Kit shot around the desk. She shoved the chair straight at him and ran, but his long reach clamped on the back of her dress. Her buttons pinged as they bounced on the wooden floor, and her bodice suddenly gaped open.
Cool air pierced through Hallie’s thin camisole.
She felt another tug and looked over her shoulder. Kit now sat in his chair, one hand anchored to the desk and the other clutching the back yoke of her dress. His smirk was triumphant.
Hallie tried to jerk forward, but she could feel the seam threads of her dress pop. If she ran to the door, she’d arrive without her bodice. Before she had a chance to think further, Kit rolled the chair, and his hard knees, into Hallie’s skirted legs. She fell backward into his lap.
“A brattish act...” Kit grunted as he struggled to pull her, facedown, across his knees, “deserves a brat’s punishment.”
He was going to spank her! She felt his thigh muscles tighten against her ribs as he tried to restrain her flailing arms and legs. Hallie yelled for all she was worth.
She kicked; she fought; she screamed.
One powerful leg clamped over the backs of her knees, pinning her kicking legs between his, and before Hallie could blink, she was staring at the wooden floor. When she felt the first smack on her already-battered behind, she tried to swing upward, but his arm held her down. She struggled some more and realized that her squirming kept him too busy to smack her again.
And then she saw it—the perfect spot.
Her hand shot up to the tender flesh behind his knee and she pinched as hard as she could, twisting her fingers just for good measure. She heard his grunt of pain, and wanted to smile, but she was flung upward so fast she didn’t have time.
He held her inches away from his angry face.
Hallie glared right back. She could give as good as she got. “Da would never hit a woman! He’s a gentleman and doesn’t get perverse pleasure from violence,” Hallie taunted, lifting her chin a notch higher.
“Perverse pleasure?” Kit’s lips thinned. “A woman?” His look spoke volumes. “So, Hallie...” his words grated through his teeth, “you want to be treated like a woman? Let me show you some ‘perverse pleasure.’”
His right hand shot out and spanned the back of her head. She felt the hard knot of her hair as it crushed into the well of her nape. His mouth engulfed hers.
Hallie was pinned by his legs and his lips. She pushed against his chest in a fruitless effort. His lips parted and his teeth lightly scored her upper lip. She gasped, and Kit’s tongue delved into her open mouth, foraging its depths and taking away her life’s breath.
Kit swirled his tongue around hers, then his hold relaxed and her arms entwined themselves around his neck. The movement left a space between their upper bodies, and he moved his hands to her waist, possessing her lightly and drawing her torso forward to rub the tips of her breasts slowly, back and forth across his cloth-layered chest. Her nipples hardened.
So did he.
Hallie’s head spun. Her body felt light, except for her breasts. Deep inside, they were blooming with a warm heaviness that sped in concentric swirls and crested at her tight nipples. Her breasts and mouth were intensely alive and her head was so dizzy she actually heard bells.
“Glad to see you’re not working too hard, old friend.” The deep voice echoed in the steamy silence of the room.
Kit pulled back suddenly, releasing Hallie and cursing under his breath.
When her head cleared, Hallie looked at the handsome man with a devastating smile who leaned casually against the doorjamb. “So this is what whaling agents do. I always wondered what made the job appealing enough for you to give up the sea.”
“Shut up, Lee.” Kit stood abruptly, setting Hallie on her feet and blocking her view. Immediately she stood on her toes so she could peer over his shoulder.
The man lifted his red-bearded chin in an attempt to see around Kit. “Maybe I’ll retire and give you a little competition.” He kicked the door shut with his heel. The bell peeled a late warning. Removing his cap, he combed his fingers through the wealth of reddish-blond hair that framed his strong-featured face. He walked toward them, stopped a few feet away, placed his hat over his heart and bent in a dramatically gallant bow. “Leander Prescott, ma’am, the incredibly handsome and wealthy captain of the infamous ship, theWanderer, at your service. I also happen to be this devil’s friend, but I’m sure you can overlook that bit of bad judgment on my otherwise flawless and charming person.” This eloquent speech was delivered with a smile warm enough to melt the Sierra snow.
“Stuff all that rot, Lee. You already know her.” Kit spoke the clipped response before he stood back to give Lee a clear view of Hallie.
“Hello, Captain Prescott,” Hallie said quietly. She was embarrassed. Lee Prescott was another friend of her father’s.
Lee looked speechless, almost. “Hallie? Hallie Fredriksen?” He looked back and forth between the two of them. After a seemingly endless few seconds, his eyes locked on Hallie’s chest. “You’ve grown...”
Hallie grabbed the front of her dress.
“...Up,” he added lamely.
Hallie was so uncomfortable that all she could think about was getting away fast. “Well,” she said, her voice rushed as she began to scoot toward the door, clinging to her dress like a child to its mother’s skirts. “I’m sure you gentlemen have plenty to talk about, so I’ll just be on my way—”
“Sit down now!” Kit bellowed.
