Time for Love (12 page)

“I have absolutely no intention of staying locked up in this cabin or quitting.”

His mouth dropped open. He snapped it shut and rubbed his hand along his jaw. “Pardon?”

Her nails dug into her palms. She forced her hands open and flexed her fingers, fighting to control the urge to hit something. The nerve of that man! What was Nicholas trying to pull? Acting like nothing had changed, when, if she looked at things from his point of view, everything had.

She couldn’t help the twinge of disappointment that Nicholas hadn’t pulled her into his arms and kissed her senseless when he realized the truth. To be honest, a part of her had hoped for such a reaction. Her frustration fueled her anger, causing a buzzing in her head, like a swarm of bees defending their hive. Concentrating on her problem proved difficult.

She took a few deep breaths. Despite what was going on, she wasn’t spending the rest of the trip hiding in this cabin. A glance at that heavenly bed caused a small part of her to cry out—why not! Take advantage, live a life of luxury for once.

No. She firmed her resolve. Nicholas was up to something, and she wasn’t going to figure it out cooped up in here.

She stalked over to Mr. Grayson and grinned at his nervous start. “Don’t worry. Here’s what we’re gonna do.”

****

Tired but triumphant, Alex left Mr. Grayson an hour later. Convincing him to listen had taken some time. Persuading him not to tell everything to Nicholas took even longer. Suspicions of his friend’s motives finally turned him, rather than any of her arguments, which were rather weak, even to her ears. An amazingly loyal friend, he would never have let her see any hint he might doubt Nicholas’s character, but he obviously didn’t agree with the reasons Nicholas had given him and thought there might be a less honorable motive behind it.

The only way to find out what Nicholas was up to was to let the game continue uninterrupted and let him play out his hand. She wouldn’t let on she was aware Nicholas knew her secret and see what happened.

Convincing Mr. Grayson had been her only real obstacle, and was easily overcome, once he listened to her.

He, of course, wanted to go straight to Nicholas and confess. She had resorted to standing in front of the door and refusing to move until he listened. Reluctant to use force to move her, he had succumbed to her demands.

She found his behavior toward her baffling, unlike anything she was used to. She couldn’t decide whether to smack some sense into him or give in.

He acted as if she was a porcelain doll that might break at the slightest provocation and deserved to be waited on and cosseted. Swear words should never be uttered in her presence, let alone come out of her mouth. He was appalled she had been living among the crew, not only for her sake but for theirs as well. She did feel a twinge of guilt about that. She hadn’t considered how the men might feel about having a woman in their midst.

During all their previous conversations, he had never doubted her intelligence, yet he suddenly acted as if she were incapable of understanding the most basic of topics. Getting him to listen to her and pay attention felt like pulling teeth. It was infuriating.

But on the other side of it, a little voice inside her head kept saying, isn’t it nice that someone actually wants to take care of her for a change?

In the end, he agreed not to tell Nicholas on the condition she not return to her old hammock. He suggested she take the extra bunk in Evelyn’s cabin but didn’t care where she slept, provided it wasn’t with the crew. His sense of propriety just couldn’t handle it.

She refrained from laughing when he said she should worry about her reputation if anyone ever found out. People would think she was… Well, she wasn’t about to find out what people might think of her because he turned bright red and cut himself off. Apparently, this was another subject not suitable for her delicate ears.

The comment about her reputation made her think he worried Nicholas’s motives might not be so pure. Had Nicholas made some sort of sexual comment about her? The thought that sex might be the underlying motive seemed ludicrous given the situation. After all, how would Nicholas expect to seduce her if he had to treat her like a man?

No, she didn’t think that could be the motive, even if the thought did send a little thrill of anticipation running through her veins. It didn’t matter. As long as Mr. Grayson did what she wanted, who cared why?

****

Alex decided to sleep in the hold where Evelyn had hidden. She took her things, as well as a spare hammock, and made a spot for herself. The privacy would be nice, even if the hold was dark and hot with a smell strong enough to knock her out.

