you can follow my meaning. If bedding with me so abused your sensitivities—imagine bedding with Matthews.”
He had no need to say more. A white pallor touched her cheeks and she dropped her sheet to scramble hurriedly for her clothing. Sloan paused for a second as he watched her, his eyes narrowing. She was, indeed, a beautiful woman. So young and slender, and yet rounded with enticing perfection. She was as fresh and lovely as the coming of the dawn, as ripe for the taking. Watching her slip into her shift and dress and stockings caused his flesh to burn with hunger all over again, despite the circumstances.
He pushed these thoughts from his mind and pulled on his second boot. “Come on,” he urged her, slipping into his greatcoat and returning the cutlass to the scabbard at his side. “Let’s go.”
Brianna hastily finished lacing her left shoe and hopped to her feet, then paused.
“Go where?” she demanded curtly.
“To my ship, of course.”
“No—I’ll not go to your ship. If I can just—”
“You will go to my ship, you idiot! Don’t you understand—”
“Don’t you ever listen? I have family in England. All I’ve got to do is get to the forest, and from there—”
“You’ll never get anywhere. Matthews will have you by midnight.”
“I’m not going with you.”
“And I’m not going through life with your death on my conscience.”
“Treveryan, we part ways right here,” Brianna cried out determinedly.
“The hell we do!”
“You got your money’s worth. I’ve my life!”
He laughed dryly. “I’m not so sure about my money’s worth, and your life will be worthless if you don’t listen to me. Oh, the hell with it—there’s no time left to argue.”
Brianna backed quickly away from him, her eyes warily upon him as he came to her with determined strides. “No, Treveryan,” she warned him, but her words were useless. He caught her outstretched hand and ducked low, heaving her over his shoulder while she cursed away at him and furiously pounded against his back. “Let me down. I despise you, I’ve no wish to go with you—”
“Stop pounding on me and shut your mouth, or I’ll knock your head into the wall!” he warned her in a deathly rage.
“You will not.”
“Don’t test me!”
Where would he take her? Oh, God, she would never get to her family! “Let me go!” she cried again, slamming a fist hard against his shoulder. He grunted and she felt his palm crack full force against her buttocks, causing a stinging pain. Salt tears of fury and humiliation stung her eyes; she blinked them away, stunned and seething with rage.
“You—” she began.
“Shut up!” he finished, swinging about so that she flounced hard against him and totally lost her breath.
With her as his burden he threw open the door and hurried down the stairs. Liam stood at the landing. “I’ve a horse ready outside, Cap’n. Godspeed, m’lord.”
Sloan nodded his thanks. “Take heed, Liam.”
He carried Brianna through the tavern and out into the cool night—oblivious to her muffled curses.
A tavern youth held the reins of a handsome bay gelding. Thrown roughly, over the saddle, belly down, Brianna once again found herself breathless and unable to curse him any longer. With an agile leap he mounted behind her, tossing coins to the boy, and smacking his mount soundly upon the rump.
The horse broke into a gallop. She could do nothing but cling to the gelding and feel the coolness of the night sea breeze as it whipped against her face. The clip-clop of the horse’s hooves against the cobblestones was like the hard and trembling beat of her heart. Tossed about by the horse’s gait, she barely noticed the shops that they passed and the few stragglers still walking the streets. She was aware only of the strong muscles of the horse bunching beneath her as they reached the docks and veered northward along the berths.
Darkness had descended. The glow of the moon and the oil lamps from
He had no need to say more. A white pallor touched her cheeks and she dropped her sheet to scramble hurriedly for her clothing. Sloan paused for a second as he watched her, his eyes narrowing. She was, indeed, a beautiful woman. So young and slender, and yet rounded with enticing perfection. She was as fresh and lovely as the coming of the dawn, as ripe for the taking. Watching her slip into her shift and dress and stockings caused his flesh to burn with hunger all over again, despite the circumstances.
He pushed these thoughts from his mind and pulled on his second boot. “Come on,” he urged her, slipping into his greatcoat and returning the cutlass to the scabbard at his side. “Let’s go.”
Brianna hastily finished lacing her left shoe and hopped to her feet, then paused.
“Go where?” she demanded curtly.
“To my ship, of course.”
“No—I’ll not go to your ship. If I can just—”
“You will go to my ship, you idiot! Don’t you understand—”
“Don’t you ever listen? I have family in England. All I’ve got to do is get to the forest, and from there—”
“You’ll never get anywhere. Matthews will have you by midnight.”
“I’m not going with you.”
“And I’m not going through life with your death on my conscience.”
“Treveryan, we part ways right here,” Brianna cried out determinedly.
“The hell we do!”
“You got your money’s worth. I’ve my life!”
He laughed dryly. “I’m not so sure about my money’s worth, and your life will be worthless if you don’t listen to me. Oh, the hell with it—there’s no time left to argue.”
Brianna backed quickly away from him, her eyes warily upon him as he came to her with determined strides. “No, Treveryan,” she warned him, but her words were useless. He caught her outstretched hand and ducked low, heaving her over his shoulder while she cursed away at him and furiously pounded against his back. “Let me down. I despise you, I’ve no wish to go with you—”
“Stop pounding on me and shut your mouth, or I’ll knock your head into the wall!” he warned her in a deathly rage.
“You will not.”
“Don’t test me!”
Where would he take her? Oh, God, she would never get to her family! “Let me go!” she cried again, slamming a fist hard against his shoulder. He grunted and she felt his palm crack full force against her buttocks, causing a stinging pain. Salt tears of fury and humiliation stung her eyes; she blinked them away, stunned and seething with rage.
“You—” she began.
“Shut up!” he finished, swinging about so that she flounced hard against him and totally lost her breath.
With her as his burden he threw open the door and hurried down the stairs. Liam stood at the landing. “I’ve a horse ready outside, Cap’n. Godspeed, m’lord.”
Sloan nodded his thanks. “Take heed, Liam.”
He carried Brianna through the tavern and out into the cool night—oblivious to her muffled curses.
A tavern youth held the reins of a handsome bay gelding. Thrown roughly, over the saddle, belly down, Brianna once again found herself breathless and unable to curse him any longer. With an agile leap he mounted behind her, tossing coins to the boy, and smacking his mount soundly upon the rump.
The horse broke into a gallop. She could do nothing but cling to the gelding and feel the coolness of the night sea breeze as it whipped against her face. The clip-clop of the horse’s hooves against the cobblestones was like the hard and trembling beat of her heart. Tossed about by the horse’s gait, she barely noticed the shops that they passed and the few stragglers still walking the streets. She was aware only of the strong muscles of the horse bunching beneath her as they reached the docks and veered northward along the berths.
Darkness had descended. The glow of the moon and the oil lamps from
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