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All he'd ever wanted in his life was to find a woman who could look at him as women looked at his
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brothers. Not to have a woman glance at him, then watch as her gaze slid over to one of the others and
stayed there.
That was half of why he'd been so taken in by Isobail's lies. He'd thought that maybe, just once, he
wouldn't have to compete for someone's affections. That a woman could love him and not lust for his
brothers instead.
And it had been a lie.
No doubt Nora would be the same. She'd see Lochlan and fall all over herself to gain his notice. What
woman wouldn't? His brother was tall, but unlike him, not freakishly so. And Lochlan had the golden fair
looks that made most maids swoon.
Best of all, Lochlan was laird.
Ewan sighed. What did he have to offer a woman?
Nothing.
He had money of his own from lands his father had left him, but they were nowhere near the riches of his
brothers' holdings. It was more than enough to keep him and a wife quite comfortable, but he wouldn't be
able to be lavish with her.
And yet as he lay there, he knew it would never be enough to interest a woman. Especially not a woman
like Nora. She was refined and graceful. A true gentlewoman.
She probably belonged to a wealthy lord who had spoiled her immensely. Her clothes and mare were
the finest he'd ever seen, and 'twas obvious she had been well schooled.
She was refined. Delicate. Graceful.
Wonderful.
Such women were beyond his reach. They belonged to men like Lochlan who were refined in grace,
form and tongue. Not to a man who was so tall he had to bend almost double just to enter a room. One
whose form was so long that he couldn't even fit his legs under a table comfortably.
"Ewan?"
He jumped in startled alarm at Nora's voice coming out of the darkness.
"What are you doing here?" he said, his voice gruff.
"I couldn't sleep."
He sat up as she neared him. She wore only a thin shift and held a plaid wrapped around her shoulders.
She'd braided her blond hair, and it fell over one shoulder, all the way down to her hips. She was a vision
in the bright moonlight.
One that stole his breath.
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"You should have stayed in the camp, Nora. 'Tis dangerous for you to be out in the woods alone."
"I knew you were out here."
"Aye, but what if you'd gotten lost?"
"You would find me."
"What if I couldn't?"
"You would find me," she repeated. She knelt down beside him, her face bright by the light of the full
moon. "I have a feeling that if you set your mind to it, you could move a mountain if needs be. Never
mind find one lost woman in the woods."
He felt an urge to smile at her. How did she do this? How could her mere presence lighten his heart?
Ewan studied the curve of her jaw and wondered what it would be like to trace the beauty of it with his
tongue. To taste her creamy skin with his lips.
To hear her moans of pleasure in his ears.
Against his will, his gaze fell to the drawstring of her chemise. It would be all too easy to reach out and
pull the laces that held it closed.
Better yet, to pull it free with his teeth&
Blood rushed through his veins like fire, making him hard and throbbing for her. He wanted to taste her.
Wanted to drown himself in her scent and warmth until he forgot all about everything except her and how
she made him feel.
It would be heaven.
Nora couldn't breathe as she saw the heated look in Ewan's light eyes. There was no ice in them tonight.
They burned with need.
She wasn't sure why she'd come to him. She'd felt a strange urging, and it amazed her that he wasn't
drinking. He appeared perfectly sober and quiet.
"What were you doing out here?" she asked.
To her further astonishment, he answered. "I was looking up at the stars."
She glanced up at the sky.
"And I was thinking about what you said earlier. About how each one held a story."
She smiled at his unexpected words. "Do you know the stories?"
"Nay. I only know the one you told me. Would you tell me more of them?"
Nora trembled at his request. Something told her that he would normally never say such a thing to
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anyone.
He was reaching out to her, and it made her feel special.
"Well, my lord, you know how much I cherish the sound of my own voice& "
He gave a halfhearted laugh at that, then lay back on the ground as he had been when she first saw him.
Thrilled at the sound of his laughter, she lay down beside him and grunted as she tried to find a
comfortable position.
"Here." Ewan pulled her closer to him so that she could lay her head on his shoulder.
Nora's heart pounded as he cuddled her to his side. She'd never had a man hold her like this. Her head
was pillowed on his shoulder while his arm was wrapped about her waist with his hand resting on her
stomach.
It was intimate and touching, and made her feel very strange. The rich, masculine scent of him invaded
her senses, warming every part of her.
She was acutely aware of the strength of him. Of his hard muscles sheltering her. Her body exploded
with heat and an aching throb she didn't understand.
Clearing her throat, she pointed up at the constellation of Orion. "Do you know of Orion the Hunter?"
"Nay."
She moved her hand over them, showing him Orion's belt, head, arms and legs. "Can you see the outline
of him?"
"Aye, I see it."
"Well, long ago in ancient Greece, Orion was a mighty hunter. Born the son of Poseidon and Euryale, he
searched the world for his one true love& "
Ewan listened in silence as she told him how Orion tried for years to win the hand of Merope and to gain
the approval of her father for their marriage. And how Orion had become so tired of the wait that he
forced himself on Merope. As punishment her father blinded Orion, who later traveled until he found the
Greek goddess Artemis, who then fell in love with him. Her brother Apollo, angered by their love,
tricked Artemis into killing Orion, who was then lifted up to the heavens by the goddess so that she could
remember him always.
"Must all your stories involve love gone awry?" Ewan asked. "Is there no such thing as someone actually
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