The Highlander's Gift by Eliza Knight
Series: The Stolen Bride #8
Publication date: March 27th, 2018
Publisher: Knight Media, LLC
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
An injured warrior... a lady who won't let him fail...
Betrothed to a princess until she declares his battle wound has incapacitated him as a man, Sir Niall Oliphant is glad to step aside and let the spoiled royal marry his brother. He's more than content to fade into the background with his injuries and remain a bachelor forever, until he meets the Earl of Sutherland's daughter, a lass more beautiful than any other, a lass who makes him want to stand up and fight again.
As daughter of one of the most powerful earls and Highland chieftains in Scotland, Bella Sutherland can marry anyone she wants--but she doesn't want a husband. When she spies an injured warrior at the Yule festival who has been shunned by the Bruce's own daughter, she decides a husband in name only might be her best solution.
They both think they're agreeing to a marriage of convenience, but love and fate has other plans...
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Excerpt
"I fear I am lost," he ground out.
"Then let me save ye." There was a slight tremor in her jaw that showed behind the strength, the teasing, she was vulnerable, too. But how? Why? "Now go ahead and kiss me."
"Kiss ye?" He stared at her lush lips, wanting more than anything to do what she asked.
"Aye. I did not entertain ye. Take your prize."
Niall stared down at her creamy face, her wide blue eyes, and felt his body stir. She was so beautiful. So cunning. So ornery. Lord, but he wanted her. Wanted to fight to prove he could have her. To prove to her that he wasn't broken. "A kiss from ye is not a prize, but a gift."
"Then accept your gift," she whispered.
Accept his gift. Accept the thing he'd dreamed about for nearly a decade. Niall bent and brushed his lips over hers. At the sudden contact, she sucked in a breath through her nose, and he instinctively tried to retreat, but she leaned into him.
"This time, I'll need ye to be my lady," he murmured.
"And ye will be my knight," she whispered.
Tentatively, he touched her elbow, sliding his hand down to hers, entwining her trembling fingers with his. He breathed in the heady, sweet scent of flowers and herbs. Her lips were soft, warm and pliant. Sweet.
When had he last kissed a woman? He wasn't certain. A year or more? And the kisses he'd shared had never been as sweet or tender as this. What was it about Bella Sutherland?
He shook with restrained desire, madness even. Wanting to deepen the kiss and knowing it was too soon, Niall pulled away.
She blinked her eyes open, staring up at him. Dazed. "Will ye fight tomorrow?"
"I will, but not because your father made a marriage between us contingent upon it. Not because ye asked me to."
Bella nodded, all seriousness as she watched him. "I know."
"What do ye know?"
Her hands pressed to his thumping heart. "I know ye're a warrior."
"I was. But I am no longer."
"Ye are still. Ye were born to it. When I first met ye, ye were the only one confident enough in your abilities to let a lass fight ye. Confident enough to let a lass name ye her lady."
"Ye say confident. I say foolish."
She smiled. "Just because ye're impaired does not mean ye're weak. If there is one thing I know about men having grown up in a house full of them, 'tis that once a warrior always a warrior."
Niall grunted. "Why do ye care so much?"
Bella blinked, then flashed him a radiant smile. "Just a little encouragement."
He shook his head. "From what I know of ye, my lady, if I had to guess, I'd say ye dinna do anything only a little."
She laughed. "Ye flatter me, Sir Niall." She tapped his chest. "In that case, I think we shall get along splendidly."
"Then let me save ye." There was a slight tremor in her jaw that showed behind the strength, the teasing, she was vulnerable, too. But how? Why? "Now go ahead and kiss me."
"Kiss ye?" He stared at her lush lips, wanting more than anything to do what she asked.
"Aye. I did not entertain ye. Take your prize."
Niall stared down at her creamy face, her wide blue eyes, and felt his body stir. She was so beautiful. So cunning. So ornery. Lord, but he wanted her. Wanted to fight to prove he could have her. To prove to her that he wasn't broken. "A kiss from ye is not a prize, but a gift."
"Then accept your gift," she whispered.
Accept his gift. Accept the thing he'd dreamed about for nearly a decade. Niall bent and brushed his lips over hers. At the sudden contact, she sucked in a breath through her nose, and he instinctively tried to retreat, but she leaned into him.
"This time, I'll need ye to be my lady," he murmured.
"And ye will be my knight," she whispered.
Tentatively, he touched her elbow, sliding his hand down to hers, entwining her trembling fingers with his. He breathed in the heady, sweet scent of flowers and herbs. Her lips were soft, warm and pliant. Sweet.
When had he last kissed a woman? He wasn't certain. A year or more? And the kisses he'd shared had never been as sweet or tender as this. What was it about Bella Sutherland?
He shook with restrained desire, madness even. Wanting to deepen the kiss and knowing it was too soon, Niall pulled away.
She blinked her eyes open, staring up at him. Dazed. "Will ye fight tomorrow?"
"I will, but not because your father made a marriage between us contingent upon it. Not because ye asked me to."
Bella nodded, all seriousness as she watched him. "I know."
"What do ye know?"
Her hands pressed to his thumping heart. "I know ye're a warrior."
"I was. But I am no longer."
"Ye are still. Ye were born to it. When I first met ye, ye were the only one confident enough in your abilities to let a lass fight ye. Confident enough to let a lass name ye her lady."
"Ye say confident. I say foolish."
She smiled. "Just because ye're impaired does not mean ye're weak. If there is one thing I know about men having grown up in a house full of them, 'tis that once a warrior always a warrior."
Niall grunted. "Why do ye care so much?"
Bella blinked, then flashed him a radiant smile. "Just a little encouragement."
He shook his head. "From what I know of ye, my lady, if I had to guess, I'd say ye dinna do anything only a little."
She laughed. "Ye flatter me, Sir Niall." She tapped his chest. "In that case, I think we shall get along splendidly."
About the Author:
Eliza Knight is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of over fifty sizzling historical, time-travel and contemporary romance novels. Under the name E. Knight, she pens rip-your-heart-out historical fiction. While not reading, writing, or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing...) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain with her own knight in shining armor, three princesses and two very naughty puppies.
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