Lady Overton's Perilous Journey (Honorable Rogue Book 1)

by Vikki Vaught

Anissa was an alluring woman, and the more time he spent with her, the stronger his attraction grew. What with all those glorious golden curls hanging down her back and her generous curves, his desire for her had sent shock waves to his loins, stronger than he had felt in many a long year. In fact, he could not remember the last time he had felt such strong desire for a woman.

  Of course, whether he ever made love to her or not, he would be willing to help her. As a gentleman, he could do no less. His code of honor demanded that he assist her. The example his father had set for him growing up, taught him to protect women. Up until Pamela had shattered all his dreams of love and romance, his fondest desire had been to marry and have a family of his own. While he could never trust any woman with his heart again, he would still protect a woman in Anissa’s predicament.

  Finishing his brandy, he stood and stretched. Since he would need to relieve Lawson in four hours, he undressed and crawled into bed. Even though tired, he did not immediately fall asleep. He kept imagining Anissa lying under him and him thrusting into her as she wrapped her slender legs around his hips, pulling him into her depths.

  As he continued to lie there fantasizing, his cock grew painfully hard. Closing his eyes, he stroked himself, imagining the feel of her tight sheath clinching his hard shaft while he drove deeper and deeper. Soon he was in a frenzy as his release built. His strokes grew faster and finally, he came in one of the most powerful climaxes he had ever experienced while taking himself in hand. He slumped back against his pillows as all the tension left his body and fell into an exhausted, yet very sated sleep.

  At four o’clock in the morning, someone pounded on his door, waking him from a deep sleep. He jumped out of bed, grabbed his breeches, and pulled them on. By the swaying of the ship under his feet, he realized they must have traveled into a storm. He dashed to his door and threw it open. His boatswain stood in the doorway with worry written across his face.

  Saluting, Elmer said, “Captain, we’ve run int’ a powerful storm, and I fear our foresail may be in danger o’ comin’ apart. I’ve got th’ men workin’ on it. I knew ya’d want t’ take a look at th’ damage.”

  “I’ll come up as soon as I’m dressed. Inform Lawson I’m on my way.” After Elmer left, he threw on a shirt and grabbed his oilskin jacket, then ran out of his cabin, then up the companionway, bursting through the hatch and out on the deck. The turbulent seas tossed the ship around as if it were a small fishing boat. Waves crashed over the sides, drenching the deck. Fighting against the wind and rain, Alex struggled up to the bridge and took over for Lawson, then sent him to help his boatswain.

  With the helm in his hands, Alex tried to steer them away from the storm. The fierce wind and rain bombarded the side of the ship. His muscles taut, he kept his footing as the rollicking deck moved beneath his boots. The jacket he had donned proved little protection against the fierce wind and rain. His drenched shirt clung to his body while the spray from the raging ocean mingled with the rain. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the bridge as thunder boomed in the distance.

  The ship veered to the left and he pulled sharply, righting the ship. He continued to battle the storm for hours, and finally, at the break of dawn, the storm died down, and the rain slowed to a steady drizzle. His arms trembled from the strain he had put on them while battling the storm. Once he had steered the ship out of danger, Lawson relieved him, and he went to assess the damage.

  Fortunately, the foresail held, and it only needed minor repairs. The rest of the ship managed to make it through without any serious damage. He was proud of his crew. They pulled together and were the reason the ship made it through with so little damage. Going down to the hull, he checked for any leakage and found none. After checking on the cargo and making sure his horse had weathered the storm all right, he headed to Anissa’s cabin to see how she and her son had fared.

  Knocking on her door, Alex heard her say in a weakened voice, “Who is it?”

  “It’s Captain Hawks. May I come in?” He waited for her reply, but the door opened instead. Anissa looked exhausted, her skin tinged green, yet she still looked beautiful. Oh, how he wanted to pull her into his arms.

  “Has the storm passed?” she asked, her voice strained. “I have been ill for several hours and so has Harry. The ship seems to have steadied, thank the good Lord. I take that as a good sign. Did the ship suffer any damage?”

