“Never!” She screamed the word at him. “I’ll never leave with you willingly.”
“And I won’t leave without you,” he stated determinedly.
“Then one of us will leave feet first, because I won’t surrender to you. Arm yourself, Captain Taylor. It goes against my ethics to slay an unarmed man.”
When he made no move to do so, she aimed a blow close enough to slice the ruffles from his shirtfront. Thus prompted, he drew his weapon out of defense only. He had no other recourse until he could make her listen to reason.
“Kat, this is crazy!” he declared, as he parried her next two blows. “Let’s talk about this!”
“There’s nothing left to talk about. I’m not going back with you.” She aimed a blow at his head, but he deflected it with ease.
He parried several more of her thrusts. “Why?” he pressed. “What is so terrible about it? Why shouldn’t a wife live with her husband?”
Kathleen was tiring, and her pregnancy was obviously affecting her usually graceful movements. She wasn’t exactly clumsy, but neither were her steps and movements as fluid as they should have been. To her own amazement, she started to cry. Through her tears, she continued to attack him.
“Damn it, Kat! Enough is enough!” His voice came through sounding tormented, even though she could no longer see his face clearly for her tears. “Will you only be satisfied when I am dead? Does widowhood appeal to you that greatly?”
She was sobbing desperately now, and his words cut her deeply. What was she thinking of? What was she doing, she wondered. How could she kill the father of her child, the man she loved more than life itself?
With an oath, she flung down her rapier, sinking swiftly to her knees, her hands brought up to cover her tear-stained face. “Oh, God! I can’t do it!” she sobbed. “I love you too much!”
In an instant, he was down on the deck beside her, cradling her gently against his hard chest. “Oh, Kat. My beautiful, stubborn, Kat.” He buried his face in her tumbled hair and rocked her back and forth until her sobs eased.
“Look at me, darling.” He tilted her face up to his. “Look at the fool of a man who loves you more than anyone in all the world, and was too proud to tell you. I didn’t want to give you that ultimate means to destroy me. I felt it would have made me too vulnerable, and maybe it does, but I can’t bear to lose you.” He held her tightly to him. “I need you, kitten. I love you so much!”
“Reed, Reed,” she moaned against his shirt. “Don’t say it if you don’t really mean it. I’ve waited too long to hear those words, and I love you too much. If you don’t love me back, I think that I shall die.”
“I won’t let you. I couldn’t bear my life without you. You’ve brought chaos into my well-ordered life, played havoc with my nerves, and turned my world upside down, but I’ve never known more joy than waking up beside you. I’ve never felt such splendor as I do when I make love to you. Will you please come home with me?”
He was asking her, not demanding, Kathleen realized as her eyes searched his face. He was offering her not only a home, but his heart as well. Her heart sang with joy as she gazed up at him. He loved her! He had said so, and the truth of it was written on his face.
“Oh, Reed, I thought you’d never ask! I’d love to go home with you!” She melted against him, and held him as if she’d never let him go.
Somehow she found herself once again aboard the Kat-Ann in Reed’s bed. She still wasn’t too clear on how it had happened, but she vaguely recalled Reed taking charge and giving orders to both crews.
She lay back and watched as Reed removed his clothing. She watched as each garment fell away to reveal his gloriously muscled body, and she loved him with her eyes.
Then his long fingers were working on the fastenings of her own clothing, his loving gaze never leaving hers. Within moments she was luxuriating in the feel of his hands on her bare body, as they worked their special magic.
His warm lips came down to claim hers, branding her as his own, and she sighed contentedly, glorying in her surrender. All the barriers were down now, and she showed him her love in the movements of her hands and body. She drank in the male scent of him, headier than any perfume, and let her fingers experienced the texture of his skin.
There was no urgency in their lovemaking. It was slow and sweet, and poignant with the sense of what they had almost lost. His hands and lips explored every inch of her body, as hers did his, as if to commit each touch to memory.
