He seized her by the hair, tearing at the roots. “Touch it,” he repeated. “Do what I said, you little whore.”
Jason’s name tore from her throat again. The desperate sound seemed disembodied as it echoed through the cabin.
“He’s not coming,” the giant said through clenched teeth. “It’s just you and me.”
A loud crack exploded through the small chamber. The door shuddered. Another thundering blow against the wood splintered the frame. The final crash set the heavy wooden panel slamming open.
Jason filled the doorway. Light glinted off the gleaming pistol in his hand. The thinly restrained rage in his expression would have given pause to the most courageous of men. The hulking man tensed. His rough hands captured her with a forearm clamped against her throat, her back pressed against his chest.
“I just wanted to have a little fun, that’s all, Cap’n,” he managed, the slight stammer in his words betraying his fear of Jason Kane.
“Take your hands off her.” Jason pronounced each word slowly, the harsh intensity in his voice betraying his urge to tear the man to pieces. He leveled his pistol at the giant’s forehead.
The man’s arm tightened against her windpipe. Cathy gasped against the pressure. “I’ll break her neck.” He barked the threat. “It don’t matter none to me. You’ll kill me in any case.”
Jason shook his head. “Let her go, and you have my word you will not be killed.”
The man’s thick arm loosened a fraction of an inch. “I don’t fancy spending time with the lash either, Cap’n.”
Jason’s jaw set in a rigid line. His hands clenched into fists at his side. He fixed his gaze on her face. “Do you trust me, Cathy?”
The giant’s grip tightened against her throat. She nodded.
Jason came closer. “Let her go, Jones. If you do not release her immediately, I will throw you to the sharks.”
“She might trust you, but I don’t,” the big man ground out.
An emotionless mask slipped over Jason’s features. “You have two choices. Release her now, or I will put a pistol ball in your brain.”
The arm around her neck relaxed. Cathy tore from his control, bolting to Jason. He pushed her behind him, his attention focused on the crewman who’d dared attack her.
“I should kill you.” Jason’s voice was low and dangerous. He crossed the room with long strides. He seized the front of Jones’ filthy shirt and met his stare.
“I didn’t think you’d care if I had a little fun with her,” Jones stammered.
“You were wrong,” Jason said as he slammed his fist into the sailor’s jaw.
Jones staggered back to his feet, clutching his chin. A trickle of blood streamed from his mouth.
Jason smiled. His knuckles connected with the crewman’s jaw in a scathing uppercut. “Very wrong.”
The man’s shaggy blond head slumped forward. Knees buckling, he crumpled to the ground in a monstrous heap.
“Take him to the hold,” Jason addressed the crewmen who’d arrived in time to watch Jones collapse in an incoherent heap. “I’ll deal with the bastard later.” He enfolded Cathy in his arms. “Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head, meeting his dark gaze. She began to speak, but the thud of heavy footsteps seized her attention. Taylor burst in. “Did the cur harm her?”
She blinked at the show of emotion from the usually unflappable quartermaster.
“I’m not hurt.”
“You’re sure, Miss Catherine?”
Seeing the concern in his expression, Cathy smiled. “I’ll be fine.”
The ship lurched beneath her feet again. She coiled her arms around Jason’s back, clinging to his strength as the wind howled with the storm’s wrath.
Jason met the unspoken questions in Taylor’s eyes. “For the time being, Jones is being held below. I need you on deck to oversee the men. I will join you shortly.”
“Certainly, Captain,” Taylor replied crisply. “You obviously have this situation well in hand.”
And then they were alone. He captured her in his arms and carried her from the tiny room to his cabin. Jason kicked the door closed behind them, deposited her on the bed and knelt at her side. His brow furrowed as he studied her.
“You could have been killed,” he said, sweeping a stray tendril behind her ear. His full mouth tightened, as though the thought caused him pain.
She pressed her palm to his face, wanting nothing more at that moment than to soothe the tense set of his jaw. Ridiculous, this urge to comfort him. Cathy drew her fingers over his skin. The growth of new beard provoked a delicious tingle from her fingertips to her belly.
