“Don’t say it!”
“And yet there’s a reason why there’s no female equivalent for the masculine termrake.I rest my case.”
She rolled her eyes. “Lucky for me it’s not your decision, it’s mine. So stop begrudging me this little bit of fun, Jeremy, and let it go.”
His answer was to go over to the wheel and punch Damon in the gut. “You should have resisted, mate.”
Damon grunted, bent over. “I tried—and failed, so I’ll allow you one.”
“I know she was the instigator, but there’ll be more’n one if it happens again.”
Jacqueline ran over to them. “You win, Jeremy. For the sake of peace, I’ll stay out of his bed.” She didn’t blush, neither did her brother. But Percy did, which almost made her laugh. But Jeremy was giving her such a doubtful look that she was forced to add in a growl, “You have utterly ruined my mood, thank you very much. And don’t think I’ll forgive you for this interference. Now can we form a plan before Lacross’s men come on deck and try to eavesdrop or, worse, put their own plan in motion?”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
SO DO WE JUSTgrab them as they come on deck?” Jeremy asked.
“That would be ideal except ever since they started making attempts to get at Jack and I’ve had to fight them off, they’ve become wary of me and Mort. They never trusted me, but now they are fully alert, watching and waiting for me to try something. They might entrench themselves down there in the crew’s quarters if any of their mates don’t return, and we definitely don’t want that to happen. They’ll have cover, weapons, all our food, and they can hold my helmsman hostage. As long as they have him, they can sail the ship without me.”
“So we have to get all of them up here. I see three of them now.”
“Take a stroll with your guards,” Damon suggested. “They’ll stay close to you for the sake of appearances. The pirates need to think you’re only up here for exercise. They should steer clear of you after you took down so many of them in London. Then again, they are an aggressive bunch of thugs and might want a little payback, so be careful.”
“Or I can knock a few out just on principle. I’m due some payback as well.”
Damon grinned. “Feel free to knock out as many—actually, don’t. That could backfire on us. If it looks like you want to fight, they might shoot you before you reach them. Lord Percival, on the other hand, won’t concern them.”
Percy quickly squared his shoulders and tried to scowl. “Did I just get insulted?”
“D’you think you could knock one out if you took him by surprise?” Jeremy asked his friend.
Percy made a fist and stared down at it before he shook his head. “You know that ain’t my cup of tea, dear boy.”
“I can,” Jack volunteered. “Never mind objecting, you know I can.”
“You could,” Damon allowed. “Except that would put you too close to them. All it will take is for one of them to get their hands on you, Jack, and the rest of us will lose. You stay right where you are.”
“I’ll be back in a minute.” Jeremy headed down to the main deck with Percival and the guards.
“Is he going to start something?” Damon asked.
Jacqueline grinned. “Possibly, but more likely, just make them a little nervous. Are we going to do this today?”
He shook his head. “No, today we plan, and before we do anything, I need to lock Mr. Thomson safely in my cabin. We won’t make much headway afterward if he gets injured or captured.” Damon brushed back a lock of Jack’s hair that had fallen over her face. “So... we’re back to separate beds?”
She glanced around to make sure her brother was still walking on the main deck, then put her hand on Damon’s buttocks and squeezed. “What do you think?”
“So you lied to him?”
“Course I did. He’s being a hypocrite. He never denied himself any woman who cast her eyes his way before he married, and that was pretty much any woman who crossed his path. For him to deny me the same sort of pleasure is absurd.”
“He was being protective and I’d expect no less.”
“Are you going all noble again?”
He gently caressed her cheek. “As long as you want me, I’m yours.”
She smiled brilliantly. “That was rather sweet—”
