by Linda Skye
“What have you got to lose?” Juliana countered.
“Time.”
“I will make it worth your while.”
“Do you think you are in any position to be bargaining with me?”
“Do you want your money back or not?”
“You realise that I can just take it from you, do you not?” he asked incredulously.
“You said you would not hurt me.”
“Yet,” he clarified pointedly. “I said I had no plans to hurt you yet.”
Juliana narrowed her eyes and planted her hands on her hips.
“You are an impoverished pirate at risk of losing your ship to decay. And any day, your gold-hungry gang of bandits will turn on you,” Juliana declared haughtily. “I think that you need to hear my offer.”
Rawden’s lips thinned as his patience waned.
“Not so innocent after all,” he muttered. “Well then, little lass, what is your offer?”
“I am looking for something,” Juliana began.
“What is it?”
“Not your concern,” she snapped before continuing. “I am looking for something of mine but I am also being pursued.”
“I can see that,” Rawden acknowledged. “And by some less than savoury characters, I assume.”
“So,” Juliana said with a quick nod of her head, “I need protection.”
“For how long?”
“Until I find what I am looking for.”
“Which is where?”
“I can’t tell you yet,” she said evasively. “But I require a ship to get there.”
“I see,” Rawden said curtly. “You’re looking for something—but you won’t tell me what. You are going somewhere along the coast—but you won’t tell me where. And you need me to be your personal bodyguard for an indefinite length of time?” He barked a laugh. “I think not, lassie. I’ll have my money and be on my way, thank you very much.”
Juliana remained impassive as she drew a small pouch of coins from her cloak. She tossed it in his direction, and he caught it deftly with one hand. Rawden chuckled as he dropped the pouch back into his pocket.
“Good luck finding someone,” he said as he turned away. “But I’m sure you couldn’t pay enough for anyone to—”
“A gold sovereign,” she cut in sharply.
He glanced at her over his shoulder.
“One gold sovereign is not nearly enough to—”
“One gold sovereign every day,” she announced, blank-faced. “Every day from today until the day I safely have what I am looking for.”
Rawden slowly turned on his heel, his eyes studying her serious expression.
“A gold sovereign every day,” he repeated carefully. His voice dropped to a deadly timbre. “That is quite the dangerous promise, young lady. How do I know you can deliver? After all, you did swindle me for just a few shillings.”
Her answer came in the form of a shining gold disc flying through the air, which he caught with a quick swipe of his hand. When he opened his fist, a single gold sovereign blinked up at him; he didn’t need to bite at it to know it was real.
“That’s for today,” she was saying as she flicked a second gold coin his way. “And this is an advance for tomorrow.” She paused before adding, “And I robbed you because it was the only way I knew to make you come find me.”
“And where is the rest of my payment?” Rawden asked slyly, still staring at the two shining pieces of gold in his palm.
“Hidden,” she answered sassily. “In spots along the way to what I’m after.”
“Clever girl,” Rawden mused aloud. He looked up, his eyes appraising. “One minute an innocent little aristocrat, the next a petty thief. And now,” he said, “a cunning little merchant.”
She wasn’t quite sure if he was praising or berating her tactics—but one thing was for sure. There was something in his intense green eyes that sent her heartbeat racing. There was an electric pull between them that she just couldn’t ignore. And if she played her cards right, their magnetic attraction might just work to her advantage—if she could keep her own jumbling emotions in check. Juliana tilted her head slightly, causing one perfect golden curl to fall over her porcelain cheek.
“Oh, I can be much more than just that,” she answered in a lilting voice.
“Is that right?” Rawden prompted, a feral grin spreading his lips.
With all the grace of a svelte cat, Juliana sashayed toward him. When she was so close that their misting clouds of breath mingled, she touched his cool cheek with a fingertip. Moistening her red lips with the tip of her tongue, she slid her fingers down the line of his jaw. He caught her wrist in an iron grip.
“Planning to rob me again?”
