Linna : Historical Romance (The Brocade Collection, Book 5) (14 page)

He plied his lips against hers
. Linna had to concede that he was an expert with them. Even if he were lowly born and dirt poor, he was amazingly stirring. He was still the man that set her pulse to singing and her limbs to resembling saplings.
No
! She stopped the thought, barely keeping her torso from swaying toward him in time.

Something of her passive response must have reached him, for Cord stopped sliding his body along her
s and raised his head. Linna met his look as if he didn’t have incredibly mesmerizing green eyes and wasn’t less than four inches away.

She was amazed she had the fortitude.

“What game is this?” he asked quietly.

“Game?” she asked.

“You wake me from a deep sleep to torment me?”

“I didn’t waken you at all.”

His eyebrows rose even higher. “You were inspecting me. It woke me.

Your turn.”

Linna drew back and had to blink more than once.
Her turn
? “I don’t know what you’re talking about, and you’re touching me. Without my invite, I believe.”

“You started it
. What I don’t know is why. You wanted my attention. Well, you have it. What I don’t understand is why you don’t want it once you get it.”

“I don’t want anything from you, Mister Larket.”

“You keep calling me that and I’m not reminding you again. My name is Cord. If you don’t start using it, you’ll earn yourself a consequence. You can guess what it will entail, surely?”

He ground his body against her side, leaving her no excuse for misunderstanding him
. He was aroused and wasn’t making any secret of it. Linna paled. Isn’t this what she wanted?

“Oh, to hell with this.” 

He didn’t give her any time! Linna found it nearly impossible to gain breath when he swiveled himself atop her, every bit of him seeming to meet every bit of her. Her question of what he wore to sleep in was answered, too. Nothing.

Cord lifted onto his elbows, cupping his hands about her lower jaw
. Then he brought his legs up to plant a knee on either side of her, in order to straddle her form. Linna was so grateful to be released from his weight, she cried it aloud. That opened her lips. Cord wasn’t waiting for any more response than that. She didn’t know where he’d gained such talent at kissing, but he most certainly had it. His lips captured hers. At the same time, he was arching his back, making certain she felt the heat of him trying to drill a way between the sensitive flesh of her inner thighs. Linna’s moans weren’t making it out of her throat, and that seemed fine with him, too.

He plundered the recesses of her mouth, learning what she’d sworn to withhold
. One hand snaked along her arm, moving to capture a breast. Linna couldn’t prevent the motion of her entire body as she heaved against him once he reached her.

“Easy, baby,” he whispered into her mouth, before lowering his head to her flesh.

Linna didn’t have his mouth to silence her cry, and with his gentle suckling motion where she most needed it at the moment, she wasn’t able to hide anything. She wasn’t moaning, she was mewing with pleasure. Cord chuckled when he heard it but didn’t release the suction.

She’d been aching for his touch, for this, and now that she had it, her mind wasn’t interested in
anything like fighting. Linna reached for his shoulders and flew along the muscles there to tangle in his hair. It was her motion moving him to her other breast, too. She was on fire!

“Easy, love
. We’ve got time,” he breathed the words onto flesh he’d just wet, and she nearly swooned at the sensation.

We don’t have time
! She was screaming the words in her head.
You don’t understand
! Sanity was going to return at any moment, and she was doing her level best to keep it at bay until—

A loud knock at the door brought his head up
. “Larket!” a voice yelled through the wood. “Topside!”

“
Bastard!” 

Cord ground out the word against her flesh and shoved
away so quickly Linna hadn’t time to keep from seeing it. He had the body of the Grecian, Adonis - or the god had been cheated, and in Cord’s current state, it was jaw-dropping.

That was probably the reason the crewman at the door had that expression when Cord threw it open
. Linna slammed her eyes to the entire thing, just before she buried her head beneath the quilt. It didn’t help. The scene was emblazoned on her eyelids.

