Читать книгу Seducer - Kayla Gray - Страница 12

Madelaine shook the handle of the door for the hundredth time. The pirate had unceremoniously dumped her on the bunk, locked her in and she hadn’t heard a word since. That had been at least an hour ago—an hour during which she had searched the cabin top to bottom for a weapon. The flintlock pistol hung heavy in her pocket. There was no powder, but she didn’t know how to load the weapon, anyway. She prayed that her bluff would be enough to convince the pirate to leave her alone.

What had become of Olivia? Had she really been brought on board?

A key turned in the lock and seconds later the pirate’s broad frame filled the doorway. She retreated, practically diving behind a tall wingback chair facing the portholes.

“Don’t tell me my little hellcat has lost her courage,” he said mockingly.

He took off his black coat and gloves, and tossed them on another chair.

“Where is Olivia?”

“Who?”

Madelaine’s heart dropped like a stone, and she suddenly felt ill. Why had she believed for a second this man would keep his word? Reaching into her pocket, she drew out the gun and leveled it at his chest.

“Where is she?” Her demand sounded shrill even to her own ears.

“You are a bloodthirsty little minx, aren’t you? I should have tied you to the bed, but I thought that would prove too tempting a distraction.”

“You lecherous bastard!”

“There’s that language again. Wherever did Hugh find a jewel like you, Madelaine?”

“If she’s not on this ship—”

“You’ll what? Shoot me? Come on, then, shoot,” he said, spreading his arms wide.

His chest was quite a target. Even she couldn’t miss it, and she’d never fired a weapon in her life.

“Let’s get this out of the way, shall we, love? If you were to fire that gun, twenty men would come running at the sound, and before you could enjoy your victory for a second, you’d be dead. Sorry. I do hate to see that look of disappointment on your lovely face.”

He began to close in on her and she tightened her grip on the gun, despite her sweaty palms.

“Don’t underestimate me. I have killed before.”

His step faltered. Surprise and disbelief were visible beneath the black beard and mask.

“Perhaps it’s time you met your maker, Angel,” she said derisively.

“Then we’ll go together, my little hellion,” he replied arrogantly.

In two strides he was on her, his hand squeezing her wrist until she cried out in pain and dropped the gun. He lifted her and tossed her onto the large bunk, then dropped onto his knees to straddle her and pinned her arms to the mattress.

“Remind me to teach you the proper way to hold a gun. Once you’ve mastered that, perhaps I’ll show you how to actually load it and fire.”

“You mean—?”

“That’s right, love. There wasn’t any chance of you killing me with that gun. Ah, I see I’ve disappointed you again. Well, don’t worry. I’ll make it all up to you soon—and I’ll have all night to do so,” he said smoothly.

She felt her cheeks fill with blood at his bold promise. It didn’t help that she was in his bed and he was practically lying on top of her. The contact was far too intimate for her to think properly. “Does that mean you kept your word?”

“I’m hurt that you would think otherwise.”

“Let me go. I want to see her.”

“If you want to see your maid, then I want something in return.”

“You have already asked too much of me! I have nothing else, you selfish rogue.” She struggled underneath him, but with the slightest wiggle, his strong thighs contracted to hold her, and her awareness of his superior dominance intensified.

“What I want is very little. A kiss. That is all—for now,” he reminded her, with a suggestive raise of his brow.

Madelaine groaned, feeling her cheeks redden further. But it was more than embarrassment fueling her emotions now. The weight of him was not unpleasant. His fingers were warm and firm, wrapped around her wrists above her head. She was a prisoner, yet she didn’t feel threatened lying underneath him. A kiss from him wouldn’t be so bad, she thought as she waited for him to take it.

“Well?”

“Well what?” she asked, confused.

“I asked for a kiss. That means you must kiss me,” he explained, barely above a whisper.

Madelaine couldn’t move. She had no idea what a lady was supposed to do in this situation. Not that she had been much of a lady for a long while. And God knows no lady would find herself in a pirate’s bed thinking how he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen and wondering what his lips would feel like on hers.

