Irresistible by Karen Robards Page A

make several excellent points," she said, keeping her voice cool even as she thought furiously. "All of which I will bear in mind, you may be sure. Keeping you alive does seem to be the smarter choice, at least just at present, as long as you make it easy for me to do so."
    A knock sounded on the door then, startling them both and causing them to glance toward the barred portal as one. The sound was soft, almost furtive.
    "That will be James," Hugh said, his gaze swinging back around to her, and smiled.
    Claire felt panic rise like gorge in her throat. Her heart thumped. Her breathing quickened. Nervously she wet her lips, which still tasted faintly of ale.
    "Master Hugh!"
    The knock sounded again, a little more urgently this time. Hugh's eyebrows rose at her in silent question. He now looked like he was almost enjoying himself, the scoundrel.
    She scowled at him.
    "If you wish to remain alive, you will do precisely as I tell you," she said in a fierce whisper, cobbling together a plan even as she spoke. "We will walk to the door, you in front of me, and you will open it. Without admitting your man to the cabin, you will tell him that you have recollected an urgent circumstance that requires the ship to put back to shore. To England's shore, mind. He will then convey your order to the captain, while you and I remain here. When we dock, you will escort me off this ship. And I warn you: This pistol will be aimed at your heart the entire time. Pulling the trigger will not cost me so much as a moment's sleep."
    His smile widened, and he nodded at her with apparent approval, which had the paradoxical effect of making Claire warier than before.
    "A good plan. I make you my compliments. But there is one circumstance that you have failed to take into consideration: This is not my ship. I am not on such terms with the ship's company as to give an order like that and see it obeyed. Please take note of the bolted door; clearly you must see that it denotes a certain lack of trust of the crew's intentions toward me and my party on my part. We are bound for France, and to France, I very much fear, we will go."
    Claire narrowed her eyes at him. It was a trick— she was almost certain.
    "They will do as you say."
    Her voice was coldly positive, but Claire took a sneaking glance at the door. As he'd said, it was bolted shut. Would the crew really not obey his orders? He'd given them freely enough until now, she recollected, and they'd been carried out with alacrity, as far as she could tell. Still, as he said, he was not the ship's captain….
    "Master Hugh!"
    The call, with its accompanying knock, were both appreciably louder. An exasperated mutter followed, the tone of which was quite clear even though she couldn't decipher the words.
    "Answer," she hissed, feeling rather like a cat on a hot roof: she didn't know which way to jump. No matter which way she landed, she was quite likely to end up burned.
    "Keep your britches on, James. I'm coming," he called. His voice dropped confidentially as he added to Claire, "The crew will obey me only so far as it suits them, and that's the truth. Be assured that they would not mourn overmuch should you pull that trigger and thus rid the world of me. You might mourn, however, in the end. For you would then find yourself at their mercy." He shrugged with seeming nonchalance. "But then again, a woman with your— experience, for want of a better term— with men might find lying with the entire crew not beyond your powers if it will get you off the ship alive. Not that I think it will, mind."
    "I'd be careful with my insults, were I facing the business end of this pistol, scoundrel," she replied sternly.
    "Basically, as I see it, you have a choice: You can deal with me, or you can deal with the ship's crew," he continued, and smiled at her seraphically. "The choice is up to you."

 
    Chapter 9
    "Ah, brandy," Hugh said, taking the bottle and glass out of James's hand with real appreciation. If his