The Cracksman's Kiss (11 page)

“Why do you not go to bed?” Cohen asked.

Kassie shook her head and nudged the basket containing the sleeping baby with the toe of her slipper to set it rocking.

Cohen sighed and set his book down. “Go to bed.”

“Where will you sleep?”

He stood. “I will sleep in my bed as usual.”

Kassie crossed her arms and glared up at him. “I am not tired.”

His eyes snapped with irritation. “For God’s sake Kassandra, you are falling asleep in
your chair!”

“It is not proper to share a bed.”

“It is not like we have not shared a bed before.”

Kassie’s face burned with embarrassment. “That was different. I did not
know it was you in my bed, nor did I invite you in.”

Cohen gave a snort of disbelief. “Like hell you did not, Kassi
e. Admit it, you knew I was not your soft pathetic husband the moment I touched you.”

She shook her head in attempt to deny his claim but
refused to meet his eyes, lest he see the truth.

“Liar, your response to my touch was clear. You may lie w
ith your lips, Kassie, but your sweet body will not deny the truth we both know.”

“Must you torment me by throwing my disgraceful lack of
morals in my face? Go away, and leave me be!” She turned her heat swamped face away and stared into the fire’s flames.

“Come to bed.”

“Not unless you find another bed to occupy for the night.”

Anger sharpened his voice. “There is no other bed. Wo
uld you have me oust my captain from his bed instead?” He softened his tone. “Kassie, the bed is large enough for a dozen to fit. I promise I will be on my best behavior and stay on my side.”

Kassie glared at him. “Do you expect me to take the word
of a thief?” She was sorry she uttered the comment when hurt flashed across his face only to be replaced by stiff anger.

“Suit yourself.” He turned and stalked through the open bed
room door. It closed behind him with a resounding bang.

She sighed and got up. He was so kind to her and in re
turn she hit him with an unfair blow. Would he accept her apology if she were to offer it? She crossed to the bedroom door and rested her hand on the cool knob. “Cohen?” she called. When she received no answer she started to turn away, jumping when the door was flung open.

Cohen, shirtless, stood in the doorway, his eyes smoldering with anger. “What?”

Her courage fleeing, she swallowed. “I just wanted….” She stilled as the baby started to fuss in his basket.

“Well?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I just wanted a blanket,” she finished. Retreating, she hurried to pick up the baby.

Sitting in the chair closest to the brazier she unlaced her blou
se and put Lucca to her breast, listening to Cohen’s footsteps as he crossed the room. Keeping her eyes on the baby she pretended not to hear his approach. He draped the blanket over her chair and dropped a pillow on the floor beside her. Without a word he stalked away, entered the bedchamber, and closed the door.

It appeared he would be angry with her for a while. Perhap
s it was better this way. If he remained angry it was unlikely he would make any advances toward her. On the other hand, he might take his anger out on her by taking her son away when they reached France. Kassie stroked the baby’s soft cheek.
I will not let him or anyone take you from me as long as I breathe.

Chapter
Fourteen

Kassie shifted on the settee, the seagulls squawking outside d
isturbing her rest. Stretching, she opened her eyes, blinking at the sunlight filtering in through the window. Lucca would need feeding soon. She glanced down at the basket. It was empty. Scrambling to her feet she hurried to the open bedchamber door and looked around the room. The bed was rumpled but unoccupied.

Panic rose in her, wild and consuming.
Where are Cohen and Lucca?
Had Cohen taken the baby and snuck away? Terror engulfed her.
How could I be so blind and trusting? He waited until I was a sleep then stole Lucca out from under my very nose!
She ran to the closet, stripped off her nightdress and pulled out a clean set of clothes. Yanking them on, she hurried to the door and flung it open. She darted into the empty corridor, fastening the laces on her blouse at the same time. In a blind panic she ran down the passageway, up the stairs, and onto the deck. A sailor gave her a smile as she crossed to the steerage area.

She turned on the man. “Where is Comté Ashton?”

The man smiled and shook his head.

“The comté!
” Kassie screeched, her fear threatening to undo the careful stitching of her mind.

“Kassie? What is the matter?”

She spun around at the sound of Cohen’s voice. “How dare you!”

Cohen
patted Lucca’s back as he held the baby against his shoulder. His brows arched. “How dare I what?”

“You cannot take Lucca! I will not let you take him from me
!” Kassie flung herself at him, ready to rip him to shreds in order to retrieve her son.

He held up a hand. “What are you talking about? I simply to
ok the child out with me so you could get some extra sleep.”

Kassie’s anger deflated as she stood there on the deck amid
the crew’s curious stares. “You took him for a walk?”

He nodded.

She sobbed, gulping for air as relief washed over her.

