Thorn’s body trembled as her silkiness closed around his throbbing shaft. He muttered beneath his breath when he came up against the barrier that proclaimed her a virgin.
He tangled his hand in her hair and yanked her forward. “Damn you, what game is this? Why did you allow me to believe Lord Simijin was your lover when your body has never known a man’s?”
She touched her lips to his, but he pulled away. “Why in the hell did you deceive me?”
“I never told you I had been with a man. It was your own assumption.”
He was still inside her, and she moved her hips, trying to tempt him, so he would satisfy the burning need he had aroused in her.
“It is not too late,” he warned. “I have not yet taken your virginity. Tell me what game you play.”
As she ran her hand down his stomach and felt the corded muscles, Brittany realized the tight restraint he was keeping on himself.
“I want you to make love to me,” she admitted. “I want you to teach me to be a woman.”
“No, damn it! This is a mistake.” He would have withdrawn from her, but she clasped her arms about him. Thorn felt his resolve slipping when she thrust her hips upward, pushing him past the barrier of skin and taking her deeply within her body.
Perspiration beaded on his upper lip as he fell under her spell once more. She had never been with a man, but her body was fanning a fire within him, and he could no longer control his movements. He plunged forward forcefully, then gently pulled back, setting a rhythmic motion.
Her eyes darkened with passion as she matched her movements to his. He laced his hands in her hair and closed his eyes. She was fulfilling his every fantasy. She was the seductress he had accused her of being. He slid deeper inside her, and her satiny softness cradled his throbbing desire.
“Enchantress,” he murmured in her ear. “Will you not be satisfied until you have all of me?”
For her answer, she arched her hips, and he gasped with pleasure. “If I did not know better, I would say you were practiced in the ways of pleasing a man.”
Her breath fanned his ear and sent a shiver of delight down his spine. “I was born to give pleasure to you,” she whispered.
Thorn gathered her to him, wishing he could take her into his body. He never wanted this night to end. He wanted to take her again and again, for he would never grow weary of her.
While the lightning flashed and the thunder rumbled, Thorn introduced Brittany to new and deeper emotions.
The Victorious swayed and groaned from the onslaught of the storm, but the two lovers were only aware of each other.
Brittany ran her hands over Thorn’s shoulders, while his hot lips covered hers. As their bodies intertwined, they found a meeting of mind and body, and they both knew they would never be the same afterward.
Together they scaled the heights and reached the peak of desire. And when the last shuddering release passed through their bodies like molten lava, it left them breathless and clinging to each other.
Brittany was drifting on a feather-soft cloud of well-being. She clung to Thorn, unwilling to let him go. He had made her his—he had made her a woman. She was suddenly sad that they could never have anything but this night.
He pulled away from her and smiled tenderly, while his eyes moved over her face as if he were memorizing every line and curve. “Are you all right?” he asked, moving his hand over her stomach.
She returned his smile shyly. “Yes. It was…it was wonderful.”
He touched his lips to her cheek and held her tightly. “Yes, it was beyond belief.”
“You were not disappointed with me?”
He drew in a shuddering breath. “Never have I been more pleased.” He pulled back and looked at her for a long silent moment. “Brittany, had I known that you had never been with—”
She placed her hand over his lips. “I know that, Captain.”
His blue eyes were laced with humor. “Don’t you think that under the circumstances, you could call me Thorn?”
“I cannot. It would not be proper.”
He looked at her with a strange expression on his face. “After what has happened between us, you are still concerned about propriety?”
“Captain, I know you will not understand this, but there can never be anything between us after tonight. What happened to us was my fault, and we both know it.” She smiled sadly. “I want you to realize that I expect nothing from you, and I never want you to feel remorse for what occurred.”
Brittany caught her breath when a flash of lightning made a jagged path across the sky and the illumination of it reflected in the depth of Thorn’s blue eyes.
“Remorse is the farthermost thought from my mind at the moment, Brittany. How can I feel anything but joy after what happened between us? Are you feeling remorse?”
“I do not feel sorry in any way, Captain. I shall always treasure what we had together.” Her eyes were wide and innocent. “You have had many women before me, but I have had only you, so how can you know how I feel?”
He silently toyed with one of her ebony curls. Then he looked into her eyes, seeking the truth. “I will not deny that I have been with other women, Brittany. But it has nothing to do with what happened between us.”
His eyes moved over her perfectly formed body, and a feeling of possessiveness took hold of him. He wanted no other man to touch her, especially not Lord Simijin. He wanted to know about her life with that man and he was determined to find out.
He pulled her head to rest against his chest. “Tell me about your life, Brittany. How did you come to be in Lord Simijin’s household?”
Her hair was a curtain of flowing black satin, and when she shook her head, it swirled about her. “I cannot talk about that because I pledged an oath of silence.” She felt pain in her heart, knowing he could never understand the promise she had made to her mother.
“Did you? To whom did you make that promise? Lord Simijin?”
“Even though you deserve to know, there is much I cannot tell you.”
