She slipped her hands beneath the collar of his shirt and brushed her fingers softly along his nape. "You are a very brave man," she said, a tremble audible in her voice.
Merrie's fingers began to work again, but this time, with her touch firm against his bare skin, the contact seemed more intimate. He sank back and closed his eyes. A numbing warmth seeped through his tight muscles, slowly drifting down his torso and awakening a gentle throb of desire at his core. "I am not so brave," he murmured. "But there have been times of late when I wished I was."
"You must be anxious to finish this thing with Teach, so you can get back to your life," she said, her hesitant words clouded with hidden emotion.
Griffin paused before he spoke. He was eager to exact his revenge against the pirate, that much was true. But he hadn't really thought about his life beyond that. Now, as he did, he realized that the future seemed empty, void of the people he loved. His mother had died when he was fourteen. Later, he'd lost Jane and his son. And with his father now gone, he had no one left.
Griffin slowly turned to face her, kneeling between her legs. He grabbed her hands and pressed her fingers between his palms, staring deeply into her wide green eyes. "I cannot stay," he said. "If I could, I would. You must believe this is true."
"I-I wasn't asking you to stay," she said, her gentle voice uncertain.
"You have done so much for me," he said. "I feel that I owe you a great debt."
She tugged her fingers from his grasp. "No, you owe me nothing." Her words were edgy, defensive, as if he'd somehow insulted her.
Griffin placed his hand on her cheek. "You saved my life," he murmured. "And for that I will always be thankful." Her soft skin warmed his hand and heated his blood. She closed her eyes and turned into his touch. Lord, he couldn't help wondering what might come of them if he stayed.
She'd kindled something in him that he'd thought was long dead-buried with Jane-a growing need to share his life with a woman, an undeniable desire to make her his own. "I do owe you more than you will ever know, Merrie-girl."
Griffin bent nearer to her and brushed his lips across hers, relishing the silken touch of her mouth, a caress as soft as the petals of a rose. But he could not stop there, for what began as a simple gesture of gratitude flared into a passion so intense it made his pulse race.
He brought his lips down on hers again, this time demanding a response from her, pressing her back into the couch. A tiny moan escaped her throat and she opened to him and twisted her arms around his neck. He savored the sweet nectar of her mouth, a taste as heady as the finest Madeira, as addictive as Chinese opium. He wanted to stop, yet he couldn't draw away.
He'd never felt such a strong attraction to a woman, an attraction that seemed to overwhelm all common sense and reduce his every thought to the need for physical satisfaction. She used her experience well, drawing him in, making him want her all the more.
In such a short time, Merrie had become his safe harbor, a serene place where he could escape the terrible storms that had racked his existence on this earth. How he wanted to stay here, safe from the wind and the high waves, anchored in the lee of her comforting embrace, lost in the feel of her body beneath him, around him, beside him.
She had offered her body to him by her every wanton action, yet he couldn't help thinking of the other men in her life. Yes, he wanted her, but he wanted his revenge against the pirate even more. And to let her believe otherwise was the mark of a scoundrel, the trait of a blackguard who cared for no one but himself. He would not hurt her as she'd been hurt by men before. Steeling his resolve, he pulled back, inwardly cursing his lack of control when it came to Merrie.
"I am sorry," he murmured, looking down upon her flushed face. "I have taken advantage of your kindness again."
"I-I don't mind," she said, blinking back her surprise at his apology. "I mean, you're not taking advantage. I- I liked it…I mean, your kiss. I wanted you to kiss me. I- I want you."
Griffin quickly got to his feet and stepped away from the couch, putting a reasonable distance between them. "My behavior was unseemly. And for that, I am truly sorry." He rubbed his palms together and forced a smile. "I believe I might take a walk."
She stood and stepped in front of him, blocking his retreat to the door with her body. "I'm not some naive schoolgirl!" she snapped. "I was a willing participant. This is the twentieth century, Griffin, and it takes two to tango. No one," she continued, punctuating her words with a poke to his chest, "and I mean no one kisses me unless I want to be kissed." With that, she turned and stalked to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
Griffin frowned, completely confused by her outburst. He drew a deep breath, trying to still his thudding heart and the urge to follow her. Damn, she was inviting his touch, craving his advances! He knew of her low moral character, yet he couldn't bring himself to take advantage. What kind of man had he become that he couldn't make love to a woman with Merrie's beauty and obvious passions?
He glanced over at Ben Gunn who sat silently on his perch, watching him with a suspicious, unblinking eye. "I believe I have put myself in the doghouse again," he said to the gray parrot.
"Have a care," Ben said.
"Fine advice," Griffin replied. He shifted on his feet, wincing at the blatant proof of his arousal and willing himself to relax. "Perhaps a walk would be just the thing right now."
5
To Meredith's great relief, the next day dawned bright and clear and the weather promised to hold for at least the next five days. After their disastrous kiss the previous afternoon, she'd done all she could to avoid Griffin. She was as anxious as he was to get the trip under way and leave the embarrassment of her feeble attempts at seduction far behind.
What had ever made her think she might be able to entice him into something more than what they had? He'd slept beside her twice, yet he'd not made any move to seduce her. And every kiss they'd shared could be construed as nothing more than an expression of gratitude. Griffin Rourke didn't find her attractive in the least.
To keep her mind off her mortification, she began to make preparations for their trip to Bath the next day. Griffin walked with her down to the harbor to take a look at the small sailboat she had chartered, excited about the prospect of getting off the island. He made no mention of what had happened between them the previous afternoon and Meredith was convinced that he, too, wanted to forget.
While he examined the layout of the lines, she went to Jenny's General Store, a rambling white clapboard building on the water, for provisions for their trip.
A long porch shaded the side entrance, and the two rocking chairs and low bench were occupied with the usual morning group. Jenny's husband, the balding Hubey Hogue, had commandeered the head rocker. Early Jackson, the wiry, wizened owner of Happy Jack's Fishing Charters sat in the other rocker. Two younger members of the group, the bespectacled Lyle Burleswell and the flamehaired Shep Cummings, rounded out the group. Lyle owned the Sandpiper Hotel and Shep was the island's venerable handyman. They all sipped coffee out of a motley collection of chipped mugs, while they munched donuts and kept an eye on passersby on both the road and in the harbor.
"Morning, Meredith." Early tipped his captain's cap. "Hear you're chartering a sailboat for tomorrow."
Meredith smiled. The only way to keep a secret on Ocracoke Island was to take a vacation to the mainland. Even then, the rampant speculation about the trip was worse than whatever secret a person was trying to keep.