Cohen wrapped his free arm around her shoulders. “Kassie,
did you think I took Lucca from you?”

Kassie nodded through her tears. Of course, she had; but she was wrong about Cohen, again.

He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze. “Cass, I would never try to take our son from you. I am not a monster like Everton.” He looked over his shoulder at the sailor who stood mouth agape watching them. “Come on, we better go back down to my cabin. You must be freezing without any shoes or cloak.”

She looked wordlessly down at her bare feet which were already turning red with cold.

Cohen steered her to the corridor and down the passageway. Once inside, he set Lucca down in his basket and drew Kassie into his arms. She leaned into the warmth of his chest and breathed in his spicy scent, needing his comfort.

“I am sorry. I did not mean to frighten you.” He lifted her chin to look her in the eye, his
gaze searching hers. The hurt in his expression disarmed her. “Please believe me when I say I would never seek to take Lucca from you. I may be a thief, but I am not heartless.”

Kassie nodded, his earnest gaze convincing her of his sincerity. “I am sorry.”

The baby began to fuss. “Sit down and feed our son while I go find us something to eat.” He released her and propelled her into the chair nearest the warm brazier. Before leaving, he placed the baby in her arms and covered them with the blanket.

Wiping her eyes on her sleeve she set Lucca to her breas
t. She was wrong for misjudging Cohen. It was clear she hurt his feelings when she called him a thief, and her accusation he would steal Lucca from her only rubbed salt in the wound. The reality of the situation was she had to trust this man she hardly knew with her life and her son’s.
His son’s.

Cohen entered the room with a large covered tray. He balanced
it on one arm as he shut the door, giving her a roguish grin. “I raided the galley, my lady.”

She could not help but smile back at him as he crossed the room and set the tray on the table.
“Do you not have a cook?”

He took the lid off the tray and poured a cup of steaming bro
wn liquid. “I do, however he is staying somewhere in town. I do not require most of the crew to stay aboard during the winter months. You will become bored with my simple fare before long, so I hope for both of our sakes you can cook.”

When she nodded he smiled, crossing the room to hand her the cup. K
assie took a sip of the hot coffee and sputtered. It was bitter, burnt, and horrible.

He gave her a remorseful look. “Is it that bad?”

She giggled and nodded.

He shrugged. “See? I told you I was not much of a cook.”

“I prefer chocolate in the morning anyway,” Kassie reassured him.

Taking a drink from his own cup he made a face. “It is pretty
bad.” He chuckled, setting the cup down. “Well, I suppose after my meager breakfast offering is choked down I shall take you on a tour of the galley. You can decide for yourself what supplies are needed and I will have them purchased right away so we do not starve before the ice flows melt.”

Kassie smiled and looked down at the plate of blackened to
ast he offered her. “Perhaps we should tour the galley now.” She laughed at his sheepish expression.

“Perhaps you are right.”
With a flick of his wrist he flipped the toast into the brazier and set the plate back on the table.

When Kassie finished feeding Lucca, Cohen took the baby
and burped him. Then he offered her his free arm. “Come on, the galley is this way.”

They walked down the corridor in the opposite direction f
rom the exit. At the end of the passageway he led her down a short flight of stairs and into an enormous kitchen.

“Oh my!” Kassie giggled. “I had no idea a ship’s galley was so big!”

Cohen shot her an amused look. “It takes a crew of twenty-five to sail this ship so it has to be big in order to prepare three full meals each day and seat everyone.”

Kassie glanced at him and frowned.

“What?”

“Nothing, really, I was just wondering why you took a ship t
o Bath instead of a coach, when sailing makes you seasick.”

Cohen grinned at her with a twinkle in his eye
. “I booked passage on the ship to see you again, of course.”

She looked away, both embarrassed and pleased at his candid admission.

“From the moment I saw you I was smitten.”

The baby fussed, and Kassie returned her gaze to him.

He lowered the baby from his shoulder, cradling him in his arms. “Yes, I did,” he crooned. “Your mother was so beautiful in that pretty pink dress I could not resist kissing her.” He smiled when the baby cooed and sucked his fist.

Kassie blushed, remembering his kisses in the dark room. A
small shiver of excitement slid down her spine. He noticed her dress and felt desire for her when her husband did not. He was young, handsome, funny, and patient, where the earl was old, crippled, sour, and uninterested.
Why could I not have married the man who makes my heart beat with exhilaration, rather than the one who makes it slow with defeat and repudiation?

“Kassie?”

She blinked, refocusing her gaze. Cohen regarded her with knowing green orbs, the same ones gracing the face of their son. Forcing the thoughts from her mind she blinked again. “Yes?”

He tipped his chin toward the far wall. “The supplies are kept in the cupboards over there.”

