“Port Royal.”
Alicia felt her anxiety dissolve. They were going home!
“I think a week there should be enough.”
Her throat wanted to close. “Enough?”
He nodded, took her hand, and began walking. “Well, there’s the service for your parents, and the markers you wanted to make. Then we need to sell the house and the shop.”
If he noticed her step falter, he must have assumed she’d gotten caught up in the sand.
“The shop?”
“Don’t worry. Even if we can’t sell it right away, we can leave it to the attorneys to handle.”
“And then?” she asked, though she knew the answer. It sat in the pit of her stomach like an anchor.
He brought her hand to his mouth, kissed it. The gesture, so intimate and loving, wrapped around her heart and squeezed. Her vision blurred as she walked blindly toward Luke’s ships.
“And then we go back to sea.” He inhaled deeply and his gaze turned to the ocean. “I can’t wait; it already seems like an eternity since I’ve been on the water.”
He turned back to her and this time looking into his eyes didn’t warm her heart. It broke it.
“Is that what you wanted to know?” he asked.
“Yes,” she answered dully. “That’s everything I needed to know.”
The rest of the day was a clutter of activity. While Luke introduced Nate and Vincent to their crew, Blake went around the new ship checking lines and canvas. It wasn’t necessary, of course, as Luke and Samantha built quality ships, but it kept his mind busy. It kept him from dwelling on the fact that in a matter of hours he’d be saying good-bye to his two best friends.
Samantha and Alicia had been in charge of the food, and once the crew was introduced and the articles signed, the holds had been stocked with supplies, which included food, tools, and barrels of water. Luke had thrown in a few barrels of rum, claiming that no ship of his was going out dry.
Dusk was settling in, and from the porthole in Nate’s cabin, Blake watched the sun ease into the sea. He wished he could yank it back out, toss it up high in the sky, and recover a few more hours. Judging from the lack of noise at the table behind him, he wasn’t the only one who felt that way.
Blake turned from the bruised sky to the people who’d gathered in the cabin to say good-bye. Luke was sitting next to Samantha, his arm draped around her while her head rested on his shoulder. Joe and Aidan were to Samantha’s left, and while Joe drank from his cup—Luke had brought a bottle of rum to share—Aidan’s gaze roamed the cabin. Almost as if he were picturing it as his.
Alicia sat next to Vincent. As their backs were to Blake, he couldn’t see their expressions, but both of them had their heads down, as though they found their laps of particular interest all of a sudden. Blake shifted his gaze. Nate, who was standing at the base of the stairs, met it. No words were spoken but Blake knew by the slight nod Nate gave him that he understood what Blake was thinking. And since Nate’s green eyes were solemn, Blake figured a part of him felt the same.
“This is like a bloody wake,” Luke grumbled and reached for his cup.
His comment earned him a poke in the ribs from his wife’s elbow.
“What? They’re taking one of the best ships the Caribbean’s ever seen. They’ve enough food and a fair amount of rum,” he added with a grin.
“Excuse my husband,” Samantha said, getting to her feet. “But Luke’s right. You deserve a better send-off than this.” She raised her cup. “Nate, words can’t tell you how much this means to me. You’ve only known me a week and you’re willing to take Sam Steele and make him your own to save my life.”
She wiped a tear that had leaked out and Blake watched, amazed, as that one small action had Nate shifting uncomfortably. He grinned. For all the strength a man possessed, it was nothing compared to the power in a woman’s single tear.
“To Nate,” she continued, “may God be with you, Vincent, and your crew, and may the wind blow you back this way once in a while so I know you’re safe.”
They all raised their cups and drank. Samantha rounded the table, leaned down, and hugged Vincent. He flushed scarlet. She went to Nate next, this time standing on her toes.
“Thank you,” Blake heard her whisper before she embraced Nate and kissed him on the cheek.
A series of toasts and good wishes followed. Then, Samantha, Luke, Joe, and Aidan—who’d taken their own boat out—left.
“Be careful.” Alicia hugged Nate, also adding a kiss.
“I’m sorry to leave you with the task of minding this one,” he said, angling his head toward Blake.
