He’d hurt her feelings, he knew. And damned if that didn’t make him feel like the worst sort of bastard.
Lucas had been pleasantly surprised by how kind Anna had been to his crew, especially Old Frank. The man was a treasure. He didn’t need Anna’s help. He could feed a crew of five hundred in his sleep. But he would be glad of the company, no doubt.
It had been quite a shock when Anna had offered to assist the man. And Lucas had felt an uncomfortable burning in his chest when she’d done it.
“Perhaps I’m not as bad as you think,” she’d said softly.
And what if that were true?
How was he supposed to exact revenge if he thought she was a nice person, for God’s sake?
He hardened his heart.
He had already been tricked by Anna Spencer.
She’d managed to make half the crew fall in love with her in the course of one afternoon.
For Lucas, it had taken seconds.
And that had turned out poorly.
No, Anna was very good at making men love her. Loving them back was the problem.
But either way, this planned seduction of his would be on hold, until he could get control of these confusing thoughts.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ANNA COULDN’T REMEMBER ever feeling so tired in her whole life as she felt when she returned to Lucas’ quarters one evening a couple weeks later.
Old Frank had quickly realised, as had Anna, that she had no culinary skills to speak of and was, in fact, a rather dangerous hindrance around any sort of fire.
Her gown had the scorch marks to prove it.
He’d been so kind, though, regaling her with tales of his own kitchen mishaps when he’d been starting out.
She had been relegated to chopping and preparing vegetables, a task that even she couldn’t mess up.
They soon settled into a sort of routine.
Anna would awaken and have breakfast in the cabin, usually with Lucas accompanying her, charming her, making her desperately in love with him.
Then he would leave to see to his duties, and she would head to the galley and make herself as useful as possible.
Life on board the ship was becoming routine, normal — even fun.
The sailors were all respectful and polite.
She got used to them calling a greeting or a warning as she strolled round the deck between morning and mid-afternoon, when she would be busy once more.
Her walks were usually undertaken alone.
She couldn’t ask Lucas to abandon his duties in order to stroll with her as though they were in Hyde Park, though he did sometimes pop up beside her, and they would spend a pleasant hour chatting, laughing, and forgetting that they had somehow, over the course of time, become enemies.
Lucas, she discovered, was a much-loved captain, and after a few days when he saw that she was comfortable, he confessed that he usually took at least one meal with some of the crew.
So Anna insisted on doing the same. But never, she promised, without him.
Her presence on board was soon accepted, with compliments as to her woman’s touch in the kitchen.
Little did they know that she could barely boil a pot of water.
But she was learning, and Old Frank was a dear who was incredibly patient throughout all of her mishaps.
She liked the men, she’d discovered, though her favourite part of the day was still when she and Lucas dined alone, every dinnertime.
This is what life would be were we married, she would think before giving herself a mental slap upside the head.
It was foolishness in the extreme to allow such thoughts to take root. Yet, like the most determined of wildflowers, every day he became easier with her, and every day those thoughts grew stronger.
He could love me again. And I could be his.
Anna tried to busy herself with her cooking lessons so she couldn’t think such romanticised nonsense about the captain.
Now, by the end of a particularly long, hot, arduous day, she’d learned to make bread and pies.
Anna couldn’t believe the sense of achievement she felt about such a small task.
She had been on the board of so many charities, had organised balls and soirées, dinners and routs. But nothing had ever given her the sense of pride that producing a freshly baked loaf of bread had.
Now, however, she felt as though she could sleep the sleep of the dead. Her muscles were screaming in protest, even as she turned the handle on the door.
It would be all she could do to remove her gown before crawling into the bed. And though the stew she had helped to prepare had smelled divine, she would forgo it, such was her exhaustion.
Anna had been upset that Lucas thought her a spoiled, pampered Society miss. Clearly he’d been right! A week’s worth of labour, and she was fit to be buried.
She opened the door and was both pleased and disappointed to see that the room was empty.
Though her body and foolish heart craved as much time with Lucas as she could get, her head told her it was better to be apart from him than close by and hurting. For the more her feelings toward him grew in strength, the more she knew they were futile.
With a sigh, Anna shut the door behind her and moved near the bunk.
Her dress was ruined. She frowned at the damaged areas of the fabric.
She’d only managed to pack four. Now she was down to three.
Yet, she was loath to waste the dress. Perhaps it could be her work dress, something she wore in the kitchen and hopefully didn’t set alight again.
With a wry grin, she began to peel the garment from her body.
How Evelyn would laugh at her escapades. Anna’s heart gave a painful thump as she thought of her cousin.
Evelyn would have gotten her letter by now and would, no doubt, be frantic with worry.
And Anna hated that she would have done that to her cousin.
Knowing Evelyn, she was probably concocting a plan to come after her. In fact, she’d probably set out in a rowboat the second she’d read the missive.
She wouldn’t catch up, of course.