“Yes, of course.” Kassie ducked her head and hurried to inspect the cupboards.

Twenty minutes later she sent Cohen on his way, armed with
a list of obtainable items. She took Lucca back to the master cabin and settled into a chair by the brazier where she gazed at the sleeping baby, trying to put her feelings and emotions to rights.
Perhaps my loneliness makes me
gravitate to the comté. Maybe I am suffering from some kind of post pregnancy melancholy. Am
I only attracted to him because I failed to gain my husband’s approval? He is so gentle and
commanding with me and Lucca…
She gasped.
Could I be falling in love with him?

The baby’s lips pursed for a second, the corner of his cupid bows twitc
hing. What did the future hold for her and Lucca?

Loud male voices carried from the upper deck. Kassie set Lu
cca in his basket and moved to the door. She opened it a crack and peered out into the corridor. The guard was gone.

The voices carried
down the passageway.

A voice with a strange foreign burr to it that she could place rose above the rest.
“Where is Ashton?”

Someone replied in French.

“Ashton, ye scoundrel, where the devil are ye?”

Kassie froze.
Did the earl’s men find us already? What am I going to do? Will Rennie and
his men keep my presence hidden?

Footsteps sounded on the stairs. “Ashton? Damn it! Ye wo
uld think ye could hire someone on this floatin’ monstrosity who speaks English!”

Panicked, Kassie ducked back into the room. She did not have the key
to lock the door from the inside. She snatched up Lucca and darted into the bedchamber. After closing the door, she leaned against it, and held her breath. The silence was broken by the parlor door banging against the wall.

“Ashton?”

Footsteps crossed to the door.
Please do not let him try the knob.
The steps paused and then continued on. After a moment the top of the brandy decanter clinked back into place. A soft squish confirmed her suspicions the man had settled on the settee with a glass and intended to stay for a while. If Cohen did not get back soon the baby would wake to be fed, and the man in the other room would surely hear. Kassie eased from the door and tiptoed to the bed. She cringed when the frame squeaked as she perched on the edge of the mattress.
Oh God! What if he heard the noise?
When he did not come to investigate she set Lucca’s basket on the bed beside her.

The silence stretched as taunt as her nerves. Her back began to
ache from the strain of sitting so still, afraid to move lest she betray her presence. Finally, when she thought she would faint from the sheer terror of the unknown, she became aware of Cohen’s commanding baritone up on deck. Footfalls clattered down the stairs and door to the parlor opened.

“Forton, you old devil! How are you?”

Kassie let out an audible sigh at Cohen’s friendly banter.

“Fine, just fine, Ashton.” The sound of them slapping each ot
her on the back carried through the door.

“What are you doing here?”

“I finished a dig in Scotland and decided to spend a month or two in Bath. I’m heading for Sicily as soon as the ice melts. Anyway, my ship suffered some major damage on the last trip, and I was hoping to commission another here in Bristol or Portsmouth when I saw the Discovery docked in the bay. What brings ye here, Ashton?”

“The usual,
” Cohen chuckled. “I, too, am waiting for the ice to break so I might head for home.”

“I see. I would have thought ye would have left before the ice?”

“I would have, but Everton was up to his usual tricks. I stayed around to pilfer a few treasures from his greedy hands. Speaking of treasures, have you met Kassandra?”

Kassie noted the surprise in Forton’s rep
ly. “Kassandra? I’ve met no woman here.”

Footsteps crossed to the door and Kassie stood as it ope
ned. Cohen looked puzzled for a moment before realization dawned on his face. “Kassie, were you hiding in here?”

She stepped away from the bed. “I did not know if he was one of the earl’s men or not.”

“I am sorry Forton frightened you. He tends to frighten most young maidens.” His eyes twinkled with humor as Forton protested good-naturedly from beyond the door.

“Hey, I donna’ frighten all the maidens. After all, I did f
ind one who was not cowed by my size.”

Kassie understood his jest when Cohen led her from the roo
m. A large red haired man stood in the center of the parlor. He was taller than Cohen by almost a full foot. His broad shoulders and large meaty arms were enough make even the sturdiest maiden give him careful consideration. His rotund belly bulged over a brass belt buckle as large as Kassie’s hand, almost level with her eyes. Thick legs braced in larger than average boots completed the picture of a powerfully built man. He smiled, his droopy red mustache twitching as his eyes glowed with merriment.

“Kassie, this is Augustus Forton, my good friend and fellow a
rtifact hunter. Forton, this is Lady Kassandra Everton.” Cohen squeezed her hand.

Forton’s eyes widened. “By the Saints that be! Are ye sayin
g this lovely lass is Everton’s latest wife?”