Romancing the Pirate 01 - Blood and Treasure (18 page)

“Capt’n, sir.”

Zane growled deep within his throat at the interruption. Someone would pay.

A young seaman in green striped breeches and a dingy white shirt stood at the top of the path. He avoided eye contact and removed his hat. “Pardon me, sir. Sorry for interruptin’. I came to relieve your watch.”

“Do I look like I need relieving?” Zane snapped as he stood. Aye, he did. But not by way of watch duty.

The man shook his head, staring at the ground. “No, sir.”

Lianna had sat upright, checking her clothing. Zane was grateful that he had not gotten far enough to have her in a state of indecency. He hated the idea of embarrassing her. And that had him puzzled. He had never cared about such trivialities as a woman’s propriety when caught in a compromising embrace. But with Lianna, it mattered a great deal.

Zane took his sword by the hilt. “Who sent you up?”

The man stiffened when Zane came forward but looked him square. “Sadie,” he said.

Sadie! That no good hellion.

“Sadie has no authority over anyone on my ship.” Zane spoke evenly with a good deal of restraint. “I expected you to know as much, Thomas.” He pulled out his cutlass. “What did the wench say?” He casually inspected the blade, flipping it over, running his fingers along the edge—his message unmistakable.

Thomas cast a nervous eye to the sword. “She tole me t’ take up lookout. I tole her ’twasn’t my time yet.” He sputtered out his words swift off his tongue. “She said you were needed on the beach. I tole her ’twasn’t my time.”

“And?”

The seaman looked away again.

“Out with it.” Zane was ever impatient.

“She showed me her tit. Tole me I could touch it if’n I come on up.” Thomas winced, realizing too late to check his tongue in front of a lady.

“Watch your language, labbernecks.” Zane angled his sword to the frightened man’s mouth. “Lest you taste my steel.” His anger roiled within him, building like trapped steam. He had to keep his head about him and force himself to allow the callow sap to keep his. After all, this tar had no more than eighteen years on him and was easily pliable to a woman’s charms after being at sea for so long.

“’Pologies, ma’am.”

Lianna sidled up one small step behind Zane. She made a point to stand as an equal, yet by remaining at his heels gave him irrefutable respect as a master. Smart girl. He tipped his chin down enough to catch her gesture of acceptance.

“You, or anyone else under my command, are not to listen to her no matter what wares she offers. Got it?”

Thomas nodded emphatically.

“Be advised.” Zane lowered his cutlass. “Next time I may not show mercy upon you.”

“Yes, Capt’n, sir.”

“Come, my lady. Let’s leave the man to do his job.” Zane took her by the arm and helped her down the embankment.

Zane fumed. Sadie was up to no good and would have to be dealt with. Something which he really loathed to do. A word with her tonight would be in order. In the meantime, he wasn’t quite done sporting with Lianna. He planned to make the most of his time alone with the bonny lass. His ire nourished his lewd hunger. He was feeling a bit frisky.

Lianna knew better than to bring up what had just taken place on the ridge. Her suspicion led her to believe Sadie had seen them leave the beach. She had no delusion about whether or not Zane had shared his special spot with Sadie. Sadie knew what that place on the cliff meant to him. And the woman, without question, had felt the need to interfere. Lianna stood in the way of Sadie’s plan to win Zane back. Lianna couldn’t have cared less. At the moment, impulsive excitement whirled around her sanity. She had been surprised Zane nearly struck down the poor man on her behalf for his language. Blimey, she’d heard far worse in her type of work. It warmed her to think Zane found her deserving of such respect.

“Where are we going?” she said. They followed a trail different from the first. The canopy thickened, but the ground was free from underbrush. The rush of water coursed nearby.

“It’s just through here.” He grabbed her hand, pulling her close as they broke through a hedgerow to a clearing.

Before them lay a large lagoon fed by the cascading waterfall she had seen from the bluff. The water glistened clear and shallow at the edge, lined with small smooth rocks, before pinching off to darker depths. The falls soared about thirty feet high surrounded by black rock and leafy vines. Red and orange blossoms stretched out from the wedges of the stones toward the beams of sunshine. Dragonflies and small birds flitted about the mists.

“It’s wonderful. Peaceful. Do you come here to think, too?”

“No.” He grinned. “To bathe.” In one fluid movement he stripped himself of his clothes.

Lianna quickly gave him her back. “Captain Fox! This is not decent!”

“Decent.” Zane laughed as he dove into the pool.

Lianna chanced a peep over her shoulder. Zane had just come up for air. His dark hair slickened back, water dripped from his face.
Holy Mother of God.
He swam on his back in lazy circles.

“The water is perfect. Come on in.”

“No, I don’t think—”

“Come now. I won’t look. I know you want to bathe.”

“Well, I don’t know.” Getting clean sounded simply divine. It topped right up there with sharing another kiss with him. And the water beckoned, so inviting.

“I’ll be a perfect gentleman.” He raised his hand in a gesture of promise.

Zane dove under the water, offering her a glimpse of his backside. She gnawed her lower lip. “All right,” she said as he came back up. “But you must turn around.”

“Yes, my lady.” He turned and swam toward the falls.

