by Lisa Kessler
He chuckled. “That kiss had nothing to do with the drinks.”
Her grin lit up the night. “Pretty confident for a pirate.”
“Aye.” He allowed his true accent to color his voice. “Haven’t ye heard? We excel at confidence, lass.”
“Damn.” She came closer, laying her hand over his heart. “You do make a sexy pirate.”
Except it wasn’t an act. She’d never believe him anyway, and he wasn’t ready for the night to end, so he kept the truth where it belonged. Buried.
He took her hand. “Want to see what you missed at the stern?”
She laced her fingers with his and smiled. “Yeah.”
He walked her toward the rear of the ship, pointing out the different sails and the crow’s nest at the top of the mast. He waited for her eyes to glaze over, or her attention to drift, but she seemed to enjoy his pride in his ship. Seemed she could make his heart both pound and ache for something he’d never had in all his years.
“What are the rope nets for?”
“Ratlines.” He grinned. “We climb them up to the riggings to take in the topsails and for the lookouts to take their posts.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and he raised a brow. “You already knew that.”
She shrugged. “I might have watched you climbing up them yesterday after I got off the boat.”
“Then why ask?”
She glanced at the ratlines and back to me. “I thought you might show me how.”
The billows of fog could have knocked him over. “You want to climb the ropes?”
“Why not?” She straightened her back, lifting her chin. “Think I can’t?”
He put his hands up in mock surrender. “Just surprised, that’s all.”
Colton lifted her like she weighed nothing. “Got a grip yet?”
She grabbed the ropes with iron fists, and then slid her feet into the squares. It was like a vertical net, a wobbly rope ladder, and a childhood dream she’d never shared with another soul. Okay, there may have been some clues. Instead of tea parties in a treehouse, she’d named hers the Scalleywag, and spent countless afternoons in search of buried treasure.
And in truth, she’d owned the pirate outfit before she ever decided it might be good for business.
“Hold tight,” Colton called before climbing up beside her.
He moved so fast on the ratlines, they all jumped and swayed under his weight. She squeaked, losing her grip with one hand.
He caught her flailing arm by the wrist and put her hand back on the ropes. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, incapable of wiping the smile off her face. “Yeah. I wasn’t ready for them to move so much.”
“Imagine when we had six men running up to the rigging on an angry sea. Your grip was your life.”
She scanned his face. “You say that like you’ve lived it.”
He broke eye contact, staring up at the crow’s nest lookout perch. “I have a crew. We still take the Sea Dog out a few times a year.” He glanced her way. “You go first. I’ll be right behind you in case you slip.”
It took a couple of tries, but she finally found a slow, clumsy rhythm climbing up the ropes. The rungs or squares or whatever they were called were definitely tied for taller pirates than her. The stretching and pulling her body weight up was a struggle, better than any workout she’d ever done on an elliptical machine.
Up near the top, her foot missed the rope. Before she could falter, he caught her tennis shoe in his hand and put it back in place. She started to look back at him and stopped. “Holy shit, we’re high.”
His laughter calmed the fear swelling in her belly. “First rule of a pirate’s mate, keep yer eye on yer destination, not yer doom.”
She focused on the platform of the crow’s nest. From the deck it seemed tiny, but now that she was closer, she realized the railing was also made for a taller pirate. “How do you get in that thing?”
“I’ll climb past and get in. Then I’ll pull you up.”
Don’t look down, don’t look down. He crawled past her, the ropes groaning and bouncing. She clung so tight her knuckles ached. When Colton pushed off the ratlines to reach for the crow’s nest, the ropes twisted and swayed, throwing her around like a rag doll. “Oh shit!”
He caught her wrist. “No worries, love. I’ve got you.”
She clung to the ropes. “I should go back. This was a stupid idea.”
“Wait until you see Savannah from up here.” He clasped her other wrist, too. “Let go, Skye. I won’t let you fall.”
