“That was over two years ago,” Mack assured her.
“Right.” Winnie let out a self-conscious laugh and pressed a hand to her racing heart. “I’m still new to maritime travel, you know. From now on, I shall endeavor to embrace the thrill rather than the gloom.”
“It’s natural to be a little nervous.”
“Thank you, but I’m fine now.” She nodded emphatically—to convince herself or Mack, she wasn’t certain. “Adventures worth having are often accompanied by a little danger, so really, I’m just fulfilling my duties as an explorer.”
Mack’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “Lewis and Clark couldn’t have said it better.”
“All is well,” she concluded.
“Forty-five men, women, and children perished that night,” the old woman intoned.
Winnie’s breath whooshed from her lungs like a flattened balloon.
“And that was on a clear night,” the woman continued. “Imagine what could befall us in this fog.”
“Oh, God.” This time, Winnie didn’t hesitate to grab Mack’s arm. She needed his solidness to maintain her quickly disintegrating control.
“Madam, I beg you to stop discussing that frightful event. You’re scaring her.”
“It would be easy for the best of captains to run aground, hit the rocks, even overtu—”
“Enough.” Mack commanded.
The old woman sniffed, rose from her bench, and headed inside the cabin.
“Didn’t you say our captain was just an infant?” The words were so tight in her chest she feared she might faint. “If I weren’t so miserly with my coin, I wouldn’t be in this predicament. Oh God, what have I done?”
“Easy.” Mack rubbed her shoulder soothingly. “I was pulling your leg earlier. I’m sure the captain knows what he’s do—”
She could barely hear him over the roaring in her ears. She trembled violently, black spots appearing in her vision. Someone was repeating her name, louder and louder. Was Neptune there to usher her to a watery grave? A cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and she knew she was humiliatingly close to losing control.
The lightest whisper of lips tickled the edge of her mouth and brought awareness flooding back.
It was Mack’s comforting arms supporting her, his touch that saved her from succumbing to her fears. Her senses zeroed in on the exquisite feel of his soft lips, gently pressing to one side of her mouth, then the other, but never quite kissing her fully. Just as a sigh of wanting escaped her, he pulled back.
He examined her face and brushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “There you are.”
“I…” She meant to say something coherent, but her gaze returned to his mouth and she lost her train of thought. Need overwhelmed her senses, flushing her skin and sending sparks through her body. Her nipples puckered, and not because of the cool air.
A low growl escaped Mack, agrowl,as if he were a ravenous beast intent on devouring her. His fingers pressed lightly on her jaw, and his mouth descended on hers. She opened, and his tongue slipped inside to play with hers. She gripped his waist, tugging him closer and reveling in the taut back muscles evident even through the fabric of his coat. In response, his arms encircled her, and she eagerly moved deeper into his embrace.
His kiss was all-consuming, tossing her into a swirling river of desire and providing an outlet for all the pent-up emotions from the last few weeks. His quick sips of air, as if he couldn’t be bothered to let go of her lips long enough to draw a full breath, seduced her more thoroughly than a love poem.
She had always enjoyed kissing, had adored the exchange of sweet kisses, avid kisses, even loving kisses, but this was new. Never before had she been kissed like she was the answer to a riddle, like she alone could provide the sustenance for survival. It was difficult to comprehend, but as Mack cradled her neck and greedily plunged her mouth, an alarming truth wriggled its way free.
She was utterly, completely smitten with a man who was off limits.
A wolf whistle and accompanying chuckle from a man further down the deck made her eyes snap open. She pushed Mack’s arms aside and leapt away, putting a foot between them.
“You kissed me,” she said dumbly, raising trembling fingers to her swollen lips.
“Twice.” The husky undertones of his voice hinted at his barely leashed passion.
“I shouldn’t be kissing my editor.”
He tilted his head to the side, pondering her words. “Then you’re fired.”
