Page 78 of Stilettos & Secrets on the 7 Seas

“Healer?” Caiyan chuckled under his breath. “Jen, ye faint at the sight of blood.”

“I’ve gotten over that.”Sort of.

We walked toward the parapet at the outer edge of the fort for a gander at the British fleet. Men worked in the open courtyard beneath us, reinforcing crumbling walls that had seen a cannonball or ten.

Vane balanced on the bastion, one foot propped on the ledge, spyglass to his eye, scanning the harbor. A flurry of motion filled the beach below. Most of those pirates would take the pardon.

At least I wasn’t getting married tonight. There were more pressing issues at hand.

Vane’s merry men stood behind him, jaws clenched, staring out at the fleet of navy ships spread bow to aft across the mouth of the harbor.

Vane looked down at me. It creeped me out the way he stared at me before speaking, like he could see right through my frilly dress. Right through my petticoats. Right to my naked lady parts.

“I thought in yer vision ’twas nightfall.” Vane’s voice, rough and harsh, gravel on sandpaper, startled me.

“Uhm, my visions aren’t always timely.”

“Their gun cabinets are open, threatening immediate retaliation for any ship who tries to pass.” Caiyan pointed at the small openings lined up like square portholes along the ship’s flank. Each with its small flap hinged open and the nose of a cannon barrel visible.

“I can see wit’ my own eyes.” Vane pushed the spyglass into Caiyan’s chest and headed back to secure his votes.

“Why doesn’t Vane fire these cannons at them?” I motioned toward the cannons lined up like waiting soldiers.

“’Tis too far. The shot willnae reach the ships.”

This was a British standoff. It would hold until someone tried to pass or took the first shot. No wonder Vane wanted those votes.

The wind whipped at my hair, causing tendrils to yank free from my braid. Caiyan’s dreadlocks barely moved.

His leather pants fit snugly, reminding me of a crocodile and emphasizing my favorite part. Leather ropes decorated his wrist and around his neck sat braided strands that met at his throat in a seashell—a hidey-hole for his key.

“This is a good look for you.” I wanded my finger up and down at him. “Very sexy pirate.”

His eyes went smokey, sensual. A deep green I can only describe as carnal jungle. I knew what followed that smolder, so I took a step back.

“I see you felt safe to keep your key on this trip.” I tapped the shell at his throat. My illusions that he wasn’t responsible for the Gitmo lockup vanished like a top-rated beach resort after a tsunami.

He raked a hand over a day’s stubble growing thick on his jaw. His way to take a minute. “What aboot the kid?”

I reminded myself to focus on rescuing Marco, not on the black shirt open to mid-six-pack, exposed tanned skin, and dark curly chest hair.

I lifted a shoulder. “I’m quite taken with Captain Smith. He’ll make a fine husband.”One day. To someone else.

“Taken, are ye?” Caiyan’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Ye could teach him a thing or two. I’ll give ye that.”

My inner voice thought about all the many things Caiyan was good at, and my southern area lit up like a flamethrower. She went giddy that he thought I was good, too.

I changed the subject to distract my inner goddess. “Why does Mortas have a vote and you don’t?”

“Mortas has a ship. Dinnae ask me how he commandeered that ship in such a short amount of time.” Caiyan reached up and secured a strand of hair behind my ear. It was an unconscious movement done so many times between us it was like foreplay muscle memory.

My heart melted.

A dark shadow joined mine and Caiyan’s on the stone floor. “You’d better quit with your flirting, or you’ll blow the deal.” Mortas grumbled at Caiyan.

His long leather vest made him seem more like a gunslinger in an old Western movie than a captain of a pirate ship. The wind lifted his tricorn hat, and he snagged it off his head, showing dark, slicked-back hair.

I never realized he had a sprinkle of freckles across his nose. Of course, it had been a while since I’d been this close to him and at that time, he had a gun on me.

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