Her gaze moved back to his face. “Did you really mean what you said earlier?”
He wiped the remainder of the lather from his face with a clean towel. “What? That I won’t kill a man in cold blood?”
“No, that you love me. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you say the words.”
“Bloody hell, Julia.” He scrunched the towel into a ball and threw it into the corner of the room.
“Do you?”
He grabbed her and pulled her out of the chair. “Sometimes you make me want to...”
Her hand pressed against his naked chest. Her fingernails scored though the dark mat of hair. She gazed into his brilliant blue eyes. “What do I make you want to do?”
His fingers thrust through her hair, and cupping the back of her head, he pulled her to him. He twisted his hand into a fist around her hair, forcing her head back farther. Her lips parted just as his mouth pressed against hers. The moist heat of his mouth engulfed her for a brief moment before his tongue thrust into her mouth. With his other hand, he tore away the blanket wrapped around her waist and flung it across the room. He grasped her bare bottom and pressed her against his hard body.
When he lifted his head, his gaze lingered upon her face. Blue eyes glimmered brightly with intensity. “The reason I’ve never told you is because I love you more than words can say.”
Sweeping her into his arms, he tossed her gently in the middle of the bed. His body followed. One leg slid between her thighs as his mouth nibbled at her lips. He tore his lips from her mouth and placed kisses across her cheek and down her neck.
“Take this off.” He tugged at the shirt. “If I try, I’m liable to rip off the buttons.”
He crawled off her. While she removed her shirt, he stripped away his remaining clothes. She pulled the covers back and scampered between the cold sheets. When he joined her there, she pulled the blankets over them.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, his voice a throaty whisper. He nuzzled his face against her neck. His lips sucked and nibbled at her skin until his mouth hovered next to her ear. “I want you so much.”
“I want you, too.” Her hands stroked down his back. With fingertips squeezing the hard muscles of his bottom, she urged him closer.
He eased her legs apart and moved between her thighs. His hand moved between their bodies, and his fingers stroked her delicate flesh. “You feel so good. You’re hot and tight, and I need you so much.”
She gasped as his throbbing flesh pressed against her. “Careful,” she said.
He retreated slightly. He slipped his hand beneath her hips and pulled her against him. “I can’t wait much longer. I have to have you.”
His mouth moved to her breast. He licked across her nipple that had turned to a crowning peak and sucked at her breast as he thrust into her.
A fire grew in her belly. She wrapped her legs around him. Her hands gripped his shoulders; her fingers dug into his flesh. Her hips arched up to him as he thrust into her over and over again.
She called out his name as she hovered on the edge of ecstasy. He slipped his hand between their bodies and stroked at the tiny, swollen bud hidden between her thighs. Her body burst into flames. She shivered and shook with spasms of pleasure until she collapsed into a quivering mass of exhausted flesh.
His muscles tensed when he thrust deep inside her one last time. He held her tightly as a hard quiver rippled through his body. A groan sounding more like a growl rumbled in his throat. Hard muscles relaxed, and his weight eased onto his arms. He rolled off her and lay sprawled out on the bed beside her.
Several moments passed before either of them moved. His head turned on the pillow and he looked into her eyes. He twined his fingers with hers and pressed the back of her hand to his lips.
“I’ll say it again just in case you missed it. I love you, Julia, more than words can say.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“I’m all sweaty again.” Payton rubbed his hand across his chest.
“Would you like me to heat more water?” She turned on the bed so she faced him. Her fingers slid over his belly. “I could practice being the dutiful wife. I could even bathe you if you wish.”
His laughter rumbled in his chest. “If I let you bathe me, I’m afraid I’ll end up getting sweaty all over again.”
“Then I’ll have to wash you again.”
Moisture clung to her lips from their recent kisses. Her tousled blonde hair flowed around her shoulders and over her breasts. Her incredibly colored eyes glistened from the lamplight.
He slipped his arm beneath her shoulders and pulled her to him. “You are a tempting little siren.”
“We’ve been married only a few short weeks, but we’ve barely been with each other. I’ve missed being close to you like this.”
“I agree. I’ve missed you every moment we’ve been apart. It’s been a long two weeks.
“Two weeks.” Her body stiffened as she gasped for air. She pulled her hand free of the covers and began to count on her fingers.
“That’s right. We’ve been married about two weeks,” he repeated.
“There’s something I need to ask.” She chewed at her lower lip, as if reluctant to continue.
“Ask whatever you like.” He bunched the pillow up under his head so he could see her better.
“Do you know how to take precautions?”
“Of course,” he blurted out. “I’m a very cautious man. I’ve managed to stay alive all these years without getting killed.”
“No, I mean precautions about other things, you know...” Her cheeks flushed. Her fingers pressed against her lips as if she didn’t want to say the words out loud. “...with women.”
Precautions with women? He mulled over the question. She could only mean one thing. She had to be referring to the diseases men could get from women if they weren’t careful. He wondered if her brother had told her of the filth and squalor that abounded at the various ports around the world. But she didn’t need to worry. He was aware, and he did take precautions. He sought to put her mind at ease.
