Nash held his breath until he spotted the figure not more than ten feet away. The sun glared in his eyes, not allowing him to see very well. But from what he could observe, the stranger, a lad, perhaps fifteen or sixteen, crept past, darting behind trees.
Without revealing himself, Nash studied the boy. His black clothes practically hung on his slender frame, and his hair and face were concealed by the wide-brim farmer’s hat, similar to the one on Nash’s head.
He breathed easier knowing this mere boy would be easy to deal with. He placed the pistol back in his trousers.
Should he let the boy wander through the trees until he disappeared, or should Nash pounce on him and force some response from the lad? Nash knew that answer. He had to know why the boy followed. Did he work for Uncle Matthew?
Once the boy turned his back, Nash jumped and wrapped his arms around the slender frame like bands of steel as he pushed both of them to the ground. The moment they hit the earth, a pained, high-pitched cry came from the young boy. Beneath Nash’s hands, the softly curved body became noticeable.
A woman?
Quickly turning the stranger over on her back, Nash pinned her to the ground, holding the thin shoulders down.
When the hat rolled off her head, cascades of black hair fanned over the ground. Wide eyes surrounded by dark lashes blinked at him. He sucked in a breath and cursed.
A sheepish grin appeared on her face. “Good morning, Nash.”
It took a full minute for it to register, and when he finally realized Maxey was really lying beneath him, his anger kindled. He rolled off and jerked up to a sitting position.
“What are you doing?” he practically yelled. “You are supposed to be on the ship.”
She gave a half-shoulder shrug as she sat next to him. “I changed my mind.”
Cursing again, he squeezed his eyes closed, quickly thinking of how he could get her back on the ship. Impossible. The ship was probably four or five hours away already.
The touch of her hand on his face made him look at her. A soft smile graced her pretty face as she caressed his cheek.
“Nash? Are you not even a little bit pleased to see me?”
Try as he might, he couldn’t stop the happiness from expanding in his chest. He grinned. “I ought to be very annoyed with you for deceiving me. I may never forgive you.”
She wound her arms around his neck and pulled his face to hers. “But you will kiss me, instead, won’t you?” she asked before touching her mouth to his.
Immediately, the kiss turned wild as he pushed her back to the ground. He slid his fingers through her silky hair as he met her demanding mouth. When he had released her into the captain’s care yesterday, Nash never thought he would see her again. And now that she was here, he wanted to hold her, kiss her as long as he wanted, and love her with his heart, mind, and soul.
Unfortunately, this was not the place to become intimate, even though his arms didn’t want to let her go.
With a growl, he broke the kiss. “Maxey, we cannot do this here.” He breathed slower, trying to regulate his heartbeat.
She kissed his jaw. “I missed you too,” she said with a light laugh.
He smiled. “I really ought to reprimand you for what you did.”
“I would rather be here with you than on the ship with the captain. I figured you needed me more than he did.”
He glanced at her hair and groaned, rubbing her locks between his fingers. “What have you done to your beautiful hair?”
“I colored it. Do you like it?”
“I prefer the other color, my sweet.”
“So do I, but this color doesn’t stand out. And with my hair like this and wearing boys’ clothes, I won’t be spotted so easily.”
He shook his head. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me.”
He brushed tender kisses over her mouth. “You know I do.”
