Northern Sunset. PENNY JORDAN

dark-haired man, with the coolly amused jade green eyes, whom Magnus had called “Brett Simons”—the man who had forced her to share his bed and who had coolly and unmistakable shown her exactly how little effect her presence in it had had upon him!

      Her heart had started to beat with panicky hurried movements, and she was conscious of Magnus frowning slightly at her rudeness. Magnus was a stickler for good manners and she knew her sharp words had surprised him.

      “Brett telephoned this morning to warn me that they were on the way, Cat,” Magnus informed her reprovingly. “I came to tell you, but you’d already gone out.”

      “I expect Miss Peterson dislikes surprise arrivals as much as any other woman,” Brett Simons drawled placatingly, while Catriona seethed in impotent rage. Did he honestly think she needed his help to excuse her behaviour to Magnus? She only had to breathe one word to her brother of what had happened in Lerwick and Brett Simons and his men would be banished from Falla for ever. She took a step towards Magnus and then hesitated remembering Mac’s words. An uncertain glance at Brett Simons’ coolly watchful face told her nothing, but from the looks of his three companions it was plain that they were not used to female opposition to their boss’s desires. Her tongue flicked anxious over her dry lips, her heart thudding uncomfortably.

      “I… we expected you to write to us,” she said at last, conscious of a small sigh running round the room as though there had been a collective releasing of breath.

      “We were informed that with the bad weather the mailboat wouldn’t be able to call, and once we had the go-ahead we didn’t want to waste any time,” Brett Simons told her smoothly. “I’m sorry if our appearance is unexpected.”

      The last word brought Catriona’s head up with a proud jerk, as she searched the green eyes for a hidden meaning. Was he trying to tell her that he knew how much his presence had shocked her? It was going to be bad enough having these men on the island at all, without Brett Simons thinking he had some sort of hold over her.

      “Unexpected, but not catastrophic,” she replied lightly. A small movement from Magnus caught her attention, and Brett Simons was banished as she hurried to her brother’s side, her smile warm and understanding. His face was pale, the bleak, haunted look back in his eyes, and now that she knew the reason for his withdrawn mood earlier in the day, Catriona could not help but regret giving in to Mac’s urgings.