As she emerged on the upper deck, she tugged the hood of her cloak up over her hair. No use calling attention to herself. She headed down to the bow, far away from anyone manning the helm. When she got to the railing, she took a deep breath of sea air. As she gazed out over the dark water, her nerves began to settle. The cool air played over her bare feet, whipping the hem of her cloak. What was she going to do? Did she dare go through with this particular adventure? She sighed in an attempt to expel some of her worries.
“Why so melancholy, Miss Vivian? I thought you would be excited for tomorrow,” a deep voice asked.
Her nerves skittered back to life. Captain Jack leaned against the railing not ten feet down, legs crossed at the ankles. The spicy scent of tobacco from his cheroot drifted her way.
He gestured around with his hand, the lit cheroot briefly illuminating his face in the dark. “I see you have managed to find my hiding place.”
“What are you hiding from, Captain?”
“I could ask you the same question.”
The Captain stood patiently smoking and waiting for her to answer. Like a dam breaking, her worries seemed to tumble out of her all at once.
“I am not looking forward to tomorrow. This was never my idea. There is no way I will be able to fit into London society. My whole life I am a sea captain’s daughter, then all of a sudden I am an earl’s granddaughter? What if I am a huge failure and an embarrassment to my mother’s good name?” She paced back and forth, her bare feet slapping against the cold deck. “I can’t dance, you know…I have two left feet on land. What if my mother’s family is awful and snobbish and mean? And where will I swim? Am I even allowed? And how in God’s name will I remember all the stupid meanings of each flick of a fan? And what about Gabrielle? You know she is in love with Mr. Davis and what if they get married, and she leaves me all alone?” Vivian took in an enormous gulp of air.
“That’s an impressive list of worries.” Captain Jack put out his cheroot on the bottom of his boot, making sure the embers were smothered. “You can’t dance?”
Her cheeks heated and she was glad for the darkness that enveloped them. “I know how to. I mean, I know the steps to several dances, but I have been known to stomp on my dance instructor’s toes.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest as she faced the captain. “Not that I have had much practice. At the few events I was allowed to attend, no one ever asked me to dance.”
“That I find hard to believe.”
She shrugged. “You know my father—no one had the courage to approach me when he stood beside me scowling.”
Jack walked a few steps closer, out of the shadows. “Well, he won’t be there scowling in the London ballrooms, now will he? I am sure a woman with your beauty will have flocks of young men asking to fill your dance card. Regarding your mother’s family, I don’t know them personally, but I don’t think they would have agreed to sponsor you if they didn’t want to be part of your life. They could have easily ignored your father’s request. As for the fan, I can’t help you there…” He waved a hand dismissively. “Let’s see, what else? Wait. Miss Beaumont in love with Davis? When did that happen?”
“He came to check on her when she felt ill, and to offer her a remedy he made to help with her nausea. They ended up spending time together in the afternoons. Don’t worry, it was all aboveboard. Old Tom chaperoned…well mostly.”
“This is what I get for bringing young, unmarried women aboard.” He shook his head as he closed the remaining distance between them. Those damned butterflies began to flutter in her stomach again with each step he took. A small gust of wind brushed the hood of her cloak back. Her unbound hair blew around, tickling the side of her face.
He wore no jacket and his shirt collar lay open, allowing her a view of the dark hair dusting his chest. Her face heated again, she wanted to reach out and run her hands across that muscled expanse of skin.
“As for being an embarrassment, I assure you that’s quite impossible.”
Vivian’s breath caught as he reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear.
“You are the most entertaining, brave woman I have ever met. If they can’t see how magnificent you are within moments of knowing you, then they’re all fools. I am sure you will be inundated with offers of marriage.”
Jack turned to leave, but she put a hand on his arm to stop him, overwhelmed by his compliment. Why was he walking away?
“I never did get a chance to thank you for rescuing me.” Gathering her courage, she went up on her toes and brushed a kiss against his cheek. He stiffened, arms at his side, his fists clenched.
Maybe a kiss had been a bad idea. She removed her hand from his sleeve and took a step back. “Do you think I could write to you, Captain? Tell you my woes in navigating the London social season?” She glanced up through her lashes to judge his expression.
****
She stood too close to him, scrambling his wits. His desire for her, simmering for weeks, roared to life. Jack turned to gaze at the ocean and took in a deep breath. Vivian settled next to him, leaning forward onto the railing. He tried to concentrate on the conversation. What had she asked him? Oh yes, letters.
“You can send letters to me care of my company, Aston Shipping, but it’s impossible to receive correspondence while traveling. And I won’t have a proper direction until my house is built,” he warned. He shouldn’t be here in the dark with her. She was all too tempting with her windblown curls and her ridiculous, adorable, bare feet.
Then a piece of her hair, blown by the wind, reached out like a tentacle and brushed against his bare forearm where it rested on the railing. The whisper-soft caress of silky hair broke his control. He pulled Vivian against him, and his mouth came down to capture hers.
He teased her lips gently, sipping their sweet honey. She tasted better than he had fantasized. She didn’t hesitate even for a moment but kissed him back eagerly, her lips parting on a soft sigh. He swept his tongue into her mouth, tasting, teasing. The wind blew her long hair around them like a curtain of lavender-scented silk. Not able to resist, he slid his hands into the glorious curls. Vivian erased the short distance between their bodies by stepping forward. All the blood supply to his brain drained south as her breasts brushed against him.
He needed to step back, to pull away from her lips, but his hands wouldn’t listen. Delving under her cloak, he discovered she wore naught but a thin nightgown. A groan escaped his lips as he moved to cup her pert derriere. His rock-hard erection strained against his falls. This was madness…the thought vanished as he lost himself to the scent and feel of her.
****
Vivian gasped as Jack’s hands gripped her behind. Her blood was on fire, her tongue tangled with his, dueling for pleasure. She ran her hands up his arms and grabbed hold of his broad shoulders, hanging on for dear life. This was what she had wanted to find out. This assault on her senses was what happened when his polite control broke. The kiss was everything she had hoped, and more passion than she imagined possible.
