A Flawed Jewel (A Marsden Romance Book 1)

by Dawn Brower

  Yes, that was a plan she would broach with the pirate when he deemed her worthy of his presence, the rat bastard.

  The sinfully attractive rat bastard.

  She heard footsteps nearing the cabin door. Maybe that was the dreadful, gorgeous man now. Goodness gracious, she had to stop thinking of him in those terms.

  How am I going to negotiate if I am constantly salivating over him?

  He may be one of the best looking men she had ever encountered, but he was also the same man who ordered the attack on her grandpere’s ship and killed its occupants. Well, except for her. Poor Tully, she didn’t deserve to die. She irritated Pia, but she would never have wished her harmed in any way. The door creaked open, and the man himself walked in. He looked her over like she was his favorite dessert, and he couldn’t wait to lick the plate, alleviating it of every inch of its sweetness.

  Heat filled her chicks at his unadulterated gaze. Where was a fan when she needed one?

  “Oh good, I can see you have been anxiously awaiting my attention,” he drawled. Amusement laced through every syllable.

  She opened and closed her mouth several times like a fish out of water trying desperately to breathe. Pia couldn’t tell how many times, because she stood there dumbfounded at his audacity.

  I should be terrified right? Pfft.

  She had let go of that useless emotion hours ago. She didn’t have time to be frightened anymore, and it wouldn’t do her any good to give the pirate anything to use against her. It was high time she did something to make things go the way she needed them to. She would buy herself out of this situation with any means at her disposal. It was a good thing she was a very wealthy heiress, because it might just come in handy in this particular situation.

  “I assure you, Captain Pirate, I have not been anxiously awaiting anything. What I have been is bored silly. If you were trying to kill me with ennui, then by all means stay the course. If not, well I will surely expire before long. Maybe that is your intention? It’s less messy, and it’s a great means of torture. It is a miracle I haven’t already gone insane from sheer boredom over the past several hours.”

  A rich throaty laugh echoed through the room.

  The man dared to laugh at her. It was like he couldn’t help himself, and it just burst out of him every time she tried to speak to him. It was the kind of laugh that made you weary and excited at the same time.

  When she first heard it, it made her shiver from the inside out.

  She was starting to realize it might always have that affect on her. It tickled down her spine and made her tremble.

  His laugh was dangerous.

  Oh Lord. A devilish smirk curved his lips. She was a goner for sure. Damn man, why must you have such an appealing face. She was so lost in her own thoughts she almost didn’t hear him when he finally spoke.

  “Thor,” he replied.

  “Excuse me?”

  “I am Captain Thor, not Captain Pirate.”

  It was Pia’s turn to laugh. Only moments ago, she had pondered her favorite book on Norse mythology, and here the blasted pirate was named after her favorite hammer wielding god.

  “I suppose you carry a hammer only you can lift right?”

  “Oh, I don’t have a hammer per se...”

  She sucked in a breath as he delivered the innuendo. Pia choked, finding it difficult to express the words flowing through her mind. Surely he didn’t mean what his words implied...

  Thor’s face lit up with his roguish smile, and he crossed the short distance between them and whispered in her ear. His hot breath caressed her neck as his words softly flowed through her eardrums. “I can assure you it will be my pleasure to share it with you.”

  Pia moved away quickly before she could take him up on his offer. Her heart beat faster. Its rhythm pounded through her ears and steadily gained pace with each breath she forced between her open lips. The more space she put between them the better off she would be. It was unfortunate the cabin was so tiny because it left her very few options. Pia needed to gain some distance between herself and the pirate. She took a deep breath and steadily exhaled with slow measures to gain some control over her body’s reaction.

  It was an attempt to remind herself she was supposed to be livid with him, not attracted to him.

  Once her breathing was under control, she looked up into his blue eyes. “I am not interested in your over-inflated ego and images of grandeur.”

  Thor’s lips upturned into a devilish half smile. There was once again a drop of mirth in each word he enunciated. “Oh, my ego is definitely not over inflated—or anything else. Trust me. It is well earned. However there is a part of me that is...inflated.” He took a step toward her and asked, “Would you like me to show you?”

  Thor’s said the most outrageous things—Pia didn’t know how to respond. Every sound and gesture he made was a form of seduction she was sorely unprepared for. Pia needed to steer the conversation on to another topic, one designed to ensure her virtue stayed intact. This one was taking her places she did not want to go—at least she didn’t think she did.

  Who was she kidding? A large part of her wanted to look him in the eyes and tell him exactly what she wanted him to show her. Her curiosity was going to get her into trouble.

  What Pia needed to do was turn the conversation back on him. If she could make sure he didn’t get any closer, she could remain relatively safe. “Pirate Thor?” she asked derision in her voice. “You imagine you are equal to a god?”

  “I can’t help what my parents named me, now can I?”

  Disbelief coated her voice. “Your parents actually named you Thor?”

  “Thor Williams, at your service,” he said, making a production of bowing, much like a gentlemen would before a lady.

  He seriously went by that moniker? His parents named him after a Norse god? No wonder the man had an overinflated ego. If he lived up to her fantasies about the god of thunder, then this Thor would certainly be her undoing.

