“I’ve been sitting here thinking about what your breasts taste like.”
She thought she’d misheard him at first. The man wouldn’t really say something like that, and in such a conversational tone. Lovers might discuss such things, but they certainly weren’t that!
But then he added, “Salty from the sea air? Like rose petals from your perfume? Yes, I smelled the roses on you. Or would they simply taste like ambrosia?”
Cheeks burning with embarrassment now, she growled, “I’m going to gag you.”
“I wish you’d try.”
She knew what he was doing now, getting her angry enough to get close to him so he could turn the tables on her again. Not bloody likely.
She turned over on her side, giving him her back, but in the dark he wouldn’t know that. Silence might get the point across to him, though, so she was determined not to talk to him anymore.
“Let’s get back to your breasts,” he suggested in a lazy tone.
“Let’s not.”
So much for her determination. Desperately, she put the pillow over her head and held it against her ear. Damned if she couldn’t still hear him.
“I know how plump they are, Gabby. I remember perfectly how they filled my hand. But I want to taste them. I should have while I had you squirming in my lap today. That was very nice, by the way. I’m already looking forward to you sitting on my lap again. But let’s stick to your breasts for the moment. Will you like it when I taste them, do you think?”
“You must be remembering some other woman’s breasts, one of those legions of sweethearts you have in every port. My breasts are puny, almost flat, so you can stop thinking about them!”
“Liar.” He chuckled. “I remember every single thing about you, Gabby, how your mouth felt against mine, how passionate you were in my arms, how wonderful it felt to hold you close to me. But the question in my mind is, are you always so wanton, or was it just me that made you respond that way?”
“None of your damn business, Captain.”
“Ah, but I’m making it my business, sweetheart. I’m going to find out, you know. Maybe not tonight or even tomorrow, but someday when I find you again, and I will find you again, we’re going to make love. I promise you that. And I’ll know your breasts intimately then. Actually, I’ll know every inch of you intimately. I don’t have the least doubt in my mind that it will happen.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him he was delusional, but a part of her, just a small part, hoped he wasn’t. It was that mention of making love and his promise that it would happen. Good grief, what that did to her was amazing. Her stomach had fluttered sensually. Her pulse was already erratic from everything else he’d said. And her breasts tingled, her nipples had turned hard so quickly, just as they did that night he tried to seduce her in his sister’s parlor. She could remember every one of the sensations she’d experienced that night and she shivered deliciously.
“Would you like to hear about it, what I’m going to do to you first?”
“No!”
She actually shouted. He chuckled again. And ignored her denial.
“I’m going to kiss you until your toes curl, deeply, very erotically, and you’ll want to do the same. In fact you will kiss me back. You won’t be able to help yourself. You’ll hold me tight, clinging to me, tight enough to feel my desire pressing against you, while our tongues become lovers first. I will time it perfectly, you know. I’ll drive you mad with desire before I even remove your clothes. And when I do finally remove them, it will be so very slowly. Do you know why?”
Ignore him. Say nothing.God, the room was so bloody hot now. Her clothes felt so tight she had to fight the urge to remove them herself.
“I’m going to savor every moment of stripping you naked,” he told her, his voice much lower now, more husky. “And so will you, because I’m going to kiss you and touch you everywhere. No part of you will escape my attention. Your neck, your ears, your shoulders will feel my lips. Your breasts will feel my tongue. Your feet and calves, and especially your thighs, will feel the caress of my hands. And between your legs, where you’ll be wet and aching for me, I’ll—”
“Stop it! Please!”
“Do you want me yet?” he asked slowly, sensually. “You know you do. Come to me, Gabby. Let’s make it happen now. There’s no need to wait.”
She bit her lip to keep from answering him. And then like a splash of cold water in her face, she heard, “I want you so much right now I think I could rip this chain off of me with my bare hands.”
Nothing could have brought her out of that erotic haze quicker than the thought of him free and in command of the situation again. Not yet. She couldn’t let him have his ship back yet.
She shot off the bed, dragging the blanket with her. He heard her cross the room. She wasn’t the least bit quiet about it. She just wasn’t crossing toward him.
He demanded, “Where are you going?”
“To fetch a bucket of cold water,” she snapped, almost to the door.
“Damn you, wench, come back here!”
