Rising, he quickly washed and dressed and made his way down to his guests’ quarters. It was silent inside, which he took to be a good sign. Still, he needed to see how Lily fared so that he might plan his day.
Raising his knuckles, he knocked lightly on the door. He didn’t hear anything for a moment and then Rose called out, “Yes?” At least he thought it was Rose. Her voice was rather hoarse.
“I’ve come to check on Lily. I wanted to know if we needed to dock or if we could continue.”
He heard feet hit the floor and then the door crack open. Rose stood before him in a nightshift, her hair loosely braided, her feet bare, her skin pink from sleep. He curled his hands into fists, wanting to reach out and pull her close.
“Whatever that concoction was, it settled her stomach. Then, as the boat slowed its role, she fell asleep,” Rose murmured, leaning against the door, her eyes only half open. “I think she’s fine to continue.”
Colin reached out and cupped her cheek, unable to keep from touching her. She leaned into his hand. “We should reach Blackpool by tonight, where we’ll stop fer the evening.” He winced as he stepped closer. “I ken I promised ye dinner off the boat, but I think it’ll be a bit late tonight by the time we actually arrive.”
She gave him a soft, sleepy smile. He wanted to kiss those lips, her heavy eyelids, her pink cheeks. She inched the door a bit wider. “That’s all right. I’m sure we can have our meal together soon. It will be nice to have one where I’m not completely consumed by my stew, like our last together at the inn.”
He gave a quiet chuckle. He was drawn to her whenever they were together and he found himself bending closer. “Perhaps we can have dinner together here on the ship?” He didn’t intend to do it but he found himself hooking her waist with his other hand. Without clothes underneath her shift, his hand fit into her natural waist as though it were made for him.
“I’d like that,” she answered as she placed her palms on his chest.
“Good.” Bending down, he kissed the spot just under her earlobe and she shivered in his arms. “We’ve an important topic to discuss.”
She stiffened, her body moving away from his. “We do.”
He brought his thumb over and across her lips. “I look forward to tonight.”
“As do I,” she said, relaxing again, then gripped his shirt. “I can’t begin to thank you, Colin, though I’d like to try.”
He kissed her neck again, sliding his lips a little further down. “There is no need.” How did he explain that just holding her was enough? More than he’d ever thought he’d receive in his life.
“But,” she started.
Feet on the ship ladder interrupted the moment. Reluctantly, Colin backed away, pulling the door tighter in so that whoever was coming down below deck wouldn’t catch sight of Rose. “No buts. We’ll talk more tonight.”
She nodded. “Tonight.” Then she closed the door the rest of the way.
Colin made his way up to the deck, his thoughts turning in his mind. Whenever he was with her, he could see no other path than marriage. But whenever he stepped away…he remembered what he was taking from her.
Shamus approached, his wide-legged sailor strut honed after years of being on deck. “I heard one of them little fillies were sick.”
Colin gave a nod. “The pitching of the storm didn’t agree with her.”
“Which one was it? Not the little thief?”
Colin shushed him. “No. Not Daisy.”
Shamus crinkled his brow. “And not the lady ye like?”
“Who said I liked her?” He straightened, giving Shamus a fierce glare. Not that the man cared. Years at sea had made him impervious to almost anything.
He laughed instead. “Please. She could mold ye into any shape she wished. Ye let a thief go with barely a word of reprimand. Not that I’m complaining. I’d have done the same most likely but fer different reasons.”
Colin rubbed the back of his neck. “Ye’ve got me there. But I shouldn’t like her. Even though she’s down on her luck, she’s a high-born lady and I’m destined to be a sea captain fer the rest of my life.” He’d stayed up late into the night as the sea had pitched the boat back and forth, tallying columns and adding numbers. He knew what a farm would cost and it would take him another decade to save enough. And that was without a wife and children to care for. If he married, it would likely mean he’d have to continue sailing for a long time.
Shamus slapped his shoulder. “That lady is a gift to ye and ye should never squander a gift like that.”
“How does yer wife handle yer absence from home?” Colin was truly curious. From what he could tell, Shamus had been happily married for years.
“Well, she puts me to work whenever I get back.” He gave Colin a wink. “We like to say our love is so strong, doesn’t matter where we are. It still binds us together.”
Colin stared down the hall, his thoughts drifting far away. Could that actually be true? Was there hope for him after all? He shook his head. He had a hard time believing that his ending could be happy. Life had taught him otherwise.
Chapter Eight
Rose wiped the sweat from her brow. “I have to do what with the dough?”
“Fold it,” Cook said for the third time as though that explained everything. Plus, his voice grew continually more irritated with each repetition.
How did one fold dough? It sat in a ball in front of her, taunting her with its complete roundness. Cook nudged her out of the way and began working the ball into a flat circle then, poof, he folded it and began working it out again. “Do ye understand now, lass?”
“In theory,” she murmured along with a deep sigh. “This was Daisy’s plan. I should have known it would end in disaster.”
He chuckled. “Penchant fer trouble? From what little I’ve heard, that sounds about right.”
“How long until dinner?” she asked, staring at the food in front of her. She’d been attempting to make meat pies. What a disaster.