She smiled and pulled her wrist from his grasp.
“Not if you accept my offer.”
“It is quite a generous offer,” he said thoughtfully, his hands wandering instinctively to her waist.
“You have no idea,” Juliana purred seductively as she smoothed her hands up his arms and wound her arms around his neck. “Just imagine—a gold coin for every day you spend with me.”
“Protecting you, you mean,” Rawden corrected her, his voice a husky rasp.
Juliana felt him wind his arms more tightly around her as she stepped in even closer. She took a deep breath, inhaling his musky scent. He smelled of salt and oakwood, and his evening whiskers tickled her fair skin. She laid her cheek against his shoulder and pressed her lips to his neck.
“Yes,” she murmured against the skin of his neck. “Protecting me.”
Rawden’s hands fisted in the fabric of her thin shift as he pulled her even closer and buried his nose in her soft hair.
“And what is to stop me from taking your gold and whatever it is that you’re looking for?” he rasped.
“You couldn’t if you tried,” Juliana said with a short laugh punctuated by a soft moan as his hands slid to her bottom.
“Is that right? Won’t you need protection once you’ve found your treasure?”
“No one else will know I’ve found it.”
She twisted her hips against his and sighed when he thrust back.
“So how will I know when you have found this thing you are so keen on?”
“When I find what I want,” Juliana said in a seductive whisper, “I can assure you that you will be the first to know.” She laughed huskily. “Besides, I’m not so foolish as to keep paying a pirate for the pleasure of his company.”
She gently nudged the underside of his jaw with the bridge of her nose. Then she lifted her lips to graze his earlobe with her teeth. He groaned softly, lost in the sensations. He abruptly pulled her away to hold her at arm’s length.
“Fine,” he said, meeting her playful eyes with a stern stare. “But I have one condition.”
“Name it,” she answered with a smirk.
“You are to obey me,” he stipulated firmly.
“Obey?” She arched an imperious brow.
He nodded and took her chin between his thumb and forefinger.
“I will not be bound to a wench who will not allow me to protect her in my own way.”
“Fair enough,” Juliana replied with a slight shrug.
“It’s settled then,” Rawden said as he released her and stepped back.
With a curt nod, he turned and stalked away toward the docks. She followed, one step behind him. Her sharp gaze trailed over his masculine form. She knew it was a dangerous game she was playing, stoking the flames of desire between them while trying not to get burnt.
But she had cast her lot—and she was determined to win.
Chapter 3
“I didn’t expect you to get us into trouble this soon,” Rawden muttered darkly.
“Apologies,” Juliana said tightly, her slight form hidden behind his. “I most certainly did not plan for this to happen.”
They stood at the edge of the docks, their backs to the channel. Nearly a dozen men brandishing pistols had them surrounded. Rawd
en’s eyes flicked from one man to the other, his mind racing. They were clearly pirates, probably sent after them by Clegg. He might have been able to escape had he not been hindered by two very important facts: first, he had the girl to worry about. And more importantly, he had no weapon.
He sighed deeply and slowly raised his hands, ignoring Juliana’s hiss of protest.
“Fine,” he conceded with a flippant grin. “You win.”
The pirates eyed him warily, their fingers tightening on their triggers.
“What?” Rawden said innocently. “You don’t trust me?”
“Throw your weapons into the channel!” one pirate shouted.
“I don’t have any on me,” Rawden said with a slight shrug. “You can check if you want.”
None of their attackers seemed to be inclined to get near the notorious captain. Instead, they began muttering softly amongst themselves.
“Look,” Rawden said impatiently, “why don’t you just take us to your fearless leader. It’s what you were supposed to do anyway, right? If you don’t trust me, just keep pointing us in the right direction with those shiny pistols of yours. I can assure you that I won’t try to outrun your bullets.”
“We just want the girl,” one of them called out.
