Page 11 of The Pirate's Stolen Bride
“Perhaps I am the one who will change Lucarran’s dastardly ways,” Harriet smiled.
“Au contraire. You would be subjected to either his cruelty or neglect.”
This smugbastard,believing himself her rescuer. Rage would have made her head explode, if not for a harsh hacking cough that scorched her lungs like hellfire itself. She stood up, but the boat shifted, throwing her off-balance and into Rémy’s lap.
“You need to rest,” he told her, scooping her up and depositing her on the tiny bed. “And so do I.”
To Harriet’s astonishment, he climbed in beside her.
“Oh, no.” She clutched the blanket for dear life and pointed at the door. “Out. I am an unmarried woman. I am betrothed to another man! I cannot share a bed with you!” Her voice rose higher with each word, until the finalyoucame out as an embarrassing squeak.
“I’m not going to touch you, chérie. Now share.” Rémy yanked on the coverlet. Harriet shook her head. He sighed heavily.
“I have been awake since dawn. I will be up again at the next dawn. A lady would allow me a few hours of rest before I risk my life to return her to her family unharmed. I give you my word that I will not touch you. The last thing on my mind is sex.”
She flinched, but her grip loosened.
True to his word, Rémy shook out the blanket and rolled over, taking the only pillow with him.
Well. Sitting around in nothing but his shirt was one option, but considering the tiny cabin was barely warm enough to endure with their one blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and further considering that she would have to abandon it completely to maintain any distance between them, there was nothing to be done but roll onto her side and tuck the edges of the blanket beneath her to keep that wretched pirate from stealing it.
Sleep did not come for a very long time, during which she had plenty of time to contemplate the way his shoulders brushed hers with nothing but a thin linen barrier between them.
Once she was certain he was asleep, she tucked her freezing feet against his calves.
CHAPTER SIX
WINDSWEPT TIDES
In the gray light just before daybreak, Rémy awoke to burning. He tossed back the cover and reveled in the cold air—until the woman tucked against his body began a harsh coughing fit. He sat bolt upright.
“Harriet.” He pressed his palm to her forehead, but he already knew. “You’re on fire. Mon dieu, we have to get you to shore.”
The lady’s glassy hazel eyes barely opened. She strained for air in between hacking coughs.
He’d stolen a fine lady, subjected her to harsh conditions, and now it was his fault she was sick. Lung infections weren’t uncommon after a near-drowning. Some people even died after reaching dry land.
He’d done this to his pretty spitfire. Guilt seared through him. Rémy stuffed his feet into his boots and raced to the top deck with them still unlaced.
“Freddie. We must get to land at once.”
The unflappable old mariner nodded once and lowered his spyglass. “I reckon that would be a wise move, Captain.” Freddie gestured into the distance. “Waterguard. We’ll outrun them. Been keeping to the fog to avoid being spotted. But if you want to get to land quickly, best put your lass in Ben’s dinghy. It’ll be a long row to shore, but with the Guard between us and land, it’s your best way to avoid being caught.”
It went without saying that if they were caught, Rémy would hang and Freddie would either spend years in prison or be transported. Although he played a minor role in the smuggling operation, Benoit would undoubtedly suffer steep consequences, too, due to the color of his skin.
In short: they could not afford to be caught.
“Hide theSpectrein the hidden cave near my cousin’s house. I will see you are well compensated, mon ami.” He patted Freddie’s shoulder.
“Aye, captain.”
One way or another, his escapade with Lady Turner was going to cost him.
He only hoped it wouldn’t cost either of them their lives.
Harriet was having a verybad dream.
In her nightmare, she had been taken captive by a pirate, been forced to board his ship via a rope ladder, fallen into the sea, almost drowned, and then been forced to sleep nearly naked next to him.
