Sleepless in Scotland
Read Sleepless in Scotland Online
Authors: Karen Hawkins
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Contemporary, #Romance, #Historical, #Scottish, #Contemporary Fiction, #Literary, #Historical Romance
“My lord, there’s been an error,” Triona began.
It was too late. The coach was moving. Triona glared at MacLean’s dark, shadowy form. “My lord, I am not who you think I am.”
“What?” Amusement and disbelief colored his voice. “Then you are not Miss Hurst.”
“No. I mean, yes. I
am
Miss Hurst, but
not
the Miss Hurst you think me.”
Even in the gloom, she could make out the flash of his teeth as he smiled. “I see,” he said politely. “You
are
Miss Hurst, but then you are
not
. Of course.”
“I am Miss
Caitriona
Hurst. Caitlyn is my sister.”
“Of course she is.”
Triona relaxed a bit. Thank goodness he was a man of reason! “This has been a horrible mistake. Oh dear, this is so indelicate and Caitlyn would—”
He reached across the coach, his hands large and warm, closing about her waist as he lifted her and placed her in his lap. He grinned, his handsome face within inches of her own as he said in a low voice, his breath warm on her cheek, his sensual cologne tickling her nose. “Since I caught the little bird, then she is mine to enjoy. But first, let us agree to dispense with story time.”
“My lord, you don’t understand! I’m not Ca—”
It was then he committed an even more unthinkable act than holding her in his large, warm lap, as scandalous as it was. In the semidarkness of a luxurious coach as it dashed madly through a snowy night, MacLean bent his head and kissed her.
Turn the page for rave reviews of Karen Hawkins’s romantic storytelling…
Praise for
TO CATCH A HIGHLANDER
“Love and laughter, poignancy and emotional intensity, endearing characters, and a charming plot, are the ingredients in Hawkins’s utterly delightful tale.”
—
Romantic Times
“Karen Hawkins’s best book to date! Fast, sensual, and brilliant, it tantalizes and pleases all in the same breath…. This is romance at its best!”
—Romance and More!
TO SCOTLAND, WITH LOVE
“Hawkins brings another hardheaded MacLean brother and a sassy miss together in a sensual battle of the sexes. Her humor, intelligent characters, and story are simply delightful.”
—
Romantic Times
HOW TO ABDUCT A HIGHLAND LORD
“Hawkins takes a fiery Scot lass and a wastrel lord and puts them together in a match made in, well, not heaven, but one that’s heated, exciting, and touching. Hawkins excels at taking tried-and-true plotlines and turning them into fresh, vibrant books.”
—
Romantic Times
“In
How to Abduct a Highland Lord,
the characters are as wonderful as the story…. [It] is laced with passion and drama, and with its wonderfully romantic and thrilling ending, it’s a story you don’t want to miss!”
—JoyfullyReviewed.com
…and for all the delightfully sexy romances of Karen Hawkins
“Karen Hawkins knows how to keep a reader entranced from first page to last.”
—Joan Johnston
“Karen Hawkins never fails to please!”
—Victoria Alexander
“Karen Hawkins writes fast, fun, and sexy stories!”
—Christina Dodd
“A lively, sexy escapade…”
—Linda Howard
“Saucy, witty flirtation…excitement and passion.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“Luscious, romantic, witty, sexy, and emotional.”
—
Romantic Times
“Fast paced, lively, sexy, and laugh-out-loud funny.”
—Romance and More!
“An enjoyable fast-paced read. The sensuality is steamy….”
—The Best Reviews
“If you like your novels fast paced and full of laugh-out-loud fun, this is the one for you!”
—Romance Reviews Today
“I laughed, cried, and fell in love…. Every character was so well written that they seemed as though they could jump right off the page….”
—Fresh Fiction
Also by Karen Hawkins
The MacLean Series
To Catch a Highlander
To Scotland, With Love
How to Abduct a Highland Lord
Contemporary Romance
Talk of the Town
Available from Pocket Books
 | Pocket Books |
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2009 by Karen Hawkins
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
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ISBN-10: 1-4391-6434-7
ISBN-13: 978-1-4391-6434-1
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I wrote parts of this book while staying at my in-laws house as my father-in-law fought his last few days against cancer. It was there, at his bedside, that I learned the true meaning of character, both from him and in watching the stream of caregivers who stood by his side.
To Hospice of St. Francis in Titusville, FL. Thank you for taking such beautiful, compassionate care of my incredible father-in-law who was able to die as he had lived—strong, proud, and loved.
www.hospiceofstfrancis.com
Contents
Acknowledgments
For Nate…
Thank you for the perfect wedding—peaceful, joyous, and loving.
I love you more every day.
Chapter 1
“There’s naught worse than a man who thinks he’s always right—’cept a woman who always is.”
O
LD
W
OMAN
N
ORA TO HER THREE WEE GRANDDAUGHTERS ON A COLD WINTER’S NIGHT
I
forbid
you to go.” Though merely twenty years old, William Hurst thought himself in charge of Wythburn Vicarage when his father was away. “Be warned, Triona,” he added in his deepest voice. “I will do everything in my power to halt this madness!”
His oldest sister didn’t even look up from digging out a worn portmanteau from her wardrobe. Caitriona—Triona to her family—placed the case on her bed and snapped it open, then began packing.