“Two hours yet,” he answered, rolling the dough out again. Sweat trickled down his face.
“Two hours to make something edible.” Her own brow was growing moist.
He made a face, scrunching his eyes. “We could just tell him you made the meal. I’ll keep it secret if ye will.”
Rose inwardly groaned. Was her cooking so bad that he’d actually be willing to lie to his boss to get her out of his kitchen? “But what happens if he agrees to marry me and then realizes I can’t cook?”
Cook stopped rolling and turned to her. “Is that why yer cooking?” He squinted one eye, giving her a careful assessment. Taking several seconds, he finally turned back to the dough. “The trick is to roll in every direction, even around the edges.” He slowed his hands, carefully showing her the technique. Then he handed her the rolling pin and watched as she worked. “Good. That’s much better.”
Rose nodded as she pushed the circle wider. Then Cook spooned some of the filling into the middle, showing her how to fold and crimp the edges. When the pie was finished, it looked…edible. She let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
Cook grabbed another ball of dough and quickly rolled out several more. “I’ll roll, ye fold and crimp.” Then he began talking. “It’s marvelous ye want to learn to cook fer him. Shows that yer willing to work fer the relationship.”
She paused, a large spoonful of meat filling balancing on the end of the utensil. “Thank you.”
“But a woman such as yerself needn’t go to such lengths.”
People kept saying that. “But then how do I convince him I’m a good choice?”
Cook winked at her. “Do yer hair up pretty and let me finish the pies. If ye ask me, ye tell him how much ye like him. How strong and handsome he is. Things like that. Men love to be needed. We’re providers, ye ken.”
She shook her head. “So it is down to finishing school after all…” That actually made her relax. Those were lessons she knew. “But what if that isn’t enough?”
Rose bit her lip as she kept filling pies. Could she win him over? Her stomach fluttered with anticipation. To her, he was already more than just a way out of their situation. Her feelings were becoming involved. Daisy had called him a do-gooder. But to her, he was the sort of man a woman would be lucky to call a husband. A man whom she could love.
Her spoon stopped again as her eyes grew wider. It couldn’t be. She hadn’t fallen in love in the middle of all this had she? She gave a tiny groan. What if he didn’t wish to marry her? She’d have to move on and find someone else. How could she do that if she were in love with another man?
Coming to Scotland to settle with her aunt was a far-fetched plan at best, it had just been their only hope and a temporary solution. She’d have to marry soon regardless. She clutched the spoon as she tipped the filling into the pie crust.
“Rose,” Colin’s deep voice rumbled from the door. “What are you doing in here?”
She spun about, her messy spoon still in her hand. To her complete horror, sticky meat flew from the tip, hitting his jacket with an actual thud. Then the greasy material began sliding down his front, leaving a trail on the otherwise-impeccable coat.
Colin watched the lump fall and took a quick step back to keep his pants clean. At least that is what Rose assumed. “Oh Captain,” she cried, dropping the spoon on the counter and racing over with a towel. “I am so sorry.”
She began dabbing at his chest, aware of the hard muscles underneath his clothes. While her own awareness grew, she did little to improve the state of his clothing. “Rose, it’s all right, I’ll—”
“Don’t move,” she gasped, turning back around. “Do you have vinegar, Cook? Just a little will do. I’ll mix it with water.”
“Good thinking, lass.” Cook said, reaching for the bottle to his right. She grabbed a bowl and a ladle of water from the barrel and added a splash of vinegar.
Then, turning back to Colin, who hadn’t moved a bit, she began to work out the stain. She kept scrubbing down his front, noting that his muscles continued from his chest to his abdomen. She scooted lower, dropping to her knees. Her own skin grew warmer as her fingers moved below his waistline. “Rose,” he growled out, making a throaty sound deep in his chest. “I’ll finish cleaning the coat myself.”
“Oh, sorry,” she said as she looked up at him, still down on the floor.
He returned her gaze, his crinkled as though he were in pain. “No need to apologize,” he pushed out through clenched teeth.
“Did I hurt you? Was I scrubbing too hard?”
The cook made a noise behind her somewhere between a snort and choke. Colin closed his eyes, a vein in his neck bulging. “No lass, ye didn’t hurt me.” Then he bent down and reached for her elbow, pulling her up to standing. The jerking motion sent the bowl of water and vinegar sloshing about, splashing them both.
“Oh,” she cried, staring at his soaked jacket. “What a mess.”
He reached for the bowl and pulled it from her hands and tossed it on the counter. For a split second, his hand left her elbow but then he wrapped it about her waist and pulled her from the kitchen into the dark hall.
Rose had never been that far into the boat but he swung open a door in front of them, and guided her through, closing it behind them again. They were clearly in the storage hull, crates around them everywhere. But before she could take stock of her surroundings, she found herself pressed against his chest, his face buried in her neck. “Rose,” he ground out, sounding as pained as he looked. “What am I going to do with ye?”
“Umm,” she started, wrapping her arms about his waist. “I suppose you could just marry me?”
He laughed into her neck, the vibrations from his lips sending a tingling sensation coursing all through her. “That does seem the most likely option.”
