Master of Seduction

by Kinley MacGregor

  She needed to get away from them and from horribly inappropriate images that were terrorizing her. Well, the images that should be terrorizing her, but the most horrific part of all was the fact that none of it was terrible. She actually liked thinking of Jack that way.

  Liked thinking of Jack taking her into his arms and…

  She shut the door to her room and collapsed on the bed. “Stop it, Lorelei!” she breathed sharply to herself.

  Think of Justin!

  She mentally summoned an image of him in his uniform. Aye, he cut a dashing figure. Tall, proud and…

  Boring.

  Really, Lorelei, she could hear Justin’s stiff accent in her head as he chastised her yet again. Do you not find me pleasing?

  Yes, she thought in answer. You are quite pleasing.

  But? he asked again.

  But he wasn’t Jack. His presence didn’t make her feel hot and cold at the same time. Around Jack she felt alive and vibrant. Alive and completely feminine.

  Against all her arguments and sanity, she wanted her pirate more than she had ever wanted Justin.

  “No, no, no!” she insisted. It wasn’t true. Justin would come here soon and rescue her, then all would be as it should. Jack would be out of her life and she would be thrilled over it. Yes, yes she would.

  Yet her body reacted of its own accord. Her hand reached out to the sketch pad on her mattress and pulled it to her. She flipped to the page where Jack was and she studied her progress.

  Aye, his back had just that curve. And sunlight had added a golden sheen to his skin.

  His long hair draped down his strong neck. His hips…

  She just couldn’t get his buttocks right.

  Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine it.

  It was no use.

  Even more frustrated now, Lorelei set her drawing aside. She needed to get another look at his buttocks.

  Lorelei! What are you thinking?

  “I’m an artist,” she whispered to herself. “I just want to paint what I see.”

  Only she hadn’t really seen that part of him. That part had been hidden by the spread.

  She heard Jack leaving his cabin.

  Before she could think better of it, she tiptoed to her door and eased it open. Jack had just passed her door and she poked her head into the hallway to watch his…

  He stopped, then to her horror turned around.

  She was caught!

  Embarrassed and horrified, she opened the door wide as a sudden thought came to her to explain her behavior. “It squeaks,” she announced as she swung the door back and forth. But the dreaded thing didn’t make a single noise.

  She abruptly stopped the idiotic movement before it gave her away completely.

  Jack cocked a brow. “The door squeaks?”

  “Mmm,” she said, glancing at the hinges. “I was wondering if I could fix it.”

  “With charcoal?” he asked as he dipped his gaze down to her hand.

  She clenched the charcoal in her fist as she tried to think of a believable lie.

  You’re caught!

  Refusing to yield victory, she lifted her chin. “Why, yes. It’s the latest thing.” She opened the door wider, then pretended to oil the hinge with her charcoal.

  Jack took two steps closer, a half smile hovering on the edge of his lips. “Why are you flushed?” he asked and by the gleam in his eyes, she swore he knew what she’d been doing.

  She swallowed. “It was…”

  Think of something!

  “Hot in the galley.”

  “Was it?” he asked.

  “Very hot,” she finished.

  Hotter than he could imagine.

  Jack folded his hands behind his back and looked up at the hinge she pretended to grease. “Would you like me to fetch some lubricant for the door?”

  “Uh…no. I think the charcoal worked. See.” She swung the door back and forth again. “No more squeaking.”

  Just a whole lot of squirming as those steely gray eyes delved into her own.

  “Very well then,” he said, his eyes laughing at her. “I shall leave you to your…matters.” He turned and walked away.

  Lorelei dropped her gaze to his buttocks.

  Ah, there was the curve she’d been trying to capture. The muscles were tight and his derriere was—

  Not moving.

  Lifting her gaze, she saw him looking at her with an amused smile on his face as he stared back at her over his shoulder.

  “Do you like what you see?” he teased.

  She stiffened. “There’s a stain on your breeches.”

  He twisted around so that he could look. “Where? I don’t see one.”

  “Oh, it must have been the way the light was striking it.”

  “That must be it.” He mocked her with his tone.

  Embarrassed to the very core of her soul and with her face burning as sharply as if she stood before a raging inferno, Lorelei gathered what little dignity she could muster. “Good day, Captain.”

  “Good day, Miss Dupree.”

  Lorelei turned and walked with as much grace as possible into her room.

  Once the door was safely closed, she threw herself on the bed and curled up into a tiny, mortified ball where she laughed out her humiliation until tears fell.

  “He caught me,” she breathed into the pillow. Could anything be worse?

  He knew she’d been looking at his…

  Oh, if only someone would kill her now and get it over with.

  Jack was smiling as he crossed the deck. So, the little wench was interested in him after all.

  Now how was he going to play his next hand?

  Lorelei still hadn’t finished the portrait of him. That was one way to lure her into his room.

  Nay, he wanted something more subtle.

  More subtle, hell. All he really wanted to do was call her to his room right this instant and quench the fire ripping through his loins. If he didn’t take her soon, he was going to go mad from the need.

  All right, Jack, he said to himself. When it comes to seduction, you’re the master. What would you do?

