The Seduction of Elliot McBride (Mackenzies Series)

Praise for

T
HE
D
UKE
’
S
P
ERFECT
W
IFE

“
The Duke’s Perfect Wife
is a sensual, gorgeous story that was captivating from the first page to the very last.”

—
Joyfully Reviewed
(Recommended Read)

“The unforgettable Mackenzies return as Ashley spins the fourth in the series into another mesmerizing, intensely emotional romance that steals readers’ hearts and minds. With her innovative plots and characters, Ashley pushes the boundaries of the genre and creates ‘keepers,’ because they touch readers on many levels.”

—
RT Book Reviews
(Top Pick)

“It’s all such a seductive world, you’ll get swept away, just as I did.”

—
DemonLovers Books & More

T
HE
M
ANY
S
INS OF
L
ORD
C
AMERON

“Ashley’s latest, flawlessly written historical romance richly rewards romance readers with its multilayered characterization; sexy, secrets-saturated plotting; sharp wit; and enthralling writing.”

—
Booklist
(starred review)

“Passionate, well-drawn characters, breathless romance, and a memorable love story.”

—
Library Journal

“Innovative as ever…a beautifully written, tender, touching romance that will leave readers breathless.Her strong characterizations and poignant yet sensual storytelling draw readers into her unforgettable love stories.”

—
RT Book Reviews
(Top Pick)

“Readers will love Ainsley.”—
Publishers Weekly

“Ashley simply has a gift with her storytelling…Heart-wrenching romance, balanced with a good amount of steamy sex, and an underlying story line all contribute to the…enjoyment.”

—
Night Owl Reviews

“Another winner from Jennifer Ashley…It’s romantic and heartfelt, steamy and sexy, with just the right amount of humor. I absolutely love this book and I cannot get enough of the Mackenzies!”

—
Michelle and Leslie’s Book Picks

“Jennifer Ashley writes very sensual, sexy books…If you love the first two books in this series, you will enjoy this one as well. If you haven’t tried these, I definitely recommend.”

—
Smexy Books

L
ADY
I
SABELLA
’
S
S
CANDALOUS
M
ARRIAGE

“I adore this novel: It’s heartrending, funny, honest, and true. I want to know the hero—no, I want to
marry
the hero!”

—Eloisa James,
New York Times
bestselling author

“Skillfully nuanced characterization and an abundance of steamy sensuality give Ashley’s latest impeccably crafted historical its irresistible literary flavor.”

—
Chicago Tribune

“Readers rejoice! The Mackenzie brothers return as Ashley works her magic to create a unique love story brimming over with depth of emotion, unforgettable characters, sizzling passion, mystery, and a story that reaches out and grabs your heart. Brava!”

—
RT Book Reviews
(Top Pick)

“A heartfelt, emotional historical romance with danger and intrigue around every corner…A great read!”

—
Fresh Fiction

“For a rollicking good time, sexy Highland heroes, and touching romances, you just can’t beat Jennifer Ashley’s novels!”

—
Night Owl Reviews

“You can’t help but fall in love with the Mackenzie brothers.”

—
Loves Romances and More

“This series is a must-read for all historical romance fans.”

—
Smexy Books

“I’m a big fan of Jennifer Ashley’s…Deliciously fun.”

—
All About Romance

“Ms. Ashley is a superb author who can bring sensuality and passion to life with her characters and pour the emotion off the pages.”

—
Fiction Vixen Book Reviews

“Ms. Ashley did not let me down.”

—
The Good, The Bad and The Unread

T
HE
M
ADNESS OF
L
ORD
I
AN
M
ACKENZIE

“A deliciously dark and delectably sexy story of love and romantic redemption that will captivate readers with its complex characters and suspenseful plot.”

—
Booklist

“Ashley’s enthralling and poignant romance…touches readers on many levels. Brava!”

—
RT Book Reviews

“A story of mystery and intrigue with two wonderful, bright characters you’ll love…I look forward to more from Jennifer Ashley, an extremely gifted author.”
—Fresh Fiction

“Brimming with mystery, suspense, an intriguing plot, villains, romance, a tormented hero, and a feisty heroine, this book is a winner. I recommend
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
to anyone looking for a great read.”

—
Romance Junkies

“Wow! One of the best books I have ever read. [It] gets the highest recommendation that I can give. It is a truly wonderful book.”

