“Because I am the captain here, not a servant hired to do your bidding. I give the orders and I make the decisions.” He released her, retreating to his desk. “The answer is no.”
“But I offered you two hundred pounds!”
“It would not have mattered if you’d offered me two thousand,” he growled.
“This is not a passenger ship, I’m not a nursemaid, and I don’t need you tempting my crew to mutiny.”
“Tempting? I assure you I am no light skirt!”
A roguish smile tilted the sensual slant of his mouth and lit up his dark gaze. “That hardly makes you less tempting.”
Christina gasped. “How dare you?”
He raised a wolfish brow. “Just like this…”
The captain whipped his arms around her and crushed her against the hard width of his chest. Standing frozen in shock, she felt his palms glide down the length of her spine in a commanding sweep and stop at the small of her waist. He pressed her closer, flush against his body. Christina was too shocked by his behavior—and the maelstrom of tingles screaming along the surface of her skin—to do more than gape.
Without pause, he claimed her lips by covering them with his own. He possessed them. His kiss was not like the tender, tentative brush of lips she’d received from an over-eager beau. No, this was much different. The bold exploration of his lips…and then, oh God, his tongue, exploded inside her, lashing her with a stunning blast of heat. He pulled her to return the kiss, tongue and all.
The man tasted of coffee and sin. His hands pressed her deeper into his body before he slanted his lips across hers again as if he had every right to. His
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The Lady and the Dragon
soft beard rasped against her chin as he penetrated the seam of her lips with his tongue once more. A shocking liquid honey flowed through her veins. Knees weak, she melted against him, encircling her arms about him to touch the warm skin beneath his collar. He groaned in answer.
My God, what am I doing?
Kissing a masked criminal, came her answer before she wrenched from his embrace with a gasp and stepped away.
Heat crawled up her cheeks and shock slid through her system. He’d proved his point. She didn’t belong on this ship, not with a man like him at the helm. Adventure often lured her into less than exemplary situations, but she hadn’t planned on suicide.
Still, she could not risk waiting for another ship and a more civilized captain.
Angered by his presumption—and her own response—she hissed, “Take your bloody hands off me!”
“I’ll touch you if I want. This isn’t your kingdom, princess. You can’t waltz in here and make demands. On this ship, I am master of everything…and everyone. Right now, that includes you.”
Clearly, his bullying ways weren’t any different from Grandfather’s. Her determination rose another notch. “You will not ever maul me in that fashion again.”
He met her stare with a chilly smile. “I can agree to that easily, since you won’t be on this voyage.”
The captain whirled about. “Hancock!” A moment later, the small crewman reappeared, and the captain said, “Have someone escort this lady off my ship and get your ass back here.”
“But…but—” she blurted, realizing she’d ruined her chances of escape with her defiance. “Yours is the only ship leaving for the Bahamas this evening. I must be on it!”
“That’s not my problem, princess.”
“But you must understand—”
“No, I mustn’t. Nor do I want to.”
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Shelley Bradley
Hancock came toward her, awkwardly taking hold of her arm.
Desperation fired Christina as she tossed him an entreating glance.
“Captain…”
Arms crossed, jaw tight, he looked away.
With chin lifted and hopes sinking, Christina grabbed her valise and exited.
After scrambling up the ladder to the brig’s deck, she eyed the silhouette of London’s dingy, gray docks through the evening’s golden mist, inhaled the putrid scent of the Thames in the heavy, humid air. Was Grandfather searching for her even now, ready to sweep her away to a remote Swiss hell?
Her gaze drifted down the passageway, in the direction of the ship’s arrogant, handsome captain. Her choices were clear: Her grandfather’s machinations for the rest of her life, or the captain and his insolence for a few weeks?
No choice, really.
Hancock called to a sallow youth named Randy, who raced to their side.
The young man stared at her with pale blue-gray eyes in a malnourished face.
Adolescent peach fuzz dusted his chin.
“Since this is yer first voyage with the cap’n, I’m going to start ye off easy.”
Randy swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his thin throat. “Yes, sir.
Thank ye, sir.”
“Take this lady ashore. We’re castin’ off soon.”
“Aye, aye, sir.”
Hancock nodded and turned away, fixing his attention on another sailor and his sloppy rigging.
“Well, miss… Ah, step this way.” The boy pointed to the gangplank off the port side of the massive brig.
Studying his threadbare shirt, Christina said, “Randy; is that your name?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Poor thing. He looked terrified. “Do you have any family?”
He nodded. “A wife and a wee lad.”
Her eyes widened, not completely with feigned shock. “And you’re here at sea instead of with them on shore?”
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The Lady and the Dragon
Dropping his head, Randy shuffled his worn boots on the immaculate deck.
“Times are tough. Got to take wot work I can.”
“Well then, Randy, I have a job for you.” Again, Christina studied him from his ill-cut hair to his faded breeches, and knew he would jump at her offer for much less money. With a satisfied sigh, she decided she would consider her upcoming offer a donation to the needy. “How would you like to make two hundred pounds?”
* * *
Half an hour later, Drex stood on deck, watching the sun and its golden brilliance descend below the horizon.
Her hair had been that color, he decided before banishing the thought. She was… He didn’t know exactly who she was, but he knew what she was: Trouble. Anyone could see that. He’d done well to send her packing.
So why were thoughts of her lingering about him like a sultry perfume?
She’d been desperate. Completely. He had recognized his own emotion in her exotic green eyes. Had his circumstances been different… But they weren’t.
How could he possibly cart the hoyden to Grand Bahama while holding Manchester’s granddaughter captive and running a shipment of Brown Bess rifles for the American Army? Impossible.
Kissing her had been a big mistake. He’d meant only to intimidate her, but the moment he’d begun devouring her mouth, their contact had exploded into a hell of a kiss. Drex had not expected to enjoy it. He had. Too much.
“There you are!”
Whirling at the shout, Drex found Gregory crawling up the ladder to deck, then running toward him.
“What are you doing here?” he asked in disbelief. “You’re supposed to be leading Lady Christina into our trap.”
“Drex,” Greg panted. “Must…leave. Go.”
“We will casting off as soon as Lattimer arrives with the girl. What—”
“Lady Christina…gone.”
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Shelley Bradley
“Gone? Where? How?” He studied Greg’s flushed face for answers. “What the hell is going on?”
“Not the problem. Manchester.”
“What?” Drex snapped. “You’re not making sense.”
Greg gulped air, then said, “To coin a phrase, the British are coming. This time,” he paused for breath, “to arrest you.”
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The Lady and the Dragon
Chapter Two