Passion's Joy (58 page)

The first golden kiss of the sun touched the far eastern horizon as a large excited crowd gathered outside the captain's quarters. Seanessy, followed by eight well-chosen men, moved theatrically to the door of the captain's quarters. Sean motioned for absolute silence, and taking a long draught from a rum bottle, he bowed before giving the signal. With a huge grin, a good hard kick, the door burst open, and Seanessy stepped boldly in the room, the men behind him.

They found Ram already on his feet, his fists clenched, long before Joy, holding little Sean at her side in the huge bed, even managed to dazedly sit up. Thankfully Rake had been let out in the middle of the night when little Sean had sought the warmth of his parents' bed. The dog was now tied to the raft of the main sail, barking nonetheless.

"What the hell is this?”

There was no doubt who asked the question or who would answer. Seanessy stepped forward, laughter bright and menacing in his eyes. "I am sorry for waking you like this, my lord," he had the unprecedented gall to say, as he bowed formally. "There was no other way."

Ram decided he would kill Sean, brother or no, just as soon as he discovered what this was about. "No other way for what?”

"Why, to bring you your wedding present!"

Joy giggled suddenly from the bed. Little Sean watched with wide enormous eyes, yet Ram was not nearly as amused. "My what?" he demanded.

"Your wedding present!" Sean repeated and took what he knew would be his last draught before explaining: "It's long overdue, but here at last. Your crew has mutinied, my lord, and your ship has for several days sailed off course. Right now we're two miles from Little Sean's island— which, surprise, surprise!—is your wedding present, two weeks of uninterrupted pleasure with Joy on the island! I and the men here are going to drop you over the side. How do you like that, my lord?"

Apparently not much, for Ram's fist connected hard with Sean's jaw. The giant was knocked into two others. Joy screamed. Little Sean clapped, peels of excited giggles pouring from his mouth. Never had he seen so much fun so early in the morning. Just when he would have scrambled into the now furious battle, Bart appeared and scooped up Joy and the boy into his arms, carrying them quickly from the violence of that room.

Little Sean's scream of protest was met by the loud cheers of the crowd, all of which drowned out Bart's explanation as he carried her to the waiting lifeboat. "Sean arranged everything. The island is divided in half. The crew and the women—don't tell Ram about the women on Sean's ship till he cools a bit, 'cause he don't like lasses taken on voyages at all—anyway, we'll all be on the other half of the island. Your women will take little Sean, and when the two of you want to see the boy, you'll find a flag on your side. Just raise it and he'll be brought back to you. Other than that, Sean says if ye see anyone, 'twill be their head, and he means it, too! There's food and wine and oh, he made it real nice for ye!"

Joy heard only bits and pieces of this over the loudly cheering crowd, the furious clamor coming from Ram's quarters. Yet the excitement on Polly's, Mrs. Thimble's and the Reverend's faces, standing near the lifeboat, said it all, and she was laughing as the Reverend took little Sean from her arms. She kissed them goodbye, then kissed Polly and Mrs. Thimble, too. Bart set her carefully in the empty lifeboat. She waved to all as it was lowered slowly into the water.

The crowd roared as Ram, carried by six men, was brought to the side, and with a curse rendered mercifully inaudible, he fell thirty or so feet into the cool water. It was the only ungraceful

movement she had ever seen from him. He surfaced quickly, searching the crowded deck for Sean, who now held his son.

. "You will pay for this Seanessy. I swear I will make you pay!"

Little Sean clapped wildly at his father's show. The other Sean seemed only too unalarmed and called down, "I'll be sure to mark my calendar, my lord!"

Joy could not let Ram suffer alone. She slipped into the cool water, only then dropping the bed covers. Swimming underwater, she emerged directly in front of him, entwining her body to his. She heard his laughter just as his lips met hers. To the wild cheers of the crowd, he kissed her.

Long and sweet, he kissed her in the middle of the cool blue ocean water beneath the warm promise of a new day's sun….

* * * * *

If you enjoyed reading this book, would it be possible for you to write a review at the place from which you purchased it? These reviews have been so kind to me and this helps so much! Not only are they much appreciated, (I wish I could underline that!) but they help direct other readers to my stories. And if I could collect enough favorable reviews, it might convince a publisher to take my next book as well.

One more thing: Be sure to try Virgin Star, the rich and compelling romantic suspense story of Seanessy and Shalyn!

THANK YOU!

Jennifer