“No, Alex. Not a word. Not a sound,” he threatened, stalking her. “Not until I am done.”
She gasped when he took her in his arms again, scooping her close, this time with searching tenderness. “God, Alex, how could you leave me?”
She thought that a stupid question but kept her mouth shut. He was teasing her forehead, nose, and cheeks with gentle kisses.
“Stupid question. I was an idiot. I didn’t mean the things I said.”
“Yes.” She sighed, melting into him, unable to resist his heat, touching his chest with eager hands while he pushed aside her linen shirt and tasted the soft exposed flesh at the base of her throat. A shiver of delight coursed through her.
She took his face in her palms and brought his lips back to hers, demanding. Alex tasted him as he had her, possessing his lips, then testing her skill with a lick of her tongue on the inside of his mouth. She completely forgot anyone else existed. Joshua was all there was, and her need for him was consuming. After wanting him so intensely, having him here was a miracle. His legs were hard as steel, the muscles flexed and firmed against her own as she pressed mindlessly closer, needing him with a desperation she didn’t know how to satiate.
Their friends outside waited quietly. Emma blushed when the silence indicated Joshua’s hunger showed no signs of abating.
Stephen’s protective instincts surfaced. “He’s supposed to be talking to her, not taking advantage.”
“Give them a moment,” Marcus insisted, thinking his friend owed him for holding off three hulking brothers right now. “It’s only been a minute. What can happen with all of us standing nearby?”
Samuel nodded. It seemed reasonable. However, the next instant a distinctly feminine groan of desire changed his mind.
“That’s enough!” Samuel raged, and with one strong kick, burst through the cabin door with four more men at his feet.
Worthington was sitting on the edge of the bed, cradling Alex on his lap. Her shirt was no longer tucked in her pants and was unbuttoned enough to show the man didn’t have gentle thoughts on his mind. His sister’s rosy, swollen lips and desire-filled eyes did nothing to ease Samuel’s temper.
Alex caught only a flash of danger in her brother’s eyes as he tackled Joshua, driving him across the bed and into the wall of the cabin behind them with enough force to rock the ship. Joshua, seeing the attack, tossed her aside just before he went flying backward. She screamed for them to stop, then watched helplessly as Matthew, Marcus, and Colin pounced. Alex didn’t know if the other men intended to pull them apart or jump into the fray. There wasn’t enough room to do either. She pressed against the wall near the head of the bed as two bodies fell in front of her, then were pulled off by Colin and Matthew. Joshua finally got a punch in that cleared him enough room to reach Alex.
A gun exploded, someone screamed, Emma nearly fainted, and everyone froze. Stephen shook his head in disgust.
Joshua grinned as the collective shock gave him an opportunity to pull Alex against him for a quick kiss. He stopped when Stephen pointed the smoking gun at him.
The men disentangled themselves, and Samuel stood over the bed that Joshua and Alex were now sprawled on.
“Well?” Samuel was the first to break the silence. “What’s going on here?”
Alex was stunned. “I thought you knew.”
“He said he wanted to talk to you,” Samuel spit out, ready to pounce again.
“That was my way of saying hello.” Joshua grinned.
Marcus sighed. “He’s got a death wish.”
“My love, you’ve been compromised,” Joshua said.
She shrugged. “Oh, well.”
The Stafford brothers looked at each other and nodded in agreement. There was only one thing to be done.
“Well, you’ve done it now, Worthington,” Samuel threatened.
“Don’t worry, gentlemen,” Joshua responded. “I’m willing to marry her. Don’t worry darling, your virtue is still safe—” He sucked for air as her fist hit him up under the ribs without warning.
Alex was outraged. “I’m not going to marry you, you bastard. Hell, I’m not going to marry anyone!”
“Yes, you are!” There was determination in his eyes, as he caught her hands.
“The hell I am!” Alex fought to get her wrist free so she could land another punch.
