Read Online The Pirate Takes A Bride by Shana Galen - Free Book Online
Authors: Shana Galen
Ads: Link
moment alone?” Ashley said sweetly. The tone she used with Fellowes was far more pleasant than any she’d used with him in recent memory.
“Uh, yes, Mrs. Cap’n.” The man started away, and Nick felt hot fury well inside him. Now his men were obeying
her
orders?
“Get to your station, Mr. Fellowes,” he ordered, though the words were unnecessary. He turned back to Ashley. “I have nothing to say to you at the moment. We are at battle stations. I’ll escort you back to the cabin.”
“You can try it.” The look on her face gave him pause.
“What does that mean?”
“It means I have no intention of going below deck yet. I am entitled to fresh air.”
“Ash—”
She held up a hand, silencing him. He was tempted to grab it and shove it back to her side. “And if you attempt to escort me back to the cabin before I’m ready, I’ll make a scene the likes of which your men are unlikely to soon forget.” Her sea-green eyes flashed anger at him, making them look even more vibrant than usual. She was striking with his black hat and her pale skin and hair and those unusual eyes. She was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever seen—and he had seen a lot of beautiful women—but he would not be swayed by her charms. He was not one of her legion of admirers.
He folded his arms across his chest. “You think I am afraid of a little girl’s scene? Do you know what I have out there?” He pointed starboard toward the spot where he’d seen the shop through the spyglass. It wasn’t visible to the naked eye, not yet, but it soon would be if the wind stayed with them.
She followed his finger. “Water?”
“Another ship. Possibly a pirate ship. Possibly a ship-of-the-line. If we are lucky, it’s a merchant ship.”
“Why, because then you can plunder them?”
He took her arm and leaned close. “Because then they will steer clear of us, and I won’t have to blow them to splinters. I’m not interested in plunder at the moment. I’m interested in reaching my destination. Quickly.”
“I’m not interfering.”
“You are distracting my men.” As if to make his point, Mr. Johnson strolled by and grinned.
“Argh!” he said before clambering up the rigging.
She gave Johnson a wary look then turned to Nick, smiling. She was stunning when she smiled. He almost couldn’t breathe because of the ache in his chest when she smiled like that. “If I’m distracting them, it’s not intentional.”
“I’ll remind you of that when we’re floating among the wreckage, waiting for the sharks to sniff us.” He almost regretted the words because her smile faltered, and she peered out at the horizon again. He knew she couldn’t yet see the ship. The threat must have seemed trivial to her until now.
“If you really think I should go below—”
“No,” he interrupted. His answer was against his better judgment. He should send her below. He wanted her out of the way so her could concentrate on the danger at hand, but a part of him wanted her near. A part of him wanted to see her smile again. He signaled to Chante, and his quartermaster nodded, moving toward the poop deck. Nick had a competent crew—hell, they were better than competent. They were the best he’d ever served with. He could trust them to monitor the situation for a quarter of an hour. Even moving at the rate it was, it would be several hours before the ship reached them. “Mr. Chante will keep an eye on things. Would you like me to show you around the
Robin Hood
?”
“I thought Mr. Fellowes claimed that task.”
“I relieved him.” He held out an arm. She looked at it, raised a brow, and turned back toward the ocean. He supposed he deserved that. Perhaps he should start another way. “Have you been on a ship before?”
“On the Thames,” she said.
“A pleasure cruise?” he asked. She nodded. In Nick’s opinion, that sort of vessel was more accurately termed a boat, but he let it pass. “The front of the ship is termed the
“Uh, yes, Mrs. Cap’n.” The man started away, and Nick felt hot fury well inside him. Now his men were obeying
her
orders?
“Get to your station, Mr. Fellowes,” he ordered, though the words were unnecessary. He turned back to Ashley. “I have nothing to say to you at the moment. We are at battle stations. I’ll escort you back to the cabin.”
“You can try it.” The look on her face gave him pause.
“What does that mean?”
“It means I have no intention of going below deck yet. I am entitled to fresh air.”
“Ash—”
She held up a hand, silencing him. He was tempted to grab it and shove it back to her side. “And if you attempt to escort me back to the cabin before I’m ready, I’ll make a scene the likes of which your men are unlikely to soon forget.” Her sea-green eyes flashed anger at him, making them look even more vibrant than usual. She was striking with his black hat and her pale skin and hair and those unusual eyes. She was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever seen—and he had seen a lot of beautiful women—but he would not be swayed by her charms. He was not one of her legion of admirers.
He folded his arms across his chest. “You think I am afraid of a little girl’s scene? Do you know what I have out there?” He pointed starboard toward the spot where he’d seen the shop through the spyglass. It wasn’t visible to the naked eye, not yet, but it soon would be if the wind stayed with them.
She followed his finger. “Water?”
“Another ship. Possibly a pirate ship. Possibly a ship-of-the-line. If we are lucky, it’s a merchant ship.”
“Why, because then you can plunder them?”
He took her arm and leaned close. “Because then they will steer clear of us, and I won’t have to blow them to splinters. I’m not interested in plunder at the moment. I’m interested in reaching my destination. Quickly.”
“I’m not interfering.”
“You are distracting my men.” As if to make his point, Mr. Johnson strolled by and grinned.
“Argh!” he said before clambering up the rigging.
She gave Johnson a wary look then turned to Nick, smiling. She was stunning when she smiled. He almost couldn’t breathe because of the ache in his chest when she smiled like that. “If I’m distracting them, it’s not intentional.”
“I’ll remind you of that when we’re floating among the wreckage, waiting for the sharks to sniff us.” He almost regretted the words because her smile faltered, and she peered out at the horizon again. He knew she couldn’t yet see the ship. The threat must have seemed trivial to her until now.
“If you really think I should go below—”
“No,” he interrupted. His answer was against his better judgment. He should send her below. He wanted her out of the way so her could concentrate on the danger at hand, but a part of him wanted her near. A part of him wanted to see her smile again. He signaled to Chante, and his quartermaster nodded, moving toward the poop deck. Nick had a competent crew—hell, they were better than competent. They were the best he’d ever served with. He could trust them to monitor the situation for a quarter of an hour. Even moving at the rate it was, it would be several hours before the ship reached them. “Mr. Chante will keep an eye on things. Would you like me to show you around the
Robin Hood
?”
“I thought Mr. Fellowes claimed that task.”
“I relieved him.” He held out an arm. She looked at it, raised a brow, and turned back toward the ocean. He supposed he deserved that. Perhaps he should start another way. “Have you been on a ship before?”
“On the Thames,” she said.
“A pleasure cruise?” he asked. She nodded. In Nick’s opinion, that sort of vessel was more accurately termed a boat, but he let it pass. “The front of the ship is termed the
Similar Books
