Zane smiled. “Beauty appreciates beauty.” He pulled her down to the ground to sit beside him, pushing his long sword back out of his way. He gazed out over the horizon, arms resting on his knees. “I have spent hours up here staring at this spectacular view. I’ve contemplated my life, sought solace and even asked for forgiveness here. I’ve searched for a meaning to justify myself. And I always walk away with the same answer.”
“What is that?”
“Seize the moment, for fickle is life and time is a crook.” He placed a gentle hand to her cheek. “To take what is mine.” His voice lowered and he leaned into her, searching her face, giving her time to back away. But she didn’t. She couldn’t bring herself to stop him.
He was tricky, to be sure, bringing her up here, alone, to this magnificent spot. But deep down, she wanted him to kiss her at that very moment, before she made a fool of herself again and ravished him. By God, she wanted this man. It seemed that she’d been waiting the entire voyage for this. No, her entire life.
Zane lingered only long enough to brush his lips to hers, luring her in. Then he kissed her, nipping her bottom lip, before taking her whole, exploring her mouth, her tongue. He pushed her back to the ground, not breaking from their embrace. She held onto his rough cheeks, scratchy under her fingers, and savored his kiss.
A tingling sensation spread through every sensitive part of Lianna’s body. Zane made his way to her ear, his tongue flicking, kissing at her lobe, driving her delirious and quivering with excitement. Even her toes curled. She spiraled as he moved down her neck, his hand squeezing her breast. He had total control over her. She was helpless to his touch. The world was falling, falling away, blissfully falling away.
Lianna had crept into Zane’s every waking moment since their kiss on the moon-washed beach. This morning, she proved unbelievably hard to read after he assured her she had no regrets from her overindulgence. He was quite sure she had been toying with him again. When she heartily drank the water he had given her, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her mouth. Her lips wrapped around the flagon made him thirsty, too. Thirsty for her. Those were the lips of a woman who could bring him to his knees. And when she tasted her breakfast of soursop, he had to distance himself as she ate the juicy fruit, lest he explode from the succulence of those beguiling lips. He had been waiting to claim her mouth again all day. Now that he had her, he had no intention of letting her get away. He would venture as far as she’d let him.
“Capt’n, sir.”
Zane growled deep within his throat at the interruption. Someone would pay.
A young seaman in green striped breeches and a dingy white shirt stood at the top of the path. He avoided eye contact and removed his hat. “Pardon me, sir. Sorry for interruptin’. I came to relieve your watch.”
“Do I look like I need relieving?” Zane snapped as he stood. Aye, he did. But not by way of watch duty.
The man shook his head, staring at the ground. “No, sir.”
Lianna had sat upright, checking her clothing. Zane was grateful that he had not gotten far enough to have her in a state of indecency. He hated the idea of embarrassing her. And that had him puzzled. He had never cared about such trivialities as a woman’s propriety when caught in a compromising embrace. But with Lianna, it mattered a great deal.
Zane took his sword by the hilt. “Who sent you up?”
The man stiffened when Zane came forward but looked him square. “Sadie,” he said.
Sadie! That no good hellion.
“Sadie has no authority over anyone on my ship.” Zane spoke evenly with a good deal of restraint. “I expected you to know as much, Thomas.” He pulled out his cutlass. “What did the wench say?” He casually inspected the blade, flipping it over, running his fingers along the edge—his message unmistakable.
Thomas cast a nervous eye to the sword. “She tole me t’ take up lookout. I tole her ’twasn’t my time yet.” He sputtered out his words swift off his tongue. “She said you were needed on the beach. I tole her ’twasn’t my time.”
“And?”
The seaman looked away again.
“Out with it.” Zane was ever impatient.
“She showed me her tit. Tole me I could touch it if’n I come on up.” Thomas winced, realizing too late to check his tongue in front of a lady.
“Watch your language, labbernecks.” Zane angled his sword to the frightened man’s mouth. “Lest you taste my steel.” His anger roiled within him, building like trapped steam. He had to keep his head about him and force himself to allow the callow sap to keep his. After all, this tar had no more than eighteen years on him and was easily pliable to a woman’s charms after being at sea for so long.