  Alex shook his head. “Very minimal, something easily repaired. The worst of the storm has passed. You should be fine, now that the ship is no longer being tossed around. The storm actually helped us. It drove us in the right direction. We should make it to Baltimore before we’re scheduled, as long as we don’t run into any more bad weather.”

  “Thank goodness. I must say I became frightened when the ship tilted on its side. I greatly feared we were going to sink, then the ship righted itself. Were you steering when that happened?”

  “Yes. It was a close call, but I brought her around.” Noticing Anissa wore her dressing gown, he cleared his throat. “I’ll let you return to your rest. I’m glad you weathered the storm without any serious mishap. If the rain abates this afternoon, why don’t you bring Harry up on deck for some fresh air?”

  Anissa managed a smile. “I shall do that, Captain. I know Harry will be more than ready to run off some of his excess energy by then. I will see you this afternoon.”

  Alex returned her smile, then bowed. He made his way to his cabin, so he could remove his wet clothes, grateful and relieved his passengers had weathered the storm with no ill effects.

  Chapter Four

  After the captain left, Anissa straightened their belongings the storm had tossed around the cramped space. Once she finished, she checked on Harry. Finding him asleep, she lay back down to rest until he woke up.

  She could not stop thinking of the captain. It was so nice of him to come and check on them. He must have had a dozen things to do, yet he took time to make sure they had weathered the storm. She recalled his kindness from the night before and realized she had become infatuated with the captain, and that would never do. It was far too soon for her to have feelings for any man, especially one with whom she had so little in common. No, she could not allow these feelings to grow. With that resolved in her mind, she rolled over and fell asleep.

  That afternoon, it did indeed clear up, and when Anissa took Harry up on deck, she found blue skies with fluffy white clouds and the sun shining bright. The wind blew with more force than the day before, and cool blasts of air brushed across her face. Thank goodness she had dressed Harry warmly.

  The captain joined them as they strolled along the deck. Harry ran ahead, but she had no concerns when she saw him join Martin. She could count on him to keep an eye on her child.

  She breathed in the familiar tang of salt air as they strolled along. “It has certainly turned out to be a lovely day, even if it is a bit cool. The wind is still strong. I imagine it should help speed along the voyage. I want to thank you for coming to check on us this morning. You have been most kind. Harry has become a huge fan of yours.”

  He stopped and leaned against the side of the ship. “I’ve grown fond of him as well. He is a good lad and well-behaved. I must say, I’m surprised at the closeness between you and your son. I thought aristocrats don’t raise their children; that they leave it to nursemaids and governesses instead.”

  She stepped beside him and clasped the railing. “You are correct. However, I did not grow up in the highest echelons of society. My father was a country squire and we lived modestly. My mother raised my brother and me with very little help from servants. I promised myself that when I had children, I would do the same. You know, the only reason I had a London season was because my mother’s sister married a Baron and offered to bring me out.”

  He looked at her, then asked, “Was that how you met your husband? I had imagined you had one of those dynastic marriages, where each of you went your own way most of the time. At least, that was my impression fro
m what I have seen of the ton. Did you have one of those types of marriages, or did you have a love match?”

  Anissa started to grow indignant, then realized he spoke the truth. Most tonnish marriages were exactly as he had described. “Ours was definitely a love match. I met Kendall at my first ball and fell head over heels in love with him at first sight. He was well above my station, so I never expected him to notice me. I was completely taken by surprise when Kendall pursued me quite vigorously, to the shock of the upper ten thousand. Within a few months, he proposed. The ton was appalled when we married.”

  Raising a sardonic brow, he asked with cynicism dripping in his voice, “So did you stay in love after the first bloom wore off, or did you grow apart?”

  Anissa glared at him, affronted he would ask. “You, sir, are a cynic. Our love stood the test of time.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Perhaps I am, but I have good reason to be. What made your marriage different from everyone else’s?”

