My Seaswept Heart (25 page)

“Ye seemed to need the rest.” Jamie picked up
his shirt where he’d tossed it on the beach and dried his face.

“Well, yes,” Anne conceded. “I suppose I
did.” She angled him a look. “But I don’t usually sleep so late.
Especially when there’s so much to be done.”

The captain merely shrugged. “I caught some
fish.” He nodded toward a pile of seaweed farther down the beach.
“But I didn’t think they’d last long in this sun.”

She was glad to see he’d done something
besides play with the dolphin. Though she did expect the sea
creature deserved their undying thanks. Not that she thought it
purposely brought them here, but it was lucky that the captain
believed in myths enough to head south.

“What about water?” Anne faced him again.

“What of it?” Jamie settled down in the sand
and tilted his head to look up at her.

“Is there any fresh water on the island?”
Anne tried to keep her exasperation from seeping into her voice. It
was difficult when he merely shrugged. “Don’t you think we should
look?”

“Aye,” he said but made no sign of getting
up. “Though we might want to eat something first.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Anne walked beside
the captain as he ambled toward his stash of fish. “Then we can
explore the island and see about building a shelter, and—”

With one finger pressed to her lips Jamie
silenced her. “Let’s just think about breaking our fast first.”

All Anne could do was nod. What was it about
him that made her feel so tingly all over? She stepped away from
his touch, nearly tripping over her feet in the process. She needed
to free her mind of this affliction. After all, they were stuck
here alone on this island. “You’re right, of course. We’ll eat
first.”

“Actually, I had something else in mind to
do.”

“You did?” Anne’s voice came out as a squeak
because he reached forward and began unhooking her jacket.

“Now I know ye thought ’twas necessary to
disguise yourself with dirt before. But we seem to be the only
people here, and I know your little secret.”

He was undressing her as a mother would a
child, first one arm out of the coat, then the other. And Anne just
stood there entranced, letting him.

“Ye have yourself a giant tub of warm water,
there. Now I realize ’tis not fresh, but I assure you ’tis better
than nothing.”

“You want me to bathe?”

“Aye, ’tis the general idea.”

“But... there’s no privacy.”

His grin was naughty. “I’ll turn me
back.”

She didn’t believe him for one minute, but
the idea of being clean was too tempting. Even if the water was
salty and there was no soap.

But when he reached for the tie on her shirt,
her hand covered his. “I think I can manage from here,” she said,
her smile sweet. Then she turned and walked toward the surf,
leaving him holding her coat.

Wearing breeches, socks and shirt she stepped
into the water.

He was right. It did feel good. Anne waded
out until the gentle swells lapped about her waist, then leaned
forward and splashed water onto her face.

“You’d get yourself cleaner with a few less
clothes,” she heard him call out, and laughed.

“I’m saving time by doing my laundry, too.”
Anne sank down until her shoulders were submerged, and reached up
beneath her shirt to wipe her hand over her skin. The warm water
swirling around her body felt so good. She tingled all over. Anne’s
eyes closed and she sighed as her fingers skimmed down her stomach.
This was wonderful.

Her head dropped back letting the water seep
up through her curls and she realized the fantasy that engulfed her
thoughts as her hand lifted over her taut breast.

Anne’s eyes shot open and she jerked upright.
My God, she was thinking about the captain. About him touching her,
running his large hands over her body.

He was standing onshore yelling something and
Anne whipped her head around, wet hair slapping her face. “I am not
taking my clothes off.”

“What did ye say?”

He appeared so bewildered that Anne had an
uncomfortable feeling he hadn’t been saying anything to her about
clothing. He was holding something in his hand, but it was too
small for her to see. She turned and sloshed through the water
toward him.

“Why didn’t ye tell me ye had a tinderbox,”
he was saying, and Anne could only shrug. “I didn’t know.”

“Well, ye must have put it in your pocket,
and I’m thankful for it.”

“I guess I must have,” Anne began, then shook
her head. “No. Keena put it there.” She quickened her step. “When
the pirates were pushing me toward you he bumped against me. I
remember now that he slipped something into my pocket.”

“He had more faith in us reaching land, than
I did.”