Alicia smiled, though Blake knew her well enough by now to know it was forced. “I’ll do what I can,” she whispered. She embraced Vincent next and sniffled loudly when she drew away. “I’ll give you some time alone,” she said and went up on deck.
“You’d better take care of her,” Nate warned, “or I’ll come back and hunt you down.”
“Just do me a favor and don’t attack my ship if you see it.”
“Scared you’d lose against a pirate?” Nate teased and his levity eased the pain that was creeping into Blake’s chest.
“Pirate or not, the only way I’d lose is if Vincent was at the helm at the time,” Blake countered.
“Good to know you haven’t forgotten who’s the brains in this pairing,” Vincent said.
Blake finished his rum, taking the time to gather his thoughts and emotions. He wanted to give his friends the good-bye they’d earned.
“You’ll be a great Steele, Nate.” He put a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Do what you did for me and you can’t possibly fail.”
“You don’t have a problem with me being a pirate?” Nate asked.
“I’m learning that it’s the kind of man behind the flag that really matters. And there’s none finer than you.”
Nate swallowed, nodded.
“And you,” Blake said, turning to Vincent. “I trust you’ll keep Nate from letting the idea of being one of the most notorious pirates go to his head?”
Vincent grinned. “Of that you can be certain.”
“If anyone can do this, it’s the two of you. I don’t have any doubts about that.”
Then, because it was killing him to do this, Blake stepped back. “If you ever need me, you can leave word with Captain at Doubloons. I stop in Tortuga often enough.”
“Take care of Alicia,” Nate said.
“I will.”
Then, with nothing more that needed to be said, Blake headed on deck, Nate and Vincent following silently. Alicia hugged them again, while Blake simply looked at them and nodded. Turning away and climbing into his boat was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.
The boat rocked on the waves for a moment as Blake sat holding the oars and watched Nate and Vincent at the gunwale. Judging from Vincent’s height, he must have found himself a crate already. The lanterns had been lit, allowing Blake a last look at his friends. With a heavy heart, he placed the oars in the water.
A lantern set in the middle of the table cast Blake’s cabin with soft light and long shadows. Alicia remained at the bottom of the ladder, watching him. He hadn’t said a word since leaving Nate and Vincent. When they’d arrived at the
Blue Rose,
he’d stood on deck, bathed in moonlight, and silently watched the
Revenge
sail away. He’d stayed there, not moving, until the lanterns marking Nate’s ship had faded into the darkness. His silence was breaking her heart.
And tomorrow she’d be adding to his hurt. She couldn’t go with him. Jacob had left her part of the shop. It had always been his dream that his children take it over, and if Blake didn’t want it, she certainly did. She missed the work, missed the certainty of knowing where she belonged. There was nothing in England to go back to. Her father’s ship was at the bottom of the sea, and though Samantha was in St. Kitts, Alicia’s home was in the small house left to her by the Davidsons. And the blacksmith shop, the only place she felt she could be herself.
But she knew the sea was where Blake belonged. He’d told her as much, and though she’d thought when he’d proposed that his intentions were to go to Port Royal, she’d been foolish to assume he’d go home with her. When he was on the
Blue Rose,
he was as at home as she was in the shop.
She’d decided earlier that it would be best if Sam and Luke took her home because dragging out her good-bye to Blake over the days it would take to get back to Port Royal would be agony.
But she wasn’t going to think about good-bye now. She had one night left with the man who’d come to mean everything to her, and she didn’t intend on wasting a moment of it. She shoved aside the sadness, willed away the despair that lurked at the edges of her mind. Stepping behind Blake, she wound her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek to his back. The smell of the sea clung to him, as much a part of him as his dark brown hair and his slow smile. She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes.
“Trying to crush me?” he asked.
Realizing she was clutching, Alicia eased her grip.
“Sorry.”
Blake turned in her arms, cupped her face, and lifted her gaze to his. “Don’t be. It lets me know you love me.”
“I do.” She touched his face. The day’s growth of beard scratched at her palms. “I’ll never stop. Not ever.”
He rubbed his thumbs over her lips. “I should hope not,” he murmured. Then his hands fell away to her waist and his mouth slipped over hers.