Matthew decided to intervene before determining whether or not to the kill the Englishman. “Alex, you do not want to marry this man, even though he has tried to seduce and compromise you?”
“Correct, dear brother,” Alex spat, as if they were all idiots.
“Very well.” Matthew nodded to Samuel. “We’ll kill him instead.” Matthew grabbed her second pistol and was checking it for ammunition.
“No!” Alex threw herself in front of Joshua.
“There you go.” Joshua relaxed and grinned knowingly at her brothers. “She loves me.”
Alex snorted in disgust, trying to remove the muscled arm that snaked possessively around her waist. “There are witnesses and nowhere to dump the body. It would ruin Christmas if you were all in jail.”
Emma gasped. Marcus laughed. It was Stephen who got to the heart of the matter. “Alex, tell us this: Do you love him?”
The room was silent awaiting her answer. “I don’t see why that matters since I’m not going to marry him,” she announced, stubbornly.
“Of course it does,” Matthew insisted. “If you love him, we won’t kill him. We’ll just torture him until he wishes he were dead.”
Marcus shook his head in disbelief. “I love the way you Americans think.”
Samuel shook his head gently at his sister. He recognized the unrelenting set of her jaw. “Allie, we only want you to be happy. Tell the truth. Do you love the man or not?”
They were backing her into a corner. She didn’t like corners. “I think Joshua and I need to talk.” She waited. “Alone.” Her brothers grumbled, but got the hint. Samuel picked up the door and fit it back on the hinges on the way out.
When they were all gone, she turned on the source of her current trouble. His intense blue eyes were on her—angry, expectant. As if she owed him an explanation.
Weariness overcame anger. “Joshua, why are you doing this?”
He softened and shook his head at her. “Why do you think, you fool?” He touched her cheek gently with the back of his fingers. “I love you.”
Alex’s heart pounded and her eyes burned, disbelieving. He reached for her, and she stepped from his grasp. She wouldn’t be fooled again. “I thought you wanted to marry some fellow blue blood with a fancy title and decent reputation.”
“I never said that.”
“What happens when you get to know me better? I can’t change. I tried already. I’ll just disappoint you like I have everyone else. Please,” she waved to the door, weakening. “Leave, Joshua.” She choked on the truth. “I don’t want you to hate me.”
He stalked her to the corner and lifted her chin. “Look at me, Alex.” His hands curved up her shoulders and threaded through the hair at the base of her neck, tingling every nerve on their path and effectively holding her still.
“Alex, you might make me insane, furious, crazy, you name it. I still could not hate you.” He searched her eyes, willing her to believe it.
“What if I’m cursed?” Alex leaned against him finally, exhausted.
“You’re not cursed.”
“I’m going to stop Paxton. What about that?”
Joshua sighed and pulled her against him, enfolding her protectively. “Let me help.”
“Do you think there’s a treasure?”
“No. If any of it were true and there was a treasure, someone has already found it.” Joshua looked down at her. “You’re the only treasure I care about.” He kissed the top of her head, relieved to have earned a hint of her dimpled smile. “Do you know how terrified I was thinking you had slipped from my grasp again?”
She looked at him, questioning.
/> He pulled the ring off the chain around his neck and put it in her hands.
Alex closed her hand around the ring, tears in her eyes. “You had it.” The next question was out before she could stop it. “Why didn’t you come back the next day, after you saved me?”
“Prince Raja was the sultan’s nephew. He knew both of us would be in danger if he didn’t get me out of the country fast. He knocked me out from behind and brought me to my ship. When I woke up we were already out to sea, and I didn’t have any way of finding out about you. I couldn’t exactly return to Morocco anytime soon and, in truth, I had nothing to offer you. I was the second son of an impoverished line and had only just set out on my own. Hardly suitable material for some wealthy man’s daughter.” He bent and brushed his lips over hers, his voice husky. “I carried this with me always, Alex. Near my heart.”
