by Madison Faye
“Princess.”
His voice snaps me out of my thoughts, and I blush.
“What,” I snap.
He grins. “Are they about me?”
I frown at him. “Excuse me?”
“Whatever naughty thoughts you’ve got going on in that pretty head that has you blushing like that.”
And, of course, I blush even deeper.
“I was not,” I hiss.
He grins before he nods up at the sky, the wind starting to whip harder around us.
“There’s a storm coming.
I swallow, following his look and balking at the heavy black clouds rolling closer.
“Are we safe?”
His jaw tightens. “Yes.”
“That was hardly convincing.” I shiver, biting my lip as I glance up at the sky. “We should turn around.”
He frowns, shaking his head.
“You’re going to risk our lives because your worried about what’s going to happen to you when you get caught kidnapping me?”
He chuckles. “First, princess, I’m not kidnapping you.”
“I beg to differ.”
“Noted,” he growls. “And for two, going to shore with a storm coming in like this is the most dangerous thing we could do.”
I scowl at him. “What?”
“We won’t beat the storm to shore, which means it’ll hit us before we can get softly in, and just batter us into it.”
I stare at him. “So, we just stay out here?” I squeak.
Malcolm’s jaw tightens. “Yes.”
He jumps down from the wheel, nodding at some ropes tied around a post in the main mast.
“Give me a hand with these.”
“No.”
He turns, frowning at me. “Excuse me?”
I purse my lips, folding my arms over my chest. “I said no,” I mutter petulantly. “Do them yourself. I’m not your ship slave despite you kidnapping me like one.”
His jaw grinds. “Do you see those storm clouds coming our way?”
“I see someone who didn’t plan this kidnapping out every well.”
His gorgeous, fierce blue eyes blaze into mine, taking my breath away.
“You’re a bit of a brat, aren’t you?”
“Should’ve thought about that before you kidnapped—”
Malcolm growls, turning away from me and striding for the sail ropes. He yanks on them, and I swallow as my eyes dip to his bulging arms as he manhandles the rope. The sails drop, and he lowers them quickly before tying them off and jumping to the sail at the back of the boat. He rolls that one down too and secures it before moving to the wheel and locking it in place.
I stare at him, fear starting to ripple through me.
“Wait are we really not going in?”
“No, we’re really not.”
I turn, paling as I stare at the storm clouds billowing like smoke over the sky.
“You can’t be serious.’
“Oh, but I am, princess. We fold sails, drop anchor, and ride it out.”
“Ride it out?” I balk, staring at him. “You’re mad!”
He grins. “Perhaps.” He jumps down the stairs from the captain’s deck again, moving toward the heavy anchor and heaving it over the side with a splash into the pitching waves.
“Now, I’m going down to the living quarters to drink whiskey and strap myself in for the ride. Are you coming?”
“With you?” I snap. “Not a chance.”
He looks amused as I glare at him.
“I’ll be staying right here, thank you very much,” I huff.
Malcolm chuckles. “Up here, on deck, during that storm?” He shakes his head, grinning. “Who’s mad now?”
I glare at him.
“Let’s go princess,” he growls, beckoning.
“No.”
“Now,” he growls, the smug look fading. “It’s not safe out here with the sails down. The boat’s going to be spinning and pitching,” he says loudly, his voice rising as the wind starts to howl.
“I’ll take my chances up here. You’re insane if you think I’m going down into that bedroom with you.”
“Still trying to convince yourself, are you?”
My eyes narrow at him.
“Convince myself of what?”
“That you’re not dying for me to kiss you again.”
My jaw drops.
“You… you scoundrel!’
Malcolm just chuckles, gesturing with his head. “Let’s go.”
“No!”
“I’m not asking.”
“And I’m not doing it.”
He looks at me for one more second, the boat rolling hard as the black clouds swirl overhead. The wind begins to howl, and I shiver.
“Princess—”
“Don’t you ‘princess’ me! I’m staying right—hey!”
