Will slammed his mind shut against the memory. The pain of losing her was still too raw for him. He trailed his fingers through the water as he resigned himself to the next chapter of his life until an idea washed over him. Time to weigh anchor and get back to whatever life had stretched out before him. He needed a new bow to stand upon. The sea was calling.
Leaving the surf, Will headed back into town. He’d noticed two or three taverns doing a fair business as he passed by. Perhaps his luck at the card tables hadn’t gone down with the ship.
Entering one he walked through the crowded bar toward the gaming rooms in the back and slapped Tupper’s ring on the table as his buy-in stake in one of the games. Collateral of sorts.
Don’t worry, Tupper. I’m not about to lose it. I promise this will be the one and only time it leaves my hand.
Several hours later, true to his promise, Will stood away from the table and pushed Tupper’s ring back onto his finger. Adjusting wide leather straps to his frame, he fit his new baldric and pistol over his head. The last owner was a much smaller man, but he was gracious enough to leave Will his extra shot and powder in the bargain. A boarding sword now hung from Will’s belt, as well. It was far too light but it would do until he found a better blade. Had his companions not begun to question his winning streak, he’d have cleared the table, but greed was never one of Will’s vices. One fat purse would do—for a start.
Will stopped at the bar on his way out and dropped a handful of coins on its polished surface. He pointed behind the bartender at the two bottles of fine rum he wanted.
Stepping once more into the night, Will pulled the cork of one with his teeth. He raised the bottle to the heavens in salute before pouring a healthy measure onto the ground. A drink for the dead. Then he poured a healthier measure down his parched throat. The sweet burn of the rum into his belly fueling his resolve. No satined wine in tiny cups for him. Rum was his drink. Pirating was his life. It was high time he got back to it.
Two guards eyed him as he reentered the palace but did nothing to stop him, or even question him. Not that he would have…or more to the point, could have answered them. And it wasn’t because the rum was doing a fine job in quenching his thirst. He handed one guard an empty bottle and slapped the shoulder of the other.
Pulling the cork from the second bottle, he took another swallow. Damn, card play was thirsty work.
He only got lost once heading back to his room, but still had his head enough to check for unwanted visitors. The inconspicuous bit of thread was exactly where he’d left it.
Will glanced back down the dim corridor and wrinkled his nose. The man who was charged with following him reeked of pickled cabbage. He’d caught his scent before they’d left the palace. The bloke did a fine job and kept his cover. Will never saw him, but he didn’t have to. The man’s smell could knock a buzzard off a dead man.
Will removed his newly won weapons, flopped down on the bed, and closed his eyes. Without the ship’s lanterns to tell him, he had no clue as to the time. Lanterns were one consolation made to him on the Scarlet. When the timekeeper rang the bells, he lit the corresponding lanterns for Will. That and the use of the bright warning flags in the crow’s nest and the finest crew that ever sailed, eliminated any interference with his running of the ship. The crew learned his simple signals. His lead officers watched for them and passed the orders silently through the ranks. Sounds of the battle, pistols firing, cannons blasting, the war cries of the men, never got in the way of his commands.
Aye...they were a fine lot, his blasted crew. The best there be. Will took another drink and tossed an arm over his eyes. He should write the last log post, now that he had performed the commitment of their souls to the sea. It wasn’t like him to shirk his responsibility, but the bed was comfortable and the rum was dark and sweet…
And a great part of him would rather lie there and think about the long-haired, almond-eyed Jun. God, he wanted to kiss her. Pull her into his arms and sate his curious longing once and for all. He wondered if she would take his head if he slipped back into her rooms to do just that. Will ran a hand over his throat and cocked an eyebrow at the sudden interest of his cock.
Might be well worth it.
He took another swig of his rum and held the bottle to his chest. Aye, it would definitely be worth it.
Chapter 12
Jun signed off on the accountings from three of her largest ships. Her scribes rolled the long parchments. “The latest captures are not up to the standards for these crews,” she pointed out to Peng. “What excuse do they give?”
“The Chinese Emperor has increased the efforts of his fleet to capture us and end our control of these seas. The waters are becoming exceedingly guarded.”
“But my fleet is more powerful.” Jun nodded to her accountants and dismissed them.
“Aye, but we are spread too wide. The Imperial fleet is concentrating all its efforts to our south, blocking our ships from attacking the merchants heading into the strait. Our junks have been forced to patrol different waters. That is why it is so important we make the push farther to the west.”
“I agree, but we’ve been reckless in our travels around the Cape of Good Hope in the past. We can’t afford to spread our reach if we lose our fingers in the process.”
Jun scanned the great hall beyond Peng’s shoulder. It was the tenth time she had done so since she arrived. She was looking for him. Will. Jun gave herself a mental shake. Why did it matter so much if he was there or he wasn’t? She had more important things to concern herself with. Her traitorous eyes made another quick glance about the room.
Foolish woman. How many times must I replay the scene in my mind?
