wanted to be. He hated denying women anything. He hardened his gaze, trying to ensure she would stop asking. “Your pleas are useless. I will not change my mind. I will return you as soon as it is safe to do so—and not before.”
Her eyes flashed in the darkness, and her lips pursed tight. “You are being ridiculous. This is madness. Do you even know where you are going?”
“Of course I bloody well know where I am going.” As if he would ever get lost.
She looked as though she didn’t believe him. “You can’t mean to sail around all night. You have to put in somewhere. It’s almost dawn and the English will be looking for you. Besides”—she indicated Randolph—“your man needs tending.”
You have to . Erik didn’t enjoy being told what to do, especially by a tiny lass whom he could lift over his head with one hand. Nursemaid Ellie was going to have to learn that she was not the one in charge. But despite the bossy edge in her voice that made him want to grind his teeth, Erik smiled. “Thank you for the reminder.”
He suspected he was about to get the rise out of her that he’d wanted before—tenfold. She could try all she wanted, but she would never be able to manage him. Still, watching her try was going to be amusing.
Her brow furrowed. “What reminder?”
“We had a deal.” He shook his head in mock chagrin. “I usually don’t like to do this until we know each other a little better. But for you I’ll make an exception.” He stood up and motioned to Domnall. “Tie her up.”
Her gasp of outrage was all the satisfaction he needed to assure himself that he was no longer the one on the defensive. Ah, the world was flat once again.
* * *
Overgrown … arrogant … pirate !
Ellie had never been treated so ignobly in her life. Bound and gagged like a common prisoner! She didn’t know whether she was more outraged or humiliated. Never mind that the linen bonds were loosely tied or that her punishment was undoubtedly deserved—the blasted pirate didn’t need to enjoy it so much. And from the broad smile and the way his eyes crinkled up every time he looked at her, she knew he was enjoying every minute of it.
Gallant, ha! He was a loathsome scourge, and she would do well not to forget it.
Ellie spent the better part of the next hour cursing him to perdition—drawing on an impressive repertoire of oaths built from years of being surrounded by brothers—before sleep finally swallowed her anger.
She woke to warmth and the gentle sway of being rocked in her mother’s arms. Sighing with contentment, she rubbed her cheek against the fuzzy wool plaid, inhaled the soft scent of myrtle, and snuggled deeper against the hard chest—
Her eyes snapped open. She was no longer a child. Her mother was gone; she’d smelled like roses, not myrtle, and she’d certainly never had a hard chest.
Ellie startled. Her first instinct was to break free, but she couldn’t move from the viselike hold.
“Unless you want to take another dip in the sea,” a deep voice drawled, “I suggest you keep still and not give me a reason to drop you.”
The pirate. Of course. Who else would hold her as if he had every right to touch her so boldly? He had one arm under her legs and the other wrapped around her back, cradling her head to his chest as if she were a babe. But the way his hand gripped her arm … his fingers were dangerously close to brushing against the curve of her breast. And much to her embarrassment, her body was reacting to his nearness. Her nipples had tightened into hard points beneath the thin linen of her chemise, and she knew better than to blame the cold.
Even worse than the nearness of his hand was that her bottom brushed against a very significant bulge below his stomach. She tried not to think of it, but every time he took a step forward, her body bumped against his in a most intimate fashion. He felt … harder than she expected. But the contact was too brief,
Her eyes flashed in the darkness, and her lips pursed tight. “You are being ridiculous. This is madness. Do you even know where you are going?”
“Of course I bloody well know where I am going.” As if he would ever get lost.
She looked as though she didn’t believe him. “You can’t mean to sail around all night. You have to put in somewhere. It’s almost dawn and the English will be looking for you. Besides”—she indicated Randolph—“your man needs tending.”
You have to . Erik didn’t enjoy being told what to do, especially by a tiny lass whom he could lift over his head with one hand. Nursemaid Ellie was going to have to learn that she was not the one in charge. But despite the bossy edge in her voice that made him want to grind his teeth, Erik smiled. “Thank you for the reminder.”
He suspected he was about to get the rise out of her that he’d wanted before—tenfold. She could try all she wanted, but she would never be able to manage him. Still, watching her try was going to be amusing.
Her brow furrowed. “What reminder?”
“We had a deal.” He shook his head in mock chagrin. “I usually don’t like to do this until we know each other a little better. But for you I’ll make an exception.” He stood up and motioned to Domnall. “Tie her up.”
Her gasp of outrage was all the satisfaction he needed to assure himself that he was no longer the one on the defensive. Ah, the world was flat once again.
* * *
Overgrown … arrogant … pirate !
Ellie had never been treated so ignobly in her life. Bound and gagged like a common prisoner! She didn’t know whether she was more outraged or humiliated. Never mind that the linen bonds were loosely tied or that her punishment was undoubtedly deserved—the blasted pirate didn’t need to enjoy it so much. And from the broad smile and the way his eyes crinkled up every time he looked at her, she knew he was enjoying every minute of it.
Gallant, ha! He was a loathsome scourge, and she would do well not to forget it.
Ellie spent the better part of the next hour cursing him to perdition—drawing on an impressive repertoire of oaths built from years of being surrounded by brothers—before sleep finally swallowed her anger.
She woke to warmth and the gentle sway of being rocked in her mother’s arms. Sighing with contentment, she rubbed her cheek against the fuzzy wool plaid, inhaled the soft scent of myrtle, and snuggled deeper against the hard chest—
Her eyes snapped open. She was no longer a child. Her mother was gone; she’d smelled like roses, not myrtle, and she’d certainly never had a hard chest.
Ellie startled. Her first instinct was to break free, but she couldn’t move from the viselike hold.
“Unless you want to take another dip in the sea,” a deep voice drawled, “I suggest you keep still and not give me a reason to drop you.”
The pirate. Of course. Who else would hold her as if he had every right to touch her so boldly? He had one arm under her legs and the other wrapped around her back, cradling her head to his chest as if she were a babe. But the way his hand gripped her arm … his fingers were dangerously close to brushing against the curve of her breast. And much to her embarrassment, her body was reacting to his nearness. Her nipples had tightened into hard points beneath the thin linen of her chemise, and she knew better than to blame the cold.
Even worse than the nearness of his hand was that her bottom brushed against a very significant bulge below his stomach. She tried not to think of it, but every time he took a step forward, her body bumped against his in a most intimate fashion. He felt … harder than she expected. But the contact was too brief,
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