She heard something about a mizzenmast, how sorry they were to disturb his sleep since he he’d been feeling ill
, and a nice bit of laughter after that. Then, the man said that Cord had to handle it, and the door closed.
Surely, he wouldn’t go without a stitch of clothing on
! Linna thought in horror. And if he did, everyone would know why.

What difference does that make, Linna
? The crewman hadn’t any doubt on his face. She had to huff through the blush. She reminded herself that she was his wife. Anyone who had seen her arrive in wedding finery had to know that, but it was still embarrassing. It was broad daylight outside.

“Don’t think I won’t return, Linna
. And I fully expect to finish this when I do and to hell with my bargain. Damn it, anyway!”

She peeked over the edge of the quilt
. Cord had his trousers back on, but hadn’t done anything except don a shirt. It hung from his shoulders. He ran his hands through his hair before tying his scarf-thing back on. Even wearing that type of ensemble, he was stunning.

He turned his head and speared her with a glance that said everything she felt
. “Don’t you dare move. I won’t be long, and I’ve had enough of this. No games. No frustration. No denials. Do you understand?”

He didn’t wait to see if she agreed before he pushed the door open and left, slamming it closed behind him
. She watched the dust motes settle at the action and realized she hadn’t even heard it.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

It didn’t take as long to disobey as she’d thought it would
. By her calculations it wasn’t more than a half hour. But he couldn’t be serious. She couldn’t stay abed, with her chemise hitched about her waist and surrounded with the scent of him. It was bad enough they’d had a witness without staying on that bed waiting for another one.

Besides, she had yet to find the comfort room
. It didn’t look like Cord was thinking of feeding her again anytime soon, either. She’d probably need to search out her own meal, too.

With that in mind, Linna lowered herself to the floor and searched out a serge skirt and striped broadcloth blouse
. The buttons wouldn’t quite fasten about her bosom. That was quite noticeable. Linna frowned as buttons slipped their holes for the twelfth time. That hadn’t happened the last time she’d worn it.

She knew Cord had worn a jabot at the ball
. It would be just the thing to cover her. Linna searched for the knothole, but it didn’t move as easily as it had for Cord. She had to twist and turn and scraped her index finger before the thing finally opened.

The purplish jacket was there, the white sleeveless shirt, another jacket, and
…her stockings? Linna caught the gasp as she found them stuffed into a pocket. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling, although there wasn’t anyone to watch.

Linna hands knocked a large, new, leather wallet from
a pocket. A sheaf of papers spilled out. That frightened her more than it should. That was stupid. Cord couldn’t punish her for such a little thing. Linna knelt, shoving everything back in,  then she caught a name.
Fletcher? Rex Fletcher
? No. Not that one. That name was burned into her mind. She’d heard it ranted from the plantation study when her father was drunk. She’d sent the recollection so far down it shouldn’t have surfaced. Rex Fletcher was the name of her mother’s lover.

What had Cord to do with him?

With shaking hands, she unfolded the papers and started reading.

Cord blinked around the dizziness, finished tying off the sail, squaring the knot to keep it securely lashed to the mast. He held his breath when he finished. One of the men had let out too much canvas, and with this wind, it hadn’t taken long to rip. With the size of storm that was brewing, the last thing needed was a mast out of commission. There weren’t many who could scale the rigging like he could, hang upside down to maneuver a new sail into position with rain starting up to sting his face and taut lines whipping all about him.

Cord twisted his lips at the inaccuracy
. There were others who could do it, but he was the best. They all knew it. It had taken longer than he’d wished though, and Linna would probably be asleep again. That was fine with him. He hadn’t lied. She was truly beautiful when she slept.

And he could look his fill since he didn’t have to hide anything
.

Cord was too used to hiding everything
. There wasn’t a soul in a decade that heard one complaint or emotion from him. Not one. He’d become such a master at it, he was certain there wasn’t anything left he couldn’t hide. He was beginning to think it was easy because he usually couldn’t even feel it to begin with.

Linna
was evoking too much reaction. Already. He wondered why.
What is it about her
? It was a true that she was sensual, passionate, and exciting. There were probably hundreds like that though.
What is it about Linna
?

