by Christine Merrill/Marguerite Kaye/Annie Burrows/Barbara Monajem/Linda Skye
They both leaned back, planting their hands behind them—he on the mattress and she bracing herself with open palms on his knees. She began to move up and down, gradually increasing her speed until she had to throw her head back in joyous passion. Rawden watched as her heavy breasts bounced, and unable to resist, he leaned forward and grabbed them with greedy hands. His lips closed around one of the tight caramel peaks, and his tongue swirled delicious patterns that made Juliana cry out in ecstasy. She arched into his touch, riding him desperately. Juliana felt as if something electric was trying to crawl its way out of her pores, and her movements became wild jerks.
“Not yet,” Rawden growled huskily. “Not just yet, my dear.”
He gathered her in his arms and stood, turning to lay her down across his bed. Still joined, he lay over her and braced himself against the mattress on his elbows. He kissed the tip of her nose and slowly, slowly withdrew. She felt every ridge of his shaft as he pulled away. She almost protested, but when he was just about to pull free, he then pushed back in—again, ever so slowly. He repeated this slow torture over and over again until Juliana dug her fingers into his shoulders and sobbed for more.
Rawden chuckled darkly. Then, just as he was about to pull out, he drove into her in one quick motion. Juliana gasped in delight. He pulled away slowly, and then slammed back into her, hilt deep. This new, sweet torture drove Juliana half-mad, and she writhed beneath him.
Finally, he paused. Leaning back, he took her chin between his fingers.
“Look at me,” he commanded hoarsely.
Juliana blinked up at him with hazy eyes. Rawden waited, his eyes dark with desire. But still he waited.
“Yes,” Juliana breathed with a soft smile. “Yes, I’m yours.”
His response was immediate. Hooking her knees over his elbows, he began to plunge in and out of her with such force that she was driven back against the headboard and had to brace herself with her hands above her head. Their bodies, slick with sweat, crashed together. It was wild, it was furious… it was love at its basest and most passionate. Juliana could not fight the flow of pleasure that crashed through her body, so she just hung on blindly. And just when she thought their lovemaking could be no more intense, Rawden grabbed her hips and turned her so that she was on her hands and knees in front of him. He dug his fingers into her hips and began anew, his thrusts hard and fast.
Juliana had never felt anything so deep or so wonderful in all her life. Her hands fisted in his sheets, her sobs of bliss echoing though the cabin. Rawden leaned forward, and Juliana felt his tongue on her skin. Her breath caught in her throat as she realised he was trailing his tongue over the lines of her tattoo, lines she had studied and hidden for so long. Tears welled in the corners of her eyes as she relished the feeling of him laving the precious design on her back with his open-mouthed kisses. Then he rose, hooked an arm around her shoulders and pulled her up. He grabbed onto her for leverage as his pace became more frantic. His frenzied thrusts hit deep, and she felt a carnal exhilaration spread through her veins, she lost all control over her voice. Stars burst behind her eyes as she heedlessly screamed his name. She felt him shudder inside her, and she clenched around him as he released deep within her core.
Panting harshly, they sagged against each other, limp and sated. As one, they collapsed to one side. He curled around her, pulling her back into his chest. Nuzzling her tattooed shoulder, Rawden sighed into her moist skin. She trembled under his touch.
“I think I should study this map more often,” Rawden said, pressing his lips to her neck.
