Moira adjusted her head to look up at him as she tried to understand what he was and wasn’t telling her. “What do you mean ‘those kinds of implements?’ Have you not used those very ones before?”
“No, I haven’t. Women in Ireland and Scotland aren’t usually so adventurous with such things. Lusty and hungry, but few are prepared for that kind of unknown.”
“Then why do you have them? Saving them for when someone would agree? Am I the first to?”
“Aye. Moira, you may be the only one. I can’t imagine sharing with another woman what I just did with you. It was my wildest dreams come true.”
“I never imagined such things, so I can’t say that I’ve dreamed of it before.” Moira’s lips twitched until she offered Kyle a broad grin. “But I suspect I will every night from now on.”
They laid in silence as they both luxuriated in the afterglow of their time together, but something Kyle said lingered in Moira’s mind. She mulled it over, but she couldn’t accept her interpretation.
What did he mean, I may be the only one? Surely, he isn’t suddenly going to stop tupping women once I’m gone, and I don’t think he’s suddenly going to change what he enjoys. There must be another woman on the British Isles who would enjoy the devices too. I can’t be the only one.
“What are you thinking about, sweet one?” Kyle’s voice broke through Moira’s thoughts. If he’d said anything else, they might lull her to sleep.
“I was thinking about what you said. I can’t imagine how I’ll be the only one you use those with,” Moira stated. Kyle rolled toward her, so she laid flat on her back. He kissed her lips, but only for a moment before trailing kisses along her cheekbone to her jaw, then down her neck, to the hollow at its base. He dropped a light kiss on each nipple, the skin starting to flatten.
“I think you’ll be the only one because no one and nothing can compare to what’s passed between us in such a short time. Moira, you’re not my captive. I won’t force you to stay aboard, and I won’t set you adrift. Wherever you wish to go, I will take you. But if you wish to remain here with me, I welcome you to stay. I’ve made clear to you my predilections, and no, you aren’t the first woman to experience them. But I don’t know that I can share what we just did with anyone else. I fear I would only think of you, only be disappointed.”
Moira lay still as she listened to Kyle. She recognized it would be far easier for him to find a woman willing to share such sexual acts than it would be for her to find a man who would. He need only walk into a tavern and plunk down coins. But she could never ask a man, a husband, to do such things. Even Aidan wasn’t a man she could imagine suggesting such things to. He might enjoy it, but she could never bring herself to mention it. Kyle understood her on an elemental level when it came to her physical needs. She had no idea if they could live together in the tiny cabin or even aboard his ship, but she was in no hurry to end their liaison. She could think of only one solution for when he tired of having her aboard.
“When you no longer wish for me to sail with you, I will find a cottage somewhere near the coast,” Moira began as she trailed her fingers over a scar on his shoulder. “I shall say I’m a widow who doesn’t wish to marry again. When you wish to visit me, if you do, my door will always be open, and my bed will always welcome you.”
“Is that what you wish? A cottage instead of a cabin?” Kyle’s chest tightened, and the ache made it painful to breathe. He feared Moira’s answer, and he berated himself for being a fool for caring.
“Only once you wish for me to leave,” Moira answered.
“And if I don’t? If I want you to stay?” Kyle murmured.
“How about we not worry about making a plan for the future quite yet? You can find other women, Kyle, who will enjoy what you do, or at least accept what you want. I won’t find a man who I can ask to do to me what you’ve done in a sennight. I suspect there is still plenty more for you to teach me. I would experience it all, enjoy it, create happy memories that will sustain me when we do part company.”
Kyle’s chest still ached. Her words did nothing to ease the pain, the fear. “But you do expect to leave me.”
“I expect little, Kyle. But I anticipate there will be a time when you grow tired of me,” Moira corrected.
“Why? Why do you think that?” Kyle demanded.
“Because if you wanted a woman at your side, you’d already have one,” Moira retorted. Kyle rolled over Moira once again, this time straddling her hips. He grasped her wrists and pulled her arms over her head. When she didn’t wince, he tightened his grip, pinning her in place.
