A Lass to Love (Brides of Scotland #1) - Tammy Andresen Page 0,3

them to enter. “We’ll be sailing in the next few hours.”

Edna made her way into the room and Fiona followed. The door snapped closed behind them and Fiona watched as Colin met his friend and the two of them disappeared down a hatch in the deck. She let out a sigh.

Colin needn’t have worried about her interest in Mr. Mayweather. Yes, the man was sinfully handsome, and she supposed she’d reacted to his physical beauty but the truth was, he was exactly how she pictured her fiancé. Roguish charm, flashing smile, naughty innuendo with every sweeping glance down her body. The last thing she needed was another male problem. She was full up.

Still, she couldn’t deny that he was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen. Dark hair that swept casually back in the wind, warm brown eyes, a strong jaw, and full sensuous lips. She’d once seen some of the earl’s farmhands stripped to the waist. They’d had broad shoulders and rippling muscles. The sort she’d dreamed about for weeks. In all honestly, Tom Mayweather had just that look about him. She couldn’t be certain, of course, with his shirt, cravat, vest, and jacket, but the narrowness of his waist and the breadth of his shoulders hinted at a statue-like physique. She pictured his face on one of the hand’s gleaming bodies and her cheeks began to warm again.

“Fiona,” Edna called. “Be a dear and help me with my coat, would ye? I fancy a rest.”

“Of course,” she answered, turning away from the small window that looked out onto the deck.

She ought to erase these thoughts as well. Tom Mayweather may look like an angel of a man but he was even worse than Lord Exmouth. A man like Mayweather only held heartbreak and longing. She’d do better to stay far away from his sort.

Tom lay on his bunk, staring at the stack of ledgers to which he should be directing his attention. Only a beautiful red-head had dominated his thoughts.

He scrubbed his hands down his face. Why did he let women do this to him? Hadn’t he learned his lesson?

The last red-haired beauty he’d tangled with, the Baroness of Barnstable, had been as feisty as she was married. A normally ideal combination for Tom. They’d circled one another for near a month, the flirtation escalating to near maddening levels, in the best sort of fashion. Then one night, she’d ended up outside his door just after midnight. She’d smelled of wine and chocolate, a delicious combination, and he’d devoured her the way he knew she’d wanted him to.

And when it was done, she’d asked him to deliver a bath. He’d raised an eyebrow. “Sure love. I’ll get you a bath. Worried about your husband?”

She’d curled a lip. “My husband is away on business. I simply can’t stand the stench of Cheapside on my skin.”

Her message had been clear. He was beneath her and she’d use him for a bit but he needed to be immediately washed off her skin.

He scrubbed his face again. That had been nearly six months prior, but the memory still felt fresh and raw.

Rising, he tried to sit at the desk and begin his work. They’d set sail and a simple dinner had been delivered to his room. Night had fallen, and the ship had finally quieted as it began the charted course to the south. But his brain simply wouldn’t attend the numbers and after an hour of trying, he pushed the books aside. What he needed was a walk to clear his head. Stepping out into the hall, he noted there was just enough moonlight to light his way to the hatch and so he returned his candle, snuffing the light. Years on ships had taught him to never leave one burning.

Returning to the hall, he easily scaled the ladder and started a turnabout the deck. It was cool, the night air crisp upon his skin. He drew in a deep breath.

Sailors called to one another from the rigging as the first mate stood at the helm. He’d half expected to see Colin at the wheel but his curiosity was quickly satisfied. On the other side of the deck, Colin walked with Fiona on his arm, the latter bathed in pale moonlight. If she were beautiful in the sun, she was stunning under the moon, her red hair dancing with bits of silver. He’d bet up close, her eyes were like emeralds in the night. He had a sudden vision of that