One Hot Scot by Suzanne Enoch

facts.
    She held his gaze for a long minute, a slow smile curving her mouth. “How do you say wife?”
    “ Bean . And husband is céile , if ye were wondering.”
    “Then I will stay and be your bean , Duncan Lenox, and you will be my céile .”
    He lifted her in his arms. “Forever?”
    Now this was a Christmas gift, better than any she would have ever dared imagine. A gift, and even more. There was truly some sort of magic in the Highlands. She’d thought that might be so when she’d seen Duncan emerging, naked, from the lake. Now, as she looked down at his grinning face and his wild black hair, she knew it. “Forever.”

 
     
    Read on for an excerpt from Suzanne Enoch’s new book
     
    THE DEVIL WEARS KILTS
     
    Available December 2013 from St. Martin’s Paperbacks

 
     
    “There’s no need to worry on that account; Jane welcomes any excuse to shop.” With a grin, Lady Charlotte Hanover kissed her sister on the nose, then stood.
    “I’ve no wish to upend your schedule,” Lady Rowena MacLawry returned in her soft, lilting accent. “It’s poor enough of me to arrive on your doorstep with nary a warning.”
    “Nonsense.” Lady Jane Hanover gripped her friend’s hand. “I’ve been inviting you to visit for what seems like years. Your mother and my mother were practically sisters. Weren’t you, Mama?”
    “Yes, we were.” Elizabeth Hanover, the Countess of Hest, nodded. “And I’m so pleased you began corresponding with Jane. You do look so like Eleanor, you know.” She sighed, offering a soft smile. “You’re welcome here, my dear, for as long as you care to stay. And of course I’ll sponsor your Season. It’s only fitting that you and Jane debut together.”
    Jane clapped her hands together. “You see? You should have come down ages ago, Winnie.”
    “Oh, I wanted to, believe you me. It’s only Ran who dug in his heels about it. He thinks every Englishman is…” She trailed off, clearing her throat. “Well, he’s very narrow-minded when it comes to London.”
    She flipped a hand, laughing, but to Charlotte’s gaze young Lady Rowena didn’t look entirely at ease. Of course she was fairly certain she wouldn’t be, either, if she’d traveled alone with no one but her maid through half of Scotland and nearly the entire length of England. Clearly Winnie had badly wanted a London Season.
    For an overprotective brother, this Ranulf MacLawry had failed in rather spectacular fashion. A young lady who’d never left her own shire had no business navigating England alone. Or of traveling in a mail coach. Charlotte had half a mind to write Lord Glengask and tell him precisely that. Surely no one could be so ignorant as to think it unnecessary even to send a letter to precede his sister to ensure that someone would be home to greet her and to take her in for the Season. It was … it was unconscionable, even for someone ignorant of English custom. Surely he could read a newspaper, after all. And he must have a modicum of common sense.
    She exchanged a glance with her father, who lifted an eyebrow before returning to the conversation. Jonathan Hanover, the Earl of Hest, was not a fan of chaos or upheaval of any kind, but he did dote on Jane and her to excess. Of course Lady Rowena would be welcomed into the house, and she would never see so much as a hint from him or anyone else that he would rather the family didn’t have live-in company for the Season.
    Longfellow the butler and two footmen arrived with cold sandwiches and tea for them; it was far past dinner, and evidently Mrs. Broomly had gone from the kitchen to spend the night with her very pregnant daughter near Tottenham Court. As the servants set out plates, the knocker at the front door rapped.
    “I’ll see to it, Longfellow,” Charlotte said, since she was already standing and nearest the hallway door.
    “Thank you, my lady.”
    By the time she’d made her way the short distance from the sitting room to the foyer, the rapping