Glad you can drop by my First Kiss Friday blog! Please welcome back author Celeste Barclay who as a lovely first kiss scene from An Outsider at the Highland Court . Isn’t the cover gorgeous? Happy reading and enjoy, my lovelies!
Excerpt:
“We don’t always get what we want, Catherine,” Andrew stated pointedly as his head canted toward Rab. Catherine realized he’d positioned them on purpose. He wanted Rab to understand he was moving forward with a marriage. Catherine’s hands fisted at her side, and Andrew nearly took a step back, recognizing the near menacing edge in Catherine’s gaze. He’d been on the receiving end more than once as a lad when he’d crossed the line, teasing Catherine or his sisters. There’d inevitably been hell to pay afterward.
“I’m walking away. If I stand here another moment, I will get some wicked thought in my head. And you know you barely survive when I do.” Catherine caught a slight movement beyond Andrew’s shoulder. Rather than looking at Rab directly, she allowed her peripheral vision to catch him nod toward the terrace. Catherine cocked a challenging eyebrow at Andrew but hoped Rab recognized it as the expression she’d always given when she waited for him to lead them on an adventure. Before Andrew could say anything, she stepped around him and entered the crowd of dancers. She moved through the people, avoiding bumping into dancing couples until she watched both Andrew and Rab without being obvious. She caught sight of the back of Rab as he eased through the terrace doors. She noticed Andrew already deep in conversation with a Keith delegate. Catherine slipped through a set of doors into a passageway, then sprinted along it until she could inch open a door that led to the bailey. She hurried through and made her way to the terrace.
“Kitty,” Rab whispered. His hulking form emerged from the shadows. It would have been intimidating if Catherine had ever feared Rab a day in her life.
“Shh. Follow me.” Catherine reached out her hand, slipping it into Rab’s. She led them across the bailey and into the dark gardens. When they were sufficiently far enough into the orchard on the far side of the garden, Catherine stopped. Neither knew who reached out first, but they fell into one another’s arms. The embrace was fierce, each of them clinging to the other. Both implicitly knew this might be the only chance they had to share a private moment together.
As they eased their hold, their mouths sought one another. It wasn’t the first kiss they’d shared, but it was the most intense, far more than a mere peck. It was as though it brought them back to life after sleeping through years of their lives. It was languid, the opposite of the ferocity of their embrace. Rab ran his hand over Catherine’s back as the other wrapped around her waist. Her hands tunneled into his hair as she gave herself over to the kiss.
But a thought niggled at the back of Rab’s mind, which he couldn’t push aside. He drew away from Catherine but cupped her cheeks.
“I have dreamed of doing that every day since the last time I was with ye. It’s always been ye.” Rab straightened as he peered over Catherine’s shoulder. “I want naught more than to lose maself in yer kisses until ma last breath. But I canna.”
Rab stepped back and ran a hand through his hair as he debated how to proceed. He knew he was about to hurt Catherine, but he refused to keep anything from her, especially if she only learned of it later and from someone else.
An Outsider at the Highland Court
by Celeste Barclay
Lady Catherine MacFarlane thought she knew who she was going to marry. A man courted her, and her cousin arranged a betrothal. But when her should-be-betrothed decides to embroil himself in scandal, Catherine is left practically at the altar. With few options available at court, Catherine wonders if she can convince her uncle, Laird MacFarlane, to allow her to return home to the Highlands.
Rab MacLaren is the type of Highlander every lady at court talks about: savage and uncouth. Disinterested in women who spend their days switching gowns and gossiping, Rab is content to conduct his business with King Robert the Bruce and leave. He’s not inclined to reform his rugged Highland ways and is content to be an outsider until Rab encounters Catherine, a woman he hasn’t seen since childhood.
Ongoing strife between the MacFarlanes and MacLarens forces Catherine and Rab to keep to the shadows. Will their romance ever see the light and have a chance to bloom?
If you love a steamy secret lovers romance, then you’re sure to enjoy Celeste Barclay’s sizzling new Highlander romance, An Outsider at the Highland Court.
Universal Buy Link: www.books2read.com/outsiderhighland
About the Author:
Celeste Barclay, a nom de plume, lives near the Southern California coast with her husband and sons. Growing up in the Midwest, Celeste enjoyed spending as much time in and on the water as she could. Now she lives near the beach. She’s an avid swimmer, a hopeful future surfer, and a former rower. When she’s not writing, she’s working or being a mom.
Social Media:
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/celestembarclay
FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/celestebarclaysladiesofyore/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/celestembarclay
Sherry Ewing 