Once Upon a Temptingly Ruinous Kiss - Bree Wolf Page 0,130

Kiss Gone Horribly Wrong (Anne’s story).

Christina’s and Mr. Sharpe’s story will be coming soon in Once Upon an Irritatingly Magical Kiss! Click here to pre-order your copy!

In the meantime, have you checked out other novels by Bree Wolf?

Read on to find an excerpt of first installment of the Love’s Second Chance Series: Highland Tales: Tamed & Unleashed – The Highlander’s Vivacious Wife!

Claudia Davenport sets out to find her child, only to receive unexpected aid in her quest from a handsome stranger. A man who seems more familiar than he ought to be. A man she has met before. If only she could remember him!

Get your own copy of Tamed & Unleashed and fall in love with this emotionally gripping quest! Or read on for a sneak-peek!

PROLOGUE

Gretna Green, Scotland, Summer 1808 (or a variation thereof)

Upon waking, Claudia Davenport, sister to Viscount Ashwood, found her head throbbing with such intensity that she feared it would split in two. Groaning, she rolled onto her side, her hands reaching up to cover her face in a futile attempt to shield her from the blinding sun penetrating even her closed lids. Had the world gone mad?

Never in her life had Claudia awoken to such pain. Never had the sun been her enemy. Never had she felt sick to her stomach.

Not quite like this.

Pinching her eyes shut, Claudia buried her face in the pillow, slowly forcing one deep breath after another down her throat and into her lungs. To her relief, she found that holding her head still eased the pain somewhat, and so she simply lay there for a long while, breathing in and out.

After a small eternity, her ears began to pick up on various sounds drifting in through the closed windows as well as the door to her room. The sounds of people going about their business. And yet, the sounds were not quite as she remembered them.

As they ought to be.

Something was different, and a frown emerged on her face.

Slowly, she cracked open an eye and peered at her surroundings.

A moment later, Claudia bolted upright in bed.

Instantly, her head rebelled at such treatment, sending jolts of pain through her being that would have brought her to her knees had she been standing. Her hands flew up, pressing hard onto her temples in the hopes of easing the pain. Still, it took a long while before she dared open her eyes again.

Squinting, Claudia took in the small chamber, the simple and sparse furnishings, the lack of luxury. “What happened?” she whispered to herself. “Where am I?”

For this was definitely not her bedchamber back at Farnworth Manor.

This was a room she had never seen before.

Swallowing the panic that began to rise, Claudia closed her eyes once more, trying to remember how on earth she had ended up in this place. The last thing she could recall was attending Lord Campton’s ball.

Once more, she heard the soft notes of the music drifting through the large rooms. Again, she found herself standing with the other young debutantes, eyes gliding over the gentlemen in attendance until−

“William,” Claudia gasped as his face took form before her inner eye. “We danced. We laughed. We−” Again, a gasp tore from her throat, and one hand fell from her temple covering her mouth in shock. “We ran off.”

Trying to swallow the lump in her throat, Claudia once more glanced about the room as though William might have been hiding somewhere in plain sight all along. But he was not. She was alone.

Careful not to move too much, Claudia inhaled a few deep breaths, allowing her mind to wander back to the night before. Slowly, images returned of her taking William’s hand and following him outside into the dark night. She remembered him helping her into his carriage, the way he had held her in his arms as the horses had pulled them toward their destination, his assurances that all would be well.

“We eloped,” Claudia mumbled, her eyes drifting around the room. “This is…this is an inn…in Gretna Green. It must be.” The breath caught in her throat, and she slowly turned her head to the left, her eyes focusing on the other side of the bed.

It was empty, and yet, someone had lain there. There was an unmistakable indentation, and…a warmth lingered that sent a shiver down her back. “What have I done?” Slowly, she pulled back the thin blanket and her heart slammed to a momentary halt.

In the bright morning sun, a few droplets of blood shone on the white