The Laird Who Loved Me

“What’s wrong, MacLean? Afraid of a little competition?”

Alexander’s body reacted immediately to Caitlyn’s nearness, though he refused to let her see it. “I am not the one with something to prove.”

She turned away, toying with the silver filigreed candy dish, her head turned so that her pure profile was in stark relief. “I don’t agree with that.”

“I can do anything I wish, and I know it.”

“Oh?” She looked back over her shoulder at him in a flirtatious move as old as Eve. “Can you really?”

Alexander slammed his hands onto the desk.

Caitlyn jumped, her color high, her lips parted.

He leaned forward. “I accept.”

For a long second, she just looked at him, then a pleased expression entered her eyes. She walked to the desk, so graceful that it was painful to watch, placed her hands on the opposite side, and leaned forward until she was within tantalizing reach. “Then we’re agreed, MacLean. Shall we say two tasks each?”

His first impulse was to reach across the desk, grasp her by the waist and pull her to his side. There, he’d plunder her sweetness, brand her with his kiss, and show her how much he was capable of.

But that was how things went so awry last time. She’d tempted, and he, like the most callow of youths, had succumbed. This time, it wouldn’t be him left panting with desire. This time—

Turn the page for rave reviews of

Karen Hawkins’s romantic storytelling . . .

The Laird Who Loved Me
is also available as an eBook

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

“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

How to Abduct a Highland Lord

To Scotland, With Love

To Catch a Highlander

Sleepless in Scotland

Contemporary Romance

Talk of the Town

Available from Pocket Books

K
AREN
H
AWKINS

The sale of this book without its cover is unauthorized. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as “unsold and destroyed.” Neither the author nor the publisher has received payment for the sale of this “stripped book.”

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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

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Front cover and stepback illustration by Alan Ayers
Hand lettering by Ron Zinn

Manufactured in the United States of America

10    9   8    7   6    5     4    3     2     1

ISBN 978-1-4165-6026-5

ISBN 978-1-4391-6415-0 (ebook)

If e’er a mon needed a lass to show ’im how the world truly be, ’tis Alexander, Laird o’ Clan MacLean.

O
LD
W
OMAN
N
ORA FROM
L
OCH
L
OMOND TO HER THREE WEE GRANDDAUGHTERS ONE COLD EVENING

“Then it is set,” he said, his deep voice rich with satisfaction. “Caitlyn Hurst will finally pay for the harm she’s caused me and my family.”

There was no denying the pleased expression on the man’s strong, sensual face, and Georgiana, the Duchess of Roxburge, was glad she wasn’t the recipient of such revenge. “It wasn’t easy to get her here, especially with the company I had to keep.” She curled her lip as she pulled a silver-handled brush through her long, red tresses. “I don’t enjoy mingling among tradesmen.”

“Really?” The hard mouth curved into a faint smile. “Even though there’s always the pleasant possibility of meeting a relative …”

The brush hung in midair for a startled moment before she snapped, “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

His brows rose, his gaze mocking.

She forced herself to continue brushing her hair with long, even strokes, though inside she quaked with anger and fear. She knew she shouldn’t be surprised; Alexander, Laird of Clan MacLean, was known for his ability to ferret out the truth; she should have known he’d eventually discover hers. She might now be a duchess, but once—

Her stomach in knots, Georgiana watched from under her lashes. He’d turned toward the window, the fading afternoon light limning his face, lighting his green eyes, and tracing the bold line of his nose and the sensual harshness of his mouth. She shivered a little as she looked at his mouth and remembered—

“And so the game begins.” He turned back toward her. “How did you convince Mrs. Hurst to accept your invitation for her daughter?”