The Pirate's Jewel

by Cheryl Howe

  He dipped his head between her spread legs, and then the heat of his mouth was on her. Licking her. She arched into his kiss, not sure if she were trying to get away or maneuver closer. It was all too shocking. “Nolan,” she panted. The tip of his tongue found a spot she hadn’t even known existed, and she relinquished her battle to speak. Sensation created a pressure deep inside her that was both delicious and unbearable.

  Nolan brushed his hand along the inside of her thigh, and Jewel realized her every sense had been heightened. He eased a single finger inside her, and she couldn’t stop the shameless press of her hips against his mouth. Her body took over, denying any restraint she’d ever had. She was all sense and hunger. “Nolan?” she whispered, slightly panicked at how thoroughly he controlled her with his hands and mouth. He didn’t answer.

  She closed her eyes, writhing at the sweet torment. He slipped his finger from her body, and then pressed forward again with two. This time, it was with an urgency and rhythm that signaled his control was slipping. Her body responded in kind to his abandon. Each movement of his hand brought a wave of pleasure greater than before, but painfully less satisfying.

  “How does it feel, sweetheart? Torture me and I’ll always pay you back tenfold,” he said.

  She felt his breath on her cheek and opened her eyes. He gazed at her face with such intensity she couldn’t speak. Before she could even think to answer him or ask what he planned next, he covered her mouth with his. His lips were wet with her taste. Mingled with his own unique flavor, the combination drugged Jewel. With the last of her inhibitions ripped free, she moaned into his mouth.

  He reached between them, and the tip of his cock nudged her wider. With slow rocking motions, he pummeled through her untried body’s resistance—all the while distracting her with his tongue. She wanted him. Her body ached for him, but there was still a small part of her that had the consciousness to fear what would come next. She kissed him more fiercely, reaching out to caress his invading tongue with her own, hiding her sudden bout of nerves.

  “Jewel. You’re so sweet and…so…”—he rose to his elbows and dropped his head, watching their joining—“tight.” The moan that followed assured he found the revelation to his liking.

  She ached for more of him. With each tiny rock of his hips, she grew warmer and wetter. She wanted to thrust, to end the waiting, but she stilled herself. She brought her knees up higher, giving him better access to her body.

  He liked that, too. She could tell because he made a breathless sound deep in his throat. The patter of rain and his heavy breathing filled the cabin, and still he gently rocked, his movements too shallow to reach her building ache. She writhed underneath him to no avail. Finally, she reached up and wrapped her hand in his dark hair and urged him on.

  He thrust deep, deeper than she thought possible, and his warmth filled her. She sucked in her breath and pushed against his chest. His weight hovered over her, solid as stone. Every muscle in his body poised and tensed. The place where they were joined throbbed. The pain of his invasion eased, but Jewel still felt too full, too stretched.

  He dipped his head and nuzzled her ear, his tongue delving into the hollows. She tried to move her head away, but he went deeper, purposely tickling her. Her giggles were rewarded with his low chuckle. When he began a slow sucking of her earlobe, her body began to throb in a different way. In the place where they came together, they shared one pulse. Though she never lost the intense sensation of having his length buried deeply inside her body, he remained motionless. Every so often he shuddered, softly and involuntarily. Her body responded by clenching, adjusting to his invasion with a sweep of pleasure. Ready for more, she arched her hips. All the gentle sensation that had deserted her on his forceful entry flooded back in a torrent.

  “Are you ready?” he whispered in her ear.

  She wasn’t sure what was next, but her body yearned to find out. “Yes.”

  He moved out on a long fluid stroke and fast back, burying himself in her so thoroughly she gasped. He paused, and then eased out with slow deliberateness, wringing every last ounce of pleasure from the motion. Again, with the same controlled ease, he entered her, making sure she felt every inch of him sliding into her. He repeated the languid torture, adding a twist to his hips.