“Did it not occur to you that I hadn’t found a woman I wanted until you? Did it occur to you that I may never want to let you go? Would you stay with me?”
Moira gazed into eyes the color of Irish grass after a storm. She arched her back, pressing her body against Kyle’s. She prayed he saw the willingness, the acceptance in her eyes. She felt his length pulse against her mound, and she stirred restlessly. She whispered, “Kyle, keep me as your captive. Keep me as your mistress. Just please keep me.”
Kyle released a ragged breath and shifted until he slid into her sheath. Neither moved, Kyle’s cock pulsing within Moira’s sheath. Still clasping her wrists in one hand, he cupped her cheek with the other. Their kiss was soft and languid, their bodies at rest. This wasn’t about seeking pleasure, domination and submission. It was about both of them surrendering.
“I wish I could fall asleep with us like this,” Moira said wistfully.
“I won’t move away if you don’t want me to,” Kyle assured her.
“May I embrace you, Capt’n?” Moira kept her eyes cast down. They drifted closed when Kyle kissed her forehead and released her wrists. She wrapped her arms around him as Kyle settled with his head on the pillow just above her shoulder. He still kept much of his weight off her. He would grant her wish, any wish, then sleep beside her once he was sure she slumbered.
Moira suspected Kyle’s intentions stemmed from the aftereffects of such a cataclysmic coupling. She didn’t expect his feelings to remain so sure, but she prayed they would. She wanted to remain with him. She had nowhere else to go, nor did she want to find anywhere else to go. The connection they shared while they lay in one another’s arms was unlike anything she imagined she could share with a man. She hadn’t experienced it with Aidan, and she’d believed she would remain unwed for so many years, that she’d given up hope. She certainly couldn’t envision such a situation if she married Dermot O’Malley.
Moira shifted beneath Kyle, and they both groaned as the feel of their bodies still joined sparked a fresh wave of need. Kyle looked down at Moira, and she nodded. He moved slowly within her. There was no frenzy; neither was in control. They pressed together as they gazed into one another’s eyes. When Moira’s release radiated from her core, it wasn’t a blaze that scorched her but a toasty fire that warmed her from end to end. Kyle slipped from her, his cock resting against her mound, the friction continuing as he rocked against her until he climaxed, and she followed. Just as he had the first time they coupled for their mutual pleasure, he wiped his cock and joined them once more. They both sighed, but there was a sense of regret.
“Kyle, if we did put ashore near any open fields or even wooded areas, I should be able to gather pennyroyal,” Moira said tentatively.
“What do you need that for?” Kyle’s brow furrowed.
“Made into a tea, it should keep me from conceiving if you spill in me,” Moira said tentatively.
“Should?” Kyle asked.
“Aye. Aidan—well, I just made sure to be careful since he—” Moira hated admitting this to Kyle. She wished there was no past to tell.
“Moira, it was before I knew you. I don’t fault you for your past. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable telling me things, sharing things that matter to you,” Kyle reassured.
“I know. I just spent so many years never discussing it. And I know you don’t like him. I don’t particularly like him.�
�
“How do you know that?”
“When you visited last year, and Sean came running into the Great Hall claiming Ruairí was his da, I saw the murderous look you gave Aidan. I knew you hadn’t seen me before that visit because I kept out of sight during meals, but I always watched from beneath the stairs or from the kitchen door. I saw how you avoided him, giving him a wide berth,” Moira explained.
“That is true, but I don’t begrudge you your past,” Kyle clarified.
Moira nodded. “I also know because I told Lizzie that she should use it. She was with child after Sean. More than once until I told her she should drink it before rather than after. It can prevent a woman from conceiving, but it can also rid a woman’s body of a bairn.”
“Is it guaranteed?”
“Nay. I suppose nothing besides not coupling is guaranteed,” Moira admitted.
“But you would take the chance of me siring a bairn with you?” Kyle asked as he lay still.
“I—I might. Perhaps I have it on hand if we accept the risk,” Moira hedged.
“We’re anchored in a cove. There is a path that leads to a meadow on the cliffs. I will take you in the morning if you still want,” Kyle offered.