—
Once Upon A Romance

“When you’re reading a book that is a step or two—or six or seven—above the norm, you know it almost immediately. Such is the case with
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
. The characters here are so complex and so real that I was fascinated by their journey…[and] this story is as flat-out romantic as any I’ve read in a while…This is a series I am certainly looking forward to following.”

—
All About Romance

“A unique twist on the troubled hero…Fresh and interesting.”

—
Night Owl Reviews

“A welcome addition to the genre.”

—
Dear Author

Berkley Sensation titles by Jennifer Ashley

The Mackenzies

THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE

LADY ISABELLA’S SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE

THE MANY SINS OF LORD CAMERON

THE DUKE’S PERFECT WIFE

THE SEDUCTION OF ELLIOT MCBRIDE

Shifters Unbound

PRIDE MATES

PRIMAL BONDS

WILD CAT

MATE CLAIMED

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over
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THE SEDUCTION OF ELLIOT MCBRIDE

A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

PUBLISHING HISTORY

Berkley Sensation mass-market paperback edition / January 2013

Copyright © 2012 by Jennifer Ashley.

Excerpt from
The Wicked Deeds of Daniel Mackenzie
by
Jennifer Ashley copyright © 2012 by Jennifer Ashley.

Cover art by Phil Hefferan. Hand lettering by Ron Zinn.

Cover design by George Long.

Interior text design by Laura K. Corless.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or
electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of
copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN: 978-1-101-61854-7

BERKLEY SENSATION®

Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,

a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

BERKLEY SENSATION® is a registered trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

The “B” design is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

10   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1

If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is
stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher, and neither the
author nor the publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

Many thanks go, as usual, to my editor, Kate Seaver, for all her help and patience as we journey from manuscript to finished book. Also to Katherine, the best assistant editor ever, for keeping everything on track; and Erin, my fantastic publicist, who is always there with enthusiasm and support. And to my husband, who puts up with the ups and downs, joys and despair, dirty house and potluck dining that goes with living with a writer. Love you, dear! And as always, a special thanks to my readers—you are the greatest!

Chapter 1

S
COTLAND
1884

Juliana St. John’s fiancé was an hour late to his own wedding. While Juliana sat waiting, resplendent in satin and yellow roses, various friends and family members were dispatched through rainy Edinburgh to find out what was the matter.

The matron of honor, Ainsley Mackenzie, tried to keep up Juliana’s spirits, as did Juliana’s stepmother, Gemma, in her own way. But Juliana knew in her heart that something was terribly wrong.

When Grant’s friends returned, embarrassed and empty-handed, and Ainsley asked her husband, a tall brute of a Scotsman, to go, the result was different.

Lord Cameron Mackenzie opened the vestry door wide enough to stick his head around it. “Ainsley,” he said, then shut the door again.

Ainsley pressed Juliana’s hands, which by now were like
ice. “Never you mind, Juliana. I’ll discover what has happened.”

Juliana’s stepmother, only ten years older than Juliana herself, was angry. Gemma said nothing, but Juliana saw rage in every movement she made. Gemma had never liked Grant Barclay and liked Grant’s mother still less.

Ainsley returned in a short time. “Juliana,” she said, her voice gentle. She held out her hand. “Come with me.”

When a person spoke in that tone, terrible news was certain to follow. Juliana rose in a rustle of satin. Gemma tried to follow, but Ainsley held up her hand. “Juliana alone, I think.”

Gemma, of the volatile temper, started to protest, but Gemma was also intelligent. She gave Juliana a nod and squeezed her hand. “I will be here for you, dear.”

Juliana had a temper of her own, but as she stepped out into the gusty rain of the church’s courtyard, she felt nothing but a curious numbness. She’d been engaged to Grant for several years now. The wedding had always been so comfortably far away that it had come as something of a shock to finally reach the day. And now…

Was Grant ill? Dead?

Mist and light rain cloaked the city, obscuring the sky. Ainsley led Juliana in her finery out and through a tiny yard, mud soaking Juliana’s new white high-heeled boots.

They reached an arched breezeway, and Ainsley started down this, away from the main church. Thank heavens, because all the guests were in the church, waiting and watching, speculating about what had gone wrong.

Under an arcade, but still in the chill, Lord Cameron waited alone, a broad-shouldered giant of a man in a Mackenzie plaid kilt. When Ainsley and Juliana reached him, Cameron looked down at Juliana with flint-hard eyes. “I found him.”