  “Come for me. Show me how much you want me,” he whispered next to her ear. His breath was a hot and damp caress of its own, though his words alone had no meaning. He put his hand between them and touched the concentrated tangle of nerves he had awakened with his tongue. His thrusts slowed to the earlier rocking. He moved over her, arching his body until he rubbed the pleasure point he had touched with his fingers.

  “Is this it? Is this what you like?” He dropped his mouth to her neck and kissed its length to nuzzle the hollow there before returning to her ear. “Yes. I feel you clenching around me. You’re close.”

  She didn’t feel close. Her skin itched with a need for more. She thrust against him anxiously. His small movements were making her ache grow, not easing it.

  As if he sensed her agitation, he moved his hips in a circular motion, bringing her to the brink of insanity. His slight change in angle forced a gasp. And then ...every muscle in her body contracted and released. She moaned with her violent undoing.

  He paused only until she caught her breath, and then rose above her, deepening and quickening his strokes in away that forced his jaw to tense. The abandon that surged through him proved fierce and all-consuming, because he abruptly surged into her with a low groan. His hair hung over his face until he threw his head back, thrusting deeper when she was sure he was buried as far as he could go. A breathless moan ripped from his throat. His violent jerks eased, and he collapsed to his side. He wrapped his arms around her and rolled her with him, maintaining the connection.

  They lay nose to nose, both struggling to catch their breath. He traced the side of her face with his fingertip, brushing a lock of sweat-dampened hair from her cheek. She grabbed his hand and kissed the tips of his fingers. Their joined hands fell between them. Nolan’s eyes shone with emotion. She knew hers did as well. Neither could deny the love that simmered between them.

  His eyelids lowered, as if he couldn’t keep them open another moment. She snuggled against him, fitting into every contour and nook of his hard-planed body. His wet skin adhered to hers, letting her experience the relaxing of his breath, the slowing of his heart as if she were the one drifting off to sleep. His body slipped from hers, but his heat stayed with a sticky warmth between her legs. He invaded every one of her senses as thoroughly as he had just taken her body. She closed her eyes in perfect bliss. Nothing could harm her as long as she was consumed by Nolan. She belonged to Nolan and he to her. Everything would be all right after all.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Nolan lay with Jewel in the crook of his arm and stared at the beams forming the deck above them. Things between them couldn’t have taken a more treacherous bend. Had she said lay with me or stay with me?

  It didn’t matter. Even if she had offered an invitation, he was still a fiend for taking it. How easily his resolve had fallen in shreds. It disgusted him. Of course, he could argue that she’d been more than willing, tempting him beyond endurance, in fact. And he might have allowed himself a moment’s reprieve if not for the fact that she’d been vulnerable, scared, and alone, and he was an animal, a rutting animal. He’d said he would be damned if he didn’t hold himself to not taking advantage of her, and damned he would be. Having a wife whom he lusted after but who hated him should do it.

  There was no question he had to marry Jewel. If he’d doubted she was a virgin, the slight trace of blood on her thighs when he took her the second time proved it beyond a doubt. He cringed, remembering his desire the second time. She had been sleeping, for God’s sake!

  He’d awoken after passing out like a drunk, a drunk besotted with lust. When he had rolled over and found her there, it all came flooding back to him—her incredible tightness as he pushed past h
er barriers to bury himself inside her. Not an ounce of shame or even regret could quell the carnal demands of his body. His ravenous hunger had taken control of the situation before his sleepy brain could protest. He had licked the smooth contours of her ear until she looked up at him with sleep-filled eyes, the most trusting eyes he had ever seen. She’d wrapped her arms around him and opened herself. He’d rolled onto her, was inside and moving before he fully realized what he was doing.

  Why hadn’t he sent Parker here in his place? He’d had a raging erection before he even walked into the room. Though no doubt a part of him knew better—the part above his waist—he’d convinced himself he was the master of his baser instincts. There was no question now who was master. If only Jewel hadn’t been so willing, he might have escaped with both their honors intact. The way she had touched him...would she have touched Parker like that?

