Highlander's Guardian (17 page)

On the narrow wooden platform edging Colin’s childhood tree hut, Annie knelt behind her warrior guardian and played her fingers in his dark wind-tossed hair. It had been a fortnight since their return to Duart, and within hours of their arrival, they’d spoken vows before Brother John and their entire clan. The robed clergyman had blessed their marriage and she’d never been so happy.

“I love this place,” she murmured in his ear. “After you left it behind in your later years, I adored coming here.” The forest rose all around, and before them, the glistening blue-green waters of the Sound of Mull rolled in and splashed over the rocky beach. Even the stormy weather of the past few days had finally cleared and now a cloudless sky beckoned a sultry blue.

“I never left it behind.” He pushed the creaky door behind her open and toppled her inside onto the thick fur blankets they’d not long risen from. “Surely you’ve noticed it’s never fallen into disrepair.”

Aye, only one board on the seaside wall needed replacing. The wooden ceiling and floor remained solid and strong. “I should have known.”

“There are too many good memories for me here, and now we’ve made even more.” He swept his hands underneath the tunic she’d swiped from him and caressed her bare bottom. “This place will be preserved for all time.”

“I can think of another memory I’d like to make here since you seem intent on creating them.” She skimmed her fingers across his tanned chest then tip-toed down to the loose ties of his leather trews.

“And what memory would that be, scamp?” His golden eyes heated to a smoldering hue.

“The memory of you giving me your babe.”

“Then I willnae rest until I’ve done that.” He stripped off her shirt and kissed her with such sweet seduction. “Ah, all mine.”

Tingles raced across her skin and with breathless hunger she gave into the need to join with him.

Love.

It was timeless and could bloom from the day one was born.

“Aye, all yours ” she whispered. “We’ll be together, forever.”

I hope you enjoyed Highlander’s Guardian. Please feel free to search for the other full-length novels now available in the
Highlander Heat
series.

Highlander Heat Series

Highlander’s Captive

Highlander’s Castle

Highlander’s Magic

Highlander’s Charm

Highlander’s Guardian

Highlander’s Faerie

Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Joanne-Wadsworth/e/B00AVRVIBM/

In the year fifteen-hundred and ninety, the blood feuds ran rampant between the Highlander clans of the Western Isles of Scotland. During this period, the king had imprisoned the three chiefs, Lachlan MacLean of Duart, Donald MacDonald of Sleat, and Angus MacDonald of Dunnyveg. He intended to bring a halt to the feud and for them to atone for their actions, and so as each chief arrived in Edinburgh at the king’s request, they were apprehended and imprisoned. In each of the stand-alone books in this
Highlander Heat
series, you can catch the individual stories of the clans, and discover how the feud began and the ramifications of it as it raged.

Sir Lachlan Mor MacLean was the fourteenth Chief of Clan MacLean of Duart, and with his son, Hector Og MacLean, a minor at the time, I chose Colin MacLean and his brother to lead the clan.

Colin MacLean and Annie MacLeod are however fictional characters.

Sir Roderick Ruairidh Mor MacLeod, the fifteenth chief of clan MacLeod, was known as Rory and as stated in this story, was indeed favored by the king and had his ear.

This story is woven with as much accuracy to the period and locations as possible, but any mistakes made are mine alone.

This book forms part of my
Highlander Heat
series, and each within it are stand-alone.

If you wish to read a little more about Annie, she first featured in Highlander’s Castle, book one, while Colin played a pivotal role in Highlander’s Charm, book three.

Please feel free to search for any of my other works. I simply adore strong heroines, and have a ton of fun matching them with their honorable alpha heroes.

I love reading romance, but even more, I love to write it. My characters hound me, demanding their stories are told. I’m happy to oblige, giving them the romance they’re after, provided they can accept a little angst and adventure along the way.

In beautiful New Zealand, I live with my hubby and four energetic children, and adore using the stunning countries of the South Pacific as backdrops in many of my books. One day I hope to travel further afield, to visit the Scottish Highlands, America, and everywhere between.

Currently I have three series underway.
Highlander Heat
, historical Highlander romances, feature strong heroines whose paths collide with their delicious Highland heroes.