“Any time you want, my dear captain,” Juliana giggled, squirming deeper into his embrace. “Any time you want.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
THEY SPENT THE next few days holed up in the cabin. Rawden would spend hours poring over the map on her back, leaving only when it was necessary to guide the ship or supervise his crew. Juliana would sometimes venture out onto the deck to breathe in the fresh salty air and catch a glimpse of the distant shoreline. On occasion, Rawden would let her hold to the ship’s wheel, his hands on hers, as they cut through the waves. There was laughter and song and lovemaking even when the fresh rations dried up. One day, when Juliana thought she would rather go hungry than eat hardtack biscuits and broth again, Rawden breezed into the cabin bearing a tray of something that smelled—impossibly—of Christmas. Hopping up from her perch by the fire, Juliana crowded in to see just what treasures her captain had brought. With a proud, boyish smile, Rawden gestured to his surprise: two bowls of hot Christmas pudding and two mugs of sweet-smelling malt wine. As Juliana savoured a spoonful of gooey, sticky pudding and sipped her mug of wine scented with orange and cinnamon, she thanked the seven seas for sending her such a marvellous pirate. And excitement continued to grow as they drew nearer to the majestic coastline of Cornwall.
Finally, on Christmas Day, Juliana heard the barked command.
“Drop anchor!”
They had arrived. Rawden pulled her from the cabin and led her onto the deck. With a sweep of his arm, he showed her the towering cliffs of Cornwall. Juliana felt light and warm, despite the cold Atlantic wind whipping through her hair.
Grey, jagged rocks jutted imperiously from the sea. Grey-green grass covered the tops of the cliffs, draped over the sloping hills like a thick, mossy carpet. A blanket of snow and ice shimmered here and there—the only indication of the winter weather apart from the icy mist of the waves.
And there, nestled atop one of the flat peaks were the ruins of an ancient castle—Tintagel Castle, the rumoured home of the legendary King Arthur. Juliana’s eyes dropped lower. For it was not the imposing castle that interested her; it was the secret that lay hidden beneath. The winding sea caves below: Merlin’s caves. She looked eagerly up at Rawden, who chuckled.
“Aye then mateys!” Rawden called to his crew. “Get a longboat ready! We sail to treasure today!”
A great guffaw rose from the crew as they scrambled to prepare for the landing. And within the hour, Juliana and Rawden were perched at the centre of the lead longboat, headed for shore. They tied up the boats close to the rocky shore, and Rawden lifted Juliana into his arms before she could protest, gallantly wading through the cold water to set her booted feet on dry stones.
“Lead the way, my lady,” Rawden said with a flourish, taking her hand as she nimbly skipped from one rock to the next.
Soon, they were marching up a pebbled beach, and the dark, cavernous mouth of Merlin’s cave loomed above them. The tide was out, so the entrance was clear of water, leaving only a smooth sandy passageway in its place. Juliana took the torch that Rawden had just lit, holding out in front of her to illuminate the dark passageway. She smiled.
“Follow me,” she said confidently. “I know the way.”
They trod slowly into the yawning cave, their feet leaving deep marks in the soft sand. Juliana led the group through the snaking passageways without fear. She had been preparing for this day for more than a decade, and she already knew which turn to take at every fork in the passage. The rocks were slimy and slick, so Rawden steadied her with a hand cupping her elbow. As they progressed deeper and deeper into the forbidding cave, the tunnel grew tighter and the air staler. It was a frightening maze.
Just when the crew began to grumble about unending marches and unlikely treasure, they rounded a tight bend and spilled into an unbelievably vast chamber. It was so wide and large that their footfalls echoed off the rock walls. Anyone who thought to look at the walls would see intricate carvings and tall pillars. The uneven ground beneath their feet turned to carefully tiled marble slabs. And then, Juliana dropped her torch into a round basin.
Fire shot out from half a dozen railings, almost instantly lighting a series of lamp stands around the colossal chamber. The shine of gold flashed from every corner; coins were piled in pyramids taller than most men, golden jars and vases were haphazardly heaped together, weapons glittering with precious stones were scattered everywhere. It was more treasure
than Rawden had ever seen in his lifetime, much less in one place.
With hoots of glee, the crew surged past them, digging into the coins and shouting to one another. After a few minutes of revelry, they turned to their captain, wondering how they ever dared doubt him. Rawden grinned from ear to ear.
“What are you waiting for?” he shouted. “Pack it all up!”
