Read Online When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare - Free Book Online Page A

she had a foolproof way to remember that this was not a real marriage and she should not imagine him to possess any true feelings. She’d be wearing that luckenbooth every day—­a little heart-­shaped talisman to remind her that all of this was false.
    The door creaked on its hinges.
    Oh, Lord. It was time.
    Maddie scrambled into the bed and dove beneath the coverlet. Not quite fast enough, unfortunately. He’d seen the entire maneuver, she was sure.
    She drew the bed linens up to her chin and peered at him.
    He’d removed his coat and uncuffed his shirt, rolling his sleeves to the elbow. He appeared to be barefoot, shed of his socks and boots. He wore only that open-­necked shirt and his kilt, loosely belted and slung low on his hips.
    â€œAre you ready?” His voice was darker than the shadows.
    â€œI’m not certain,” she answered. “But I don’t think I’ll grow any readier.”
    â€œIf you’re fatigued, we could wait for the morning.”
    â€œNo, I . . . I think I should rather have it over with tonight.” Given any more time to think and worry, she might lose her nerve entirely.
    â€œWell, then.”
    He licked his fingertips, then extinguished the candles one by one, until the only light in the room came from the flickering red-­and-­amber fire in the hearth.
    The bed dipped with his weight.
    Maddie lay very still beneath the coverlet. Her heart was beating faster than a bird’s. She felt hot everywhere.
    â€œThere’s this.” She reached for the jar her aunt had given her. “Aunt Thea gave it to me. It’s some sort of cream or salve, I think. She said you’d know what to do with it.”
    He took the jar, unscrewed the cap, and gave the contents a sniff.
    â€œAye. I know what to do with it.” He capped the jar and flung it away. It rolled into a darkened corner.
    â€œBut—­”
    â€œI ken better than to let your aunt’s remedies anywhere near me,” he said. “I remember too well how her sleeping tonic fared. Your letter said you had a blistering rash for weeks.”
    Maddie bit her lip and drew the coverlet tight about her shoulders. He remembered that? Even she’d forgotten about the sleeping tonic. But he was right, she’d been covered in itchy red bumps for weeks.
    It was disconcerting how much he knew about her without knowing her at all. And when it came to knowing the real Logan MacKenzie, she was completely in the dark. In this situation, every advantage was his. He had knowledge, experience, control.
    â€œDrink this instead.” He handed her a small flask.
    â€œIs it medicine?”
    â€œIt’s Highland medicine. Good Scotch whisky.”
    She gingerly lifted the flask to her lips.
    â€œToss it back. The burn is worse if you sip.”
    Squeezing her eyes shut, she tossed her head back and tipped the flask, sending a bolt of liquid fire down her throat. Coughing, she handed it back.
    â€œIf the deed’s done right,” he said, “there willna be any need for any creams or salves.” His hand encircled her calf through the bed linens. “And I mean to do this right. You’ll enjoy it.”
    She swallowed hard. “Oh.”
    â€œEven so, it’s likely to pinch a bit when I—­”
    â€œRight.”
    â€œBut it will be quick from there, much as it pains my pride to say it. That’s the usual way when a man’s gone without company for a time.”
    Without the candles, the firelight cast him in murky silhouette.
    She would have felt better if she could see him plain. No doubt he’d intended the darkness to be comforting, but Maddie was used to looking at natural creatures in an unfiltered, direct way. Observing where their pieces joined, learning how they moved and worked. Perhaps if she’d been given the same chance to survey his body—­even a furtive glimpse or two as he’d