“I understand your concern. You think because I’ve been with a lot of other women that I must—”
“What?” She pushed herself up on one elbow. “How many other women?”
His mouth dropped open when he saw the shocked look on her face. Did she expect him to be as untouched as she had been on their wedding night?
“There’ve been a few,” he said, although his mind quickly calculated the number to be quite a bit higher than a few.
She seemed satisfied with his answer and settled back on the bed. “You haven’t answered my other question.”
“You can rest easy. I’ve always taken precautions when it comes to women.”
A murmuring sound tumbled from behind her closed lips. Her body relaxed, but her eyebrows crinkled in thought. “I’m a woman, yet I know so little about these things. How do men know so much?”
“I can’t answer for everyone, but I learned it from a book. Of course I didn’t look it up until after I saw what could happen if a man wasn’t careful.”
“What do you mean?”
“When I first went to sea, I was on a merchant ship. We were out for some time before we stopped at a port. I forget where it was, but we needed to take on supplies. Several of the men went ashore. Because I was young, they left me onboard to keep watch. A few days later, some of those men were in awful pain. And you won’t believe the cure for it.”
He shook his head as he recalled the agony the men had suffered from the disease—and also from the cure. “The captain served as the doctor. He used a syringe filled with silver, or mercury, or some sort of solution, but it had a long needle. Then he inserted it into—”
“What are you talking about?” She bolted upright on the bed. Her face scrunched up into a look of part horror, part confusion. “How does that prevent babies from being made?”
“Babies?” He scrunched up his own face in confusion, but he quickly realized what she
meant. “The same thing a man uses to prevent getting diseases also prevents babies, so you don’t have to worry about that either. I don’t have any children running around at some shabby sea port.”
“So you did take precautions?” She stared at him, apparently waiting for his confirmation.
He nodded.
“Then I don’t have to worry about being with child?”
His jaw sagged. His eyes opened wide.
She must have drawn her conclusion from his expression. Her open hand smacked him on the bare chest. “You didn’t!”
“This is different.” He sat up on the bed and faced her. “You’re my wife.”
“Did you ever think I might want to have a say in it. Look where we’re living.” She waved her hand around the room in a dramatic fashion. “Is this were you want to bring up a child?”
“We won’t always live here.” He glanced at her belly in search of a telltale bulge, but the sheet bunched around her body and prevented him from making a clear assessment. “We haven’t been married that long. Are you certain you’re carrying a child?”
“No.” Her anger ebbed. “I should know any day now, but I’m not always on time.”
“Then let’s not worry about it until we know for certain. But even if you are, it’s not so bad.” He lay back on the bed and coaxed her to him. “In fact, I kind of like the idea of having a baby—that is, if you’re happy about it, too.”
“If you’re not upset about a child, then I guess I’m not either. As long you get money soon so we can move out of here before we actually have a family.”
She relaxed against him. Her cheek settled against his chest, but suddenly she sat upright again.
“Money.” Her eyes widened as she gazed around the room.
“We’re not going to get any sleep if you keep jumping up like this.”
Her attention came back to him. “Payton, if Wilber Hennigan left something here, would it belong to his wife? Or would you keep it since you now own the Double Eagle?”
“It depends.” He thrust his fingers through his hair while he thought. “If it belonged to the shipping company, it would stay here. If it was his personal property, his wife would get it.”
“Good. I don’t think I could enjoy it anyway after knowing how he got it, even if we needed it for our baby.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Would you go over to the washstand and pull it away from the wall. There’s something I need to see.”
A chill hovered throughout the room, but with the expression on her face, he knew this was important. He crawled from the bed, slipped on his trousers, and walked barefooted across the cold wood floor.
The washstand appeared to be made of pine, but when he tried to move it away from the wall, it felt as if it had been built of iron. He struggled with the chore, and after he pulled it away from the wall, he spotted the hidden compartment in the back. A leather satchel set inside. He tugged at the small case and had to use both hands to pull it free. The contents of the satchel clinked and jingled.
When he opened it, he couldn’t believe what lay in front of him. Gold coins filled the bag. He looked at Julia. “How did you know?”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’ll tell you about it another time.”
“I’ll see to it that his widow gets this money tomorrow.”
After he shoved the wash stand back into place, he jumped into bed and pulled the covers over them. He snuggled against her warm body to rid the chill.
“Are there any more secrets you want to tell me about?”
“I should think that’s quite enough for one night.”
****
Julia had probably just dosed off when her nightmare began. She awoke with a start. Unfamiliar with the surroundings, she reared up on the bed.
“Easy, Angel.” Payton put his arm around her. “Bad dream?”
Moonlight filtered into the room from around the edges of the closed curtains. Her mind cleared when she heard his voice, and her body relaxed. The menacing dream had vanished. She lay safely enveloped in the warm embrace of the man she loved.
“Did I wake you?” she asked.
“I haven’t been asleep.”
“Are you afraid you’ll have a bad dream?”
“My nightmares come to me when I’m awake.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” She tilted her head so she could see his face.