The men began scooping gold into the chests they’d brought along. Rawden surveyed the treasure. It would take more than a few trips to empty the chamber. Nay, more than a few ship loads! He shook his head in amazement and turned to look at Juliana, who had stooped to pick up a single gold coin. She turned it over in her fingers, marvelling at the Latin inscription and engraving of an unknown Caesar.
“Roman gold,” she whispered to herself, closing her fist around the coin. “It was here all this time.”
She looked up at Rawden, her face glimmering with the reflection of a century’s worth of gold.
“Merry Christmas, Rawden,” she said with a laugh and outstretched arms. “This is my gift to you.”
“You found it,” he said, pulling her into his arms and resting his chin on the top of her head. “Your father would be proud. A true daughter of a pirate.”
Juliana pulled away slightly to peer up at him, an impish smirk playing on her lips.
“Who said I was the daughter of a pirate?”
Rawden frowned lightly, his mind whirring.
“You have a treasure map. You know ships. And you can be a right little swindler.” He inclined his head to one side. “What else would you be?”
Her sly little smile grew wider.
“I have another Christmas gift for you, Captain Wood,” she said, flouncing out of his arms.
“Oh?”
“Yes,” she said with a toss of her head. “And I’ll have you know that I am not the daughter of a pirate. My name is Juliana Wright, and I am the only daughter of the late Rear Admiral Wright of the Royal Navy.”
Rawden felt his bones grow stiff with dread. The Royal Navy? Just what was going on now? But Juliana wasn’t done speaking, so he forced himself to focus on the melodic sound of her voice.
“As his daughter, the Royal Navy has tasked me to complete his mission in his stead. I have been given the honourable duty of selecting a privateer to be in the service of the Crown. I have chosen to offer this privilege to you.”
“What?” Rawden nearly choked.
“This is a letter of marque,” Juliana said, and pulled a sturdy scroll from her cape. “It entitles you to pillage and plunder foreign ships for your own profit and with no risk of prosecution by the Royal Navy or any other law enforcement serving England. Should you accept, you will no longer be a fugitive pirate, but a respectable privateer. And,” she said, opening her arms, “you may consider this Roman gold as your signing bonus. Do you accept, Captain Rawden Wood?”
“Do I accept?” Rawden took two long steps and pulled her off her feet, muffling her giggles with a kiss. “Of course I accept!”
“Well, there is one more condition,” she cautioned, tapping him on the nose.
Rawden groaned. This woman and her conditions!
“The Royal Navy requires you to have a watcher, someone to send reports back to headquarters. So you’ll have to take me along with you, wherever you sail.”
“Wherever?” Rawden asked, raising a crafty brow.
“Yes,” Juliana whispered conspiratorially. “Even if you plan to sail to a tropical island somewhere in the South Pacific, you must take me with you. Perhaps you can bribe me into silence by ravishing me on a secluded white sand beach somewhere,” she added thoughtfully.
Rawden laughed and spun her around once before sealing her lips with his in wild abandon. Breathless, he pulled away to meet her brightly cheerful eyes.
“You had this planned from the very beginning, didn’t you,” he playfully accused.
“I did,” she admitted, kissing his cheek.
“Well, then,” Rawden said, gathering her close, “it is a merry Christmas, after all.”
“Yes, it is,” Juliana murmured, pressing her lips to his. “Merry Christmas, my pirate protector.”
ISBN: 9781472041494
A SCANDALOUS REGENCY CHRISTMAS
Christine Merrill/Marguerite Kaye/Annie Burrows/Barbara Monajem/Linda Skye
© Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.à.r.l 2013
First Published in Great Britain in 2013
Harlequin (UK) Limited
Eton House, 18-24 Paradise Road, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1SR
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. The text of this publication or any part thereof may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, including without limitation xerography, photocopying, recording, storage in an information retrieval system, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.
This ebook is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated, without the prior consent of the publisher, in any form or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
All characters in this work have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises II B.V./S.à.r.l.
® and TM are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.
www.millsandboon.co.uk