Joshua put the ring back on Alex’s finger. “I loved you the minute I saw you fighting to survive three years ago, Alex, and I fell in love the instant I found you again. You have always been in my heart, not because of your beauty, or humor, or charm, all of which I adore, my sweet. But because of your spirit,” he kissed her gently on the lips, “which has touched mine so deeply that I cannot bear the thought of living my life without you.”
He cupped her face in his hands and tilted her chin until their eyes met. “Alexandra Stafford, you told me once I could return this ring for whatever I wanted.” He brushed her hair away from her face tenderly. “I want you. Will you forgive me for not finding you sooner, and please marry me?”
“Oh, Joshua.” Alex shook her head, tortured and uncertain. Maybe it would be okay. She only had to change a little. And once Paxton was stopped things would settle down. She desperately wanted to believe it was possible. Maybe he could accept her as she was. Maybe this was possible.
He wrapped her hand in his larger one. It felt safe and comforting.
“I do love you, Alex. I know it’s soon. But I don’t want to lose you.”
“I don’t want to lose you either. You promise not to get killed?”
“I promise. I’m going to live a long, healthy life and drive you crazy.”
“Well then, I love you, too. I will marry you, Joshua.”
Everyone eavesdropping outside the door breathed a collective sigh of relief. Emma sobbed and threw herself into Marcus’s surprised arms. The older Stafford brothers slapped each other on the back, acting arrogantly responsible for bringing the couple together. Stephen grinned, satisfied at the scene and said the words no one ever thought they would hear. “Alex is getting married.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Samuel was entertaining his future brother-in-law with the rest of the Stafford men when Alex and Aunt Maggie returned from shopping. Alex was so excited to see Worthington she dropped all her new purchases and ran into his arms. “Joshua!”
Worthington greeted Lady Margaret, who excused herself to freshen up, then smiled tenderly at his fiancée, catching her in his arms with a half spin before planting a possessive kiss on her lips. Samuel waited. Then cleared his throat … patiently. By the third time he was tapping his foot.
“I think you’d better say hello to your brother before his throat dries up,” Joshua said.
Alex launched herself with equal abandon on her brother. Samuel hugged her, overwhelmed by the happiness beaming out of her eyes.
When he let her go, Alex dropped her small hand purse on a side table and greeted the brothers with such energy he didn’t recognize her at moments. Her face was transformed with joy, and she chattered about her day with such delight it made him think he didn’t know who this woman was. He had seen her at her fiercest, he had seen her in battle, he knew her determination, her stubbornness, her loyalty, her compassion. He was proud of her and admired her abilities. So many things he knew, but he had missed this. They had never given her a chance to be a woman.
She was so open and full of love it was a powerful thing to witness. It also made him very protective of anything that might injure this newfound happiness.
“Your shopping went well, I take it?” Worthington inquired.
“Indeed,” she said, excited. “I made several purchases. All good deals. And I have taken your advice and invested in shoes. A charming little store.”
“I didn’t—” The duke stopped when all eyes turned on him.
Samuel waited to see if the man would pass this test.
“It’s important to expand my business interests, as I will be spending more time in England now. Don’t you agree, Joshua?”
“Of course.”
“You do?”
“I just said so, love.”
Worthington smiled, and Alex relaxed again. “Okay. I’m going to change then. I’ll be back soon.”
“Don’t hurry,” Samuel offered. “I have a feeling the duke will still be here.”
“Of course he will,” Alex agreed. She made her way up the staircase smiling. Slowly she was gaining confidence in the future and in Joshua. It was hard, though. She had brought up the map a couple times, only to have him tell her not to worry about it. And she had yet to tell her brothers about the map. She kept meaning to bring it up. They needed to know. But everything was so perfect at the moment. One more day of perfection wouldn’t hurt anyone. She was halfway up the stairs when she remembered her purse and hurried back down. At the silence in the study, Alex slowed down, curious and on alert until she heard the voices of her brothers. Then she heard her own name mentioned. By Joshua.