“I will,” Moira said decisively. They looked at one another for the space of several breaths before Kyle inched onto his side, once more pulling Moira into his embrace before they fell asleep.
Sixteen
Moira awoke feeling deliciously warm, with a brawny arm slung over her waist. No light filtered into the cabin, so she knew it wasn’t quite morning. She considered all that transpired the night before; she started to really take in everything that had happened since she fled Dunluce.
I get woken up in the middle of the night and told I need to run away. I do, only to spend three days at sea and have pirates attack us. What were the chances a pirate I know would raid us? A pirate I’ve found devastatingly handsome and dreamed of coupling with since the first time I saw him? I never imagined he’d find me attractive. I can only assume it’s because I’m the only woman available. But he’s said little things here and there that make me think it’s more than that. But how can it be? I’m doubting how he feels, but how do I feel? What am I doing not trying to escape? Why don’t I escape? Why do I have more questions than answers?
He could tire of me at any time, and then what? He dumps me ashore somewhere. I’m already supposed to be at the O’Driscolls. Do they know? Are they expecting me? Can I get Kyle to take me to Senga and Ruairí? Shite. I don’t want to leave Kyle. No man has ever made me feel like Kyle does. Not even Aidan.
Moira shifted to look at Kyle.
Has he sent someone to the O’Malleys? Would he send me to Dermot for a ransom? I can’t imagine why he would. He wouldn’t get enough for me to make it worth it. We’re close enough to them that he could have already taken me ashore. I just don’t know. The only thing I understand better about Kyle at this point is how he likes to bed his women. His women? Don’t fool yourself, Moira. You’re his mistress, and you don’t mind in the least. Why would I mind when I’m enjoying myself? Maybe one day I will end up married to a man I can’t stand. At least I’ll look back at my time here and remember the way Kyle made me feel. But… I need to go back to sleep. I won’t figure anything out now. I’m just going to confuse myself more.
Moira yawned as she nestled closer to Kyle, but she nearly jumped out of her skin when he kissed her forehead. She hadn’t realized that he was awake.
“You grew restless. What are you thinking about?” Kyle’s groggy voice filled her ear.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” Moira whispered.
“I’m a light sleeper. What’s bothering you?” Kyle pressed. Moira remained quiet, uncertain how to tell Kyle any of her thoughts without revealing more than she was ready to tell. Kyle’s hand roamed over her breasts, then tweaked her nipple. Hard. Her nipples were still sore from the clamps, so the sensitive skin reacted immediately. Need bolted from Moira’s breast to her core. “You still don’t trust me, Moira.” Kyle murmured.
Kyle kissed along her neck as he shifted until he could suckle her breast. He was ravenous as he drew her flesh into his mouth, sucking over and over as Moira squirmed. Moira struggled to speak between gasps. “And you’re still manipulating me with pleasure.”
Kyle’s head lifted from her breast. “No. I’m showing you that I’ll tend to your needs.”
“My physical needs. Will you hold my release hostage again if I don’t tell you what you wish to hear?” Moira’s arousal was fading as she realized Kyle’s tactic. He moved across her and left the bunk in search of the candle and flint. Once it was lit, he returned to the bed and slid next to her. He realized that he’d slept on the inside more than once, and he remonstrated himself for being so careless. He should have slept closer to the edge and the door in case he needed his sword to protect Moira. He was so used to having the bunk to himself that he hadn’t thought of which side he should sleep on. “Kyle? You’re not even listening.”
“I am, Moira. But I admit I’m distracted.”
“By my breasts?”
“They are highly distracting, but no.” Kyle shook his head as he glanced at where his sword rested at the foot of the bed.
“Now you won’t tell me what you’re thinking because I won’t share my thoughts. You’re still manipulating me.” Moira sighed and tried to roll away from Kyle.
