Romancing the Pirate (6 page)

“Cabin’s this way,” he muttered.

She struggled to her feet and followed behind him, the bucket still in her grasp. This time he didn’t care where he walked. He took the steps two at a time and had climbed to the next deck before he heard her retching again.

“Good God.” Since he was close to the galley, he strode inside and asked his cook to make up some tea and to have it sent with some dry bread to his cabin. Then he went back to fetch Alicia.

“Are you coming?”

She’d sat on the steps, and now that she’d moved farther up the ship, she’d caught the attention of some of his crew. They were watching over the railing, wondering how and when a woman had come aboard. Blake wondered the same thing.

Alicia, however, didn’t seem concerned with the men gathered nearby. In fact, with her head tilted to rest against the wall, and her hands hanging loosely on her knees, she appeared to be almost—

“Bloody hell,” he cursed, taking the steps down as fast as he’d taken them up. Sure enough, there she was, the bucket on her lap, sound asleep.

“We can put her in me hammock,” one of his crew volunteered.

“Or mine,” another said.

This was followed by a rowdy argument of just who should have Alicia. And that was the second time Blake knew he had trouble on his hands. The first had been seeing her and knowing the reaction she caused in him. He hadn’t had time to think of what his crew would do. And now—thanks again to her, he thought gratingly—he knew just what her presence would mean. Feeling a headache brewing behind his right eye, Blake silenced his crew with nothing more than a glare.

“She’ll be in my cabin, for the moment, and I don’t want to hear another word about her. Nate,” he called, when he spotted his other first mate coming through the crowd, “bring a bucket of warm water and a cloth to my cabin.” Blake handed Nate the soiled pail and ignored his questioning gaze. “Clean that, too, please, and bring it back with you. The rest of you have duties to attend to. And don’t forget to mop below. It bloody stinks down there.”

They knew better than to argue or dawdle, and soon the way was once again clear. Despite his feelings toward her, as Blake looked down upon Alicia, he didn’t have the heart to wake her. He couldn’t imagine the long night she’d spent being sick, and knew if he wanted to get her off his ship with as little guilt as possible, he needed to have her well. Otherwise he’d never have peace.

He dipped low and slipped her into his arms. Cursing at how little she weighed, he carried her up the stairs, onto the deck, and across to the hatch that led to his cabin. Vincent’s eyes looked ready to explode from his head.

“A woman?” he gasped. “How did I miss that?”

Blake didn’t want to think about her gender, or the way she’d turned her head against his chest and snuggled in. He didn’t want to notice the way the sun hit her hair and made it shine, or the freckles he saw across her cheeks when he looked down.

“I don’t know, but we need to discuss it. Thanks,” he added when Vincent opened the hatch for him. “Nate will be bringing me some water in a moment. When he does, I’d like to see both of you in my cabin. Get Billy to man the helm. Hopefully it won’t take long.”

“Aye, Captain.” Vincent smiled, gesturing to Alicia, who remained sound asleep in Blake’s arms. “You know, chivalry becomes you.”

Blake scowled. “You really must need sleep, you’re delirious.”

Vincent’s chuckle followed Blake into his cabin. Blake told himself he wasn’t being deliberately gentle with her when he lay Alicia onto his bed, then covered her with a light blanket. It was simply common sense. As long as she slept, she wasn’t bothering him, wasn’t looking at him with those deep blue eyes.

She sighed, then turned her head onto his pillow, which allowed him to gaze fully upon her face. She was young, barely more than a girl, but even dressed as a boy, she was undeniably pretty. His gaze moved from dark gold eyelashes that fanned over her pale cheeks, to her slightly parted lips. The fullness and the pale pink captivated his attention. Had she been anyone else, he’d have been sorely tempted to see if they were as soft and sweet as they appeared.

But she wasn’t. He took a deep breath, shook his head, and turned from her before his eyes could betray him any more. Yes, indeed, the sooner she left his ship, the better.

Alicia awoke to the sound of hushed voices and no idea of where she was. Opening her eyes, she looked around. Light floated in through a small porthole to her left, shining directly onto the three whispering men. She recognized Blake. The second man was taller, and the third was the dwarf she remembered seeing not long after she’d come aboard.

