Unraveled By The Rebel Read Online Free

hardly more than adolescents.
    She closed her eyes, crossing her hands around her waist. “You’re a good man, Dr. Fraser. And you deserve so much more than a woman like me.” Juliette braved a smile before she returned outside, leaving him to wonder about the secrets she held.

    Juliette returned to her sister’s wedding, feeling as if Dr. Fraser had already guessed her shame. Seeing him there, so handsome and strong, had made her heart weaken. But she was scarred by the past, and if Paul learned of it, he would turn away from her in disgust.
    Worse, he wanted children. Her heart bled at the thought, for he would make a wonderful father. She could easily imagine him holding a son’s hand, taking him for a walk across the glen or telling him stories before bedtime.
    You can never give him children,
her conscience warned.
It’s best to let him go.
    Inside, she raged at the unfairness of it all. It was as if someone had severed the ribbons that bound up her dreams, letting them spill to the ground.
    A thousand if-onlys wouldn’t change the past. Nor could she allow the anger to consume her. It would only eat away at her spirit, transforming her into a bitter woman.
    No, she would remain strong and steadfast in her vow to remain a spinster. Paul would live his life, and she would remain wedded to numbers and accounts.
    Her traitorous, foolish heart thought that was a terrible idea.What were numbers, compared with a Highlander who took her breath away? Although the years had distanced her from Paul, he’d never faltered in his friendship. But it wasn’t friendship he wanted now.
    She could see that in the way he’d watched her, as if he could see through her words to the secrets she held inside. He’d grown taller, and his body was lean and muscled. When he’d touched her, the warmth of his palms had made her pulse quicken.
    She’d expected it to be awkward and strange, after so many years. Instead, from the moment she’d seen him, Paul Fraser was a threat. Not only because he cared for her… but also because he’d conjured up feelings she never wanted to face.
    He might have stolen a kiss, if she’d encouraged him. She might have allowed it, if she were still an innocent.
    Juliette blinked back the tears, ignoring the ache within her. She leaned back against the wall, wondering what she should do. The wisest move would be to push Paul away, to refuse to see him again, as she’d done already. But seeing him again after so many years had only pried open the door holding back her rage at being ruined.
    Another woman might hide the truth, pretending to be a virgin, leading Paul down a path to marriage. But she was irrevocably broken, and it would be unfair to him, leading him to believe in lies.
    She exhaled a slow stream of breath, freezing back the dormant feelings. Gathering her control until no one would see her discomposure.
    Her older sister Margaret crossed the room to come nearer. “Are you all right? Dr. Fraser didn’t do anything to upset you, did he?” Though her sister didn’t chastise her, Juliette knew that Margaret disapproved of a woman and a man meeting alone. It wasn’t at all proper, even though she’d known Paul since she was fourteen.
    “No, I’m fine.” Turning her attention back to their eldest sister, she remarked, “Toria looks lovely, doesn’t she? I’m happy for her.”
    The wedding had been simple, a gathering at home while their eldest sister had married the man she had come to love. When the Duke of Worthingstone had gazed at his bride, they’d all seen the appreciation in his eyes.
    “A duke.” Margaret sighed wistfully. “Can you believe it?”
    “I know she’ll be happy, but I don’t envy her at all,” Juliette admitted. The thought of becoming a duchess in London society was impossible to imagine. And for her sister, it would be even more difficult, since Victoria had been too afraid to leave the house for the past five years. When they’d journeyed here, an