A Scandalous Regency Christmas

by Christine Merrill/Marguerite Kaye/Annie Burrows/Barbara Monajem/Linda Skye

  It took Rawden a minute to adjust his eyes to the dimly lit pub. It was crowded and dark, crammed full of burly men hunched over rickety tables. No one seemed to notice their entrance, however—it seemed the tavern’s patrons were already far too drunk to even lift their heads. Juliana quickly scanned the room. Her hand tightened on his arm before she slipped away toward a dark corner booth.

  “Wait for me here,” she instructed him quietly as she glided effortlessly through the boozy throng.

  Huffing, Rawden eased himself into leaning against the doorpost, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes trained on Juliana. His overlarge cloak seemed the perfect camouflage for his stunning protégée. Her golden tresses were completely hidden, and the bulky material obscured her feminine form. He watched as Juliana slid into a shadowy corner booth at the other end of the room. A man leaned forward to greet her, his expression relieved. He was handsome in an older, dignified way, with silver hair at his temples and wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. As they began to talk, the man fervently clasped both her hands between his.

  Rawden stood straighter. He’d guessed that she had planned to meet someone in the tavern—probably some business associate—but she was meeting a man who was acting much too friendly for his taste.

  For her part, Juliana gently extricated her hands from the man’s grasp and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Rawden could not hear their conversation, nor see Juliana’s face because of her hood, but he could very clearly see worry etched into her companion’s handsome face. Juliana’s slender hand reached out to pat his, her head bobbing underneath the voluminous hood. The man gripped her fingers tightly, his expression ardent as he leaned in. Rawden frowned. This was no ordinary business meeting.

  He pushed away from the door frame, intent on stalking over to the booth to find out exactly what was going on. Was he a friend? A lover? An accomplice?

  But before he could take two steps, Juliana had risen from her seat. Though the man looked longingly up at her, she only patted his shoulder before turning away. She wove her way back through the crowd, pausing to touch Rawden’s elbow and then turning to the door.

  “Let’s go,” she whispered urgently.

  Rawden remained rooted to the spot.

  “You two seemed cozy,” he commented blandly.

  A line appeared between her brows.

  “So?”

  “He looked a bit old for you, don’t you think?”

  Juliana looked up at him, her blue eyes flashing. Rawden stared back down at her, stone-faced.

  “Yes, he is a bit old for me,” she retorted sharply.

  “So then, you’re stringing him along?”

  Juliana stepped back, momentarily stung by his words and the bitterness in his green eyes. A spark of bitter anger took root in her heart.

  “Aren’t you doing the same to me? In any case, what business is it of yours?” she blurted before she could check herself. “I’m paying you to be my bodyguard, not my conscience.”

  Rawden’s face went blank, his eyes shuttering all emotion.

  “Indeed,” he said tonelessly. “So you are nothing more than a common strumpet after all.”

  Rendered speechless, she glared at him, slack-jawed and indignant. She allowed him to take her by the arm and brusquely pull her from the tavern and into the cold night air.

  “Minx,” he muttered as he towed her back toward the boat. “Clever little liar.”

  The chill in his voice was colder than the biting wind that whipped through the December air. All the Christmas merriment around them did nothing to lighten either of their dark expressions or moods. Juliana fumed silently, occasionally skipping to keep up with his long strides. Confusion thickened her thoughts; she didn’t know why she was so angry—so much so that hot tears stung the corner of her eyes. She shouldn’t be angry at all, she told herself. She shouldn’t even care. Captain Rawden Wood was nothing but a means to an end, a tool to be used.

  But still…

  His wrongful, caustic accusations had her stewing in offended ire. She wasn’t sure why she was so affected; only that she was—and thus the situation needed to be rectified.

  So, just before they reached the gangway to his ship, Juliana wrenched her arm away and spun around to face him, the edges of her cloak flapping in the wind. Throwing back her hood, she jabbed at his sternum with one finger.

  “Just what is your problem, Captain?” she demanded furiously.

  “My problem?” He barked a short, humourless laugh. “Only that I’ve been taken for a complete fool.”

