ClaimedbytheCaptain

by Tara Kingston

  Clearing his throat, the man added, “I have also taken the liberty of selecting a few garments. I believe they will fit you passably.”

  “Bring them in, please.”

  The door opened slowly, as though he were reluctant to intrude on her solitary confinement. He was nothing like she’d imagined. A tall, lean man with neatly cut gray hair and blue eyes, which betrayed both kindness and intelligence, he seemed strangely out of place on a pirate ship.

  He placed a pile of folded clothing on a chair and set the tray of food down on a small table. Cathy’s gaze lit on the open door. Without thinking, he’d provided her an opportunity to flee. As if reading her thoughts, he shook his head, a solemn expression marking an already mirthless face. Still, she had to seize the chance. If she stayed in this place, she’d fall completely under Jason Kane’s spell. Escape was her only hope. Perhaps she could find a space to hide until the ship made it to port.

  Her brain worked at a feverish pace, devising a plan. She would need to gather rations and water at night when the cook slept. If she kept herself out of the captain’s reach, she might break away from his control.

  Dragging the quilt around her, she bolted from the bed and through the door.

  Her heart pounded so hard it seemed to have leapt to her throat. No one stood in her way. But where to go? Surely there were dark, concealed spaces on this ship. Now if she could make it appear she’d fallen overboard. She was halfway down the galley way before strong hands captured her and hauled her off her feet.

  The captain’s assistant. “Let me go,” Catherine ground out the words, fighting his unyielding hold. “Take your hands off me!”

  “Not yet,” the older man said quietly, closing the door behind them as he managed to get her back into the room. He blocked the exit with his body before he released her from his hold. Cloaked in the quilt, she faced him and took a good look at the captain’s minion.

  He regarded her with regret-filled eyes. “I can’t let you run about like that, Miss Catherine. Any woman would be in danger around this crew.”

  Her eyes widened in indignant amazement. “Your captain is the most dangerous man on this ship.” Her voice was strong, though her body still quaked with the aftershocks of Kane’s passion.

  The man’s weary features revealed unexpected compassion. “Many of these hoodlums would think nothing of using you to slake their hunger for a woman and tossing you overboard after the act was done to hide the truth from Captain Kane. The captain will not mistreat you. I can’t say the same about the crew.”

  She tightened the quilt around her as she considered the validity of his words. It would be pointless to rail against the captain to this man. His loyalty seemed unshakeable. He had no way of knowing how the captain’s touch had branded her skin without mercy, without regard for her shame. Jason Kane had stirred her senses without violence, but at a far greater cost. She’d surrendered to Kane willingly, craving the feel of his erect cock pressing against her belly, the stroke of his fingertips over her flesh, the searing heat of his kiss. In his cruelty, he’d not even allowed her the comfort of knowing she’d resisted him.

  She cast her gaze to the floor. “Who are you?”

  “My name is Jonathan Taylor. Most call me Taylor.”

  “Why are you here…on this ship?”

  “I’ve served as Captain Kane’s quartermaster for several years. I attend to his business dealings and the financial aspects of his endeavors.”

  Cathy kept her eyes downcast, unable to face the scrutiny in his gaze. Could this man possibly know the truth about her wanton behavior? Did the heat that infused her at the mention of the captain’s name manifest itself on her cheeks?

  “How… How did someone like you come to be here?”

  His brow furrowed, his mouth set in an expression of deep thought. He seemed to consider her words carefully. “Captain Kane saved my life. I’d traveled to America from Lancaster, but I was unprepared for the reality of the Baltimore seaport. The men who attacked me had no intention of leaving me alive. If Kane hadn’t intervened, I would have been a dead man that night.”

  She listened with interest. Her mouth pursed as she considered the notion that her captor wasn’t the villain he wished her to believe. “He saved your life?”

  “Kane took them on. There were four men in all. By the time he was finished, they’d either fled or lay bleeding in the street. He brought me to the shelter of his ship. I spent a few days recovering from the beating I’d received. The captain was in need of someone on his crew who could read and write to assist in managing his accounts, so I decided to join them.”

