warm her hands in front of the blazing fire. Its woodsy aroma reminded her of a damp day in fall, even though it was only the beginning of August.
Duncan reentered the room carrying a heavily laden silver tray. “Move that wee table over here, lass.”
“That’s quite a spread. I hope you didn’t go to any trouble on my account, Duncan,” she said as she placed the table between them.
The older man settled in the chair beside her. “No trouble at all.” He smiled. Looking over the rim of the porcelain teacup, he asked, “What brings you to Skye, Ali?”
“I’m doing a photo shoot for Vogue. It’s a magazine.”
“I know of it. They requested permission a few months back to take photos here. So, you’re a model, then?”
Ali laughed. “Actually, I’m a doctor, fourth-year resident. But my friend is an agent and every once in a while she passes a job my way. Helps pay the bills,” she said, biting into a dainty sandwich.
“I thought you residents were a harried lot. Was it not difficult for you to get the time off?”
Ali choked and took a deep swallow of her tea before she answered, “Not really.” Anxious to change the subject, she pointed to a tattered piece of silk encased in glass above the fireplace. “What’s that?”
“Ah, that would be the fairy flag,” he said, gazing at the box with reverence.
Intrigued, Ali asked, “Fairy flag?”
“Would you be wanting to hear the tale?”
“I’d love to. If you’re sure you have the time.”
“I always have time for this story, lass.” He made himself comfortable; stretching out his long legs, he crossed them at the ankles.
“A long time ago, according to the legend, the Laird of the MacLeods fell in love with a fairy princess.”
“Fairy princess? You mean like in storybooks?”
“Aye. Do you not believe in magic, Ali?”
She didn’t. As far as she was concerned only children who had been loved and protected had the luxury to believe in magic and fairy tales. Not someone like her, who had been slapped with the harsh realities of life at an early age. But Duncan didn’t need to know that.
“Of course.” She smiled. “Now don’t keep me in suspense, what happened next?”
He studied her with kind eyes, then went on with his story. “The two wished to wed, but the King of the Fairies refused to grant his permission. Noting his daughter’s sorrow, he reluctantly relented, but on with one condition; after a year and a day she must return to the fairy realm.
“Within that year the happy couple were blessed with a bonny baby boy. Their time together went quickly, and too soon the heartbroken princess had no choice but to keep her promise to her father. As she tearfully left her husband and baby at the fairy bridge, she made the laird promise never to leave their son alone, or to allow him to cry. Even in the fairy realm, the sound of his sorrow would cause her great suffering,” Duncan explained.
Flames shot up from the fire with a loud crackle and pop, and Duncan leaned over, taking a poker to the logs before continuing. “Their laird was grief stricken, and his clan, wanting to cheer him up, organized a celebration. The maid who had been left to mind the wee one could not resist the music and left the bairn alone while she went to watch the festivities. The baby started to cry, and hearing his cries, the fairy princess came back to comfort him. She wrapped him in her silk and was speaking to him in a lyrical voice when the maid returned. The princess kissed her son good-bye, then vanished.
“Years later, the lad came to his father with the story of his mother’s visit, and repeated her instructions to him. If ever the clan was in danger, the laird was to wave the silk to call upon the fairies and their help. But the magic could only be summoned three times, and—”
Curiosity getting the better of her, Ali interrupted. “Has it…did the MacLeods ever raise the flag?”
“Aye, they did, back in 1570. The MacDonalds, an enemy to the MacLeods, attacked them. Severely outnumbered, the MacLeod unfurled the flag and its fairy magic. To this day no one knows for certain what happened, but the MacDonalds retreated. Some say it’s because the fairies made the MacLeod’s army swell, but others say something happened to the MacDonald’s wife and daughter that day, drawing him from the field, leaving his army in disarray.”
“Well, Duncan, that story alone was worth getting soaked for. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” The older man glanced at her and seemed slightly embarrassed. “I don’t know if you noticed, but I was a wee bit disconcerted when you first arrived.”
Ali grinned. “Now that you mention it, I did.”
Color bloomed in the man’s heavily lined cheeks. “I should have said something. Come, I’ll show you the reason.”
Ali padded barefoot across the thick oriental carpet to the far end of the room where Duncan stood in front of a large gilt-framed portrait. He stepped aside and her jaw dropped. At first glance it was as though Ali stood in front of a mirror. The woman in the painting could have been her.
