To Tempt a Viking

*The MacEgan Brothers †prequel to The MacEgan Brothers mini-series **The MacKinloch Clan ††linked by character §Forbidden Vikings

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AUTHOR NOTE

TO TEMPT A VIKING is the second book in my Forbidden Vikings series (Book One was TO SIN WITH A VIKING). This duet is centred around the idea that sometimes arranged marriages don’t work … and what will happen when a husband and a wife meet their true soul mates?

Elena Karlsdotter has always dreamed of a loving husband and children, but after being barren for years she blames herself for the failure of her marriage. Her husband no longer desires her, and she’s afraid to let him go, but when she’s stranded with her husband’s best friend, Ragnar Olafsson, she comes to realise that the man of her dreams has been there all along. Fierce and strong, Ragnar holds dark secrets of his own, and Elena helps him to heal old wounds.

I hope you’ll enjoy these Irish Viking stories. Incidentally, the epilogue of this book is based upon a true story about friends of mine who struggled for years to have children.

My other Viking stories include THE VIKING’S FORBIDDEN LOVE-SLAVE, PLEASURED BY THE VIKING and THE HOLLY AND THE VIKING in Warriors in Winter.

Visit my website at www.michellewillingham.com for excerpts and behind-the-scenes details about my books. I love to hear from readers and you may e-mail me at michelle@michellewillingham.com or write via mail at PO Box 2242 Poquoson, VA 23662, USA. I can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/michellewillinghamfans (http://www.facebook.com/michellewillinghamfans) and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/michellewilling. (http://www.twitter.com/michellewilling)

DEDICATION

Dedicated to all mothers who love their children with special needs.

Your courage and steadfast love are inspiring.

Contents

Chapter One (#u4b7ca095-b49d-508b-a98e-72f62cdf1cf2)

Chapter Two (#uc7a6ae81-1720-5a42-a0b8-a930d8999323)

Chapter Three (#u92bc08c6-9651-52e0-8b39-0d0952e32b3a)

Chapter Four (#u3b19fb13-bcdd-5b44-86ac-991d3ff79a50)

Chapter Five (#uf411fdc3-742f-5ff3-bb43-ae77fab57a3b)

Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter One

Ireland—AD 875

There was nothing worse than being in love with your best friend’s wife.

Ragnar Olafsson tightened his fists over the oars, pulling hard against the waves of the sea. He shouldn’t have gone with them to éire. But when Styr had asked him to come, he’d agreed in a weak moment. Though he’d buried all traces of his obsession with Elena, the idea of never seeing her again was worse than the torment of seeing her with her husband.

Never once had he let either of them know of his fascination. No one knew of the raw frustration gnawing within him when he watched Styr take the woman he loved into his hut. It was a dark torture, seeing them together.

And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to let her go.

As he rowed, Ragnar kept his gaze fixed upon Elena. Her fair hair held glints of red, like touches of fire upon gold. She was like a beautiful goddess—he worshipped her from afar.

She considered him a friend, but nothing more than that. It wasn’t surprising. A woman like Elena deserved a strong marriage to a high-born warrior. Her match with Styr had been arranged years ago and Ragnar wasn’t the sort of man to steal a woman away from a friend. Especially not his best friend.

She’d made her choice and Styr had done everything to make her happy. For that reason, Ragnar had stepped aside.

He’d tried to find another woman over the years. Although he was a strong fighter and several maidens had cast their eyes on him, none of them compared to Elena. Perhaps no one ever would.

He studied her as she stared off at the grey waters. Something had changed in the past few months. She and Styr were hardly speaking to one another any more. Her barrenness was eating away at her spirit, drowning her in misery. When she stared out at the sea, her face was unnaturally pale. There were no words to mend the broken pieces, nothing Ragnar could say to her.

As the boat neared the shore, the waters were shallower than they’d guessed.

‘We’ll stop here,’ Styr ordered. Glancing at the others, he moved to stand beside Ragnar. For a moment, his friend stared out at the shoreline. ‘Will you stay behind with Elena?’ he asked. ‘I don’t want her near the front, if there’s danger.’

‘I’ll keep her safe.’ He would bathe his sword in the blood of any enemy who dared to threaten Elena. Though she didn’t belong to him, she was his to guard. He wouldn’t hesitate to offer his life, if it meant saving her.

Styr rested a hand upon Ragnar’s shoulder. With a dark sigh, he admitted, ‘I am glad you came with us. A journey like this could only be endured with friends.’

‘None of the men has slept in three days,’ Ragnar agreed. ‘We all need a good meal and rest.’ Their vessel had been tossed upon the waves as if the gods had wanted to claim them as a sacrifice. They’d fought the hard winds, trying to battle the storm. And they’d won, at the cost of sleep. His body and mind were so strung out, he could hardly piece together any thoughts other than the desire to collapse upon the sand.

‘A pity you haven’t a woman to warm your bed,’ Styr added with a shrug.

Ragnar sent him a wry look. ‘The last I heard, there are women in éire. I might find one yet.’