Page 37 of Devil of the High Seas
It was the same way she’d felt when scaling the rigging while the ship sailed on a smooth sea with the wind behind them. It felt likeheaven. This would be one of her fondest memories to take with her to the next life, the memory of Gavin’s kiss and his praise in her ears.
When they finally broke apart, they both turned to watch the looming shadow of theTorringtongrow smaller as the two ships parted ways. Then, without a word, Gavin led her down to his cabin and closed the door. He leaned back against the door, watching her with hooded eyes.
“Gavin?” She spoke his name as a question, even though she was not certain yet what she was actually asking.
“I truly am proud of your performance tonight.” His compliment made her blush in pure delight. She thought she’d done rather well too, but it was nice to hear him agree.
He pushed away from the closed door and slowly came toward her from behind. When he reached her, he ran his palm up the side of her bodice, and even through the layers of cloth, she felt the heat of his palm, burning her like a brand. She watched his face as she gazed at him over her shoulder, drinking in the sight of him as though it was the first time she’d ever seen him. Her blood hummed with a new excitement. Was tonight the night he would claim her in the way she’d longed for him to since the moment she’d first touched him?
“Regardless of your brilliant performance, I believe I still owe you a punishment, lass,” he said playfully, but his voice was soft, slightly rough with excitement. A frisson of awareness of his size and strength stole through her, sparking desire deep within her belly. He was still stroking his hand over her bodice, down to her hips and back up to her breasts before he moved that hand up to her throat and curled his fingers lightly around her neck as he pulled her body back against his. He didn’t squeeze or even tighten his hold upon her neck, but she knew he could feel her wildly beating pulse beneath his fingertips. His brown eyes held a hint of danger that concerned her. She still didn’t fully know him as a man or what he would deem an appropriate punishment.
“Frightened of me?” he whispered in her ear.
“Not exactly,” she confessed. Her body was burning for him, but she was still a little afraid—not that he’d hurt her, only that she wasn’t prepared for whatever he might do.
“Never fear me,” he said before he gently nibbled on her earlobe. “But I will teach you to enjoy a light punishment when you need one.”
“Surely I made up for any silly transgressions at dinner?” she asked. “And I only locked you in becauseyoulocked me in first,” she reminded him as she fought off a moan when he licked the shell of her ear. It sent a wild heat throbbing between her legs, and she clenched her thighs together.
He lightly scowled at her. But she didn’t see any real anger in his eyes, only teasing amusement.
“You fooled every one of those men and had them eating out of your palm like trained spaniels. I listened to all of those questions they asked you. Lord, you must have wanted to scream at them. You know more about sailing than those young midshipmen,” he said. He sounded a little angry, but she knew it wasn’t directed at her.
“Yes, it was frustrating,” she agreed. “No one wants to be treated like they are a child.”
“Well, I see you, Josie, I see your brilliant mind, your courage, your cunning. You must never hide that from me,” he said.
She flushed again at his praise. “Then perhaps you don’t need to punish me?” she suggested lightly.
His darkly playful grin returned. “Oh, I still plan to. You cannot be locking the captain of this vessel in his cabin.” He caressed her throat with his fingers and nuzzled her neck as he held her pressed against him from behind.
“It’s not as though I can escape the ship, and not once since you’ve taken me from my home have I protested. You didn’t need to lock me in. Iwantto be here, Gavin... with you.”
He slowly turned her to face him as he stared at her, and she saw a flash of something in his eyes, something too quick to understand fully, but it made her heart ache for what she thought she might have glimpsed in that brief glance into his soul.
“I locked you in for two reasons. I do not know the men yet on the ship. There are nearly eighty souls on board. I know for certain of only one man who won’t harm you, and that’s Ronnie. I do not know where the rest of the crew’s morals lie. I was trying to keep you safe.”
“You said two reasons,” she said. “What is the second?”
He released her waist and stepped back to remove his frock coat, tossing it on the table. Then he began to roll up his sleeves, exposing tanned muscled arms.
“The second is because the idea of you at my tender mercy sets fire to my blood. The thought of you tied to my bed to take what pleasure I give you, making you lose control at my whim... It’s made me rather mad with desire for you.”
He knelt by the trunk and began to dig through the contents until he found a long silk ribbon. Gavin wrapped the ribbon around his closed fist, testing its strength, but he lifted his head to grin at her.
Her heart was beating wildly. “You can’t be serious...”
“Quite so, lassie.” He took a step toward her.
Oh no, she was not about to allow this man to do whatever he planned to her.
“You’ll have to catch me first,” she argued and did the only thing she could do and bolted for the door.
He lunged, caught her by the waist, and with a deep, rumbling chuckle, he kissed the shell of her ear.
“This is going to be fun.”
CHAPTER9
