Page 39 of Return of the Scot
“She’s got no father to protect her, no brothers. Her uncle could no’ be bothered to leave London, and her silly aunt is half-sozzled with the other matrons in the ballroom and barely noticed she was gone. When I said marry her, I thought ye’d exchange vows before ye pulled her into a darkened room to ravish her. Good God, man, but ye can no’ risk a scandal like this.”
“Are ye taking up for the lass then?” Lorne asked, crossing his arms over his chest, more amused than anything else. Jaime need not worry about her virtue with him, even if he would have gladly taken it.
“Someone should if ye’re going to be a rake about it.”
Lorne chuckled. “She wanted to talk to me about Shanna. I kissed her, but I promise ye, I’ve no intention of bedding her.” Well, not unless she agreed to wed him.
“Then why did ye kiss her?”
“Why does any man kiss a beautiful lass?” Lorne held his hands out, exasperated.
“Oh my God, man,” Alec faltered. “Ye…love her?”
“Love” had not been the word Lorne would have used. It was a sentiment as foreign to him as losing a boxing match.
“Nay. I desire her.” He cocked his head. “Does that mean ye’ve never kissed a woman ye did no’ love?”
Alec ignored his question. “That is no’ the type of woman ye simply desire and make your move on.”
“I know.” Lorne let out a long-suffering sigh, one which he felt a lot more than he’d realized.
“Listen, I know that your good name and reputation were smeared because of her sister, and I’ll never understand why ye took the fall for her, but in this instance, ye actually are kissing the lass. And ye can no’ risk it. Her uncle will come back from London and put a bullet between your eyes; he’ll have no other choice.”
“Aye.” A bullet would spoil a lot of things.
“What the hell are ye thinking?”
Lorne shook his head. “I’m no’ exactly sure what I’m thinking. Only that I…I like her. I find her amusing.”
“I find my grandmother amusing, and I’m no’ kissing her.”
“That’s foul.”
Alec hooted. “It is rather, I know, but ye get the point. Jaime Andrewson is no’ the type of lass ye have an assignation with. She’s the type of lass ye marry.”
“Aye. So ye think I should propose?”
“If ye’re going to keep pulling her into darkened rooms for all to see, aye.”
“No one saw.”
“I did.”
Lorne grunted. “Shite.” He rubbed his hand through his hair. This was not at all what he’d had in mind for tonight. He’d wanted to show the world that he had no feelings for Jaime, and the exact opposite had occurred.
He had a whole lot of feelings for the lass, half of them pooling in his groin.
“Aye, shite is right.” Alec snorted.
“She told me her sister had run away.”
“That’s odd.”
“Said she thinks it’s because Shanna did no’ want to give me the lad.”
Alec pulled a cigar from his pocket, holding it between two fingers, but made no move to light it. “But he’s no’ yours.”
“Exactly. It’s deuced confusing.” He plucked the cigar from his friend’s hand to smell it. “Did ye get this from my desk drawer?”
