by Lora Thomas
“Get your business taken care of?” Kristina asked with hostility.
“Yes,” Max replied, ignoring her barb.
The trio rode in silence to Alex’s home. When they reached the front steps, they were greeted by Alex.
“Where the hell have you been and what have you done with my ship?!” Alex yelled at Max.
Max ignored Alex as he assisted Kristina down from her horse. He watched as Slim disappeared around the house with their steeds before he addressed Alex.
“I thought you would still be at Governor’s Harbour,” Max replied.
“Well, I never did get there. My ship was delayed, and just before it sailed, Samuel found me and told me that you stole my ship!”
“So I take it your mother doesn’t have her present?”
“No, thanks to you. Once I have dealt with your insolence, I will travel to Governor’s Harbour on The Abyss. That way I know you won’t steal my ship again.”
“Let’s discuss this issue inside.”
“By all means,” Alex replied with annoyance.
Alex led the way into the study. He held open the door as Kristina and Max entered. Kristina jumped when Alex slammed the door closed behind them with a loud bang.
“Explain yourself, Max.”
Max said nothing as he headed towards the liquor cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of brandy and sat down in one of the large leather chairs. He propped his feet up in the opposite one and took a drink.
“Oh, by all means make yourself comfortable. Ruin my furniture while you’re at it. Why would I want to discuss the fact that you tied up my son and stole my ship?”
“Hawkins,” was Max’s one word reply.
“You’ll have to elaborate, Max,” Alex growled.
Max looked up at Alex. “He kidnapped Kristina. There was no time to locate you. That is why I took your ship without your permission. And I tied up Samuel so he wouldn’t follow.”
“I take it you succeeded in your mission?” Alex asked as he studied Kristina.
Max nodded his head. “We will not have to worry about him any longer.”
Alex looked at Max and then back to Kristina. Before he could reply, there was a faint knock on the door.
“Enter,” Alex ordered.
Mrs. Potts entered the room. “Mr. Henderson is here.”
Alex looked at Max. So Max planned on going through with the divorce. “Show him in,” Alex ordered.
Kristina watched as the overweight middle-aged man entered the room. He had his glasses perched on the tip of his pudgy nose. With each step he took, his jowls moved. His hair was brown with gray streaked throughout and a little on the shaggy side. He was not what Kristina expected a solicitor to look like.
“I have the papers for legal separation that you requested, Mr. Hart,” the portly man said.
“Legal separation?” Kristina asked.
“Yes. Um … divorce from bed and board is another term. You see divorces are sticky messes,” Mr. Henderson explained. “They can take years to procure and are quite expensive. With you residing in the Caribbean and Parliament in London it would take even longer for the paperwork to be filed. Legal separations are much quicker. With a legal separation, Mr. Hart must provide for you financially and you are not required to live together. It also keeps your reputation intact. However, should you find love with another and wish to marry, you must divorce and thus be labeled a concubine.”
“I see,” Kristina sadly whispered. She looked to Max, hoping he would see how much she did not want this. His face was expressionless. He just sat staring out the window.
“Shall I use the desk?” Mr. Henderson asked.
Max looked to Mr. Henderson and nodded his head. He looked at Kristina. “Ladies first.”
Kristina reluctantly nodded her head and followed Mr. Henderson over to Alex’s desk. He opened his brown leather satchel and pulled out several papers. She watched as his stubby hands pulled out a quill and the ink. He opened the lid to the container with the ink and dipped the tip of the quill into it several times.
“Sign here,” he told Kristina as he pointed to a line at the bottom of the page.
She took the quill out of Mr. Henderson’s hand and stared at the line. She could feel Max’s eyes on her. She chewed on her bottom lip and maneuvered the quill around in her hand several times. She quickly laid the quill down and looked up. “I need a minute to speak with Max before I proceed.”
“Mrs. Hart I do not have time t—”
“Leave us,” Max commanded in a voice not to be questioned.
Alex looked at Max. “Come, Mr. Henderson. I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Hart need a few minutes.”
“Yes, Mr. Sinclair,” the solicitor replied, not wanting to make the Governor’s son angry.
Kristina watched the two leave. She heard the soft click of the door closing as she watched Max. He said nothing; he just sat staring out the window.
“Is this what you really want?” she questioned.
He took another drink from the bottle of brandy and stood up. He walked to the window and rested his arm on the frame. “Don’t you?”
“I … I …”
Max turned to her before she could reply. Crossing the room to her, he took her by her upper arms. She watched the turmoil cross his eyes. “Don’t leave me,” she heard him whisper.