“I am very much alive and unharmed. I’m not as fragile as you may believe.”
He shook his head then, a flicker of appreciation lighting his gaze. “I’d never think you fragile. Delicate and beautiful, but resilient.”
Frantic shouts from the deck filtered through the sturdy oak door. Jason brushed his lips over the bridge of her nose. “I must go now.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Stay in the cabin while we ride out the storm. You’ll be safest here.”
She coiled her arms around his neck and tugged his head down, claiming his kiss. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
* * * * *
Lying under the bedclothes, Catherine shut her eyes against the night. If only she had some way to wash the scent of her attacker from her body. She could still detect his essence, marking her skin like a brand. Perhaps Taylor would be able to fetch her some fresh water with which to cleanse herself in the morning. For now, she tried to focus on the far more pleasant sensation of Jason’s warm body nestled beside her own.
The clock chimed the midnight hour, but sleep had not yet claimed her. Jason lay sprawled on his back. Long, deep breaths marked his slumber. Exhaustion had overtaken him moments after he crawled into bed and gathered her in his arms.
He’d led the crew through the worst of the storm. Now Virginia’s Avenger cut a smooth path through the calmed waters. Leaning on her bent elbow, she rested her chin on her upturned hand and stared down at him. Free of its arrogant expression, his face seemed softer, younger. She brushed her fingers over his lips, needing that gentle contact. Her heart yearned for a connection to him that would endure beyond this voyage. He’d brought her here to destroy her, but instead, he’d taught her the undeniable ecstasy of surrender.
She drew in a breath, smiling to herself as she caressed his shadowed jaw. She’d fallen in love with him. She would surrender everything to be with him, her body, her love, her soul. There was no turning back from the longing Jason stirred deep within her. But she knew one thing with great certainty. He would break her heart.
Chapter Nine
Cathy awoke to the ocean’s gentle sway and the first rays of dawn. She stretched like a lazy cat, rolled onto her side, and placed her hand on the empty expanse of the bed where Jason had lain. A tiny pang of regret fluttered in her heart. Had she really been foolish enough to believe she’d awaken in his arms?
She swung her legs off the side of the bed. A pitcher of fresh water had been placed by the basin. Taylor’s work, most likely. Gritting her teeth against the water’s chill, she soaked a clean cloth and went about the task of cleansing herself. Finally satisfied she’d washed away the stench of the man who’d caught her against his stinking body, she dressed and brushed her hair. As the bristles stroked through the thick waves, the door opened quietly.
Jason entered soundlessly, his steps as light and lithe as a panther. He met her gaze for a heartbeat, but didn’t come to her. Instead, he stalked to the porthole and stared out to the horizon for a long moment. Cathy’s breath caught in anticipation. The grim set of his features did not bode well for her happiness.
“After last night, I began to think about your presence on this ship.” His voice, low and gravel-edged, sliced through her. The note of regret in his words did not ease the sense of foreboding that twisted Cathy’s belly in kn
ots. “When I left you this morning, I came to a decision.”
She lifted her chin defiantly as she rallied against the rising fear within her. Had his tender seduction been nothing more than a ruse to lull her into willingly satisfying his sensuous appetites? Did he plan to sell her to the highest bidder now that he’d had his fill of her?
“What fate is in the cards for me now?”
Jason remained silent, playing with her as a cat plays with a plump young mouse. He could see the fear in her eyes, Cathy realized as her heart sank.
Finally, his gaze locked with hers and he spoke. “I’ve decided to take you home.”
His words should have brought her troubled mind relief, but they stung like a slap. He’d spoken softly with no trace of malice, yet the bitter reality remained. He planned to discard her. She clasped her hands together until her knuckles whitened. The rush of tears welling in her throat nearly destroyed her forced composure.
“I reversed the ship’s course this morning,” he continued. “Soon you will be home, and I will retain a bit of my soul.”
Cathy fought the wave of agony building within her. “Why?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.
Jason raked his hands through his dark hair. He turned away from her and stared out the cabin window. “Bringing you on this ship was a mistake,” he bit out the words. “I see that now.”