  “What are you on about?” she exclaimed incredulously.

  “That old geezer,” he said frostily. “You had him wrapped right around your little finger.”

  Juliana nearly stomped a foot in irritation.

  “Joffrey? He’s old enough to be my father!”

  “Precisely,” Rawden spat. “And yet you still stooped low enough to seduce him.”

  “Seduce Joffrey?” Juliana shook her head in frustration. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

  Rawden snorted and leaned in to say, “You nearly had me fooled too, you know. Your sweet little act almost reeled me in completely. But all this time, and I wasn’t the only one!”

  Juliana reeled backward, her eyes wide.

  “Now wait just a minute,” she said, her voice dropping to an icy whisper. “You actually think I take Joffrey to my bed?”

  Rawden threw his hands in the air.

  “Why else would you hold his hand and cozy up to him in a tavern?” he sneered. “I just wonder what deal you made with him!”

  Juliana stared, blinking hard. Then she suddenly doubled over, choking in laughter. He was jealous. The thought was at once a source of relief and amusement. Just jealous. And then a realisation hit her—she was happy that he hadn’t truly been disgusted by her, and that somewhere deep inside of him, he wanted her for his own. A second, more important realisation dawned on her then: she wanted him for her own as well.

  Rawden looked on, feigning indifference. After a long moment, Juliana straightened, blinking away tears. Then, with a burst of speed, she rose to her tiptoes and grabbed Rawden by the lapels of his jacket, pulling him down so that they were nose to nose.

  “Listen closely, you fool,” she said sternly. “Joffrey—that old geezer as you put it—was my father’s first mate. He has been watching out for me since the day I could walk—so no,” she emphasised, “I was not seducing him. I was just telling him about our arrangement and collecting a few important items from him.”

  “Like what?” Rawden challenged stubbornly.

  “More of your payment, for one. But that’s not what’s important,” Juliana said with a sly smirk. “But there is something you need to understand.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes, that’s right. You need to understand that I do need you to take me to the gold. And I do need you to protect me. But I’m not playing you for a fool—because there’s something else I need from you.”

  “And what’s that?” Rawden asked skeptically.

  “I also need this.”

  Without warning, Juliana pushed her lips against his, capturing him in a searing, passionate kiss. She hooked her arms around his neck and let him drag her to his body with eager arms. After showing him just how much he wasn’t a simple cog in her plans, Juliana pulled away to offer him a triumphant smirk.

  “Do you understand now?” she asked affectionately.

  “Oh I think I do,” came a strange voice from a distance.

  Rawden carefully set Juliana on her feet and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. He was absolutely exasperated. Completely and utterly frustrated. Not only had they been interrupted again, but now—for the second time in as many days—they were completely surrounded by a crowd of enemies.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “DON’T YOU KNOW when not to interrupt a couple?” Rawden lazily drawled, adopting a relaxed stance as he faced their adversaries.r />
  “So,” Captain Elijah Hawkins leered. “You’re a couple now? You’ve really grown up, Miss Wright.”

  “You still can’t have the map,” Juliana told him, sassily placing a hand on her hip.

  “If I can’t have that map,” Elijah threatened, “then I’ll take your ship, Captain Wood.”

  He snapped his fingers and his gangly crew lit up dozens of bottles, all filled with oil. The home-made bombs glittered menacingly in the dark, illuminating the cruel smiles of the rival pirates. Rawden’s jaw clenched. There was no way that his crew could put out the fires fast enough—but they would definitely try, leaving himself and Juliana vulnerable to any sort of attack that Elijah could devise. Even Rawden couldn’t best two dozen armed men. He glanced down at Juliana, his mind scrambling for an out.

  “Ready to really make the Golden Maiden glow, boys?” Elijah hooted, lifting a hand to give the signal. “It will be a most beautiful Christmas ornament!”

  “Wait!” Juliana called out suddenly.

  Elijah grinned and lowered his hand slightly.

  “Had a change of heart, lassie?”

  Juliana stepped out from under Rawden’s arm and drew a weathered scroll from her cloak. She held it up so all could see it.