“I can’t,” she whispered in distress. He watched her with such intensity in his rich blue eyes that she had to squeeze her eyes shut or be consumed by them.

His warm breath caressed her skin a second before his lips found hers. The contact was so intoxicating, she couldn’t hold back her moan of pleasure. His mouth was gentle, surprisingly soft, such a contrast to the natural whiskers on his chin and jaw that scratched her delicate skin.

He coaxed her to return the kiss, his lips slanting against her mouth with more insistence, but she couldn’t let go of her modesty. She suddenly felt overwhelmingly shy. Madelaine was accustomed to force and cruelty from men, not this tender persuasion. And what she certainly wasn’t prepared for was the crushing wave of desire that washed over her entire body as his mouth conquered hers.

She was on the verge of giving this pirate anything he wanted of her—and the realization was terrifying.

He finally pulled back and looked into her eyes as if he was trying to figure out her secrets. With the kiss at an end, sanity returned.

“There. I did what you wanted. I demand to see Olivia. Now!” Madelaine said, struggling against his greater strength.

“I suppose it’s only fair,” he said, releasing her. He rose and offered her his hand to assist her off the bed.

“No, thank you, pirate,” she hissed.

“I like it better when you use my name.”

“Fine. Pirate.”

He laughed as he led her out of the cabin.

“Madelaine!” Olivia cried, rushing forward to meet her. “Are you well? Are you unhurt?”

Madelaine nodded and glanced over her shoulder to make certain they were out of earshot of their captor. The captain had brought her on deck but then had surprised her when he’d allowed her to go to Olivia alone. He was occupied with a member of his crew and didn’t appear to be interested in them at the moment.

“I am fine. What about you?”

“I was so scared. I thought he was going to leave me.”

“I did too. He is despicable to have even thought of leaving a woman in such dire circumstances.”

“Oh, yes. Forgive me for saying so, but I’m so thankful it was you and not me. I just mean I wouldn’t have had the courage to argue with such a frightening man. How in heaven’s name did you get him to agree to bring me?” Olivia asked, her delicate fingers wrapped around Madelaine’s forearm as if she was afraid to be taken away again.

“I…I agreed not to give him any trouble in exchange for bringing you,” she said. She couldn’t bring herself to admit what she had actually agreed to. It was too humiliating—and Olivia would never allow it. She might even come forward with the truth, and Lord only knew what the pirate would do if he found out they had deceived him. “I told him he would need you to take the ransom note,” she said. That part was true enough; she just hadn’t gotten the opportunity to bring it up to the pirate yet. But she would.

“Oh, Madelaine, you are so clever.”

“That means we have to keep up our pretense. I’m so sorry. You shouldn’t have to do this.”

“Don’t you be sorry for anything,” she said, clasping Madelaine’s hands in hers. “You have saved my life. I’m sure of it. If you hadn’t been on the Oxford with me, I don’t know what I would have done. I was terrified.”

“I was scared, too.”

“You were? I would never have known. You stood up to that pirate as if he was naught but a pig loosed from his pen.”

“That is how I shall think of him when I next speak to him,” Madelaine said, trying to sound cheerful.

“Do you think you’ll have to see him again before we reach…wherever we’re going?”

“Yes, I’m afraid I will. He will probably question me about the ransom. You and I should discuss a few things, so I’ll know the answers to anything he might ask me.”

“Good idea. Where are they keeping you? I’m alone in a cabin at the end of a dark corridor. It’s clean and tidy, but I hear all the sailors nearby and it’s a little frightening. Do you think he would let us stay together?”

Madelaine looked out across the sapphire water, capped with tiny froths of white. “I don’t know.”

At least Olivia was being allowed to stay alone. She couldn’t tell Olivia she was sharing the pirate’s cabin—or about the devil’s bargain she’d made with him. She felt heat rising to her cheeks as her thoughts were drawn to the kiss he’d given her only a short time ago.