His raw confession inspired a frisson of hope. He was not immune to caring for her, she thought. She came to him, reaching out to press her hand to the hard plane of his broad back. His muscles tensed beneath her touch. Her fingers massaged his taut flesh until he relaxed.
“You will be in danger if you take me back. My father has powerful allies.” She struggled against an overpowering sense of dread, steeling herself to speak the truth. “He will see you dead. You can’t take me back.”
He turned to her then, taking her gently by the shoulders. To her surprise, a rakish smile graced his handsome face. His hands moved lower, resting on the curves of her hips. “I’d think you would relish the thought of me swinging at the end of a rope.”
“No, never…” The words burst impulsively from her lips. She lowered her gaze, realizing she had betrayed her feelings to her captor. “It wouldn’t be proper to enjoy the thought of a hanging.”
He tipped her chin up, his eyes sparkling with devilish charm. He was even more handsome when he allowed himself to smile, she decided. More handsome, and far more dangerous. “Ah yes, I keep forgetting that you are a respectable woman.”
Cathy blushed beneath the intensity of his gaze. She should despise him. But she couldn’t. Not when his every touch, his every smile, rippled currents of warmth through her, conjuring hopes and dreams she knew she was a fool to entertain. When he stood before her, his expression relaxed of its cynical mask, she knew she would sacrifice the life she’d known to stay with him.
She forced herself to look away. Her heart was already splintering into thousands of tiny shards. “I doubt I could consider myself respectable,” she whispered the words, the memory of her wanton reaction to this man too vivid to push aside.
He framed her face in his hands, brushing her lips with his fingertips. “You are a fiery woman. Any man would appreciate such passion in his bed.”
“You cannot return me to my father.” Surprising herself with the strength in her tone, she faced him with courage she didn’t know she possessed. “You can’t do this.”
He took a step back and stabbed his hand through his hair. “I can and I must.”
“I know what my father did,” she confessed. “I know why you hate him.”
“I can’t keep you here.” Jason reached for her once more. She thought he would kiss her, but he simply took her hands in his own and held them while he studied her face. “Your father’s treachery cost me a great deal. But I need to salvage what’s left of my soul before it’s too late.”
“Jason…”
He pressed two fingers to her lips. “I should never have taken you in the first place.” She counted the heartbeats as he stood silent, the moments seeming like an eternity. “I cannot keep you here. My decision is final.”
She shook her head in desperate denial, but his mouth curved into a rueful smile, and he kissed her with a longing she knew he tried to deny.
His long fingers wound through the strands of her hair. “One day, when you are settled with a man who can give you his name, a home and his babe in your belly, you will understand why I must return you.”
He kissed her again, more deeply this time. When he released her, his face was etched with pain.
“I don’t want another man.” Swallowing hard against the bitter lump in her throat, she coiled her arms around his neck. She loved him. She could no sooner face a life without his passion, without his possession, than she could endure a journey across the Atlantic in a row boat. “I want you.”
He shook his head slowly. “Ah Cathy, I know you believe that. But in time, you’ll long for another life…the life you deserve.”
“The only thing I’ll long for is you.”
He tipped her chin up. His lips brushed the bridge of her nose. “My mind is made up.”
She broke away from him then, raking him with her gaze. He couldn’t pretend he didn’t want her. She had no intention of leaving him without a fight. “Acts of noble sacrifice do not suit you, Captain Kane.”
His dark brows quirked. “One cannot sacrifice what does not belong to him.”
Cocking her head, she settled her hands on her hips. “I belong in your bed. In your arms. You know I speak the truth.”
He turned away from her then, crossing to the porthole with long, sure strides. “You want to believe that, Cathy. But your place is not with me.”
“So that’s it then. I am to be discarded at your command, just as I was seized on your order,” she said, surprising herself with the force of her words. She followed him, placing her hands on his shoulders. “I don’t believe I am merely some bit of muslin you toyed with for your amusement. You’re convinced returning me to my father’s control is in my best interest. Am I to have no say in the matter?”