  “Will you leave us in peace if I give you this map?” she asked, her voice grave.

  “Of course,” Elijah answered with a gracious shrug. “That is all I ever wanted from you.”

  Juliana’s lips thinned.

  “I will give you this map, and you will leave without causing us or the ship any harm,” Juliana stipulated calmly. “Swear by the sea.”

  Elijah dropped into a gallant bow.

  “I swear by the seven seas,” he said with a flourish.

  Juliana nodded and then tossed the scroll high in the air. Elijah caught and unrolled it, his eyes greedily poring over the parchment. Then he chuckled deeply and rerolled the ancient map.

  “Finally,” Elijah said in a self-satisfied voice. “How does it feel to know that if your father had only done what you did just now, he would still be alive today?”

  “Stow it, Hawkins,” Rawden snapped, voice tight with anger.

  Rawden’s fists clenched at his sides. They had been defeated. All had been in vain. There would be no treasure now, not even the promise of gold sovereigns.

  “And a merry Christmas to you all!” Hawkins said with a mocking bow.

  Elijah laughed viciously while Juliana just glared, tightlipped. One of his crew took up a mutilated version of a Christmas carol, and the others joined in cruelly. Beckoning to his men, Elijah turned and melted into the mists. Juliana stared after them until the last traces of his infuriating humming died out. Then, with a heaving sigh, she turned and began to march up the gangway. She headed straight for Rawden’s cabin and entered the lush quarters without saying a word. Rawden followed a step behind, his eyes leaving her only when he turned to push the heavy oak door closed, shutting the world away. He watched as she let his cloak drop to the floor with a thud. Yet, she still did not look back at him.

  Rawden felt regret creep up his throat as his eyes traced the swirling lines of her shimmering gold hair. He had broken the terms of their agreement. He would not be able to take her to the sea caves in Cornwall. He had not been able to protect her or her map from her enemies. In fact, he thought crossly, it had been she who had protected him in the end. She’d saved his ship from imminent destruction by giving up the one thing she had left of her murdered father. Self-loathing joined regret as a bitter taste on his tongue.

  But a small detail began to niggle at the back of his mind. Rawden frowned. If she had just given away her father’s map… then what map had she burned in front of his very eyes on that first night?

  “I thought you burned your father’s map,” he blurted suddenly into the awkward silence.

  “Yes, I burned a map,” she replied evenly. “Just not my father’s. It was yours—I stole it from your table when you weren’t looking.”

  Rawden smiled ruefully. Always the trickster, he thought fondly.

  She had said she’d needed his ship and his protection—but those were only two of the three things she’d demanded—a point she’d made abundantly clear with her lips before their disastrous trip into Portsmouth.

  So, was this a complete loss?

  He had lost the treasure and his pay, but he might still have… her.

  “I see,” Rawden said slowly. “It’s a shame you had no maps to pinch tonight.” He paused, then added quietly. “I am sorry you had to surrender your father’s map to Elijah Hawkins.”

  Juliana let out the breath that she’d been holding. She looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes searching. He might think she was useless to him now.

  “You are?”

  “I am,” he replied, meeting her eyes sincerely, “You protected that map for far too long to just hand it over to protect my ship.” He stopped for a moment, and then continued. “I am grateful for that sacrifice,” he said in a voice gravelly with pent-up emotion. “And I want you to know… ” he stopped again. “I want you to understand that it’s not the treasure that I’m worried about right now.”

  “It’s not?”

  “No,” he said, looking away as he awkwardly scratched behind one ear. “It’s you,” he admitted finally in a soft voice. “I want the map and the treasure—but I want you more.”

  Juliana stared at him, trying not to gawk in amazement. Her heart felt full to bursting, and all doubts melted away.

  “You can still have all three,” Juliana said with a happy laugh.

  “What?” Rawden asked, stunned. “How?”

  “I didn’t give Hawkins the map,” Juliana announced mischievously.

  “I saw you—”

  “That wasn’t my father’s map,” she interrupted, a devilish glint in her eye, “I’m sorry to say that the map I gave to Elijah was just another of your old maps. I took one before we left.”

