An Original Sin Read Online Free PDF

mountains, the glens, the heather. The women. He closed his eyes, remembering—heather like a purple sea flowing across the mountain, and Dora MacKay lying in its midst smiling up at him. After that day, heather had always owned a warm spot in his heart…and other places.
    He opened his eyes. Perhaps if he did suitable penanceto appease whatever powers had put him here, he might one day see the Highlands again. Suitable penance . What penance would satisfy a god or dev il with such a strange sense of humor? If it was his love of women that had annoyed a jealous power…
    Love of women He glanced at Fortune. Powers had cast him into this time with this woman for a reason. Virgin . She was a virgin. Could the powers want him to…? Why choose him? He thought of all the women he’d pleasured. Who better? But Fortune? Teaching this woman the joys of love would be like drinking too much ale. It made a man feel wondrous that night, but exacted a painful vengeance the next morning. He exhaled sharply. Of course, if it were easy it would not be adequate atonement for all the times he’d sinned. Still, something about his penance seemed passing strange.
    His thoughts splintered at Fortune’s snort of disbelief. “Of course I’ll go home. I refuse to spend the rest of my life here. Leave if you want.” The slight tremble of her lower lip belied her brave pronouncement.
    That tremble touched him. She was, after all, a woman, and he would never walk away from a lass, even if she rejected his aid. “If ye dinna dress yerself, I’ll do it for ye.”
    She narrowed her eyes to slits the color of a stormdarkened loch. “Why’re you forcing me to go with you?”
    “Because I can.” He smiled. “ ’Tis one of the good things about being a primitive person. I do what I want—”
    “Barbarian!”
    “And ye canna stop me.” He held up his hand against another barrage of insults. “Ye canna hide from life, Fortune. Hiding doesna save the bird from the hunter.” Hiding didna save me from my demons. “Come awa’ with me, whilst we try to make sense of what’s happened.”
    “Extinction has its merits,” she huffed, but reluctantly pulled the clothes on.
    When finally dressed, she gazed at herself in horror. “I can’t leave like this.”
    He thought her beautiful, but suspected she wouldn’t accept a compliment from him. “ ’Tis a wondrous gown.”
    “It’s a wedding gown, and it’s too long.” She stared at the trailing folds of white material as though she still stood naked.
    “Aye, ’tis a wee bit long, and I’d prefer ye in red.”
    She glared up at him. “Gowns like this are totally impractical, and red is an awful color on me. Besides being primitive, you have abominable taste.”
    Good . She was mad. A woman with red hair should have a temper. “Red is a passionate color, lass.” He stared pointedly at her hair. “I admire passion in a woman.”
    “I bet you do.” She tottered shakily back to the bed on the strange high-heeled shoes, then plunked herself in its middle. “That does it. I’m not leaving.”
    He sighed. He hadn’t wanted to do this, but…
    Reaching the bed in two strides, he scooped her up and flung her across his shoulder.
    She rewarded him with a startled gasp as her body stiffened in protest. A woman in his own time would be kicking, screaming, and calling him foul names. But Fortune would not resort to such demonstrations. Kicking would be violence, and screaming would not be a calm, reasonable thing to do. Lucky for him, but sad for Fortune. Every lass should spend some time kicking and screaming. It was the womanly thing to do.
    “Animal!” Her hiss reminded him of a tiny outraged snake—seemingly harmless, but with venom enough to fell a grown man.
    “Yer curses lack bite, lass. Ye must learn to curse a man with strong words. Mayhap we should start with something simple—bastard.”
    “Bas…” She couldn’t get it out. “Put me down beforesomeone sees us and asks