  Determined to wipe the disbelieving look off his face, she said, “We spent most of our time in the country, preferring it to town life. We did go to London when Parliament sat. However, we did not attend many of the balls and parties most of the ton finds so entertaining. My husband took his responsibilities to the House of Lords seriously and most of the functions we attended were political.”

  “Ah, a most unusual man. I have met a few lords like your husband must have been—not many though.”

  She rushed on, “He was different from many of his peers. While very much an aristocrat, Kendall was not high in the instep at all. Many of his ideas were quite progressive. In fact, he actually envied you Americans for your equality. He found the notion that every man and woman had the right to achieve greatness, if they so desired, appealing.”

  “I think I would have liked your husband. I imagine many of his peers must have disagreed with him on matters of reform.”

  “Definitely. My husband was a member of the Whig party and fought for aggressive reform. He supported William Wilberforce in his fight against slavery.” Then realizing from his manner of speech he could be a southerner, she asked in an appalled voice, “Do you support slavery?”

  “Definitely not,” Alex replied, his tone firm. “None of my family have ever believed in slavery. Not all Americans believe in owning other human beings, you know. Baltimore’s the largest seaport in the mid-Atlantic, so most of its citizens are involved in trade and shipping.”

  Realizing she had offended him, she said, “I apologize. I had heard many Americans, especially southerners, support slavery and have large plantations with hundreds of slaves to run them. I can see I have much to learn regarding your country.”

  He smiled as he moved away from the railing. “I can see you’re as much of a reformer as your late husband. I think many of our views are similar. Well, as enjoyable as this has been, I need to relieve Lawson at the helm. Would you care to join me for dinner again tonight so we can continue our discussion?”

  “How delightful, Captain. I look forward to seeing you then. I think I shall retrieve Harry from your very patient cabin boy and retire to my cabin. I promised my son I would read more of Robinson Crusoe to him. Thank you for your time this afternoon, it has been pleasant. I shall see you at dinner.”

  Watching Captain Hawks make his way to the bridge, Anissa could not help allowing her eyes to roam over his broad shoulders, which tapered down to a slim waist, narrow hips, and taut buttocks. His bulging thighs filled out the white breeches he wore in a most tempting way. The man exuded power and strength. When desire pooled in her nether regions, heat rushed to her face. Thank goodness the brim of her bonnet hid her hot cheeks.

  This fascination with the captain had to stop. She did not want to have these feelings for him. Of course, he was the first virile man she had spent time with since her husband had died, and she had found the marriage bed more than pleasurable, to say the least. It was only natural for her to feel desire, but that did not mean she should act on it.

  Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Anissa walked over to Harry. “Darling, it is time to go down to our cabin so I can read you the rest of your book.”

  “Mama, Martin is showing me how to tie a sailor’s knot,” Harry explained. “Please let me stay with him. I have decided I want to be a cabin boy when I turn twelve, just like Martin, so I need to learn to do this.”

  Oh, goodness, this will never do.

  The time had come to have a serious talk with her son. “Young man, Martin needs to return to his duties. You would not want him to get in trouble. I’m sure he will be happy to show you more tomorrow.”

  Looking crestfallen, Harry lowered his head. “All right, Mama.” Then glancing at Martin, he said, “Thank you for showing me the knots. I hope we can continue tomorrow.”

  “Sure,” he replied, “I’ll see ya then. Your mother’s right, I do need t’ get back t’ me duties.”

  When they entered their cabin, Anissa asked Harry to sit on his berth, then took the seat under the porthole and gently smiled at him. “Son, we need to have a talk. I know you are finding this time on the ship fascinating. However, you must realize you are a marquess. You cannot be a cabin boy. While it is fine to enjoy learning about being a sailor, you must understand you have a duty to your title. Your path has been set by your birth.”

  “Mama, being a sailor is funner than being a marquess,” he cried. “Being a marquess is boring!”

  Poor Harry did not have the option of choosing how he would live his life. “Harry, listen to me. Your father took his duty to the title seriously, and you must as well. One day, you will step into his shoes and take up the mantle of those duties. That means being responsible for all your people and taking your rightful place in Parliament, so you can fight for your people as your father did.”