“I don’t know about that. You did follow the
dolphin.”

The pirate’s laugh mingled with the rattle of
wind through the palm fronds. “Ye finish your bath, Mistress
Cornwall. Now that we have flint and steel I shall gather some wood
and build a fire. Then we shall have a breakfast fit for a
king.”

He wasn’t far from wrong.

The smell of roasting fish drifted over the
beach, drawing Anne from the water. She’d managed to clean herself
and her clothes pretty well, even without soap. Her hair hung down
her back in streaming ribbons. There was no toweling, except her
coat, but Anne couldn’t bring herself to dry with the dirty fabric.
Besides, the warm, tropical air would accomplish the same thing in
no time.

“It smells wonderful. I can barely keep
from—” Anne stopped, her mouth suddenly too dry to form words. The
captain was squatting, his back to her, in front of the small fire
he’d made on the beach. When she spoke he shifted to look at her.
His stare seared her as surely as the flames danced around the
stick-skewered fish.

He couldn’t speak, and he couldn’t look away.
Jamie had seen his share, hell, more than his share of naked women.
He’d even seen a fair amount of Anne, though his mind was so fogged
by drugs, he couldn’t remember clearly. But he’d never seen
anything as erotic as the fully clothed woman before him.

If she only knew how the wet shirt molded to
her breasts. How he could see the dusky circle of her firm nipples
through the nearly transparent fabric. The breeches were fashioned
of sturdier material, but the weight of the water pulled them low
around her hips. He could see the curve of her body, the mysterious
indentation of her navel.

It was all he could do not to leap toward her
and strip away the barrier to her womanhood. He was hard and
aching, ready to take her willing or not, on the sand.

It was only the memory of the man he’d once
been, the civilized man, who would protect a lady’s honor with his
life, that kept him from doing it. Instead he jerked his head
around toward the fire, gritting his teeth against the pressure in
his loins.

He would have her.

There was no doubt in his mind about that.
They were alone on a tropical island. Chances of anyone ever
finding them was as remote as this tiny cay. He wanted her. There
was no way they wouldn’t become lovers. But he would not force her.
He would wait. And then he wouldn’t have to.

“Sit and grab yourself a leaf.”

Anne glanced around, wondering why he
suddenly seemed in such a foul mood. As far as she could tell their
circumstances were definitely improving. Just the thought of eating
cooked fish made her almost giddy. And being clean was
wonderful.

She sat on the flattened surface of a small
outcropping of rock, spreading one of the large palm fronds across
her lap. He used her coat to shield his hand as he reached for the
skewered fish.

They were hot, but that didn’t stop Anne.
Burned fingers seemed a small price to pay for such a succulent
feast. “Mmmm.” She sucked the tip of her thumb. “I never really
cared for fish before. But these are delicious.”

What was delicious was the way she ate. Jamie
tried to concentrate on his food, but as hungry as he was, he
realized he’d rather be kissing her lips than eating. Which was
absolutely ridiculous.

“What do you think we should do first?” Anne
wiped her hands down her damp breeches and leaned back. For the
first time in three days her stomach was full.

“Explore the island, I suppose.” Jamie took a
swig of coconut milk.

“What of a signal fire?” Anne scooped out a
shallow pit in the sand and slid her fish bones into the hole,
glancing up when he questioned her.

“What about it?” His eyes narrowed. “What are
ye doing?”

“Burying the bones.” She patted the sand down
after covering her garbage. “It makes it neater,” Anne brushed her
hands off. “Don’t you think we should have a signal fire? I mean if
a ship should come near us, we want them to know we’re here, don’t
we?”

“It depends.” Jamie tossed a fish skeleton
over his shoulder.

“On what?” Her eyes followed the flying
bones.

“On who’s doing the rescuing.” Jamie pushed
to his feet. “Personally I’d as soon stay here as have the
French Whore
sail into sight.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

Jamie shrugged. “I imagine they think we’re
dead, but...”

“No, you’re right, of course.” Anne took a
deep breath. “Do you suppose anyone will ever find us? No.” She
held up her hand. “Don’t answer that. I realize you don’t know.”
Anne stood up. “We simply must make the best we can of the
situation.” She straightened her spine. “Let’s see what we can
find.”

