His nostrils flared with the smell ofrotting fruit. Pieces and parts of her didn’t add up. She couldswim, cut rigging and could read, yet she was a thief. Did she havea lover in England? On the ship, hadn’t she intimated arelationship with a man who was kind and giving? “Who is JayThompson?”
The ferocity of his question startled her,and they stood so close his breath stirred the wisps of golden silkthat framed her face.
“I cared for him. Whenever things didn’t gohis way, he’d stamp his foot and pout.”
Nicholas glowered. “Sounds immature for aman.”
Her laughter tinkled over the mountain andhe couldn’t help but be ensnared by it.
“Goodness, no. Jay is nine years old, alittle mulish and at times, peevish and impatient. Did my best totease him out of his doldrums. He was a mischievous boy, prone tothrow apples off the cliff at the Cornett sisters when theircarriage passed the road below.”
Nicolas scowled. He did not like beingcompared to an intractable nine-year old. “You did not correcthim?”
She kept a straight face but her lipsquaked. “I might have tossed a few down myself.”
He gave a look of mock horror. “Veryimproper, Miss Elwins.”
“To think I am in the esteemed company ofthe Lord of Virtue who never performed one mischievous thing in hislife.”
He couldn’t deny the way she challenged himnor her infectious laughter. “I might have tossed a tomato or two.”He stopped and leaned against a tree, swiping at the sweat acrosshis face.
She patted his shoulder. “It will take awhile before your strength returns.” She produced a mango and theyfeasted on the sweet orange flesh.
“What I wouldn’t do for a round of beef,” hesaid.
She skipped ahead of him, following awell-worn animal path. Nicholas threw down the suck-cleaned seed.He didn’t like being led, in fact, the view annoyed him. She hadlong legs, well-rounded hips. He snapped a branch in two.
What matter to worry about the distantshores beyond them when he saw the dancing light in her eyes, whichwere continually filled with excitement? He studied thiswoman-child who could look so far ahead. Mayhap they would berescued within a month. They would return home, he to his familyand Alexandra to what? Save for this interlude, he’d probably neversee her again.
He watched the sway of her hips and the ripebounce of her full breasts.Mistress?He could set her up ina home near his London townhouse, visit her whenever he had theinclination…all the time. He’d buy her gowns and jewels…take her tothe opera…interludes in the country. Alexandra stretched out oversatin sheets, her golden hair fanned out over a pillow, her bodyquivering with the pleasure he’d give her. She was a narcotic, anopiate. He could not get enough of her.
She had saved his life.
She deserved better. He frowned. He didn’tlike the idea of her living a life of crime. He’d return her to hersea captain father and settle an amount on her so she could livewithout the risk of having a noose around her neck.
Nicolas swallowed.How was he going tokeep his hands off her?
They came out on a cliff overlooking thesea. “I don’t like the look of those clouds forming. We needshelter. So far, we have experienced gentle weather and warm tradewinds. Exposed to the elements for long, we will perish,” hesaid.
As if he divined the heavens, the skiesopened-up and doused them. Huddling beneath an outcrop of rock, andshivering, Nicholas said, “Exactly my point. I regret spending somuch time at the lagoon. The sun is past its zenith, descending tothe west. We will have to return. We can’t make it to the summit intime.” He was ornery and knew it.
“Oh, Nicholas, how you cleave to an abidingsense of tragedy.” She waved an airy hand over the glisteningpalms, as if ordering the deluge to stop. “See, the rain has abatedas quickly as it arrived and a brilliant pearl of a sun has liftedin its wake.”
His mouth went slack. Had she divined theheavens? When he turned to follow their path back to the beach, agreat gust of wind blew from across the sea, laying its hand uponthe land and billowing out his shirt.
Alexandra squealed. “Look, down there. Doyou see it?” Without waiting for him to answer, she plunged intothe forest, descending the mountain. Nothing. There was nothing tobe seen. The woman was crazy.
She disappeared in the dense growth, herchattering and exclamations marking her progress. “Hurry, Nicholas.You must see.”
Nicholas skulked down the steep incline. Heloathed wasting energy and time on a useless gambit. The earthbuckled out from beneath him. His arms flailed in the air.Everything sailed past him. Plummeting down a steep embankment, hegrabbed at vines, branches, clawing roots, and dirt to brake hisfall. A thorn jabbed in his backside. He slammed into wet leafmold, his breath whooshing out of him. His shirtsleeve was torn.Not bloody likely he could summon his valet and order a newshirt.
“Hurry, Nicholas,” prompted the source ofhis demise.
He pushed through ropy vines, forded a smallriver, tripped on a rock and fell into a depression. His head sankbeneath the surface of the water. He burst to the top, shaking hishead. He’d break his neck if she had her way.
He moved into a small clearing, radiatingwith light. He found her then, standing next to a dome of vines.Nick massaged the back of his neck. “What?”
She whirled in delight, “Oh Nicholas, we aresaved. I worried about a shelter and here we are.”
