She lifted her chin. She wouldn’t insult his intelligence by claiming that wasn’t true. “So.” He handed her a half-full glass of whiskey. “Are you ready to have a drink with me or are you still pretending you don’t want to? I, for one, could use a drink after today’s events. I’m guessing you could, too.”
The man had a point. She took the glass and knocked back a healthy portion.
“Excellent.” He grinned at her. “Now, should we discuss whether we will spend the night together?”
The man was incorrigible. Very well. She’d play into his little game. Her grin was devilish. “How about a proposition?”
“A proposition? I love the sound of that.”
Danielle contemplated her options. Her conversation with Mary flashed through her mind. She’d told Mary that a drunken man’s words were a sober man’s thoughts. The idea had merit. Cade seemed intent upon trying to get her foxed. He deserved it, really. Danielle nodded and gave Cade a catlike grin. “If you can outdrink me, I’ll go to bed with you tonight.”
***
Two hours and many, many drinks later, Cade set his empty glass on the table and wiped his mouth with the back of his arm. The two had managed to drink an entire bottle of whiskey.
“By God, woman, aren’t you foxed yet?”
She wasn’t entirely sober, but she was also a long way from being door-knobbed. Besides, Cade had yet to tell her how he really felt about her. It was time to begin asking questions. He was at least as drunk as she was. Not the type of drunk that caused a man to pass out, but certainly in a state that would have him speaking a bit of truth were she to ask the right questions.
Might as well get right to it. She propped her chin on her fist atop the table and blinked at him. “So, you said I’m beautiful. What else do you think about me?”
He narrowed his eyes. “I think you’re the most confounding woman I’ve ever met.”
Confounding? That was hardly satisfying. “And?”
“And I want to kiss you.”
“Because?”
“Because you simultaneously drive me mad by degrees and make me want you.”
She narrowed her eyes back at him. “Are you foxed?”
“Are you?”
“I’ve been drinking since I was thirteen. I know how to handle my alcohol like a true sailor.”
He snort-laughed at that. “Better than a true sailor if Danny and Sean are the comparisons. Those two are cockeyed every time they’re in port.”
“Be that as it may, if I decide to spend the night with you, Captain, it won’t be because I’m intoxicated.”
Cade opened his mouth to make some sort of retort, no doubt, but a knock on the door interrupted their conversation. McCummins came bowling in to consult Cade about the navigation.
“We’re on course, Cap’n,” the first mate announced. “Baptiste’s ship is at least two leagues ahead.”
“And Spain?”
“We should be there in two days at most.”
“Excellent.”
The men spoke of a few other things while Danielle cleared the table and prepared her pallet on the floor. When McCummins left, Danielle glanced back at Cade.
He stood in the candlelight, staring at her intently. The strains of some music floated up from the hold where the majority of the sailors slept in wooden bunks. Someone was playing the harmonica. It was a long, slow, pretty song. She stood and made her way over to the wardrobe and prepared to put away his clothing as he flung them at her like he had last night.
“Care to dance?” Cade whispered as she passed by. She stopped, closed her eyes, and breathed in the scent of him just behind her.
She was being churlish. Had been since she’d come aboard. Cade hadn’t known she would be here any more than she’d known he was the captain. If she was angry with anyone it should be Grimaldi but he wasn’t here right now and it was easier to take out her anger on Cade.
