Read Online My Tempting Highlander (Highland Hearts #3) by Maeve Greyson - Free Book Online
Authors: Maeve Greyson
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about her method of supporting herself that Mairi couldn’t help but admire her elderly guardian. Very selective and always discreet, Eliza somehow kept her chosen gentlemen so enraptured, they happily kept her well funded and housed. Mairi didn’t judge Eliza for her means of getting by. She just silently wished she knew some of Eliza’s secrets when it came to handling men.
Casual dating was easy enough—as long as she didn’t bring them home and submit them to Eliza’s scrutiny—but actually forging a close relationship scared the living crap out of Mairi. To get close, you had to share secrets…truths. The Sinclair family secrets tended to be a little difficult for the average guy to accept. She’d made that mistake once. Mairi shuddered at the memory. She’d never forget the look of
oh my God, she’s a freakin’ loon
on Jason’s face when she’d hinted at her heritage. Mairi blinked away the uncomfortable memory as she retrieved a dented can that had rolled into a corner. She dropped the tin of dog food into the tote and rose from the floor.
“Mairi? Could ye come in here, love? I’ve someone I’d like ye t’meet.”
Scooping up the remaining totes, Mairi hooked them over one arm.
Hmm…must not be a benefactor.
“I’ll be right there.” After she fed her new friend. The longing in the poor stray’s eyes had melted her heart. The poor thing had to be starving. Eliza’s guest could wait. Her hungry new dog could not.
Mairi pushed through the swinging kitchen door and plopped her bags down on the table. A niggling of concern filled her as the clunk of the dog food cans echoed through the empty room. Her furry friend wasn’t in the kitchen. He must’ve decided to go exploring—probably searching for food.
The poor thing.
Mairi peered up the open stairwell at the back of the kitchen. “Come’ere, puppy.” She made kissing noises then strained to listen for the slightest hint the dog was anywhere near. Nothing. Nary a shuffle nor click of a single toenail. Mairi emitted a low whistle then called out again. “Where are you, buddy? Come on. I’ve got some supper for you.” She scooped up the tote containing the loose kibble and rattled it toward the stair. “Come on, big guy. It’s beef-flavored. Num-nummy.” All Mairi heard was a gust of wind rattling against the kitchen window.
The longer Mairi stood holding the bag of dog food, the lower her spirits sank. A kernel of suspicion took hold and quietly germinated at the back of her mind. The house was empty. If the dog had been in any of the rooms, Mairi felt sure her calls would’ve elicited some sort of response. If the dog wasn’t in the house, how had he gotten out? Mairi turned and glared down the hallway at the parlor door.
Eliza preferred cats to dogs, but surely she wouldn’t have turned him out while Mairi was gone. Granted, the stray was a large dog, but from everything Mairi had seen, he was gentle as a lamb.
Mairi yanked open the door leading out to the tiny patio and fenced-in yard, squinting through the heavy sheets of sleet-filled rain. The backyard was empty too. Mairi slammed the door closed and whirled back around. “Surely, she didn’t. Eliza wouldn’t do that.”
A volatile mixture of frustration, disappointment, and lack of sleep from the night before took over. In the short time she’d been around the dog, she’d become strangely attached to the animal. She felt like she’d finally found someone to love and confide in—someone who would neither judge her nor run screaming for the hills when they found out who…and what…she really was. The culmination of the dangerous mix of emotions stung her eyes with the threat of tears.
Dammit to hell.
When her anger spiked out of control she cried, and crying pissed her off even more. She dropped the sack of kibble to the floor and watched the brown chunks scatter and bounce across the tiles. This is bullshit.
Mairi charged down the hall, threw open the parlor
Casual dating was easy enough—as long as she didn’t bring them home and submit them to Eliza’s scrutiny—but actually forging a close relationship scared the living crap out of Mairi. To get close, you had to share secrets…truths. The Sinclair family secrets tended to be a little difficult for the average guy to accept. She’d made that mistake once. Mairi shuddered at the memory. She’d never forget the look of
oh my God, she’s a freakin’ loon
on Jason’s face when she’d hinted at her heritage. Mairi blinked away the uncomfortable memory as she retrieved a dented can that had rolled into a corner. She dropped the tin of dog food into the tote and rose from the floor.
“Mairi? Could ye come in here, love? I’ve someone I’d like ye t’meet.”
Scooping up the remaining totes, Mairi hooked them over one arm.
Hmm…must not be a benefactor.
“I’ll be right there.” After she fed her new friend. The longing in the poor stray’s eyes had melted her heart. The poor thing had to be starving. Eliza’s guest could wait. Her hungry new dog could not.
Mairi pushed through the swinging kitchen door and plopped her bags down on the table. A niggling of concern filled her as the clunk of the dog food cans echoed through the empty room. Her furry friend wasn’t in the kitchen. He must’ve decided to go exploring—probably searching for food.
The poor thing.
Mairi peered up the open stairwell at the back of the kitchen. “Come’ere, puppy.” She made kissing noises then strained to listen for the slightest hint the dog was anywhere near. Nothing. Nary a shuffle nor click of a single toenail. Mairi emitted a low whistle then called out again. “Where are you, buddy? Come on. I’ve got some supper for you.” She scooped up the tote containing the loose kibble and rattled it toward the stair. “Come on, big guy. It’s beef-flavored. Num-nummy.” All Mairi heard was a gust of wind rattling against the kitchen window.
The longer Mairi stood holding the bag of dog food, the lower her spirits sank. A kernel of suspicion took hold and quietly germinated at the back of her mind. The house was empty. If the dog had been in any of the rooms, Mairi felt sure her calls would’ve elicited some sort of response. If the dog wasn’t in the house, how had he gotten out? Mairi turned and glared down the hallway at the parlor door.
Eliza preferred cats to dogs, but surely she wouldn’t have turned him out while Mairi was gone. Granted, the stray was a large dog, but from everything Mairi had seen, he was gentle as a lamb.
Mairi yanked open the door leading out to the tiny patio and fenced-in yard, squinting through the heavy sheets of sleet-filled rain. The backyard was empty too. Mairi slammed the door closed and whirled back around. “Surely, she didn’t. Eliza wouldn’t do that.”
A volatile mixture of frustration, disappointment, and lack of sleep from the night before took over. In the short time she’d been around the dog, she’d become strangely attached to the animal. She felt like she’d finally found someone to love and confide in—someone who would neither judge her nor run screaming for the hills when they found out who…and what…she really was. The culmination of the dangerous mix of emotions stung her eyes with the threat of tears.
Dammit to hell.
When her anger spiked out of control she cried, and crying pissed her off even more. She dropped the sack of kibble to the floor and watched the brown chunks scatter and bounce across the tiles. This is bullshit.
Mairi charged down the hall, threw open the parlor
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