  She quirked a brow in disbelief. “The captain…needed someone to read and write for him?”

  Taylor shook his head. A glimmer of amusement danced in his eyes. “To the contrary, miss. Captain Kane is a learned man, quite brilliant, actually.” He gestured to the well-stocked bookshelves that lined one wall of the cabin. “The captain is an avid student of military history. His interest has served him well on the many occasions when he’s outmaneuvered the Royal Navy.”

  “So, he is a pirate.”

  His eyes darkened. “No, not a pirate. President Madison has issued him a letter of marque. His services have aided the American government on many occasions.”

  She folded her arms across her chest, hugging the quilt to her bosom. “Do you know why he’s abducted me? Surely the government has no interest in my father or myself.”

  Despite his formal manner, Taylor’s gaze lingered over her unclothed calves. “Captain Kane will reveal his motives when he’s ready.”

  Cathy flushed, though she felt sure he posed no threat to her. “Taylor,” she began, hesitating as she spoke his name, “what will the captain do when he grows tired of keeping me here?”

  He stroked his clean-shaven chin. “The circumstances of your presence here are most unprecedented. I don’t know what the captain’s plan is, but I assure you he will never allow harm to come to you. Despite what you may think, he’s not a monster.”

  She sat up straight, meeting his gaze. “My father will pay you if you help me escape,” Cathy ventured boldly.

  Taylor turned from her then, staring at the ground for a long moment. “I will not betray Captain Kane.”

  “I appeal to you as a gentleman. Your captain intends to ruin me. I’m quite certain of it.”

  He leaned against the carved chest, looking as though a heavy burden had been placed on him. “I cannot help you.”

  Folding her arms, she studied him. “You fear him.”

  He shook his head in a gesture filled with sadness. “I’m sorry, but I will never betray Kane’s trust. Your place is here. In time, you will understand.”

  “Please…don’t leave me here.” Her eyes welled with frustrated tears. Taylor turned away. He left the cabin, closing the door quietly behind him. Cathy pounded the mattress with her fist as the sound of the bolt sliding back into place assured she would remain the captain’s prisoner. There would be no escape. She was utterly vulnerable to his desires…and her own.

  * * * * *

  Cathy pressed her face against the porthole and peered out, desperate for some sight other than the four dismal walls that imprisoned her. She held her breath for an instant as her gaze lit on her captor. Jason Kane stood at the rail of the starboard deck, staring into the horizon, his clouded expression mirroring the turmoil she faced within herself. The set of his jaw betrayed the intensity of his thoughts.

  She couldn’t resist the impulse to study him with the fascination of a small child who’d encountered an exotic creature for the first time. Even in the light of midday, clothed in a plain white shirt and black trousers, Kane was a striking figure. The sun’s rays danced over the strong, chiseled planes of his face and highlighted the warmth in his nearly black hair. Her gaze swept over the breadth of lean, muscled shoulders and trailed to a narrow waist and down his long legs. Under different circumstances, she might have welcomed this man’s courtship.<
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  The memory of his merciless possession flooded over her again, rippling heat from the tips of her toes to her cheeks. Dear God, she wanted him, she thought miserably as she cursed the weakness of her flesh.

  If Kane had any idea she watched him, he did not reveal his awareness. He appeared lost in his own thoughts, as if locked in an inner battle.

  A soft rapping on the cabin door was followed by Taylor’s hesitant tones. “Miss Catherine, I’m coming in. Are you presentable?’

  “In a manner of speaking,” she replied, glancing down at the breeches and man’s shirt covering her flesh. “You may come in.”

  In truth, she was excited to have his company. She’d spent the morning alone with only her thoughts to pass the time. The idea of having someone to talk to lifted her spirits.

  He stood before her, shuffling his feet from side to side. Casting his gaze to his boots, he cleared his throat. Cathy stifled a smile. So, the sight of her curve-hugging breeches disconcerted the staid, dignified man.