  Pia cleared her throat. “Sooo—I am Pia Carlyle. I don’t know why you decided my life was worth keeping. Not that I’m not glad that you did, but I’ve had a lot of time in this room all by myself to consider my options. I thought maybe we could strike a bargain.”

  The man had a perpetual smile on his face, as if everything she said was the most comical thing in the world. The real problem was his smile was so attractive she was having a hard time concentrating on her main purpose. If he kept doing that, she was going to climb all over him and beg him to show her his mythical hammer.

  “Exactly what I came to discuss with you, Pia.”

  “Good. I am glad to see we are of the same mind.”

  He nodded. “I concur.”

  “I don’t know if you are aware that my family has money. They will pay any ransom you demand.”

  “Oh, I am more than aware of who your family is, love,” he replied.

  “Good. So you will send notice of the ransom for my release?”

  “I will do no such thing.” He shook his head.

  Pia’s mouth hung open in frozen disbelief.

  She recovered quickly while he continued to grin at her shocked disposition. In that moment, she realized this might not be something she could gain control over, but she still needed more information before she could assess what needed to be done.

  “Why not?” she asked.

  “I have other plans for you, dear. None of them involve extracting money from your grandpere.”

  Well that was a development she had not been expecting. She assumed because he was a pirate he could be easily bought off with her inheritance. Her limited knowledge of pirates suggested they were mercenaries. From what Thor had said though this very well could be a personal endeavor of his, and her grandpere was deeply involved. “You know my grandpere?”

  “I know him better than you do. In fact, he and I have a debt that will not be easily settled with the exchange of money. You are going to help me to do that, and in the process,
we will get to know each other very well.” He wiggled his eyebrow suggestively. “We’ll be as close as two people can possibly be when this is all said and done.”

  With each sentence Thor uttered, Pia felt the color drain from her face. “What do you have planned for me?”

  “You will find out soon enough. For now, we are going to get some rest, you and I. We have a long journey ahead of us. No need to rush into it right now. Our more pleasurable pursuits will happen in due time.”

  He dragged her toward his bunk. It was fairly large for a ship, but not nearly big enough for two people. Especially if he was one of those two people. It would definitely be a cramped sleeping space.

  “Surely you don’t expect me to sleep there with you.”

  “Oh, I assure you, not only do I expect it, but you will do it.”

  “It isn’t big enough for both of us.”

  Thor smirked, and a small chuckle echoed throughout the cabin. He shoved her over to the side that hugged the ship. Pia curled up against the wall in an attempt to make herself as small as possible. She watched as Thor sat and removed his boots, setting them next to the bed. After the task was complete, he rolled over and lay next to Pia on the bunk. He pulled his arms over his head and tucked both of his hands beneath his dark locks. Pia tried to find a comfortable spot on the small bunk, but his body engulfed more than half of it.

  “We fit just fine. You fretted unnecessarily, love. Don’t worry, you will soon be very used to having my arms wrapped around you, in sleep and in other things. For now just lie down and get some rest.”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “Well that is too damn bad, lie down and go to sleep. You have no idea when you will have such a luxury again. I have many plans for you, and sleeping isn’t exactly on my agenda.”

  Pia did what he asked, at least as much as she was able. What else could she do? He was right in some ways. Pia would need some sleep if she was going to be able to properly deal with her dastardly pirate. She needed to survive, and Pirate Thor wasn’t going to take advantage of her, much. She was still fully clothed at least. From what little he shared with her, she knew nothing was going to happen on this night, getting a little sleep would only benefit her.

  Pia lay her head down on the bed next to Thor. Once she was curled up next to him, he rolled over and wrapped his entire body around her. She could feel his hammer nestled against her rear. If she gave him the slightest encouragement, she was sure he would show her what he could do with it. With what little preservation Pia still had within her, she ignored what that meant. She did not want to find out what losing her virginity felt like any time soon.

  ***

  Once Pia was asleep, Thor left the cabin and locked it. He couldn’t stay in the bed with her any longer. She was too much of a temptation. He had plans, and using her body wasn’t on the list.

  Yet.

  She called herself Pia. He liked it much better than Pieretta. It rolled off of his tongue like a lover’s caress, and they would be lovers. Every blush staining her cheeks told him how attracted she was to him. Her breathing became labored when he pulled her near, and he could feel her pulse racing beneath his fingers when he held her wrist in his hand. It was only a matter of time before she was completely his.

  Thor hadn’t known exactly what she looked like when he’d started this crusade. He had only been given a general description so he would know who to look for on board the ship.

  She was stunning. He wanted undo her braid and run his fingers through her pale blonde hair. He needed to spread it out across his bunk. Then he wanted to strip her luscious body of her drab mourning garb and lick her all over. He would start at her ankles, and work his way up to her pretty bosom. Her breasts were plump and just large enough to fill the palms of his hands. He loved how her waist curved into a nicely rounded derriere.

