Sword of the Highlander by Cynthia Breeding Read Free Book Online

sire’s death. When the deed was done, he took the widow, Gruoch, to wife.”
    “And she was happy with marrying the man who murdered her husband?”
    Niall frowned. “‘Twasna murder . ‘Twas justice.” Then he shrugged. “‘Tis the way of things. A woman needs protection.”
    Cassidy tilted her head and studied him. “I should say something feminist here like ‘Women should have the right to choose their husbands’ or ‘Women can defend themselves.’ I know—” she held her hand up to stop him from interrupting—“I needed protecting last night and I…kind of like the idea of a medieval warrior rushing to my rescue.” Her voice grew husky at the memory of him charging down the street like someone out of Braveheart . “You were magnificent.”
    It took all of his considerable will-power to restrain himself and not lunge for her. He wanted to feel her in his arms, her lush breasts crushed against his chest as he took her mouth again and invaded that sweet warmth. By the Dagda! The lass would make a shambles of whatever honor he might still have left in his black soul.
    Deliberately, he stood slowly and walked toward the shop. Away from temptation.
    “Where are you going?” Cassidy asked.
    “I must walk, lass, and think. Dinna leave this place until I return for ye.” With those words, he sheathed Mac an Luinne and walked out the door.
    ~ * ~
    Cassidy stared after him. Did he think he could just order her about because she told him he was magnificent? She wasn’t a post-generation Libber by any means, but a woman still didn’t want to be ordered to stay in one place. Okay, so she had made a mistake last night. Still .
    But really, she had a more serious problem on her hands. Or, if she wanted to be brutally honest with herself, she wanted Niall.
    And she had never felt like this with the man she was engaged to marry.
    Cassidy sighed. Mr. Sinclair hadn’t been the only one to call. Aubrey had texted early this morning that he was home and would come by this evening. She knew what she had to do. After last night’s kiss with Niall, she couldn’t marry Aubrey. Even if the Highlander found a way to return to his time, she would rather live alone than live a lie. With a shock, she realized she was in love with Niall.
    She dreaded the unnecessary showdown that would probably take place between Niall and Aubrey when he arrived. Niall’s hair nearly rose like bristled fur on an alpha wolf at the sight of Aubrey and Aubrey used his intellectual snootiness to look down on Niall. Men. And it was all unnecessary . Once she told Aubrey she couldn’t marry him, he would be free to find a woman who liked be a social ‘hostess with the mostess’ and Niall… Well, Niall would be free to do whatever he wanted. Mr. Sinclair had enough connections to see to that.
    And she had a long eight or nine hours to wait for that male testosterone confrontation. Unless… Cassidy looked at her watch. Not quite eleven o’clock. Aubrey would be up, more than likely having brunch. If she went to him now, she could get this over with and avoid the unpleasantness of this evening altogether.
    Leaving a note for Niall, she hung the ‘Closed’ sign in the door and walked over to the Church Street station to catch the streetcar. Knowing it was silly, she still glanced over her shoulder as she walked. It was broad daylight and safe.
    Disembarking a short time later at the Powell Street Station, she managed to latch onto a cable car climbing its way up the steep hill toward one of the luxury hotels where Aubrey kept a suite of rooms.
    Cassidy breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the lobby. She hadn’t really expected anyone to accost her, but neither did she want to face Niall if something had gone wrong with this little trip. He’d probably be furious enough to find she hadn’t stayed put as he told her to.
    “Aubrey Fournier’s suite, please,” she told the front desk clerk. “I’m Cassidy Gordon.”
    The clerk raised