With a nod, the carpenter shuffled away.Cadan stood for a moment, waiting for the moonlight to shift between the fronds above to give him a better view.He clearly saw Omphile curled up in a ball beneath a coverlet, and not a yard beside her, Allard’s wench lay still and quiet.Moving toward her, he lowered to sit in the sand on her other side.Why?He couldn’t say.He supposed the woman intrigued him, even confused him.And he hated being confused.
Moonlight spread bands of silver over her as she lay on her back, hands on her belly as if she could protect her babe from all harm.Golden hair splayed about her head like a halo while her chest rose and fell with ragged breaths.Above her long lashes, her eyes moved across her lids as if she lived another life in her sleep.Her unique scent drifted to his nose, and he remembered the look of terror in her eyes earlier, along with her courage and her sharp tongue.He could see why Allard chose her.She wasn’t a typical courtesan a man grew bored with after a few days.
Ugh.What was he thinking?
Shifting his gaze away, he drew a deep sigh.
“Have you come to accost me in the thick of night, Captain?”
Chapter 7
Heart thrashing, Gabrielle pushed against the ground, attempting to rise.Unable to do so, she fell back down.“Lud.”
The captain gripped her arm to help her, but she slapped him away.
He chuckled.Chuckled!
Still, he remained, a shadow in the darkness.What did he want?Nothing good.
Finally, with difficulty she rose to sit, breathing fast.“I believe I asked your intentions for sitting so close to me whilst I sleep.”
“In truth, you accused me of desiring to ravish you.Which would be quite difficult in your condition.”He nodded at her belly.
“How dare you!?”She raised her hand to strike him, but he caught it in the air.Tight at first, but soon, he released the pressure and placed it gently on the blanket beside her.
“Believe me, I have no interest in Allard’s castoffs.”
Fury burned at the insult.But then what did she expect from a pirate?“Pray, exactly what are your intentions?”she snapped.
He paused.Even in the darkness, she felt his intense stare upon her, so sharp, so malevolent, she shuddered.A breeze spun his wild dark hair, showering her with his scent…leather and spice.Shifting his gaze, he drew his knees up and placed his arms atop them.
Fear slithered through her at his silence.“Why do you hate Allard so?What is he to you?”
“Why did you love such a beast?”he shot back, restrained fury in his tone.
“Whatever do you mean?I loathe him.He ruined me.”
“Tush!What did you expect when you crawled into his bed?”
“Crawled!?”She raised her hand to strike him yet again but thought better of it.“An ugly insinuation, that.You discredit your ability to reason, Captain.”
He snorted and raked back his hair.“And you discredit the feminine tongue, which is often best still.”
Grinding her teeth, Gabrielle remained quiet, not to appease his insult to women but because this imperious banter served no purpose.
Picking up a handful of sand, he allowed it to sift through his fingers.Still, he made no move to leave.For what purpose did he converse with her?’Twas like a fisherman speaking to a worm.
He was a shadow, a large, looming figure of muscle and sinew, tightly woven with an intensity, deep sorrow, and restrained savagery.This was not a normal pirate who lived for rum, women, and coin.Nay, this man’s raw emotions were as deep as the sea.
“Why did you leave everything on board and only tilt the ship slightly?”she dared ask him, both to change the subject and to gather information.
“Ha, the lady knows about careening.”
Gabrielle bit her lip.She must not give too much away.“I’ve heard of it.”
“More than heard, I’d say.”His gaze swept her way again, then back across the beach.
“’Tis the trap you spoke of,” Gabrielle offered.“Most of the guns remain on board, along with most of the supplies.The empty crates and barrels on shore are meant to deceive Allard otherwise.The smaller guns hidden in the brush of the bay’s headland will fire at his ship should he attempt to enter the cove, hopefully crippling him.If so, you and your men can easily board his ship from there.Either way, he’ll not be able to navigate quickly enough to level his guns at theResolutebefore her guns can fire at him.However,” she continued, pleased she could see the full plan now, “if Allard believes it to be a trap and doesn’t enter the bay, you can quickly cut the lines holding the ship, weigh anchor, raise sails, open the gun ports, and set upon the chase.The only thing is”—she drew a deep breath—“most of your crew would either have to be on board or hidden in the brush of the inlet.”
