He nuzzled into her hair, the already familiar scent anchoring him. “Would you think less of me if I said a little?”
“Not in this lifetime. Not in any.”
“Good. Because I am worried. Worried what Thorne is going to do next. Worried about who else is involved. Worried about what was so important to hide that a whole group of men had no qualms killing someone’s wife.” He let out a long exhale. “Worried if I’ll even have a job after I get to Washington.”
Her palm settled over his with a soft squeeze. “You don’t have to face any of that alone.”
The simple words struck deeper than any oath and he rested his forehead against hers for a moment before drawing back. “God help me… leaving you feels impossible.”
She offered him a small smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m rather glad you’re going to Washington over chasing Thorne.”
He pressed his jaw together. It would come soon enough. Whether he—or she—liked it or not.
“I’ll be waiting for you, Isaac.” Her voice came steady but quiet, almost as though she were saying it more to herself than to him.
The words hit him like a blow to the chest, a rush of warmth and anguish flooding his veins.Waiting.She would wait for him. And that, perhaps, was the hardest part of all. That she would stand on the dock, watch him sail away, and trust that he would come back to her.
He turned his face toward the horizon, trying to steady his racing thoughts. There was a lump in his throat, a tightness in his chest that made it hard to breathe. “Don’t wait too long,” he finally managed, voice hoarse with the emotion he’d been holding back.
“I’ll wait as long as it takes.” Promise filled her words. She slanted her gaze to meet his with a wry smile. “But, don’t make me wait longer than necessary.”
His fingers laced through hers and he tugged her close, bending to meet her lips. She gasped, and he caught the sound with his mouth, deepening the kiss with a hunger tempered by restraint. One hand rose to cradle her cheek, his thumb brushing her skin, committing its smooth warmth to memory.
“I love you.” He breathed the truth against the curve of her lips, his arms drawing her into an embrace that left no room for doubt.
“Forever.” She leaned into him, the word wrapped in tenderness and promise.
*
Josephine
“Goodbye.”
The whispered word drifted on the breeze, swallowed by the murmur of the river. Josephine and Samantha lingered at the dock’s edge, staring at the spot where the tall masts had vanished beyond theriver bend.
With a sigh, she turned to her friend. “Does it ever get easier?”
A copper brow lifted. “To be honest, I don’t know. Christian and I never sail without each other…” Her voice drifted off as her eyes pressed shut. “At least we haven’t up until now.”
The melancholy in Josephine’s chest shifted, making room for a quiet sympathy. When they had arrived back from Tortuga, Samantha had been furious when she found her husband missing. Even more so when she discovered his note explaining he had gone to join his father—the same man who had murdered her parents.
Josephine twisted her hands together. “I’m sorry”
“Don’t be. Christian is the one who’s going to be sorry when I get my hands on him.” She spun toward her ship, her jaunty red feather bouncing with each agitated step.
Josephine’s gaze traveled from the polished rapier to the unconventional breeches, before falling in step beside her. Samantha was one of the fiercest women she’d ever met, let alone imagined. She could only imagine the type of set down her friend would give her husband.
“Don’t people talk?” Josephine nodded toward Samantha’s outfit.
Her friend chuckled, the sound skipping lightly off the water as they walked along the dock. “Of course they do.”
“Does it bother you?”
The corner of Samantha’s mouth twitched. “No. I feel sorry for them. They’ll never taste the thrill of adventure.” She gave a theatrical shudder. “What a dull life.”
A dull life indeed. Josephine couldn’t help her grin.
They climbed theSiren’sgangplank. Onboard, Samantha ran her hand over a smooth rail and a wistful smile played across her face. “Soon, my beauty.” The words came out in a barely-there whisper, as if she were talking to herself.
