by Eliza Knight
The other ship in the shore, The Gaia, was definitely Con’s, and beside it, his newly acquired vessel, the Leucosia. She was a beauty who rivaled even Shaw’s magnificent vessel, since Con had recently had her reconditioned. On the other side of Shaw’s ship was The Dark Sidhe, captained by Kelly O’Murphy, one of the brothers in the Devils of the Deep. That meant, Lachlan, his other Devils brother had to be at home on their base at Scarba Isle. And if the Leucosia was here, Lucifer was traveling with Con.
He climbed over the side of the ship and was about halfway down the rope, ready to drop into the small boat that would take him ashore, when a sharp, feminine voice rang out behind him.
“Move aside,” she shouted at the men above, and then he saw her beautiful face as she leaned over the side of the hull and pierced him with a glower. “I’m coming with ye.”
Thor growled, meeting her gaze for the first time since their kiss, and he shook his fist at her. “The only place ye’re going is back into that cabin.” He pointed at Edgard, who started forward, but the lass yanked a blade from behind her back and brandished it at him.
“I said, I’m coming with ye. And I willna hesitate to cut Edgard here, no offense, sir,” she said to his first mate, “but I want off this vessel, and I’m willing to fight ye to get there.”
Edgard kept his face stoic, but the expression in his eyes when he glanced down at Thor said he was furious—and not at her.
Thor gripped the rope ladder and fairly flew up the half he’d already descended, flung his leg back over the side and stalked toward her, heedless of the blade glinting in the sun. “Get back in that cabin, or I’ll be forced to use the blade on ye meself.”
She bared her teeth at him, hand that held her weapon steady. “Put me in that cabin, and ye’ll regret it.”
He believed her.
Already he regretted so many things. Like the fact he’d not been this close to her in days, and that she was still wearing the same too tight gown and smelled heavenly. His cock, evidently, also could not forget, and began to swell in his breeches as he recalled just what her pink, perky breast looked like, what she tasted like. How she’d offered herself to him.
The woman was dangerous beyond the blood of her father that ran in her veins. Dangerous to his senses, his very thought process.
Gritting his teeth, he grabbed her by the arm, forgetting that she’d ripped the sleeves from the dress. His fingertips came into contact with her bare skin and a spark of lightning jolted up his arm.
“Ye’re a pain in the arse,” he grumbled.
“Ye havena seen anything yet,” she threatened, meeting him head on.
Green eyes blazed, she was so stiff, so ready for a fight that he wanted to kiss her and feel the way she melted against him all over again. Oh, it would be heaven in itself, not to tame her, but to unleash her passion and have it directed at him and at pleasure.
“If I bring ye ashore, ye’ll behave yourself.” It wasn’t a question, but a demand.
She let out a short laugh. “How does one behave themselves when surrounded by pirates?” She stomped on his foot, pain shooting from the bones she’d bruised.
Thor gritted his teeth, cursing softly. “That’s the thing ye have to remember, lass, they are all pirates, and not all of them are as patient as I am. I’ll not be rushing to save ye when they decide to show ye what they think of a hellion like ye.”
That obstinate chin jutted forward. “I dinna need saving.”
Now it was his turn to laugh. “Ye have no idea. I assume ye can swim?”
“Of course—” But before she could finish her words, he’d lifted her off her feet and tossed her overboard. She sailed through the air, gown belling out and exposing her pointed ankles and curvy calves. Och, but it was a beautiful sight to behold, and then came the splash as she landed in the blue water that sparkled like diamonds.
Thor sighed as he looked down at her and his handiwork, feeling mighty satisfied at having shown her who was boss. But beside him, Edgard was attempting to give him a piece of his mind. Evidently, while he’d put the man on bairn duty, he’d grown a soft spot for Alesia.
Below, she sputtered in the water, cursing his name and shaking her fist at him. Thor laughed. “Sorry, love, I couldna help myself. My foot feels better now though.”
She glowered up at him but ceased her prattle. “Touché.”