I scream, kicking and thrashing as Malcolm snatches me up. My legs kick the air, my head shaking wildly side to side as he manhandles me close to him and drags me down into the belly of the ship. He kicks open the door to the flower and garland festooned quarters where I was getting ready for my wedding earlier, hauling me in before turning and kicking the door shut. I lurch against him and he growls as he lets me drop from his powerful arms.
“Don’t you touch me!”
Malcolm rolls his eyes as he turns and shoves the heavy dead-bolt across the door.
“You’re welcome.”
“For what?” I snap.
“For saving your life.”
I roll my eyes.
“Because staying up there?” He shakes his head. “That’s madness.”
“And what do you call being down here in a bedroom alone with you and a bottle of whiskey?” I snap.
Malcolm grins wickedly. “A very good time, I’d say.”
I blush fiercely.
“You’re crude.”
“And you love it.”
I blush darker, biting my lip.
“You keep away from—”
The boat heaves wildly, and I scream as I go tripping right into him—right into his arms. I gasp, crashing into his firm, rock hard chest, his muscled arms wrapping tightly around me as he catches me.
“Get your hands off of—”
“No, princess,” Malcolm growls darkly.
I shiver, panting as our eyes lock.
“Kidnapping you was one thing, but—”
“So we’re calling it what it is now?”
He glares at me.
“Kidnapping was one thing. But I won’t let you get hurt under my care.”
“Little late for that,” I spit.
“No, it’s not.”
He grabs a length of rope and when he starts to wrap it around the both of us, my brows shoot up.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing!?”
“Binding us.”
He yanks the rope tight, making me gasp as I go tumbling against him.
“Now wait just a—”
He turns, looping the rope through a heavy wooden support post. Fear surges through me.
“Is this really necess—”
The boat slams, hard, dropping like we’ve just gone over a cliff before it catches the down swell and lurches back up. I don’t realize I’m screaming or clinging to him with an iron grip until a full thirty seconds later.
“Yeah,” he growls tightly. “It is.”
The boat pitches again, and I whimper as I cling to him tightly.
“I’m right here, princess,” he growls quietly into my ear.
I swallow, his hard body so tight against mine. The boat pitches again, and this time, the two round windows along the port side suddenly go shattering in. I scream as water comes rushing in, white and turbulent as it crashes over the both of us, soaking us through.
I scream again, but he’s right there, holding me tightly, his powerful arms unmoving.
“I’ve got you, Ailith,” he growls into my ear.
Water roars in again, dousing us a
s the boat jumps off another cliff. I gasp, clinging to him as we tumble to the side. I gasp, fear blazing through me as I look up. And when I do, my eyes lock with his, and suddenly, it’s like there’s a calm around me. I lose myself in those fierce blue eyes, and even though the boat is rocking wildly around us, and even thought the storm is raging like a demon outside, I don’t hear or feel a thing.
…Nothing except his body against mine, those eyes burning into mine, and the undeniable heat I feel rising inside of me.
The boat slams to the side. His hands tighten on me. And when he leans down, I whimper as my lips press to his. He growls, the fierceness of it making me moan as I willingly open my mouth for him and slide my hands up his rock-hard chest. Malcolm kisses me slowly and deeply, and I’m lost as I kiss him right back—fiercely, wildly, and with nothing held back.
The storm rages around us. The boat shudders and pitches. The wind howls and the water crashes through the windows.
But all I know is his lips.
All I know is that kiss.
CHAPTER 5
MALCOLM
BY THE TIME the storm dies down, it feels like we’ve been dragged through Hell and back. A very wet, very soaked Hell. My arms ache from gripping her and the support beam of the cabin tightly—my body tensed and sore from standing firm against the battering of the winds and waves.
I’ve spent most of my life on the water, and I’ve seen my share of storms that felt like they’d be the death of me. But this one feels different. It wasn’t because it was the worst, because it wasn’t. But as the boat begins to steady, and as my eyes slide over her, I know what it is.