“I was thinking how stupid I was not to notice that I left you unguarded by sleeping on the other side of the bed. I wouldn’t be able to get out of bed fast enough to protect you if we’re attacked,” Kyle confessed. Moira’s brow furrowed as she considered what Kyle said. She glanced at him, then his sword, then the door. A shiver of fear slid down her spine. “Moira, I don’t want to just take care of your physical pleasure. I know I need to learn how, but I would see to more than just bringing you to climax.”
“Why?” Moira blurted.
“Because—” Kyle paused as he thought about why this seemed so urgent. “Because I want you to trust me. The only people whose trust really matters to me are Keith and Ruairí. I suppose Rowan by extension. The men trust me to provide for them, but they would do that with any captain. It’s not me personally that they have confidence in. I don’t know why it matters so much, but I think I want you to trust me because of what I want to do with and to you.”
“You mean those implements,” Moira clarified.
“Not exactly. There are things I’ve heard of but never tried before. I’d like to explore them with you, but for us to both enjoy it, I need you to trust me. It needs to go beyond you knowing I won’t force you, or purposely harm you,” Kyle explained.
Moira listened to Kyle, considering how much she did trust him. She welcomed the love play, but she’d known from the start it was more than that. She accepted his punishment because she wanted it. Moira realized she trusted Kyle more than she thought because she’d relinquished control to him and trusted him not to take advantage of that. She wanted to follow his rules; she wanted to please him in ways beyond just bringing him to climax. She’d done all of that just from her own intuition, and Kyle hadn’t abused his position. He tried to wheedle information from her, and she felt manipulated at times, but he’d never denied his intentions or his methods.
“I think I already do,” Moira whispered. She frowned for a moment before speaking more clearly. “When you sent me to the corner, I didn’t enjoy it. I could have sat on the bed or the floor while you were gone. I could have slept in the bed. I did none of those things. Instead, I thought about how I disappointed you; how my rebelliousness made me feel worse, not better. When I call you Capt’n, it’s because I want you to be in command of me. When Dónal issued orders to me and forced me to call him Chieftain, I wanted to gut him. But when you do it, I don’t fear you taking advantage of me or maliciously wielding your power. I suppose it’s why I haven’t thought about escaping.”
“Moira, you say you want to stay, but if you wish fo
r me to take you somewhere, I won’t begrudge your decision.”
“The plan was for me to go to Fionn O’Driscoll, then on to Barra,” Moira stated. She waited for regret to set in now that she had revealed the information, but she felt none. Keeping the secret didn’t seem so important once she shared it.
“Was it your request to go to Senga and Ruairí?” Kyle asked, fearing Moira would answer with the affirmative.
“No. I told you, the clan councilmen showed up in the middle of the night saying they had devised the plan to take me to Baltimore and then have the O’Driscolls take me to Barra. I had no part in the plan.” Moira had a sudden thought. “Kyle, I didn’t tell you not because I don’t trust you. I didn’t tell you because I don’t want to go to either place. I mean, in the beginning I didn’t tell you because I was too scared. But I’ve refused to tell you until now because I don’t want you to send me away.”
“Because you’re having too much fun?” Kyle asked without a trace of humor.
“Kyle, I’m telling you I want to stay aboard a pirate ship and face God knows what future because I’m onboard with you. Maybe most of my reason is because I want to couple with you, because desire is overruling reason. Maybe it’s something more. I haven’t a bluidy clue. But nothing is making me want to run.”
“What I haven’t told you may,” Kyle muttered. Moira’s cool fingers brushed against his bristled cheek. She strained to kiss him, keeping it light and short.
“I haven’t said no to anything.”
“But everyone has their limits, sweet one. I may ask for what goes beyond yours,” Kyle said dubiously.
“How will you know if you don’t ask?” Moira pointed out.
“You’ve seen all but one of my devices. But I wish for you to—I wish to restrain you while I spank you,” Kyle blurted.
Moira nodded as she considered what Kyle might be envisioning. She glanced at the hook in the ceiling before looking back at Kyle.
“Yes, that is one way I wish to do it. I also wish to take you from behind while you’re suspended from the hook.”
The Red Drifter of the Sea: A Steamy Opposites Attract Pirate Romance (Pirates of the Isles Book 3) Page 13