by Dawn Brower
“You mean the kiss you agreed to let me have,” he responded.
“Yes. See I had more time to think about it...”
“I hope you are not going to go back on our bargain. It’s not too late for you to go home.”
“I have no intention of going back on our bargain. I’d like to modify it slightly, if you are willing.”
“Okay, you have piqued my interest. How would you like to change our deal?” Rand asked.
“I make no excuses for my innocence. My upbringing demanded no less. What I’d like to do is rectify that with your help.”
Surprised, he responded, “Are you asking me to take your innocence?” That couldn’t be right, and yet he felt every inch of his body preparing to teach her everything she wanted to know. He hoped to God that she meant it because he wanted to be the only one she’d ever know. Lilliana belonged to him and in time she would realize it.
“I’m not sure exactly what I am asking of you. I just get this feeling when I’m close to you. I don’t ever plan on getting married so...” her words trailed off. She started to pace in the small room her anxiety starting to show.
“You figure I’m as good as anyone in showing you what passion is all about,” he finished for her.
Rand’s stomach dropped as her words sank in. The pain, a sucker punch, he hadn’t been expecting. At first he had no idea how to respond to her because her words were still floating through his brain. Never marry? He would work on changing her mind. As much as he wanted to teach her everything she desired. Rand knew if he did she’d never consider being his wife. There would be no reason to. She’d get all she wanted out of him and toss him aside in time. That didn’t mean he couldn’t seduce her to his way of thinking without actually sealing the deal.
“Yes,” she said nodding in his direction. “I know its risqué, but I feel I can trust you.”
“You shouldn’t trust me Lily.”
She stopped and stared at him as if she actually saw him for the first time. Her gaze rolled over him starting at his feet and resting at his eyes. With the intake of her breath he knew she saw the strength of desire in his eyes. She just didn’t know the full extent of what he wanted to do with and to her. She’d find out one day, but not as soon as she liked.
“Regardless I do. Please consider what I’m asking.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because you don’t know what you are asking of me. I don’t heel to commands,” he countered.
“I don’t understand. What do you want from me?”
“It’s simple enough Lily.” He crossed the short distance of the room, pulled her into his arms, and whispered in her ear. “I want everything.”
“Then give me what I want.” Lilliana’s face was flushed, and her breaths came out in short pants.
“No. Things will go at a pace I set. I will not give into your demands.”
“Why must you be so obstinate? You want me. Take what I’m offering you,” she pleaded.
“Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. In the meantime, I will take the kiss you owe me.”
Rand tilted her head and leaned down capturing her lips with his. A small sound of surprise came out of her mouth, and he took advantage of its opening. He touched her tongue with his, and she innocently followed his lead. Their tongues intertwined as he gently glided his over hers. His lips caressed hers as he learned her taste. Her hands wound around his neck and her fingers ran with abandon through his hair. Rand lifted his lips and trailed them over her cheeks and chin in light kisses. He drew back and looked at her half closed eyes. When they fluttered open, he saw a hazy desire filling the blue depths, a need matching his. He placed a quick kiss on her forehead before he let her go. If he didn’t put some distance between them, he wouldn’t be able to stop. He would need to move slowly, if he intended to win her forever.
“That’s enough for now. I must go.” With a half-smile on his face he said, “Think of me while I’m gone.” He turned and left before she could answer him.
That had gone a lot better than he planned. He didn’t have any doubts about winning her. When he wanted something bad enough, Rand never lost. Winning Lilliana would be an enormous battle, and he hoped her own nature would work against her belief that marriage didn’t work for her. In the meantime, he had a ship to get ready to sail and no time to lose. He marched up on deck to get going before he lost something he treasured more than his own life. Lilliana Marsden now belonged to him. Damn anyone if they tried to take her away from him.
As he reached the top of the deck he saw Lilliana trunks ready to be taken below deck at a later time. Rand walked to the stern of the ship and located his bosun and first mate.
“Is the ship ready to set sail?”
“Yes, Captain,” his bosun answered. “Sal and Jim are going to take the lady’s trunks to her cabin. Do you want us to lift the anchor now?”
“Yes. It’s time to go home,” he told them. “The sooner we get there to better. Give the order.”
“Aye, Aye Captain” the bosun said and left to follow Rand’s orders.
“Do you need us to do anything else before we leave Captain?” the first mate asked.
“No, we don’t have any cargo this trip. Just make sure the navigation goes well. We have a good wind and should be out to sea soon. I’ll be in my cabin if you need me. You’re in charge for the time being.”
Rand walked back below deck to his cabin. He passed the closed door of Lily’s cabin and for a brief moment considered knocking on it and kissing her senseless again. Deciding against it he continued on to his cabin. No reason to rock the boat just yet. A good seduction took time.