“Come, let’s talk before he decides we’ve had enough time together. Let’s walk, so they won’t suspect we’re plotting. We’ll keep our voices low, so we won’t be heard on the wind.”

“We’re going to get out of this, aren’t we, Madelaine? Both of us?” Olivia asked, worry lines crinkling her perfect browline.

“Of course we are,” Madelaine said, hooking her arm through Olivia’s.

She had told more untruths today than she had in her entire life. And the worst one was the one she’d told the pirate. She had no intention of fulfilling her end of the bargain she’d made with him. Spend a night in his bed?

Not a chance in hell.

Kane regarded the two women, deep in conversation at the railing. He’d given them enough time to see to each other’s welfare and now they could only be up to no good. Olivia appeared nervous and Madelaine seemed too focused to be simply trying to calm the maid. He had underestimated Madelaine twice now, enabling her to draw his own dagger on him in front of his men. And his damn pistol, too. It didn’t matter that she couldn’t have hurt him with it; the fact that he wasn’t prepared for her boldness stung his pride. He was never careless. In fact, he was well known for maintaining full control of any situation. He had come to expect it when men lined up to follow his lead.

What he didn’t expect was that beneath that curvy, golden-haired beauty lay a spitfire with the potential to turn his authority upside down. She was exactly the type of woman he would desire if he had an inclination for a woman in his life.

Which he didn’t.

“Henry, take the helm. Hold our course,” he said to his quartermaster. He should be irritated knowing he wasn’t going to be able to keep his eye off her for a minute, but the prospect of spending more time with her was almost pleasing. Besides being a stunning beauty, she was clever and had the heart of a lion. “Elliott, take the maid below. See to it she’s occupied for the next few days.”

“Aye, sir,” Elliott Young replied, scratching his head in thought. “We’ve got two baskets full of mending to be done. I’ll be happy for another pair of hands. Hmm, an’ maybe she can cook. Be nice to have a woman’s touch in the galley.”

“True enough. Dismissed, sailor.”

Kane decided to keep the women apart from here on out. If he had any hope of seducing Madelaine into giving herself to him, he was going to have to start working on her—soon. He had only four nights before they’d dock in Virginia and he’d release her.

There would be no ransom demand. He’d never intended to ask for ransom. Kane wasn’t a pirate, despite what most people thought. He was part of a secret organization of Patriots who had been meeting to discuss the growing list of grievances against England. It was likely privateering would be sanctioned at some point, but there was no central government to pass such laws. Each colony had been acting independently of each other and had very different ideas about how the country should be governed. America had no navy to speak of, and it was imperative that they gain some power on the water. Kane and a handful of other men were trying to make sure they had a headstart in that area and for months had been plundering English ships and redistributing the goods with as much discretion as possible. Kane would be glad when he and his brothers could hunt and fight the British in the open. But for now he served his fledgling country behind a black mask and false beard, and only when he received the order from his anonymous employer.

Madelaine put up a fuss with Elliott about taking Olivia from her. Kane couldn’t hear her, but she stood braced on the deck, her fists on the gentle curve of her hips as she tongue-lashed poor Elliott. The sailor lowered his head and bowed in apology but held strong and took the maid away. Madelaine hugged the girl, smoothed her hair, then watched them depart. Kane knew he was going to be faced with her wrath—it wasn’t a good way to begin his seduction scheme. He’d have to think of a way to make it up to her. As he approached her, he couldn’t help but admire her confident posture and the seductive swell of her breasts over the square neckline of her dress. She crossed her arms as he neared, which further displayed the perfect mounds, causing a jolt of desire to shoot straight through him.

Kane’s work was treacherous. He was constantly in danger of being captured or betrayed by someone supporting the Tories. Inarguably, there was too much at stake for him to divert any concentration toward confronting his personal demons with Hugh. He might very well be able to exact his revenge through Madelaine, but he couldn’t shake the niggling sense that she had the potential to bring him down in the process.

Still, that didn’t stop his bootfalls from picking up the pace, taking him closer to the golden-haired siren whose sage green eyes were piercing him with shards of anger.