Rawden felt Juliana stiffen beside him. She dug her fingers into his sleeve, and he gently placed his hand over hers in what he hoped was a reassuring gesture. Really, did she think he would renege on their contract so soon? It hadn’t even been a quarter of an hour since he’d given her his word. Besides, he had only gotten two sovereigns out of her so far.
“Unfortunately, we’re on a two-for-one deal at the moment,” he called back unyieldingly. “And I’m sure you’d rather I tag along willingly rather than pick you off one at a time from behind.”
The pirates grumbled but reluctantly acquiesced, waving them toward the looming shadow of a ship moored a short way down. Rawden tucked Juliana’s arm in his and strode along, his gait relaxed but his hand firmly gripping hers. Though she was stone-faced, he could feel the faint tremor in her fingers. He cast her a meaningful look, hoping she would fulfill her end of the bargain to follow his lead.
Not very long after, Juliana and Rawden found themselves standing on the deck of a massive ship—and, yet again, completely surrounded. The first mate, Clegg, pushed his way to the front.
“Remember me, dearies?” he drawled, spinning a blade with his fingers. “You were quite rude that last time, so I won’t be so lenient now.”
“Hold your tongue, Clegg.”
The harsh voice rung out over the deck, and the whole crew quieted. As Rawden and Juliana watched, the captain of the ship slowly descended the wooden steps from the forecastle toward them. His eyes were sharp as he thoughtfully thumbed his greying beard.
“Greetings, Captain Wood,” he said to Rawden amicably with a toothy grin. “Welcome to my vessel, the Grey Gull.”
“What a pleasant surprise, Captain Elijah Hawkins,” Rawden said, bowing with a flourish. “You’re certainly looking well.”
“More than I can say for you,” Elijah replied lightly. “This is an awkward situation, isn’t it?”
“Yes, isn’t it?” Rawden echoed softly, his eyes never leaving Elijah’s wizened face.
But Elijah’s eyes were already sliding to Juliana, who stood half-hidden behind Rawden.
“Well now,” Elijah said with false affection. “Aren’t you all grown up now, Miss Juliana Wright.”
Rawden felt Juliana tense and slide even further behind him. She was not even trying to hide her trembling now. Though he certainly understood her fear, such a blatant display of fright surprised him. She had not seemed the type to cower under pressure.
“Now don’t be rude, young miss,” Elijah chided, his voice dangerously soft. “We were good friends once, you and I. In fact, wasn’t it your father who—”
Juliana stepped out from behind Rawden suddenly.
“Don’t you dare speak of my father,” Juliana demanded in a flinty voice, her eyes dancing in anger.
Rawden’s eyebrows rose slowly. The fine tremors shaking her body hadn’t been the result of fear at all. She’d not been afraid; she had been angry—no, not angry, absolutely furious.
“There she is,” Elijah said, rocking back on his heels. “I thought you’d become a proper little damsel in distress for a moment. But that never was your style, was it?”
Juliana’s lips tightened into a thin line, and she simply glared at him silently.
“I guarantee you won’t be giving me the silent treatment for very long,” Elijah said with a cruel smile. “But it will be easier on all of us if you would just give me the map.”
Rawden studied Juliana’s stony expression from the corner of his eye. Map, he thought, what map?
“I won’t.”
Elijah sighed heavily.
“I thought you might say that, my dear.”
He shook his head, imitating regret. He turned to his crew and raised one hand high. While his back was turned, Rawden leaned down to whisper in Juliana’s ear.
“I hope you can swim,” he breathed quietly.
Juliana was about to ask what he meant when Elijah’s booming voice rang out again.
“Shoot Captain Wood and feed him to the fish,” Elijah commanded. “Then strip the girl and tie her to the mast. Have some fun too, while you’re at it!”
The crew roared with delight as their captain egged them on with more promises of violence. But when Elijah turned back to his captives, he found them near the railing of the ship.
“Stop them!” he called belatedly.