She looked up into his eyes. “Putting my life in your hands is more trust than I intended on a first date.”
His lips twitched into a tentative smile. “Didn’t know we were on a date.”
Somehow he managed to coax laughter out of her even while she was barely clinging for dear life. “Seriously, I need to get down.”
He shook his head, smile fading. “I’m going to pull you up. You’re not in danger. Not on my watch.”
There was that pirate swagger. She had to be nuts to even be considering this. “If I let go and fall, I swear to god my ghost will torment your ship forever. I’m talking curses and pushing people to their deaths; none of that cool ghost hunting stuff.”
He chuckled. “Understood.”
“All right.” She pulled in a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I’m letting go.”
She released her grip and instead of gravity yanking her down, Colton lifted her up, hoisting her over the railing and into the crow’s nest with him. She opened her eyes and gasped at the haunting scene below them. The yellow lights of Savannah glowed in the thick fog, the big moss-covered trees poking through the blanket of mist. Her jaw dropped as her gaze wandered over her hometown.
He drew her in closer, under the protection of his arm. “Beautiful, no?”
“Oh my god. Words don’t do it justice.” When she finally glanced over at him, Colton was staring at her. “What?”
He shook his head slowly. “The world below us has nothing on you.”
Her heart raced and her body warmed. If she didn’t stop looking into his eyes, she’d kiss him again.
Bad idea. She couldn’t afford anymore of her bad taste in men. Literally.
Her brain wrestled against her hormones, and she faced the city again. “Thanks for bringing me up here.”
“You did most of the work.” He bent over, resting his forearms on the railing as he scanned the area. “Tell me about the bastard you were going to marry.”
Laughter bubbled from her throat. “His name was Curt.” She leaned next to him, watching the fog billow off the water. “The real ass kicker is in hindsight, I think I was so desperate to fall in love and have a family that I stopped caring about who it was with.”
She clasped her hands together, unsure where the sudden bout of honesty was coming from. She didn’t have many friends. It was tough to set boundaries as a psychic. Many people cozied up, but in the end, they really just wanted your “gifted” advice for free, not so much to go out and see a movie or play board games.
After kicking Curt to the curb, the only person she’d told about it was poor One-Eyed Bob. He poured her enough drinks that night that she was a little foggy on how much she had confided in him.
Colton’s attention stayed on the city below. “When I was younger, all I cared about was making money. I grew up in an orphanage half starved, and as soon as I could get on a ship, I did.”
Skye frowned. “I thought you came from old money?”
He rubbed a hand down his face and met her eyes. He started and stopped himself a couple times before looking down at the deck below. “You said it. I agreed. Easier than explaining my parents died when I was a tot.”
“I’m sorry.” She ran her hand up his back, wishing she could swallow up her words. Instead, more fell out. “I never knew my dad, and my mother wouldn’t tell me anything about him other than I had his eyes.” She rested her head against his shoulder. “I used to daydream that I�
��d have a daughter and she’d have a wonderful Daddy who would never leave her. About six months ago, a card kept coming up for me, over and over. It usually means love, a man and a woman making vows. I think when Curt started showing interest…”
“You saw what you wanted to see.” He covered my hand with his. The simple comfort warmed her all over.
“I think so.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “A few weeks ago I noticed some things from the shop were missing. Then I got curious and checked the register receipts against the bank statements.”
His grip tightened. “Bastard.”
She nodded. “Exactly. I called him on it and kicked him to the curb.” She glanced over at him. “Sad part was realizing after he was gone, that I didn’t miss him. I missed the idea of him.” She stared at her hands on the railing. “He lied to my face for months, and I didn’t see it.”
He cupped her cheek, coaxing her to meet his eyes. “I used to dream of a family a long time ago. It drove me to the ships to cast my net and make my fortune, but somewhere along the way, the greed overshadowed the dream.” He searched her eyes. “You never lost sight of it. Don’t let that bastard make you feel foolish. He’s the fool.”
