Page 1 of Desiring the Highland Laird (Highland Destiny #1)

E vangeline “Evie” Sinclair exited 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 looks and brains. 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 energy she 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?”

“I met someone.” She said it as though it were a secret she was afraid to release into the world.

“His name is Bruce?”

“Yes.” She took her by the hand and tugged her down the sidewalk. “We can discuss it on the way to my flat.”

Evie had no choice but to follow her sister, her mind swirling with questions. She was gone less than a year and now she had a flat and a boyfriend?

What had Evie been doing the last few months? Nothing except for throwing herself the biggest pity party on the face of the planet. All because she missed her twin with a ferociousness she had never expected to feel.

She blamed it, too, on the fact that Brianna was so far away, and they rarely talked.

Having Chloe move over four-thousand-miles away was like having her heart ripped from her chest and stomped on.

It was the worst day of her life when she left but she didn’t dare stop her.

She couldn’t. Not for selfish reasons. Even though Chloe had asked her what she thought when she was offered the job.

In fact, Evie talked her into taking it. Telling her she would be fine. She could manage on her own.

They had never been separated for so long or been so far apart in their entire lives.

They spent every moment together growing up.

They shared a room. They leaned heavily on each other when their parents died at fifteen and Brianna, ten years their senior, became their legal guardian.

Evie suspected Brianna was angry at having to give up her life to return home and take care of them until they were out of high school.

Then, later, when they were independent and Brianna had returned to her beachy ways, they shared an apartment.

Until Chloe left.

Chloe loaded her small suitcase into the back of a compact car.

“Evie.” There was a terse note in her voice. “You haven’t listened to anything I said.”

Evie realized Chloe was talking nonstop and she hadn’t heard a word.

“I’m sorry,” she said, flushing hot. She hadn’t meant to ignore her. She was lost in thought.

“I know that look.” Chloe motioned to the passenger side.

But Evie hesitated as she stared at the small car. “You can…drive? Here?”

She gave her a bright smile. “Sure.”

But Evie wasn’t so sure. “But it’s on the wrong side of the road, Chlo.”

“The right side if you’re talking to a Scot.” She giggled and motioned to the passenger side again. “Hop in.”

With reluctance, Evie slid into the passenger seat. “I didn’t know you were driving here.”

“Well, with the work visa, I was able to get a driving permit.”

Her sister pulled into traffic on the left side of the road, merging with ease. Evie gripped the door so hard, her fingers ached. Traffic was heavy as they moved down the narrow road, the other side of cars zooming by at an alarming rate. It didn’t seem to bother Chloe.

Evie cut a glance at her sister as she navigated the streets as though she’d been doing it her whole life.

She was definitely the prettier of the two of them.

It was hard to be jealous of her when she was so damn likeable.

She was the popular one in school. The class president.

The one voted Most Likely to Succeed. Homecoming queen. Prom queen.

Then, in college, she took her classes seriously. So serious, in fact, she dumped a guy who wanted her to move in with him, get married, and drop out. Chloe was not going to let anyone stand in her way. Chloe wasn’t in love with him. She was in love with her studies and history.

“I missed you, Chlo,” she said finally.

Chloe gave her a sideways glance and smiled. That grin that said everything was going to be all right now that they were back together. “I missed you, too, Eve.”

She clasped her hands in her lap and watched as the city flashed by the window.

Chloe sped round a roundabout like she had driven them all her life.

Evie gritted her teeth and tried not to cry out with sheer terror as they took the corner on what felt like two wheels.

She tried conversation to keep her mind off the road.

“Did you ask Bri to come?”

Her sister stiffened at the mention of their older sibling’s name. Her hands clutched the steering wheel so tight her knuckles turned white.

“I didn’t.”

Though she knew the answer, she asked, “Why not?”

“Eve, you know why. She couldn’t wait to get back to her beaches and her dolphins.” Chloe didn’t bother to hide the animosity in her voice.

She understood. The moment they graduated high school and sold their parents’ house, Brianna packed up and left them on their own.

It was a struggle, but Chloe was determined to go to college.

Evie never cared one way or another. Evie was the one who encouraged her to follow her dreams while she made sure they had a place to live and food to eat.

They’d managed to save some of the money from the sale of the house, but even so, Evie went to work to help pay the bills so they wouldn’t exhaust their savings.