So he’d almost kissed her…didn’t…then left as if his trousers were on fire. It meant nothing. He was but one man. She was a woman of the world. Ruled thousands. She had been treated far worse by far better. It truly only stung her pride if she thought about it.
And she’d thought about it all night.
Forcing herself to stay on the task before her, Jun resisted the relentless urge to seek him out. What would she even say to him? His actions relayed his feelings quite well. There was no need for him to write it out on a bit of slate. No need for discussion. It was wise to stop things before anything started. He could have saved them both from… from what?
Knowing what it would be like to have his lips on hers? The sweep of his touch? The taste of his mouth? The press of his body along hers. In hers.
Stop! Her body pulsed with want.
Jun straightened her spine and set her jaw. She was certain she would survive without such an added complication in her life right now. It was a good thing that nothing had transpired between them. So be it. End of story. She’d already lost too many nights’ sleep over the man. Enough was enough.
When had she become such a liar?
Concentrating again on the manifests before her, a flush of warmth sent delicious tingles over her skin. Jun didn’t have to look up from her work to somehow know when Will entered the hall. Her stomach fluttered behind her breastplate alerting her to his presence.
“Do you wish to know where your Captain Quinn spent most of last night?” Peng asked.
Against her will, she lifted her chin and was surprised by Will’s more rugged appearance as he moved through the morning’s crowd.
“Where did he get those weapons?” Will sported a new baldric holding a long-barreled pistol and a side hung sword. Under one arm, he carried his writing slate, a leather book with silver adorned corners, and his quill.
“He had a busy evening,” said Peng. He leaned closer. The tip of his beard brushed her arm. “My man reported him leaving the palace last night and heading first to the beach. There wasn’t much of a moon to illuminate his exact movements, but he waded out several yards then spread a large square of cloth on the water. He remained out there for quite
a while before returning to shore.”
Jun couldn’t take her eyes from him. “That’s doesn’t answer my question. Did the pistol float to him on a wave?”
“I was getting to that,” insisted Peng. “After leaving the beach, he made his way back to the village and visited one of the taverns where he used the gold ring he wears to buy his way into a game of cards with some other men.” Peng pointed a long finger in Will’s direction. “It’s their weapons he wears now.”
Jun’s eyebrows pushed toward her headdress. “He won them gambling?”
“Aye.” Peng scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. “Didn’t lose a single hand.”
“Do you suspect he cheated?”
Peng shook his head. “If he did, he’s the best there be. I’m told they changed decks three times. He never interfered with the dealer. The other players were not unskilled, and yet, I understand he played with an unwavering intensity. Refused to fold. Called every bluff.”
Jun was coming to know that intensity first hand. How was it, he appeared bigger now that he was armed? More impressive. Will carried the weapons as if he were born to them. It gave him a dangerous edge she found staggering. “Perhaps he’s just lucky.”
Peng snorted. “Well, his luck can’t hold out forever. We’ll soon hear back from my queries amongst the fleet. If there’s anything interesting to learn about Captain Quinn, we shall have the information within the week. Until then, he is allowed to come and go as he pleases, but I’ve informed those ships in the harbor that they are not to take him on without your order. Until we know he isn’t part of a wider threat—”
Jun shot an angry glare at Peng. “My order? When did I give this order?”
“I simply thought—”
“You think what I tell you to think. And you only give orders that I give. That is the way it has been since my husband’s reign of this fleet, and how it will continue to be. Of late, you seem to forget this simple law.”
The muscle in Peng’s jaw twitched. He lowered his voice. “And it is because I served so faithfully under the command of your husband that I ask you to trust my guidance in this matter. Have I ever given you cause to doubt my allegiance? Doubt my loyalty to you or this empire? Have you ever witnessed me serving my own interests? Everything I do, I do for you and you alone. I remain your humble servant in all things.”
Jun released an angry breath. It was true. Peng had never shown her anything but his devotion to her. Still, there was something in his insistence that pricked at her. “And I rely on your loyalty, Chou Peng. You’re correct, you have served me well. Sometimes, too well.” After a quick glance toward Will, Jun conceded. “The order shall stand as given.”
Peng stepped off the dais and bowed before departing the hall with several of his officers. Jun followed their exit. Perhaps it was her growing interest in Will Peng was sensing and reacting to, but still there was a stream of underlying tension between her and her first mate which had never been there before. A testing of limits. A quiet rebelliousness she’d not witnessed from him.
Or perhaps it was her own rebellious feelings? Had she cloistered herself away for too long? Served her duties to the detriment of her desires as a woman? It would explain the erratic swing of her moods.
Jun glanced at Captain Quinn again and raised an eyebrow to the rush of heat that followed. She should follow Peng and thank him. After all, because of him, Will wouldn’t be leaving Pandang any time soon. At least not without her permission.
Dipping her quill, Jun scribbled a quick note and caught the attention of Ting.
“Bring this to Captain Quinn,” she instructed. “Be discreet.” Jun lowered her voice to a whisper. “I wish to meet with him in the gardens. Bring him there. Ask him to wait for me.”