The thought of what he’d left in his chamber warmed the chill he’d been ignoring
. Cord pursed his lips before grinning. He wasn’t planning on holding onto it much longer, and it was going to be a long night. He’d make certain of it. It felt like his entire body was heated up with the anticipation.

Cord put his boots against the wood and slid down, bearing the brunt of the wood grain with the belt he’d wrapped about the mast
. That was another reason they’d called for him. Several of the hands shook their heads at his antics. They’d come for him because he wasn’t afraid of falling.

Falling wasn’t difficult
. The landing was. And everything depended on where you picked the items to break your fall. He’d discovered that early on from very high up. Never go up without planning your descent and mapping out the fall. Masts were especially easy. They had rigging. Tons of it. All you had to do reach for it.

He didn’t really want the theory tested again,
though. Cord remembered that as he eased the belt around another yardarm before continuing. He landed on the deck within moments and pulled the larger slivers from the weave of his shirt. Before then, he’d smelled what had to be supper, so he steered toward the galley first. He’d load a platter and take it to share with Linna. He’d better make it a big one though. She hadn’t had anything all day, and he was ravenous.

Cord grabbed several peaches, a cluster of plump red grapes
, and a stack of sourdough biscuits, before ladling stew into another pot. He let any interested parties think he was hungry enough to eat it by himself, then he shrugged. Let them think what they liked.

Since he went the easier way down, it didn’t take as long, nor was there any danger of spilling his burden
. He was whistling as he turned the handle and pulled open his door, and that’s when he knew something was desperately wrong.

Linna wasn’t sleeping
on the cot, it was secured back into the wall, and there were papers scattered on the floor. Linna wasn’t anywhere in sight. Cord swiveled, catching any reaction. She truly wouldn’t try and escape him, would she? She was too afraid of heights, and he’d have known of her presence if she’d made it to the deck. His mates would have noticed a woman that looked like Linna and made no secret of it. But if that wasn’t it, where else could she be?

Cord set his burden on the washstand, balancing it atop his basin, grabbed a peach and started retracing steps
. On his third circuit of the ship, he’d eaten all the peaches, then he started on the grapes. The fourth time he got back to the cabin, he swallowed some cooled stew and grabbed a biscuit. The fifth time, he wasn’t hungry any longer.

He didn’t know what the mounting feeling in him was
. He told himself he didn’t want to know. He was getting frustrated. And he was shaking. Surely she wouldn’t do anything desperate, would she? So, he’d promised never to touch her. Was that reason to do this to him...and to his son?

Cord checked every salon, every storeroom, he even opened every closet in the reading salon, receiving a squeal of surprise and a stern oath from the captain for his efforts
. The squealing lady had been in
dishabille
. That wasn’t unpleasant, but beyond a glance, Cord hadn’t lingered. She hadn’t been Linna.

Any day
light was fading. Cord knew then he was running out of time. He ran slick decks, checked and rechecked alcoves and niches. Cord shoved emotion away, but it kept returning.
Please don’t let her have gone overboard.
With rain pelting against him, the storm kicking up waves and spraying him with salt water whenever he ran along an outer passageway, he needed his slicker to continue the search.

Cord’s shoulders were slumping as he went down
to his cabin, his entire body trembling, and his heart heavy, although he’d never admit to it.

The passage swayed back and forth as he lurched along it, feeling his way, since they’d extinguished lanterns below-decks
. This wasn’t the ship they’d taken over and turned into their pirate one. This wasn’t the fastest clipper in the Caribbean. This was a caravel. Only the paying gentry above received such niceties as light. His lips thinned.   He had to go to Fletcher, the ship’s owner. He needed help. Cord was so lost in thought, he didn’t realize the passageway ended until his feet met nothing but air. He had time to pull in a breath and stretch out before the brunt of landing.

The fall
was painful. The air missing from his body was even worse.

Cord lay slack and waited
. His mind was playing tricks on him or something. He’d completely missed the end of the stair-rail that signaled the ladder. It was his own fault but that didn’t help. He also knew it would only take moments to get his wind back, it just felt like an eternity. He turned his head.