He faced her then, his dark gaze locking with hers. “My decision is final. I will bring you back to the life you deserve. That life is not with me.”
Peering from the porthole in mute despair, Cathy’s fingers pressed to her mouth. Watching her blink against the tears glistening in her eyes, Jason dragged in a breath, then another. She hadn’t wept when he stole her from under her father’s nose. No, she’d raged and fought with the ferocity of a tigress. And yet, she now held her back perfectly rigid, looking so tense she might snap in two, her shallow exhalations betraying her struggle to hold back tears. She should be filled with joy. She’s getting what she wanted. By the next sunset, she’ll be back in the luxury her father’s treacherous dealings provided.
His gut clenched with the desire to comfort her, but he couldn’t turn back. If he didn’t put some distance between them, he’d never have the strength to bring her home. She trusted him. The irony overwhelmed him. How could she have any faith in him after what he’d done? Cathy should detest the very sight of him. But she wanted him, despite the sins he’d committed in the name of vengeance. The realization both thrilled and disturbed him. There was no place for a woman, even a beautiful, sensual woman like Cathy, in his life.
Such passion in her touch. In her kiss. He sensed her response was for him and him alone. He’d coaxed her secret desires to the surface. And she’d conjured a need in him unlike any he’d ever felt. She’d left him wanting her and only her. He’d never allowed himself to care for a woman beyond the pleasure she might bring him. Until he held Cathy in his arms.
Christ, she held power over him. Power to bring him pleasure. Power to make him question his actions and feel guilt such as never before.
Power to make him need her.
He’d been a fool to take her in the first place. His feelings for Cathy had made him weak. God knows h
e hadn’t planned to care for her. He couldn’t allow himself that luxury. Cathy deserved so much more than a man who was little better than a common pirate, a man who didn’t know from one day to the next if he’d find himself at the end of a rope. He couldn’t subject her to the dangerous existence he’d chosen for himself. His fingers clenched as he pictured her imprisoned against the hulking bastard’s body. Jones would pay for his treachery, but nothing would erase the memory of Cathy’s pale face and wide, terror-stricken eyes. He wouldn’t take that chance again.
His gaze swept over her face. Christ, he longed to hold her. To kiss away the single tear streaming down her cheek. A fist plunged into his belly, a heaviness as painful as a physical blow. How could he give her up?
There is no choice. Every moment she’s here, she’s in danger. What madness possessed me to bring her here?
“Taylor will see to your needs until we return to port.”
Pivoting on his heel, he left the cabin. The door closed quietly behind him. Striding down the galley way with long determined strides, he ruthlessly set about rectifying his mistake.
Chapter Ten
Six Weeks Later
Edwin Farrell congratulated himself on his uncommonly shrewd business sense. He’d managed to find a husband for his daughter and settle one of his largest debts in the process. He nearly danced a jig at the thought. His worries that Catherine’s scandalous abduction had forever tainted her marriage prospects dissolved with Josiah Wright’s proposal. The old gentleman had offered a sizable settlement. His luck could not be brighter. His headstrong daughter would no longer be his concern, and a considerable financial burden had been lifted from his weary shoulders.
Josiah would be an attentive husband to his daughter, he told himself, squelching his conscience’s whispered concerns. What did it matter that Josiah was even older than he was? At twenty-two, Catherine was no longer in the first blush of womanhood. With her high spirit, she needed a mature man to rein her in. She could not hope to make a better match for herself with a younger man. Young men desired lovely faces, docile temperaments and innocence. Catherine possessed none of these qualities. She was pretty enough, he supposed, but she was outspoken and far too opinionated, and no man would assume she still possessed her maidenhead. She’d never confessed the name or even a description of the man who’d stolen her away, nor had she revealed where she’d been held. Catherine had simply reappeared in her bed one morning as suddenly as she’d vanished. Most likely she hadn’t been abducted at all, but had run off for a fling with some randy young buck to whom she’d taken a fancy. Edwin shook his head as he stared down at his ledger and scratched in another entry. Only a fool would believe Catherine a virgin after nearly a week away from his watchful eye.
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