"Thank you." Ewan placed a hand on each of Braden's shoulders so as to savor his reaction. "Anyway, Maggie, whether she has buck teeth or not"-he glared at Lochlan in warning, before turning back to face Braden-"has led all the la.s.ses into hiding."

Braden's frown deepened. "Hiding from what?"

"From us wicked, l.u.s.tful men."

Braden stared blankly at Ewan as the full, horrific impact of the words dawned on him. "Surely you jest."

Braden looked to Lochlan for verification. "He jests?"

"Nay," Lochlan sighed. "He's telling the truth. It seems the women have decided that I must put a stop to the feud against the MacDouglas or else they'll serve us no more."

"Inany capacity," Ewan added for effect.

Braden's face actually paled as he stepped away from Ewan. He reached out and grabbed a handful of Sin's cloak. "By Satan's hairy toes, Sin, it appears I've died and gone to h.e.l.l."

Sin snorted. "Guess again, little brother. 'Tis too cold here to be h.e.l.l."

Braden shook his head in disbelief, then a dark look came over him as he faced Lochlan. "All right,laird , what did you do to the women to get them so riled?"

"Me?" Lochlan asked, stunned by Braden's a.s.sumption that he had done anything to the women. "I did nothing. Why, I've tried everything I can think of to make them see reason. I've threatened and cajoled.

h.e.l.l, I even tried seducing Maggie myself, but-"

Braden's derisive snort interrupted him. "Well, there's half your problem. I can a.s.sure you, ordering a woman to lift her skirts isn't the way to get her into your bed."

Lochlan felt his jaw drop in indignation. "I beg your pardon, I have more subtlety than that."

"The devil you do. You forget, I've seen your clumsy attempts at seduction firsthand."

"Clumsy? Why, I've had more women than you, you whelp."

Braden c.o.c.ked one arrogant, taunting brow.

"Well," Lochlan conceded after reflecting on the matter for a second. He doubted if a Saracen sheikh with a harem could claim more women than Braden. "Maybe not more than you, but certainly more than Ewan."

"That's not saying much," Braden inserted. "My left boot has had more women than Ewan."

"Hey, now," Ewan snarled. "You'd best be keeping your insults directed at the brother who tolerates you. I'll not take kindly to such."

Ignoring him, Braden draped an arm over Lochlan's shoulders and pulled him close, as if about to impart some great secret. "Now, listen to me, my dearest brother who tolerates me. You are laird to a powerful clan. 'Tis not your feeble attempts that seduce women so much as your t.i.tle and fair face."

"My what?" Lochlan asked, offended by his condescending tone.

" 'Tis true," Braden continued. "There's not a woman among them who wouldn't love to lay claim to a night with a laird. Is that not right, Sin?"

"Why ask me? Am I a woman to know these things?"

"Well..." Braden paused.

Whatever thought he had, he must have reconsidered, for he quickly returned to Lochlan. "As I was saying, your t.i.tle and face are all you need."

"Aye, well, neither impressed Maggie. She dispatched me in record time. At this point, she's left me with no alternative that I can see. If they aren't out by midday tomorrow, I'm leading a raiding party against the kirk and dragging them out by force."

Braden released him. "You don't want to be doing that. They're women, Lochlan.Our women."

"You think I don't know that? Our mother is in there with them. But what choice do I have?"

A speculative look came over Braden's face. Lochlan could almost see the workings of his mind. Good, Braden was always a mastermind when it came to dealing with women.

"I can think of another choice," Braden said. "What say you, I talk sense into the wench and get the women back where they belong-in the kitchens and in our beds?"

Lochlan considered it. If Braden could end this peacefully, then it was certainly worth a try. He didn't like the thought of hurting one of their women any more than Braden did.

Perhaps his brothercould succeed where he had failed. Braden had always been good at settling hot-blooded issues peacefully.

There had only been one time when he had failed. Lochlan winced at the memory.

There had been enough tragedy in their family. The last thing he wanted was to add anything more. He would give Braden a chance to talk the women out.

But only one. He couldn't afford any more than that.

"Very well. But know this: At the rate Maggie's going, my men will either storm the kirk on their own, or they'll toss me out on my a.r.s.e and elect a new laird."

"Women," Sin muttered. "I can't believe they'd construct this rebellion against you while you have a feud to contend with. The last thing you need are your men distracted by women's foolery while they have lands to protect."

"Aye," Braden agreed. "I'm surprised the MacDouglas isn't taking advantage of this mutiny."

Lochlan glanced out the window in the direction of the kirk. In spite of his anger, he did take a moment to savor the amus.e.m.e.nt he felt over the bit of news he'd received. "I'm sure he would have, had his own women not done the same thing to his clan."

"What?" Braden asked.

"It's true," Lochlan continued. "His own wife has joined them. I received word of it just three days ago.

The Lady MacDouglas has made a laughingstock of her husband."

"Is he willing to talk peace, then?" Sin asked.

"Nay. Even if we could agree to terms, neither of us dares it. If we concede to the women over this, then they'll think they have power over us and anytime there's a matter they don't like, they might very well hie themselves into hiding again. I shudder to think of the consequences. Can you imagine?"

"Aye," Braden said with a wicked smile. "It could be amusing."

Lochlan glared at him.

"Well, it could," Braden said, dismissing Lochlan's ire.

He swept a confident look over the three of them. "For years the lot of you have mocked me over the fact that no woman can resist me. Well, now, my brothers, you shall be grateful to me for my gift."

