Enjoy this steamy Scottish historical time travel romance series, by bestselling author Kim Sakwa.

Brianna opened the door, only to see Mr. Sinclair in all his stalwart glory taking up the entire space. His eyes, a stormy shade of green this morning, enhanced by the tawny color of his hooded cloak, sent a shiver down her spine that surprised her. One he had to have noticed once he shifted his gaze to her face from the messy knot on top of her head. Suddenly, Brianna realized she was only wearing her chemise, without even a robe to shield her from his penetrating looks. To his credit, Mr. Sinclair regarded her squarely, his eyes never straying downward.

“Mr. Sinclair,” she said, glad that her voice came out steady. “May I help you?”

“You said family brought you here to Abersoch, yet you never explained,” he said, searching her face with an imploring look.

He was so candid with his question and seemed so genuinely curious about the answer that Brianna stepped back and waved him inside without thinking. After a brief hesitation, he nodded, and made the lonnnnng journey from just beyond her doorway, to just within. His cordial restraint wasn’t lost on her. If there was anything she’d learned this past week, it was that these people could be trusted, and that continued to be proven over and over. Even Mr. Sinclair who she’d sensed had been wary of her, at least at the start, was here, speaking to her without artifice, and again she found herself leaning as closely toward the truth as she could without broaching it. “I really did come to retrieve a family heirloom,” she said.

He seemed to be considering her words at length. “I see. Did you find it?”

She shook her head. “I did not.”

“Would you care for my aide in your quest?’

His words harkened brave knights and fair damsels in her mind and when she smiled, he did too. “I believe that our prized Wolf sword is out of reach now.”

She was surprised how easily those words came out, not that it wasn’t the truth, she had gone to Abersoch to retrieve the sword, and it was out of reach, hundreds of years out of reach—it was her delivery that shocked her. She’d never been the best flirt, in fact, awkward would be a more appropriate descriptor, but even to her ears, that had sounded a little flirty. She hadn’t even meant to try and wondered what had come over her, but she paused when she saw something shift in his eyes. He was still smiling, yet clearly calculating something, too. “I am sorry for your loss then. ’Tis a prize indeed… with or without the stone.”

At this, Brianna faltered. Stone? What stone? When she’d mentioned the sword, she forgot that he would know of it.  It took her a second to realize what he meant, and she stepped closer, suddenly desperate to hear more, forgetting herself completely. “Wait. You’ve seen it? The jewel?” she whispered, holding her breath. She thought she remembered Lachlan or Celeste mentioning something about a jewel, maybe, but they’d said so much, she couldn’t recall. But hearing Mr. Sinclair speak of the stone, the stone, that went in the hollow beneath the family crest was something she wondered about her entire life.

He nodded. “Aye, a priceless beauty.”

“What color is it?” she asked, unable to contain her excitement. “My grandfather said sapphire, but we’ve never been sure.” So engrossed in knowing, she thought nothing of his renewed scrutiny.

“Truth be told, lass, I’d say O’Roarke blue. The very shade of your eyes.”