“There will only be one moment of pain,” he murmured. “And then there will be so much pleasure that you will forget all else but your desire.”
“No! Never!” she cried, forcing aside her imaginings.
His answer was a smile. “Taste me,” he said, and then he bent forward and brushed her mouth with his.
Katherine was unyielding. She tried to beat at his chest. But it was impossible. Quickly he caught her wrists, immobilizing her fully. His mouth was firm but gentle. He began to tease the seam of her lips with his tongue. Katherine realized that she was not breathing. When she did not open for him, he began, very gently, to nibble on the fullness of her lower lip. And all the while his manhood pulsed there between her legs, where he had lodged himself.
Her pulse pounded so hard she thought her heart might explode.
Katherine finally gasped for air, no longer able to deny her lungs. The pirate made a thick sound deep in his throat while he filled her completely. Katherine cried out, struggling anew, to no avail. His tongue swept the depths of her mouth. It was a stunning act of possession.
Katherine’s knees gave way and she sagged, but his iron grip prevented her from falling to the floor. And suddenly he tore his mouth from hers.
Dazed, Katherine stared into his eyes. She could not yet move. No one had ever hinted to her that such a kind of kiss was possible.
Katherine realized that she clung to his broad shoulders, and she tried to push him away. He allowed her to put a small distance between their heated bodies. She forced her thoughts away from the hot, hard feel of him, and spoke. It was not true, but she said, “My father will not pay a ransom if you abuse me.”
He smiled, bent his head, and kissed her neck. Katherine gasped. His mouth moved around her throat, forming an imaginary necklace with his kisses. Her heart beat harder, so hard he must surely hear it. He lifted his head, smiling again. “There shall be no abuse, sweetheart. I would never abuse a woman such as you.”
“You do not take me seriously!” she cried.
“No, I take you very seriously, indeed,” he murmured, holding her gaze.
Katherine could not guess at his meaning, but was certain there was more to his words than she could comprehend. “Then free me, unharmed,” she said.
His gaze flickered over her face, then over her breasts. “I cannot.”
Katherine cried out. “Why not?” It was a demand.
His jaw flexed. He was deadly earnest now, and it was hard to believe that just a few moments earlier he had been smiling. His fingers brushed her jaw once again. “Because you are the loveliest woman I have ever seen, and I want you very badly.”
Katherine was incredulous. “But you cannot have me!I am not a pretty red apple, to be plucked and devoured on a whim. I am Katherine FitzGerald, daughter of the earl of Desmond, a noblewoman born and bred.You cannot have me!”
His gaze held hers, brilliant, diamondlike. It was a moment before he spoke. “To the contrary, not only can I have you, I shall,” he said. “You do not seem to understand. We are not in Desmond. We are on my ship. On the open sea. I am king here, master of everyone and everything you see. The moment you passed into my hands, you belonged to me. Katherine, I have no intention of hurting you. I do not rape virgins. You fear me now, but before the night is through, I shall prove your fear misplaced.”
For a moment she stared at him, speechless. Just past his shoulder she saw the big bed. “Think of the ransom I can bring! S-surely that is worth more than a passing pleasure!”
The corners of his lips lifted ever so slightly. “Did you not hear a word I said? I have no wish to ransom you.” He lifted her chin. His gaze moved to her lips. “Ransom is the last thing on my mind.”
Fully aware that he intended to kiss her again, she shouted, “Let me go!Please.”
He stared at her, something flickering in his eyes. His fingertip skidded across her cheek again. Then he looked directly into her eyes. “You do not understand. And I am sorry, Katherine, to be the one to inform you of the facts, but even if I wished to ransom you, which I do not, a ransom is impossible.”
Katherine tensed, suddenly far more afraid than she had been before. “What are you saying?” she whispered.
He hesitated, then grew brisk. “Your father is the queen’s prisoner, has been such for many years.”
Katherine stared, unable to make a sound, unable even to breathe.
His gaze searched hers. “FitzGerald was convicted of high treason, his lands and title forfeit. In fact, there is no earl of Desmond, no earl, no earldom, just a prisoner in disgrace.”
Katherine stared at him in shock and disbelief.
3
Katherine’s mind screamed,It cannot be true!
The pirate broke into her thoughts. “So you see, Katherine, your father can neither pay a ransom, nor help you.”