  “You stole another of my maps?”

  “Yes,” she said with a nonchalant shrug. “And I’m glad I did. Hawkins will figure out sooner or later that it’s a fake—but it’ll be too late in either case.”

  “Just how many of my maps are you going to burn or give away before this is over?” Rawden exclaimed with mock exasperation.

  “No more, I hope!”

  “But see here,” Rawden demanded, shaking a finger at her. “I demand you show me the real map, right now and once and for all. I need to see the real thing with my own eyes.”

  “Say please.”

  “Please.”

  “Very well,” Juliana said, lifting her chin. “Since you asked nicely.”

  With that, she turned away once more. She pulled her arms from her sleeves and let her gauzy dress slip down her body and pool at her feet. In one graceful movement, she swept her thick golden locks away from her back and pulled them over her shoulder.

  Rawden understood immediately.

  An elegantly beautiful tattoo was spread over her svelte back, from the base of her spine to her shoulder blades. It was the most intricate and complex design he had ever seen in his life, inked with delicate swirls of blue, green and black.

  The map had been tattooed to her back.

  “Do you understand now?” Juliana asked.

  Yes, Rawden said to himself, yes.

  This was the true reason she could never give away her father’s map—not to anyone. This was why she had been peering into a hand mirror earlier that day—not to admire herself but to study the reflection of the map on her back in the mirror behind her.

  “My father knew that all sorts of men would come after the map,” Juliana supplied quietly as Rawden paced slowly towards her. “So he had the map copied onto my body—and then he destroyed the original. Now there are once again only two people in the whole world who know the location of Merlin’s map.”

  Rawden stopped when he was right behind her. He placed his hand at the base of her spine and lightly traced
the curving lines of her tattoo with his fingertips. She shivered, a curl of excitement spreading up from her lower belly.

  “This is my father’s legacy.”

  “You were wise to hide it,” he rumbled approvingly.

  Rawden placed his other hand on the curve of her hip and lowered his lips to the shell of her ear.

  “Let me touch you,” he murmured.

  His breath sent frissons of pleasure skittering down her neck to pool in the tips of her breasts. She turned her head so that his lips brushed her temple. She met his heated gaze, and the wide, wanting look in her eyes was answer enough. He gently pressed a row of kisses on her shoulder as he splayed the fingers of one hand over her lower belly. Then, with slow, deliberate, feather-like touches, he traced every line of black ink on her back with the very tip of one finger. As he did, the hand he had planted on her stomach dipped lower, and lower… until she gasped with pleasure and curved her body over his muscled arm. She grasped at his sleeve and moaned aloud as his swirling fingers continued their devastating patterns. He was merciless in his lewd ministrations, not even stopping when her nails dug into his bicep and her panting grew desperate. He caught her lower lip between his teeth and teased her with his tongue.

  “Rawden,” she whimpered, twisting in his arms. “Oh, Rawden.”

  With a grunt, he swept her effortlessly into his arms and carried her to his bed. He sat down with her cradled against his chest. She straddled his thighs and rocked her hips against his, mewling plaintively as he showered her with open-mouthed kisses. As his calloused hands swept over the smooth planes of her body, he realised one very important fact: that she was completely naked and that he… was not. Grunting as she tangled her fingers in his dark locks, Rawden shrugged off his shirt. He stood for a moment, and Juliana wrapped her long legs to his torso, anchoring herself to his body as he jerked open his trousers and quickly kicked them off.

  When he sat back down, the feeling of his naked skin on hers nearly made him lose all control. He could feel the moistness between her thighs, and she could feel his stiffness rubbing against her. They ground against one another until they could take no more. So when Rawden finally lifted her hips, Juliana eagerly positioned him at the entrance to her core. Hands on his shoulders, she slowly eased herself down onto him. She cried out passionately at the sensations coursing through her entire body; his hands hot on her hips, his velvety voice cracking with pleasure—and his wide girth entering, parting, stretching her very core. They were fully joined, as close as humanly possible.