“Aye. I ken.”
She stood, rubbing her palms on her thighs and paced the small space between them. “That’s why I was waiting for Storm to show his traitorous face.”
Colin knew where she was going with her thoughts. But he wanted to hear the words from her. Without any assistance from him.
“Storm killed my father. He told my mother and I that he was killed by the French fleet after an attack. I’ve been watching that shoreline every day since I found out I’d never see my father again.” She drew in a deep, shuddering breath before continuing. “Once I saw that my father was the only one who perished in the attack and thatThe Hellawas in almost the same condition as when they’d set sail for that voyage, I knew Storm was behind his death. The French are cruel. The crew and the ship would have never made it back to ship if they’d truly been ambushed by the French. I swore I would make Storm pay for his sins. When I was in that pub and heard ye were going after him, I knew I needed to be on yer ship.”
Round, blue eyes met his. A silent plea swimming around in their depths.
“Why lie? Why no’ just ask me?”
The look she gave him told him she knew as well as he did that if she’d approached him as a lass and asked the same, he’d have turned her around so quickly, she wouldn’t have had time to voice a protest.
“Ye know the answer to that question. Ye’re a smart man, Honey. Dinna make me spell it out for ye.” She looked him dead in the eye and proclaimed, “Storm was mine to kill.”
The fervor in which she made that statement shocked him. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think she was one of his men, battle-hardened, with multiple kills under her belt. He understood her motive for doing what she’d done.
Sean had talked lovingly about his family whenever they’d gathered together in a pub somewhere. Serving wenches hung all over the two of them, even though Sean kindly fought off their advances and denied their offerings. He’d always remained true and faithful to his wife, just wanting to offer her a better life than the one she’d entered into at their marriage ceremony.
He scratched his chin, the few day’s growth of stubble itchy under his fingers. “It seems we had a common goal. We both wanted to see Storm pay for his transgressions.”
She nodded, but didn’t utter a word, even as he stood and approached her. The way she worried her lower bottom lip between her teeth made it plump and pink. And inviting. He had the urge to suck it into his own mouth. To taste the sweetness that he knew was inside that luscious mouth. She met his eyes, unspoken emotions clouding their blue depths.
He plucked the cap off her head, revealing the hair she’d carefully pinned to hide it from him and the others. Slowly, Colin pulled each pin out, one by one, watching in wonderment as the curls fell past her shoulders. Her hair was shorter than most women. An unfortunate outcome of posing as a lad.
“Yer hair,” he whispered, smoothing it with shaking hands. “Did ye shear it for this?”
Absently, she brought her hand up and twirled a chestnut colored tendril around her fingers. “Aye. ’Tis easier to hide under my cap that way.”
He continued stroking her hair. Couldn’t stop himself from doing so. His groin tightened at the close contact and the silk of her tresses sliding between his fingers. The heat of her body so close to his seeped through his trews. “I’m sorry ye felt ye couldna be forthcoming to me about who ye really were.” He grasped her hand, so wee in size compared to his own, and stroked the soft skin with his fingers. “But I understand yer reasoning.”
Before he could think about what he was doing, he brought her hand up and placed his lips on her fingers, giving them a soft kiss.
He heard her sharp intake of breath and immediately pulled away. Dropping her hand, he stood and walked to the other side of the room, purposely putting distance between them. “I’m sorry, lass.”
Colin should leave. If he had one honorable bone in his body, he would open the door in front of him and walk away. But he was feeling anything but honorable. His thoughts even less so.
She approached him apprehensively and took his large hands into her tiny ones and looked into his eyes. The stormy clouds in hers hitting him right in the gut.
“I know I’ve been deceptive.”
She placed a small hand on his chest and he closed his eyes at the warmth spreading across his skin, even through his tunic.
“It wasna to hurt ye. I needed to avenge my father’s death and ye were the means to that end.” She buried her face into his chest and he couldn’t help but wrap his arms around her. She was so tiny against him.
“The feelings that we’ve both been fighting for weeks are real. Ye canna deny them,” she whispered.
She looked up at him, pleading in her eyes, and he knew she was right.
He brought his head down and to his delight, she tilted her chin up to him, allowing him access to her lips.
With fervor, he captured her mouth with his. His tongue running along her teeth, seeking entry into her mouth. He sighed and pulled her closer when she obliged.
Bending, he scooped her legs up and cradled her in his arms as he carried her over to his bed and laid her down before him.
She sat up on her elbows and looked at him expectantly. She was beautiful. He reached out and slowly ran his hands through her hair. “Ye need to let yer hair grow out again.”
She nodded, but said nothing.
