Page 17 of Hired by Pirates

Staring at the Captain’s rugged face, I took in his sharp features. The strong jawline, and broad cheekbones. Then I realized I was staring straight into his deep, dark eyes.

“What woke you up?” he asked softly.

Strange that I wasn’t even embarrassed to tell him. “The creaking of the hull. It made me think of old tales of hauntings and horror.”

His deep chuckle was a rumble. “As long as it wasn’t me snoring.”

“No, actually I found your breathing quite soothing.”

He shifted right to the edge of the bed, holding out his hand to me. I took it, as the touch of his fingers twined through mine made my heart gallop.

“You need your sleep,” he said softly. “What can I do to help?”

A shiver ran through me as I began to think of the possibilities.

“Dammit, you’re cold, lass.” His fingers squeezed mine. “I could either give you some of my blankets, or you could jump in with me. I’m like an old coal stove – I’m always warm.”

I hesi

tated. “Wouldn’t that be…inappropriate?”

I absolutely adored his low laugh. “Astor, out here on this ship we do as we please. We make our own rules. The only authority here is me. So you are absolutely free to do whatever your heart desires.”

He released my fingers so that his thumb could travel along the inside of my wrist, which sent tingles through my lower belly.

“If you want to think of it as the Captain simply keeping his new crew member warm, that’s fine. If you want to think of it as a large man sharing his body heat with a slim woman, that’s fine too.”

The moonlight ignited his steely eyes. “But if you want to think of it as a man desperately wanting to hold the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen…that would be my preference.”

The air in my lungs seemed to freeze for a moment. I was always the sort of person who thought things through. In medicine, it was important to look at all possibilities before making a diagnosis. Every potential danger, every angle.

Yet I scrambled out of my bed and into his arms without a second thought.

There was a depth to his embrace that made my eyes fall closed, simply reveling in his touch. His body truly was a wall of muscle, yet he held me so tenderly and carefully I felt safer than I ever had in my life.

My head fell into his shoulder, his face slightly above mine, so close that the promise of a kiss was right on the horizon.

“Thank you for being so kind to me,” I whispered.

His hand traveled up my back to tangle in my long hair. “Astor, you’re so lovely, smart, and sweet that the entire world should be kind to you.”

“If you were the Captain of my town, I’d be happier there,” I giggled.

His eyes flared. “Are the townspeople unkind to you?” he asked sharply.

“Sometimes. They thought I was rude for preferring the company of books most of the time. Nobody understood my ambition to be a doctor.”

“Why is it that you want that so badly?”

It was quite difficult to think straight while his fingers lightly danced along the back of my neck.

“Dr. Grenville’s father, Toburg’s previous physician, was the most respected man in town. He shared his knowledge so freely. He taught the women how to make proper poultices when their children were sick. He reset bones so that young men wouldn’t have to live with a terrible limp their entire lives. He was a hero, of sorts.”

“You clearly admired him,” the Captain said softly.

“Everyone did.” I burrowed deeper into his arms. “Then he retired to Port Chancelry to be with his wife’s family, and left his son in charge. As you saw, he is...a much lesser man.”

“Yet you learned everything you could anyway. I admire your determination.”

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