Magio-Earth
, is a fast-paced YA fantasy romance line, where across worlds, soul-bound mates battle against both love and land.

And in
Bodyguards
, each heart-pounding story will bring you a bodyguard and the woman he protects.

There is no greater feeling than seeing my characters come to life, so thank you for joining me...where romance meets fantasy and adventure.

To learn more about Joanne and her works, visit:

Website and Blog

http://www.joannewadsworth.com

Facebook

http://facebook.com/joannewadsworthromanceauthor

Twitter

http://twitter.com/JoanneWadsworth

Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6469428.Joanne_Wadsworth

Highlander Heat Series

Highlander’s Captive

Highlander’s Castle

Highlander’s Magic

Highlander’s Charm

Highlander’s Guardian

Highlander’s Faerie

Magio-Earth Series

Protector

Warrior

Hunter

Enchanter

Bodyguards Series

Witness Pursuit

Bodyguard Pursuit

Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Joanne-Wadsworth/e/B00AVRVIBM/

Highlander Heat, #1

Traveling through time…for a Highlander.

Anne MacLeod’s identical ancestor has made a wish on the Fairy Flag at Dunvegan Castle, one which sees the two young women swapping places in time and leaving Anne set to handfast with the very man her ancestor wished to escape. Only Anne sees the possibilities, because now she could change the future and ensure her parents never perished in the inferno which took their lives.

Highland warrior Alex MacDonald has made an agreement to handfast with Anne in order to bring a halt to the feud raging between their clans. The last thing he expects though is a woman claiming to come from the future, a woman who stirs him on a physical and emotional level to protect, and to even believe.

When Anne finds herself in her MacLeod chief’s presence, she chooses to go with him in order to leave a message for her parents. In full pursuit, Alex wages a battle of the heart, and of the very essence of time. Can he defy the odds as Anne is taken from him…to work his own magic and get her back?

Highlander Heat, #2

Traveling through time…for a Highlander.

Wearing the four-hundred-year-old amulet she inherited, Marie MacLean enters a faerie circle near the ruins of Dunyvaig Castle. A veil rises. A warrior from the past makes a wish to win the war against the Chief of MacLean, and as the veil thins, she falls through into his time.

Highland warrior Archie MacDonald has been gifted a faerie who insists she’s from the future and the progeny of both his and his enemy’s clan. The last thing he expects is for her to stir him on a level he’s never experienced before. All he needs is her aid in the war, no matter where she believes she’s from.

Determined to keep history on course, Marie enters the crux of the battle. She must ensure the MacLean chief who has yet to father her paternal line isn’t killed, and all without perishing herself. Can Archie see past his need for revenge before he kills his enemy? If he wishes to save the woman who’s crossed centuries to be by his side, he must.

Highlander Heat, #3

Traveling through time…for a Highlander.

Lila MacIan makes a wish upon a sixteenth century charm gifted to her by her missing grandmother, a wish that sends her traveling back into the past and to a warrior her charm has bound her to. With a vicious feud raging between the clans, she withholds her true identity from him, except he’s seen her grandmother and now she must do whatever it takes to find her.

Highland warrior Calum MacLean is bound to a woman who holds an identical charm to his. Visions assail him, of the two of them intimately together, and as Lila escapes him for the enemy’s land, his soul demands he protect and aid her.

Once Lila is reunited with her grandmother, she discovers she was born in the past to the MacIan laird, Calum’s arch enemy. Can she find a way to save the man her soul cries out for…set her past to rights and remain in her true time?

Magio-Earth, #1

To love and protect…across worlds.

Eighteen-year-old Faith Stryker is prepared to leap out into the unknown world beyond her home shores of New Zealand to experience life. Only she never expected to encounter Magio, a planet with two warring countries, where its people reach adulthood at eighteen by coming into their strength and prophetic abilities. Only after Faith discovers she’s a Halfling—thanks to her warrior father she’s never met—does her own skill of forethought develop.

Peacio’s Prince Davio Loveria is sent to the young Faith Stryker by his grandfather, but not all goes as planned. Davio discovers Faith isn’t just a Halfling, she’s also his soul-bound mate—an intense relationship he cannot, nor will not, give up.

With two wars now waging…one of land and the other of the heart…can the young lovers find their place in the world?