He finished the task and turned to look at her. “I never supposed you were aware of it. But don’t you think you were being a little overly conscientious? Under the circumstances.”
It was much the kind of thing that Carl might have said, and it hit uncomfortably close to the truth. Before she could stop herself, Merry bit out, “I supposeyouthink nothing of knocking whole villages to the ground.”
“Nothing at all,” he said cheerfully.
“And terrorizing innocent women!” she said, a tremble in her voice.
“Yes. Innocent ones,” he said, running his palm along her flat stomach where the stuffing had lately been, “and not so innocent ones.”
She nearly fainted under his touch. “Don’t do that,” she said, her voice cracking in good earnest.
“Very well,” he said, removing his hand. He went back to lean against the porch, resting on the heels of his hands, his long finely muscled legs stretched before him, and gave her an easy smile. “Don’t run away from me, little one. For the moment you’re much safer here.”
Something in her face made him laugh again. “I can see you don’t believe it,” he continued. “But stay with me nevertheless. If you run off, I’ll have to chase you, and I don’t think we want to scamper across the beach like a pair of puppies.”
She wondered if that meant he wouldn’t invest much energy in trying to catch her if she did try to run and if it might not be worth the risk.
Reading her thoughts with alarming precision, he asked good-humoredly, “Do you think you could outrun me?”
It was hardly likely. A man used to safely negotiating therigging during a high wind would be quick enough to catch her before she could even think of moving, and strong enough to make her very sorry. Involuntarily her gaze dropped to his hard legs, with their smooth, rhythmical blend of healthy muscle.
“Like what you see?” he asked her.
Merry’s gaze flew to his, and she blushed and swallowed painfully. In a ludicrously apologetic voice she managed, “I beg your pardon.”
“That’s quite all right.” He reached out his hand and stroked beneath her chin. “Much too conscientious. Would it surprise you to know, my little friend, that having you stare at my legs is the most uplifting thing that’s happened to me all day?”
It was not the kind of remark she had remotely conceived a man might make to a woman, but there was something in his matter-of-fact delivery that made her suspect that he had participated in a great many conversations in precisely this style. Wishing she could match the ease of his tone, she said, “It’s a pity your days are so dull.”
“Oh, yes,” he said with a glimmer of amusement, “in between knocking down villages and making people walk the plank, pirates really have very little to do.”
Merry wondered briefly how she could ever have been so foolish as to have actuallywishedfor an adventure.
“I don’t know how you can talk about it like that,” she said weakly.
He smiled. “I take it you don’t usually flirt with villains.”
“I don’t flirt withanyone,” Merry said, getting angry.
“I believe you don’t, darling.”
For a second his kind, enticing gaze studied her face, and then he looked away to the south, where a tiny flicker began to weave through the rocks. Another star of light appeared, and another, dragon’s breath in the night.
“My cohorts,” he observed. Offering her a hand, Devon inclined his head toward the dark-blue shadows that crept along the tavern’s north side. “Come with me. Cat is so often right about these things, and I’m sure you don’t want them to see you.”
“Morepirates?” said Merry hoarsely, watching the lights.
“Six more. Seven, if Reade is sober.”
She hesitated, not daring to trust him, her face turned to him with the unconscious appeal of a lost child.
“Come with me,” he repeated patiently. “Look at it this way. Better one dreadful pirate than seven. Whatever you’re afraid I’ll do to you, I can only do it once.Theycan do it seven times. Besides, I’m unarmed. You can frisk me if you want.” His arm came around her back, drawing her away from the tavern. Grinning down at her, he said, “As a matter of fact, I wish you would frisk me.”
She went with him, her footsteps passive as a dreamer.
It seemed quite unnecessary to tell him. Nevertheless Merry said, “I’ve never met anyone like you in my life.”
“Probably not,” he said. “Would you like to sit in this wagon?”
