Her Outlaw Read Online Free PDF

her tone oozing innocence. “There was a fly on your arm. Just shooing it away.”
    “I see,” Kimball said.
    So did Emma, and she wanted to kick herself. By speaking from her heart, she’d ruined Kat’s plan. She should have prevaricated. She should have pretended. She should have told the man an out-and-out lie.
    Dismay washed through her. The McBride Menace in her was shamed. Obviously, she needed more practice at pretending. Her skills in that area weren’t rusty, they were ruined. It had been years since she’d tried to be someone other than herself. Years since she’d set out to attract a man. And she’d never attempted to attract one man while lusting after another. In the same room. She’d needed more time to prepare.
    She’d have needed a lifetime to prepare.
    She cast a look toward her sister and silently conveyed her apology. This plan obviously hadn’t worked, but they need not give up. They could try something else. Since they wouldn’t be invited to Chatham Park to compete for the position of Mrs. Jake Kimball, perhaps they could gain entrance to the estate under the guise of being servants. They could forge some references, scrounge up a maid’s costume or two. It could work. It’d be fun. It’d be an adventure.
    Then Jake Kimball shocked her and everyone else in the room by extending an invitation to his country house.
    Holy Hannah. I did it. We’re in. Once her surprise waned enough for Emma to think, she rose from her seat and accepted the invitation. “Why, yes. Thank you. We’ll be pleased to attend, although, I must say I’m surprised. I didn’t think—”
    “We didn’t think you’d be so perceptive, sir,” Kat said, jumping to her feet. She poked Emma in the side with her elbow. “Some men don’t recognize treasure when it’s right in front of their face.”
    “Oh, I recognize treasure,” Kimball replied, addressing Kat. “You can count on that. I am a treasure hunter, after all. And just so you know, once I find a treasure, I don’t give it up.”
    While his friend spoke, MacRae’s intense stare never left Emma. Me, too, he seemed to say. In fact, she could almost hear his voice speaking those words in her head. It was a curious thing, like one of those moments she sometimes shared with her sisters when they seemed to read one another’s mind.
    But Dair MacRae wasn’t her sister, and she didn’t know him as well as she knew her own name. She didn’t know the man at all, but she knew the man was dangerous. He wasn’t her adventure.
    She wanted to ask if he’d be joining them at Chatham Park. She wanted to ask him if the scarf had been his wife’s.
    Kimball escorted the women to the door, then bowed over their hands, one at a time. “Until the weekend.”
    “The weekend,” Kat replied, her eyes sparkling and alive.
    Alasdair MacRae moved to stand beside Kimball. He nodded to Kat, then took hold of Emma’s hand. “It’s been a pleasure to meet you, my dear. Until next weekend.”
    Yes! He’ll be there!
    Confound it, Emma. Get a hold of yourself.
    I’d rather he get a hold of me.
    Then he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. Lightning sizzled up her arm and Emma shuddered. She managed no more than a shaky smile as they took their leave, and it wasn’t until the door closed behind them that she felt freed from a sensual spell.
    “We did it, Emma!” Kat exclaimed, throwing her arms around her sister and giving her a quick, hard hug before tugging her down the street away from Bankston House. “You were awful, but you’re still obviously superior to most of these other women, and Jake Kimball was smart enough to recognize it. Just think, a week from now, I may well have my necklace back. Wouldn’t that be wonderful, Em?”
    “Yes,” Emma agreed, staring at the spot on the back of her hand that still tingled from Dair MacRae’s kiss.
    “I’m so excited. That was fun. Wasn’t that fun, Emma?”
    “Yes. Yes, it was.” With the stress of the