That made him laugh all the more. What a good sport she was. God, he wanted to tug her from the water and kiss her until they both fell below the depths. Once he was down to the boat, he held out his hand for her. “Come on.”
“I think I’ll swim.”
“Suit yourself. Though ’tis a long way, and soon that gown will drag ye under.”
“Maybe I’ll just take it off. Besides, seems like the fishes might be better company.” Now she was pouting, and her lips were turning a little blue from the cold. But all he could think about was her swimming through the water naked. And everyone else seeing those glorious pink curves.
Nay. Out of the question.
“Och, but it’s not as warm,” he cooed. “Come on into the boat afore ye freeze to death. I promise to behave.”
She didn’t argue, though she did mutter a few choice words as she swam over to the side and accepted his hand. He braced himself for balance, and then hauled her into the skiff. Clutching her soaking wet against him, he wrapped her up in an extra plaid, waiting for her to throw a punch. But she didn’t.
“Thank ye.” Her teeth chattered as she spoke. Dark tendrils of hair stuck to her face like blackened rivulets, and he brushed several away from her eyes.
“Ye need not thank me, lass. It was rather ungentlemanly of me to toss ye overboard.” He helped her to one of the benches and sat opposite her.
“Whoever said ye were a gentleman? Besides, I deserved it.” Fingers tipped with blue nails from the cold reached to ring out the water from the hem of her gown.
“Nay, ye didna.” And he was serious. If she stomped on his foot every five minutes for the rest of his life, he’d consider himself lucky enough to have garnered her attention.
“But I did. I hurt your foot.”
He chuckled. “Ye’ve hurt a lot of things on this ship over the past few days, and while I gained an immense pleasure from dunking ye, it gives me no satisfaction to see ye beaten.”
She raised a questioning brow at him and twisted her hair in her hands, sending more water to splash into the bottom of the skiff.
“I’ve admired ye since before we first met for your…spark.”
“Before we met?” She stopped wringing out her gown to stare at him in surprise.
“I saw ye at the wharf.” He picked up the oars and started to row toward shore. “Running from the authorities.”
She chewed her lip and seemed to sink deeper into the plaid. “I see.”
“Dinna be shy with me now, love.”
“I’m not.” She blushed, and he could only guess what she must be thinking.
Heaven help him, but she was a beautiful woman. With their words at a momentary end, he rowed toward shore as quickly as he could. When they made it close enough to debark, he hopped out and pulled the small vessel the rest of the way to the beach. Then he lifted her and was surprised she didn’t protest. Instead, she burrowed closer to him, and he realized just how cold she must have been.
“There’ll be a fire inside to warm ye.”
She nodded, teeth chattering.
“Dinna become ill. I willna allow it.” If she grew sick from his little jest, he’d never forgive himself.
“While I will endeavor to heed your demand, ye do understand that illness is not a choice?” Even with her teeth chattering and her face burrowed against his chest, the saucy side of her never ceased.
“Everything is a choice, lass.”
She scoffed. “Stubborn pirate.”
“Loud-mouthed wench,” he retorted.
Alesia humphed and sank closer to him, her slim body feeling entirely too
right in his arms. His boots sunk into the pebbly sand of the beach. Ahead of them was a smuggling town run by pirates, built into the caves of the shore. While there were some signs of life beyond the lapping of the waves on shore and the squawks of the sea gulls, it was mostly quiet. It was why they’d chosen the cove for these latest missions, for the revelry that went on inside was barely heard.
On the beach, they were met by the young Xander—whose identity they’d helped erase in order to keep him safe. Months ago, Shaw had been contacted about a treasure that had the power to destroy both Scotland and England. Turned out that the treasure was in fact a lad of royal birth whose enemies wanted dead. Now, under Shaw’s protection and with a new identity, the lad was thriving. In fact, Shaw was grooming him to be the next pirate prince.