It’s her.
It’s that for the first time, I’ve got something much bigger than the fear of personal harm, or of losing my cargo, or my ship. This time the stakes were much, much higher—higher still than even just my own life.
This time, she was at stake. My jaw tightens as my arms circle her, holding her tightly. We’re both panting, soaked, and battered, but we’re okay.
But gods was that intense.
I grunt as I slide my knife out of the sheath at the back of my kilt, reaching up and slicing the ropes and cutting us free. Ailith winces, falling limply into my arms, and I growl as I hold her tight, stroking her with my hands.
“Are you okay?”
She nods, blinking as she brings a hand up to push the wet hair away from her face.
“Yeah, I…” She shakes her head. “Are you?”
I grin, my eyes burning down into hers. “Aye.”
My gaze drags down from her soft, innocent face, down over the rest of her. I tell myself it’s to make sure she’s unharmed, but that flimsy excuse drops the minute I take in the thin white dress molded to her perfect, tight little body like it’s been painted onto her very skin. I growl, my muscles tightening as I drink in the sight of her full breasts—a faint hint of pink at the peaks and the hardness of her nipples tenting the thin dress.
My gaze drags lower, and I groan. She’s clearly wearing a slip of some kind under the bottom half of her wedding gown, but even that’s soaked through as well. And there, between her thighs, a hint of dark shadow—a promise of a treasure I will be claiming.
My eyes slide back to hers, and before I can even pretend to stop myself, I’m closing the distance between us. Ailith moans softly as I kiss her—her lips offering no resistance as she welcomes me to them. I growl deeply, my hands tightening on her as her mouth opens for me.
I kiss her slow and deep before I pull back, both of us panting for more. My eyes dart out of the wrecked porthole window. The storms hit in the late afternoon, and now that it’s over and clear, the sky is darkening to night.
“It’s getting dark,” I say quietly. “You’re soaked, and it’ll be cold soon.”
My hands move with purpose, sliding from her waist up to the front of her wedding gown. My fingers pluck at the laces holding her dress closed, and Ailith’s eyes go wide.
“What are you—”
She gasps as I undo the top of her dress, pulling it open until it hangs barely covering the hard pink points of her nipples. She whimpers as I tug it open, the fire inside of me roaring to a full blaze as my eyes drink in her nakedness.
Perfection.
“Malcolm…” she breathes as she falls into me, her lips seeking mine, and mine hungrily taking what she offers. My hands push the top of her dress down over her shoulders, letting it drop as she whimpers into the kiss. I move away just long enough to tug my own soaked tunic up over my head and toss it away before I’m hungrily crushing my mouth to hers, growling into her lips. Her breasts press into my bare chest, nipples dragging over my skin as she gasps quietly and runs her fingers up my arms.
But I’m far from done.
My hands drop to her waist, and I don’t hesitate to push her dress down over her full hips. The soaking wet white cloth peels away from her skin like a flower petal, and when I push it the rest of the way down until it drops to her feet, her breath catches.
“Malcolm…” she breathes into my lips.
I know this is new to her. I know no other man has ever had her even like this—bare, ready, and pulled tight to him—a whimper on her lips. No other man has heard that soft moan, and it’s all for me.
All of her is for me, as all of me is hers.
Her back against the wood of the support beam, I kiss her hungrily, swallowing those moans as my strong hands slide over the bare skin of her hips. I slide them up and down her sides, teasing her skin, my fingers brushing the underside of her full breasts as she whimpers. They slide lower, gripping her hips as I kiss her deeply. But slowly, I pull away, and slowly, I begin to drop to my knees in front of her.
All of her is mine.
Ailith gasps sharply, and she goes to cover herself with a hand between her legs, but I just growl lowly and gently push her hand away.
“No, little princess,” I growl. “Don’t you hide yourself from me. Don’t you hide that sweet little cunt from my eyes.”
