a wicked grin. “Charlie doesn’t want to give up his life on the sea.”
“Would they make him give that up?” Brooke asked curiously, looking Heath in the eye.
The young man shrugged. “Who knows?” he asked honestly. “Even if they let him maintain his life at sea, he wouldn’t be loyal, and Charlie’s the type of person who won’t commit to anyone unless he’s positive he won’t stray. Don’t get me wrong; Charlie’s incredibly loyal, but romance is a whole ‘nother aspect to the man.” He paused, deep in thought. Brooke looked at him. “I don’t think Charlie’s ever found someone he could see himself settling down with.” He looked at Brooke, chewing the inside of his bottom lip. “And yet here you are.”
Brooke didn’t want to think about what Heath was implying.
“Why does he rub coal around his eyes?” she asked.
Heath shot her a grin and rolled his eyes, two bowls in his hands.
“When coal is rubbed around the eyes, it protects the eyes from the sun,” Heath explained. “It’s easier for the wearer to see when it’s bright, you know.” He threw a grin at her. “Welcome to the world of pirates, m’dear.”
--
“I know you didn’t aid Heath with dinner tonight,” Charlie said, walking Brooke to her door. Unless Brooke was with Heath, Charlie would not let the young woman out of his sight. While he trusted his men to get from ‘point a’ to ‘point b’, he didn’t trust them with a woman, especially not her.
“Oh?” Brooke arched an eyebrow. He hated when she did that. “And what caused you to deduce that reasoning?”
“I may not look intelligent, but I would like to point out that you underestimate me,” Charlie said with a smile. His gold teeth twinkled at her.
“I do believe I overestimate you, if anything, Captain,” she told him quietly. Her back was brushing the front of her door, Charlie’s arms resting on both sides of her doorframe. He was leaning towards her; the close proximity caused her to feel uncomfortable, and yet she was able to look Charlie in the eye.
“You have faith in me.” It was a statement, not a question. He looked at her, waiting for her to respond patiently.
“I trust you,” she murmured quietly.
“We barely know each other and you trust me?” he asked her curiously.
She was chewing her bottom lip but nodded nonetheless. “I don’t expect you to return the trust,” she told him quietly. Charlie opened his mouth to reply, his cheekbones emphasized, but then decided to shut it. He cocked his brow up and tilted his head to the side.
“Why did you take me with you?” Brooke asked suddenly, her voice stronger, her eyes locked with Charlie’s. “No, that is not the question I want to ask. Heath told me about you and your reputation with women. I know you can have a go with any woman at a port, so that is not why I am here, and since we are not in love with each other, I know that is not why I am here either.” She arched the same brow, gently clenching her teeth. “Did you take me because of the map? I am not just some bartering tool, am I?”
“I thought you said you trusted me,” Charlie told her softly, his eyes staring deeply into hers.
“I do,” Brooke said quietly, but offered no further explanation of her inquiries.
“You’re not here because of the map, Brooke,” he told her huskily. “You are not here as a bartering tool.” He breathed in through his nose, and released the breath out through his nose. “You are here because I want you here.” He glanced down quickly at her lips, his eyes deep in thought.
Brooke’s heart beat
“Would they make him give that up?” Brooke asked curiously, looking Heath in the eye.
The young man shrugged. “Who knows?” he asked honestly. “Even if they let him maintain his life at sea, he wouldn’t be loyal, and Charlie’s the type of person who won’t commit to anyone unless he’s positive he won’t stray. Don’t get me wrong; Charlie’s incredibly loyal, but romance is a whole ‘nother aspect to the man.” He paused, deep in thought. Brooke looked at him. “I don’t think Charlie’s ever found someone he could see himself settling down with.” He looked at Brooke, chewing the inside of his bottom lip. “And yet here you are.”
Brooke didn’t want to think about what Heath was implying.
“Why does he rub coal around his eyes?” she asked.
Heath shot her a grin and rolled his eyes, two bowls in his hands.
“When coal is rubbed around the eyes, it protects the eyes from the sun,” Heath explained. “It’s easier for the wearer to see when it’s bright, you know.” He threw a grin at her. “Welcome to the world of pirates, m’dear.”
--
“I know you didn’t aid Heath with dinner tonight,” Charlie said, walking Brooke to her door. Unless Brooke was with Heath, Charlie would not let the young woman out of his sight. While he trusted his men to get from ‘point a’ to ‘point b’, he didn’t trust them with a woman, especially not her.
“Oh?” Brooke arched an eyebrow. He hated when she did that. “And what caused you to deduce that reasoning?”
“I may not look intelligent, but I would like to point out that you underestimate me,” Charlie said with a smile. His gold teeth twinkled at her.
“I do believe I overestimate you, if anything, Captain,” she told him quietly. Her back was brushing the front of her door, Charlie’s arms resting on both sides of her doorframe. He was leaning towards her; the close proximity caused her to feel uncomfortable, and yet she was able to look Charlie in the eye.
“You have faith in me.” It was a statement, not a question. He looked at her, waiting for her to respond patiently.
“I trust you,” she murmured quietly.
“We barely know each other and you trust me?” he asked her curiously.
She was chewing her bottom lip but nodded nonetheless. “I don’t expect you to return the trust,” she told him quietly. Charlie opened his mouth to reply, his cheekbones emphasized, but then decided to shut it. He cocked his brow up and tilted his head to the side.
“Why did you take me with you?” Brooke asked suddenly, her voice stronger, her eyes locked with Charlie’s. “No, that is not the question I want to ask. Heath told me about you and your reputation with women. I know you can have a go with any woman at a port, so that is not why I am here, and since we are not in love with each other, I know that is not why I am here either.” She arched the same brow, gently clenching her teeth. “Did you take me because of the map? I am not just some bartering tool, am I?”
“I thought you said you trusted me,” Charlie told her softly, his eyes staring deeply into hers.
“I do,” Brooke said quietly, but offered no further explanation of her inquiries.
“You’re not here because of the map, Brooke,” he told her huskily. “You are not here as a bartering tool.” He breathed in through his nose, and released the breath out through his nose. “You are here because I want you here.” He glanced down quickly at her lips, his eyes deep in thought.
Brooke’s heart beat
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