As his lips traveled the planes of her body, he whispered words of love to her, letting her know how precious she was to him. He told her how exquisitely she was formed, and of his delight in her. Kathleen felt prized and beloved above all else, and she was moved to tears at the depth of her emotions for this man.
She worshipped his body with her own, letting her warm, salty tears wash away all the bitterness, leaving only the sweetness behind. As her tears fell upon him, she licked them away, and tasted the flavor of him on her tongue.
Every inch of her was sensitive to his touch, and she shivered with delight and anticipation as he deliberately sought out each erotic spot so familiar to him. His lips came back to capture hers in a drugging kiss, his tongue mating with hers, and her senses reeled. One hand found her breasts, his fingers teasing the sensitive tip into a rigid peak, and longing flared through her to the center of her body. His other hand searched out and lightly caressed the tender button of sensual delight between her legs that sent desire coursing through her. His fingers teased her even as his mouth demanded her complete surrender.
Her body felt on fire, and when she could endure no more, she tore her mouth from his and begged him to satisfy her. Obligingly he fitted his body to hers, entering her with a long, smooth stroke that took her breath away and increased her arousal. He moved slowly and tauntingly, savoring every glorious sensation. She met his thrust, twisting her hips beneath him in an exotic, sensual manner that drove him to increase the tempo of his thrusts. Their passions mounted until they were almost mindless with the exquisite torment of it. Then, like a sunburst, they climaxed together, pounded by crashing waves of release that resounded time after time until they finally receded to leave them replete.
Much later, still basking in the glow of their lovemaking, Kathleen asked him when he had first begun to love her.
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back, it must have been the first time I saw you aboard the Kat-Ann. There was something about you that disturbed me from the very start. I wasn’t sure what it was, or that I liked it at all, but I believe I was smitten right then, and I sincerely hope there is no cure.” He touched his finger to the tip of her nose. “You sort of grow on a person, you know.”
“Yes, like a wart.” Kathleen wrinkled her nose at him as he chuckled. “I fought my feelings for you for a long time, too,” she confessed. “I knew I was lost the first time you kissed me and I felt flushed and feverish and fluttery in the pit of my stomach. Every time I tried to argue myself back to some semblance of sanity, you’d turn those brilliant, blue eyes on me and I’d melt inside.”
Truths were coming out on both sides, and as he cradled her in his arms, she lay her head on his chest, comforted by the steady rhythm of his heart. As they lay listening to the slap of the waves against the hull, she told him that she carried his child. Careful not to arouse her suspicions, he did not let on that he already knew. He kissed her gently, his eyes glowing with pride and tenderness, as he told her how pleased and happy he was.
They wandered up on deck after a while, and he stood holding her as they gazed at the star-filled heavens. It was then that Kathleen told him of her idea to name their child after Jean and Dominique. “Jonathon Alexander if it’s a boy, and Alexandra Jean if it’s a girl. What do you think?”
“I think after all the trouble you’ve put me through, you owe me a son,” he chuckled.
“All the trouble I’ve put you through!” she chided. “Really, Reed Taylor, you are incorrigible! If y
ou want the truth, I let you off easy! Just for that, I’m going to present you with a daughter, just to spite you. You see if I don’t!” She jabbed him playfully in the ribs.
“I’d love a daughter, of course, but I really could use a son or two first to help out around Chimera.” He laughed, white teeth flashing, as she jabbed him again.
“Definitely not! A daughter! You’ll just have to wait until next time for a son,” she teased.
“But an older brother can protect a younger sister. Let’s have a boy first, love,” he argued with a charming smile.
“It’s no use arguing, Reed, darling. I’ve made up my mind.”
Reed tilted her face up to his and brought his lips to hers in a searing kiss that immediately rekindled the banked fires of her passion.
“That’s unfair,” Kathleen murmured dreamily in his arms, “but it’s your most convincing argument yet.”
“Shall we continue this discussion below deck?” he suggested as their eyes met in a passionate gaze.
“Let’s,” she answered softly.