“That would be Brianna MacLeod, wife to Rory. He was laird in the latter part of the sixteenth century. The resemblance is uncanny, don’t you think?”
“I do,” she murmured, touching her wavy and still wet platinum blond hair. The woman in the portrait’s long spiral curls were a burnished gold and caressed her delicate heart-shaped face. Her eyes were coffee colored, whereas Ali’s were blue, but other than that, they could have been twins.
The man chuckled at her expression before turning back to the portrait. “She was a MacDonald. Their marriage brought an end to the families’ long-standing feud, but they didn’t have many years together before she died in childbirth.”
“How sad,” Ali said, drawn to the woman in the portrait. Although Brianna MacLeod radiated happiness in the painting, an almost palpable sense of sadness washed over Ali, and she took an unconscious step backward. She looked at Duncan to see if he felt the same thing, but he’d already moved away.
“And this is Rory, her husband.” Duncan pointed proudly to the portrait on the other side of the large picture window.
For one moment, just as she turned away from Brianna’s portrait, Ali sensed the coffee-colored eyes following her. She shook off the feeling. Dismissing the notion out of hand, she joined Duncan in front of the second portrait. Her uneasiness faded the instant she looked at the man in the painting. She sucked in an appreciative breath. Now that was a highland hunk.
Rory MacLeod was breathtaking. Wavy black hair accentuated high, chiseled cheekbones and a firm jaw. The sensual curve of his full mouth hinted at a man who laughed often. His green eyes glittered with a penetrating intelligence as he looked down his straight and aristocratic nose at her. He exuded power and strength. A man’s man—no metrosexual there.
A sudden draft swirled around her bare feet and ankles. The cold air enveloped her in its icy embrace, causing goose bumps to form beneath her skin. Ali tried to contain the teeth-chattering shiver by wrapping her arms around herself.
“Och, and look at you, freezing in those wet clothes while I blather on. Come, I’ll set you up in one of the rooms where you can change.”
Ali nodded, unable to tear her gaze from Rory MacLeod, mesmerized by the powerful warrior he portrayed. She jumped when Duncan patted her shoulder. “Oh…sorry.” With one last look at her handsome highlander, she followed the caretaker from the room.
“I’m going to give you a special treat.” Duncan winked at her as he unhooked the red velvet rope that blocked the polished wooden staircase. “But you must promise never to tell.”
“I promise.” She smiled.
As they made their way up the curved staircase, Duncan relayed more of the MacLeod family’s history, but Ali barely heard him, her mind filled with images of Rory and Brianna. She thought if she closed her eyes she would see them, young and in love, roaming the halls of Dunvegan Castle. Touching the wood-paneled walls, running her hand along the thick balustrade, Ali felt close to them, a part of their history. Hundreds of years ago they had walked these stairs; laid a hand on the same railing and walls.
Ali snorted, shaking her head at her whimsical musings. Totally out of character for her, she blamed it on jet lag.
“Here you go.” Duncan opened the door with a flourish. “The laird’s chambers.”
Ali quirked a brow. “Are you sure, Duncan? I don’t want to get you in trouble.”
“Don’t give it another thought. The present day laird doesn’t sleep here, but Rory MacLeod once did. And after my behavior earlier, I thought it the least I can do.”
“Please.” Ali shook her head with a smile. “It was no big deal, but I’m not going to refuse. This is amazing,” she said, stepping into the bedroom.
Duncan set her suitcase beside the four-poster bed. “It’s chilly in here,” he said as he crouched beside the stone fireplace across from the bed. “I’ll get a fire going and leave you to freshen up. You can take a wee lie-down if you’d like, Ali. You’re probably tired from your long journey. Afterwards you can join my wife and me for supper and then I’ll take you over to the hotel, if you’d like.”
“If you’re sure it’s no trouble I’d love to.” Her gaze was drawn to the window and the breathtaking view. Dunvegan sat on top of a rocky hill with a rain-swept lake at its feet and cloud-draped hills beyond.
“There, you’re all set, lass,” Duncan pronounced, rubbing the soot from his palms onto the sides of his brown corduroy pants before heading for the door.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Ali stripped off her wet clothing. She laid them over the chintz-covered chair, but not before retrieving a white towel from the foot of the bed to protect the obviously expensive piece of furniture. Everything in the castle looked as though it belonged in a museum. Ali gave a rueful grin. It was a museum, and if she planned on using her paycheck to pay off her loan, she’d better not damage anything.
