Everyone turned to Drew, surprised by his remark, which had sounded quite tender. The man immediately clammed up, probably annoyed with himself for speaking at all. And the rest of them repeated the sentiment until they had her laughing again.
After dinner when she left the cabin, Richard followed her out. They stopped to lean against the railing. A bright moon was peeking out through a light bank of clouds. It washed the deck in soft light and reflected beautifully on the water. She usually loved nights like this at sea, when the moon kept the dark at bay. Such a peaceful setting, but hard to appreciate it with so much turmoil inside her.
Without looking at Richard, she addressed some of that turmoil. He was her closest friend, and he’d already guessed the attraction she felt for Drew, so she told him a bit more than she was going to tell the others.
“I was actually considering marriage to him. Can you believe it? And I even knew he was a confirmed bachelor, but I was fool enough to think I could change his mind and get him to propose. But all he was interested in was a brief sojourn in my bed.”
“I will assume, out of loyalty, that he got nowhere near your bed?”
She snorted by way of answer. “I don’t even think he was serious about it.”
“But do you think that’s why he wanted to ruin your chances for a good match?”
“Trying to come up with that answer just makes me see red. I have no idea why he did it.”
“Some men are like that,chérie,especially if they take it personally, their failure to seduce the woman.” Richard peered at her closely. “You wanted him to try harder?” Her blush wasn’t obvious in the moonlight, but Richard had just been teasing and continued to speculate. “He’s a very handsome fellow. He may be used to conquests without much effort.”
“I don’t doubt he is,” she agreed. “But that certainly wouldn’t justify—”
“No, you misunderstand,” he cut in. “Emotions don’t need to be justified when they take over. It can be as simple as he couldn’t have you, so he made sure no one else would either. But I know you, Gabby. You’re not just going to shrug this off, are you?”
“No. Believe me, before this voyage is over, he’ll regret what he did, I promise you. I’m going to make him want me so much, he’ll be devastated when I wave good-bye.”
Chapter 32
THE FOLLOWING MORNINGGABRIELLE SAW EVIDENCEthat Richard had commiserated with her after their talk about Drew. She didn’t doubt that it was Richard who had caught Drew unawares with a fist to his cheek later that night. The bruise was only slight, though. And as it turned out, it didn’t last more than a week.
That week passed with annoying slowness. Gabrielle knew why the time was creeping by for her. She allowed herself only a little while alone with Drew each morning after breakfast with her friends, to work her wiles on him, then spent the rest of the day eager to see him again and counting the minutes until she could. But she forced herself to stay away, to stick to her plan.
Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be working. While the expression in his eyes might become quite heated when he looked at her now, he seemed too preoccupied with his own agenda—escape by any means—to really notice her subtle seduction. The man still thought he could entice her with the sensual descriptions of what he’d like to do to her in order to get her to come near him. He was in effect doing what she was doing! It was just that his motive was different from hers.
He tried romantic words, he tried crude words, he tried combinations of both. If she hadn’t heard it all before in one form or another from pirates, she never would have withstood the sexual onslaught. But she did withstand it. Mostly. Although she usually left him in a hurry to find some cool air for her face.
Having others present didn’t help to keep her eyes off Drew either. That morning he was exercising when she came in, bending, stretching, walking around the narrow arc the chain allotted him. The single glance he gave her with those dark eyes as she passed him stirred the butterflies in her belly. And even after she sat down and Ohr began chatting with her, her eyes were continually drawn to the play of muscles on Drew’s long legs, the taut stretch across his back and buttocks. She had to force herself to stop looking at him.
She might have to get bolder. She might have to pretend that she was the one succumbing. But she was limited in what she could do for the simple reason that she couldn’t touch him. She didn’t dare get that close. But there was so much more she could have done to heat his desire to the desperation point if she had full access to him.
And then she realized there was one way to get around the restriction, at least temporarily, and she leapt on the idea the moment it occurred to her. She enlisted Richard’s help. He laughed when she told him her plan. He, in turn, brought in four other crewmen to help—it was going to take that many.
Drew couldn’t doubt something was up. The tub arrived and was filled with hot water. Towels, soap, more buckets for rinsing, everything needed for a bath. And then the men just stood there looking at him.
Gabrielle came in, and with hands on hips she said, “It’s time for a bath, Captain.”
“Go ahead,” he replied with a wicked grin. “I’ll enjoy the show.”
She chuckled. “Not me. You. You stink.”
He sat abruptly forward. “The devil I do. I’ve been using those measly buckets of cold water I’ve been given.”
“Not diligently enough, obviously. But come now, you can’t deny you’d like a nice hot bath.”
He didn’t deny it, and eyed the tub across the room. “This shackle isn’t going to reach that far,” he pointed out.
“As rusty as it already is, we don’t dare get it wet.”
“You’re removing it?” he asked with interest.
“Don’t get your hopes up. It’s only temporary, and you know damn well you can’t be trusted without some restraint. So let these fellows assist you and it will be over with before you know it.”
