Read and Excerpt
Memories and warmth reassured her that she was safe, that the dark water and the jagged rocks were gone. Her muscles relaxed and her legs slowly stretched from being tightly curled in the fetal position.
One by one, her senses became increasingly acute, starting with the taste of the sea on her lips. Wood smoke stung her nose and the back of her throat, followed by the scent of peat, which she’d smelled throughout her journey in Scotland. The crackle of a fire and wind howling through the shutters made her tense, but endless warmth comforted her.
She swallowed and allowed her shoulders to relax as she listened to her own steady breaths. Opening her eyes was always the most difficult part of the morning, and she took her time to adjust to the low light and surrounding shadows. Her fingers clasped soft, dark fur of what she thought may have been from a chocolate Labrador.
Confused, she lifted her head and the gentle pressure on her abdomen, which she hadn’t noticed, shifted to her hip and immediately stilled her. Skin touched her bare skin, and a warm breath blew against the exposed nape of her neck, startling her to full consciousness.
Territory struggled to the edge of the bed with a strangled yelp and forced her bruised, stiff body into action. She misjudged her distance and toppled over the edge, taking the blanket with her in a flailing heap to the stone flooring. A pair of the biggest boots she’d ever seen greeted her beneath the bed as did stack after stack of books. She’d been kidnapped by a literary giant.
The bed creaked and she looked up into the face of a bearded man with light, hooded eyes and a mess of hair spilling from his ponytail. His expression mirrored the fear and concern she felt inside, though she could barely hold his gaze. The rest of him proved far too inviting, a buffet of defined abs and a hard chest, a feast for hungry eyes.
“Easy noo,” the half-naked man said as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Large, masculine feet rested beside her outstretched hand, and she followed his perfect calves up to his wide, muscular thighs. Knit boxer shorts briefly cut off her view, though she’d seen enough to make her cheeks burn with a blush. She forced her gaze up to a silver amulet hung around his neck, an intricate design surrounded a round stone in the middle. An antique, she thought, something only an artist would possess.
He didn’t seem to notice how she stared at him, which she considered a good thing. His deep blue eyes appeared groggy as he wiped his face with his hand and stifled a yawn.
“Good mornin’ tae ye,” he said in a deep, raspy voice.
“Who the hell are you?” Territory asked, struggling to wrap the fur blanket firmly under her arms. It grossed her out that it was real fur, especially since she’d gone vegan two years ago, but she had no choice other than sit naked in front of him.
“Ma name is Birgir Thorsson.” He held out his hand and she moved away, which made him nod. “I’m not going tae hurt ye,” he said, his tone velvety soft. His voice gave her goose bumps, though she wasn’t sure why. Everyone in Scotland had a burr, though his seemed sexier than the rest. Or maybe it was the sight of his powerful arms and shoulders she wanted to bite that had started to turn her on even though she should have been searching for answers...