“Does it?” She relaxed further into the embrace, her body pressing to his, from shoulder to hip. That’s when she felt the hard press of his manhood against her lower stomach. Her body tightened in response.
He slid a hand down her back, cupping her behind and pressing her closer. “I’m not going to kiss you.”
Disappointment and curiosity wriggled down her spine. “Why?”
He groaned into her neck. “Ye touching me like that. I can’t…” He stopped.
She parted her lips, surprised. Daisy and Lily had also been right. Touching and kissing him was doing the trick. And she might need some tricks now that her heart was involved. She couldn’t allow him to slip away.
She gently eased back, but not to move out of his grasp. Instead, Rose touched her nose to his. “I trust you to take care of me no matter what.”
His warm breath blew across her face for a moment before his lips captured hers in a searing kiss. This was not the tender touches that they’d shared, rather, as he slid her lips open and brushed his tongue against hers, passion licked at her insides. She pressed closer, tilting her chin higher to give him better access. She didn’t want anyone else ever…she wanted him. And if life had taught her anything these past few months, she may as well try and reach out to grab what she wanted before it slipped away. Wrapping her arms tighter about his neck, she pressed into his body, touching her tongue to his. This was the life she wanted and now was the time to prove it.
* * *
Colin’s body was ablaze, his mind a haze of desire as Rose pressed closer to him, kissing him back with a passion that stole his every thought. Almost.
Two remained. The first was that he’d do nearly anything to keep kissing her and the second, that he should let her go. She deserved better.
But what she deserved and what she’d get were two different paths and he once again rationalized that he was better than the alternative. With that in mind, he held her close, kissing her until they were both breathless and he’d managed to silence the doubts. At least for the moment.
He let go of her waist with one of his hands and grabbed a crate behind Rose. It was large, hip height on him, which suited his needs perfectly.
Cupping her rear, Colin lifted her to sit on the crate, her legs naturally coming around him as his cock nestled against the juncture of her thighs. He groaned, half in pleasure and half in frustration at the layers of clothes between them.
“Colin,” she rasped, the breathy sound of her voice near driving him mad. “I need…” Her voice trailed off as her lips met his again and then again.
“Ye need what?” he asked between kisses.
“I need to tell you that…” She kissed him several more times. “That I want…”
What did she want? Him? Freedom? “What do ye want?” He began trailing kisses down her neck. Her pulse raised in her throat as his lips slid lower. By contrast, his hands were roving higher, along her waist, over her chest until they cupped her breasts, softly kneading the flesh as her nipples peaked in his hands. He nearly exploded from longing as her head tipped further back.
“It feels like…” She licked her lips and his cock throbbed rock hard. “Like you’re kneading dough.”
He pulled back a bit, his mind trying to process what she’d just said. “Dough? Is that what we’re talking about?” Then his mind cleared a bit. “Why were ye in the kitchen? Ye’re supposed to stay in yer room.”
Her head tipped back and her half-lidded gaze nearly made him forget the question. “I wanted to cook for you. Prove I could be a good wife.”
That cleared his head. “Good wife? Rose, that was never in question.”
Her body was so yielding under his and she leaned back as he followed so that his weight came down on top of hers. Naturally, he thrust forward making them both moan in pleasure at the contact between them.
“What’s your hesitation then?”
How could he express it now? Cradled as he was in her warmth. “I travel all the time. Ye’d resent that.
Ye were meant to be a wife of leisure not the woman of a working man.”
Her arms wrapped tighter about his neck. “You misunderstand men of leisure.” And she kissed him again. There was something different in her touch, stronger, more sure. “They spend large amounts of time off doing leisurely things that have nothing to do with their families. At least you’d be working.”
That made him pause and he looked down at her. Damn, she was beautiful. “Ye should be with one of them.”
“Why?” She gave her head a small shake, her features relaxed, her small smile, gentle. “I’d rather be with you.”
Those words stripped away whatever willpower he had to resist. He shouldn’t take her but he was going to, the consequences be damned.
“Hey,” Cook called, banging on the door. “Ye’ve taken my assistant.”
Colin stood, glaring at the closed door. An interruption now was most…fortunate. Much as he hated to let her go, he should. “I was worried about ye roaming amongst the sailors, but apparently the only danger to ye is me.”
She let out a giggle. “This wasn’t dangerous, it was delightful.”
He rumbled deep in his throat. “Meet me fer dinner at six and bring yer sisters.” He couldn’t be trusted alone with her. Then he pulled her to standing, straightening out her clothes. “I’ll take ye back to yer room. Cook will have to finish dinner on his own.”
She raised her brows, a grin playing about her lips. “You don’t trust me with meat filling?”
He drew in a long breath. “I don’t trust myself.” Then, with his hand at her back, he reached for the door. “Tonight, we’ll have a family meeting.”
“Family meeting?” she asked, her hand coming to his chest. “What does that mean?”
He winked. “I’ll explain when ye arrive.” Colin leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. Those kisses had ruined his ability to reason. He’d surely regret them later.
Chapter Nine
A Highlander to Have and to Hold: Brides of Scotland Page 5