Still Juliana felt nothing but numbness. None of this
seemed real, not Cameron, not the lowering skies outside the church, not her wedding finery.

“Where is he?” Juliana asked.

Cameron gestured with the silver flask in his hand. “In a carriage behind the church. Do you want to speak to him?”

“Of course I want to speak to him. I am going to marry him…”

She noticed the look Ainsley and Cameron exchanged, caught the glimpse of anger in Ainsley’s eyes, the reflected anger in Cameron’s.

“What is it?” Juliana squeezed Ainsley’s hand. “Tell me before I go mad.”

Cameron answered before Ainsley could. “Barclay eloped,” he said, syllables blunt. “He’s married.”

The arches and the courtyard, solid Edinburgh stone, spun around and around her, but no, Juliana was standing upright, staring at Cameron Mackenzie, Ainsley’s warmth at her side.

“Married.” Juliana’s lips were stiff. “But he’s marrying me.”

She knew that the last thing in the world Lord Cameron Mackenzie had wanted to do this day was hunt down Juliana’s groom and then tell Juliana that the man had run off with another woman. But she kept staring at Cameron, as though if she looked at him hard enough, he’d change the story and tell her a different one.

“He married yesterday afternoon,” Cameron said. “To a woman who was teaching him the piano.”

This was mad. It had to be a joke. “Mrs. Mackinnon,” Juliana said without inflection. She remembered the woman with dark hair and plain dresses who had sometimes been at Grant’s mother’s when Juliana arrived. “She’s a widow.” A choked laugh escaped her lips. “Not anymore, I suppose.”

“I told him he needed to have the decency to tell you himself,” Cameron said in his voice like rough gravel. “So I brought him. Do you want to talk with him?”

“No,” Juliana said quickly. “No.” The world started spinning again.

Cameron shoved his flask into Juliana’s hand. “Get that inside you, lass. It will lessen the blow.”

A proper lady did not drink spirits, and Juliana had been raised to be so very proper. But the turn of events made this a highly
un
-proper occasion.

Juliana tipped back the flask and trickled a bit of burning Scots whiskey into her mouth. She coughed, swallowed, coughed again, and dabbed at her lips as Cameron rescued the flask.

Perhaps she should not have drunk it. What Cameron had told her was starting to seem real.

Two hundred people waited in the church for Juliana St. John and Grant Barclay to wed, two hundred people who would have to be told to go home. Two hundred gifts to be returned, two hundred apologies to be penned. And the newspapers would certainly enjoy themselves.

Juliana pressed her hands to her face. She’d never been in love with Grant, but she’d thought they’d at least formed a friendship, a mutual respect for each other. But even that…Grant hadn’t given her even that.

“What am I going to do?”

Cameron tucked the flask into his greatcoat. “We’ll take you home. I’ll have my carriage pull up in the passage at the end of this walk. None need to see you.”

They were kind, Ainsley and Cameron—they were being kind. Juliana didn’t want kindness. She wanted to kick and rage, not only at Grant, but at herself. She’d been so secure in her engagement, rather smug that she was in no danger of being left on the shelf. Not only that, she’d wanted the stability of a normal life, something she’d fought for all her life.

Her future had just crumbled to dust, her safe choice ripped from beneath her feet. Shock still rendered her numb, but she sensed regret coming hard on its heels.

Juliana rubbed her arms, suddenly chilled. “Not yet.
Please, give me a moment. I need to be alone for just a moment.”

Ainsley glanced into the courtyard, into which people were now emerging from the church proper. “Not that way. There’s a chapel down here. We’ll keep them out.”

“Bless you, Ainsley.” Juliana could not unclench herself enough to give Ainsley the hug she deserved.

She let Ainsley guide her to the door of the chapel, which Cameron opened. Cameron and Ainsley stepped back, and Juliana went in alone, the door clicking closed.

The chapel was chilly but dim and peaceful. Juliana stood for a moment in front of the bare altar, looking up at the plain cross hanging above it, alone and unadorned.

Grant, married. To Mrs. Mackinnon.

Juliana now realized things she’d seen in the past few months but had paid no mind to at the time—Grant and Mrs. Mackinnon side by side at Grant’s mother’s piano, their exchanged smiles, the looks between them. Grant gazing pensively at Juliana as though he wanted to speak to her about something important, and then making some joke or inane remark instead.

She knew now what he meant to say.
Miss St. John, I’ve fallen in love with my piano teacher and wish to marry her, not you.

