As soon as she opened the door, her sight zeroed in on the tall form leaning against the mainmast. At least she didn’t have to walk past him. With a forced swallow, she climbed the stairs to the quarterdeck and took the wheel from Griff.
“Take a rest. I’ll sail her until dawn.”
*
All night, sheignored Christian. He never did move from his spot against the mainmast, although he did finally sit down at some point.
As the stars tracked their courses through the sky, his dark gaze never left her. At first, it sent goosebumps across her skin. But as the hours crept by, it became a nuisance. When her hair blew in her eyes, she didn’t dare sweep it away. When her feet ached and she wanted to shift onto one leg, she held steady.
She would prove to him she was a true captain.
When the soft grey line on the horizon gave way to the pink of sunrise, Griff rejoined her.
He took the wheel and glanced at her. “You look like hell.”
“Thank you.”
With a nod to where Christian sat, he checked his compass. “Anything to do with that fellow?”
Her shoulders sagged and she fought a yawn. “He hasn’t moved.”
“Stubborn, then.”
She shot him a quizzical look, but he gazed out over the open sea. His spyglass hung from his belt and she snatched it and marched to the stern. In dawn’s early light, the water glistened lavender. This was usually her favorite time of day. Most mornings, she would climb up to the crow’s nest to watch the sunrise in its entirety.
Maybe not today, however. The sore muscles of her feet and back ached for the soft sheets of her bed. First, she raised the spyglass and scanned the horizon. Her stomach clenched as she swept her gaze back and forth.
Nothing.
Bed, then.
She climbed down to the main deck and shot Christian a glare. “Do you ever sleep?”
He stood and stretched his arms above his head, the movement tugging his shirt up to reveal a swath of his waist, tan and sprinkled with dark hair. “Someone had to keep an eye on you.”
With a huff, she dragged her eyes from him. “If you’re going to stay up here on the deck, you may as well make yourself useful. I don’t abide lazy crew or passengers.”
He strode toward her. “What would you have me do, Captain?”
She matched his steps backward until she reached the railing and he came to a stop in front of her.
If he meant to fluster her, it was working.
No. She wouldn’t cower to him. Straightening her back, she stood tall and waved a hand toward the deck. “Always plenty of cleaning to do. Ropes to be coiled. Sails to be repaired. I’m sure you know how to do at least one of those things.”
He nodded and ran his fingers along the railing. No. Stroked the railing.
When he glanced up, his eyes fairly smoldered. “I meant other things. Surely, you have other needs I can meet.”
Samantha’s mouth gaped. The nerve of him.
“While I’m sure your offer would have ladies of the land falling head over heels, your insinuations—or intentions—have no place on my ship.”
There. She’d said it without stammering. Without an inkling of the warmth that coiled in her belly at his words. Without revealing that yes, she did indeed have needs.
“Ladies of the land?” He snorted. “Very well, Captain.”
Still, the knowing look he shot her made her waver. Did he know just how much he affected her?
