My Daring Highlander

My Daring Highlander

Vonda Sinclair

Beautiful and fiercely protective of
those she loves, Lady Seona Murray captured Keegan MacKay’s
attention when she first set foot in Dunnakeil Castle. Though she
is a chief’s daughter and forbidden, Keegan has fallen in love with
her from afar and burns to possess her. But so does the clan
traitor, Haldane, an obsessive outlaw bent on murder and
kidnapping.

Sinfully handsome, Keegan MacKay is a
fearsome guard as well as the chief’s cousin, but Seona’s father
would never consider him a worthy husband for her because he is not
a titled laird. Seona has secretly watched the sensual,
tawny-haired warrior from across the crowded great hall for months,
but when he is tasked with escorting her across Scotland, back to
her home, their simmering attraction flames into sizzling passion
with just one kiss.

Though she fears she is endangering
Keegan’s life, Seona cannot resist his seductive charm or his
spellbinding kisses. Keegan sets fire to the memories of her sad
past and shows her what it means to truly live. But her father has
other plans. He’s arranged for her to marry a wealthy Lowland
laird. Is Keegan daring enough to steal her away? Or will the
vindictive Haldane snatch her first?

My Daring Highlander

By Vonda Sinclair

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

My Daring Highlander, Copyright 2013,
Vonda Sinclair

Smashwords Edition, License
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author.

This book is a work of fiction. The
characters, names, incidents, locations, and events are fictitious
or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or
dead, is purely coincidental or from the writer's
imagination.

www.vondasinclair.com

***

Dedication

To my own blue-eyed charmer, my
husband.

To my friend, Dana, another Highland
adventurer.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Sharron Gunn for your
Highland expertise.

Special thanks to Vanessa, Terry, Judy,
Dana, Eliza, Andrea, and Donna.

My Daring Highlander

Vonda Sinclair

Chapter One

Assynt, Scotland, May
1619

Something in the early morn air didn’t
feel right.

Keegan MacKay rode at the front of the
MacKay party of just over two dozen, his gaze scanning the
surrounding misty green hills and gray granite mountains. As head
guard of the MacKay clan, Keegan took his duty seriously. He was to
spy danger before it presented itself.

Had his outlaw cousin, Haldane,
returned to kill Chief Dirk and claim the chiefdom for himself?
This wouldn’t be his first attempt. Although Dirk’s youngest
brother was but twenty summers, he was a formidable foe and
slippery as an eel when it came to capture. Haldane and his band of
outlaws had escaped Dunnakeil’s dungeon last November. Then, they’d
vanished.

No doubt they would come out of hiding
again soon.

Wanting to travel as far south as
possible before sunset, they’d left Munrick Castle and the MacLeods
at daybreak. Though more than two hours had passed, the sun had not
yet burned off the thick gray mist rising from the nearby
loch.

Their journey had two purposes—Dirk’s
wife, Lady Isobel, wished to travel to Dornie for a visit with her
brothers, and Keegan was in charge of taking Lady Seona Murray back
to her home near Inverness. A task he dreaded for he’d grown
attached to her.

A prickle of warning passed over
Keegan. Was there danger behind them? He glanced back, then guided
his horse, Curry, off the narrow muddy trail, turned about and
waited until several in their party rode past.

Keegan’s gaze settled on Lady Seona.
Though she wore a plaid cowl over her head now, he had memorized
how glossy her chestnut-colored hair was. More than once, he’d
fantasized about running his fingers through the loose strands.
They would surely be silky and cool against his skin.

Her dark blue eyes met his, bewitching
as always… and so were her Cupid’s bow lips. Damn, how he craved
kissing her. Like a fool, he had longed for her for months, but he
had never dared to touch her. Her chaperone aunt pinned her vicious
eagle-eyed glare on him, as she always did.

Keegan had tried to tell himself he
was daft for wanting Lady Seona so badly. He was not a chief or
titled laird, and her father would never allow them to marry.
Cousin of the chief wasn’t good enough.

Dirk paused beside Keegan, startling
him from his wayward thoughts. “Is something amiss?”

“’
Tis only a gut feeling
that someone is following us,” he said, keeping his voice
low.

“Aye. I had the same feeling.” Dirk
narrowed his piercing pale blue eyes and glared back at the hills
they’d just passed through.

People had often remarked that Keegan
had eyes like Dirk’s and that they were more like brothers than
cousins. Keegan agreed with that assessment and highly valued his
role within the clan of protecting them and the chief. He was happy
Dirk returned last fall to take the position he’d been meant for
since birth. He was an excellent chief and a strong
warrior.

From the mist behind them, a distant
horse’s whinny carried on the breeze.

“Did you hear that?” Keegan asked, his
gaze searching the murky landscape.

“Aye.”

Keegan caught a glimpse of a black
horse and dark-clothed rider as they veered off the trail and
behind a yellow-blooming gorse bush. “There.” Keegan
pointed.

“Aye. We’re being followed.” Dirk
moved toward their party, giving quiet orders to the guards to
surround the three ladies and their four maids, then he and several
guards joined Keegan.