Her vision blurred with tears as she pressed her lips to his. His strong arms enfolded her against his chest as her tongue danced with his. She pulled his shirt free of his pants and slid her hands underneath, moaning as she explored his hot skin. His muscles tensed under her touch, enticing her. This all-consuming hunger was new. She’d never wanted Curt or any other man like she yearned for Colton.
It didn’t matter that she barely knew him. Her mind whispered that it should, but her body was in charge at the moment. He bent his knees and caught the backs of her thighs, lifting her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her hands clasping together behind his neck, clinging to him.
His mouth was hot, searing her skin as he kissed along her collarbone. His erection pressed against her and instead of retreating, she ached to be closer. Needed to be closer. The warning came again that she just met him a few hours ago, but she was too far gone.
This was probably foolish, but tonight, there was no other fool she’d rather be.
Chapter 4
He gripped her thigh with one hand and slid the other under her shirt. Her moan nearly undid him. It had been much too long since he’d lain with a woman, and he’d never been with anyone like Skye, his lady with the violet eyes. He cupped the weight of her breast yearning to taste her skin.
She rocked her hips into him and gasped. “Do you have a sleeping cabin on this boat?”
His teeth brushed her ear. “Yes.”
“Do you have protection?”
Her question didn’t register through the haze of his hunger for her. “Cannons, a cutlass, and a few pistols.”
She chuckled and kissed him again. “How about condoms?”
“Oh.” He would’ve smacked his forehead but dropping her wasn’t an option. “Yeah, I think I do.”
“Then we better get down there before we do something we can’t take back.”
A lopsided smile tugged at his lips. “I’ve never made love to a woman in the lookout.”
“Sex.” She nibbled her way down his throat until he was hard enough to cut diamonds. “Love hurts. Tonight is sex.”
“As long as you’re naked in my arms, you can call it whatever you like,” he growled, gripping her ass.
Reluctantly he lowered her feet to the floor and straightened. “I’m going to climb over. Then I’ll help you onto the rigging. You’ll turn around and hang on to me. I’ll take us both down the ratline.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re going to carry me?”
“It’ll be faster and safer.”
“Maybe I should be on your back so I’m not in your way?”
He shook his head. “If you slip off my back there’s no way I’d be able to catch you. This way you won’t fall.” She didn’t look convinced, so he added, “You also won’t be able to look down.”
Gradually she started to nod. “All right. If you think it won’t be too much weight for you.”
He chuckled as he climbed out of the lookout. “You don’t weigh half as much as those topsails, love.”
Once he had his feet braced in the openings of the ratline, he helped guide her over the side, steadying her until she was on the ropes with him. He pushed back as far as he could to make room for her. “Can you slide under my arm?”
“I think so.” The heat of her body warmed his chest.
He let go of the rigging with one hand and wrapped his arm around her waist. “Now turn around and hold onto me.”
She was trembling, but finally clamped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. “Okay. I’m ready.”
Having her body pressed so tight against him had his blood rushing below his belt again. He’d never climbed the ratlines with a gorgeous woman and a raging hard on, but he welcomed the challenge.
He had every intention of getting her down and into his bed in record time.
Forcing his body to focus on the ratline, he gradually found his rhythm, moving in harmony with the bounce of the ropes. Skye whimpered and he slowed his pace.
He looked down at her. “You all right?” She grinned up at him and he realized it hadn’t been a whimper. She’d been laughing. A smile crept up on him. “You’re enjoying this.”
“Not as terrifying when I can’t see how high up we are.” She licked the center of his chest and he shivered all over. “And the view doesn’t suck either.”
He loosened one hand and clapped it on her ass, pressing her tight against him. “Can’t get down soon enough, but I’d rather do it in one piece.” He winked.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll behave. For now.” She wet her lips.