“’Pologies, ma’am.”
Lianna sidled up one small step behind Zane. She made a point to stand as an equal, yet by remaining at his heels gave him irrefutable respect as a master. Smart girl. He tipped his chin down enough to catch her gesture of acceptance.
“You, or anyone else under my command, are not to listen to her no matter what wares she offers. Got it?”
Thomas nodded emphatically.
“Be advised.” Zane lowered his cutlass. “Next time I may not show mercy upon you.”
“Yes, Capt’n, sir.”
“Come, my lady. Let’s leave the man to do his job.” Zane took her by the arm and helped her down the embankment.
Zane fumed. Sadie was up to no good and would have to be dealt with. Something which he really loathed to do. A word with her tonight would be in order. In the meantime, he wasn’t quite done sporting with Lianna. He planned to make the most of his time alone with the bonny lass. His ire nourished his lewd hunger. He was feeling a bit frisky.
Lianna knew better than to bring up what had just taken place on the ridge. Her suspicion led her to believe Sadie had seen them leave the beach. She had no delusion about whether or not Zane had shared his special spot with Sadie. Sadie knew what that place on the cliff meant to him. And the woman, without question, had felt the need to interfere. Lianna stood in the way of Sadie’s plan to win Zane back. Lianna couldn’t have cared less. At the moment, impulsive excitement whirled around her sanity. She had been surprised Zane nearly struck down the poor man on her behalf for his language. Blimey, she’d heard far worse in her type of work. It warmed her to think Zane found her deserving of such respect.
“Where are we going?” she said. They followed a trail different from the first. The canopy thickened, but the ground was free from underbrush. The rush of water coursed nearby.
“It’s just through here.” He grabbed her hand, pulling her close as they broke through a hedgerow to a clearing.
Before them lay a large lagoon fed by the cascading waterfall she had seen from the bluff. The water glistened clear and shallow at the edge, lined with small smooth rocks, before pinching off to darker depths. The falls soared about thirty feet high surrounded by black rock and leafy vines. Red and orange blossoms stretched out from the wedges of the stones toward the beams of sunshine. Dragonflies and small birds flitted about the mists.
“It’s wonderful. Peaceful. Do you come here to think, too?”
“No.” He grinned. “To bathe.” In one fluid movement he stripped himself of his clothes.
Lianna quickly gave him her back. “Captain Fox! This is not decent!”
“Decent.” Zane laughed as he dove into the pool.
Lianna chanced a peep over her shoulder. Zane had just come up for air. His dark hair slickened back, water dripped from his face. Holy Mother of God. He swam on his back in lazy circles.
“The water is perfect. Come on in.”
“No, I don’t think—”
“Come now. I won’t look. I know you want to bathe.”
“Well, I don’t know.” Getting clean sounded simply divine. It topped right up there with sharing another kiss with him. And the water beckoned, so inviting.
“I’ll be a perfect gentleman.” He raised his hand in a gesture of promise.
Zane dove under the water, offering her a glimpse of his backside. She gnawed her lower lip. “All right,” she said as he came back up. “But you must turn around.”
“Yes, my lady.” He turned and swam toward the falls.
Lianna quickly peeled out of her clothes. Sticking her toe in the water, she recoiled at the coolness, cursing. Zane’s laughter carried over the spattering falls. Frowning, she took a deep breath and dove in, for fear that the insufferable captain see her naked. The blast of cold at first benumbed her, but soon she relaxed in the refreshing water. Dipping her head back, she scrubbed the salt from her hair. She rubbed her body, bathing discreetly, all the while keeping an eye on Zane. He sat in the misty shallows under the waterfall, his thighs just visible. The water spilled over his head, flattening his hair to his broad shoulders, streaming down the phoenix taking flight on his hard chest.
Ugh. This can’t be happening. I’m bare-skinned on a beautiful island in a pool with an incredibly handsome and very naked pirate.