Braden's look had never been more c.o.c.ksure. "Come and bear witness to how quickly I end this matter. I'll wager it'll be less than a quarter hour before I have Maggie feeding from my hand."

"I'll take the wager," Ewan said. "Especially after the way I saw Maggie send Lochlan packing. It'll do you good to fail."

"Me, fail?" Braden asked in disbelief. "Hah! There's no woman alive immune to me."

"For once, I hope you're right," Lochlan said. "I can't afford for you to lose this wager."

"Then come and see my most tender triumph."

Ewan clapped Lochlan on the back. "I don't know about you, but this is one confrontation I canna wait to see."

Chapter 3.

Braden MacAllister could very well mark the end of all her grand plans.

Maggie ingen Blar froze at the window of the kirk as she saw the small group of men headed her way. If ever the four riders of the Apocalypse appeared in the flesh, it would be in the form of the four men gasconading down the road toward the small kirk where she and the other women had taken refuge.

It would be any other woman's dream to have four such sinfully handsome men headed toward her, knowing she was the one they sought with such determination.

For Maggie, it was a waking nightmare.

The handsome Lochlan she'd expected to see again. Standing six-foot-four, he was one of the tallest men of the clan. His fair hair looked as if it had literally been spun from gold. And when it came to his features, she doubted if the angels in heaven could compete with the gentle sculpted face or dimpled smile that had made many a maid sigh.

But there was no smile in place today. Only a grim, lethal stare.

Lochlan's younger brother Ewan stood two inches taller and possessed broad shoulders and a deadly swagger that made the men of the clan scurry at his approach. His darkly handsome face had rendered many a woman mute. But it was his dangerous countenance that kept any woman from pursuing him.

Most women were as afraid of him as were the men.

The third man stood between their heights and was dressed as an Englishman, and she knew him not at all. Still, he possessed that same lethal aura of all the MacAllister brothers, and his confident stride held a captivating, seductive quality to it. He reminded her of a dangerous dark beast pursuing his prey.

And the fourth...

He was the one her eyes feasted on, for she knew Braden MacAllister well. A friend to her older brothers, he had come often to her home while she was growing up.

Like some lovesick mooncalf, Maggie had adored him always.

Would there ever come a time in her life when the very sight of him wouldn't quicken her breath? Make her heart beat out of control?

All of the MacAllister brothers were handsome, but there was something special about Braden.

Something about him that was truly irresistible.

His wavy black hair fell just past his muscular shoulders and Maggie could easily recall the scent of elderberries that clung to the silken strands. Not that she knew for certain his hair felt like silk. 'Twas merely the sheen of it that suggested it would be wondrous to brush her hand through the long, dark locks.

He had a high forehead with finely arched black brows that lifted up when he laughed. And he laughed often. It was a deep, throaty sound that filled the air with music and warmth.

And his lips...

Full and well shaped, they were the kind of lips a woman went to bed at night dreaming of kissing. Or better yet, the kind of lips that could kiss a woman senseless.

Or so she had been told.

Unfortunately, Maggie had never known the pleasure of those lips herself. Braden had always viewed her as a pesky child, even though only three and a half years separated them in age.

Ever since she'd turned twelve, she had tried to get him to notice her, even to the point of biting him once when he failed to look her way. Yet she seemed to be the only woman alive he truly had no interest in.

Her brother Anghus had told her it was Braden's loyalty to her brothers that kept him from looking twice at her, but inside she suspected it was more than that. Maggie wasn't a fool.

She had never been the type of woman men pursued for anything other than a hot meal or advice on how to attract someother female.

As her twin brother Ian so often said, she was a good, reliable friend; the kind of woman a man could turn to for advice and never worry about her judging him.

At best, she was pa.s.sably attractive, not a beauty by any stretch of even the most accomplished imagination.

But what she wouldn't give to have the courage or beauty to make Braden notice her for just an instant.

To be the one woman who could tame the wild wind.

However, today was not the day to try and gain his notice. In fact, today was the worst possible day she couldever see him. For in her heart, she knew he was the one man who could sneak past her defenses.

And today she couldn't afford to lose. Not even to him.

Nay, she must keep the handsome warrior at arm's length. That is, if any woman could keep a man like him at arm's length.

While Maggie watched Braden's approach, Pegeen came up behind her, asking about blankets.

Though she heard her friend's question plainly enough, Maggie couldn't speak. Her entire being was fixated on the most handsome Highlander ever to live.

Braden walked toward her sanctuary with a confident, masculine swagger that turned every maid's head. The wind blew against his ebony hair, stirring strands of it about his chiseled face. He moved with his left hand on his sword, his shoulders thrown back in pride.

The hem of his black and green plaid slapped against the tanned, well-muscled flesh of his thighs. Thighs that moved sinuously with each step that brought him closer to her.

Mo chreach! he was gorgeous.

Raw, untamed masculine sensuality and att.i.tude bled from every pore of his body.

Braden was a man comfortable with himself and a.s.sured of his place in the world. He'd never been one to follow the dictates of others, but rather he had always walked his own path, consequences be d.a.m.ned.

Today he seemed even more confident than he had the last time she had seen him.

He was up to something, she realized with a start. She could see it in the firm set of his jaw, in the sharpness of his gaze. There was an unmasked determination about him. He had a goal.

And in an instant she knew what he was about.