The large table they were standing beside and the comfortable bed beneath her left no doubt she was in Blake’s cabin. And at the moment he was likely hearing every lie she’d told to get on board his ship. Considering his feelings toward her, something she had yet to understand, this wouldn’t help him see her in a better light. Since she’d never been one to avoid any task, even the unpleasant ones, Alicia gathered her courage and threw off the light blanket that covered her. She paused in the action. He’d covered her up?

A sensation she’d never experienced before fluttered through her stomach and warmed the area around her heart. Had Blake taken the time, had the compassion, to place the blanket over her? She’d never had anyone treat her so delicately before. Women mostly turned the other way, even when she wasn’t dressed for work, because she wasn’t “normal” in their eyes. The men’s reactions varied.

Some resented her for doing a job she not only excelled at but bested most of them at as well. Others couldn’t believe a small woman such as herself could do such hard work while the rest, those who were accustomed to her, treated her as a man since they didn’t look past her clothes and her work to the woman beneath.

Raising her eyes, she met the cold expression in Blake’s and all warm thoughts withered.

“Good, you’re awake.”

Both the dwarf and the other man turned to her, each with a curious expression on his face.

“It appears so,” she answered, pushing the hurt aside and swinging her legs off the bed.

“I’ll talk to you later,” Blake said to his men.

“The men have seen her,” the tall man said.

“I’m well aware of that,” Blake muttered.

“There’ll be talk.”

Blake’s stunned expression had Alicia biting her lip to keep from smiling. There was no cause to worry about that sort of talk, not the way Blake hated her. He blinked, looked from his crewman to her. Alicia didn’t have to force away any traces of humor. It withered on its own when Blake’s gaze locked on to hers. His disgusted look and the following snicker shouldn’t have hurt, not with the quantity of such glances she’d had aimed her way over the years, but they did.

Blake turned his back on her.

“If they want to remain on this ship, they’ll keep their opinions to themselves.”

The tall man looked over at her, and concern lingered in his gaze. Because it was nice to be worried about, she offered the man a smile, silently thanking him for his concern over her reputation.

He nodded and made to leave, but paused at the base of the steps to look at her one more time. He winked, and if she read his lips right, mouthed the words “good luck” before heading up onto the deck. The dwarf followed, offering a faint smile before leaving. Only when the hatch had closed behind them did Blake face Alicia.

“The bucket is beside your feet. If you’re inclined to be sick again, I’d prefer it wasn’t on my bed.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Because his gaze never wavered from hers, it allowed Alicia the opportunity to notice what she hadn’t yet, that his eyes were nearly as dark as the hair he had tied back with a piece of leather. He watched her closely as she moved from his bed to the table, taking the pail along with her. She wondered what his eyes would look like when he wasn’t angry. In fact, she wondered at the transformations that would take place on his face if he actually smiled. But seeing him now, solemn and hard, she had difficulty imagining that was even possible.

“I arranged for some tea to be brought,” Blake said, reaching over to the tray she hadn’t seen until then. “It’s ginger tea, it eases seasickness. If that stays down, there’s some bread here as well. It’s dry, but it’s best to start with that.” He pushed the tray in front of her.

“Thank you.”

No doubt the answer stuck in his throat, so he nodded instead. Rather than take a seat at the table with her, he leaned against a support post, crossed his arms over his chest, and continued to stare at her. Suddenly she was all too aware of the fact that she’d been sick for the last two days. Her clothes were dirty and wrinkled and she didn’t even want to think about what she smelled like. She didn’t dare, however, ask for a bath. Perhaps a change of clothes was in order, though.

“Where’s my bag?”

“What bag?” he asked.

“The bag I had with me. It has my personal effects.”

“It must be down where you were hiding. I’ll get it later.”

Later. When he was good and ready and not a moment sooner, she thought. But he had brought her some tea, and despite her feelings, she appreciated it. She brought the cup to her lips. It was cold and slightly bitter, but it wasn’t undrinkable.