Chapter Seven
Several hours later, Lilliana stood in the middle of her cabin and crossed her arms over her chest. A mere kiss left her with feelings she never experienced before with anyone else. Rand told her to think about him, and she thought about nothing else. Phantom tingles grazed across the tops of her lips and she could almost feel the slight pressure of Rand’s as they caressed her. She ran her fingers across her lips, trying to understand the emotions swirling inside of her. In her first season, she had allowed one of her many beaus to kiss her. It hadn’t stirred any emotions within her, and so she tossed it aside as something she didn’t really care to experience again. Perhaps she had dismissed kissing too soon. Rand clearly knew what he was doing, and Lilliana realized with the right person doing the kissing it could be quite enjoyable. It now held an appeal it never had before.
Rand generated the most wonderful feelings, and she wanted to find out where they all would lead. Perhaps he had been right in denying her idea of a more clandestine affair right away. A challenge just made things a bit more interesting. After his kiss, Lilliana knew she wanted to explore all of her options, and she intended to get her way. Plans could be adjusted to reflect necessary changes.
Marriage and forever had never been on her agenda. That desire hadn’t really changed, but she had a small thought that perhaps she wouldn’t mind having Rand around long term. She now desired him in a way she hadn’t needed anyone else. Lilliana started to scheme in her head how to make him hers. Her life would be exceedingly different with him by her side. Perhaps she could talk him into living with her permanently without the benefit of marriage.
Her ideals adapted to include him in every part of her life. Rand could help her run the plantation in South Carolina. So far he appeared to be a good man, when he hadn’t jumped at her offer she learned what she needed to know about the depth of his character. He told her not to trust him, but clearly she could. The man hadn’t wanted to take advantage of her and refused to take her innocence. She just needed to find a way to get him around to her way of thinking.
A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. She strolled to the door and opened it. She found Rand leaning against the doorframe with a cocky smile on his face.
“Did you miss me?”
He wore an overconfident smile on his h
andsome chiseled face. His brown hair looked a bit ruffled from working topside of the ship. It caused Lily to want to run her fingers through his hair and feel it for herself. He stood before her as if expecting her to give into the whims crossing through her mind. Cocky bastard believed he had won her over already. Okay he had, but he didn’t need to know that just yet. If they had a chance, some boundaries had to be set up and established in advance. She garnered that much watching her parents over the years. Her father knew exactly how far he could push her mother before her she exploded with temper.
“Not at all.” Lilliana brushed him aside. “I’ve been too busy to give you a second thought. Are you here for a reason?”
“Busy really? Doing what exactly?” he inquired.
“I started writing some correspondence I’ll need to mail once I arrive in South Carolina. I’m going to have to let my parents know where I am eventually. I didn’t dare leave anything at home to make them aware of my intentions.”
“Probably a wise decision on your part. How will you explain to them your decision to leave?” Rand asked.
“I’ll tell them the truth. They know I’ve wanted to live on the plantation for over a year now. I loved it when we visited as a child. I grew up in England, but South Carolina calls to my soul.”
“Then why all the subterfuge?” Rand raised his eyebrow questionably.
Lilliana raised her left eyebrow at his question. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You know exactly what I mean. If you love the property as much as you say why deny you the opportunity to visit. What are you not telling me?”
“Ah I see your point. Technically I’m not supposed to visit without one of my parents with me. I didn’t want to give them a chance to deny me the opportunity to go. I have the better part of a year until I’m old enough to gain the majority to go on my own. Father didn’t want to let his only daughter go off to another country just yet. He was adamant about my staying home as long as possible. We had many arguments about the issue.”
“I can’t say I blame him. If I had a daughter I’d probably be a bit overprotective myself.”
Lilliana shrugged her shoulders and turned away from him. “Yes, well there’s overprotective and then there’s smothering. Father tends to lean towards the latter.”
“Most fathers are,” he said. “At least the good ones.”
Lilliana turned back around and face him. “Probably, I just know how my father is. I love him, but he can be a bit...relentless at times. Probably stems from his pirating days.”
“Wait, what did you say?” Rand asked with a stunned expression on his face.
“Oh, I must have forgotten to mention that to you. My father used to sail his ship the Sea Rover as Pirate Thor Williams. It’s how my parents met.”
“But he’s a viscount.” Rand’s bafflement at her pronouncement was evident in his words.
“And he used to be a pirate. What’s your point?”
“That it just doesn’t make sense. How can a member of the English aristocracy have been a pirate?” He raised his hands showcasing his frustration.
“I’m not sure on the details.” Lilliana shrugged. “They are a bit sketchy. It had something to do with my mother’s grandpere and attempted murder. Suffice to say he had a long road back to claiming his title.”
Rand began to rub his temples. Lilliana knew she had to tell him about her father’s past. The possibility of him getting his own ship ready and coming after them remained high in her concerns. As far as she knew a faster ship than the Sea Rover didn’t exist. Her father had been excited to make the necessary modifications to make the ship faster than in his pirate days. She hoped they had a good head start before he realized she’d boarded a ship headed to America.
“You are going to be the death of me,” he exclaimed. “How long do we have?”
“I don’t know what you mean?” Lilliana faked innocence at his remark.