  Nolan flexed his arm, instinctively pulling her flush with his body. The thought was unbearable. Not for a moment did he believe Jewel would be in Parker’s arms right now if the lieutenant had come in his place. Jewel had all too clearly revealed her romantic bent. She thought she loved him. And damn him for liking it. He’d used her misplaced devotion to his advantage better than Bellamy ever could have. But he would be punished for it.

  Yet, he could atone. He could do the right thing by Jewel, get off this hedonistic path for the rest of his life. Although he’d veered off course in his quest for self-control and honor, he had the opportunity to correct it before it was too late. In fact, marrying Jewel would not only make up for the fact that he’d taken her virginity, it might ease some of his guilt where her father was concerned. He could provide a better life for Jewel than Bellamy ever would have.

  His justifications served him so well, he almost relaxed and enjoyed the sensation of Jewel nestled against him. Then he recalled that she would have to know about his involvement in her father’s death. Not telling her would be a deception he couldn’t live with. It would be as bad to marry her under false pretenses as not marrying her at all. Of course, he had to ensure that she married him, so it might be best to wait until after the wedding. That was when his punishment would start. Would she keep him from her bed? More than likely, and it was as good as he deserved.

  Nolan let his hand drift over Jewel’s hip, past the dip of her waist, and then cupped her breast. Lust. Desire. Selfishness. Reverting back to his true colors happened faster than he’d ever imagined it could. In the back of his mind, he’d given himself a good year before he would find himself holed up, feasting hard in some den of debauchery. He had fooled his father and friends for a while, but deep down Nolan had always known he was pretending. His heart was dark and wild. His passions ruled him. Tonight had proved that in every way. He had loved the battle aboard the Neptune. The moment he’d drawn his sword, exhilaration surged through him like a long-lost friend. Even the letting of his own blood had made him feel more alive. And to finish his night with carnality, he’d sniffed out the woman plaguing his dreams and rutted until he was sore.

  Damn, but he was already hard again. He gritted his teeth against the urge to press into Jewel’s backside. This would be his hell. He would probably spend the rest of his life with an insatiable erection and a wife who hated him. And it would be just.

  ***

  A hesitant knock caused Jewel to lose her grip on the roll of hair she had coaxed into a reasonable imitation of a chignon. The limp strands cascaded around her shoulders in a dark sheet, refusing to show even the slightest wave for her efforts. She turned away from the mirror, immediately forgetting her struggle with her painfully straight hair. Her desire to appear transformed was nothing compared to her need to see Nolan.

  Parker’s presence on the other side of the door erased her grin. “Oh, it’s you.”

  Parker laughed in spite of the dismal greeting. “Well, good morning to you, too, Miss Sanderson.”

  Jewel’s cheeks burned. She hadn’t meant to be short with Parker. In fact, seeing him after what she had done last night conjured a surge of guilt. She had used Parker unfairly in her quest to win Nolan’s heart. “I’m sorry. I just expected someone else.” It had just occurred to her that her relationship with Nolan should be kept a secret. She knew what they shared went deeper than an illicit fling, but what would others think?

  Parker winked. “I know who you expected.”

  Jewel could feel the heat of her earlier embarrassment creep down into her chest. Suddenly, she couldn’t meet his gaze.

  Parker had the grace to clear his throat. “And that somebody wants to see you on deck. You’d better make an appearance before he takes any more of his bad temper out on the crew.”

  Jewel frowned. She felt absolutely blissful today. Her whole life had fallen into place. She’d thought Nolan would experience the same sense of rightness. An uneasy twinge sprouted in the center of her happiness like a weed, ruining the rosy view.

  Parker gently touched her arm. “Don’t worry. His mood will lighten once he sees you.”

  She latched on to Parker’s suggestion. Nolan’s foul mood might be due to the fact that he was as nervous as she over the change in their relationship. They just needed to see each other to be reassured. She forced a smile, but a seed of doubt held on in the pit of her stomach. “Give me a minute to braid my hair. I wanted to put it up, but it’s hopeless. I’ve spent the better part of an hour trying to make it stay pinned.”

  “You need to twist it.”

  Jewel turned away from the mirror to glance at him. “What do you know about arranging a woman’s hair?”

