map. “One of these islands must hold a salvaged portion of the treasure.” He narrowed his eyes at the map for a long moment, and then looked at Brooke once again. “Do you mind if I keep this artifact for an undecided length of time?”
“Do I have a choice?” Brooke countered in a teasing manner.
“Yes,” he said softly, nodding his head in a subdued manner. “Yes, you do.”
Brooke’s smile slid from her face at his low, husky tone, and she had to look away from him. Her eyes glued themselves back to the map. “No,” she said softly, shaking her head. “I suppose I do not mind.” She paused, and then dared to look back up at him and into his endless chocolate brown eyes. “Just keep it safe.”
“You have my word,” Charlie told her seriously.
At his words, Brooke bit her lip. “Is that worth anything?” she asked him. She was not jesting with him this time; she truly wanted to know if this man’s word was worth anything.
“I may be a pirate, but when I give my word, I truly and utterly mean it,” he told her. Her eyes drowned in his, trying to read them, looking for any tricks or games in them. However, all she could see was plain sincerity. “Let’s go down and introduce you to Heath,” Charlie said after a moment.
Brooke nodded and followed Charlie outside of his cabin. The pirate captain stuck the folded map into his pocket before cupping the small of Brooke’s back in his hand. He led her down below deck to the very end of the hallway and stopped at the front of the second-to-last door. He rapped on the door with the back of his knuckles. Heath answered promptly, and when he saw Brooke, he smiled genuinely.
“I see now we get our proper introduction,” he told her with a smile. “I am Heath Luther, Charlie’s first mate and the ship’s only cook.”
“Yes, and speaking of cooking, you are to teach this young woman your art of cooking,” Charlie interjected, his hand lightly squeezing Brooke’s side.
“Am I now?” Heath asked, shifting his eyes from Brooke’s to Charlie. He raised a brow.
“That you are,” Charlie replied with a grin. “And as they say, no time like the present. I would like her to develop your skill of cooking some time soon.”
“And why, exactly, am I teaching her my craft?” Heath asked.
“It’s one of the ways she’s going to earn her keep,” Charlie explained, glancing back down at the uncharacteristically quiet Brooke. Her eyes seemed far away, as though she was not there, but somewhere else. His lips pursed in a frown with concern for the young woman and his thumb lightly caressed her side in a manner of trying to attain her attention. If she felt his touch, Brooke made no move to show it. He tried again. “Love?”
Brooke blinked and glanced up into Charlie’s dark eyes. “Yes?” she asked quietly.
Charlie could tell something was amiss with Brooke, but swallowed his concern and told her, “Heath is going to teach you to cook.”
“Yes, I know that,” Brooke remarked curtly.
“Ah,” Charlie replied. “Well then, as long as we’re all on the same page. I will be in my quarters if either of you need me. You two shall make acquaintances, but it would be unwise to get too close, if ye catch my drift…”
“And why would that be?” Brooke asked dryly.
“Ol’ Charlie here’s pretty territorial when it comes to the lasses,” Heath said with a boyish grin.
Brooke’s face flushed slightly, and she looked down. Charlie watched her reaction, sucking his cheeks in slightly as he narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
“We are not like… that,” Brooke said when she realized Charlie was not going to correct his friend.
“Doesn’t matter,” Heath said, looking at Charlie curiously before diverting his attention back to Brooke. “Go on, Charlie. Leave us be. I will reveal my secrets but not in front of anyone else.”
Charlie stared at Heath for a
“Do I have a choice?” Brooke countered in a teasing manner.
“Yes,” he said softly, nodding his head in a subdued manner. “Yes, you do.”
Brooke’s smile slid from her face at his low, husky tone, and she had to look away from him. Her eyes glued themselves back to the map. “No,” she said softly, shaking her head. “I suppose I do not mind.” She paused, and then dared to look back up at him and into his endless chocolate brown eyes. “Just keep it safe.”
“You have my word,” Charlie told her seriously.
At his words, Brooke bit her lip. “Is that worth anything?” she asked him. She was not jesting with him this time; she truly wanted to know if this man’s word was worth anything.
“I may be a pirate, but when I give my word, I truly and utterly mean it,” he told her. Her eyes drowned in his, trying to read them, looking for any tricks or games in them. However, all she could see was plain sincerity. “Let’s go down and introduce you to Heath,” Charlie said after a moment.
Brooke nodded and followed Charlie outside of his cabin. The pirate captain stuck the folded map into his pocket before cupping the small of Brooke’s back in his hand. He led her down below deck to the very end of the hallway and stopped at the front of the second-to-last door. He rapped on the door with the back of his knuckles. Heath answered promptly, and when he saw Brooke, he smiled genuinely.
“I see now we get our proper introduction,” he told her with a smile. “I am Heath Luther, Charlie’s first mate and the ship’s only cook.”
“Yes, and speaking of cooking, you are to teach this young woman your art of cooking,” Charlie interjected, his hand lightly squeezing Brooke’s side.
“Am I now?” Heath asked, shifting his eyes from Brooke’s to Charlie. He raised a brow.
“That you are,” Charlie replied with a grin. “And as they say, no time like the present. I would like her to develop your skill of cooking some time soon.”
“And why, exactly, am I teaching her my craft?” Heath asked.
“It’s one of the ways she’s going to earn her keep,” Charlie explained, glancing back down at the uncharacteristically quiet Brooke. Her eyes seemed far away, as though she was not there, but somewhere else. His lips pursed in a frown with concern for the young woman and his thumb lightly caressed her side in a manner of trying to attain her attention. If she felt his touch, Brooke made no move to show it. He tried again. “Love?”
Brooke blinked and glanced up into Charlie’s dark eyes. “Yes?” she asked quietly.
Charlie could tell something was amiss with Brooke, but swallowed his concern and told her, “Heath is going to teach you to cook.”
“Yes, I know that,” Brooke remarked curtly.
“Ah,” Charlie replied. “Well then, as long as we’re all on the same page. I will be in my quarters if either of you need me. You two shall make acquaintances, but it would be unwise to get too close, if ye catch my drift…”
“And why would that be?” Brooke asked dryly.
“Ol’ Charlie here’s pretty territorial when it comes to the lasses,” Heath said with a boyish grin.
Brooke’s face flushed slightly, and she looked down. Charlie watched her reaction, sucking his cheeks in slightly as he narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
“We are not like… that,” Brooke said when she realized Charlie was not going to correct his friend.
“Doesn’t matter,” Heath said, looking at Charlie curiously before diverting his attention back to Brooke. “Go on, Charlie. Leave us be. I will reveal my secrets but not in front of anyone else.”
Charlie stared at Heath for a
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