Page 21 of Devil of the High Seas
“Ladies first,” Gavin said. “I’ll be right behind you.”
She grasped the rungs and lifted herself up onto the ladder. It wasn’t easy keeping her skirts out of the way of her feet, but she managed to draw the fabric up to her knees with one hand and use the other to climb. It took far longer than anyone expected, and the red-haired man kept muttering about skirts and nonsense. But what was she to do? Gavin hadn’t exactly given her an opportunity to change.
When she reached the waist deck, she leaned back against the ship’s railing to catch her breath while the two men climbed aboard. Gavin and the other man dropped almost silently onto the deck beside her. Several of the crew of the ship stood there, watching them expectantly.
“I’ll see myprizebelow, Ronnie. Have the crew make ready to sail at once. Tell them I’ll make my introduction later.”
“Aye, aye, Cap’n.” The red-haired man headed in the opposite direction toward the waiting crew, while Gavin grasped Josephine’s arm and led her belowdecks. She was familiar with ships and realized they were heading toward what was likely the captain’s cabin at the stern.
“Gavin—”
“Hush, not yet.” He opened the door to the cabin at the far end of the ship. It was a large room with tall glass windows facing the sea. A bed with a gilded headboard sat against one wall. A table was covered with sea charts, a compass and sextant, all neatly arranged. The ship feltnew. Josephine noticed that every surface seemed polished and the wood positively gleamed. This couldn’t be the ship that Gavin had lost.
Gavin closed the door and flipped the latch to lock it before he turned to face her. Was it finally safe for her to speak?
“Gavin, why did you take me?” she asked. Her blood was still rushing through her body too quickly from the excitement of the ride and the steep climb over the side of the ship. It made it hard for her to think as clearly as she wished to.
He came toward her and she held her ground as the pirate gently grasped her chin, his smile rakish and almost hard as their gazes locked.
“Because Iwantedyou. We will enjoy each other’s company while we sail the West Indies, and then once I’ve reclaimed my ship you will be free to do as you what you like and go where you wish.” His brown-eyed gaze fell to her lips, and his intense focus made her tremble. He brushed the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip, and the feel of it was incredibly sensual. It didn’t escape her notice that he made no mention of her returning to marry his brother.
“You would not let me go home now, even if I begged you?” she asked, but a dark voice whispered that wasn’t what she wanted at all. Going home meant marrying Griffin. She had to know how much Gavin truly wanted to keep her.
Gavin’s mouth twitched in another dark half smile. “No, not even if you begged sweetly enough to make the angels weep. My brother had his chance to seduce you and he did not.” He smiled wider and leaned closer to her, a dangerous sensuality rolling off him that nearly made her knees buckle. “As for me, Iwantyou, lass. And I shall have you.”
His words sent her flying with hope and excitement.
“You won’t ever want to think of Cornwall again.” He leaned in to whisper, “Not when I can show you everything worth having in this life.” He grasped her waist and turned her so she stared out at the dark sea through the windows. He pressed his body against hers from behind and reached around to grasp her neck, but the hold was gentle, soothing rather than restraining.
“No harm will come to you when you’re with me. There will only be pleasure for you, sweet Josie.”
No doubt he could feel the frantic beat of her pulse and could mistake her excitement for fear. She was strangely aroused by the thought of him taking control like this, making her gently bend to his will. Josephine couldn’t help but press the boundaries of her situation. She wanted to be sure that he truly wanted her, not out of some need to take what was his brothers, but because he genuinely desired her.
“And if I say no to this grand offer of yours?”
His rumbling laughter was followed by soft kisses along her neck. She vibrated as the heat of his body and hers seemed ready to ignite some ancient fire within her.
“I’m a pirate, lass, and a pirate takes what he wants. And I want you.” He bit the lobe of her ear, and the hint of pain made her moan and lean back against him, wanting more.
Gavin turned her head toward his with a hand upon her cheek and kissed her. The kiss was hard, ruthless, piratical to its very core. She groaned helplessly and melted. A proper lady would have been resisting him, fighting him like a wildcat and crying out for help, but Josephine was not a proper lady, no matter how hard her parents had tried. The truth was, she wanted this adventure and this man. She had been relieved to be willingly kidnapped but also excited beyond words. This was her chance to live, even though she knew that she would end up in Gavin’s bed. Yes, she’d be ruined for marriage to any other man once she was no longer a virgin. But she believed all of that was such foolish nonsense.
Shouldn’t a woman have the same freedoms as a man? It was what Roberta and Brianna, the former pirate that her brother’s best friend Nicholas had married, always whispered about when the men were out of the room. They thought she didn’t hear them, but she knew they were of the same mind. Women deserved freedom, especially freedom to enjoy their bodies and their lives as men did. So distracted in her thoughts, she suddenly realized he wasn’t kissing her any longer. Instead, he was watching her eyes closely.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked. “You look so serious.” He traced a fingertip over her brows as if to smooth away her concerns.
“Just that... I am free.”
At that he grinned and tipped her chin up again. “You’re still my captive,” he reminded her seductively and bent his mouth to hers again. She couldn’t help but smile as she thought,And you’re mine—you just don’t know it yet.
Gavin finally broke the kiss and held her a long moment, his breathing as hard as hers. He pressed his forehead to hers, eyes closed as he seemed to come back to himself. Then he stepped back.
“I have to see to our departure and speak with the crew.” With one last scorching look at her, he departed the cabin.
She heard the door lock behind her, but it didn’t matter. She was here, a willing captive, whether he believed her or not. She crossed the room to the bed and sank down on it as a tidal wave of relief swept through her. There would be no wedding tomorrow. She was safe. She wasfree. She lay back on the bed, exhaustion overtaking her, and let the waves and the rocking ship soothe her. She tried not to think of what her family or Griffin would do once they realized she was missing.
I’m free... Well, free enough. That’s all that matters.
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