now.” At his look she wanted to laugh but held back not wanting to raise his ire. “It’s all in the same general vicinity of where you placed them…. Just organized now.”
“And Mouser? Did she bother you during the night? She can be as much a pest as a mouse, especially when she wants attention.”
“We reached an impasse. While I did sleep better knowing the cat was in here with me, she was not allowed to walk across my face during the night.”
“Good. If you’d like, you can keep her with you at night then.”
“I would appreciate that. Thank you.”
“Did she eat it?”
“The mouse?” She shook her head sorrowfully. “Unfortunately for her, I could not allow that. I tossed it out the port hole. Afterward, she appeared vexed with me.”
“I’m sure she was. You threw her dinner away.”
Her gaze finally met and held his, and a thousand erotic images flashed through her mind. She envisioned herself and the captain performing the acts depicted in the drawings and her body began to tingle all over.
He broke the spell when he went to the bureau, took some toiletries out, and wrapped them in a towel as though he meant to wash up elsewhere. Then he took a fresh set of clothing and folded it over his arm. “When I return, I’ll take you on deck for a stroll and some fresh air.”
“Thank you,” she replied. “I look forward to it.”
He nodded and left the room, but not before reminding her to throw the bolt behind him. As soon as she’d locked the door, she ran back to the book and took it from its hiding space, went to the bench beneath the porthole window and began to read. Again.
I an splashed cold water on his face, then dunked his head into the bucket. What he needed was a cold bath. Sarah might be impulsive and imprudent, he thought, but at least she had the good sense to be embarrassed by the state of her undress last night—even if it did come after the fact. He must quit thinking about the way she looked in the dim light of the cabin, wearing nothing but a boy’s shirt with her blond curls loose over her shoulders and falling down her back. But even more painful than that was remembering the curve of bare thigh that had peeked out from under the hem of that shirt. That vision had caused him to lose sleep, making him admittedly grumpy earlier.
The gentleman in him realized he should have done the polite thing and escorted her to the galley, but he didn’t think he could have done so without snapping at her. And while asking her for a stroll about the deck perhaps wasn’t the wisest decision—because he remembered exactly how fetching she looked without trousers—he reasoned he couldn’t very well keep her locked away for the duration of the voyage. No, if he planned to return her to her brother untouched, he simply needed to avoid scenes like last night’s until they reached New York. Then he’d hand her over to Lucky and let him deal with her.
He also considered having one of his crew escort her so she could take in the fresh air, but couldn’t think of an appropriate man. When staffing his ships, he sought the best, most experienced seamen available for their maritime experience and sailing skills, not escorts for ladies. The men on his ships weren’t refined gentlemen. They were coarse and unused to entertaining ladies. Well, ladies of her caliber.
Come to think of it, neither was he.
Lifting the razor, he tilted his head and carefully began to remove the two days’ growth shadowing his face. The yellowed looking-glass over the wash stand in the crew’s quarters wasn’t as good as his, but it would have to do. A wave hit the lee side of the boat, and he lurched forward, banging his head into a beam. Thankfully, he didn’t have the razor to this neck, or he might have mortally injured himself.
This was why most sailors grew beards on their voyages. They didn’t want to slice their own throats while attempting to shave. But he’d committed himself after the
“And Mouser? Did she bother you during the night? She can be as much a pest as a mouse, especially when she wants attention.”
“We reached an impasse. While I did sleep better knowing the cat was in here with me, she was not allowed to walk across my face during the night.”
“Good. If you’d like, you can keep her with you at night then.”
“I would appreciate that. Thank you.”
“Did she eat it?”
“The mouse?” She shook her head sorrowfully. “Unfortunately for her, I could not allow that. I tossed it out the port hole. Afterward, she appeared vexed with me.”
“I’m sure she was. You threw her dinner away.”
Her gaze finally met and held his, and a thousand erotic images flashed through her mind. She envisioned herself and the captain performing the acts depicted in the drawings and her body began to tingle all over.
He broke the spell when he went to the bureau, took some toiletries out, and wrapped them in a towel as though he meant to wash up elsewhere. Then he took a fresh set of clothing and folded it over his arm. “When I return, I’ll take you on deck for a stroll and some fresh air.”
“Thank you,” she replied. “I look forward to it.”
He nodded and left the room, but not before reminding her to throw the bolt behind him. As soon as she’d locked the door, she ran back to the book and took it from its hiding space, went to the bench beneath the porthole window and began to read. Again.
I an splashed cold water on his face, then dunked his head into the bucket. What he needed was a cold bath. Sarah might be impulsive and imprudent, he thought, but at least she had the good sense to be embarrassed by the state of her undress last night—even if it did come after the fact. He must quit thinking about the way she looked in the dim light of the cabin, wearing nothing but a boy’s shirt with her blond curls loose over her shoulders and falling down her back. But even more painful than that was remembering the curve of bare thigh that had peeked out from under the hem of that shirt. That vision had caused him to lose sleep, making him admittedly grumpy earlier.
The gentleman in him realized he should have done the polite thing and escorted her to the galley, but he didn’t think he could have done so without snapping at her. And while asking her for a stroll about the deck perhaps wasn’t the wisest decision—because he remembered exactly how fetching she looked without trousers—he reasoned he couldn’t very well keep her locked away for the duration of the voyage. No, if he planned to return her to her brother untouched, he simply needed to avoid scenes like last night’s until they reached New York. Then he’d hand her over to Lucky and let him deal with her.
He also considered having one of his crew escort her so she could take in the fresh air, but couldn’t think of an appropriate man. When staffing his ships, he sought the best, most experienced seamen available for their maritime experience and sailing skills, not escorts for ladies. The men on his ships weren’t refined gentlemen. They were coarse and unused to entertaining ladies. Well, ladies of her caliber.
Come to think of it, neither was he.
Lifting the razor, he tilted his head and carefully began to remove the two days’ growth shadowing his face. The yellowed looking-glass over the wash stand in the crew’s quarters wasn’t as good as his, but it would have to do. A wave hit the lee side of the boat, and he lurched forward, banging his head into a beam. Thankfully, he didn’t have the razor to this neck, or he might have mortally injured himself.
This was why most sailors grew beards on their voyages. They didn’t want to slice their own throats while attempting to shave. But he’d committed himself after the
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