  Thor had a fierce need to pull her on top of him and slide inside of her tight channel. Having her wantonly ride his shaft and find pleasure remained on top of his most desired fantasies. He wanted to get her naked so he could taste every inch of her and hear her scream with satisfaction. She was everything he had ever considered to be perfect, and he could not have dreamed up a more ideal woman to find pleasure with.

  He had to snap out of this line of thought. It was too early for this part of the plan, but it would happen and soon. He needed her to be a willing participant in her own downfall. He had never forced anyone in his life, and he was not about to start with his jewel. She was far beyond anything he could have expected, and he found he wanted more from her than he had originally planned. He was beginning to think he just might want to keep her forever, something he had never considered with anyone else.

  He made his way topside. He needed to talk to his first mate and bosun. They needed to set a new course. They were going to make a stop in southern France instead of Calais. When he had looked through the captain’s logs, he had discovered the comte had traveled to his southern estate, and that was where they would see each other again for the last time.

  He needed as much time with the feisty Pia as he could manage, before they had their final meeting with her grandpere. He needed her to fall in love with him. He would use every tool in his arsenal to make that happen.

  What Pia didn’t know was that their lives had been forever entwined before they ever laid eyes on each other. If not for her grandpere, they would never have met. The actions of the comte ensured they would forever be linked.

  Thor had to admit he was actually looking forward to getting to know her better.

  He intended to have his cake, and he would savor every sweet bite.

  Chapter Five

  Living the life of a lady had many perks and advantages. Pia had no qualms about using every one of those resources to ensure she came out on top. As an only child, Pia’s father indulged all of her requests. Mr. Carlyle only had one rule he stood firm with concerning her. She could basically do anything she wanted, but if it was something he deemed dangerous, it was forbidden. Fortunately for Pia, his list of perilous things was not very long, so she pretty much ran wild on the plantation. As long as Pia was safe, her father did not object to any activity she wanted to experience.

  Pia did have the benefit of a more formal education. The instructors her father hired taught her Latin, history, and math. When she wanted to learn about mythology, science, and, Greek, her father hired the best tutors he could find. She probably, in some ways, had a better education than some of the gentlemen in Charleston.

  No one had a thirst for knowledge quite like Pia did. Getting lost inside the pages of a book was her favorite past time. The stories weaved lead her on adventures she couldn’t have imagined herself. There were adventures to be found all from the safety of her library. As she studied with her tutors, she encountered Norse mythology and learned of the various gods. Thor had been her favorite, so it shouldn’t surprise her that she was attracted to a man with the same moniker.

  Her father even hired a fencing instructor when she expressed a desire to learn. He made sure the foils were dull and harmless before the lessons could commence. Pia was an apt student and excelled at everything she attempted. There was no one else more aware what her many flaws were than Pia, but she equally knew every one of her assets.

  She had been locked inside his cabin for twelve days. Twelve days of doing nothing. She wanted to make sure the pirate felt at least a small amount of her frustration. Thor needed to feel it, but she had no way of accomplishing this daunting task. Pia had plenty of time and not a thing to do, except get lost inside her own mind. She could be patient, but after so long with only the pirate’s occasional company, she started to slowly lose her mind. The ennui of her existence was torture only a strong person could survive. Pia questioned if she was capable of the kind of strength required to endure beyond this moment in her life.

  It was beyond her comprehension why she couldn’t bend Thor to her will. The pirate delivered innuendos and implied a lot, but h
e never acted on any of it. The more she knew about him, the less she understood what his intentions could possibly be. He made no secret that he hated her grandpere, but he failed to express how that information actually applied to her. The banter between her and Pirate Thor continued every time they were in each other’s presence.

  Thor remained stubborn in his desire to make her sleep next to him each night, and he absolutely refused to let her out of his cabin for any reason. Each night when he deemed it was time to rest, he made her lay down on the bunk. Once she was settled in, he would lay next to her so she could sleep inside the warmth of his embrace. It was beginning to feel safe locked in his arms as he hugged her close, her head resting above his heart. The one thing Pia knew for sure was she should not relax in his company, because it was the most dangerous place she could be.

  Each night Pia experienced the same thing, and she grew more and more confused. What exactly does he have in store for me? She needed to find a way to make him talk. Well, she needed answers. He had no problem talking, but it was usually filled with innuendo. With each word he uttered, she became more confused. She wanted to hold on to her anger, but she also craved the companionship of another human being. All Thor offered her were baseless conversations leading nowhere. Pia was tired of only having him for company.

  Pia was no stranger to the insinuations he alluded to every time he deigned to speak to her. She may be a woman, but she went unnoticed much growing up and had overheard men discussing their sexual exploits. Most of her knowledge was gained from books, and very few offered good illustrations of what they were talking about.

  Pia had only been kissed once, when she was sixteen years old. There was a man on a neighboring plantation who thought she would be a suitable wife and had begun to court her. During a picnic at his home, he had lead her behind a tree and kissed her. It wasn’t very notable, and Pia felt next to nothing, except wet and messy. What was enjoyable about a man leaving saliva all over your face? The sensation was disgusting, and his groping at her hadn’t helped much. The man may have enjoyed it, but she never let him touch her again. She had doubts she would ever want to be kissed again, because the experience had been so distasteful.