“I can keep Alex up north for at least four weeks.”
“Four weeks off the water?” Samuel asked. “Good luck.”
Matthew grunted in agreement.
“Then we can go to the continent. There will be plenty to keep her busy,” Joshua promised.
“We won’t be able to get the astrolabe from Alex easily,” Samuel said. “We might need to stage a theft.”
“I can do that.” The voice was whispered, but Alex recognized clearly that it was Joshua. More grunts of agreements. She put a hand protectively to her necklace, fear tingling up her arms that suddenly she was in enemy territory, her own family conspiring against her. She stood frozen, until Joshua continued, stunning not just her, but the rest of her family. “What of the map? That should be destroyed as well.”
“The map?”
Even without seeing, Alex could sense Samuel stiffening. Heard it in his voice. In all their conversations she had never said anything about having the map. Only that Paxton still sought it. Samuel had a theory that the astrolabe might be the map. But now, he was about to know different. And this was not how she wanted him to learn of it.
“You know, the carpet,” Joshua said. “Not exactly a map.”
“A carpet?” That was Matthew. His voice cold, sharp. There would be no avoiding it now. “Explain please.”
Alex pushed the door open. They all jumped at the same time. Guilty.
“Alex,” Samuel spoke first. “You’ve had the map all this time?”
She looked at his disappointed face. Hurt and anger were masked, but not completely. Matthew didn’t bother to mask his. Stephen was no longer there. They must have sent him away. Joshua had a moment to see the expressions of her family and remember her request not to tell them about the map—too late.
“Yes. I have it. I didn’t know at first it was a map.”
“You knew it was what Paxton was after, though,” Samuel clarified.
She looked down guiltily and nodded. “Yes. I figured it out.”
“Why didn’t you tell Father? Before he left?” Matthew’s voice was icy. “He might have reconsidered. He might have let Paxton go instead of chasing after him.”
“I don’t know,” she said to her brothers. “I’m sorry. I thought I would have time when he returned. Everything happened so fast. And I just had a feeling the less people who knew about it, the better.”
“We’re your family,” Matthew said quietly.
“Yes.” She swallowed p
ainfully, still holding her astrolabe.
“A family that was about to betray me. Utterly and without regard.”
Joshua knew he was in trouble. Worse, Alex was in trouble. Because of him. Her face was white. Her expression when she finally turned on him—shattered. The fragile trust and love that had grown only recently was about to be tested. Severely.
At the questioning looks from Samuel and Matthew, she explained. “I was afraid. Of this.”
“So you lied.” The words from Matthew seemed to devastate Alex. She recoiled. Joshua stepped forward. She didn’t look at him, but stepped away, causing him to pause.
Samuel spoke up, having gathered his composure and calm. “Father was determined to stop Paxton, Matthew. I doubt knowing about the map would have made a difference. There was something else driving him that night. Something about mother’s death. You’ll know it too if you recall. He didn’t want anything to happen to Alex or us.”
“It might have made a difference. Matthew is right,” Alex said.
Joshua swallowed, pained to understand too late why she blamed herself for her father’s death.
“We don’t know. There is no sense in anyone looking back.” Samuel made the statement final among the siblings.
“I have told you everything else,” she promised. Then she turned to him. “Why would you go behind my back?” Alex directed her attention on Joshua.
“We’re only trying to ease your burden,” Joshua explained.
“By stealing my astrolabe?” she shouted.
Joshua took a step forward. She took two back.
“It’s my birthright. Mama and Papa didn’t deny me it,” she told her brothers. “Even though they must have known the danger, they didn’t hide from it. Or expect me to. This prophecy, that none of you want to believe, is real. Well, at least, the people who believe it are real. It’s why mother died,” Alex said. “And I had to hear about that from Paxton.”
She shook her head, as if still unable to believe their plan.
“Alex, we want you to be happy,” Samuel said. “Let us take care of Paxton.”
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