There was a crack of light under his door
. His eyes widened.
Was it possible? She was back? How the hell
...? Cord rolled onto his hands and knees, and crawled toward the door, sucking in a breath, regardless of how much it burned.
She was safe in the cabin
?

He
’d gained his legs before he reached the door. He stood there for long moments, using the time to temper himself. It wouldn’t do if he shoved the door open and frightened her, although every nerve in him was threatening to do that very thing. He settled for gripping the handle, shoving it downward, then yanking. It was the best he could manage under the circumstances.

Linna turned from the supper tray as if he wasn’t standing there, shivering and fevered,
completely soaked, and heaving for breath. Cord took in her appearance. She was dressed sternly, with her hair pulled back so tightly it slanted her eyes. He pulled the door closed behind him.

“You’re back,” she said simply and turned again to the tray.

Cord’s eyes widened. “Where…in God’s name…have you been?” he asked, hoping the emotions weren’t sounding in his voice.

“I’ve been with the captain.”

Her reply stopped him before he took a step. “Where?”

“What do you mean
where
? In his cabin, of course.”

She was speaking to the tray, but there was no mistaking her dismissive attitude
. Cord forced a breath in, then back out, then another. It didn’t help much, but he wasn’t saying another word until he got the emotion under control. He’d been running across slippery decks, risking his neck, and the best she could manage was a lie? He swallowed and narrowed his eyes around the throbbing in his temples.

“You’ve been in the captain’s cabin
? All this time?”

“Oh please, spare me the jealousy
. The captain is a gentleman and quite learned, unlike present company.”

Jealousy?
Cord thought, tasting the word in his mind. For some reason, he stiffened. He had no idea how jealousy was supposed to feel, nor what he was supposed to do with it. If it matched the burning he felt in the bottom of his belly and the taut awareness of his own pulse in his head, it wasn’t pleasant. “What did you and a
learned
man have to talk over for all that time?”

She gasped at his insult
. He’d meant her to.

“Are you inferring that I can’t?” she asked, finally.

“Oh no. I never infer. I’m stating the obvious. You were warm, willing, and passionate when I was called away, you disobeyed your husband when he ordered you not to move, and by your own mouth you’ve been with the captain, who’s not immune to charms such as you’ve got, lady.”

“How dare you?”

She whipped about, and even dressed as severely as she was, and with his eyes narrowed, she was enough to increase the thumping at his temple into a pounding. He added it to his other laments. “It’s easy. I know the man. We all do. He tosses skirts between bouts with drink. Why do you think first mate Dawson is at the wheel?”

“Captain
Theodore Watson? I don’t believe it.”

“I don’t care what you believe
. I want to know where you were. Try a better lie next time.”

“I’ve been with the captain
. I already told you.”

Cord lowered his head
. The thumping at his temple was worsening to the point he was having trouble thinking around it. “You couldn’t have been. He’s been...occupied.”

“I know
. With me.”

Cord would have rolled his eyes except it might hurt too much
. He didn’t want her seeing anything of that. “Perhaps you were in his cabin, but he wasn’t there. I know. I saw him. In a closet. And he wasn’t alone.”

“Well
! I’ll have you know, I’ve spent the past three hours with Captain Watson, and I’m used to having my word trusted.”

Cord snarled, for lack of a better expression
. “I don’t trust anyone, lady, especially one who doesn’t keep her word.”

“I
didn’t promise to stay here!”

“
No? Well…by your own lips…you made me the bargain of your hand. Then, by your actions at the wedding, you reneged. That makes you…untrustworthy. I’m not remarking…on it again.” 

He stumbled through the words, and she
gasped midway through them, but he didn’t care. He felt ill, was having a hard time keeping the various aches at bay, shivering was starting to overtake him, and the roll of the room just added to the dizziness.

Her eyes looked especially bright, but that could be a deception from the
lamp light crossing her face with every sway of the room. “If I wasn’t with Captain Watson, then where was I?”