But it was too late. With a wink and salute, Rawden jumped overboard with Juliana under one arm. The crew rushed to the edge of the deck and fired blindly into the dark water.
“Stop, stop you fools!” Elijah raged. “We need the girl alive!”
But only the faintest sounds of the commotion aboard reached Rawden’s ears. Frigid water sloshed around him as he struggled to free Juliana from her heavy wool cloak. For once, he was happy that he wasn’t carrying a firearm—at least he wouldn’t lose anything to rust! Then, ignoring her sputtering and coughing, he dragged her kicking body through the water.
“I can swim,” she panted. “Let go!”
He released her immediately, and she pushed away to tread water. He paused to stare at her pale silhouette as they rose and fell with the swell of the waves.
“Let’s go,” he said finally.
“Where?”
He didn’t answer but turned and began to cut through the water in a strong, elegant front stroke. He glanced back over his shoulder to see Juliana catch up to him with equally skilled strokes. They swam for what seemed an eternity in the chilly water, forcing their muscles to strain against the cold. Rawden muttered curses on his salty lips as he cut through the icy waves. It just had to be wintertime, with the warm lights of Christmas blinking at their back and nothing but bone-chillingly cold water pulling at their heavy limbs. Just perfect. He could have been enjoying a sweet Christmas pudding in his cabin by now if he hadn’t met this confoundedly alluring woman.
Finally, when the Grey Gull was a mere shadow behind them, a smaller shape emerged from the dark in front of them. It was a small rowboat, manned by two men—one at the bow and one at the stern. As soon as Juliana touched the rough wood with her fingers, she felt herself being hauled aboard. She collapsed at the bottom of the boat in a wet tangle of soaked limbs and cloth. Coughing and shivering, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms, trying to revive her numb limbs. She felt Rawden sit on the bench in front of her and heard him bark orders to his men, who began to row immediately. Juliana slowly crawled into sitting on the bench opposite her pirate protector. When she lifted her eyes to his, he was glaring at her with a clenched jaw.
“Care to explain that to me, little miss?”
“Explain what?” she asked shortly.
“This business of a map.”
“What business is tha
t of yours?”
He leaned forward, and shook the excess water from his hair with long fingers.
“Don’t fool yourself into thinking that I’ll blindly endanger my life or the lives of my crew for you, Miss Wright,” Rawden said in clipped tones. “I don’t care what history you seem to have with Captain Elijah Hawkins, but he is a dangerous opponent. And I’ll bet my boat that he’ll come after you again. So you’d better tell me right now—what kind of map do you have that makes you so important to him?”
Juliana looked away into the darkness, her fingers tightening around her arms until her knuckles were white. Her gaze grew distant as her lashes lowered.
“There was once a legendary map,” she began softly, “that was hidden in the Royal Navy’s archives.” Her tone took on an almost singsong quality. “It was an ancient map—so old that the paper would crumble into dust if you touched it carelessly. It was so precious that no one knew of it except the highest ranking officers, and they were sworn to secrecy. The map may have even belonged to the great King Arthur. It may have even been penned by Merlin himself.”
Juliana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she spoke again, her voice was hard and cold as stone.
“My father found this map. And Captain Elijah Hawkins killed him for it.”
“But your father kept its secret safe.” Rawden’s voice was flat. “And now only you know where the map is.”
“Only I.”
For a few long moments, there were no sounds but the lapping of the water against the sides of the dinghy and the grunts of the rowing men. And then Rawden heard something else—the chattering of teeth. With a sigh, he shrugged out of his long coat and reached forward to drape it over the girl’s huddled form.
“And,” he asked quietly, “what does this map lead to?”
“Treasure.”
Rawden gripped the lapels of the coat he’d put on her and pulled her closer. She met his sharp eyes and stared back defiantly.
“What kind of treasure?”
She pulled away from his grip, her chin tilted back.
“Roman gold,” she informed him. “More Roman gold than has ever been found before. And all hidden in secret sea caves.”