“I wager ’tis Haldane,” Keegan
said.

Dirk nodded. “He will never give up
trying to kill me until one of us is dead.”

“’
Haps you should wear a
cowl so he cannot identify you so easily,” Keegan suggested. Dirk’s
bright copper hair made him easy to spot from a great distance. And
an easy target.

“Hmph. I’ll not hide from that wily
weasel,” he muttered.

“I wasn’t suggesting you hide, cousin.
Merely use caution and disguise yourself so we can protect you
better.”

“I don’t wish for anyone else to be
struck with an arrow either. I want Haldane and his whole band of
outlaws taken out before he kills someone else.” They had murdered
two MacKay guards last winter and stolen almost a dozen
horses.

Dirk’s friend, Rebbie, the Earl of
Rebbinglen, halted his horse on Keegan’s right. “How many did you
see?” he asked, his expression as dark as his eyes and
hair.

“One, but I’m certain there are more,”
Keegan said.

“Without doubt. That damned McMurdo
highwayman is likely with him.”

“Aye, they have been fast friends
since Haldane turned outlaw.” None of them held any fondness for
Donald McMurdo. They’d had several run-ins with him in the past.
For a certainty, Keegan detested the murderer who had slaughtered
at least eighteen people in the Durness area, including one of
Keegan’s cousins.

Last winter, Keegan had scuffled with
McMurdo in Smoo Cave, and the old highwayman had kicked Keegan in
the groin. He’d fought past the pain and subdued McMurdo by holding
a knife to his throat. He shouldn’t have been so lenient with the
bastard.

Keegan and those beside him stared
back at the elevated green hillside. ’Twas too quiet, water
trickling in a small burn and the late spring breeze fluttering the
leaves of a nearby bush the only sounds. How he wished the mist
would clear away, taking with it the outlaws’ cover.

Keegan glanced back at Lady Seona,
glad to see eight armored guards surrounding her and the other
women. They were well-protected. One less thing for him to worry
about when the outlaws decided to show themselves.

Isobel held a lethal-looking dagger in
her hand. ’Twas one she often carried in a scabbard at her side.
Did Seona own a weapon? Would she even know how to use one? He
should’ve taught her how to use a blade before this
journey.

“Ready yourselves,” Dirk said, pulling
a pistol from his belt.

Four archers on foot nocked their
arrows and drew back the bow strings.

Keegan unsheathed his basket-hilt
broadsword and held a targe before him to deflect any arrows or
sword strikes. His gaze traveled up the green hillside, swathed in
vibrant bracken fern where men could easily hide. Plaid flickered
in the hazy gray mist. “Look.” He pointed with his sword. “They’re
going to try to ambush us from the hill.”

“Move the women over there,” Dirk
directed the guards, pointing toward an indention in the hillside
surrounded by rocks and scrubby bushes. “And help them dismount.
Put the horses in front of them.”

“Have a care,” Lady Isobel said low,
but her concerned words to her husband were clear.

“Aye,” Dirk responded.

Keegan envied their relationship.
’Twas obvious they were mad for each other. He yearned for that
closeness with Lady Seona. But now was not the time to ponder such
things. He needed to focus and clear his mind. Lives depended on
it.

Movement at the top of the hill drew
his attention.

“He may have stones the size of
cannonballs,” Rebbie said. “But I’d love naught more than to shoot
them off.”

Dirk snorted. “I hope you get the
chance, my friend.”

All the men except the archers held
swords and round targes, ready for battle.

“’
Haps you should move
back, Dirk. The last thing we need is for the chief to be hit by a
stray arrow.” Keegan felt daft even suggesting it, considering Dirk
was probably the most capable warrior of them all, tall and broad
of shoulder and about the same size as Keegan. They had sparred
much over the past few months, training and keeping in practice.
Sometimes Keegan won their matches and sometimes Dirk did, proving
they were evenly matched.

“Don’t worry over me,
cousin.”

An arrow whizzed down from the hill.
All the men lifted their targes. The arrow struck Keegan’s and
bounced off the central brass boss or one of the metal
studs.

“That little bastard,” Dirk muttered
and dismounted. He led his beloved horse, Tulloch, to a safer spot
and the other men did the same, including Keegan, not wanting their
horses seriously injured or killed.

“Show yourself, Haldane!” Dirk yelled
toward the hill. “Coward!”

A head popped up out of the bracken.
’Twas difficult to identify the person at this distance but he
appeared to have red hair like Haldane.

Dirk aimed his pistol and fired, but
his target ducked.

“I don’t want to kill my own brother,
but I will if he forces my hand.” Dirk shoved the pistol into his
belt. “There he is again! Archers, shoot!”

At this distance, and with the mist
reducing visibility, Keegan could not tell if the man was indeed
Haldane. If not, he was likely in his gang. Besides that, he’d shot
the first arrow, provoking retaliation.

The MacKay archers let fly several
arrows.

“Come out and fight like men!” Dirk
called out.

Arrows streaked toward them from the
hillside. With their targes, they easily deflected or caught each
one.