Settling her suitcase on the big bed with its opulent scarlet coverings and mounds of pillows, Ali flipped it open. She pulled out a long black T-shirt—her nightwear of choice—and slipped it over her still-damp head. Anxious to warm her chilled bones, Ali walked to the fireplace and sat on a small area rug in front of the roaring blaze. Tugging a brush through her hair, she studied the tapestry that took up most of the white plastered wall on the opposite side of the room. It depicted a battle in all its gruesome glory, and Ali was thankful she hadn’t been born back then—an era when bloodshed was an everyday occurrence, and life, at least in her opinion, held little value.
The shiver that ran through her had nothing to do with the cold. Ali couldn’t abide violence of any kind. She turned away from the tapestry, afraid she’d have nightmares if she didn’t. Running her fingers through her hair and finding it dry, Ali walked to the bed and crawled beneath the crisp, cool sheets.
She sighed—heavenly.
Ali snuggled into the warmth that enveloped her and drifted off to sleep.
“Uhmm,” she murmured when a heavy hand caressed her thigh. Sliding the stretchy fabric over her hips, the man kneaded her bottom, pressing her to his long, powerful body. Ali groaned. This was one dream she didn’t want to wake up from. All she wanted to do was get rid of the material that bunched between her and the man in her dreams, Rory MacLeod. It seemed he had the same idea. He tugged the T-shirt over her head, and she lifted her arms to help him. Free from the confines of her nightshirt, she wrapped a leg over his, stroking the taut muscles beneath her hand.
A deep, husky voice whispered in her ear words she didn’t understand, but she didn’t care, not with his big hand cupping her breast. Ali arched her back, her body begging for more. She heard a low chuckle, and gasped when he squeezed her breast, tweaking the puckered nipple between strong, calloused fingers. She nuzzled his chest, inhaling his heady, masculine scent before she lifted her face for a kiss. His mouth closed over hers—hot, so very hot—and he swallowed her moan of pleasure. His tongue dueled with hers, exploring with a tenacity that left her weak with desire. She quivered with anticipation when he trailed his fingers over the heated flesh between her thighs, inching his way to her moist core. Ali shuddered. She’d never had an erotic dream before and was afraid to open her eyes, not wanting him or his fingers to disappear. She didn’t want to wake up, not when it felt so good. She’d rather sleep forever.
He raised his mouth from hers. “Ah, Bree, my love, I’ve missed you.”
Ali stiffened. What the hell did he just say?
It was bad enough the men in her life wanted someone else—what was wrong with her that she couldn’t even satisfy them in her dreams? Before she had a chance to mull over her ineptitude with men, he took her nipple deep into the heat of his mouth and suckled. Ali shifted, pressing her breast to his lips, rocking her hips against the hard, banded muscles of his thigh. She was close, so close. Rubbing harder, faster, she anchored herself with a hand to his side.
Her dream lover cursed, loudly, and shoved her aside.
Ali blinked, and slowly turned her head. In the dim light of the flickering candle she saw him: big, powerful, and grimacing in pain. She scrunched her eyes shut and took a steadying breath.
He wasn’t real.
He couldn’t be.
It’s just a dream, Ali. You were thinking about the man before you went to sleep, that’s all it is—an illusion.
Ali opened her eyes one at a time. Biting the inside of her lower lip, she pinched the big arm that lay on top of the covers, jumping when a guttural curse exploded from his lips. He was real, and he was in her bed.
Ali screamed and tried to scramble from the bed, tugging her entangled foot from the sheets.
Thud.
She fell onto the cold, hard floor.
Ali didn’t have time to contemplate the damage to her lower anatomy, not with the pounding of running feet coming closer. The last thing she wanted was to be caught bare assed on the floor by Duncan Macintosh. She scanned the room for somewhere to hide. Seeing no other choice, she scurried beneath the bed in time to hear the door crash open.
Beneath the heavy canopy of timber, she saw two men rush into the room. Duncan Macintosh was not one of them. Afraid if she could see them they’d see her, Ali shuffled farther into the shadows. The men spoke in hushed tones at the entrance of the room. Certain she was soon to be discovered, Ali felt around for her T-shirt. Relieved when her fingers came in contact with the stretchy fabric, she carefully pulled it toward her. Her muscles tightened as cold from the floor seeped into her skin.
