Page 17 of Gift-Wrapped in a Kilt

Trevor had needed "a break" to "sort his feelings," and it ended with a broken engagement and the worst humiliation of her life. No one else knew what had gone on between her and Trevor, but she knew. This thing with Gavin had ripped open that old wound. She understood the source of her angst but not the reasons behind it.

Jamie took a step backward and nearly tripped over the teetering heels of her shoes. Righting herself, she frowned at Emery. "This is ridiculous. The whole plan, it's dead ridiculous."

"You've been spending too much time with Rory. Ridiculous is his favorite word." Emery plucked up a white cardboard box and removed its lid, revealing more gold-colored items nestled in fluffy layers of padding. "Time to accessorize."

Jamie must've looked mulish, because Emery gave her the same expression she gave Rory whenever he resisted her outlandish plans. The most uptight MacTaggart rarely resisted these days. Emery had brought out sides of Rory no one had ever seen, not even before his ex-wives shoved that caber up his erse.

Outlandish? Jamie mentally cursed herself. She'd used another Rory word. Maybe Emery was right. She had spent too much time with her favorite brother.

No one ever accused Jamie of being uptight, but maybe some of Rory's uptightness had landed on her when Emery swept it off him.

"First," Emery said, lifting out of the box a set of interconnected golden chains. She raised the delicate web to Jamie's head. "Hair jewelry. Relax, it'll look fabulous."

Emery draped the web-like ornament over Jamie's head. The interwoven chains formed a delicate crown secured by a clasp in back and a solitary chain that went straight back over her head to latch onto the main clasp. Next, Emery hooked large gold earrings through the holes in Jamie's lobes. The concentric hoops brushed her neck when she moved her head.

"Last but not least," Emery said, "the arm cuff."

Jamie let her sister-in-law lift her left hand, slipping a gold-metal cuff around her wrist. The cuff shielded several inches of her arm, its elegant filigree design vaguely Greek in style. This may not have been the most historically accurate costume, but with the accessories, it made her feel divine.

Emery stepped back, sighing with contentment. "You are a vision of goddess-like beauty."

A faint blush warmed Jamie's cheeks. She spun around, loving the way the skirt flounced around her thighs and kissed her naked skin. The dress didn't allow for a bra, but Jamie had gone without panties too, though she'd kept that fact to herself. Emery still didn't approve of Jamie's sex-only plan. The notion of having Gavin at her beck and call gave her a deliciously shivery feeling in her belly.

And being naked beneath the sheer dress made her feel sinfully decadent.

"Now for makeup," Emery said brightly.

She nabbed a makeup bag and set to applying smoky shadow to Jamie's eyes. Dark mascara made her lashes thicker, rouge highlighted her cheekbones, and glossy red lipstick gave her small mouth a luxurious sheen. Earlier, Calli had painted Jamie's nails — fingers and toes — a glittery shade of gold. Erica had styled her hair, giving it voluptuous waves that cascaded over her shoulders.

A knock rattled the door.

"It's us," Calli called through the wood. "Calli and Erica."

"Come on in," Emery said.

The door swung inward. Calli rushed inside, but Erica needed a minute to navigate the last couple steps. The tower bedroom lay between floors, with stairs leading up to the doorway that opened into the long gallery where the gala awaited.

Music wafted down from the gallery, the bouncy tune of a dance song.

Erica wore a witch's costume, with a plunging neckline and a daring slit along the side of her long, black skirt. Calli had dressed as an Egyptian princess, though her dress also featured a slit that stretched nearly to her hip. Aidan and Lachlan must've been in heaven with their stunning wives dressed to kill.

Calli stopped a few feet from Jamie, clasped her hands under her chin, and gazed at Jamie as if she'd seen a heavenly apparition. "You are so beautiful. The costume is perfect."

"That's what Emery said," Jamie told her.

Erica stopped alongside Calli. "They're both right. It's perfect, and you're the sexiest Greek goddess who ever walked the earth. If anyone asks, tell them you're Aphrodite."

"Oooh," Emery said, rubbing her hands together, "the goddess of love. Good choice, Erica."

The original American wife, Lachlan's beloved Erica, grinned and waggled her eyebrows. "Gavin looks pretty damn hot too, very Bah —"

Emery smacked Erica's arm, without any real punch. "You're not supposed to tell her anything about his outfit. It's a surprise, like hers is for him."

"Sorry."

Calli beamed at Jamie. "He's going to flip when he sees you."

Another silly image flashed in Jamie's mind, of Gavin's shoes and socks flying off an instant before he did a backflip.

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