Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress. Nicola Cornick

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      The moment in which I set out upon my journey to the house of Glen Clair and Mr. Sinclair behaves as no gentleman should.

      I drew a deep breath. My heart was hammering. “Are you, by any chance, asking me to be your mistress, Mr. Sinclair?”

      A disturbingly sensuous smile curled Neil Sinclair’s lips. “Would that be so very bad, Miss Balfour? I am offering you a comfortable home instead of a ruin in the back of beyond with relatives who do not want you.”

      “You are not offering it for nothing!”

      His smile deepened. He put out a hand and touched my cheek gently. I was so shocked at the physical contact that I jumped.

      “All I ask in return,” he said, “is something that should be intensely pleasurable for both of us.”

      Once again I felt that jolt deep inside me. I swallowed hard and pushed away the heated images of lust and loving.

      “I thought,” I said, “that you did not even like me very much.”

      I saw something primitive and strong flare in his eyes, scorching me.

      “Then you know little of men, Miss Balfour,” he said. His tone had roughened. “I wanted you from the first moment I saw you.”

      Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress

      Harlequin^®Historical

      To Elspeth and Sheila, the original Miss Bennies and

       so much nicer than their fictional counterparts!

      Author Note

      A few years ago my mother-in-law gave me an ancient copy of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel Kidnapped as a birthday present. I had read and enjoyed the book many years before and now I picked it up again and was plunged into a world of romance and intrigue and adventure. When I finished it I thought how exciting it would be to write my own version, inspired by the original, and so the idea of Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress was born. My husband’s family are Scots and we visit the Scottish Highlands every year, so I used all the places I know and love as the setting for my book. Writing a book set in Scotland was such a thrill that I definitely plan to write a sequel!

      I hope that you enjoy Kidnapped: His Innocent Mistress, which is a homage to both Robert Louis Stevenson’s wonderful story and to Scotland, one of the most beautiful countries on earth.

      NICOLA CORNICK

      KIDNAPPED: His Innocent Mistress