Lord Trent: Love's Price Part 18

He tarried next to the bunk, and as he gazed down at her, a wave of fondness swept over him, but it was quickly replaced by l.u.s.t. His phallus sprang to attention, giving him such an erection that it nearly doubled him over.

He lay down and stretched out, his fingers tracing circles on her curvaceous hip, and he was pleased to see her smile. Was she dreaming about him?

Her eyelids fluttered open.

"h.e.l.lo, you," she said as casually as if she'd been his paramour for ages.

"h.e.l.lo."

"What time is it?"

"Almost two o'clock."

"You work too hard."

He snuggled her to him, her pert b.r.e.a.s.t.s crushed to his chest, her mound of Venus teasing his c.o.c.k, and she smelled so d.a.m.ned good.

"Any pirates tonight?" she asked.

"Nary a one."

"Maybe they've finally realized the ident.i.ty of our brave captain, and they're too afraid to come any closer."

He chuckled. "Maybe."

As her sleep waned, reality settled in. She recognized that they were cuddled together, while dangerously unclad, and she frowned. Obviously, she was about to complain, so he kissed her.

He couldn't bear to hear her protests as to why they shouldn't become intimate. He knew all the reasons, but he wanted to proceed anyway.

"Captain," she scolded as he drew away.

"Call me Tristan."

"No."

He kissed her again, coming over her so he was pressing her down into the plush mattress.

"What are you doing?"

"You know what I'm doing. It's what I should have done from the start."

"Are you planning to seduce me?"

"Yes."

"But you can't!"

"Why not?"

"Because we're not married, and someday, I hope to be."

"Harriet, let me explain something."

"What?"

"Your wedding day is a long way off. You're here now with me, and I'm a healthy, adult male. I can't keep pretending that I don't want you."

"But we're not animals. We might have wicked thoughts, but we don't have to act on them."

"We, Harriet? Are you claiming you have wicked thoughts about me?"

He grinned, and she scowled.

"No, that's not what I'm saying."

"It will be all right," he insisted. "You shouldn't worry so much."

He began kissing her in earnest, his tongue in her mouth, his hands in her hair. She was so pretty, so vibrant and alive, and she was about to be all his.

Gradually, her resistance melted away until she was partic.i.p.ating with an equal amount of vigor. She was a very pa.s.sionate female and far past the age when she should have been bedded, and he couldn't believe that no man had pushed the issue.

He abandoned her lush lips to nibble under her chin, down her neck, to her bosom. He tugged at the straps of her chemise, baring her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, and he paused to study her.

"My little Harriet," he murmured, "so beautiful and all mine."

She blushed furiously, vividly reminding him that she was a virgin, and when she tried to s.h.i.+eld herself by draping an arm across her chest, he took her wrist and pinned it over her head.

"Don't hide yourself," he said. "Let me look at you."

"I'm embarra.s.sed."

"Don't be. When we're alone like this, everything is allowed."

Dipping down, he sucked at her nipple, using light pressure, so she would grow accustomed to the activity.

"Are we going to...to..."

"Yes, we are."

"Will it hurt?"

"Only for a moment."

She a.s.sessed him, appearing very shrewd, wise beyond her years.

"Promise me that you won't hurt me."

"I told you: I have to the first time. It can't be helped."

"No, I mean later-when this voyage is over and we go our separate ways."

The notion of parting, of coming into his cabin but not seeing her, was terribly disturbing, but he shoved the possibility away.

He was intent on fornication, and the future had no bearing on what he was about to do.

"I swear that I will never hurt you," he vowed.

She was very still, pondering, then she nodded. "I want it to be you."

"So do I."

"Show me how it can be, but be gentle."

"Always, Harriet. Always."

He bent to her nipple again, and he sucked on it more forcefully as he slid a questing hand up her leg. Shortly, she was at the sharp edge of desire, and with a few flicks of his thumb, he tossed her into an o.r.g.a.s.m.

She went easily, soaring to the heavens as he held her tight. As she floated down, she was practically purring.

"You are so naughty," she said.

"I can't deny it."

"Let's do that again."

Her voice was sultry and s.e.xy, luring him to his doom like a siren on the rocks.

He widened her thighs, settling himself between them, and he'd just started to unb.u.t.ton his trousers when several loud thuds echoed on deck. Shouting followed, then gunshots.

"What the h.e.l.l...?" he muttered, glaring at Harriet as if she would know what was occurring.

"What was that?" she inquired.

More gunshots rang out, then tromping of boots. A canon blast shattered the air.

"Holy Mother of G.o.d!" he cursed, and he leapt from the bed, flew to his trunk, and pulled out some weapons. There was no time to don a s.h.i.+rt or shoes, no time to think about anything but his s.h.i.+p and his men.

He raced to the door and was about to exit when Harriet called, "Tristan!"

He whipped around, having forgotten she was present, and he was disgusted with himself. He'd been so besotted that he'd put his entire crew at risk.

"What?"

"What's happening!"

"We're under attack. We may already have been boarded."

She jerked at her chemise, covering her bosom.

"Tell me what to do."

Alarm over her fate swamped him. If she was captured, she would be repeatedly raped, then she'd either be murdered or taken to Algiers and sold to a harem.

The horrid prospect imbued him with the fury necessary to keep her safe.

"First of all, get dressed as fast as you can."

"All right."

She clambered to her feet as he shoved a pistol at her.

"Do you know how to fire this?"

"No."

"It's loaded. You c.o.c.k it like this, aim, and squeeze the trigger."

She didn't reach for it, so he wrapped her fingers around the b.u.t.t.

"Convince me that you can use it if you need to."

"I...I..."

"You're not afraid of anything, remember, Harriet? Can you fire it?"

"Yes."

"Good girl. Now swear to me that you won't leave this cabin. No matter what you hear or how bad it sounds up on the deck. You can't leave!"

She was mulishly silent.

"Swear it to me!" he bellowed.

"I won't leave," she pledged. "I swear."

"I'm going up to join the battle. Bar the door, and if anyone comes through it but me, shoot him dead."

He swept out without a backward glance.

Harriet stuck to her vow for all of two minutes.

Another cannon blast roared, and it rocked the s.h.i.+p so she was thrown to the floor. What if a hole had been blown in the wood? They would sink, and the idea of drowning in Harcourt's cabin was terrifying.

After yanking on her clothes, she hurried to his trunk that he-for once-hadn't bothered to lock. The pistol he'd given her would fire precisely one time, and then what?

She grabbed a knife, then tiptoed into the hall and up to the deck where she climbed out to chaos.

Two of the masts had been toppled, so the s.h.i.+p was disabled. Men were running and screaming, the scene so bizarre that it didn't seem real. As she watched, it swiftly became apparent that whoever had attacked them was winning.