  Harry interrupted. “But Mama, who are my people? And what is Parliament?”

  Knowing this conversation had become too deep for her young son, Anissa tried to explain so he would understand. “Your people are all the individuals who work on your estates. Do you remember going to the tenant farms with your father? Those are the people you shall protect when you grow up. Parliament is a group of men who protect the people of England. As you grow older, I will explain further, but for now remember your papa is counting on you to follow in his footsteps.”

  Harry hung his little head in disappointment. “All right, Mama, I do want to make my papa proud. I understand why I can’t be a sailor, but I can still learn all that stuff for fun.”

  “Yes, darling, as long as you understand. Now, enough of this serious talk. Shall we see what happens to Robinson Crusoe?” Picking up the book, Anissa sat down next to her son and began to read. By the time Anissa finished the book, Harry had grown tired and lay down to take a nap.

  While he slept, Anissa worried over how she would train Harry when they were so far away from his birthright. It might be years before they could return to England, unless his uncle met with an accident and died. Lord Howard was in his mid-forties, so it was unlikely anything would happen to him any time soon.

  Harry needed a strong protector, if he were ever going to be the marquess he needed to be for his people. Anissa prayed her brother, Cortland, would receive her letter and come to their rescue. The ramifications of what she had done by bringing her son away weighed heavily on her shoulders.

  Her heart ached for all she had lost, and all Harry had lost. Feeling bone-weary tired, she lay down her head and gave in to the tears she’d held at bay. Evidently, she had not cried out all her tears after all.

  Dear Lord, when will this nightmare end?

  Now she had confided in the captain. She hoped it would not come back to haunt her.

  After giving in to her tears, she cried herself to sleep. When she awoke an hour later, she pulled herself together. Once she had bathed her face, removing all traces of the tears, she straightened up their tiny cabin. By the time she finished, Harry had awakened, so she took him
to the galley. Elton had a hearty stew prepared. Her sweet child ate with his usual gusto, and once he finished his supper, she took him back to their cabin and played several games of checkers.

  Once Harry climbed into his bunk and settled against the pillow, Anissa told him his favorite story of Robin Hood and his merry men. By the time she finished the tale, he had fallen asleep.

  Realizing the dinner hour had arrived, she arranged her hair in a casual top knot, leaving a few tendrils to curl around her face. Then she donned the same black dress she had worn the night before. Kneeling beside her son’s berth, she stroked his hair back from his forehead and gave him a gentle kiss, then left to go to Captain Hawks’ cabin.

  Knocking on the door, she heard his muffled voice say, “Come in.”

  Smiling, she opened the door and stepped inside. It looked much as it had last evening. The captain stepped forward, meeting her half way into the room. Bowing, he took her hand and raised it to his lips. Electricity surged through her body as his lips touched her hand.

  He smiled as he murmured, “Good evening, my lady. Let me show you to your seat.”

  After she sat, the captain returned to his seat and poured her a glass of red wine. “Remember, Captain, I must not use my title. Please…we agreed to use our given names. After all, last night we said we would be friends. There is no need for such formality when others are not present.”

  “As you wish, Anissa. It’s a beautiful name, by the way. Now, let me serve you some of this excellent stew Elton has prepared. I’m sorry I can’t serve you more elaborate fare, but on board ship we are limited in our provisions.”

  She smiled at him as she accepted the bowl of stew. “I think your cook does a wonderful job preparing our meals. I can imagine it becomes challenging, especially at the end of a voyage. You mentioned your father was also a sea captain. I assume he has passed away. I’m sure he would have been pleased that you followed in his footsteps.”

  “I lost my father five years ago. That’s when I took over his ship. I now have five ships in my fleet, and another under construction in the Baltimore shipyard. Someday, I hope to have an entire fleet of ships sailing all over the world. I’m also looking into establishing another shipping office in London.” While tinged with a touch of sadness, she heard the pride in his voice when he spoke of his accomplishments.