Thor hadn’t seen the lad in a couple of months, and he could have sworn Xander had grown at least two or three inches. He’d filled out and had a good bit of sea sun to darken his skin from all the work on the ships. Thor wasn’t surprised they were greeted by the lad first. He’d admired Thor from the moment they’d met and had begged Shaw to allow him to go with Thor on The Sea Devil. Shaw had considered it, if only to torture Thor, who didn’t enjoy the company of adolescents. Hell, he could barely put up with the swabs who were in their early twenties. There was something about passing the twenty-fifth year of life that put a bit more maturity in a lad and made him into a man. Before that, they might as well still be suckling at their mother’s teat.
“Captain Thor,” the lad breathed out in exultation. His gaze dropped to Alesia, and color bloomed red on his cheeks.
“Xander. I hope the pirate life is treating ye well.”
“More than I dare to say.”
Thor grunted, and his men joined them on the beach.
“The prince is waiting.” Xander hooked his thumb over his shoulder, indicating the hidden town in the caves, though his eyes never left Alesia. Rotten wee rogue. Holding Alesia with one arm, Thor tapped the lad on the back of the head, jarring him from whatever line of thought he’d been meandering through.
“Lead the way, Xander. Eyes off the lass.”
As they began to walk up the beach toward the makeshift pirate town, Alesia squirmed against Thor and whispered, “Put me down. I’m not an invalid.”
Thor kept his gaze ahead, afraid if he looked at her, he’d soften and give away his feelings for her in front of Xander. Not that he was aware of what his feelings were exactly. “Aye, but ye’re freezing and soaked.”
She wriggled weakly. “All the more reason I should stretch my legs and get the blood flowing back into them.”
All the more reason she shouldn’t, for blood would be flowing in any number of men’s limbs, including his own, when they caught sight of the too-tight gown clinging wet to her luscious body and her hardened nipples jutting from the fabric. He was already rapidly growing hard, proving it would be an extremely bad idea to put her down.
“Thor. Release me,” she demanded.
The men who accompanied them slanted curious glances their way, and rather than be seen coddling a female, he relented and set her on her feet. “Your funeral,” he muttered, tucking the blanket more fully around her.
“What does that mean?” She walked beside him, clutching the blanket and hiding all the parts he’d been worried others would see. Thank the bloody sea saints.
“Never mind,” he growled.
She frowned up at him, but he ignored her.
The closer they drew to town, the more the resonances of revelry broke the silence of the sea. Torches lit up the pirate cove, and the sounds of pipes and fiddles playing accompanied the raucous laughter. Beyond the usual pirate carousing, it seemed like Shaw and Constantine might be celebrating.
“Who is the pirate prince?”
Alesia’s question made Thor pause. “I have neglected to tell ye where we are. This is Cruden Bay, a pirate cove we’ve taken over for the time being. A common ground to meet that keeps our enemies away from our brethren strongholds.”
“Brethren?”
“Ye recall the story I told ye of Shaw and his men and how they saved me?”
Alesia chewed on her lower lip. “Aye, I recall. Apologies. I fear, I am…nervous and not remembering quite as quickly. Ye speak of Savage. He has quite a reputation in port.”
“There is no need to apologize lass. Aye, Savage, our prince. Ye’ll be introduced to him shortly. Though, I’m certain he’ll want ye to call him by his given name—Shaw.”
“And what is your given name?” She wriggled her brows up at him, teasing.
He winked. “No one has ever known.”
“But ye know it, aye?”
“Aye.” He nodded toward the ships they’d just come from. “Constantine Le Breque’s ship is also out there. He’s the leader of Poseidon’s Legion, our English brethren. He and Shaw are close mates. My brothers, Kelly and Lucifer, are likely here, too.”
“I see.”
“Their wives will likely be in attendance.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not one for making friends.”
He chuckled. “I think ye’ll find they are a bit different than what ye’re used to.”
“I doubt it,” she protested.
Thor pressed his hand to the small of her back, hoping to impart some comfort. “Keep an open mind, lass. Ye might be surprised.”
“I dinna like surprises.” She inched a little closer to him.
Thor grinned. “Let’s get ye warmed up afore ye start issuing duels.”
She frowned up at him, but there was merriment dancing in her eyes.