After setting up her new space, she went to talk to Evelyn. She wanted to know why she hadn’t told her about Nicholas and Mr. Grayson. She felt betrayed. After all she had done to protect her, she would have thought Evelyn would feel some loyalty toward her.

Evelyn wasn’t in her room or the galley, and Alex finally found her up on deck enjoying the fresh air. She stood with her hands clutching the rail, her face tilted and eyes closed in the breeze that brushed stray hairs off her forehead.

Sailors cast quick glances of interest as the breeze lifted her skirts to flutter around her calves, pressing against her legs and showing off her delicate ankles and feet. No one stared, however, and the glances, while interested, were not threatening. Alex was pleased to realize there would be no trouble along those lines.

She hadn’t expected this protective attitude toward women that most of the men had. She had thought men from this time treated women with disdain—that women suffered nothing but abuse and threats unless protected by the male members of their families.

It wasn’t that way at all. They treated Evelyn like a precious and rare flower they were thrilled to have found blossoming in their midst. Obviously, there were exceptions, like Mr. Duff, but that would always be true in any society at any time. But in general they held women up on a pedestal—the higher the woman’s social class, the higher the pedestal.

She had first noticed it when the men’s talk would turn to women, as it often did late at night when they would gather to share stories and enjoy a little leisure time.

Sailors were a romantic group. Probably because they spent so much time at sea, away from their wives and girlfriends. They tended to endow women with almost fairylike qualities.

Evelyn seemed firmly placed on a pedestal, and Alex was glad of it. With the danger of Mr. Duff out of the way and Alex’s deal with Nicholas, Evelyn should be safe until she could return to her family.

Evelyn must have heard her approach because she turned to greet her with a smile of welcome on her pretty face. “Did you see, aren’t they beautiful?” She gestured over the side of the ship, and Alex moved to the rail for a better look.

A pod of dolphins raced through the water next to the ship. Every few moments one would jump across the bow, as if on a dare from its friends. Alex smiled and watched as the dolphins played.

After a while, Alex looked around, and when she saw no one within earshot, she turned to Evelyn. “I spoke with Mr. Grayson today. I found out why he’s been acting so strange around me.” Evelyn tensed and Alex tried to keep the hurt from her voice. “Why didn’t you tell me they knew?”

Evelyn looked like she was about to cry as she stammered an apology. “I am so deeply sorry. It was entirely my fault… And I was just trying to help… And it seemed the only way… And I didn’t know what to do… And…”

She was upset and babbling. Alex could only make out about one word in five.

“Slow down, slow down.” She patted Evelyn’s hand where it rested on the rail. Picking up on the few words she had grasped from Evelyn’s tumbling explanation she asked, “What was the only way?” More was going on than she’d thought.

Evelyn took a few calming breaths and was able to get a little control over herself. “I made a deal with the captain,” she mumbled, her eyes downcast and speaking so softly Alex had to lean closer to hear.

“What kind of deal?”

“I agreed not to say anything if he promised you wouldn’t be punished for hiding me. I know I betrayed your trust in me by not telling you the truth.” She took a deep breath and looked up, her chin tilted and a hint of defiance in her eyes. “I would do it again.”

Alex stared at her, dumbfounded. What courage this little girl had! Nicholas was a very imposing figure. For Evelyn to stand up to him and fight to protect her was overwhelming. She fought back the tears of gratitude that threatened to choke her.

“I could hug you right now if I thought it would go unnoticed, but I wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation. They seem so very important to everyone around here. Thank you.”

She could practically see the tension flow from Evelyn’s shoulders, and her grip on the rail loosened. “You’re not angry with me?”

“No, of course not. You were looking out for me, and I’m grateful.”

Then another thought struck her, and her face warmed with fury. “That bastard!” she exclaimed, and—ignoring Evelyn’s shocked gasp—hit the rail with the flat of her palm. Then shook her hand to lessen the sting.

In answer to Evelyn’s silent question, she said, “I just realized, when I spoke with him he had no intention of punishing me. He deliberately brought it up and made me worry. What is he up to?”

“I’m sure I don’t know, but if I were you, I would try to stay as far away from him as possible.”

Alex agreed. But exactly how far could she get from the captain of a ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?