The kiss was slow and sweet. It wrapped around Alicia until all she knew was the taste of Blake’s lips and the feel of his hands moving up her back. She opened her mouth, invited more. He didn’t take but rather nibbled and tantalized, giving little while promising everything. She felt the whisper of it in her soul.
While his mouth continued to tease, Alicia’s hands reached for his shirt. She grabbed it and tugged it from his pants, sliding her hands over his heated flesh. Throwing her head back when his mouth moved to her neck, Alicia scraped her short nails over his stomach.
He shivered, then closed his mouth and bit her softly where her shoulder met her neck.
“Blake,” she whispered. He pulled away long enough to help her slide his shirt over his head, then resumed where he’d left off. Alicia’s head felt heavy, and her legs seemed soft as a jellyfish. She closed her eyes, and when Blake’s tongue swept over her ear, Alicia’s hands roamed his back. His muscles quivered where she touched, which was everywhere she could reach. His shoulders were broad and strong, his back smooth and warm. She lowered her hands over his backside.
She tugged him closer, purred when she felt the length of his need press against her belly. In a blur of movement, he grabbed her by the waist and set her onto the table. He backed away from her touch, a wicked gleam in his eye.
“You have far too much clothing on, sunshine.”
Starting at her foot, he eased off one shoe, then the next. He took her right leg, placed her foot against the flatness of his belly, and caressed her ankle. His hands were strong yet gentle, and as they worked up her leg, Alicia had to fight to keep her eyes from closing in pleasure. With deft fingers, he massaged his way over her knee to her thigh and to the top of her stocking. His breath held for a moment when he encountered her skin, then he released it in a long exhale before slowly rolling her stocking down her leg. He tossed it over his shoulder, where it landed in the shadows with a soft plop.
Candlelight played over his naked chest, and desire rushed over her. His dark hair was falling around his shoulders, and his strong hands were on her body, though not where she’d like them. Her breasts ached for his touch and already her blood was humming everywhere. She pushed herself upright and tried to reclaim her leg. Blake held fast. From behind the fall of his hair she caught his ravenous look.
“You’re not going anywhere,” he whispered. “Not for a long …”
He’d been working at getting her other stocking off when his hands closed over something cold and hard. What the devil? But then he remembered her earlier words that she had a weapon on her person and her promise that she’d let him see where later. His hands followed the strap of leather that wrapped around her upper thigh where her skin was smooth as silk. All his blood moved below his waist. He wanted her. He wanted to rip off her gown, make her weak with wanting, and then plunge into her softness until he was spent.
But more than that, at the moment, he wanted something else.
He untied the strap enough to lower her stocking from underneath it, then tied it back in place. Though his loins screamed at him to hurry, he took his time rolling her stocking down her leg. It landed somewhere near the other one. Then, lowering her leg, he helped her to her feet.
“Blake, the pistol.”
“I know, sunshine. It’s fine where it is.” With a grin he couldn’t hide, he turned her so that her back was to him. And again, despite the hunger that threatened to eat him alive, he took his time undoing the buttons at her back. He kissed every inch of skin that was revealed and knew, by the low hum in her throat, that he’d chosen correctly in going slowly.
The dress slid down her body, followed by her undergarments. When she was naked but for the small pistol tied to her thigh, Blake turned her to him again.
His heart stopped, stuttered, then beat frantically against his chest. Lord, but she was a vision. Candlelight played in her hair and danced over her curves like a lover’s hands.
“You’re stunning,” he said and knew he’d never spoken truer words in his life.
“I have a pistol tied to my leg, Blake.”
He chuckled. “Yes, you do. And I hope it’s comfortable, because you’re not taking it off. Not for a long while.”
Alicia arched a brow. “I thought you weren’t a pirate, Mr. Privateer. Isn’t this more something a pirate would do?”
Blake’s grin was roguish.
“Tonight, sunshine, I am a pirate.”
Then he swept her off her feet into the cradle of his arms and lowered her onto his bed, where he kept his word.
She didn’t take the pistol off until morning.
Alicia had forgotten one very important fact when she’d made the decision to have one last night with Blake. It also meant she’d have one last morning. And she’d completely forgotten about her morning sickness, which rose quick and violent the moment she lifted her head from the pillow of Blake’s chest.