Read Online Too Great a Temptation by Alexandra Benedict - Free Book Online
Authors: Alexandra Benedict
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dark indigo eyes peering at her from under a thick fringe of sooty lashes.
She shivered under his seductive stare and dropped her scrub brush into the bucket of vinegar, perching on her heels. “Remember what?”
“Where I saw the winged hourglass before.”
The jitters in her belly intensified. “Where?”
It was a damn bother, always sinking into the pools of his sea blue eyes. She needed her wits about her—especially now. The ring was tucked away in James’s cabin, but it still might prove a danger.
Her father had worn the bauble for much of his pirate career, so if he’d ever raided a merchant vessel that Damian had sailed, the navigator might just remember the ring—and the formidable captain who had sported it.
“I saw it in a book,” he said smoothly.
Mirabelle let out a soft sigh, her heart thumping at a steadier pace. Odd, she thought. The winged hourglass was a pirate symbol, often part of the pirate flag. It was warning to a ship being preyed upon that time was running out: the vessel was doomed. What on earth would it be doing in a book?
She made a face. “What book?”
“ Robinson Crusoe, I think. I remember a picture in the book, an engraving of a winged hourglass on a pirate flag.”
The fine hairs on her arms spiked. “I’ve never read the book.”
“It’s been so long since I’ve read it, too.” Something flickered in the dark pools of his eyes. Something raw and emotional. “I had to steal the book from my father’s library.”
She snorted. “Your father had a library? What was he, a gent?”
He seemed taken aback. “No, I mean, he had a few books.”
“So why did you have to steal it?”
He looked off for a moment, peering into the empty gallery. “I wasn’t allowed to go near the books.”
“Why?”
“It doesn’t matter.” He glanced back at her, his reverie shattered.
What had just happened to the man? That poignant expression, so full of grief?
“Why do you have a pirate ring, Belle?”
Oh, why couldn’t she grab hold of her wits when he looked at her like that?
“My father got the ring in the Caribbean from a friend.” From a pirate friend, but she managed to keep that part clandestine. And the rest was entirely true. She was just too befuddled by that damn predatory stare of his to conjure up a fib.
“Your father sailed the Caribbean?”
She nodded. “A long time ago. He liked the picture in the ring. It reminded him of coming home, of not letting too much time pass away at sea.”
Damian touched her lips. She bristled at the soft caress, her heart throbbing like a wild winter storm.
He brushed away the lock of hair trapped between her lips. Had that been stuck in her mouth the whole time? She hadn’t even noticed.
“You should be careful, Belle.” The low rumble of his voice made her all hot and sweaty. “A ring like that is nothing but trouble.”
Damian lifted off his haunches and sauntered away.
Funny, but Mirabelle suspected it was not the ring that was the trouble.
Chapter 6
D inner was over. Mirabelle found herself in the mess, surrounded by her brothers. Even Quincy was present, ensconced in a chair, a blanket wrapped tight around his shoulders.
Slumped in her seat, she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “So what’s this all about?”
James had summoned the family to a meeting, but had yet to reveal what the meeting was about. He stood at the head of the dining table, burly arms folded across his wide chest, legs braced apart in an imperious stance.
She wasn’t impressed by his daunting posture, though. She had seen it far too often to feel intimidated. Her other brothers appeared equally unmoved, especially Edmund, who found the grease stain on his palm more interesting. Only William reflected the captain’s grave countenance.
“We have a problem,” said James.
With a sigh of impatience, Edmund wondered, “What problem?”
“Our new navigator is infatuated with Belle.”
Mirabelle’s jaw dropped.
A
She shivered under his seductive stare and dropped her scrub brush into the bucket of vinegar, perching on her heels. “Remember what?”
“Where I saw the winged hourglass before.”
The jitters in her belly intensified. “Where?”
It was a damn bother, always sinking into the pools of his sea blue eyes. She needed her wits about her—especially now. The ring was tucked away in James’s cabin, but it still might prove a danger.
Her father had worn the bauble for much of his pirate career, so if he’d ever raided a merchant vessel that Damian had sailed, the navigator might just remember the ring—and the formidable captain who had sported it.
“I saw it in a book,” he said smoothly.
Mirabelle let out a soft sigh, her heart thumping at a steadier pace. Odd, she thought. The winged hourglass was a pirate symbol, often part of the pirate flag. It was warning to a ship being preyed upon that time was running out: the vessel was doomed. What on earth would it be doing in a book?
She made a face. “What book?”
“ Robinson Crusoe, I think. I remember a picture in the book, an engraving of a winged hourglass on a pirate flag.”
The fine hairs on her arms spiked. “I’ve never read the book.”
“It’s been so long since I’ve read it, too.” Something flickered in the dark pools of his eyes. Something raw and emotional. “I had to steal the book from my father’s library.”
She snorted. “Your father had a library? What was he, a gent?”
He seemed taken aback. “No, I mean, he had a few books.”
“So why did you have to steal it?”
He looked off for a moment, peering into the empty gallery. “I wasn’t allowed to go near the books.”
“Why?”
“It doesn’t matter.” He glanced back at her, his reverie shattered.
What had just happened to the man? That poignant expression, so full of grief?
“Why do you have a pirate ring, Belle?”
Oh, why couldn’t she grab hold of her wits when he looked at her like that?
“My father got the ring in the Caribbean from a friend.” From a pirate friend, but she managed to keep that part clandestine. And the rest was entirely true. She was just too befuddled by that damn predatory stare of his to conjure up a fib.
“Your father sailed the Caribbean?”
She nodded. “A long time ago. He liked the picture in the ring. It reminded him of coming home, of not letting too much time pass away at sea.”
Damian touched her lips. She bristled at the soft caress, her heart throbbing like a wild winter storm.
He brushed away the lock of hair trapped between her lips. Had that been stuck in her mouth the whole time? She hadn’t even noticed.
“You should be careful, Belle.” The low rumble of his voice made her all hot and sweaty. “A ring like that is nothing but trouble.”
Damian lifted off his haunches and sauntered away.
Funny, but Mirabelle suspected it was not the ring that was the trouble.
Chapter 6
D inner was over. Mirabelle found herself in the mess, surrounded by her brothers. Even Quincy was present, ensconced in a chair, a blanket wrapped tight around his shoulders.
Slumped in her seat, she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “So what’s this all about?”
James had summoned the family to a meeting, but had yet to reveal what the meeting was about. He stood at the head of the dining table, burly arms folded across his wide chest, legs braced apart in an imperious stance.
She wasn’t impressed by his daunting posture, though. She had seen it far too often to feel intimidated. Her other brothers appeared equally unmoved, especially Edmund, who found the grease stain on his palm more interesting. Only William reflected the captain’s grave countenance.
“We have a problem,” said James.
With a sigh of impatience, Edmund wondered, “What problem?”
“Our new navigator is infatuated with Belle.”
Mirabelle’s jaw dropped.
A
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