lying.”
She tilted her chin. “No, I’m not. He’s a good, God-fearing man.”
He snorted. “So, if I told him about how feverish you were last night and what I had to do to keep you warm, he would understand, aye?”
She swallowed and bit her lip. “Why would you do this? Why would you tell him about last night?”
He picked up his boots and slipped them on , grabbed the belt draping over the chair and buckled it. His sword and pistol secure. “There are no secrets aboard my ship.”
She cringed.
Kan e strode over to the door, his boots pounding on the floor, and put his hand on the doorknob.
“Please,” she said. “Don’t do this.” Her voice shook.
“Answer my question,” he commanded. The tenderness in his voice had diminished. He was the captain again.
She cast her eyes down. “I disappoint my father.”
“Meaning,” he said. His voice lost some of its edge.
She glanced up. He strolled over to the bed and sat. He pushed her hair out of her face. She curled her toes and clutched the blanket close, stifling the urge to lean over and kiss him. Was it her gypsy blood? Had Kane woken something inside her, something deceitful, treacherous, immoral?
“I broke his rules.”
He gritted his teeth, “What are these bloody rules that earn such a beating?”
She shrugged. “Breaking the commandments.”
He ran his finger down her face. “So, lovely,” he said. “Why would a Sassenach want to hurt such a beautiful creature?”
She sucked in her breath. The same urge rushed over her to kiss him, but her fists balled the blanket. “Please,” she said. “He wants to save my soul.”
He frowned. “Saved your soul from what?”
Before she confessed about her ability or kissed him or did something else equally stupid, she needed to put distance between them. Her stomach churned. “From sleeping naked with a lecherous pirate.”
Chapter Seven
“Get away from me.” Hannah’s voice dripped with loathing and she tilted her chin. Kane winced and dropped his hand. Hannah might as well have slapped him across the face. He may be a pirate, but he did have a conscience. By her scowl, she didn’t believe him capable of possessing one ounce of honor.
What could he say?
Bloody hell, s he was right. He almost broke his vow of not seducing her, of not exploring her feminine curves, of not kissing those luscious lips. The intoxicating smell of jasmine and silky skin rubbing against him tested his honor. She had molded next to him and he wanted to run his hand over her hips, fondle her breasts, venture between her thighs, not to bring her warmth, but to satisfy his own dark lust. He resisted, keeping his fists clenched, and his burning desire under control, but each time she moved or sighed, his cock hardened. A cold dip. He needed to swim in the ocean.
He gritted his teeth. “Very well.” He studied her and couldn’t resist taunting her. “So, you often sleep naked with pirates?”
A blush spread across her face. “No.” He imagined the blush running along her body to her toes.
“Are you going to tell him about last night?”
“I’m afraid, lass, he might suspect something.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Last night, after you fell down the stairs.” His words softened. “You were a bloody mess, and I reached you first. Your incoherent father came staggering down the hall.”
“He was delirious , not drunk. Where was Doc?”
“Chasing after the bloody fool. But he was too late. Your father punched me in the jaw, accusing me of accosting you.” He gritted his teeth. “Tis lucky I didn’t gut him.”
“You didn’t hurt him?”
“Careful,” Kane warned as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and lowered her down to the mattress. Her knotted eyebrows and pale face revealed her pain. He should not have spoken his resentment of her father. After all, she cared for him, loved him, almost died for him. Plastering a smile on his face, Kane said, “No, I
She tilted her chin. “No, I’m not. He’s a good, God-fearing man.”
He snorted. “So, if I told him about how feverish you were last night and what I had to do to keep you warm, he would understand, aye?”
She swallowed and bit her lip. “Why would you do this? Why would you tell him about last night?”
He picked up his boots and slipped them on , grabbed the belt draping over the chair and buckled it. His sword and pistol secure. “There are no secrets aboard my ship.”
She cringed.
Kan e strode over to the door, his boots pounding on the floor, and put his hand on the doorknob.
“Please,” she said. “Don’t do this.” Her voice shook.
“Answer my question,” he commanded. The tenderness in his voice had diminished. He was the captain again.
She cast her eyes down. “I disappoint my father.”
“Meaning,” he said. His voice lost some of its edge.
She glanced up. He strolled over to the bed and sat. He pushed her hair out of her face. She curled her toes and clutched the blanket close, stifling the urge to lean over and kiss him. Was it her gypsy blood? Had Kane woken something inside her, something deceitful, treacherous, immoral?
“I broke his rules.”
He gritted his teeth, “What are these bloody rules that earn such a beating?”
She shrugged. “Breaking the commandments.”
He ran his finger down her face. “So, lovely,” he said. “Why would a Sassenach want to hurt such a beautiful creature?”
She sucked in her breath. The same urge rushed over her to kiss him, but her fists balled the blanket. “Please,” she said. “He wants to save my soul.”
He frowned. “Saved your soul from what?”
Before she confessed about her ability or kissed him or did something else equally stupid, she needed to put distance between them. Her stomach churned. “From sleeping naked with a lecherous pirate.”
Chapter Seven
“Get away from me.” Hannah’s voice dripped with loathing and she tilted her chin. Kane winced and dropped his hand. Hannah might as well have slapped him across the face. He may be a pirate, but he did have a conscience. By her scowl, she didn’t believe him capable of possessing one ounce of honor.
What could he say?
Bloody hell, s he was right. He almost broke his vow of not seducing her, of not exploring her feminine curves, of not kissing those luscious lips. The intoxicating smell of jasmine and silky skin rubbing against him tested his honor. She had molded next to him and he wanted to run his hand over her hips, fondle her breasts, venture between her thighs, not to bring her warmth, but to satisfy his own dark lust. He resisted, keeping his fists clenched, and his burning desire under control, but each time she moved or sighed, his cock hardened. A cold dip. He needed to swim in the ocean.
He gritted his teeth. “Very well.” He studied her and couldn’t resist taunting her. “So, you often sleep naked with pirates?”
A blush spread across her face. “No.” He imagined the blush running along her body to her toes.
“Are you going to tell him about last night?”
“I’m afraid, lass, he might suspect something.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Last night, after you fell down the stairs.” His words softened. “You were a bloody mess, and I reached you first. Your incoherent father came staggering down the hall.”
“He was delirious , not drunk. Where was Doc?”
“Chasing after the bloody fool. But he was too late. Your father punched me in the jaw, accusing me of accosting you.” He gritted his teeth. “Tis lucky I didn’t gut him.”
“You didn’t hurt him?”
“Careful,” Kane warned as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and lowered her down to the mattress. Her knotted eyebrows and pale face revealed her pain. He should not have spoken his resentment of her father. After all, she cared for him, loved him, almost died for him. Plastering a smile on his face, Kane said, “No, I
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