  Dinner. That was the key. He’d pay Klein and the boys to play a little music on deck while he left his windows open. She liked to dance and he was going to show her dance steps she’d never before known existed.

  Aye, tonight she was his.

  “Kit,” he called, seeing his son bothering Pierson while he worked on repairing the sails. “I have a mission for you.”

  Kit ran to him. “A mission, Captain?”

  “Aye, I want you to deliver a message.”

  Lorelei closed the door behind Kit. So, Jack wanted her to eat with him tonight. It had been awhile since he last made that request. And she remembered all too well the last time they’d shared a meal.

  That stupid wager! Make him fall in love with her, indeed. What had she been thinking?

  Well, tonight she had another plan. Forget their wagers. What she wanted was to finish her private drawing without him knowing about it. And she knew just the way to render the mighty captain helpless to her whims.

  Tonight was the perfect opportunity.

  Chewing her lip, she went back to the galley. Luckily all the women were still there and talking.

  “Kesi?” she asked from the doorway.

  They all turned to look at her.

  “I’m sorry for interrupting,” Lorelei said as she shifted in the doorway and prepared herself for yet another dreaded lie. Never in her life had she stooped to such measures! “I think I’d like to try that sleeping syrup you were telling me about.”

  “Want to get some sleep, do you, child?” Kesi asked.

  “Yes, I really do.”

  Kesi excused herself and Lorelei led her back to her cabin. Lorelei went to where she kept the bottle in her chest and pulled it out. Holding it up to the light, she noted it was a rich reddish brown that should blend nicely with a cup of wine. “How much do I take?”

  “Just
a spoonful. Anymore and it’ll make you sick.”

  Lorelei turned the bottle in her hand, trying to see the thickness of the liquid. “Does it taste terrible?” she asked, knowing if it did, Jack would know her game immediately.

  “’Tis sweet-tasting actually. Mix it with wine and you’ll hardly taste it at all.”

  Thank goodness.

  “Thank you. I shall put it to good use this night.” Lorelei felt terrible over the partial lie she offered Kesi, but if she told her the truth, she’d never have given it to her.

  Then again, Kesi might have.

  She didn’t know why, but the four women seemed somehow determined that she and Jack should like each other much more than was proper.

  Kesi took her leave to go order a bath drawn for Lorelei. And Lorelei began making preparations for dinner, or more to the point, preparing her concoction for Jack.

  hours later, Jack was ready for his conquest to begin. The table was set with the best china, silver, and crystal. The windows were open and already the men were playing. He looked quite dashing in his best clothes.

  All that was missing was Lorelei.

  Satisfied with himself, Jack clasped his hands behind his back and glanced to the door that separated this room from his cabin. He smiled.

  He’d scented his sheets in expectation of her surrender. There were a few candles strategically placed around the room for lighting, and in a few hours he would be feasting on her like a starving beggar.

  A timid knock sounded.

  His body reacted instantly to just the thought of her entering his web. “Come in.”

  And she did. Like the fly to the spider.

  Jack crossed the room to greet her. She wore a delicate cream gown that highlighted her skin. Her hair was caught up into a becoming halo of auburn curls that hung down over the column of her throat.

  He bowed low before her. She raised her hand, which he brought to his lips for a kiss. “Rose again?” he asked as he inhaled the sweet, seductive scent.

  She smiled warmly. “You said you liked it.”

  Take her! What are you waiting for?

  Patience, he reminded himself. Now was not the time to pounce.

  Though he wanted to. He really, really wanted to. And it was taking every ounce of his control not to force the issue with her.

  “Dinner is already served?” She asked aghast as she looked at the food on the table. “Am I late?”

  He shook his head. “You’re right on time. I just didn’t want us to be disturbed.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  Her words took him by surprise and ignited a slow burn in his blood.

  “Careful, Lorelei. ’Tis a dangerous game you play. Don’t make an invitation unless you want me to accept it.”

  By the light in her eyes, he could tell she had another flirtatious remark hovering on the back of her tongue, yet she withheld it. And deep inside he found himself wishing for a moment he was Justin. That he could spend time with an unguarded Lorelei who wasn’t afraid to let all her charms be seen. How much more enchanting would she be?

  Then again he decided it was best she withheld herself lest he truly lose control.

  Jack took her to her chair and held it out for her. The silk of her dress rustled as she moved and the soft feminine sound struck a chord in him. Never before had he been so attuned to a woman.

  But this one…this one he could feel with all his senses and she set fire to each and every one.

  Even though it was the last thing he wanted to do, he left her at her seat and took his chair at the opposite end. “You look beautiful tonight.”

  “Thank you,” she said as she folded her linen napkin into her lap. “I would return the compliment, but I think you’re well aware of how well you look.”

  “You think so?”

  “You’re too arrogant not to.”

  He laughed as he folded his own napkin. “I was wondering how long you could carry on your facade of being nice to me.”

  Lorelei frowned.

  “Is something the matter?” he asked.