My gaze centers on her pussy, and my cock pulses hard as steel beneath my kilt. Gods is she perfect. Sweet, untouched, innocent perfection. Her full hips taper down between her soft, creamy thighs, and when my eyes drink in the glistening pink lips of her cunt, I can feel my balls swelling with need for her.
I move closer, my breath teasing over her thighs, and Ailith trembles.
“Oh God…” She breathes. I glance up to see her eyes wide and eager, locked on me as I move in.
I push her legs wide, and when I pull one of them up over my muscled shoulder, she draws a sharp breath.
“My lord, what—”
“Tasting you, my love,” I growl, my eyes flashing fire into hers. “I’m going to taste this sweet little cunt and drink down your nectar. And I’m going to savor the sweetness of you on my tongue when you come for me.”
She moans, her face going flushed as her eyes widen. Oh, she may be innocent and untouched, but she knows what this is.
I lean closer, my breath teasing across her lips and the soft down of hair on her mons. I move even closer, and when I inhale the heavenly scent of her arousal, my cock lurches between my thighs as precum drips freely onto the wooden floor of the cabin. I lean in, and I taste her.
Ailith cries out, her whole body bucking against my mouth as I drag my tongue slowly up her slit. I growl, pushing it deep and grunting as I drink in the sweet, sticky taste of her. Sweet gods she tastes like honey and heaven—like the sweetest whiskey and the softest flower on my tongue.
I grunt, my hands sliding around to grip her tight ass firmly, pulling her into me as I push my tongue deep into her opening. She cries out again, shuddering against me as I drive my tongue in and out before I drag it higher, up until it bumps over her hard-little bud.
It takes one swirl of my tongue across her clit, and suddenly, she’s coming for me.
Ailith screams, her hands shoving into my hair and gripping it tightly as her whole body shudders against me. Her hips buck int
o my mouth, the leg over my shoulder quivers, and her heal digs into my back. She cries out in pleasure, her sweetness flooding my tongue and my face as her thighs quiver and her body trembles for me.
And I’m not even close to being done.
I growl as I suck her clit between my lips, swirling my tongue over it again and again as she just keeps coming for me. And I just keep going until her hands are pushing me away, her cries drowning through my ears.
I grunt, yanking the ties of my kilt undone and letting it drop as I stand against her. I kiss my way up her stomach, and up over each full, soft breasts. I keep her one leg raised, hitching it against my thigh as I stand, and when she feels my thick, hot cock against her thigh, she gasps sharply.
“My lord…” she whimpers.
I kiss her, letting her taste her own sweet cunt on my lips. And when she hungrily kisses me deeper, moaning sweetly as she opens her lips for my tongue, I growl, pushing myself against her. My throbbing hard cock teases against her dewy-soft cunt, and she trembles for me.
“You’re a virgin,” I groan softly into her lips.
She nods, taking a shaking breath. I start to pull away, but her arms tighten around my neck, her thigh tensing again my hip.
“Wait…” she whispers, biting her lip. “We…” she blushes fiercely.
“Yes, my little princess?”
“We don’t have to stop.”
Heat floods her face as she blushes fiercely, like she’s embarrassed to admit she wants this. Like she’s worried about being too eager, or too “unladylike.”
The hell with that.
I want her begging for it, and a lady who’ll be my lady will know she can ask for anything any time.
“Do you want to stop?”
There’s a part of me that says I’m done if she says yes. But, the beast in me wonders if I could. I wonder if I truly could stop myself from claiming her at this moment. My cock trembles again her soft petals, precum dripping onto her skin as she whimpers. She leans in, and when her lips find mine and seal tight to me, I growl as I claim her mouth.
“No,” she gasps quietly into my kiss. “I don’t want to stop.”
“Good,” I grunt. “Because you’re mine.”
She whimpers as I kiss her fiercely, grunting as I push my body against hers, her back against the wood of the support beam.