“I mean how long before your ex-pirate father comes after you?”
“Um, well, I’m not sure. I guess it depends on how long it takes him to realize I am not spending the week at the country estate of the Earl of Devon.”
“I give it a day tops before he is getting his ship ready to set sail after us.”
“I’m afraid you may be right,” she agreed. “At some point they will see Gemma out in society and question my whereabouts. The only good news is that it’ll take a while to get the Sea Rover ready to set sail. I happen to have overheard him say he planned to careen his ship. The rest of the fleet owned by Marsden Shipping is elsewhere earning their keep. We may have a while before he has access to a ship capable of coming after us.”
“Really? How advantageous for you. No wonder you wanted to get on a ship heading for America as soon as possible,” Rand retorted.
“I told you I had a plan.”
“Indeed you did I just didn’t realize how extensive the details were.”
“I have always believed the details are what made the best schemes possible,” Lilliana said. “I’m good at plotting and planning.”
“I noticed,” Rand said with a half-smile.
“You’re not mad at me are you?” Lilliana leaned into him and attempted to cajole him into a more relaxed state.
Rand raised his eyebrow at her questioning her methods, but allowed her to lean her body farther into his. “Not at all, dear. I may have to readjust our course, but I think I can manage to evade your pirate father.”
“He isn’t a pirate anymore.”
“My apologies, your former pirate father.”
With a petulant smile she said, “You should apologize. He’s reformed, mostly.”
“Lilliana, dear I’ll say one thing about you, things are never dull with you around.”
So far things were going as planned. She adjusted the details to include winning over Rand, and he currently fell in line with each one. When she decided she needed him in her life, she realized she’d have to tell him all the family’s dirty secrets. He’d taken the fact her father had been a pirate rather well in her estimation. Now to step up her plan to get what she wanted. She got a little taste of desire and craved more. She began to rub her hands across his broad chest and massaged her fingertips into his well-toned muscles. When she noticed his breathing change, she looked up into his eyes to get his full attention.
“Did you stop by for any particular reason?” she asked coyly.
He leaned down and his mouth grazed her ear. Lilliana shivered as his breath caressed her neck. He whispered, “I have many reasons for stopping in to see you.”
“Name one,” she replied.
“I’d like to kiss you again.”
“What’s stopping you?” Lilliana had trouble breathing. The pace of her heart quickened, and she became heated from being near him.
“The fact that you want it as much as I do.” Rand took a step back. “I believe you are a closet wanton.”
“I believe you just insulted me,” Lilliana retorted.
“I would never do any such thing. I adore you. However, you are in a hurry to lose your innocence. I’m not sure you realize what you are ready to throw away. I’m trying to be a gentleman.”
“Nonsense, I know exactly what I’m offering you. I never asked you to play the part of gentleman. Why not just give in? You want me as much as I want you.”
“Your pirate father for one. If he catches up to us I’d like to say I left you unspoiled. It could very well preserve my life.” Rand folded his hands over his chest as he looked at her.
“I don’t believe you. My father has nothing to do with your intentions towards me.”
“Maybe you’re right, but what if you’re wrong? Nevertheless, when or if I decide to make love to you it will be my decision. You’ve already given me consent to try. I’d rather it be at a moment of my choosing.”
“I think you are being unreasonable.” Lilliana pushed her bottom lip out into a pout at his refusal to give in to her demands.
“And I think you are acting like a spoiled brat.”
Spoiled brat? How dare he? That man doesn’t know a lick about me and he referred to me as a brat and a wanton. Maybe I should just give him exactly what he believes me to be. She stalked over to him and threw her arms around him, pulling his head down. Her lips crushed his breathing life into her frustrations. With each movement the constant turmoil of her emotions bled into the kiss, their tongues dueling for control. Lilliana pulled her tongue back in her mouth and bit down on his bottom lip. She kissed away the soreness with a gentle sweep of her lips to soothe the ache she created. Rand pulled her into his embrace, and her hands roamed through his hair to bring his head closer to hers. Rand groaned and put his arms around her so he could deepen the kiss. Finally, he was acting in a way that would lead to what she desired from him. After what seemed an eternity, Rand wrenched himself away from her and put some distance between them.
“Damn you woman. You drive me insane.”
“Thank you, I do try.” An impish smile formed on her face as desire flowed through her.
He laughed and continued to back away from her. It made her feel powerful to know the kiss had rattled him to the core. Yes, she believed that every one of her plans progressed nicely.
“I think I may have taken on more than I can handle,” he said.
“Oh, you don’t think you can handle little ol’ me?”
“Not tonight imp. I only came down to invite you to dinner. You distracted me from my original purpose.”
“Backing away in defeat then?”
“You can win this little skirmish love.” He smiled. “But I promise you, I’ll win the war.”
“I guess we’ll see about that.” She gave him a searing look as she said, “I’ve never lost before and I don’t intend to now.”
“Well then its time you learned how to take defeat with graciousness.”
“Grace is my middle name.” She gave him a devilish smile. “I personify it.”