Just a few days ago, Lianna had no use for a man. But she could certainly think of a few now.
Only one chance of fleeting love long ago showed her a man’s compassion. His name was Orrin, a fisherman’s son. At nineteen, he was three years her senior. He had taken a fancy to her, spending his free time tarrying around the tavern to see her. Lianna’s uncle often ran him off. His place was for paying customers, he would holler, not loiterers.
In secret dalliances and stolen trysts, Orrin talked of running away with her, of building a better life together. His innocent love nudged her into trusting him. He made her feel safe. And she cared deeply for him. ’Twas Orrin who led her back from the profundity of loneliness. For all her hate of men, she found she still longed for an affectionate, loving touch, to fill a void. But Orrin perished at sea during a nasty storm. As hard as it was, deep down she had expected they would never make it. Still, Orrin had given her back something that she had long buried. Hope. Hope that revived her dreams.
Many months later she learned that Orrin was not dead at all. In fact, he had been very much alive and living just up the coast with his new wife. It seems the tale of Orrin drowning at sea was a ruse so that he could rid himself of Lianna. It had been a real stab to the heart. He had sowed his wild oats, and then cast her out in favor of a virginal bride. He wasn’t even man enough to confront her face to face.
She had been downtrodden, for certain. But she had already had a taste of how nice lovemaking could be, even if for a moment. And so her dreams lived on.
Occasional flirting had been enough to hold her over. It never took her long to be reminded of the maleficent behavior of the opposite sex. As time wore on, her dreams of someone worthy coming to her rescue dwindled. What man of means in his right mind would have a ruined, assertive tavern wench, after all?
But now, emotions she was not familiar with assailed her with the might of a hailstorm. It scared the hell out of her. Zane was a whole other species, that she knew. Blow for blow, he matched her, wit and wile. However, with his touch, she melted. He was right. He easily breached her fortifications. Well, I’ll just have to feign a little harder.
Zane slid under the water out of sight. Lianna paddled in place, staying afloat, looking around the pool for where he would pop up. What was he up to? Seconds of him gone turned into long minutes with no sign of him. She treaded water faster, worried for his safety. He had to come up for air sometime. Surely he didn’t drown. If there was some hidden danger below surface, he wouldn’t have brought her here. Unless he didn’t know there was danger. Oh Lord, where was he?
Quite by surprise, something grabbed her waist. She screamed certain a man-eating caiman meant to drag her down to the murky depths of the pool. She kicked and thrashed to free herself, landing her solid mark repeatedly.
Zane burst up in front of her, an impish smirk curved at the corners of his mouth, his hand clutching at his chest.
“Ooh. You frightened me, you, you tomfool.” She splashed water into his face.
Laughing, Zane splashed her back, beginning a sploshing war. They splashed about the pool like carefree children. Lianna’s heart skipped at the sound of Zane’s hearty, genuine laugh echoing off the lagoon rocks, at the lines around his eyes from his wide smiles. He was having a folly of a time. The kind of levity, she imagined he couldn’t get from the thrills of danger.
“So, Lady Whitney. Do you challenge me to a contention?” He swam circles around her.
“What is the challenge?”
“You swim to the falls before I catch you.”
“And the prize?” she asked smartly.
He swam up to face her. “If you win, I will let you leave the pool unmolested and dress with my back turned.”
“And if I lose?”
He grinned like a wolf at a sheep buffet. “If I win, you will let me kiss you again and you will let me watch you dress.”
Losing didn’t seem all that bad.
“And I’ll even give you a head start,” he added.
“I’d say the stakes are too innocuous. Let’s raise the risk, shall we?” She moved in so close, they could rightly touch noses. “If I do win, I also get to watch you dress.”
He raised his eyebrow at her brass. “Fair enough.” He cocked his chin. “Whenever you are ready.”
She was gone before he finished his last word. With nothing to weigh her down this time, Zane would quickly learn she swam as swift as any fish in the sea. He raced to keep up, grabbing her just as she reached the flat rocks at the base of the flowing falls.
