The Pirate Takes A Bride (22 page)

“And neither of those are the real reason you’re going. You want revenge. Even before he attacked Isla de las Riquezas you wanted revenge and would stop at nothing to have it. Perhaps it’s time both of you stopped fighting.”

He didn’t want her suggestions or advice, and he sure as hell didn’t want to argue. “Perhaps it’s time you came out of the water.”

She shook her head. “I’m not done with my bath.”

“Come out of the water, Ashley, and allow me to say farewell properly.”

She studied him for a long moment, and he could almost see her thinking how to escape. “Throw me my shift.”

“No. I want to see you.”

“That’s hardly fair. I’m naked, and you are fully dressed.”

He shrugged. “Is that the problem?” He sat and removed his boots, coat, shirt, and then with a wink, his breeches. When he stood naked before her, he crossed his arms again. He could see her eyes devouring him. If the way her light eyes had darkened was any indication, she wanted him. He could feel himself hardening with need for her. “Your turn.”

“Nick…”

“Is this about your leg again?” he asked as though he did not already know exactly what held her back. She was no longer a maiden, and he didn’t think she’d ever behaved like most scared virgins did. He’d been between her legs last night, and she had been more than willing to act quite the wanton. But that was in the dark. Now, in the light, she was ashamed. “Show me.”

“I can’t.” She shook her head, her eyes wide with something that looked too much like fear.

“Do you honestly believe there is anything about you that will make you less attractive to me? Less beautiful?”

“Yes.”

“I’m not so inconstant.” But even as he said it, he realized he must have seemed so to her. “I want you, Ashley. I will want you no matter what you look like, whether young or old, thin or swollen with my child.”

“Nick!” Her eyes widened.

“Come out of the water.”

She looked down, seemed to consider, and then finally rose out of the water. It lapped at her waist, revealing nothing of her legs, but in the sunlight he could see the perfectness of her round breasts.

He swallowed, his throat suddenly going dry. He’d known they were full but seeing them now, so firm and tipped slightly upward made him hungry for her. Her nipples were a dark rose against the white of her skin, and all of her was so perfectly formed. Her long arms, her small waist, the flare of her hips.

He felt himself harden, and said, “Do you see how much I want you?”

Her gaze had been locked on his cock, and he knew she saw. Her lips parted and she licked them quickly, and it was difficult not to imagine what she might do with those lips and that tongue.

“You haven’t seen my leg yet.”

“I have scars and injuries.” He pointed to a scar on the side of his abdomen where a knife had slashed him. It was still pink even after two years. His arm bore the scar of a pistol ball that had grazed him, and his legs had assorted nicks and cuts. “Do you want me any less?”

“No.”

“Then let me prove to you how beautiful I find you. Let me prove to you I am not so shallow as you seem to think.”

She shook her head and looked down.

“I’ll make the effort worth it, Ashley,” he said, voice husky.

She looked at him then, desire in her eyes. “Fine,” she said. “Fine, but don’t say I did not warn you.”

He held up his hands, palms out. She began walking toward him, her eyes closed and her face tight with effort. “No,” he said. “Open your eyes. I want you to look at my face. I want you to see my reaction.”

She shook her head, her jaw set and her lips pursed together. At that moment she probably hated him as much as she desired him. She moved toward him, up the slight slope that led to the small strip of sand and grass beside the pond. Gradually, the lower section of her belly was revealed, then her sex, lightly dusted by blond hair. He could see the cleft there, and he ached to delve inside it, inside her. And then her thighs rose out of the water, and he had the first glimpse of skin that was not perfect.

She continued walking, and he made no pretense of not looking at her injury. He wanted her to know he’d seen it, and he wanted her to know that it made no difference to him. He wanted her despite what she perceived as ugly.

The injury was not pretty. He had seen burns before. He’d known many men who’d been burned in battle, and this burn looked little different. It must have been painful because he could see that though it had healed and was not a recent injury, it was still mottled red. Parts of her thigh were shiny where the skin had been seared and stretched to cover damaged areas as part of the healing. Other parts were corded and seemed to overlap one another. Her right thigh was perfectly shaped, but the injured thigh was smaller and shrunken. She had lost some muscle, and it was a wonder she did not limp or show any ill effects.

“Does it still pain you?” he asked.

“Sometimes.”

His gaze rose to her face, and he held out a hand and pulled her close. His cock, still hard as a rock, nestled against her belly. “As you see, I still want you. Tell me what happened.”

“It’s not a badge of honor,” she said. “It was borne out of foolishness. I was ten and four, playing with my younger brothers Devlin and George. I grabbed something away from Devlin—I do not even remember what it was now, that is how foolish it was—and held it aloft. I was taller than he then, and I thought it amusing to watch him jump for it.” Her head was down and her voice soft, almost childlike. How Nick wished he could have been there at that moment to catch her, save her, protect her. But he was here now. Perhaps she needed him now more than she ever did then.

“I didn’t realize how close to the hearth I was, and I spun round, my skirts twirling out. They caught fire and before they could be put out, my leg was damaged.”

He notched her chin up. “How did you survive the pain?”

Tears welled in her large eyes. He did not think she would shed them, but he’d seen them. “I’ve seen men with severe burns who give up the will to live because of the pain.”

She nodded as though she understood. “Dying was not an option,” she said simply.

He smiled. “Of course not.”

“And I had my cousin Catie to keep me company during my convalescence. Maddie and Josie came every day as well. They never told anyone what had happened to me. My mother wanted to keep my disfigurement a secret so as not to scare away prospective husbands. I kept telling her I was never going to marry!” She frowned at him. “You ruined that plan.”