Xander had run ahead to announce their arrival. Shaw and Constantine came trolling down the path, with both of his other brothers in the Devils—Kelly O’Murphy and Lachlan MacBeth. The latter of whom he was surprised to see, but equally pleased. The last time he’d seen Lachlan, he’d been sailing north intent on raiding the northern isles. Bumping shoulders with Kelly was Lucifer from the Legion. The man had a murderous dark streak that set Thor on edge, but he was loyal and one hell of a fighter. If Shaw and Constantine trusted him, then why shouldn’t he?
“Will they…wonder why I’m here?” she whispered beside him.
Thor grunted. “’Twould only be natural.”
“And what will ye tell them?”
“The truth.”
She inched closer yet again, giving him the impression she sought his protection or wanted to hide. He didn’t blame her. The pirates barreling toward them would be terrifying to anyone who didn’t know them, and even more so to those who did.
“Dinna be afeared, lass. Ye’re under my protection, and none of them would dare harm ye knowing such.”
“All right.” She didn’t sound in the least bit convinced.
“Thor, ’tis about time ye brought your sorry arse to shore. We’ve been waiting days for ye.”
“There was a delay.” He glanced down at Alesia and then cut the men off before they could make assumptions. “The woman. She is…under my protection.” Thor glanced about them, keeping his gaze serious.
The men stopped their joshing, eyes moving from Alesia to Thor.
“Let’s talk inside,” Shaw said with a nod.
Unconsciously, Thor took hold of Alesia’s arm and led her inside the tavern that Shaw had erected the first time he’d debarked The Savage of the Sea. The main room was filled with pirates and wenches. A blazing fire in the hearth let off the scent of peat and roasting meat.
But this was not the room they remained in. Instead, he led them to a more private room in the back, where Lady Jane, Shaw’s wife, and Lady Gregg, Con’s wife, sat giggling before the fire. Both of their eyes were immediately on Alesia, who tugged her arm from his grasp since he seemed to have forgotten he was holding her, and went to stand before the fire. The blanket slipped from her shoulders to reveal the state of her gown.
“What have ye done to the poor lass,” Jane exclaimed, leaping to her feet. “Ye’ve torn her gown.”
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Before Thor could answer to the contrary, Alesia straightened. “I assure ye, Captain Thor has done nothing.”
The men behind him snickered, reading much more into her comment than what she’d laid at their feet.
“Then he should still be ashamed for allowing ye to walk around in a gown far too small and without sleeves,” Gregg replied, flashing him a scathing look.
Thor tossed up his hands. “The lass did it herself, ye meddling wenches.” This was why he’d never gotten himself involved with a female before. All they could do was meddle, meddle, meddle. Alesia seemed to be the only one with a different purpose.
To that, he received a pair of glowering frowns from Shaw and Con. Shaw gave him a punch to the arm. “Dinna speak of my wife that way, else I’ll help your shoulders lose the weight of your head.”
“And I’ll be more than happy to reduce ye to a stump,” Con added with a punch to his other arm.
Thor rolled his eyes. “Apologies for calling ye both wenches.” The ladies tried hard not to smile as they made eyes at their husbands.
“Och, Thor, ye know we’re both every bit the wenches ye say we are,” Lady Jane said with a wink at Alesia. “In fact, I’ve been working mightily hard on becoming just that. Now, introduce us to your…”
“She is my bounty.” Thor straightened, vexed that if he said anything else, they’d continue to misread the relationship and embarrass Alesia—and torment him.
“Bounty?” Shaw nodded for them all to take a seat as the door to the private dining room was closed.
“This is Alesia Baird, daughter of Santiago Fernandez.”
The room went silent, the eyes of the pirates going crystalline and hard.
Thor passed Alesia a cup of ale and a leg of fowl.
“She is not…acquainted with her father,” he said, hoping to cease any ill will some in the room might have toward her at the mention of Santiago’s name.
Shaw nudged his wife, who shuffled forward, and Lady Gregg followed. “Alesia, why dinna we leave the men to talk, and ye can come see if one of our gowns…suits ye better?”
