Free Seduced by Destiny by Kira Morgan Page A

even half-convinced himself that simple curiosity compelled him to remain until the date mentioned in the mysterious missive
     from Queen Mary’s secretary, particularly since the rendezvous was set for a location he knew so well.
    Neither of these were the real reason he was still in Edinburgh. The real reason stood about twenty yards to his left at the
     edge of the Leith links, serving beer to thirsty Scotsmen.
    He wouldn’t have seriously wagered on seeing Jossy again. Edinburgh was a big city. Jossy was a wee lass. She’d left the inn
     she was staying in, and no one knew where she’d gone. Probably home like a sensible lass. Even if she hadn’t gone home, Drew
     imagined the queen’s secretary had more important things to do tomorrow than keep a vague appointment with a lowly tavern
     wench from Selkirk.
    But the improbable odds hadn’t kept him from loitering about till that date, watching for her on the streets of Edinburgh.
     And it hadn’t stopped his pulse from quickening at the sight of any wench with long blond tresses.
    Less than an hour ago, he’d decided ’twas an unhealthy obsession, some imagined attraction based on the distorted memory of
     a kiss that had only
seemed
to move the earth.
    He’d determined to leave Edinburgh tonight. Today he’d play and beat Leith’s champion, Campbell Muir. Then he’d return to
     the inn, pack his things, and head north.
    ’Twas for the best, he told himself. The lass had a curious effect on him, and he didn’t much like curious effects. They could
     interfere with his concentration and throw off his game.
    But to his chagrin, no sooner had he vowed to leave than the lass suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the midst of the Leith
     course, hawking beer from a wagon to the wagerers at the match. In that instant, all of Drew’s well-laid plans went awry.
    Faith, the lass looked even more beautiful in women’s clothing. She might be small-boned, less than voluptuous, and able to
     pass for a lad. But she wore no oversized man’s shirt today. Her snugly laced bodice accentuated the subtle curves she possessed.
     Muted green skirts flared over her gentle hips. And the soft puff of her white linen chemise floated atop her breasts. As
     he stole a glance, a breeze caught the edge of the sheer fabric, revealing a glimpse of tempting flesh that took his breath
     away.
    He couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she chatted with her customers. Her honey hair, peeking out from the linen coif perched
     on her head, gleamed in the morning sunlight. Her smile sparkled like a rippling stream. Her eyes shone with merriment and
     mischief. And his body responded with all the poise of a rutting deer.
    Clenching his teeth against a wave of disconcerting lust, he turned his back, waiting for Muir to start the match.
    The attraction he felt to her was inexplicable. Jossy wasn’t at all what he preferred in a woman. He could list several things
     that were wrong with her already, and he scarcely knew her.
    First of all, she was Scots, therefore his enemy.
    Second, she was blond, and he generally favored brunettes.
    Third, she was scrawny, and he liked his women pleasantly plump.
    Fourth, she was headstrong, and everyone knew that headstrong lasses were trouble.
    Fifth…
    “MacAdam.”
    Fifth…
    “MacAdam!”
    “Aye?” he murmured.
    Muir had taken his swing. ’Twas Drew’s turn.
    With a sobering shake of his head, Drew selected his club and placed his ball. But try as he might, he couldn’t focus on his
     swing. It had nothing to do with the boisterous shouts of encouragement and discouragement fired his way, the aggressive goading
     and cajoling, the cacophonous praise and insults, or the inevitable shoving that occurred in any crowd of drunks. He was distracted
     by the comely lass he could glimpse out of the corner of his eye.
    Even his opponent’s secret weapon, the enormous hound Muir had trained to menace his opponents, was no match for Drew’s fixation.