Evelyn would have to travel from Andrew’s country seat, then board a ship, then set out.
So they had at least a week’s head start.
But if anyone could do it, it would be Andrew Carlyle. What his countess wanted, his countess got.
Anna just hoped that her words to Evelyn would be enough to make her see that Anna needed this fresh start.
Well, there is no sense in getting bogged down in such thoughts now. If Andrew decided to come after her, she could do nothing about it.
And none of this was even taking into consideration what Jonathan would do when he received word…
Anna gulped back a lump in her throat.
I am just tired and emotional. That is all.
These worries would pass after a good night’s sleep. With any luck, she’d be asleep before Lucas even—
“Hello, sweetheart.”
Anna’s heart stopped before starting again at a gallop. She swung round, dress halfway down her body, to see Lucas studying her from the doorway.
He stood silently, a brow raised as she scrambled with the gown, pulling it up to cover her chest.
“It looks as though you’ve had quite the day,” he continued with a grin, and Anna’s temper rose.
How dare he? She might have looked as though she’d been dragged behind a carriage for the afternoon, but it was most impolite of him to comment on it.
“Yes, I have,” she snapped. “I was working hard, and I’m tired, and I don’t appreciate your insults.”
To Anna’s horror and shame, she felt tears begin to form in her eyes.
No doubt it was because she was tired, and it had been a riotous couple of weeks, and she’d just been thinking of her family.
But still, crying in front of him was just the outside of enough.
Anna rarely cried. She hadn’t cried when Peter had hit her, hadn’t cried when she found o
ut her father had been nothing short of a murderer.
But Lucas finding her less than perfectly put together turned her into a veritable watering pot.
To his credit, the man looked suitably horrified by her tears. Scared, too, if she was being honest.
She felt a grim sort of satisfaction in that.
“Are you crying?” he asked, aghast.
“Don’t be ridiculous.” She sniffed, not fooling him for a second, she imagined. “I’m just tired.”
“Frank mentioned that you’d worked hard,” Lucas responded carefully, as if he was unsure about what he should say.
“And I’m sure that shocked you to your core, too,” Anna answered churlishly.
Why couldn’t he have stayed away until I’d slept?
Anna awaited some cutting response, but none came.
Instead, without a word, he turned and disappeared from the doorway.
Well, good riddance, she thought, ignoring the pang of what felt suspiciously like disappointment.
She stood perfectly still for a moment or two, but he didn’t return, so Anna finished removing her clothes quickly, before he returned.
Once settled in her night-rail, however, she found that sleep was no longer going to come so easily. And she knew who was to blame for that.
With a growl of frustration, Anna paced the cabin.
She was bored and restless and working herself into quite the temper when Lucas reappeared.
This time, however, he arrived carrying a bath. A bath!
Anna’s mouth gaped open at the image.
Without a word, he walked to the middle of the room and set the tub down before turning and leaving again.
Within moments, he was back with pails of steaming water.
Back and forth he went until the tub was filled, while Anna stood and watched like a mute.
Finally, he returned with some linens and set them on the small dining table.
“I’d hazard a guess that you do not want my assistance with getting into the tub,” Lucas said softly, “though I should be more than happy to oblige you.”
Anna felt her cheeks flush at the devilish grin that accompanied these words.
To cover her embarrassment, she raised a brow. “Do ship’s captains usually carry bathtubs around and fill them singlehandedly?” she asked.
Lucas grinned. “Not usually, no. But then, nothing about this situation is usual, is it?”
Anna tried to remain cool and aloof, but she was incredibly touched that this strong, successful man had just gone out of his way to prepare a bath for her.
“Are you going to get in before the water freezes?” he teased, but his tone was gentle, and, stupidly, she felt her eyes filling again, this time for a very different reason.
“I am.” She smiled. “Thank you. But, why did you do this?”
For a moment, he looked as though he didn’t know himself why he had done it. But then his face softened, and he smiled seductively.
Predictably, her heartbeat sped up.
“What sort of fiancé would I be, fake or otherwise, if I didn’t take care of my bride-to-be?”
Anna swallowed the sudden lump in her throat.
He would have made a fine husband, attentive and caring. And the fact that he was sinfully handsome didn’t hurt, either.
“Well, thank you,” she muttered again, not really knowing how to respond. “But it would have been fine for one of the crew to see to—”
“No, it wouldn’t,” Lucas suddenly bit out. “Do you think it would have been fine for any of them to see you like that?”
He indicated with his hand, and Anna looked down to see, to her horror, that her night-rail, when she was standing directly in front of the lantern, became sheer enough to show the outline of her body.
She felt her cheeks flame as she scrambled for her gown to cover up, but Lucas’ soft chuckle halted her movements, and she glared at him.
“You see, sweetheart,” he said smoothly, prowling toward her like a beast hunting his prey, “they’re already half crazed by you. Seeing you like this…” He stopped before her, reached out a hand, and trailed his finger along the low-cut neckline of the nightgown. “…would surely tip them over the edge completely. And we need a crew to get to Barbados.”