“But I thought you wanted a divorce? To be rid of me?” she questioned with disbelief at his admission.
“No,” he said, shaking his head. He watched as her eyes filled with tears. “I cannot imagine my life without you. You are my life, Kristina. I cannot breathe without you. Without you I feel broken … lost. I’m not whole when you’re not around.”
“Then why did you say all those vicious things to me before I was taken?”
“I wanted you to hate me. These feelings surging through me are new. They scare the hell out of me. I know I can never give you the life you deserve. I was afraid that I could not keep you safe. If something were to happen to you because of me, I could not live with myself. I figured if you hated me you would willingly divorce me … without remorse, without emotional involvement. If you were no longer with me, you would be safe. But …” he stopped. The words he needed her to hear were lodged in his throat. He had never spoken those words to anyone and was afraid his confession would be met with rejection.
“What?” she asked as her voice quivered.
He took a shallow breath. “I love you.”
She nodded her head, but said nothing. She pulled free from his grasp and walked over to the desk. Max felt his heart being ripped apart. He had told her how he felt and she said nothing, acting as heartless as his mother. His words were met with the rejection that he feared. He watched her as the most excruciating pain he had ever felt in his life surged through his chest. It was as though he couldn’t breathe. Anger began to build up inside him, consuming his soul like a raging fire.
She stopped in front of the desk and picked up the paperwork Mr. Henderson had brought. A look of shock, followed by relief, crossed Max’s face as he watched her rip the papers. He quickly crossed the room to her.
“Are you sure?” he questioned, still in disbelief of her actions.
“Yes. I love you, Max,” she said as she caught his hands and brought them to her abdomen. “We love you.”
Max’s mouth slightly lowered in shock. He dropped to his knees in front of her. He gently touched her abdomen as if he were touching something fragile and then kissed it. “I promise you, little one,” he whispered to their unborn child. “I will always be here for you. You shall never want for anything and I will never let any harm come to you.” He kissed her belly again. She wrapped her hands around his head. “Are you sure you still want me?”
“I always have. From the moment I first spotted you at the horrid tavern in Tortuga, I vowed that I would make you mine,” she admitted with a sheepish smile.
“I told you women always have a planned outcome,” he told her as he stood and
gently took her face in his hands, kissing her tenderly.
Alex looked in the small window of the door at that time. He turned towards Mr. Henderson. “I think your services are no longer needed. I will compensate you for your time and have your belongings sent to you. But I think you should leave … now.”
Mr. Henderson nodded his head. “As you wish, Mr. Sinclair.”
Alex shook the man’s hand. “It is not my decision. Now allow me to see you out.”
Max and Kristina were unaware of the fact that Alex had dismissed the solicitor. Max kissed his wife tenderly again. “I know nothing of being a husband or a father,” he admitted as he looked at Kristina. “But I promise, I will try to be a good one. You shall never want for anything. I will have Mrs. Potts arrange a room for you to stay in while I’m gone—”
“Gone? Where are you going?” Kristina interrupted.
Max looked affectionately at his wife. “I made a promise to Alex to help him avenge Samuel’s mother’s murder. I cannot break that promise and Alex will not allow an expectant mother on board his ship.”
“I’m not letting you go anywhere without me,” Kristina protested. She looked up at her husband coyly. “We’ll just have to keep it a secret, until I start to show.”
“No,” Max protested. “I will not place you in harm’s way again.”
“Well, you’ll just have to deal with it. A wife’s place is by her husband’s side.”
Epilog
Kristina slowly stretched as the full moon’s light shone through the bedroom window. She gave a contented sigh as she looked over at her husband and gently kissed his cheek. He opened his eyes and looked at her. Before either could speak, a faint cry came from across the room.
Max leaned over and gently kissed his wife. “I’ll get her,” he said as he stood up. She smiled as she admired her husband’s naked body. She never got tired of looking at him. He pulled on his trousers and walked over to the crib. Kristina’s heart became full as she watched her husband pick up their daughter.
“Good evening, Princess,” he said as he gently picked up the infant. Cradling her in his arms he kissed her forehead. His heart swelled. His daughter was so beautiful. She resembled her mother with her soft black hair and long lashes. He softly stroked her cheek and smiled as she turned her hungry mouth towards his fingers. “I think that is your mother’s job.” He laughed as he walked over to the bed.
Max handed his daughter over to Kristina. He watched her lovingly as she gently took their daughter and began feeding her. “I’m jealous,” he said as he watched the infant hungrily nurse.
