Read Online The Pirate & The Adventurer & The Cowboy by Jayne Ann Krentz - Free Book Online
Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
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eased her back against the trunk of the tree. His mouth was warm, strong and searching, and when he moved close, Kate could feel the heat in his body. The fire in him was lighting a blaze within her.
She sensed his hands moving up from her waist, gliding along her rib cage until his thumbs rested just beneath the curves of her breasts. The touch was exquisitely intimate, inviting a response.
Kate parted her lips and surprised herself by nearly panicking for a brief, nerve-shattering moment. The hungry, captivating manner in which Jared took deep possession of her mouth was a revelation to her. She had never had any man's kiss jangle her senses this way. It set off distant alarm bells.
The panic subsided almost at once, to be replaced by a longing unlike anything Kate had ever known. Her arms tightened around Jared's neck, and she whispered his name in a small, choked voice when he freed her lips. She clung to him more tightly and kissed his throat.
"You're full of surprises," he muttered, as if making an important discovery. He nibbled passionately on her earlobe. "A man never knows what he's going to encounter next."
"You're not quite what I expected, either." She pulled slightly away from him, searching his gaze in the darkness.
She could see nothing beyond the glint of moonlight in Jared's eyes. It occurred to her that she was just as well hidden from him. There was something reassuring about the sense of anonymity provided by the masks. It was as if they were both unaccountably free to play this reckless game tonight.
"Well, Madam Expert, what's the verdict? Am I truly a pirate?"
"Yes, my lord, you are. There is no doubt about it."
"Then that makes me an expert," Jared said with a slow smile.
"On what?"
"Ladies like you, of course."
It was Kate's turn to smile. Never had she felt so full of such sweet, seductive, feminine power. It gave her a heady thrill. "Your logic is very profound."
"The way I see it, contrary to your earlier opinion, we do indeed have something in common."
"Do you think so?" she asked with mocking doubt.
"I'm very sure of it."
Without releasing her, Jared swung around so his back was against the tree trunk. He deliberately widened his stance and drew Kate between his legs. The skirts of her yellow gown drifted over his thighs. She put her hands on his waist and felt the hilt of the dagger. She was aware of cold metal under her palm. Definitely not plastic, she thought with a start.
"Is this real?"
"The dagger or me?" He nuzzled her throat.
Kate laughed softly. "Both."
"Yes."
"Where did you get it?" She touched the dagger again as she leaned her head against Jared's shoulder.
"He left it behind when he sailed away from the island for the last time. I found it along with some other stuff in an old chest a few years ago."
"Who left it behind? The pirate who built the castle?"
"Umm-hmm." Jared slid his fingers tantalizingly over her bare arm and dropped a small kiss on her shoulder.
"Is this really his birthday?"
"Yes."
"You said this was your birthday."
"It is."
"You're teasing me. Whose birthday is it really?"
"His. And mine." Jared's tongue touched the pulse of her throat.
"That's too much of a coincidence. What was his name?"
"Whose?"
Kate tugged at the crisp hair that filled the neck opening of his shirt. "The pirate's."
"Ouch. That hurts."
"Tell me his name."
"Such a demanding little creature." Jared lifted his head and looked down at her. Then he caught her face between his strong fingers. "His name was Hawthorne. Roger Hawthorne."
Kate was mesmerized. Her mouth fell open. "Really?"
Jared grinned. "It's the truth."
"You're related to him?"
"The connection is a little distant after all these years, but yes, I'm a descendant. I found out about this island through some old records that had come down through the family. One day about fifteen years ago I chucked everything and came out here to find AmethystIsland."
"That's
She sensed his hands moving up from her waist, gliding along her rib cage until his thumbs rested just beneath the curves of her breasts. The touch was exquisitely intimate, inviting a response.
Kate parted her lips and surprised herself by nearly panicking for a brief, nerve-shattering moment. The hungry, captivating manner in which Jared took deep possession of her mouth was a revelation to her. She had never had any man's kiss jangle her senses this way. It set off distant alarm bells.
The panic subsided almost at once, to be replaced by a longing unlike anything Kate had ever known. Her arms tightened around Jared's neck, and she whispered his name in a small, choked voice when he freed her lips. She clung to him more tightly and kissed his throat.
"You're full of surprises," he muttered, as if making an important discovery. He nibbled passionately on her earlobe. "A man never knows what he's going to encounter next."
"You're not quite what I expected, either." She pulled slightly away from him, searching his gaze in the darkness.
She could see nothing beyond the glint of moonlight in Jared's eyes. It occurred to her that she was just as well hidden from him. There was something reassuring about the sense of anonymity provided by the masks. It was as if they were both unaccountably free to play this reckless game tonight.
"Well, Madam Expert, what's the verdict? Am I truly a pirate?"
"Yes, my lord, you are. There is no doubt about it."
"Then that makes me an expert," Jared said with a slow smile.
"On what?"
"Ladies like you, of course."
It was Kate's turn to smile. Never had she felt so full of such sweet, seductive, feminine power. It gave her a heady thrill. "Your logic is very profound."
"The way I see it, contrary to your earlier opinion, we do indeed have something in common."
"Do you think so?" she asked with mocking doubt.
"I'm very sure of it."
Without releasing her, Jared swung around so his back was against the tree trunk. He deliberately widened his stance and drew Kate between his legs. The skirts of her yellow gown drifted over his thighs. She put her hands on his waist and felt the hilt of the dagger. She was aware of cold metal under her palm. Definitely not plastic, she thought with a start.
"Is this real?"
"The dagger or me?" He nuzzled her throat.
Kate laughed softly. "Both."
"Yes."
"Where did you get it?" She touched the dagger again as she leaned her head against Jared's shoulder.
"He left it behind when he sailed away from the island for the last time. I found it along with some other stuff in an old chest a few years ago."
"Who left it behind? The pirate who built the castle?"
"Umm-hmm." Jared slid his fingers tantalizingly over her bare arm and dropped a small kiss on her shoulder.
"Is this really his birthday?"
"Yes."
"You said this was your birthday."
"It is."
"You're teasing me. Whose birthday is it really?"
"His. And mine." Jared's tongue touched the pulse of her throat.
"That's too much of a coincidence. What was his name?"
"Whose?"
Kate tugged at the crisp hair that filled the neck opening of his shirt. "The pirate's."
"Ouch. That hurts."
"Tell me his name."
"Such a demanding little creature." Jared lifted his head and looked down at her. Then he caught her face between his strong fingers. "His name was Hawthorne. Roger Hawthorne."
Kate was mesmerized. Her mouth fell open. "Really?"
Jared grinned. "It's the truth."
"You're related to him?"
"The connection is a little distant after all these years, but yes, I'm a descendant. I found out about this island through some old records that had come down through the family. One day about fifteen years ago I chucked everything and came out here to find AmethystIsland."
"That's
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