  “Unfortunately, Miss Catherine, I was hard-pressed to find clothing designed for a woman on Virginia’s Avenger. However, I’ve brought you something from the captain you will find much more suitable,” Taylor explained as he presented her with a gown. A hint of a smile touched his mouth as he awaited her reaction.

  “Where did this come from?” she asked, accepting the garment. The ethereal quality of the silvery-blue fabric would have been far more appropriate in a ballroom than on a privateer’s vessel.

  Taylor seemed to read the meaning behind her question. His eyes crinkled with amusement.

  “This was part of a cargo the captain confiscated from a British vessel.”

  “What happened to its owner?”

  Taylor shrugged. “I don’t know, Miss Catherine. I don’t believe she was on board. In any case, she wasn’t harmed.”

  “How can you be sure?” she persisted.

  “That isn’t the captain’s way,” Taylor said. “Take the dress. I think it will fit you well enough. Captain Kane will dine with you tonight, and he would like you to wear it.”

  “And if I refuse?”

  His brows shot to his hairline. Unspoken dismay shone in his gaze. “Miss Catherine, you can’t consider facing the captain in men’s clothing.”

  Cathy blushed as the unspoken truth in his words hit home. He’d have her unclothed first.

  The image of Jason Kane tearing her dress from her body was so fresh in her mind, her skin tingled.

  Taylor’s throat constricted as he swallowed. “I’ll be back for you within the hour. You will dine in Captain Kane’s quarters tonight.”

  Chapter Five

  Jason Kane filled the doorway of her cabin. Somehow he seemed even larger in the light of day, his broad shoulders and imposing form as effective a barrier as the locked door. The black trousers and snug leather Hessians he wore clung to the powerful muscles of his long legs. He hadn’t bothered to button the white linen shirt to his throat, leaving a generous amount of curly black hair exposed to her gaze.

  She’d been expecting Taylor to fetch her. Cathy met his dark eyes, thankful she’d heeded the quartermaster’s words and dressed in the gown he’d given her.

  His appraising gaze swept over her. “You are beautiful,” he said, his gaze lingering over her mouth. “You will dine with me tonight.”

  The words were spoken as a command rather than as an invitation.

  “Do I have a choice?” she challenged him, though she already knew his answer.

  Jason shook his head. “You do not.”

  “How long do you plan to leave this gown intact?”

  To her amazement, her captor laughed. The deep, husky sound lessened his menace considerably. Amusement shone in the black velvet depths of his eyes. “I’m not planning to tear that one off your body. I doubt I will need to tonight.”

  Cathy lowered her gaze. She feared he was right. The very sight of him made her pulse quicken. If he wanted her, she was his. To pleasure. To tease. To love.

  Love. A strange word to associate with this man, she chided herself, remembering her circumstances and the likely fact Jason Kane was incapable of loving anyone, much less the captive he’d taken as an act of vengeance.

  He extended his hand. “Come with me, Catherine.”

  “I will dine with you tonight, Captain Kane, but I will not deceive myself into believing you are a gentleman.”

  Kane laughed again. “You have spirit. That pleases me more than you know.”

  She raised a brow at his words. “I cannot imagine that anything other than a docile slave would please you.”

  His steely arm snaked around her waist, dragging her against his body. “To the contrary, you will be infinitely more pleasant to tame than a woman whose spirit has been broken.”

  Kane’s jaw brushed her cheek. A coarse growth of midnight-black stubble raked her cheek, stirring a chill along her spine. Primal instinct she’d buried deep within thrilled to the unfettered masculinity of this man.

  “There is so much I will teach you, Catherine. I will tame you.”

  His words jarred her and she stiffened within his arms. Helpless to escape his unyielding hold, she straightened her spine and met his gaze without flinching.

  “I will not be tamed.” She bit out the words between her teeth.

  His lips grazed hers. “I doubt I shall ever fully tame you, love. But the game will be most enjoyable nonetheless.”