Lianna quickly peeled out of her clothes. Sticking her toe in the water, she recoiled at the coolness, cursing. Zane’s laughter carried over the spattering falls. Frowning, she took a deep breath and dove in, for fear that the insufferable captain see her naked. The blast of cold at first benumbed her, but soon she relaxed in the refreshing water. Dipping her head back, she scrubbed the salt from her hair. She rubbed her body, bathing discreetly, all the while keeping an eye on Zane. He sat in the misty shallows under the waterfall, his thighs just visible. The water spilled over his head, flattening his hair to his broad shoulders, streaming down the phoenix taking flight on his hard chest.

Ugh. This can’t be happening. I’m bare-skinned on a beautiful island in a pool with an incredibly handsome and very naked pirate.

Just a few days ago, Lianna had no use for a man. But she could certainly think of a few now.

Only one chance of fleeting love long ago showed her a man’s compassion. His name was Orrin, a fisherman’s son. At nineteen, he was three years her senior. He had taken a fancy to her, spending his free time tarrying around the tavern to see her. Lianna’s uncle often ran him off. His place was for paying customers, he would holler, not loiterers.

In secret dalliances and stolen trysts, Orrin talked of running away with her, of building a better life together. His innocent love nudged her into trusting him. He made her feel safe. And she cared deeply for him. ’Twas Orrin who led her back from the profundity of loneliness. For all her hate of men, she found she still longed for an affectionate, loving touch, to fill a void. But Orrin perished at sea during a nasty storm. As hard as it was, deep down she had expected they would never make it. Still, Orrin had given her back something that she had long buried. Hope. Hope that revived her dreams.

Many months later she learned that Orrin was not dead at all. In fact, he had been very much alive and living just up the coast with his new wife. It seems the tale of Orrin drowning at sea was a ruse so that he could rid himself of Lianna. It had been a real stab to the heart. He had sowed his wild oats, and then cast her out in favor of a virginal bride. He wasn’t even man enough to confront her face to face.

She had been downtrodden, for certain. But she had already had a taste of how nice lovemaking could be, even if for a moment. And so her dreams lived on.

Occasional flirting had been enough to hold her over. It never took her long to be reminded of the maleficent behavior of the opposite sex. As time wore on, her dreams of someone worthy coming to her rescue dwindled. What man of means in his right mind would have a ruined, assertive tavern wench, after all?

But now, emotions she was not familiar with assailed her with the might of a hailstorm. It scared the hell out of her. Zane was a whole other species, that she knew. Blow for blow, he matched her, wit and wile. However, with his touch, she melted. He was right. He easily breached her fortifications.
Well, I’ll just have to feign a little harder.

Zane slid under the water out of sight. Lianna paddled in place, staying afloat, looking around the pool for where he would pop up. What was he up to? Seconds of him gone turned into long minutes with no sign of him. She treaded water faster, worried for his safety. He had to come up for air sometime. Surely he didn’t drown. If there was some hidden danger below surface, he wouldn’t have brought her here. Unless he didn’t know there was danger. Oh Lord, where was he?

Quite by surprise, something grabbed her waist. She screamed certain a man-eating caiman meant to drag her down to the murky depths of the pool. She kicked and thrashed to free herself, landing her solid mark repeatedly.

Zane burst up in front of her, an impish smirk curved at the corners of his mouth, his hand clutching at his chest.

“Ooh. You frightened me, you, you tomfool.” She splashed water into his face.

Laughing, Zane splashed her back, beginning a sploshing war. They splashed about the pool like carefree children. Lianna’s heart skipped at the sound of Zane’s hearty, genuine laugh echoing off the lagoon rocks, at the lines around his eyes from his wide smiles. He was having a folly of a time. The kind of levity, she imagined he couldn’t get from the thrills of danger.

“So, Lady Whitney. Do you challenge me to a contention?” He swam circles around her.

“What is the challenge?”

“You swim to the falls before I catch you.”

“And the prize?” she asked smartly.

He swam up to face her. “If you win, I will let you leave the pool unmolested and dress with my back turned.”

“And if I lose?”

He grinned like a wolf at a sheep buffet. “If I win, you will let me kiss you again and you will let me watch you dress.”

Losing didn’t seem all that bad.

“And I’ll even give you a head start,” he added.

“I’d say the stakes are too innocuous. Let’s raise the risk, shall we?” She moved in so close, they could rightly touch noses. “If I do win, I also get to watch
you
dress.”

He raised his eyebrow at her brass. “Fair enough.” He cocked his chin. “Whenever you are ready.”

She was gone before he finished his last word. With nothing to weigh her down this time, Zane would quickly learn she swam as swift as any fish in the sea. He raced to keep up, grabbing her just as she reached the flat rocks at the base of the flowing falls.

She thrust off the plateau to deeper water to maintain her bare body hidden. Winded, her breath came in short pants. “It seems we have an even score.”

He swam up alongside. “Aye, it does.”

“’Tis only fitting that we come to a compromise, then.”

“Oh? And what do you suggest?”

Lianna draped one wet arm around his neck, pulling him into her, and planted a long soft kiss. Zane held onto her waist, smiling in their kiss as her breasts skimmed against his chest.