Silence reigned as Alicia sipped her tea and broke small pieces of bread between her fingers. Blake’s low and even breathing was the only sound other than the footsteps and muffled voices from his crew above. The cabin itself was quite large, she noticed, with the rectangular table surrounded by eight chairs and the bed that filled a whole corner. But looking at Blake, taking in his height and the breadth of his shoulders, looking farther down his chest and the muscular arms that were crossed over it, to his narrow hips and the—

Alicia felt her ears burn. She licked her lips. Well, past
that,
to the long expanse of leg, he’d need a large berth. She cleared her throat and skipped her eyes back to his. Heat had turned his eyes nearly black. His jaw pulsed just below his ears. She didn’t know what to do about the look in his eyes any more than she did about her unusual reaction to him. Heart tripping over itself, hands sweating, mind wandering. Why, she wondered, did it have to be Blake of all men who would finally make her wonder just what happened between a man and a woman?

“What do we do now?” she asked and was mortified when her question came out in a squeaky tone she’d never produced in her eighteen years.

“We,”
he said, coming to lean over the table until his face was inches from hers, “are not doing anything. I’ve decided that the best place for you is here. It’ll keep the men from getting distracted and acting like a bunch of idiots to get your attention.”

“You want me to stay in this cabin, the entire time?”

“It’s better than the alternative.”

“Which is?”

He didn’t blink. “The first piece of land I see. You can get yourself the rest of the way home by whatever means you can find.”

“And if I agree to your terms, you’ll take me to St. Kitts?”

“You don’t know all my terms yet.”

Alicia thought she’d better stand for these. The last thing she wanted was for Blake to think that he intimidated her. Pushing back her chair, she came to her feet.

“Very well, what other terms do you have?”

“During the day, you’re to stay inside. At night, when the men have retired, you can go on deck. The bed is mine; I’ll have Nate set up a hammock for you. And I brought you some water and a cloth. If you’re going to share my cabin, I’d prefer you smelled better.”

“Anything else?”

“When we get to St. Kitts, I don’t see you again. Ever.”

She smiled sweetly. “Is that all?”

He rubbed his right eyebrow. “Do we have an agreement or not?”

Alicia held out her hand. Blake inhaled sharply, his eyes moving from her open palm to her face. If he didn’t look so formidable, she’d think he was afraid to touch her. But after a hefty pause, he grasped her hand in his.

If he felt the tremor that passed between them as acutely as Alicia did, he didn’t show it.

* * *

“You must be feeling better.”

Alicia yelped, dropped the mug she’d been holding, which shattered at her feet. She spun around. The tall man from Blake’s cabin filled the doorway to the galley.

“Lord, you scared me,” she gasped.

“Sorry. I’m not usually known for my stealth,” he said with a grin and pointed at his long feet. “They tend to announce my presence no matter how quiet I try to be.”

Alicia felt her fear melt like candle wax, leaving a warmth in its place. The man was big; there was no question. His shoulders looked as though they could carry a full-grown man without a stitch of effort. The arms he crossed over his chest were corded with muscle. Combined with the low timbre of his voice, he should have come across as menacing. But peeking out of an angular face were the brightest, prettiest green eyes Alicia had ever seen.

“Well, you’re quieter than you think. I didn’t hear a thing.”

He nodded at the shards of crockery that littered the floor around their feet. “What were you trying to make?”

“I wanted more of the ginger tea. As long as I sip it, my stomach stays settled.”

He took another mug and handed it to her, then dug some ginger out from a small bag on the counter. Alicia watched so as to know where it was next time. The water she’d been waiting to boil began to bubble in the pot, and while the man removed it, she cleaned up the broken pieces from the floor. When she was finished, he handed her the steaming mug.

“Thank you. I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”

“Nate.”

“Pleased to meet you. Have you been on this ship long?”

“Long enough.”

“And you enjoy what you do?”

“Mostly.”

“I see you’re a man of many words.”

His smile came slowly. “As much as I’m enjoying your company, it’d be best if you went back up now. Not everyone’s asleep. The men see you talking to me, they may get the wrong idea about you, and then you’d be swarmed by the mass of them.”

She nodded, turned away, and mumbled, “I’m sure my mere presence would have every man swooning and throwing themselves at my feet. If they’re not careful, they’ll stumble overboard in their daze and drown.” She knew by the chuckle behind her that he’d heard. Grinning, she stepped up on deck.