“Max,” Kristina scolded as she looked at her husband.
He lay back down in the bed and watched his wife and daughter. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
“I think Alex would disagree,” she teased.
“Well, he may think so after he married that feisty little redhead, but I know so.”
Kristina smiled. She was so happy. Alex had sold Max his Nassau estate, so that they would have a place to raise their daughter, Sophia. But that only happened after Alex met and married her new best friend, Madison St. John. Kristina never dreamed that her best friend would be the daughter of the Earl. Not that Madison knew Max was her brother. Max had made Kristina promise not to tell Madison the secret. It was hard not to tell her best friend, but Kristina had learned from her mother that all things will eventually be known … you just have to be patient and all things will work themselves out when needed.
When Alex’s alter persona, Nicholas, “rescued” Madison from—well himself—he turned The Abyss over to Max. Max took over the Nassau office of Emerald Shipping and began providing protective services to the shipping vessels using The Abyss. Once he had successfully managed to persuade others that The Abyss was no longer a pirate ship, Max turned the captaining of her over to James. He tried to make Smitty captain, but the old sea dog refused, stating he was quiet happy being the gunner. So Max made the offer to Slim. The tall Jamaican refused, too, stating a black captain would be frowned upon. He also reminded Max of his plan should he find his mother. With his first two choices out, Max informed James that he would be captain. The robust bos’n graciously accepted the position only if Slim agreed to be quartermaster. Slim refused that position too. But once Max reminded him that he could order Smitty about, he readily agreed.
“When are we leaving to go visit Madison and Alex?”
“We’ll leave in the morning around eight,” Max replied as the clock struck ten. “And it’s not Madison and Alex. Its Madison and Nicholas.”
“I can’t wait to see Madison again. You know I haven’t seen her since she and Alex married,” Kristina continued, ignoring her husband’s correction of Alex’s name.
“I know,” Max replied.
“It’s all your fault … refusing to let me sail just because I started to show.”
“I know.”
“I so wish she could have been here when Sophia was born.”
Kristina’s thoughts turned to the birth of her daughter. Mrs. Potts had stayed on until after the birth, insisting that she be the one to deliver the baby. Mrs. Potts nearly changed colors when Kristina refused to let Max leave her side during the birthing. She told the outspoken housekeeper that since Max help make the baby, he should witness it being brought into the world. At her insistence, coupled with the fact that Max refused to leave Kristina’s side, the older woman had no option but to allow Max to stay. He soon regretted the decision after Kristina called him every name under the sun … in Spanish. And he understood every single insult since he had learned to speak her language out of necessity. After Sophia’s birth, Mrs. Potts turned the household over to Emily and left to assist in the birth of Alex’s child. Kristina knew Mrs. Potts would not miss that.
“I know.”
“I hope she hasn’t had her baby before we get there,” Kristina continued.
“I know.”
“Can you please say something else?”
Max rose up on his elbow and gently kissed his wife’s lips. “I love you.”
“That’s better,” she said with a teasing smile. Kristina looked down at Sophia and a warm feeling entered her. Every time she gazed at her daughter, she saw her mother’s image.
She stood up, walked over to the crib and laid Sophia back down. Turning to Max, a seductive look crossed her face. As she walked towards him, she slowly allowed the gown to drop lower and lower until it fell to the floor.
Maxed watched her suspiciously. “What are you up to?” His eyes then grew wide. “Can we?”
She walked seductively towards her husband, allowing his eyes to take in her naked form. Climbing into bed, she straddled him. She leaned over and took his ear lobe into her mouth. “Yes,” she whispered into his ear.
They made love several times during the night, enjoying the feel of each other’s body. As the clock struck one, Kristina smiled and she snuggled deeper into her husband’s arms. Never in all her wildest dreams did she ever think she would be the owner of a pirate’s heart.
About The Author
Lora Thomas is a longtime reader of romance novels. By accepting a challenge from her husband, she wrote her first book Love’s Abyss. Born in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, she grew up in Owingsville, a small town in Eastern Kentucky. She graduated from Morehead State University with degrees in Business, Health Promotion and Nursing. Today, Lora resides in Kentucky on her family’s farm with her husband, son and several family pets.
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If you enjoyed this book, please read one of my others from the St. John Series:
Love’s Abyss—the story of Alex and Madison.
Coming Soon:
The Wild Bell—the story of Michael St. John, and Andrea Craycraft, a South Carolina plantation owner’s daughter.
eading books on Archive.
