A 19th century London courtesan agrees to a phony courtship with a navy captain and finds herself negotiating uncharted territory outside the boudoir. ***** The year is eighteen-thirteen. The place is London. Mistress Rosalind Hayes is a courtesan, raised in an orphan asylum and later tutored by one of the most respected courtesans of the time. Now, Rose caters to the whims of lusty nobles and businessmen, and she is determined to maintain her sovereignty. When Rose meets the Thompson siblings; Jules, a navy captain, and Alice, his spirited younger sister, the trio form an easy kinship. Rose learns they have recently lost their mother to smallpox, and she is persuaded by the siblings to pose as Jules's love interest in an attempt to bring their grief-stricken father out of a terrible depression. As luck would have it, Rose's genial manner helps to free the older man from his melancholy, but she also begins to feel things for the captain that threaten to topple her empire. CONTENT DISCLAIMER: Be prepared for a few mature scenes. This is a story about a courtesan, after all. Those with delicate sensibilities may want to keep a fainting couch nearby. COPYRIGHT NOTICE: This work is owned by the author. Please do not attempt to plagiarize or your reputation could end in ruins. IN OTHER WORDS: If you find this story on any online platform other than WATTPAD, I did not allow this. You may also be exposing yourself to malware. If you wish to read this story in its original, safe form, do it here on WATTPAD. COVER DESIGN: by @arpeggio-

'She was a thief. She was a liar. She was his prisoner. And he'd just broken every rule in the book and kissed her.' Laird Anndrais McWilliam knows his father was murdered. He might not have been struck with a sword or pushed down stairs, but the woman who stole money from their clan killed him as surely as she'd stabbed a knife through his heart. And McWilliam has vowed he'll to do anything to bring her to justice, even if it means breaking the law...and his own heart. After Miss Rosa Blair receives a letter threatening her cousin's life if Rosa doesn't confess to a crime she didn't commit, she doesn't hesitate to turn herself over to the authorities. That is, until one bull-headed Scotsman the size of a bear kidnaps her in the name of justice. McWilliam is insufferable, refusing to listen to her pleas of innocence. Nothing she says will convince him her cousin is in mortal danger. Rosa knows McWilliam is standing between her and freedom. McWilliam knows Rosa is a thief and a liar. At every turn they clash, so why do they keep finding themselves locked in each other's arms? _________________ 'I rarely find books on wattpad that COMPEL me to comment and I stayed up all night to read this. It was so good. From the first moment spider-crawling up a drainpipe to throwing herself off a horse... these two made my stomach flutter.' --Review by a-bit-peaky 'Just finished reading The Highlanders Thief. It was wonderful! One of the best stories that I've read on wattpad. Keep up the good work!' --Review by admiralqueenie ________________ Cover design by Melody Simmons