Chapter Ten

April 21 (38 Days Remaining)

The next day, Alex headed to take over the watch at her scheduled time, looking forward to the solitude. Unable or unwilling to stay cooped up in either the captain’s cabin or the hold, she had spent the majority of her time on deck. The crew sought her out constantly, pressing her for a karate demonstration. She put them off for the time being but would have to give in sooner or later. She planned to think over what she could do while on watch.

However, when she arrived to relieve the previous watch, he informed her of a change in the schedule. She had to report to the captain’s cabin for a new assignment. As she turned to make her way, she thought she caught Mr. Grayson’s eye on her, though when she turned to see, he was looking the other way.

She approached Nicholas’s cabin cautiously and knocked lightly at the door, pushing it open slowly at his, “Enter.” She tried to compose her face to hide her nervousness at the idea of being alone with him but wasn’t sure if she was successful.

He stood behind his desk, leaning over some papers and didn’t look up immediately at her entrance. She was very glad for that brief moment to tamp down the raging desire that rushed through her at his appearance.

He must have just finished a bath. She could see the tub over to the side of the room out of the corner of her eye. She had no attention to spare; it was consumed by the trails of water running from his wet hair down over his broad shoulders and onto his wide, naked chest.

One hand slowly wiped away the moisture with a small towel draped casually over his left shoulder. The slow, sensual movement of the towel mesmerized her as she followed its progress back and forth over his chest and down across the hard, flat expanse of his stomach. Her gaze drifted from the wandering towel to the line where his pants barely clung to his hips, half the buttons undone as though he’d donned them in haste, and he’d yet to secure the rest.

She had to stop gawking before she succeeded in picturing him without even that loose and inadequate covering. She looked up to find his heated gaze on her. Heat scorched her cheeks, and she forced herself to stare beyond him out the window.

“You wanted me?” she asked, surprised at how calm her voice sounded, until her face practically burst into flames when she recognized her inadvertent double entendre.

She risked a quick peek to see if he’d caught her Freudian slip. He dropped quickly into the chair behind his desk, though not quickly enough to hide the increasing bulge in his pants that showed he had, indeed, caught on.

So that was it. She wouldn’t have thought it, but the evidence was quite clear. He wanted her.

She ignored the thrill the thought gave her.

Instead she concentrated on his deception and how exactly he expected to seduce her if he had to act like he thought she was a man. Was he hoping she would be so overcome with lust at the sight of his half naked, wet, hard body she would forget herself and jump him? She snorted quietly to herself, not very likely! But as she looked at him, she conceded that his vanity wasn’t all that misplaced.

“Ah, Turner. Yes. I have decided to assign you a new duty to take advantage of your unique talents.”

Alex almost jumped when he spoke; her mind had drifted so far. His warm, husky voice floated across her skin like a caress. She could listen to that accent of his all day.

She snapped back to attention, baffled. “My what?” Her voice squeaked slightly. That couldn’t mean what it sounded like, could it? Did he really think all he had to do was order it, and she’d act the whore for him?

“Your fighting skill of course. I have never seen its equal. You will teach me.”

His face was a mask of innocence, though she sensed he knew what she’d been thinking. She felt the color blossom in her cheeks. It seemed red was her new color. At least, whenever Nicholas was around.

“I—oh.” She really had to stop making assumptions. “I’m not a master. I’m not qualified to teach. I still have more to learn myself.”

“Is that so? However, you know more than I, so we’ll give it a try, shall we.” It was not a question. “We can start tomorrow. See Mr. Grayson for your new schedule.” He got up from the desk and walked toward her.

She watched him approach, her heart beat increasing in tempo until he stood in front of her, and her breath caught in her throat. He smelled delicious. What a treat to her senses being so near a freshly washed man. Especially this one.

Her eyes widened to take in all the glorious skin that lay bare before her. His left shoulder, upper arm, and side of his neck appeared rough and discolored—she assumed from the same battle that had left the scar on his face. Further evidence of his heroics. The pain he must have suffered to protect his crew was unimaginable. She wished she could have been there to help him through it.