“’Tis no need for you to come. I doubt this
will be an easy trek.”

“I’m coming with you.” Anne slipped on her
shoes.

Jamie slid the knife into his waistband, the
tinderbox into his pocket and they started along the beach. When
sand gave way to coral rocks, they climbed, still keeping to the
shore. The west side of the cay, like what they could see of the
interior was thickly vegetated with small scrub trees.

“Do you think any animals live here?” She
accepted his help over a jagged rock; beneath them the ocean was
much more energized than at the sheltered beach.

Jamie straightened and stared into the
shadowed underbrush and trees. “I doubt it.” He glanced down at
her. “Sorry, no roast pork.”

“I suppose that’s what I was thinking. Pigs
run wild over Libertia.”

“Probably descendants of animals brought by
some Spanish galleon.”

“But you don’t think a Spanish galleon ever
found this place.”

Hands on hips, Jamie stared out over the wide
expanse of deep blue water. “It doesn’t seem likely.”

She knew he didn’t say it but she felt he was
answering her earlier question as well. Chances of anyone ever
finding them were very remote. But Anne refused to dwell on that
possibility. They were on land, with food to eat and hopefully
fresh water to drink.

The captain spotted the small trickle of
water seeping between the rocks. He dipped two fingers into the
stream, and stuck them into his mouth, then smiled. “I think we’ve
found it,” he announced as he brushed away the dense underbrush
that covered the water.

“It’s cool.” Anne cupped her hands, bringing
the water to her lips. She sipped, then caught up in the feel of
the clear liquid on her tongue, upended her hands splashing
droplets over her face. Her laughter bubbled forth as sparkling as
the small stream. It wasn’t until she settled down on her haunches
that she glanced up at the captain.

He stared at her, his eyes so intense and
looking dark green in the shadowed light, that Anne sucked in her
breath. She couldn’t seem to break the pull of his gaze. The smile
faded from her lips. Diamondlike droplets clung to her chin. In the
background the ocean sang on, adding its eternal melody to the
universe. And still they seemed caught in some mysterious
trance.

It was Jamie who first broke away, releasing
her. He let out a pent-up breath he hadn’t even realized he held
and gulped in another, then scrubbed both palms down across his
face. “We best be on our way.”

Scurrying to her feet, Anne rushed to catch
up as he pushed forward, following the meander of the stream. He
seemed impervious to the rough path, though he conquered it
barefooted. Anne felt twinges of guilt wearing her shoes, when she
wasn’t engrossed in the more consuming question of what had
happened between them. And why he hurried so now.

It seemed completely foreign to his nature,
to tramp ahead so. It was all Anne could do to reach out and grab
his naked arm. She pulled back the moment he turned. “Why did you
stare at me like that?” She hadn’t meant to ask that question. She
simply wished to inquire why he was in such a hurry. But her mind
obviously didn’t have control over her speech.

After a moment he gave her a twisted smile.
“Ye surprised me ’tis all.”

“Surprised you?” He started walking again,
eating up the ground with his long strides, and Anne darted after
him. “You didn’t think I would be excited about finding fresh
water?” He stopped and turned so suddenly Anne almost plowed into
his broad chest. She barely had time to back away.

“Nay, Annie. ’Tis that I didn’t know ye could
laugh.” Or that the sight of her giggling in all innocent pleasure
could affect him so.

She blinked. “Of all the ridiculous things to
say! Of course I can laugh. Everyone can laugh. I do it all the
time.” Her eyes opened wider as he slowly shook his head.

Then with a shrug, Jamie forced himself to
get back to the problem at hand. Finding the source of the water.
From behind him he could hear Anne’s occasional protest.

“I laugh all the time.”

“In truth there has been very little to laugh
about since I met you.”

“Being marooned on a small boat in the middle
of the ocean is not very amusing.”

And then when he thought she was finished
arguing with herself she yelled, “Constant grinning like some silly
cat who lapped the cream is not a sign of good nature, you know.”
Because of her Jamie stepped into the clearing with that very grin
plastered on his face.