Danielle ground her teeth. To defy a direct order from the captain was a whipping offense on a ship.
He must have seen the hesitation in her eyes because he gave her an intimidating stare and put his hands on his hips. “Thinking about disobeying me, Cross?”
She choked down the sassy reply that was on her lips. “Never, Cap’n.”
***
By the time Cade returned to the cabin hours later, Danielle was fuming. She was also nearly starving. She had inventoried the entire contents of the large room, inspected all of Cade’s clothing, studied every square inch of the torn map, and washed the blasted chamber pot until it shone. When he waltzed into the room, she nearly threw it at his too-handsome head.
“How dare you order me down here and leave me to rot?” she demanded, setting the pot back in the cabinet so forcefully it nearly cracked.
He lifted a brow in a questioning manner. “I’mtryingto keep you safe. What else do you think you should be doing?”
“Being the cook’s assistant!”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Weren’t you the one who told me you can’t cook a thing?”
She plunked her hands on her hips. “Yes, but you’re not supposed to know that.”
“That’s a ridiculous excuse.”
“At least I could be learning a new trade.”
“To cook? Are you serious?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
Cade strode over and stood in front of her, trailing his finger along her arm. “If you’re bored, I have a suggestion for what we could do to pass the time.”
A thrill shot through her belly, but she forced herself to look away. He was too tempting. “What would that accomplish?”
“Accomplish? If I have to explain it to you…” He sighed. “The point is that it’s fun. It’s a much better time than cleaning chamber pots.”
“Confident, are you?”
“Exceedingly. Besides, you were interested the other night. What’s changed?”
She took several steps away from him so she could think better. There was a very good reason why they couldn’t have “fun” and she needed to remember it. “It’s obvious Grimaldi wants us to work together.”
“And?”
“And if we sleep together that will complicate everything.”
“I haven’t agreed to work with you or Grimaldi,” Cade replied. “Even if I did, it would still be fun.”
Mon dieu. The man personified the wordincorrigible.Was he seriouslyarguingwith her about this? “I’ve little doubt, but having fun is not always the most important thing.”
“You’ve little doubt? Oh, sweetheart, you just sealed your fate.”
She scowled at him. “What does that mean?”
A knock sounded at the door.
“Captain, I have your dinner,” Martin’s voice announced through the wood.
The smile faded from Cade’s face. He strode over to open the door. Martin marched in. He was a medium-sized boy with dark brown hair and dark eyes and a pair of silver spectacles rested on his cheeks. He looked intelligent and seemed pleasant. He had a towel over his arm and a platter balanced in his hand. He eyed Danielle carefully while he set about efficiently preparing the place for Cade at the dining table in the center of the room. The smell of the meal nearly sent Danielle to her knees.
“How are you enjoying your new position?” Cade asked him.