Catherine Hart is a native of Ohio, wife, mother of three, and proud grandmother. She has authored twenty books, eighteen full novels and two novellas, many of which have won awards. Reading and writing have been her passion for most of her life, and she credits her love of books and learning to her parents, who introduced her to reading at an early age, and to extraordinary teachers who furthered her search for knowledge. She also enjoys puzzles of all sorts—sudoku, crosswords, and jigsaw puzzles—and traveling, having visited all but a few of the U.S. states, including Alaska. These days, she most enjoys watching sunsets from her lakeview home with her beloved husband of 47 years.
Titles by Catherine Hart
Native American series
Silken Savage
Summer Storm
Night Flame
Frontier series
Forever Gold
Fallen Angel
Single Titles
Fire and Ice
Ashes and Ecstasy
Satin and Steel
Sweet Fury
Tempest
Temptation
Splendor
Irresistible
Dazzled
Mischief
Charmed
Horizons
Impulsive
Continue reading to enjoy an excerpt from Splendor by Catherine Hart, on sale August 2018.
Splendor
Chapter 1
1718, Somewhere in the Caribbean
All the demons of the deep were loose and on a midnight rampage. Stealthily, they struck from the smothering darkness with scarcely a whisper of forewarning before the first magnificent crash of thunder rent the false calm, resounding over the water like a death knell. The sea gave a mighty heave, sending the frigate reeling upon waters suddenly turbulent with gigantic swells. Sails, flapping gently mere seconds before, now nearly exploded with the intense gusts battering them.
The startled crew of the Gai Mer, most shaken abruptly from slumber, scurried to their posts, desperate to reef the canvas against the raw fury of this unexpected storm. Shoving his young helmsman aside, the ship’s captain hurriedly took charge of the wheel himself, instinctively knowing his advanced experience would be needed if they were to survive this show of power which nature had visited upon them so capriciously.
Over the roar of the gale, Captain Kane shouted orders to his men. The wind whipped his words from his mouth; thunder drowned them in its trembling wake. Jagged spears of lightning split the heavens, slicing through the roiling clouds to release a blinding deluge upon them. Within seconds, the decks were as slick as ice, the rain pelting like a thousand prickly nettles to pierce their flesh.
Drenched sails languished momentarily beneath their own sodden weight, flailing and twisting like a washerwoman’s wet laundry, snapping like mad dogs as they strained against the lines and the insistent pull of the wind. Several billowed free once more, cracking loudly, sending sailors sprawling as the frigate lurched in frantic response. Clews groaned, grommets popped, separating canvas from line and line from spars. Shrouds tangled like clumps of twine caught in the hand of a mischievous giant.
On the bridge, Devlin Kane fought the wheel, the muscles of his brawny arms bulging as he strained to keep the frigate’s nose angled into the ever-building waves. His booted feet were braced wide for purchase on the slippery deck; his soaked breeches and shirt were plastered the length of his tall, broad-shouldered frame. Eyes as black as ebony squinted against the pouring rain, peering into the night, scanning the deck below him and the skies above. With neither hat to secure it nor thong to bind it, his tawny hair whipped about his head like the shaggy mane of a lion, as wild and free as the man who sported it.
Lightning flashed, and the hoop of gold in Devlin’s left ear winked an answering glimmer, as did the strong white teeth now bared in a primal grin. Sleek, sun-darkened flesh drew taut and wet over the slim, straight blade of his nose, the curve of bold cheekbones, the stubborn square jaw with a cleft carved deeply into the center of his chin.
The prow of the ship dipped perilously low into the dark heart of a steep trough of water. Trembling walls of water rode high all around, threatening to bury the Gai Mer at any moment. A froth of salt water sprayed over the bow in a shimmer of lightning-lit lace, dashing over the decks like the spread of a lady’s shawl. Miraculously, the ship rose, balancing precariously on the wobbly crest of the next wave in a nimble dance of defiance.