Scandal. Humiliation.

Juliana balled her fists, wanting to shout at Providence for being so aggravating. But, even in her agitation, blasphemy in a chapel seemed wrong.

She settled for storming into a pew, her ivory skirts billowing around her. “Blast!” she said and slammed herself into the seat.

On top of something that moved. A man with long legs under a woolen kilt, a broad body that heaved up onto strong elbows. A man coming awake to find a hundred and twenty pounds of young woman in wedding garb sitting on his thighs.

“What the devil?” Gray eyes the same color as Ainsley’s flashed in a face that was too tanned to have been in Scotland long.

Elliot McBride obviously had no compunction about blaspheming in a church. Or sleeping in one.

Juliana swiftly rose, but she couldn’t move out of the pew. She stared down at Elliot as he levered himself partway up and leaned back into the corner of the pew, his booted feet still on the bench.

“Elliot?” Juliana asked, breathless. “What are you doing here?”

“Trying to find some quiet,” he said. “Too bloody many people about.”

“I mean, here in Scotland. I thought you were in India. Ainsley said you were in India.”

Elliot McBride was one of Ainsley’s many brothers, a man the girl Juliana had fallen madly in love with about a hundred years ago. He’d disappeared to India to make his fortune, and she hadn’t seen him since.

Elliot rubbed a hand over his stubbled face, though he smelled of soap and water, as though he’d recently bathed. “Decided to come home.”

Laconic, that was the way to describe Elliot, the untamed McBride. Also large and strong, with a presence that knocked the breath out of her. It had been so when she’d been a child and he’d been the wild brother of Ainsley, and again when she’d been a proud debutante and he’d attended her coming-out ball in his army regimentals.

Juliana sank to the pew again, at the end of it, beyond his feet. High in the tower of the main church, bells rang, striking the hour.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in there, lass?” Elliot asked. He removed a flask from his coat and sipped from it, but unlike Cameron, he didn’t offer her any. “Getting married to whatever his name is?”

“Grant Barclay. I was to have been Mrs. Grant Barclay.”

The flask stopped halfway to his mouth. “
Was to have been?
Did you jilt the whey-faced bastard, then?”

“No,” Juliana said. “Apparently, yesterday, he eloped with his piano teacher.”

It was all too much. Strange laughter welled up inside her and came pealing out of her mouth. Not quite hysterics, but a hearty laugh she couldn’t stop.

Elliot lay still, like an animal deciding whether to attack or run. Poor Elliot. What must he make of a woman who’d jolted him out of his sleep by plopping down on him and then laughing uncontrollably because her fiancé had abandoned her?

Juliana’s laughter eased off, and she wiped her eyes with her fingertips. Her dark red hair was tumbling down, one of the yellow roses Ainsley had tied into it falling to her lap. “Stupid flowers.”

Elliot sat frozen, his hand gripping the back of the pew so hard he was surprised the wood didn’t splinter. He watched as Juliana laughed, as her glorious hair fell to her bared shoulders. She smiled though her blue eyes were wet, and the hands that plucked the flower from her lap were long fingered and trembling.

Elliot wanted to put his arms around her and cradle her close.
There now
, he’d say.
You’re better off without the idiot.
An even stronger instinct made him want to go find Grant Barclay and shoot him for hurting her.

But Elliot knew that if he made the mistake of touching Juliana, he wouldn’t stop at comfort. He’d tilt her head back and kiss her lips, as he’d done at her debut ball, the night she’d permitted the one kiss.

They’d both been eighteen. Before Elliot had gone to hell and back, that chaste kiss would have been enough for him. This time, it would not be enough, not by a long way.

He’d kiss down her pretty throat to her bosom, nuzzle her gown’s neckline with its points of lace, and feather kisses to her shoulders. Then he’d lick his way back up to
her ripe lips, seam them with his tongue, coax her to let him inside.

He’d kiss her with long, careful kisses, tasting the goodness of her mouth while he held her and did not let her go.

Elliot would want to take everything, because Lord only knew when he’d have the chance again. A broken man learned to savor what he could when he had the opportunity.

“It will stay with me forever,” Juliana was saying.
“Poor Juliana St. John. Don’t you remember? She’d already put on her wedding clothes and gone to the church, poor darling.
”

What did a man say to a woman in this state? Elliot wished for the eloquence of his barrister brother, who stood up in court and made elegant speeches for a living. Elliot could only ever speak the truth.