She thrust off the plateau to deeper water to maintain her bare body hidden. Winded, her breath came in short pants. “It seems we have an even score.”
He swam up alongside. “Aye, it does.”
“’Tis only fitting that we come to a compromise, then.”
“Oh? And what do you suggest?”
Lianna draped one wet arm around his neck, pulling him into her, and planted a long soft kiss. Zane held onto her waist, smiling in their kiss as her breasts skimmed against his chest.
She pulled away, leaning her forehead against his, just as surprised as he by her gall. So much for feigning. She reached for a shred of prudence. “You should let me dress privately,” she whispered. “’Twould be the gentlemanly thing to do.” She pushed away from his body, his heat.
“Aye, who says I’m a gentleman?”
“I do.”
“So you’ve changed your mind about me, have you?”
“No. I still think you are a miserable pirate.”
He smiled. “We best be getting back, then, before I prove you right.”
Lianna pulled herself from the water and in haste put her clothes back on. Zane, the devil he was, peeked anyway.
*****
Sadie groused with the emergence of Zane and Lianna from the jungle. Lianna’s hair dripped wet, a yellow flower tucked behind her ear. Zane had slowed his usual quick step. Both seemed to be enjoying each other’s company.
This was no good. Sadie couldn’t let Lianna ruin her plan and stand in her way to win over Zane. She didn’t get this far to be subverted by some cheap whore. She had learned a good deal about the tramp from Jason. Henri clammed up about her, but Jason proved all too easy to ply information from. The boy, in his naiveté, gushed on about his sweet new friend. She was the talk among certain circles from the crew, too. But dirty dogs are dirty dogs and they had nothing to contribute other than what they would do with a pretty damsel like Lianna.
That boy, though, he’d also revealed more about that medallion, The Serpent, than he should have. He let on that the two governors, Wilcox and Abbott, were in dire want of it. She now knew Zane had been commissioned by Abbott and Commodore Bennington was out for blood. And she also knew that men had lost their lives over it. But why? What made the necklace so sought after? That she didn’t know.
Never mind.
Sadie bit off a mouthful of salted pork, chewing it in the pocket of her cheek,
and she stared at them drying by a campfire. Careful to keep her expression empty, she stewed in her malicious thoughts.
She vowed to put an end to their friendly “business association.”
CHAPTER 10
The rest of the afternoon came and went and Zane found it hard to keep his mind on the mission. Lianna kept invading his thoughts. It had been far too long since he had that kind of sporting horseplay. Having all but forgotten how to be playful, it did him some good. Relentless visions of her wet body assaulted his common sense. The smell of her sun-dried hair as he swept it behind her ear, the taste of her warm kiss, had him thinking of little else than being alone with her again. Nay. He had to stay focused. He was going to have to shake his desire for her for the sake of everyone’s safety.
The Rissa was ready to sail, but the tide hadn’t come in and wouldn’t until later in the evening. The task at hand was to have a word with Sadie. An unpleasant job, to be sure. Being boiled in oil held more appeal.
With supper finished, Zane threw back one last bedeviling draw of rum, promising to reward himself later with more for completing the deed. He excused himself from Blade, Lianna and the others and brushed past Sadie. Churlish and callous, he said, “May I have a word with you?” Glancing down over his shoulder he saw Sadie smirk at Lianna across the fire as she rose to follow. Such spite.
He led her out of sight of the others, down the beach lit by the dying sun and past a group of mangroves to the large boulders that made up the side of a rocky cliff jutting out into the sea.
“Would you like me to swab your deck now, Captain Fox?”
Stopping, he inauspiciously glared at her, his jaw working. “’Twould seem you’ve a want for premature death, Sadie. You have quite a nerve defying me then propositioning me. And how is it you think you can come on board my ship and give orders?” He mentally drew himself back in, though he really wanted to give her a terrific tongue-lashing.
Romancing the Pirate 01 - Blood and Treasure Page 13