masculine scent of salt and leather filled her nose, teasing her senses. She smiled at how she had grown to love that smell in such a short time.
"What makes you smile like that?" the captain inquired lightly, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes. Eden almost let herself lean against his hand, almost responded to his gentle touch, but no; she could not. He was far closer than propriety allowed, and he was a man. She decided to frown instead.
Certainly it was most improper for him touch her in such a manner, also. No, there was no question about it. It was more than improper. Eden pushed his hand away.
He grimaced. "What can I do to get you to smile like that again? You never smile when you are near me. Why, you always frown around me, and you get a little line right here when you do it," he mused, leaning over to touch the spot between her eyebrows, just above her nose, gently with his thumb.
She made a face.
He certainly should not be touching her face like that. And she should not be liking it so much. Yet he had the audacity to lean down and plant a soft kiss on her forehead.
Eden drew back across the pillow, stuttering, "A gentleman would never… t-touch… or… or kiss a lady like…”
The captain chuckled. "Well, if I recall correctly, you have said you are 'sick and tired of gentlemen.' I thought you might enjoy being treated in such a manner." He winked.
"Why… you… how could you?" Eden reached up to slap the infuriating man, but he caught her wrist mid-air. She tried to jerk her hand away but he held fast.
Why must he continue smirking at me in that annoyingly cocky manner?
He kept her hand in his and kissed it. She shrank away from him, terrified of what he might do next. Memories flooded back. Memories from nights she longed to erase.
The captain groaned and shook his head. "What must I do to prove to you that I will… that I… could never ever hurt you?" he inquired, standing and pacing the tiny cabin.
"It's just… I-I was… No, there is nothing you have done to me. It is just that a man… abused me once, and I am afraid I have not warmed up to that gender quite yet. I am sorry. Really, I am, captain. You have not harmed me in all the time I have known you."
He stroked her cheek tenderly with the backs of his fingers. "That's all right, milady. I am the one who should be apologizing. For what happened to you. That I wasn't there to protect you from that horrible, cruel excuse of a man, whoever he was…" His warm blue eyes gazed straight into Eden's. He took her hand in his again, gently. "You have my absolute word that I will never, ever harm you. I could never lay a hateful finger on you."
She looked into his clear, sparkling blue eyes. They were filled with nothing but kindness, sincerity, and something else. Something that baffled her and looked… indescribably warm. How she yearned to believe his kind words.
"Believe me, Eden. I promise you can trust me," he murmured, staring at her carefully as if she were a terrified deer that would run off in an instant if he moved in the wrong direction.
She shifted her legs in an attempt to rise. "Don't you dare run off like the little hart that you are. You could hurt your head again."
"I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.” She glared up at him. “Did you just compare me to an animal? To a male deer?!" She cried indignantly. Really, the audacity of the man!
"Aye, I apologize, milady. I guess I meant a doe." He grinned sheepishly.
Eden sulked. She did not at all appreciate being weighed up against a wild animal, male or female.
Captain Archer rose from his position on the armchair that had been situated next to the bed and moved to sit beside her on the bed. He put his arms around her and held her against him tightly. Gently, he cradled her head so the part that was hurt was not jostled.
At first she tensed, but she had never felt so comfortable, so safe, with a man before. She slowly laid her head against his strong chest. Really,
"What makes you smile like that?" the captain inquired lightly, brushing a lock of hair from her eyes. Eden almost let herself lean against his hand, almost responded to his gentle touch, but no; she could not. He was far closer than propriety allowed, and he was a man. She decided to frown instead.
Certainly it was most improper for him touch her in such a manner, also. No, there was no question about it. It was more than improper. Eden pushed his hand away.
He grimaced. "What can I do to get you to smile like that again? You never smile when you are near me. Why, you always frown around me, and you get a little line right here when you do it," he mused, leaning over to touch the spot between her eyebrows, just above her nose, gently with his thumb.
She made a face.
He certainly should not be touching her face like that. And she should not be liking it so much. Yet he had the audacity to lean down and plant a soft kiss on her forehead.
Eden drew back across the pillow, stuttering, "A gentleman would never… t-touch… or… or kiss a lady like…”
The captain chuckled. "Well, if I recall correctly, you have said you are 'sick and tired of gentlemen.' I thought you might enjoy being treated in such a manner." He winked.
"Why… you… how could you?" Eden reached up to slap the infuriating man, but he caught her wrist mid-air. She tried to jerk her hand away but he held fast.
Why must he continue smirking at me in that annoyingly cocky manner?
He kept her hand in his and kissed it. She shrank away from him, terrified of what he might do next. Memories flooded back. Memories from nights she longed to erase.
The captain groaned and shook his head. "What must I do to prove to you that I will… that I… could never ever hurt you?" he inquired, standing and pacing the tiny cabin.
"It's just… I-I was… No, there is nothing you have done to me. It is just that a man… abused me once, and I am afraid I have not warmed up to that gender quite yet. I am sorry. Really, I am, captain. You have not harmed me in all the time I have known you."
He stroked her cheek tenderly with the backs of his fingers. "That's all right, milady. I am the one who should be apologizing. For what happened to you. That I wasn't there to protect you from that horrible, cruel excuse of a man, whoever he was…" His warm blue eyes gazed straight into Eden's. He took her hand in his again, gently. "You have my absolute word that I will never, ever harm you. I could never lay a hateful finger on you."
She looked into his clear, sparkling blue eyes. They were filled with nothing but kindness, sincerity, and something else. Something that baffled her and looked… indescribably warm. How she yearned to believe his kind words.
"Believe me, Eden. I promise you can trust me," he murmured, staring at her carefully as if she were a terrified deer that would run off in an instant if he moved in the wrong direction.
She shifted her legs in an attempt to rise. "Don't you dare run off like the little hart that you are. You could hurt your head again."
"I wasn’t planning on going anywhere.” She glared up at him. “Did you just compare me to an animal? To a male deer?!" She cried indignantly. Really, the audacity of the man!
"Aye, I apologize, milady. I guess I meant a doe." He grinned sheepishly.
Eden sulked. She did not at all appreciate being weighed up against a wild animal, male or female.
Captain Archer rose from his position on the armchair that had been situated next to the bed and moved to sit beside her on the bed. He put his arms around her and held her against him tightly. Gently, he cradled her head so the part that was hurt was not jostled.
At first she tensed, but she had never felt so comfortable, so safe, with a man before. She slowly laid her head against his strong chest. Really,
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