Tall, Dark & Gorgeous: To Marry McKenzie

What if her mother’s warning turned out to be a correct one? What if—?

‘Do I look like a man who has to drag young innocents off to his apartment in order to seduce them?’ Logan suddenly rasped, turning to look at her with cold blue eyes.

Darcy’s own eyes instantly filled with tears. He had seemed so kind earlier, so gentle, and now—

‘I’m sorry, Darcy,’ he said, turning fully towards her. ‘One way or another, this evening has turned out a bit of a shambles for me too. But that’s no reason to take it out on you! Forgive me?’ he prompted, taking one of her hands in both of his.

To her embarrassment, Darcy found herself trembling at his touch. Of all the times in her life to find herself physically attracted to a man—!

She snatched her hand out of his grasp, instantly hiding it beneath the one that still lay on her lap. Although that did nothing to prevent that tingling sensation, just from Logan McKenzie’s touch, from spreading up her arm…!

‘Of course,’ she dismissed sharply. ‘But maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. I’m sure I’ve already taken up enough of your time for one night. After all, it’s still early enough for you to salvage something from your evening.’

‘Too late, Darcy,’ he told her teasingly as the taxi came to a halt outside an apartment building.

Apparently the one in which he lived, Darcy acknowledged slightly dizzily as, having paid the driver, Logan took a firm hold of her arm and steered her inside.

She wasn’t unused to luxury, her own home being fairly comfortable, and the homes she visited on business for Chef Simon were often opulent, to say the least. But this apartment building—where Logan lived!—was something else.

The man sitting at the desk leapt to his feet as soon as Logan swept through the double glass doors, rushing over to call the lift after greeting him. Darcy’s feet sank into the deep pile of the pale blue carpet as she walked at Logan’s side. Clamped to his side by his firm hold on her arm!

It didn’t surprise her that it was the penthouse apartment the lift whisked them up to—after seeing the reception downstairs, she didn’t think anything about Logan’s home would surprise her any more.

She was wrong!

Where she had been expecting chrome and leather furniture—ultra-modern decor—she found herself stepping into a sitting-room that, although it was expensively furnished, was clearly designed for Logan McKenzie’s comfort and relaxation: a thick brown carpet, deep gold-coloured armchairs, mahogany bookcases along one wall, several small mahogany tables placed about the room, and the most amazing paintings on the walls.

It was to one of the latter Darcy was instantly drawn, picturing a deer grazing in the foreground, and a castle behind in the mist. ‘A McAllister,’ she breathed in awestruck recognition of the artist, sure she didn’t need to ask whether or not it was an original; she doubted Logan McKenzie would tolerate anything else in his home. ‘It’s beautiful,’ she opined as she turned back to face Logan.

He gave a brief nod of agreement. ‘It’s of my grandfather’s home. Can I get you a drink?’ He indicated the array of bottles on a side-table.

Darcy was still reeling from the fact that the mellow-stone castle in the painting, shimmering mysteriously in the mist, actually belonged to this man’s grandfather. Ex-actly what had she got herself into…?

‘A small whisky, if you don’t mind,’ she accepted.

‘My grandfather would certainly approve of that; he doesn’t believe you can trust a woman who doesn’t drink whisky!’ Logan gave a slight smile as he poured the liquid into two tumblers, handing Darcy the one with the least in it.

With a name like McKenzie, this man’s family must come from Scotland—which no doubt also accounted for Logan’s grandfather’s opinion about women and whisky!

Which was a pity—because normally Darcy couldn’t stand the stuff; she just felt in need of a restorative at the moment. The whisky certainly was doing that, initially taking her breath away, but then it quickly gave her an inner warmth.

‘Let’s sit down,’ Logan suggested, suiting his actions to his words, watching as Darcy moved to sit in an armchair across the room from his.

Her action was a bit obvious, perhaps, Darcy acknowledged, but the two of them were completely alone here in the privacy of Logan’s home, and she doubted that obsequious man downstairs would come running to her aid if she decided to call for help!

‘Now do you feel like telling me what all that was about earlier?’ Logan ventured.

She took another sip of the whisky at his reminder of earlier. ‘That woman!’ she exclaimed with returning anger.

‘Margaret Fraser?’

‘Yes.’ Darcy looked up sharply. ‘Did you see her?’

Logan raised dark brows. ‘One could hardly miss the entrance of an actress of Margaret Fraser’s fame,’ he drawled dryly. ‘But, I have to admit, I have no idea where she fits into the scheme of things.’

Darcy wrapped both hands around her glass of whisky, wishing it were a hot drink now, so that it could warm her outside as well as in. ‘She doesn’t,’ she replied with feeling. ‘That’s my whole point!’

Logan shook his head, smiling slightly. ‘As clear as mud,’ he responded.

Darcy gave a deep sigh. ‘It’s quite simple, really, my—Daniel Simon, Chef Simon—’

‘I know who Daniel Simon is, Darcy,’ Logan assured her.

‘He’s going to marry her!’

There, she had said it, actually had acknowledged it out loud. And it was no more acceptable now than it had been yesterday when she had first been told of the engagement.

‘Going to marry whom?’ Logan prompted, sitting forward in his chair now.

‘Margaret Fraser, of course!’ Darcy answered disgustedly.

‘You can’t be serious?’ Logan said disbelievingly.

‘Exactly what I said when he told me,’ she agreed determinedly. ‘But it seems that he is.’

‘But I—She’s—’

‘Incredible, isn’t it?’ Darcy went on, standing up to pace the room. ‘He only met her three weeks ago, and yet he’s decided he wants to marry her!’

‘Three weeks ago…’ Logan echoed, looking thoughtful now.

‘Ridiculous, isn’t it?’ Darcy continued. ‘How can anyone decide, after only three weeks’ acquaintance, that they want to spend the rest of their life with one particular person?’

‘I believe it does happen sometimes,’ Logan observed distractedly. ‘Although I’m a little surprised—Darcy, are you absolutely sure of your facts?’ He watched her with narrowed eyes.

‘Positive,’ she said with feeling. ‘Why else do you think she’s at the restaurant this evening?’

‘The same reason as everyone else—to eat?’

‘And that’s another thing.’ Darcy kept on going. ‘The woman barely eats enough to keep a bird alive; a fine advertisement for a chef’s wife!’

Logan’s mouth twisted. ‘I suppose she has to maintain that wonderful figure somehow.’

Darcy gave him another sharp look. ‘Don’t tell me you find her attractive too?’ she said accusingly.

‘No,’ Logan answered. ‘I can honestly say I am probably one of the few men impervious to her charms, phys-ical or otherwise!’

‘Good,’ Darcy bit out flatly.