“Brianna is built different than us,” Evie said.

“Don’t make excuses for her,” Chloe snapped. “She took care of us because she was forced to.”

It was a bone of contention with Chloe. Evie, though, tried to forgive her.

“It’s like she didn’t even care when Mom and Dad died.”

“Don’t say that,” Evie admonished. “She was as sad as we were.”

“Was she? You know she blew through her part of the inheritance already, don’t you?”

“I didn’t.”

Evie shifted in the seat and regretted asking about Brianna.

It wasn’t a lot of money, but it was enough to sustain them and help pay for Chloe’s college.

Evie thought it was important she go because she was so much smarter than her and deserved the chance to live out her dreams. Evie never dreamed of a career.

She floated from one job to another without any purpose or direction.

Chloe blew out a breath as if she were defeated. “I’m sorry, Eve. I don’t mean to sound so defensive about her.”

“You hold grudges. I get it.”

When Chloe cast her a sideways glance, Evie grinned at her. “God forbid we get into a fight and you hold one against me.”

“That will never happen.”

She took another roundabout at breakneck speed. Evie held on for dear life.

“Tell me about Bruce,” she said through clenched teeth, trying to take her mind off her sister’s driving. She was never great at it—at least that was something Evie was better at—and this driving on the wrong side of the road set her nerves on fire.

“I can’t wait for you to meet him at dinner,” Chloe said.

“Dinner? Tonight?”

“I told him we’d meet him at the pub.”

“Pub?” Evie reached for the door handle and hung on, her nails digging into it.

“Yeah, he and his band play there every Tuesday night.”

“Band?”

What the hell was going on? Chloe was not the type of girl to fall for a guy in a band.

Chloe was the type of girl who made straight A’s and aced all her exams. The type of girl who was in bed by nine and never missed a deadline.

The type of girl who worked hard and sometimes enjoyed a glass of wine.

All this talk about a pub and a band and some guy was unnerving.

“Not like a rock band or anything,” she said. “More like…traditional music.”

“So, no AC/DC or anything?” she asked.

Chloe laughed. “Nothing like that. Here we are!”

She took a turn into a cramped car park that had narrow spaces. But Chloe seemed unfazed by it as she threw the car into reverse and backed in like a professional driver. Evie was impressed. It was clear her sister was eager to get out and show Evie her flat. And she was eager for that, too.

Right after a nap and a couple of ibuprofen.

Chloe pulled her suitcase out from the backseat and waved at her to hurry and follow. Evie trudged after her sister, the long flight and her hangover finally catching up to her.

Inside, the flat was spacious yet cozy, with a tiny kitchen, living area and dining room.

“Two bedrooms,” Chloe exclaimed. “This is your room.”

Between the bedrooms was a modest yet functional bathroom.

Stepping inside, the space was compact but thoughtfully arranged.

The sleek, white sink sat beneath a mirrored cabinet.

Below that, a shelf for her smaller items like her toothbrush and face cream.

Over the shower-tub combo, there was a frosted window that let in filtered light.

The walls were a neutral shade, making the space feel clean and bright.

Her gaze wandered to the toilet—a bit different than what she was used to in the States. It had a dual-flush button on top, an eco-friendly design which was likely common in this country. It felt lower to the ground than what she expected but it was oddly practical, like the rest of the bathroom.

“You got the place furnished?” she asked.

“I did. It was better than trying to furnish it myself.”

She stood at the foot of the full-size bed, her hands on her hips as she looked around the room, as if seeing it for the first time.

There was one window with the blinds open that let in shafts of light.

Along with the bed, there was a small nightstand with one lamp.

Across from the bed, a desk and small chest of drawers.

“It’s not my taste, but I decided I didn’t care after a while.” She grinned.

“It’s great,” Evie said, stifling a yawn.

“We’ll meet Bruce in a few hours. That should give you time to rest.”

She headed for the door.

“Chlo?”

She paused, her hand on the knob.

Evie grinned at her, a sense of happiness coming over her. “I’m glad I’m here.”

She returned her smile. “I’m glad you’re here, too.”

When she closed the door, Evie fell onto the bed, kicking off her shoes at the same time. It wasn’t long before she was fast asleep.