“It’s an ugly story.” He let out a heavy sigh. “And it’s not easy to tell.”
“I won’t pry your secrets from you. You can tell me when you’re ready.”
“Perhaps I should tell you. It’s not a secret. And it’ll all come out anyway once Dunbar is brought to trial.” He shifted her in his arms and pressed her head against his chest so she couldn’t see his face as he talked. “You know I’m hunting for Dunbar, but I’ve never told you the details.”
She recalled what Ritter had told Betsy. “He tried to take over you ship, but you shot him in the leg.”
“Aye, but there’s more. A fierce battle broke out between my crew and the pirates. During the gunfire, a good friend of mine was shot and killed.”
Her mind tried to fill in the details. “Was it your friend Eddy who was shot by Dunbar?”
“It was Eddy, but Dunbar didn’t shoot him. It was my bullet that hit him.”
She gasped at his revelation. She tried to look at him, but he held her head against his shoulder.
“I told you it was an ugly story. It gets worse. He was one of Dunbar’s men. He came aboard with the others.”
“He was one of the pirates?” she repeated. “Oh, no. How horrible. But that wasn’t your fault.”
“Don’t, Julia. I don’t want your pity. I just want to get this off my chest.”
She settled back into his arms to listen.
“Eddy pointed his weapon at me but hesitated when he recognized me. I didn’t know it was him so I fired. He didn’t die until the next day. While he lingered on the verge of death, he told me how he got involved with Dunbar.
“When the rebellion of the Southern states broke out, the Federal government requested help from privately owned ships. The ship Eddy was on sailed for the Atlantic to block the Southern ports.”
“My brother’s ship did the same thing during the war.” She pressed her lips together when she realized she’d interrupted him. “I’m sorry. Go ahead with your story.”
“Eddy was the sole support for his family. His mother was getting on in years. She was ill. He needed money quick. He soon realized there was a fortune to be made by running the blockades instead of guarding the ports. He became a blockade runner. That’s how he met Dunbar.
“When the conflict drew to an end, the huge profits dried up. That’s when Dunbar hatched his next scheme. Eddy still needed money, so he threw in with him.
“He admitted that although he’d gotten involved because of money, he also liked the thrill of what he did. He knew it was morally wrong, but he had a wild streak. The danger and excitement drew him in.”
Payton didn’t speak for several moments. Neither did Julia. He didn’t want her pity. She couldn’t offer any words of comfort.
“He saved my life once. When we were on a whaler, I was flipped out of a small boat. I’d hit my head hard enough to bleed. Sharks circled the area because of the whale carcass we were harvesting. Eddy jumped in after me and pulled me to safety. I promised him that someday I’d return the favor. Instead, I shot and killed him.”
“You didn’t mean to—”
His fingers pressed against her lips. “Whatever you’re going to say, I’ve already said to myself a hundred times, but it doesn’t help.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head. “Just close your eyes and go to sleep.”
Chapter Thirty
“Don’t you look enchanting.”
“Don’t make fun of me, Payton. Your clothes
are all I have to wear. I washed the blood stains out of my gown, but it’s not dry yet.” Julia pulled at the white shirt she wore. “Your shirt is so large that I feel lost in it. And I can’t walk around for fear these trousers will fall off me.”
“Then perhaps this will make you happy.” He tossed several packages on the bed. “I bought you some clothes. I hope they fit because I had to guess at the sizes. And I didn’t know what colors you liked.”
“It doesn’t matter. Anything will be better than wearing your things,” she said as she tore apart the bundles wrapped in brown paper. She pulled a blouse from the package. “Lavender, I love this color. This purple skirt goes nicely with the blouse.”
“I’m glad you’re pleased because I don’t want to do that again. You have no idea how embarrassed I was buying things in a lady’s shop, especially the undergarments.”
“I appreciate everything you’ve done.” She slipped her arm around his neck and kissed his lips.
“I told the lady I was buying these for my wife.” He wrapped his arms around her. “I don’t think she believed me, but it felt good saying it out loud. I want the whole world to know you’re my wife.”
“Then let me get into these clothes so I look like your wife instead of a deckhand.”
“If you hurry and get dressed, I’ll take you somewhere nice for dinner. I’m starving.”
“So am I. Just give me a moment.” She arched one eyebrow as she studied him carefully. “I thought you said we were broke.”
“We were...until earlier today.” He seemed hesitant to continue. He took a step back and looked away. “Nicholas went with me to deliver the satchel of gold to Mrs. Hennigan. She insisted on giving us a reward. I know how you feel about the money, but Nicholas doesn’t know about your brother. He didn’t have any qualms about accepting it. I hope it doesn’t upset you too much.”
“I suppose it’s all right since she was unaware of her husband’s criminal activities—at least not until after he died. The reward she gave you was from kindness and gratitude. I’m not bothered by it.”
“I’m glad to hear that because the reward money helped us out. Payroll has to be met each week. With the extra money, we don’t have to worry about not being able to pay the other employees for awhile. There was also enough so we could pay ourselves as well.”
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