Read Online Under Her Brass Corset by Brenda Williamson - Free Book Online Page A

exquisite modification he had made to the hull, his heart thumped quicker. No woman had ever been in this part of his ship. He had dreamed of having Abigail there in his quarters, making love to her every waking moment of every day. To say he wasn’t nervous would be an understatement. He stepped back and watched her face for a favorable reaction.

Chapter Four
    Abigail took in the surroundings with awe. Wide rectangular windows on the sides of the hull allowed visibility beneath the ocean’s surface. It reminded her of the aquarium at the London Zoo.
    She crossed the cabin to the closest glass. Even with the big ship sailing alongside them, varying sizes of colorful fish passed by in a lazy fashion as if they hadn’t a care in the world. “It’s beautiful,” she said, watching the large predators gobbling up the smaller fish.
    “You’ll sleep here in my cabin,” Captain Blackthorn informed her.
    When she turned to look at him, he motioned toward a large bed occupying the corner of the cabin.
    “That would be extremely improper, Captain Blackthorn.” She walked past him to the bunk. Images of herself nestled beneath the brightly colored quilt alongside him swam through her head.
    “No more than you journeying unescorted across an ocean with me.” He moved around her and reached for a lever above the wide, wood-framed mattress. A tug down on the handle dropped a narrower bed out from the wall. The frame folded down in much the same way as his makeshift lift on the side of the ship.
    Disappointment hit her in the pit of her belly. She stared at the upper bunk. The captain appeared to have one honorable trait that shot to hell her fantasy of him throwing her on the mattress and ravishing her with passionate lust.
    “You can have the bottom.” He smiled.
    The mischievousness twinkle in his eyes offered a new chance.
    Quickly accessing the situation, she said, “I’d prefer on top.”
    “On t-top?” The words sputtered from his lips.
    To hide her smile, she turned her back to him and pretended to access the condition of the upper bunk.
    “Is that a problem?” She stroked the wrinkles from the coverlet.
    “Not at all. You’ll find I can be very accommodating. Although I would think you’d prefer lying on the bottom. It doesn’t require as much effort.” He tapped the rungs of the ladder as if suggesting he meant climbing to the upper level.
    The little game of innuendoes fascinated Abigail, encouraging her to continue to play along. “Maybe so, but I’m young and agile. I don’t think I’ll have regrets getting on top or dismounting. The workout helps keep me fit.”
    “And I appreciate your endeavors.” He tilted his head to the side and looked her up and down as if assessing her shape. “Some women aren’t as aggressive.”
    “Some women aren’t me, Captain. I’m aware of all the benefits to my position on top.”
    She picked up the pillow and patted it to access its softness, then bent over and pressed her hands against the lower bunk’s mattress, and purposely wiggled her bottom while pretending to test the bed’s firmness.
    The captain’s sharp intake of air answered her question as to whether she had aroused him.
    “Is it to your satisfaction?” he asked.
    She glanced over her shoulder, not ready to give up the game. “I won’t know that until I’ve spent the night on it. I hope it’s as hard and stiff as it appears.” She let her gaze sweep slowly down the front of him. “And you’re sure you won’t mind me on top?”
    The front panel of his breeches bulged.
    “I assure you, my place under you will be comfortable.”
    “Good.” She righted herself and turned toward him. “Now may I have my snow globe?”
    The captain opened a drawer in the bottom of the cabinet and took out a blue velvet satchel with a drawstring. He palmed the bag and stared at it as if to debate his options. “Try not to scratch it.” He carefully put it in her hand.
    She looked inside at the snow