  He looked her straight in the eye, but she could have sworn she saw a hint of red around his collar. “Um…my sister taught me.”

  She struggled to contain a grin, but Parker surely knew she didn’t believe him. Still, he’d been so accepting about what happened between her and Nolan last night, she was more than willing not to question him on his exploits—no matter how surprising they appeared to be. “Could you fix mine?”

  “I’d be honored.” He followed her to the mirror without the least bit of hesitation, and then gathered the loose strands. “We need to brush it out first.”

  She reached around him to grab a brush from the desk. “I did, but it tangled while I was trying to put it up.”

  Parker pulled the brush through her hair, working out the tangles with practiced strokes. The gentle tug of bristles across her scalp encouraged Jewel to relax. She let her eyes drift shut, and imagined Nolan’s surprise when he saw her hair up instead of in the simple braid she usually wore. Hopefully, the more sophisticated style would help her face him with confidence. Why she needed confidence to face the man to whom she’d pledged her love, in action if not words, was a matter she didn’t want to think about too carefully.

  She glanced past her lashes to watch Parker’s blue eyes narrow in concentration as he twisted and gathered her hair in his large, rough hands. “Parker, I’m sorry if I misused our friendship,” she said.

  He grinned, but he didn’t take his gaze from her hair. “That’s what I like about you, Jewel. Right to the point.”

  She smiled, meeting his laughing eyes in the mirror. “You’re not angry?”

  “I’m relieved. You were putting me in a terrible position. I was waiting for Captain Kenton to order me flogged at any moment.” With a quick twist of his hands, he swept her hair up in a perfect chignon. “How’s that?”

  Jewel gasped. The artful sweep made her narrow face graceful. It even distracted from the freckles dusting her nose by accentuating her pale neck. “How did you do that? I’ve been struggling all morning.”

  He winked at her. “Lots of practice.”

  “You knew I was only trying to make Nolan jealous? Why did you go along with it?” She held up her palm so Parker could pluck pins from her hand.

  He answered, “When you’re on a ship full of men and the only girl on board—and a pretty one at that—is flirting with you, you don’t care why. Even if it means demotion to
cook.”

  “I like you, Parker.” Their easy banter relaxed her. “But it’s coming to my attention that you’re not the gentleman I thought you were. I don’t think your sister taught you how to do this.”

  “I know she didn’t,” a new voice said. Jewel and Parker both turned to find Nolan standing in the doorway with a scowl that could melt the sun.

  They glanced at each other, and then back to Nolan. His stare skewered Parker. Without a word, the lieutenant returned the pins he still held to Jewel’s palm. She grabbed her chignon so he could swiftly make his exit.

  Nolan blocked the man’s escape. “Just because I need you to be a stand-in for me doesn’t mean you have any other rights to my wife.”

  Parker nodded. “Aye, Captain.” Nolan continued to stare as if he could wilt Parker with his gaze alone. After a moment, he stepped aside and Parker quickly left the room.

  Nolan slammed the door, and then turned his scorching gaze on Jewel. “Trying out some of your new skills? The tactics you used on me last night would work on any man, I assure you.”

  With jerky movements, she stuck the remaining pins in her hair. Her trembling fingers made the simple task exceedingly difficult. Surely she’d misunderstood him. “I didn’t use any tactics, Nolan. I just wanted to…touch you. I thought you wanted the same.”

  “I did, and now I must pay the price. I’m willing to take responsibility for my actions—and, by God, you will, too!” He strode over to her with such determination, she stepped back. Before she knew what he meant, he plucked a hairpin and then another from her unfinished coiffure.

  “Ouch.” She slapped his hand away. “You’re hurting me. Leave it alone.”

  He grabbed her by the shoulders, his grip tight enough to force her to stare up into his penetrating eyes. “I won’t have another man touching what is mine.”

  She relaxed and leaned toward him. He was jealous and unsure of where their relationship stood after last night. He probably felt as awkward as she with their newfound intimacy. And he’d misunderstood what she’d meant about Parker.