“If you will not tell me about your life with Lord Simijin, tell me something about yourself.”
His body was warm against hers, and she snuggled closer to him. “I had an English governess and a French teacher. I am proficient in mathematics. I speak, read, and write eleven languages. And I know the folk dances of thirteen countries.” She looked at him doubtfully. “As you have seen, I also know some of the more daring dances. Is that what you wanted to know?”
“Yes, in part. How did you learn so many dances?”
“In the harem, of course. There are women there from many countries.”
He did not like to be reminded that she came from a harem. “You are a very exceptional woman. I know few men who have your background in education.”
“I have heard it said that American and English men do not value knowledge in their women. Can this be so?”
“I have known that to be true in some cases,” he admitted with a smile. “But now that I have met you, I will no longer subscribe to that antiquated custom.”
She sighed. “I am glad Simijin did not share that belief. He enjoyed intelligent conversation. It is because of him that my education is so varied. And of course, I owe much of my education to the women of the harem.”
Thorn’s eyes darkened, and he felt a stab of jealousy. “Do you love Lord Simijin?”
“Yes, of course. I told you he is a truly wonderful man. If you but knew him you would see that—”
He rolled to a sitting position. “I would rather not hear a glowing tribute to your—” He looked back at her. “What is he to you? Up to this point, he has not been your lover. Was he saving you to take the place of the English Rose?”
“No! No one could ever take the place of…the English Rose.” Her eyes took on a secretive glow. “I would rather not discuss Simijin with you.”
Thorn pulled on his trousers and glared down at her. “I wonder how you can share him with so many other women. I find that
repugnant.”
She was puzzled for a moment. “I do not share Simijin.”
“Not with the woman of the harem?”
“He never goes to the harem.”
“I have heard that he loves only the English Rose. It is said that she is a very beautiful woman.”
“She is the most beautiful woman I know of—inside and out.”
“You are not jealous of her?”
Brittany thought of her mother and was overcome with a feeling of homesickness. “No, never jealous of her. She has always been kind to me.”
For a moment he was suspicious that Brittany might be the famous English Rose herself, but he discounted that notion since Brittany would be too young. “The women I have known would never consent to living out their lives in a harem.”
Her eyes flashed angrily. “Perhaps not. Why should they, when they could have a stud like you to service them?”
For the first time in Thorn’s life, he was stunned into silence. Never had he known a woman who spoke so boldly.
“I can see that I have shocked you, Captain Stoddard. Forgive me,” she said with sarcasm. “I forgot you are not accustomed to women who speak their mind. I am sure it takes a lot of courage to be a woman in your world.”
Suddenly he saw the humor of it all, and he dropped down on the bed beside her. “I would say it takes much more courage to be a woman in your world. Since I have known you, I have only had the Turkish Navy nipping at my heels. You have been kidnapped, and almost ravished by the man who found his way to your cabin to end your life. I can only guess what other adventures await you down the road.”
She raised up, pulling the coverlet over her. “I can assure you that I lived a safe enough existence before I met you, Captain Stoddard.”
Suddenly he was overcome with tender feelings for her. He took her face between his hands. “Let me be your protector from now on.” He was startled by his own words, but he found he meant them. “I will take care of you and keep you from harm.” His lips lightly touched hers. “Say yes, Brittany.”
“As your wife?” she asked hopefully.
He looked at her through veiled lashes. “No, I would not make a decent husband for you or any woman.”
Sadness tugged at her heart. “I cannot be your woman, Captain. I have commitments in my life that must be honored. Besides, I have no wish to be any man’s mistress. Apparently I value myself much more than you do.”
He came to his feet, pulling her up with him. “You do not have to decide anything now. We have time before we reach port. Perhaps you will change your mind.”
“I will not change my mind. Take me at my word on that, Captain.”
He pulled her to him, lowered his head, and covered her lips with his. Brittany clung to him, wishing she could accept his offer. Would it not be better to have a little of him than nothing at all?
Thorn raised his head and gave her a warm smile. “It would seem that your only decision is whether you want to be with Lord Simijin, and be a lesser wife, or be with me.”
“As no wife at all.”
He smiled. “There you have it. Think on my offer. I must leave you for now.”
She nodded. “Yes. You must tend to your duties.”
He kissed his finger and laid it against her lips. “Until later.”
She watched him leave, wondering at the fate that had brought him into her world. She was never destined to belong to him, but she had stolen a little happiness from him—could she be condemned for that?
She lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She had made a promise to her mother, and it was a promise she would keep, but oh, it would be the most difficult promise she had ever made. Thorn was not the kind of man one said no to without giving him a good reason.
She touched her lips, where he had placed passionate kisses. Tonight she would remember until she was a very old woman.
She felt restless, so she got up and paced the floor. She knew what she had to do, although it would be very difficult.
She had to let Thorn know that his offer was unacceptable. Having made her decision, she decided to write him a note rather than face him. It was difficult to put her thoughts down on paper, so she was brief.