“How thoughtless of me. If you recall, I tried to marry Lady Madeleine.”

“Then I suppose I should rejoice that I saved her from such a fate. What would you have done with her?”

He lowered his lips to hers. “Not what I am going to do to you.”

She might have spoken further, but the insistent pressure of his mouth finally persuaded her to give up conversation. He could hardly be expected to talk for very long with her gloriously naked before him, all warm and dripping wet from her bath. It might be months—it might be forever—before he had her thus again. He was not going to waste another moment.

His lips covered hers, his tongue teasing, his teeth nipping. Obediently, she opened her mouth and took him inside. She knew something about kissing. Nick imagined she’d been kissed many times, and she’d perfected the art of teasing him with her tongue, making him want more and more of her before she withdrew. His hands traced her bare back, and he felt her shiver, felt her control waver slightly.

He sucked on her tongue lightly, and she moaned, pushing against him, pressing those lovely, large breasts against his chest. His hands gripped her hips then lowered to her buttocks. She broke the kiss and skimmed her lips to his neck then trailed her mouth to his jaw. It was such a gentle act that it almost undid him. Her lips paused where his pulse beat, and she whispered, “Your blood does seem to be thrumming rather quickly.”

“You have me rather heated at the moment.”

“Mmm.” Back down his neck to his chest, where she kissed a path to his abdomen. “Not quite heated enough. What if I kiss you here?” She touched his erection, and he saw stars. This was the sort of thing men dreamed about. The sort of thing a lady like Ashley would never consent to. And there she was, lowering herself to her knees, taking him in her mouth, and swirling her tongue over his swollen flesh.

Just the picture of her, naked and glistening in the sun, kneeling before him was enough to make him come, but when she closed her mouth on him, he had to grab hold of a nearby tree to keep his knees from giving out. “How the hell do you know how to do that?”

She looked up at him. “Do you like it? Once I eavesdropped on a group of married ladies—well, they were not all what my mother would consider ladies. I did not understand why a man would want a woman to perform such an act.” She ran her hand over his hard, wet flesh. “But after last night, it became more apparent.” She continued to stroke him, making it difficult to concentrate on anything she said. “Would you like me to continue? Or perhaps we might try something else. I heard one of the so-called ladies tell of a woman with a large bosom who—”

He yanked to her to her feet. “You are full of ideas, and I promise you—I make a solemn vow—that we will try out each and every one. But if we continue in this manner now, I will embarrass myself.”

“But I want to watch you…” She gestured with her hand. “I do not know the word.”

She was so innocent and so worldly at the same time. Somewhere there was a God, and Nick must have done something very, very pleasing to have this woman to call his own at the moment. “Do you want the vulgar word or the more polite?”

She gave him an annoyed frown. “Oh, not the polite. There’s nothing polite about what I want to do to you.”

“I feel the same way. But now it’s my turn to watch you come,” he said, giving her the word she sought. He took her breasts in his hands, feeling their weight and the way they filled his palms completely. With a gentle squeeze, he lifted them and lowered his mouth to kiss the rounded tops. She tasted of the salty ocean air and smelled as fragrant as the island blossoms. He drank in both taste and smell then with small kisses, he moved to her nipples, taking first one then the other in his mouth, sucking gently then harder when she cried out for more. Her head had fallen back, and he maneuvered her against a tree so she might have some support as he fell to his knees and kissed her abdomen.

“No,” she said, immediately trying to pull him up. “No. My leg—”

“Is beautiful,” he said, putting a hand to the scarred flesh. “You are beautiful.”

“It’s not. Nick, please.”

His allowed his mouth to replace his fingers, kissing the scarred flesh until she stopped begging him to cease and began to beg him to continue. “Higher,” she moaned. “Please.”

“Here?” he asked, teasing her by kissing her hip.

“Nick, you know what I want.”

“Here?” He kissed the triangle of hair.

“Closer.”

He had his hand between her legs, and at his slight nudge, she parted them. Her cleft was wet and deliciously pink. He allowed his tongue to trace it before he kissed the inside of her thigh.

“Nick!” Her hands dug into his shoulders.

“Say it. Tell me what you want.” He looked up at her. “Or are you too polite?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Put your tongue between my legs.”

“Spread them.”

She did it, and he laved her with his tongue. Her head fell back, and her hands went to her breasts. He did not even think she was aware she touched herself. “More,” she said, her voice catching.

“More what?” He kissed her, parting her with his fingers until he could see that small nub, pink and waiting for his tongue.

“I don’t know what it’s called.”

“Then don’t say it politely.”

“Lick me. Suck me. Put your tongue inside me.”

He couldn’t have resisted even if she asked, not after that command. He did as she ordered, his tongue lashing her into a frenzy. Her fingers plucked at her nipples and her hips moved in rhythm to his ministrations. Finally, she shuddered and cried out. He scraped across her one last time, and felt her climax against his tongue. He almost came himself, but by sheer force of will, he rose and pinned her hands above her head, pushing her hard against the tree. “Since we are no longer being polite…” He held her hands with one of his, lifted her bottom with the other, and drove into her.

She screamed in pleasure, and he felt the last convulsions from her orgasm clenching around him. “Put your legs around my waist.”

She did so, and he took filled her to the hilt, driving himself into her, feeling her tighten around him. She felt so good, so wet and tight, and he could feel her clenching again, ready to come a second time.

If he hadn’t felt that climax on his tongue, if she hadn’t fit him so well, he would have controlled himself, pulled her down, and made her ride him until she came a third time. But he could not hold his own pleasure off, and he came when he felt her tighten around him, spilling himself into her with a groan.