by Eliza Knight
“And ye, love, why do ye ask? Did ye want me to conquer the castle? Capture it just for ye? I would be happy to do it. Ye only need ask.”
Rolling her hips back and forth, she looked into his eyes. “The only thing I want ye to conquer is me, in this bed.”
Thor chuckled. “But, my leannan troda, I like it too much when ye are conquering me.”
Alesia wrapped her arms around his neck and quickened her pace. “No matter how we make love,” she panted, “never doubt, my love, that it is I who feel conquered.”
“Then we conquer each other.” He settled his hands back on her hips, gripping firmly as he increased his own pace and held her to match.
Their lips collided, neither one of them able to form words as their bodies took over with determination to reach the final victory—sweet, decadent release.
And when it came, when it shattered them both once more, they collapsed to the mattress together, a mass of tangled, sweat-slickened skin.
“I never would have imagined that happiness, let alone bliss like this, could be mine,” Alesia mused, kissing him lightly on the lips.
“Och, leannan troda, ye have made me a new man.”
“Nay, Thornley MacLeod, ye are still the same man I met some weeks ago. The same one I fell in love with.”
He skimmed his hands up her back, leaving gooseflesh in their wake. “That man would not be lying here now telling ye how much he loves ye.”
“Oh, aye, he is.” She tickled his ribs. “And I’d not have him lie anywhere else.”
“’Tis good ye said it. And that reminds me, Shaw gave me something he found in Edinburgh when he stopped on his way back to Scarba.”
“Oh?”
Thor climbed from bed, and she tugged on the sheet to warm herself when the air hit her skin. He walked naked to his desk, giving her a delicious view of his muscled backside. “’Tis quite impressive.”
“Aye,” she said, smiling at his arse. “’Tis.”
Thor turned around and lifted a quizzical brow. “Naughty lass.” He pulled a rolled parchment from the desk and brought it over to her. “Read it.”
She put her hands on the parchment, and bit her lip. “I canna read well, Thor. I…know how to read a few things, enough to keep me alive, but not well enough to read this letter.”
“’Tis not a letter, love. And I’ll help ye read anything ye dinna know the meaning of. In fact, I’ll teach ye how to read everything if ye wish.” He settled down beside her.
“Thank ye.” She nodded, blushing, never having considered that her lack of literacy would be something she should be embarrassed about. But he wasn’t judging her. There was no censure, only love.
Alesia took her time unrolling the parchment and it revealed a word she knew well—WANTED.
Below the word was a drawing that was quite a good match to her own face.
“’Tis me.”
“Aye, love.”
“Wanted… Och, no! They meant to hang me when I boarded your ship. They will be looking for me.”
Thor laughed. “Trust me, my leannan troda, they shall never have ye.” He tapped some words below her portrait. “Can ye read that?”
She squinted her eyes, making out the letters and moving her tongue around her mouth, but she was unable to form the sounds that they might mean. “Tell me, please.”
“They call ye the Wharf Wench.”
Alesia giggled, not in the least put out. “That is a grand improvement from wharf rat.”
“Aye, but I was thinking I might need to send them a correction.” Thor moved to all fours, crawling toward her, over her, pinning her to the bed.
“Oh?” The parchment fell away, for whenever he was this close to her, or far away, she longed to touch him, to feel his heated skin beneath her fingertips.
“Aye, for ye’re no wench, ye’re a pirate now.”
“And proud of it.” She flicked the parchment to the floor, determined to set it on fire later when she finally climbed out of bed. “Perhaps I ought to introduce them to my new identity.”
Thor nuzzled her neck, nipped at her earlobe. “How do ye propose doing that?”
“Well”—she slid a foot up and down his calf—“I happen to know for a fact that there is a shipment of whisky that comes straight down the channel from the Highlands to be unloaded at Leith every Thursday morn.”
“And ye propose we steal it.” His mouth traveled the length of her neck, and then back up to her ear.
“At sea, of course, but we can give them a message to relay to the guards at the dock.” She tugged his beard until he pressed his lips to hers.
“Ah, a most excellent plan,” he murmured against her mouth.
“And the whisky”—she bit his lower lip gently—“we can distribute to the brethren.”
“Ye’re so verra generous. But what of the clans in the north providing the whisky who have done us no harm?” Thor’s big hand braced on the side of her thigh, sliding beneath her knee and lifting to settle himself firmly between her hips, where already she felt him ready to take her once more.
“I didna think about that.” She slid her arms around his middle and lifted her hips. “Perhaps we can send them enough of Santiago’s gold to cover the cost.”
“Your gold.” He plunged into her, and for a moment, both of them were caught up in the sheer pleasure of being one.
“Aye. The gold,” she moaned. “There’s plenty of it, and I rather like the idea of paying the innocent and playing tricks on the blackguards who mistreated me my whole life.”
Thor wrapped her up in his arms, and pressed his forehead to hers. “I am going to love having a lifetime of adventures with ye.”
“Och, but, ye sea devil, we’ve already started.”
And then they left their plans for another time, for there was only one adventure they wanted to embark on at the moment—each other.
If you enjoyed THE SEA DEVIL, please spread the word by leaving a review on the site where you purchased your copy, or a reader site such as Goodreads or Shelfari! I love to hear from readers too, so drop me a line at [email protected] OR visit me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizaknightauthor. I’m also on Twitter: @ElizaKnight. If you’d like to receive my occasional newsletter, please sign up at www.elizaknight.com. Many thanks!
Also by Eliza Knight
Pirates of Britannia: Devils of the Deep
Savage of the Sea
The Sea Devil
A Pirate’s Bounty
The Stolen Bride Series
The Highlander’s Temptation
The Highlander’s Reward
The Highlander’s Conquest
The Highlander’s Lady
The Highlander’s Warrior Bride
The Highlander’s Triumph
The Highlander’s Sin
Wild Highland Mistletoe (a Stolen Bride winter novella)
The Highlander’s Charm (a Stolen Bride novella)
A Kilted Christmas Wish – a contemporary Holiday spin-off
The Highlander’s Gift — coming soon!
The Conquered Bride Series
Conquered by the Highlander
Seduced by the Laird
Taken by the Highlander (a Conquered bride novella)
Claimed by the Warrior
Stolen by the Laird
Protected by the Laird (a Conquered bride novella)
Guarded by the Warrior
The MacDougall Legacy Series
Laird of Shadows
Laird of Twilight
Laird of Darkness
The Thistles and Roses Series
Promise of a Knight
Eternally Bound
Breath from the Sea
The Highland Bound Series (Erotic time-travel)
Behind the Plaid
Bared to the Laird
Dark Side of the Laird
Highlander’s Touch
Highlander Undone
Highlander Unraveled
Wicke
d Women
Her Desperate Gamble
Seducing the Sheriff
Kiss Me, Cowboy
Under the name E. Knight
Tales From the Tudor Court
My Lady Viper
Prisoner of the Queen
Ancient Historical Fiction
A Day of Fire: a novel of Pompeii
A Year of Ravens: a novel of Boudica’s Rebellion
About the Author
Eliza Knight is an award-winning and USA Today bestselling indie author of over fifty sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. Under the name E. Knight, she pens rip-your-heart-out historical fiction. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain with her own knight in shining armor, three princesses and two very naughty puppies. Visit Eliza at http://www.elizaknight.comor her historical blog History Undressed: www.historyundressed.com. Sign up for her newsletter to get news about books, events, contests and sneak peaks! http://eepurl.com/CSFFD