  * * * * *

  Cathy faced Jason Kane across the table in his quarters. She forced the tremor from her voice. “Why have you made me your prisoner?”

  “Vengeance.” He spoke the word matter-of-factly, then bit into a slice of bread.

  “I’d never laid eyes on you until the night of the ball.”

  “The sins of the fathers… In this case, your father has no son, so you will have to do.” He smiled, revealing even, white teeth. “Taking you from under your father’s bulbous nose was far more enjoyable than killing a man.”

  She lowered her gaze. “If I were a man, you would have killed me.”

  “Most likely,” he replied without hesitation.

  “What are your plans for me?” She kept her eyes downcast, unwilling to allow him to see her fear.

  “I will keep you with me…at least for a while.”

  “And then?” She placed her palms on the table and faced his cool, appraising gaze.

  He shrugged as if the question were of little consequence. “I haven’t decided what I will do when I tire of you. Perhaps you should try to please me.”

  She met his words with silence.

  “Would it be that difficult for you?” He cupped her chin in his hand, lifting her face so she could not avoid his probing gaze.

  “I am your captive. Nothing more. I have no wish to please you.”

  He traced the outline of her mouth with the tip of his finger. An unreadable expression filled his eyes. “Do I repel you, Catherine?”

  “It would be far better for me if you did.”

  “Perhaps you’d prefer to throw yourself overboard rather than surrender to me?” Jason’s husky rasp did not disguise the amusement in his eyes.

  Her father’s stern countenance flashed in her mind. “Papa would expect me to sacrifice myself rather than yield to you.”

  “Your father is a fool.” The words sounded like a low, raw growl.

  “No, I am the fool,” she replied. “He’d rather see me dead than returned to him after—”

  He caught her hand between his palms, stroking gentle circles over her flesh. “Your response to me was natural, Catherine. You are a very passionate woman.”

  “Natural?” She shook her head as she lowered her gaze. “A respectable lady—”

  He silenced her with the light touch of his index finger to her lips. “A respectable woman would have responded just as you did. Of course, once the lady was back in polite society, she would claim she swooned each time her captor approached her.”

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sp; Cathy’s lashes shadowed her eyes. “A respectable woman would not have such indecent yearnings.”

  “Perhaps you’re right…you should have repelled my demands.” Jason rose to his feet. Leaning over the table, he brushed his lips across her mouth slowly, seductively. “Is this more suitable for a respectable woman?”

  She gulped a breath. “I believe so.”

  “And this?” His tone teased her. He claimed her mouth with a leisurely passion, stimulating her senses with a feverish heat.

  Her words caught in her throat. How could she pretend to be unaffected by his kiss? “Yes, that would do.”

  “Would this do as well?” His eyes sparkled with desire as he captured her hands and pulled her to him. His arms corded around her, his muscles tensing with restrained strength as he pinned her to him.

  Kane’s touch seemed to be everywhere at once. Her lips, her throat, the curve of her shoulder, the swell of her breasts. His tongue tasted her. Invading. Teasing. Exploring. She collapsed against him, her ability to resist him crumbling with every scorching caress.

  “Would this do for a respectable woman?” He cupped her bottom in his hands, cradling his groin against her softness, his need to master her evident in his possessive claim on her body.

  Cathy shook her head, torn between her need to free herself from his demanding touch and the hunger to surrender to him body and soul. “I am obviously not a lady,” she whispered against his mouth.

  “Respectable women are highly overrated,” he growled, claiming her lips with a savage ferocity.

  Working with feverish concentration, he tore at the fastenings on her gown. She felt as though she were in a trance as the gown slid from her shoulders, crumpling in a heap at her feet. She had no desire to fight him. The tiny voice within that urged resistance was no match for the yearning in her soul.

  Stripped to her lacy chemise and silk pantaloons, she watched without words as his gaze roved over her, drinking her in. A new boldness filled her heart. “Do I please you?”