Page 32 of Hired by Pirates

I wanted to tell him that I appreciated his concern. That I loved the way he was just the right amount of overprotective. I wanted to tell him that I’d never felt closer to him, and that the way he treated me like such a precious jewel made my blood sing and my mind relax for the first time in my life. But I didn’t.

Instead, I dragged my hands down his wide, firm chest, feeling his warmth through his thin shirt. Staring into his eyes, they were almost icy in the lamplight. “I love when you teach me about the ship. And the weather, and the storms, and the world. But right now it’s time to teach me something else.” He gave me a strange look, but I began to unbutton his shirt so that there was no doubt what I meant.

His eyes flashed in a very different way. “Are you sure, lass?”

“Yes. Absolutely.”

His hand gripped my backside, pulling me against him as he breathed, “Would this be your first time, Astor?”

“Yes.”

“Then you know…” He trailed off, and I wasn’t sure whether he was embarrassed, or simply couldn’t find the words.

How I loved that I could feel his passion, yet his first thought was of worry about hurting me.

“Yes, Nick. I know.”

Somehow it didn’t feel right to call him Captain at a monumental moment such as this, and I watched for him to nod his approval.

He smiled, running his lips across my forehead. “Yes, I’d prefer you call me by my name when we’re alone.”

He kissed me so gently that it felt like I was falling into some sort of dream world. I almost whimpered when he pulled away to slowly remove my dress. His hands were so confident with my body. So firm, and so sure.

Once again lying naked in his bed, I drank in the way he stared at me, as if I were some sort of treasure he had just discovered.

Having someone’s complete attention was intoxicating. He made me feel like a precious gift that he wanted to savor.

Nick took his time, his hands gently meandering along every part of my body. As if he were trying to discover which areas made me tingle even more.

There were so very many spots I hadn’t known were extra sensitive to a man’s touch. Like my neck...under my ear...my lower belly...merciful Heavens, the backs of my knees. I couldn’t lie still, squirming restlessly as he explored my skin.

“I just love hearing that little sound,” he said, kissing in leisurely circles around my breasts. Every time his tongue dragged across my skin I thought I might float away.

“What little sound?”

His low chuckle rumbled against my skin. “Your breath hitches with a tiny sputter, as if you’ve forgotten how to breathe for a moment.”

I tried to giggle, then his teeth raked against my nipple, and I realized that I indeed was making an odd noise.

How strange to be learning new things about my body with a man I’d only known a week. Yet in some ways, through our long conversations, and simply sleeping beside each other, he had already grown to know me better than anyone else.

Although I couldn’t see my hands under his chin, I managed to find the buttons of his shirt, unfastening them awkwardly.

He moved his mouth to my other breast, sucking and lapping at the nipple until I was quivering. It felt like something was happening to my hips. They were opening, as if my legs needed to part.

His hand slipped down my belly as his mouth kissed its way up to my lips. His tongue up top and his thick middle finger down below entered me gently at the same time, causing my pulse to race off kilter.

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nbsp; I’d learned how aggressive the Captain could be when he needed to. I’d watched him fighting to hold down a sail in a gusty morning breeze, or lift a huge barrel from deck to deck. His strength was incredible.

Having a rough man be so gentle with me, I felt his love through every tiny touch.

Gradually his light caresses became more insistent, as his thumb fluttered across that sensitive button, causing me to gasp.

“Let me feel your pleasure first,” he whispered breathily, as his tongue ran along the seam of my lips. “I need you nice and wet so that you can take me more easily.”

I knew exactly what he meant, and was touched that he would even think of it.

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