Captive of My Desires by Johanna Lindsey

gentleman pirate had been his salvation.
    Drew found it amazing that Gabrielle Brooks had actually guessed that James was the pirate that Georgina had consorted with in the past. Pirates recognizing pirates? He didn’t think so.
    When James and Georgie had explained their houseguest to him, James had admitted that the girl’s father didn’t know that he’d been a pirate as well, merely that he’d gone by the name Captain Hawke back then. It was his real identity he’d revealed in his delirium. So it was more likely that Gabrielle had merely been sarcastic when she’d made her guess and called James a brute.
    Rude, ungrateful wench. The strikes against her were adding up, but the worst one was that she was here to find a husband. If not for that, he might have made an effort to patch things up with her. But he didn’t want them patched. Hell no. He needed the buffer of her disagreeable disposition to remind him that she was off-limits.
    Not that he needed much reminding when the mere sight of her yesterday had instantly recalled how annoyed he’d been with her on the dock. Which was odd. It just wasn’t in his nature to let things affect him to such a degree that he couldn’t shrug them off. He was too carefree. He could even withstand arguments and knockdown fights with his brother Warren, who used to be so glum he could annoy a saint, and not be bothered by them at all. But this wench bothered him too much.
    Boyd appeared in the doorway and tried to lean on it, but nearly fell into the room instead. Drew had been so deep in thought that he hadn’t heard the front door open, but it was obvious his brother was just getting in. He looked as if he hadn’t slept all night.
    Boyd had the same color hair as he did—light brown with golden highlights—but his brother hadn’t cut his since he’d docked, probably hadn’t combed it either by the shaggy look of it. While Boyd’s brown eyes were lighter than his own, they were also quite bloodshot at the moment. Of the five brothers, only Boyd and Thomas hadn’t inherited their father’s extraordinary height.
    “You haven’t been to bed yet?” Drew guessed.
    “I slept, just no idea where,” Boyd replied.
    “Is that what happened the other night? You deserted me for a soft bed?”
    “Very soft, I vaguely recall, but I’m sure you found your way home without me.”
    Drew chuckled. “Yes, at a decent hour, too.” But then he shook his head. “You really go overboard when you reach port. Was your last trip really that long?”
    “No; I just had a passenger that drove me mad with lust for two damn weeks.”
    Drew raised a brow. “Couldn’t do anything about it on board?”
    “She was married, had two children with her, and was so damned pleased to be on her way to meet her husband that I wasn’t going to let her know how I felt.”
    “Well, got it out of your system now?”
    “Ask me that after I sober up,” Boyd said, but then added with a snicker, “But how was your evening?”
    “Why don’t you ask me that after you meet the pirate,” Drew shot back.
    “No thanks. I’ve already got a long list of excuses lined up for our dear sister. She won’t be dragging me to any of these virginal affairs. I’ve been taking notes from Malory on how to avoid them. Besides, you’re much better than I am at being bored.”
    Drew burst out laughing. “You’re all heart, brother. But what do you want to bet you’ll change your mind—after you meet the pirate?”
    Boyd just grinned at him. “I’m not falling for that. If she was such a great looker, you’d be making sure my ship sails tomorrow.”
    “Suit yourself,” Drew said with a shrug.
    Boyd narrowed his eyes on him. “Is she pretty?”
    “What’s it matter?” Drew countered offhandedly. “The wench is here to catch a husband, remember? Or are you ready to settle down?”
    Boyd gave that a moment’s thought. “Unlike you, I don’t have a sweetheart in every port, so I wouldn’t mind having