face.
“No, it’s your brother Sean I met before.”
“I might have known,” Joseph said with a relieved laugh. “All the prettiest girls lose their hearts to him. If it’s Sean you want, you’ll likely find him aboard his new schooner.”
Emerald’s eyes followed Joseph’s hand. Her heart flutteredwildly in her breast at the thought of Sean O’Toole being captain of his own ship.
“Just keep your heart under lock and key,” Joseph warned as he left her so he could seek out his crew.
When William Montague saw his daughter stroll by on the arm of Joseph O’Toole, he nudged Shamus’s elbow. “There’s a match made in heaven. An English wife would be an asset to Joseph, especially the niece of the vice-treasurer of Ireland.”
Yer a wily sod, Willie. Ye know Joseph is heir to an earldom
, Shamus thought. “The idea bears thinking on, William. I’ll mention it to Kathleen, but ye must understand the final decision rests with Joseph. My sons are men who make their own choices in life.”
E merald wasn’t the only female to search out Sean O’Toole. Bridget FitzGerald decided the time was ripe to give Sean the ultimate birthday present. Suspecting his new ship would draw him like a lodestone, she watched until she saw him walk down toward the jetty, waited a few minutes, then followed him aboard.
Sean’s pewter eyes lifted expectantly from the logbook where he was making his first entry, hoping it was Emerald. But when the young woman in white stepped into the captain’s cabin they filled with amusement as he took in the novitiate’s robe. He could think of no one less suited to a convent than this saucy baggage.
“Happy birthday, Sean,” she said, holding out a small package. “I made you a shirt.”
“That was a lovely thing to do, Biddy,” he said, unwrapping the fine linen garment.
“Put it on; see if it fits across your wide shoulders.”
With a flash of white teeth Sean removed his shirt.
Bridget immediately launched herself against his naked chest. “I’ve decided not to save myself for Christ!”
“That is blasphemous, you young baggage,” he said, laughing.
Emerald Montague boarded the sleek schooner and made her way belowdecks, her pulses racing with excitement. “Sean?” she called. “Are you down here?”
Not wanting Emerald to find him half-naked with Bridget, he gave his cousin a stern look of warning and ordered, “Not a word!” He grabbed his shirt, departed the cabin, and firmly closed the door behind him. Slipping his arms into the shirt, he walked forward to meet Emerald and lead her in the opposite direction.
“I know you’d prefer to show your ship to my brother, but will I do?” Her green eyes teased him.
“I knew you’d come,” he said boldly.
“I couldn’t resist”—the corners of her mouth lifted— “seeing the ship.”
“’Twas me you couldn’t resist, Emerald.”
“No, really,” she denied, “I’ve never seen a new vessel before.” Her glance swept over his open shirt and lingered. As in her dream, a delicious sense of anticipation spiraled about her.
“I’ll warrant there’s lots of things you’ve never seen before.” His fingers burned to touch her. He reached out and traced the soft fur that edged the neckline of her gown. Then with his fingertips, he caressed her cheek, her throat, her shoulder.
The longing to touch him back was like a hunger in her blood. Emerald traced her finger over the embroidered initial on his open shirt, imagining what his warm olive skin beneath it would feel like. With great daring her hand brushed his heart and felt it thud beneath her fingers. Breathlessly, she saw him bend to capture her lips and knew that this time she wasn’t dreaming.
His mouth was firm and quite insistent, parting her lips so that he could taste all her sweetness. The kiss went on foreverand when he finally let her go she was dizzy from his closeness.
“You taste like wine, and woman,” he murmured
“No, it’s your brother Sean I met before.”
“I might have known,” Joseph said with a relieved laugh. “All the prettiest girls lose their hearts to him. If it’s Sean you want, you’ll likely find him aboard his new schooner.”
Emerald’s eyes followed Joseph’s hand. Her heart flutteredwildly in her breast at the thought of Sean O’Toole being captain of his own ship.
“Just keep your heart under lock and key,” Joseph warned as he left her so he could seek out his crew.
When William Montague saw his daughter stroll by on the arm of Joseph O’Toole, he nudged Shamus’s elbow. “There’s a match made in heaven. An English wife would be an asset to Joseph, especially the niece of the vice-treasurer of Ireland.”
Yer a wily sod, Willie. Ye know Joseph is heir to an earldom
, Shamus thought. “The idea bears thinking on, William. I’ll mention it to Kathleen, but ye must understand the final decision rests with Joseph. My sons are men who make their own choices in life.”
E merald wasn’t the only female to search out Sean O’Toole. Bridget FitzGerald decided the time was ripe to give Sean the ultimate birthday present. Suspecting his new ship would draw him like a lodestone, she watched until she saw him walk down toward the jetty, waited a few minutes, then followed him aboard.
Sean’s pewter eyes lifted expectantly from the logbook where he was making his first entry, hoping it was Emerald. But when the young woman in white stepped into the captain’s cabin they filled with amusement as he took in the novitiate’s robe. He could think of no one less suited to a convent than this saucy baggage.
“Happy birthday, Sean,” she said, holding out a small package. “I made you a shirt.”
“That was a lovely thing to do, Biddy,” he said, unwrapping the fine linen garment.
“Put it on; see if it fits across your wide shoulders.”
With a flash of white teeth Sean removed his shirt.
Bridget immediately launched herself against his naked chest. “I’ve decided not to save myself for Christ!”
“That is blasphemous, you young baggage,” he said, laughing.
Emerald Montague boarded the sleek schooner and made her way belowdecks, her pulses racing with excitement. “Sean?” she called. “Are you down here?”
Not wanting Emerald to find him half-naked with Bridget, he gave his cousin a stern look of warning and ordered, “Not a word!” He grabbed his shirt, departed the cabin, and firmly closed the door behind him. Slipping his arms into the shirt, he walked forward to meet Emerald and lead her in the opposite direction.
“I know you’d prefer to show your ship to my brother, but will I do?” Her green eyes teased him.
“I knew you’d come,” he said boldly.
“I couldn’t resist”—the corners of her mouth lifted— “seeing the ship.”
“’Twas me you couldn’t resist, Emerald.”
“No, really,” she denied, “I’ve never seen a new vessel before.” Her glance swept over his open shirt and lingered. As in her dream, a delicious sense of anticipation spiraled about her.
“I’ll warrant there’s lots of things you’ve never seen before.” His fingers burned to touch her. He reached out and traced the soft fur that edged the neckline of her gown. Then with his fingertips, he caressed her cheek, her throat, her shoulder.
The longing to touch him back was like a hunger in her blood. Emerald traced her finger over the embroidered initial on his open shirt, imagining what his warm olive skin beneath it would feel like. With great daring her hand brushed his heart and felt it thud beneath her fingers. Breathlessly, she saw him bend to capture her lips and knew that this time she wasn’t dreaming.
His mouth was firm and quite insistent, parting her lips so that he could taste all her sweetness. The kiss went on foreverand when he finally let her go she was dizzy from his closeness.
“You taste like wine, and woman,” he murmured
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