“Yes, mistress.” Ting took the note.
“And, Ting,” Jun added as she handed her a coin. “Take Qi into the village for the afternoon. Enjoy a day beyond these walls. Buy her a small treat.”
“You mustn’t spoil her, mistress.”
“Let me, just this once.” Jun smiled.
“That is what you say each time.” Ting shook her head.
Jun waved her away. “It is my only indulgence.”
“I shall pick up the new qi pao you ordered from the tailor, and be back in time for the evening meal.” Ting insisted.
“Thank you, but there is no rush. Take your time. It is a beautiful day.” Jun watched Ting deliver her note to Will and looked away when he turned his gaze toward her. Then cursed herself for behaving like some shy schoolgirl.
This constant questioning in her mind, the heated rushes at every thought of him, and the replay of last night’s scene, it was becoming too much of a distraction.
If Will shared a measure of her feelings, Jun wanted to know. If he didn’t, then she could move on. Put it behind her where it belonged. Hell, if that were the case, she’d grant him leave on any ship he fancied, banish him from her shores, and forget she ever learned his name.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jun followed Ting and Will as they moved beyond the bevy of people in the hall. It took all her self-control not to rush off the dais to join him.
Soon Ting and Qi passed by her, hand in hand, on their way to the village. An excited flutter skipped over Jun’s skin. He waited for her. Alone.
Jun took another few agonizingly slow moments before she rose and, feigning a casual posture, retreated to her private quarters. At first, she didn’t see him. Had he refused her request and left without her notice? But then she caught a glimpse of his dark head as he strolled through the gardens.
Pulling the heavy leather-plate armor from her, she ran a smoothing hand over her hair before heading out to meet him. A cool breeze fluttered the thin silk of her under blouse across her heated flesh and chilled her nipples into firm peaks. The only other sound was the heels of her boots crunching along the shelled pathway and the ever-present trickle of water into the ponds.
Jun smiled to herself as she indulged in a stolen moment to privately admire the span of Will’s shoulders and the long fall of his hair. The addition of the baldric and sword emphasized the play of his muscles across his back and draped seductively off one hip to enhance the high, firm curve of his a—
Will turned and caught her ogling him. The corner of his mouth tipped into a grin. In return he swept her with a heated gaze down the full length of her body and back again, ogling a bit of his own. The firmness of her nipples was not due to a chill anymore. Quite the opposite. She was aflame.
Part of her wanted to rush into his arms, and part of her wanted to sing at the top of her lungs. Whatever his reasoning for rushing off last night, it had nothing to do with a lack of interest on his part.
He held her gaze and erased any doubts she may have had.
Jun reached out her hand to him, which he took with no hesitation. She led him back to the same alcove as last night. All evidence of their spoiled evening had been cleared away.
Releasing Will’s hand, she took care to place the two cushions they’d used back in the exact placement from hours before. She knelt as she had been, and indicated that he join her.
Will placed the book and slate he still carried onto the table along with his baldric and sword before sitting. Jun’s breathing rose under the intensity of his stare. She snatched the writing stone from the table and simply wrote:
Where were we?
Chapter 13
Where were we?
Will remembered exactly where they had been. The scene had been on a constant loop through his thoughts since the moment he walked away last night. Through everything that went on in the past hours, he hadn’t been able to lose the image of them here.
Gone was the rich embroidery of her dress, but in its place the gossamer-thin silk of her top suited him fine. Even in the close leather of her trousers and boots, she was nothing
but feminine and breathtakingly lovely.
Will reached over and slipped the long braid of her hair over her shoulder and proceeded to unfasten the length of leather that secured the end. With gentle care, he unplaited her hair until he could run his fingers through its dark, shiny length.
He circled his face with a single gesture. ‘Beautiful.’
As he’d done last night, he traced the fine line of her jaw with a fingertip before tipping her chin and lowering his mouth to hers.
Here. We were right here.
Will covered her lips with his own and caught her sigh as she opened her mouth to him. She tasted so sweet. Just as he’d imagined. Will pushed his hand back into her hair to cradle her head as he slanted his kiss in the opposite direction. Jun’s eyes fluttered closed as the kiss deepened. She slipped her hand up the inside of his shirt before winding an arm around his neck and leaning the softness of her body tight against his.
Will caught the gentle moan from her throat and began to pull away, but Jun tightened her hold on him and brought his mouth back to hers.
In response, Will slipped an arm about her waist and tugged her into his lap. Jun pulled away. Their breathing came fast as Will searched her eyes for some signal. Some sign as to whether he’d rushed her, been too bold. Some indication as to what she wanted. Had he been a fumbling idiot yet again?
He waited. Didn’t move a single muscle, although his heart worked overtime to pound blood to his increasingly painful erection. He reined his base urge to take her right there and then. Jun was not the kind of woman he was used to being with. He was in foreign territory in every bloody sense of the word.
Within A Captain's Soul Page 9