Page 1 of Desiring the Highland Laird
Chapter One
Evangeline “Evie” Sinclairexited the Edinburgh International Airport with a raging headache and the worst hangover of her life. She hated flying. Even more, she hated flying over ten hours.
She managed to sleep on the long first flight with the aid of copious amounts of alcohol and a handful of melatonin, knowing all the while she would regret her decision later. She did when she had to sprint to the gate at Heathrow to catch her connection to Edinburgh. Now, her stomach roiled, and her head pounded as she dodged throngs of visitors.
But her twin sister, Chloe, was worth it. She wouldn’t miss her first big fund-raising gala for anything in the world.
She hadn’t seen her sister in nearly a year. Not since Chloe took on a job as the director of public programs at one of the more prestigious history museums in Edinburgh. It had taken some time for her work visa to come through, but when it did, she packed up her American life and headed to Scotland, leaving her behind. Evie was happy for her but at the same time, she wallowed in self-pity when Chloe left. She was, after all, all the family she had left.
Well, except for their older sister, Brianna. She was a free spirit and an underwater photographer living her best life in the Caribbean. Years had passed since she’d seen Brianna.
Evie made her way out of the terminal, her stomach roiling from the travel and the booze still swimming through her veins. She hated to admit how pukey she felt.
When she saw Chloe standing on the sidewalk, though, all that disappeared.
She and Chloe were fraternal twins, and, by Evie’s account, Chloe got all the looksandbrains. It wasn’t fair.
Chloe was always effortlessly stunning. Tall and graceful, her long auburn hair tumbled over her shoulders and down her back, the strands catching the light in a way that showed off her golden highlights. And those eyes—huge, striking emerald eyes framed in dark lashes Evie envied her entire life. She never got over how naturally beautiful Chloe was, never needing a drop of make-up on her porcelain skin which was smooth and perfect without even trying. Not even a blemish in sight, even during their awkward teenage years while Evie battled every breakout. Even the smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks was charming.
Evie, however, earned the nickname Freckle Face in third grade. It dogged her throughout her entire school career. It didn’t help that she had vibrant red-and-gold hair as brilliant as the sun, making her stand out even more. And her eyes were more like the color of a mud puddle.
When Chloe caught sight of her, she gave an enormous wave, her face splitting into a bright, happy smile. It was hard to feel crummy when Evie looked at that joyful face.
“You made it!”
Chloe enveloped her in a hug that nearly stole her breath. It was good to hug her sister again. When she pulled back, holding her at arm’s length, she looked her over, then frowned.
“You look like crap,” she said.
“Thanks, it’s good to see you, too,” Evie replied.
“Bad flight?” Chloe asked, ignoring her quip.
“The flight was fine.”
She didn’t want to tell her sister she was hungover or that the mad dash through Heathrow had drained every ounce of energyshe had left. Or that all she wanted to do was crawl into bed, pull the covers over her head, and sleep for a week.
Chloe took her suitcase from her, which was nothing more than a carry-on. “Is this all your luggage?”
“I travel light,” Evie said.
Chloe lifted an auburn brow. “You didn’t check a bag? You’ll be here for nearly ten days.”
“I have a terrible fear of lost luggage.” Evie hooked her arm with her sister’s. “You know that.”
“Yes, but…ten days, Eve.”
“Dinnae fash yerself, lassie,” Evie said in her best Scottish accent, which was terrible.
Chloe laughed, a bright happy sound that made Evie grin. “Come on. Let’s get you settled and then I’ll introduce you to Bruce.”
That stopped her cold. She halted in the middle of the sidewalk, her gut clenching and her hangover threatening to rear its ugly head.
“Who the hell is Bruce?”
Chloe flushed, her cheeks turning a pale, lovely pink. “I didn’t want to tell you on the phone. I was afraid you’d back out.”
This didn’t sound good. Not at all. She didn’t like where it was going. “Tell me what?”