The sun was high in the sky when Brittany found Cappy. She gave him the note, asking him to deliver it to his captain. If the first mate thought her request was a strange one, he did not say so.
Thorn took the note Cappy handed him and arched his brow questioningly.
“It is from the young miss. She asked that I deliver it to you.”
After Cappy departed, Thorn opened the note, with hope in his heart. Perhaps Brittany was too shy to give him her answer in person.
He stared at the delicate handwriting, unable to grasp her meaning for a moment.
“Captain Stoddard, after giving your offer a great deal of thought, my answer is no.”
His eyes were dark swirling storm centers, and he crushed the note in his fists. He had not expected Brittany to say no to him. Would she have said yes if he had offered her marriage? No, probably not. Apparently Lord Simijin still retained his grip on her, even from a distance.
“So be it,” he said aloud. “So be it, Brittany.”
Chapter Sixteen
Brittany’s thoughts always seemed to be centered on Thorn Stoddard. She was not sorry she had written him the note, and she was glad that he had believed her, because if Thorn had come to her, she had little doubt she would have given in to him—and that must not happen.
Now she only saw him from a distance. Even from across the deck of the Victorious, she could feel his eyes on her. But she did not go to him, and he did not approach her.
Their parting had been inevitable, for their future lay in different directions. But that did not keep Brittany from reliving the night she had found brief happiness in Thorn’s arms and wishing she could be with him again.
She kept busy nursing Achmed, who was growing stronger each day. Now that he was feeling so much better, it was difficult to keep him in bed.
It was almost sundown as Brittany walked along the deck, pausing to stare out at the glorious sunset. She knew the voyage was coming to an end because she could see graceful sea birds floating on the warm currents of wind, indicating they must be getting close to landfall.
She was feeling sad and melancholy as she glanced down at the water breaking against the sides of the Victorious. For several weeks, this vessel had been home to her, and soon she would be cast into the unknown. After she went ashore, she would never see Thorn Stoddard again.
If only fate had been a little kinder, if only she had been born just an ordinary girl from America, then perhaps she and Thorn would have had a future together. Perhaps then he would have respected her enough to offer her marriage, rather than asking her to be his mistress.
As if her thinking about him had conjured him up, Thorn’s shadow fell across Brittany’s face. She raised her head and looked into his eyes, wishing she could tell what he was thinking, but as usual, his eyes gave nothing away.
“We will reach Charleston Harbor in two days,” he said, gripping the railing and watching the dying rays of sunlight reflect off Brittany’s ebony hair. “I thought you would like to know.”
“Yes, I thought as much.” Her eyes probed his. “Will I ever see you again?”
He was silent for a moment. Then he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “That is up to you, Brittany—it always has been.”
“You mean if I will consent to be your mistress?”
“Crudely put,” he said, avoiding her eyes. “But an apt affirmation.”
“How would you word your offer to me without being crude?”
“I would invite you to be my companion, whenever we both felt like it. I would take care of you and see that you wanted for nothing.”
Her anger had been tapped by his arrogance. “Would you introduce me to your family and friends as your companion of convenience?”
He swung his gaze aro
und to her. “No,” he said flatly. “But not for the reasons you might think. I would never want my family to intrude on my life with you.”
She shook her head. “You will have no life with me, Captain Stoddard.”
Thorn was not accustomed to being denied anything by a woman, but this was no ordinary woman. The green emerald she wore about her neck would purchase and outfit a ship like the Victorious. She had lived in a palace where she had been pampered like a princess. She had been the light of the Grand Vizier’s eye, and had been desired by a sultan. What could he offer her that she could not have a hundred times over with Lord Simijin? He had hoped she could come to him because she wanted to be with him, but that had not been the case.
“I can see that you belong to Lord Simijin. I know he can offer you more than I, but you will forgive my foolish pride for wrongly assuming you liked being with me.”
Now her anger was foremost in her mind. He had insulted her at every turn: First by offering to make her his mistress, rather than a wife, and now by hinting that she wanted only the material things Simijin could give her.
She fought to control her voice as she spoke to him. “In a way, I shall always belong to Simijin.” Pain throbbed in her voice. “He has always been very kind to me, and I owe him that much.”
Thorn’s eyes moved across her face, and there was tension in his expression, and a clipped edge to his voice. “You will want to have your belongings gathered together so you can be ready to disembark when we come into port, Brittany.”
“Yes.”
“You may want to put up for a few days in Charleston since Achmed is not well enough to be jostled around on rough roads. Once he is well enough, I will have Cappy make travel arrangements to Philadelphia.”
Her eyes fastened on the laces that crisscrossed his snowy-white shirt. Then she lowered her lashes, fearing he would be able to read the hurt and bewilderment in her expression. “Two days is enough time to pack what I brought with me. You need not be concerned that I will inconvenience you in any way.”
He gave her a curt nod and moved away, his back straight and his head held high. She wanted to call him back and tell him she would do anything to be with him, but she could not do that. She must go to Philadelphia as she had been instructed.
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