  “No…. Yes.” She looked up at him, her gaze puzzled. “I don’t know why I act the way I do around you, Jack. It’s never been in my nature to torment people and yet when I’m around you, I can’t seem to help myself.”

  He could feel a tick begin in his jaw as he thought about her words. “If it makes you feel any better, my mother always told me I brought out the worst in people.”

  Her look turned to one of bewilderment. “Why would she say such a thing?”

  Lifting his wine glass, he sighed. “It’s true, is it not?” He took a sip of the robust sweetness before he spoke again. “At any rate, I’ve no wish to talk about it.”

  She leaned her arms against the table and leveled a probing stare at him. “You never wish to talk about yourself. Why is that?”

  “I’m a boring subject.”

  “Hardly. You may well be the most fascinating person I’ve ever met.”

  “Well, well,” he said with a short laugh. “It looks as if you complimented me after all.”

  “And you are avoiding my question.”

  He took a deep, long draught of his wine before he set it back on the table. This wasn’t going the way he planned and he wasn’t about to confide in her or anyone else. “Which was?”

  “Why don’t you ever talk about yourself?” she insisted with the same tenacity a hunting dog would use to follow its prey. “I’ve spent hours with you and I know very little about you. I don’t even know which of your books you like best to read.”

  She gave him a calculating stare. “Are you afraid that by telling me things about you that you’ll give me some kind of power over you?”

  He laughed at the absurdity. She stiffened. “It is true, is it not, that knowledge gives one power.”

  “Perhaps, but it has nothing to do with my answer.”

  “Then tell me.”

  Jack sat quietly for a minute. What would it hurt to be honest with her?

  He weighed the answer for several seconds before he spoke. “Very well. If you must know, I don’t talk about myself because no one ever cared enough to listen.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Think about it, Lorelei,” he said, his tone conveying his boredom over the topic. “How many times a day do you ask someone how they’re doing? Their world may have just shattered and yet they look up and say, ‘Fine, thank you, and you?’ No one cares to hear other people’s problems. ’Twas a lesson I learned early in life.”

  “Hide your feelings and move on.”

  “Exactly.”

  “And if someone did care?”

  “I’m sure that someone would not be you.”

  “How do you know?” she asked. “If you never reach out, no one will ever take your hand.”

  He sneered. “If I never reach out, then no one can ever bite my hand.”

  “What a frightening world you live in, Jack,” she said, her face mirroring her words. “I can’t imagine never telling people how I feel.”

  “I can certainly attest to that.”

  Instead of angering her, his words brought a dull glow to her eyes. “One day I’m going to get something personal out of you.”

  He curved his lips into a half smile. “On the day I go down on bended knee and declare my undying love.”

  To his surprise, she laughed at his words. “You were right. I can’t imagine you ever doing such a thing. You’re far too proud and cynical to ever do anything like that.”

  Jack directed his gaze up to the ceiling as if speaking to heaven itself. “At last the lady sees reason.” He looked back at her. “Does this mean I win our wager?”

  She paused, as if debating her answer. When she spoke, her voice was low and soft. “No. It just means we both lose.”

  Her words hit him strangely and he didn’t know why. He wasn’t even sure what he felt. It was just…discomforting.

  They ate in silence for awhile. The night
wasn’t progressing as he’d planned. But then nothing that involved Lorelei ever went as he planned. She had a damnable way of turning things around on him.

  Lorelei watched as Jack ate his dinner. He really was elegant and proper in his manners.

  Wherever had he learned such decorum? He spoke as if educated in the finest European schools and he dressed as if he’d been raised at court.

  She took a bite of her roasted chicken. He was such a strong man. Not just physically, but inside as well. He was like steel, and she couldn’t help but wonder what could make someone like him. Surely it would take the very fires of hell to forge someone so strong.

  And yet he knew how to give kindness. Somehow in his isolated world, he had learned to be decent and caring.

  It was so strange to her that a man who lived his life in violence could ever show compassion.

  How she wished she understood him.

  Once she finished eating, she leaned back slightly in her chair with her wineglass in her hand. It was only then she noted the tiny gold hoop in Jack’s ear. She couldn’t help smiling.

  Jack paused. “What is it?”

  “I was wondering about your earring. You’ve worn it the entire time we’ve been at sea. But you didn’t wear it at my party.”

  Humor danced in his steely gray eyes. “That would have been a dead giveaway to my identity, don’t you think?”

  “True.” She took a sip of wine. “Why do you wear it?”

  He shrugged. “There’s an old sea legend that says the only way a pirate can get into paradise is to bribe his way in. We wear gold to help pay the fee.”

  “Then why is your piece of gold so small?”

  “I’ve been told there’s not enough gold on earth to pay my bribe.”

  “Is that truly how you feel?”

  “I said it was an old legend. I never said I believed in it.”

  There it was. That odd note in his voice that denoted he was closing himself off from her. Closing himself off from his feelings. “You’re hiding from me again.” It bothered her very much that he was so adept at it. He must have been practicing the habit all his life to do it so naturally.

  The music stopped for a moment, then started back with a slow ballad.

  “Would you care to dance?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she answered honestly. “I think I would.”