He slipped his arm over her shoulder and beneath her neck, so that his fingers were able to caress her cheek with a feather-light touch. It caused gooseflesh to spread along that side of her body.
She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting the sensations that threatened to overpower her. He’d managed to pull her back against him with that arm, and the weight of it rested on her breasts. He wasn’t even touching her nipples, but they responded anyway; tingling and tightening, as she imagined his fingers on them.
“Face it, Gabby, what we shared was so nice, it’s worth repeating—many times.”
So husky his tone! But it was those potent words that were shredding her resistance. She had to give it one more try before she succumbed completely to the desire he was so easily provoking.
“You wanted Timothy to assume the worst. Why?”
He sighed over her stubborn persistence. “I’m crushed that you’re still dwelling on that,” he said, though he didn’t sound the least bit crushed. “I was just teasing you, you know. I figured we’re close enough now that you wouldn’t mind. And besides, my crew knows me very well. You’ve spent several nights with me in my cabin. They already assume we’re lovers.”
Just teasing.Something she really wouldn’t have minded if they really were lovers. But they weren’t.
She started to point that out when she said, “We aren’t—” only to have the thought interrupted when he swung her around abruptly and kissed her.
She should have seen it coming. She should have had her willpower firmly in hand before his lips touched hers. What willpower? Her resistance crumbled relentlessly and soon she was slipping her arms around his neck and nearly purring as he gathered her closer.
There was a chuckle as another of his crew passed by them. She didn’t hear it, but he must have, because he whispered against her lips, “Let’s go to the cabin and continue this in private.”
If he hadn’t suggested that, if he’d just taken her to his cabin without mentioning it, she probably wouldn’t have been able to muster a protest. But his words broke the trance he’d put her in, and in that one moment of clarity, she was able to tear herself out of his arms and hurry away from the temptation he presented.
Chapter 42
IT TOOK A WHILE FORDREWto get his body back under control. He remained at the railing where Gabby had left him. Stubborn wench! They weren’t going to be at sea forever. They should be taking advantage of every minute they could get alone. So why did she fight it?
They’d shared one of the more enjoyable nights of his life—twice—and he knew damn well she’d felt the same about it. The damage was done. She was no longer a virgin. There was noreasonfor her to deny herself that pleasure. But she was obviously going to. Because he’d ruined her chances for a good marriage in England?
Damn, he hadn’t meant for that to happen. He’d been drunk, yes, but that was no excuse. That he was ending his visit with his sister sooner than he had to had him annoyed, too. Because of Gabrielle. Because he had to get away from her before the temptation became too much for him. Because she was still husband hunting and immune to his charms and it was starting to irritate the hell out of him.
His guilt was extreme now that he knew what his careless words at that ball had done. “Payback,” she’d wanted for it; that had been the word she’d used. He recalled all the temptation she’d presented him with when he’d been in chains and unable to do anything about it. How often she’d shown off her curves with a supposed innocent stretch of her limbs. The unusual looks she’d thrown at him that he might have called sexy if he hadn’t thought she was immune to him. The silly wench hadwantedhim to want her, to drive him mad with lust so she could have more revenge in denying him. And she’d nearly succeeded.
Did she really not know that he’d already wanted her so much it was barely all he could think about? And having her hadn’t changed that one bit.
He really did need to get as far away from Gabrielle Brooks as possible. This voyage couldn’t end soon enough for him. And yet that wouldn’t end it. He’d promised to help her free her father. Damn. But he had no choice in that. He did owe her something for inadvertently embroiling her in a scandal and after taking her virginity, too.
The honorable thing to do would be to…
He stopped the thought before it started. It wasn’t the first time it had snuck up on him since that amazing night in her bed. An unexpected virgin demanded certain things of a man, after all, the least of which was to make an offer to turn the occurrence respectable. And if Gabrielle hadn’t stolen his ship, he probably would have been foolish enough to make that offer, out of guilt, out of—lust, or for whatever reason. His guilt would have prevailed.
She would have refused, of course. She wanted nothing to do with him. She had stressed that from the start. Or would she? Her friend had said that day that she’d entertained thoughts of marriage to Drew. Was that a lie Richard had came up with to get him to stop questioning him about that punch?
He sighed and headed back to the quarterdeck. He’d never been in such a muddled state of mind over a woman before. And jealousy! Where the hell had that come from? But he couldn’t deny it. First that fop Wilbur, then her friend Richard, now his own friend Timothy, who he knew damn well didn’t entertain any thoughts about her. Why was jealousy rearing its head now, when Drew had never experienced it before? Well, he could only assume that it was because he wasn’t the least bit done with her himself.
•••
Lovers! Gabrielle no sooner entered Drew’s cabin, where her eyes moved straight to his bed, than the fury she’d felt up on deck returned with a vengeance. Everyone on board thought she and Drew were lovers and he found that amusing!
It was too bad he didn’t delay returning to his room that evening, since she apparently needed more than a few hours to get her emotions under control. He probably realized that when she began throwing things at him the moment he walked through the door.
He ducked the first missile she launched but wasn’t as lucky with the second, which prompted the sharp command, “Put that down!”
She didn’t. She was standing behind his desk with two drawers open, which gave her a wealth of items that weren’t nailed down to throw at him. An inkwell was next. She wished it had splattered all over him, but it was securely stoppered and didn’t even break. Then she aimed a well-worn nautical book at him.
She paused only long enough to hiss, “We aren’t lovers! We are never going to be lovers! And you damn well better let your crew know that!”
He’d been on his way to reach her but stopped abruptly at that demand. He even grinned now, the blackguard.
“We’ve made love twice. Sorry, sweetheart, but that officially makes us lovers.”