Anna couldn’t move. She was rooted to the spot by the sheer force of lust that slammed through her body.
Her breath hitched, and his eyes narrowed at the tell-tale sign.
“Get into your bath, Anna,” Lucas spoke, his voice hoarse, “before I lose control completely.”
For one moment of utter madness, Anna wanted to say to hell with his control and fling her arms around him.
Before she got the chance to act so irrationally, however, he turned on his heel and departed the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
Anna’s breath whooshed out of her the moment he was gone, and she realised then that she’d been holding it.
Now that she was alone again, and no longer distracted by Lucas, her body once more let her aches and pains be known. Without further ado, she stripped off her clothing and sank into the bath with a sigh of pure bliss.
Lucas’ behaviour confused her. Her own thoughts, however, were beginning to confuse her more.
LUCAS PAUSED AND took a deep breath before opening the door to the cabin, preparing himself for the impact of her.
If she’s not out of that bath, I cannot be held responsible, he silently warned the skies, as he balanced the tray he carried on one hand and knocked softly with the other.
There was no response.
Perhaps she was asleep; she had looked exhausted.
If Lucas hadn’t been hell-bent on revenge, his heart would have melted at the sight of her standing there, her usually perfectly coiffed hair in disarray, looking flushed and tired.
And utterly delectable.
But he didn’t care about her, and so it didn’t affect him, he reminded himself fiercely.
So, she had been kind to his crew and good to Frank. And, according to Frank, she had worked hard and well, helping where she could, staying out of the way when she couldn’t.
It doesn’t change anything.
It doesn’t.
Having had enough of his own jumbled thoughts, Lucas opened the door and entered the room.
And nearly dropped the tray holding much needed sustenance for Anna, on the spot.
His mouth dried, and his heart raced as he took in the sight before him.
Anna was still in the bath.
His eyes raked over her, greedily drinking in the image that would now be burned into his brain for the rest of his life.
The water covered the parts of her that would have made him throw the damned tray to the floor and haul her out of there to press against him, but his imagination was active enough. The glimpse of leg and satin smooth arms, the water rivulets running down her chest and disappearing below were more than enough for him to damn near expire on the spot.
He felt like the worst sort of voyeuristic letch, standing there watching her while she was unaware, but he couldn’t have torn his eyes away had his life depended on it.
Lucas didn’t think he’d made a sound, but he must have, for suddenly her head lifted, and she gazed at him, seemingly caught in the same spell as he.
Her eyes, the colour now of warm, decadent honey, widened slightly, and he could only imagine that he looked like a man possessed.
“The water must be cold,” he managed, but even he heard the strain in his voice.
“I hadn’t realised,” Anna answered.
Lucas narrowed his eyes.
She hadn’t jumped from the bath in a panic. She hadn’t reached for the linens to cover herself.
She wasn’t even blushing.
So what is she up to?
To Lucas’ shock, Anna sat up further. Not far enough for his liking, but far enough for him to take notice.
Her eyes raked over him and then, even more shockingly, her lip
s tilted up in a smile.
“Hungry?” he asked — well, bellowed really.
For some inexplicable reason, he was starting to feel vaguely panicked. So, now he’d resorted to shouting at her.
Anna winced slightly, no doubt at the volume of his voice, but then that enigmatic little smile returned. “I’m famished,” she replied. To his amazement, she languidly held out a hand to him. “Would you be so kind as to help me?”
His control snapped.
The tray that Lucas had been so concerned about clattered to the floor.
Marching over, he bent and scooped her from the tub, groaning aloud at the torturous feel of her body pressed against his.
“If you don’t want this,” he growled, “tell me now.”
He watched her closely, torn between wanting her to refuse and wanting her to need this as much as he did.
His plan all along had been to seduce her, not to be seduced. And here, in this moment, he had a feeling that the tables had well and truly been turned.
Anna reached up and stroked an errant lock from his forehead.
“I want this,” she whispered. “I’ve always wanted this.” She reached up and pressed her lips to his.
And he was lost.
SHE WAS INSANE. Utterly, foolishly, scarily insane.
What am I thinking?
She didn’t know how to seduce a man. She didn’t even know how to really make love to a man.
Peter had only come to her a handful of time, before he’d given her up as barren. And even then it had been painful, repulsive, and mercifully short-lived.
But Anna had a feeling that Lucas would be able to take her to heights she couldn’t even dream of. And she wanted that, wanted it with a desperation that frightened her.
Lying in the bath, trying to make sense of the feelings swarming through her body, Anna had decided to take the bull by the horns, as it were.
Too long had she lived a certain way, acted a certain way, behaved a certain way.
Now, she was on a ship in the middle of the high seas, destined for a land she’d barely even heard of.
Her entire life was about to change. Had already changed.
And these few weeks were stolen time, a pause in real life. Where anything could happen.
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