With a toss of his head, Devlin let loose a deep, rumbling laugh. “That’s the way, m’ lady!” he chuckled, encouraging the frigate as if she were a living thing. “The dragon’s shaking his tail for all he’s worth this night, but ’twill do him little good. Nay! Old Neptune may aim his trident at us all he wishes, yet we’ll dodge his every thrust! We’ll best him at his own game, or I’m not Devlin ‘The Devil’ Kane, captain of the heartiest crew of pirates ever to sail these seas!”
As if to disclaim Devlin’s boast, the waves grew ever higher, the gale stronger, tossing the ship about as if it were no more than a splinter upon the ocean. The planks and masts creaked against every blast of wind and surf that pummeled the frigate relentlessly. Waves surged over the sides, claiming three hapless victims within their foamy grasp before the angered storm gods were mollified.
By the end of it, Devlin was ready to nod his head in deference to the mighty power of the sea, that most haughty and demanding of all mistresses. She’d almost won this bout, and it was a profound relief to find himself still standing when the storm at last began to wear itself out. The rain had lessened to a drizzle, the thunder weakened to a few final grumbles, when Devlin finally pried his stiff fingers loose of the wheel and turned the ship over to his helmsman once more.
Still flexing feeling into his hands, he strode a few feet to the mizzenmast. On the near side of the mast, a large peg had been driven into it, with a small slanted roof fixed a little space above. Shoving aside the scrap of tarp that had provided added shelter during the storm, Devlin reached out to untie the large, slightly damp, and disgruntled hawk tethered there. Zeus, as the bird was called, was Devlin’s trained falcon and the Gai Mer’s resident talisman. As he smoothed a calming hand along the sleek plumage, Devlin crooned, “Quite a ride for you, eh, my friend? Aye, ’twas a rough one this time for us all.”
With a rustle of wings, the agitated hawk landed atop Devlin’s shoulder, his curved beak snapping irritably at a wet strand of Devlin’s hair. On a bark of laughter, Devlin swatted at him. “Behave yourself, bird, or I’ll be feasting on falcon stew when next I break my fast, and my pillow will be the fatter for your feathers.”
The last of his words were nearly drowned out as a tremendous clap of thunder shook the ship, surprising in its intensity now that the storm was all but over. It was followed immediately by the most brilliant blue light, so bright that Devlin reflexively shielded his eyes from it. Unlike the usual lightning, it did not merely flash and diminish as f
ast as it came. Rather, the glow seemed to brighten. Wondering at this oddity, he cast his gaze upward, and paused to stare in mute wonder, as did every other man on deck, the lot of them struck dumb by the sight.
Though Devlin had been sailing for eleven years, never had he witnessed anything like this. He’d heard of it, to be sure, from other seamen, but he wasn’t certain he’d ever believed their tales. Yet here it was before his stunned gaze. The proof of their words. Saint Elmo’s fire—skipping along the mizzenmast in a blazing ball of dazzling blue flames!
Everything he’d ever heard about it came rushing to mind. Some said it wasn’t true lightning at all, but a phenomenon unto itself. Most agreed it came either at the beginning or at the end of a storm, heralding good or bad weather to follow, which would explain its appearance now, after the worst gale Devlin had ever encountered. The more superstitious sailors believed the strange light to be the souls of drowned seamen seeking solace and a final resting place aboard ship. Others claimed it was a portent of good luck, but only if it remained above the rigging on the mast. If it traveled downward, below the rigging, it was a sign of sure misfortune, most especially if it landed upon the ship’s rudder. That most awful event was thought to be what created ghost ships, dooming poor lost souls to wander the seas evermore, sailing eternally through misty realms, caught betwixt heaven and hell forever.
Just thinking about it sent a shiver down Devlin’s backbone. Before he had further time to consider the matter, the freakish blue orb began to descend the mast. One and all, the crew stood transfixed, agape with fright. Standing where he was at base of the mast, just below the fireball, Devlin knew he should move back, but his feet seemed rooted to the deck. His feet and legs refused his brain’s frantic commands to retreat.
Fire and Ice Page 49
