Page 14 of The Madam’s Highlander

Her stomach twisted into knots.

What the hell had she been thinking in helping Captain Fraser?

She had enough worry on her mind without having to escort the captain to her home. But then she couldn't exactly give him directions and have him asking around about where she lived. The last thing she needed was suspicion luring anyone to her home.

Her family had suffered enough.

Aye, she could have Edward take Ewan, but no – if she was going to send a traitor into her home, she wanted to be there to ensure all was safe.

Alli sauntered into Freya's office with a copy of Hamlet clutched in her hand. “Captain Nay is here.” She fanned herself with the book and made a swooning gesture.

Freya closed the door and regarded the younger woman. “Do ye have everything ye need?”

Alli's playful mood fell away and she gave a sincere nod. “Everything will be fine.”

“I should be back quickly. Within a fortnight.”

Alli nodded again. “This is a good thing ye're doing.” She said it in an encouraging tone, as if she were trying to sway Freya into believing it herself.

Freya rolled her eyes. “It's a damn stupid thing I'm doing. And he’s an hour early.” She pulled out her pocket watch to confirm the time. Ten by her watch, but only nine by true time.

Edward would have the carriage at the rear of the bawdyhouse several minutes after ten. He'd already collected her bags earlier that day, bless him. But now she would have to hide Ewan for an hour before Edward would arrive.

Freya gave an irritated sigh. “What room is he in?”

“The pink one, but—”

Before Alli could finish, Freya was out the door and stalking up the stairs to the pink room, where the ladies were afforded the opportunity to study during the day or get away for a small break in the evening.

She did not stop her forward march until she stood directly in front of the door. She wrenched it open with the force of her frustration and froze.

A naked man stood in the center of the room, his arms tangled in a leine just over his head. Naked and beautifully muscled, from his long, lean legs to the soft phallus resting amid a patch of dark hair to the bands tightening along his abdomen. For one fleeting moment, she wished his arms and shoulder were not buried within the fabric so she might see them too.

Freya sucked in a breath, but found her limbs locked into place, unable to move any more than she was unable to stop staring.

After a jerk of the fabric, a face appeared through the neckline.

Captain Fraser.

He tugged the leine down over his impressive body and shot her a hard look. “It would have been polite of ye to knock first.”

The spell broke and heat scorched her cheeks. Good God, was she blushing?

To imagine - a madam blushing at the sight of a naked man. She'd seen many in her year assisting friends with their clients, and significantly more in her last couple of years running Molly's.

But then, not every man looked like Captain Fraser. Certainly not every man lived so clean a life, stayed so morally focused, and was so damn tempting.

“Ye might have locked the door,” Freya muttered. Embarrassment was not an emotion she wore often, or well. She slammed the door closed, leaving herself standing in the hall with a grinning Alli at her side. When had Alli arrived?

“Ye might have listened.” Alli's eyes widened and she mouthed, “But I'm glad ye dinna.” She frantically fanned herself with her hand.

“I believe ye should be downstairs,” Freya said testily.

A crash sounded below.

“Now,” she added.

Alli thrust her lower lip out like a sullen child and headed downstairs as she was bade.