True Love's Deception

Not even lies can deceive the heart.

Juliana Beaumont wants to keep her freedom - and her grandmother's estate in Scotland. But can she do both? Especially when her father demands she marries a man from England before he can give her an inheritance.

Andrew Dean is tired of being the stable help, and jumps at the chance of playing Miss Juliana's pretend husband. But he doesn't believe in marrying unless it's in a church. He hopes Juliana doesn't discover that they are legally married until he can make her fall in love with him. But a secret that has been hidden in his memory for twenty years may just keep them apart.

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Stress lifted from Juliana's chest. She grinned and stuffed the letter back in her skirt. Suddenly, all around her, nature's afternoon sounds became clearer. Birds sang a happier tune as a gentle wind fluttered through the trees. Bees buzzed in unison around honeycombs and flowers. Even the water from the nearby pond splashed with merriment.

She scrunched her forehead. Water splashing by itself? Not likely.

Stepping toward the sound, she tried not to make too much noise even as the fallen leaves and twigs crunched beneath her feet as she made her way to the pond. As she inched closer, a form emerged from the water. She feasted her eyes on a man's bare back and head.

Juliana caught her breath, stepped behind a tree and peeked around the large trunk. Who was he, and did he know he trespassed on private grounds?

Built broader than any man she'd ever seen, his shoulders appeared as if they'd been sculpted by the Gods themselves; hard, yet smooth. He pushed back his dark brown, wet hair, flipping the long length across his head. The bulk landed on his shoulders as water dripped down his bare back.

Was he dangerous? Perhaps he was from one of the neighboring estates and didn't know where the boundaries were. Nevertheless, Juliana must tell him he was on private land.

She gazed across his muscular back to his lean waist. She pressed her lips together to keep from making a sound. Never had she seen so much skin on a man. This was so improper, but heaven help her, she couldn't stop staring!

Nevertheless, Judith must tell him he was on private land whether it was proper or not. Of course, she rarely followed society's rules, especially when Grandmama wasn't nearby.

Judith took a deep breath, lifted her shoulders and walked around the tree. The man cupped his hands in the water and splashed his face. Her nervous heart skipped a beat.

She cleared her throat and he jerked toward her. The view from where she stood was better than from behind the tree. His muscles were more pronounced.

She sucked in a quick breath. Oh my. Very handsome, if she dared admit.
With wide eyes, he sank lower in the water, but not as low as she would have liked. Still, too much of his skin showed, making her highly conscious of his physique. She could not let him see him how unnerved he made her feel. She was above displaying that much emotion in front of others.

"Forgive me for intruding upon your bath," she began in an unsteady voice, "but did you know you are trespassing?"

He wiped the moisture coating his face. "Nay."

"Do you know where you are, then?" She arched a brow.

His gaze moved over her slowly. "Och. I'm standing by a pool of water, refreshing m'self on this verra hot day."

Heat rose up her neck to her cheeks. She really shouldn't have interrupted his bath. But still... He couldn't be here. She hated to admit it, but she really enjoyed his smooth, Scottish accent. "As it is, this is private land."

He shrugged. "Ye must forgive me if I sound confused, but I'm no' trespassin'."

"Since I've never set eyes on you until now, I beg to differ."

"This is the Wentworth estate, and I'm a stable hand."


Genre: Historical Romance