Ali blinked, touching the hard surface beneath her, positive when Duncan had shown her into the room earlier the floor had been hardwood. She ducked her head to get a better look at the rest of the interior. Nothing looked the same, right down to the chocolate-brown comforter that had been scarlet.
How the hell had that happened?
“I’m no’ dead yet, so you can stop with yer whisperin’,” the man in the bed above her rasped.
Far from it, Ali thought, remembering the heat of his kiss, how his hands had caressed her bottom, bringing her…She shook the thought from her head before embarrassment consumed her, leaving a pile of ashes in her place. How could she have done that with a stranger? The men moved closer, their brown leather boots inches from her face.
Who are these people, and where’s Duncan?
“You’d be all right then, Rory? We heard a scream and a loud crash. We thought you’d fallen from yer bed.”
Rory? Oh, come on, this had to be some kind of a joke. Lying flat on her back, Ali wriggled into her T-shirt, smoothing it over her thighs.
“’Tis no’ me you heard, but the lass.” The bed creaked, a groan of pain accompanying his statement.
Ali stilled, frozen in place.
“There’d be no one aboot but you, lad.”
“Rory, ’tis on account of yer wound. You must have imagined it.”
“Nay, she was in my bed, of that I’m certain—willin’ and eager.”
Ali’s face flamed. Now, isn’t he a gentleman. The big jerk.
One of the men cleared his throat. “Mayhap ’twas one of the serving wenches.”
“Nay, I thought ’twas Bree come to take me with her.” The last was spoken so quietly Ali had to strain to hear what he said.
Someone cursed before saying, “You’ll no’ die, Rory. I’ll no’ allow it. ’Tis why I…” The man grunted as though he’d had the wind knocked out of him.
“I ken it wasna’ Bree. The lass had the look of her, but bigger. Her breasts were full, and her arse…” His voice trailed off.
Ali groaned inwardly, deciding if this Rory person didn’t soon shut up, she’d make sure he felt worse than he obviously did now.
“Nay, Rory, lie back,” one of the men said before gasping, “Yer wound, ’tis reopened.”
“I think she tried to finish me off.”
Both men cursed at the same time Ali did. She’d had enough. It was her bed the man had crawled into—either that or he’d somehow managed to get her into his own, taking advantage of her while she slept. She ignored the little voice inside her head that said it would be a toss-up on who had taken advantage of whom. And now he seemed to be accusing her of trying to kill him.
Kill him? For God’s sake!
It was too much, and Ali didn’t plan on listening to any more of it, not without defending herself. With a closed fist, she whacked at the men’s feet. “Get out of my way,” she said, dragging herself from under the bed.
Two men dressed in old-fashioned attire—fitted suede pants tucked into their boots and white linen shirts—backed away from her with their mouths agape. The older one was tall and had a powerful build, his dark red hair threaded with silver, his brown eyes wide as he stared at her. The other man was much younger, his hair a golden brown, almost as handsome as the man from her dreams. He opened and closed his mouth, his gaze swiveling from Ali to his companion.
Hands on her hips, she turned to confront the man in the bed. “I didn’t try to kill you…you big jerk, and what the hell were you doing in my bed in the…”
The rest of the question died on her lips. It was him—Rory MacLeod—the man in the portrait. She rubbed her eyes, but nothing changed. He was still there, in all his glorious perfection—except he was bleeding. A circle of crimson spread over the thick white linens pressed to his side.
“You’re hurt,” she gasped.
“Aye.” Even in the dim light she could see the accusation in his emerald gaze.
Ali shook her head. “I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t know.” She leaned over him to get a better look before being roughly jerked away. Strong hands restrained her, biting into the flesh of her upper arms.
She struggled to free herself from the younger man’s grasp. “Let go of me. This man needs medical attention. I can help him—I’m a doctor.”
“Let her go, Iain.” The older man forcibly removed Iain’s hands from her arms before dragging her to the other side of the room. Iain followed in their wake.
“Who are you?” the red-haired man growled, his expression fierce.
“Dr. Aileanna Graham, and there’s no time for this. I told you, that man needs my help.” She’d had to de. . .
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