Page 22
Later, he would blame his inattention on his urge to break something, for he swung his fist and struck the side of the berth hard enough to bring forth a curse.
It was then, as the candle gave a violent shiver and nearly blew out, that he realized he was not alone.
He had not heard the door open, nor was he aware of anyone entering the cabin until he heard the soft click of the latch.
He turned … and felt the breath he had drawn get sucked straight out again.
Rose was standing with her back against the closed door.
“I knew I would not be able to sleep unless … unless we talked about what you said.”
“Which part of what I said?”
“The part about never knowing what the next day might bring. About having no time for picking flowers and petty flirtations. Regrets and recriminations, too, I should imagine.”
“You have regrets?”
“Surely we all have regrets,” she admitted. “Some minor and easily forgotten or of such little consequence as to not linger long in the mind.”
“And others?”
“Not so minor. Not easily forgotten. Mistakes, even.”
He stood up but she held out her hand to stop him from moving toward her.
“I am entirely to blame for what happened five years ago.”
“As I recall, there were two of us in that garden.”
“Well yes, but …”
“But what?”
She looked up at him. “But I was the one who lured you there.”
“As you pointed out, I did not offer up much resistance,” he murmured.
She bowed her head again and blew out a half-angry breath. “Please don’t make fun of me, or I’m likely to stab you.”
He held up his hands in submission, but took a step closer. “Aside from being stabbed, the very last thing I wish to do is make fun of you.”
Her hair was unbraided and he was close enough now to reach out and gently push the dark waves back over her shoulders. He let his fingers run through the silky tangles to spread them, then tucked his thumb and forefinger under her chin and force her to look up at him.
“I feel as though I am about to make another mistake,” she whispered.
“Then you probably should not do it.”
“It won’t change anything. I am still the captain and I am still in command of all three ships.”
He moved his hand from beneath her chin and started to loosen the laces at the top of her shirt. “I have no quarrel with your ability to command. You have proven yourself to be more than capable.”
“You gave your word not to make trouble.”
“I did. And I will keep it. This … particular kind of trouble … has nothing to do with that promise.”
He eased the loosened edges of her shirt aside and brushed the backs of his fingers down the exposed flesh.
He sent one hand skimming beneath the cambric to cradle the lush swell of her breast, brushing his thumb across the crown as he felt the nipple tighten into a hard little bud.
At the sound of her soft gasp, he bent his head to the curve of her neck, his lips finding the pulse beating wildly below her ear.
With his hand teasing her breast and his lips tracing a bold path to her mouth, the unexpected flush of desire that had prompted her to follow him to his cabin flared into a need so intense, she feared her knees might buckle.
Her body came alive, flooding her with sensations she had tried to forget.
When his mouth found hers, she welcomed it without hesitation, parting her lips, sharing her breath with his.
Tongues slid together, exploring, remembering.
The air around them grew still, and time was suspended as the world narrowed to two pairs of lips, two breaths, two beating hearts.
He broke away briefly and cradled her face between his hands. “You will likely regret this in the morning,” he warned softly.
“I suspect we both might, but right now, at this moment, this is exactly where I want to be.”
Fonteyne drew a deep breath and scooped her into his arms. He carried her the few short steps to the berth and when he set her down his mouth was fastened to hers again.
Her arms were around his shoulders, and their tongues were lashed together.
He stripped off her shirt and unfastened her breeches, peeling them down at the same time she was tearing at his shirt, exposing the bare breadth of his chest.
Naked, he joined her on the narrow berth and rolled onto his back, taking her with him letting her hair flow forward, wrapping them in a silken cocoon.
He rolled again so that she was beneath him, their shared need so great there was no time for finesse.
He was hard and she was sleek and wet. As he pushed inside her, she arched her body up, taking all of him without hesitation, pulling him deep.
Her legs wrapped around him and held tight as her body moved into each thrust. She gasped with the stretching fullness of him, trembled with the waves of pleasure that built and grew and tightened until the sensations surged and crested.
Sebastien felt her spasms clench around him and he slid his hands down to her hips, lifting her, holding her as he continued to thrust. Her hands twisted up into his hair, then clawed at his shoulders and she climaxed, shuddering through a seemingly endless orgasm.
When he could hold back no longer, he arched his back to gather himself for one last push, then surrendered to his own white-hot ecstasy.
The ship executed a shallow turn and the motion woke Fonteyne.
Cool air was sweeping through the open gun port along with a watery pale light.
He lifted his head slightly to gaze down the length of his naked body.
He was alone, surprised that he hadn’t felt Rose slip off the berth and leave, although not surprised that she hadn’t wanted to waken him.
Waking him would mean she had to talk to him. Or look him in the eye.
He laid back and stretched the kinks out of his arms, then smiled as he scratched his hands up and down his chest. Until sheer exhaustion had claimed them both, they had taken full advantage of every hour they had been together.
The berth was so narrow she had spent most of the night sprawled like a limp ragdoll on top of him …
until she wasn’t and she was beneath him, straining and clutching at his body.
He was surprised she had been able to stand, much less walk away, stealthily or otherwise.
It was the first sign of weakness she had shown and, still smiling, he rolled onto his side and fell instantly back to sleep.
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