Page 57 of Pirate's Intent
“Your father affected you as much as my uncle did me.” She rested her hand over his. “We always understood that about each other, didn’t we? Helped one another cope.” Her voice dropped an octave. “Then felt no relief from it when we were apart...which is why you had your man deliver that first letter to me.”
“And why you wrote back,” he said just as softly.
“Where did that pirate go off to that delivered our missives over the years?”
“He chose not to leave the life.”
“Do we trust him to keep our secret?”
He couldn’t help a grin. “You would have made a good pirate thinking like that.”
“You are a pirate, though.” She narrowed her eyes. “Is he still alive?”
“He is,” he confirmed. “He will not share my secrets any more than Abigail will.”
“You left him treasure, too, then?”
He cocked the corner of his mouth, not overly surprised she had figured that out. Abigail and her girls were left very well off. “The pirate who delivered our letters was well seen to.”
Done with talk of what was behind him, he looked ahead and cupped her cheek. “You have yet to answer my question.” He used the tone she responded to so well. “Will you tease and sin with me, Hannah?” Then he asked the same question he had years ago, not particularly of the mind to take ‘no’ for an answer this time. “Will you bloody well marry me at last, my little tease?”
ChapterThirteen
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SHE DIDN’T REALIZEuntil she said, “Yes, I will marry you, Luke,” just how much she had hoped to say those words again. Nor did she suspect that if she ever did, he would release a loud whistle through his fingers, wrap a blanket around her and plunk her on his lap.
“What are you doing?” she barely got out before Robert flung the door open.
“Aye, Cap’n.” He grinned. “She say ‘yes’ then?”
Luke met his quartermaster’s grin. “She did.”
“She said ‘yes,’” Robert hollered up only for a rambunctious round of hoots to resound. Unable to find her voice at the celebration, she remained tongue-tied as pirates filled the cabin.
“You do not mean to—”
He put a finger to her lips and spoke like a pirate. “I mean to marry ye ‘fore ye have a chance to say no again.” He gestured at everyone. “These are but my witnesses.” He winked. “I’ll not let ‘em have ye, but they can witness our nuptials.”
“With you nude beneath me?” Though tempted to get huffy, she instead bit back a chuckle. “And I wrapped in a blanket?”
“’Tis a bloody good look on ye,” Robert praised, followed by many nods and grunts of approval.
“I think we best get on with this,” Luke commented. “I might not be able to fight ‘em off soon.”
Fully aware of his erection pressed against her backside, she cocked the corner of her mouth, seeing a truly interesting future ahead of them. “Then we best get to it.” She frowned. “But who will marry us?”
“That be me, missus.” A short, stocky pirate stepped forward with a bible. “I used to be more of a pious man, ye see.”
Luke certainly had thought of everything, hadn’t he?
Robert tossed him a stunning ring. “Don’t forget this, Cap’n.”
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, admiring the glittering diamond as Luke slid it on her finger. She narrowed her eyes. “Is it stolen?”
“It is,” Luke confirmed. “Iama pirate, after all...at least for another day or two.” He arched a brow. “Will the ring be a problem?”
She considered it, then him, of the mind it ought to bring someone joy. “Well, truth be told, I’m stolen too, so I’d say we are meant for each other.”