He growled, forcing his gaze back to the task at hand. With both hands on the ropes again, he moved down the rungs. When he reached the railing of the ship, he wrapped one arm tight around her waist and swung them both around the rigging, dropping onto the deck.
The second his boots met the wood, his lips fused to hers, one hand tangling in the back of her hair while the other slid down her back. She tasted like rum and felt like sin, fucking heaven in his arms. He carried her to his cabin and reluctantly set her down in front of the door.
He hadn’t ever had company in his bed here. Any female companions were found on land, but the moment she came aboard his ship, the world had tilted. He didn’t recognize himself, and the rules no longer applied.
She passed through the door and he closed it behind him, cloaking them in darkness. He withdrew a lighter from his pocket and lit the oil lantern hanging above. A warm glow filled the room. Not bright enough to read by, but plenty of light for finding the bed.
By the time he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside, Skye had crossed the room to his bookshelf. He came up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist from behind. She leaned back against him, her hands covering his.
“I thought pirates were too busy plundering to read.”
He nibbled along her neck. “You thought wrong.” His teeth brushed her earlobe. “Hope you didn’t come here to read.”
She turned in his arms, staring up into his soul. “No.” She pulled her top off, then unfastened her bra. Her nipples were tight nubs begging to be kissed. He wet his lips as she caught his hand, her voice a little breathless. “I had something else in mind.”
She pressed his hand to her breast and he kneaded it slowly, his erection threatening to bust through his zipper. He bent to claim her lips, backing her toward the bed before scooping her up and laying her in the center.
He lowered his head and kissed his way down to her breast. As he sucked her nipple into his mouth, he opened her jeans and moved his fingers inside. He growled against her skin finding her wet and ready as her hips rocked into his hand.
“Condom,” she gasped.
“Not yet.” He pulled her pants and panties free and tosse
d them aside. He wanted to memorize her naked in his bed, her long auburn hair across his pillows, her full lips plump and red from his affections, and those violet eyes staring hungrily up at him. Sexy didn’t begin to describe her.
He took off his pants, his eyes locked on hers as he crawled up between her legs, sliding them up his broad shoulders. “I’m starving for you.”
Her teeth raked her lower lip as he lowered his head. He licked her slowly at first, savoring the way her body writhed. He hummed against her as her fingers tugged at his hair. With his tongue, he teased her swollen nub, growling, “So good.”
He slid two fingers inside of her, working them into her slowly while his tongue and teeth picked up a feverish rhythm. She called out his name rocking her hips into his mouth.
He groaned, “That’s it, love.”
Her entire body shuddered, her thighs clenching tight around his head. He placed tender kisses until the aftershocks finally subsided. He raised his head. “Just wanted to hear my name on your lips.”
“Colton.” Her exhausted, blissful smile made him want to dive back in for more, but if he wasn’t buried inside her soon, he’d die.
With her, anything seemed possible.
He forced himself back to the head, the ship’s tiny washroom. It was dark, but small enough he had no trouble finding the drawer. He searched around for the box and came back with a foil wrapper in his hand. Her eyes followed his every move, stoking his ache for her.
He knelt down at the foot of the bed, staring down at her as he tore open the condom. The moonlight danced in her eyes.
“I’m so glad I trespassed,” she whispered.
“Thank god you don’t read signs.” He slid the condom over his pulsing shaft and moved up over her, settling his hips between her legs. “I never thought I’d find you.”
He kissed her before she could ask, thrusting forward and joining their bodies. She was made for him, every part of her. His. But how could he explain he’d been watching for a woman with violet eyes for over two hundred years?
He couldn’t. Besides, it wasn’t a lie if she wouldn’t believe the truth anyway.
His lips trailed down her neck to her shoulder. She smelled like lavender and musk, and he filled his lungs with her scent. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she drew her legs up around his waist. He never wanted this to end, but his body had other plans, his thrusts coming faster now. But he wasn’t coming alone. He moved his hand between them and toyed with her until she gasped.
