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Ever since her chance meeting this morning with the stranger on his horse, an unanswered current of anticipation and curiosity piqued her interest. She wished she’d asked his name, learned more of his person before she’d dismissed him. Perhaps she played her game of plain country miss too well, at a loss for the formality of introduction and etiquette found in high society. Here in Brighton, London seemed a continent away.
Anxious to relish the sand beneath her toes and lose her concerns to the tide’s roll and retreat, she commenced a brisk walk along the same path as the evening prior, her aim the water’s edge. She had no intention of straying as far as before, knowing she should never have trespassed onto the private property near the jetty. Too much contemplation led to a loss in direction. How terribly contradictory. Tonight heavy thoughts muddled her mind in the same fashion. A letter had arrived from Father this afternoon, insisting she return to London with haste. He had plans for her future, his future too, and he wished to confer. A cynical smile twisted her lips. Somehow she doubted her input or objection would be valued enough to cause impact. Her father, a notable scholar and religious enthusiast, held distinct views on most all subjects.
Reaching the beach, she bent to remove her slippers and sighed long and thoroughly at the caress of soft sand beneath her soles. A rush of pleasant memories bombarded her, pushing away former contemplations. When Angelica was a child, Grandmother would bring her to the beach often, and allow her to run and splash in a manner unbefitting an earl’s daughter. Grandmother harbored a delightful rebellious stripe to her character, wishing for her granddaughter to experience the pleasurable joys of life without the constraints of formality and propriety. Oh, the secrets they shared. Adventures they referenced with a carefully chosen word or discreet flick of the eyes, grins to smother whenever someone mentioned a key element of a long forgotten hush-hush activity, forbidden by her father, only permitted during the summer months when she visited her grandmother.
Deep inside Angelica harbored that untamed ribbon of freedom still—thus her wish for adventure before acquiescing to her father’s sedate intentions. It was a private plan and clandestine goal to acquire a memory of absolute abandon: a single transcending experience to keep locked in her heart. She’d draw strength from the experience when she needed courage or regretted her forlorn lot.
At times it was difficult to rationalize how her father had grown through childhood in these surroundings with a mother who tried hard to conceal a mischievous glint in her eye but didn’t quite succeed. Still, Father was straight as an arrow, a humorless analytical thinker.
She glanced to the left, scanning the landscape where the beach curved toward the rocks, the dark looming manor house perched above. As usual it was solemn and quiet. An unexpected shiver rippled through her despite the warm air. She stalled in place to run her palms over her upper arms and stare at the sea. A smarter person would have brought a shawl or pelisse instead of wearing a thin day gown to traipse about in the night hours. She laughed low. Truly, she was hopeless, but at least she’d enjoy these moments. She wouldn’t dare oppose her father’s wishes even though they didn’t align with her view of the future. She needed to grit her teeth, bear his decision, and remain hopeful she’d find happiness in the life he’d planned for her.
Moving along near the water, careful to avoid the edge of lacy foam that washed near her feet, she tried with desperate measure to reassure herself all would turn out right, while she twisted the ribbon dangling from her collar into a frayed tangle. The next time she checked her progression, she stood not ten feet from the rocks she’d visited the night before.
The very devil. Despite her best intentions, she’d arrived at the same spot she’d sworn to avoid. She placed the lantern in a safe position and shook her head at the hypocrisy of it all. Wealthy aristocrats built huge houses and kept them locked up tight. Scholarly lords abandoned knowledge and pledged allegiance to indoctrinated religion. High-born ladies fled to Brighton to avoid their obligations. Children obeyed their parents or were forever cast off.
Still she had until the end of the week to make her decision. She had this evening to be free. She wriggled her toes deeper into the sand and relished a delighted shiver.
“I’ve discovered a mermaid come ashore.” Kellaway grinned when she started, his presence undetected against the rocks where he leaned, her surprise worth his weight in gold. A breeze caught the edge of her skirt, the hem rippling as if it waved him closer, and he obliged, taking two long strides and emerging from obscurity into the gleam of the lantern. The pale light enhanced her skin with a luminescence that indeed convinced him that here stood a breathtaking enchantress, a woman on the edge of reality as if she were a fantastic dream he’d craved so desperately he’d wished it to life.
She regained her composure despite his speculative assessment and eyed him with clever interest.
“And I’ve happened upon a pirate.”
Her voice had a husky quality, likely from the late hour and lack of use, each syllable passing through him to resonate in his groin. He chuckled, the sound captured and washed away with the onslaught of waves against the rocks. Perhaps he appeared piratical, his collar agape and shirt tails pulled free atop his tight fitted breeches and tall boots. He hadn’t bothered with a queue and his hair whipped in the wind as recklessly as hers.
“Aren’t you concerned you’ll be caught trespassing on this stretch of land?” He swept his hand to the left in a careless motion.
What was it about this woman? She possessed rare, ethereal beauty, yet showed strength of character, not at all threatened while speaking to a stranger or repentant in her actions. Females usually simpered when he cast an eye in their direction, vying for an indication they stood a chance of warming his sheets.
The mental visualization of the lovely nymph in his bed, eager and waiting, raised his interest another notch. Damn his lust. He enjoyed a casual tumble. That was all. Emotion was complicated and time-consuming, and this woman intrigued him beyond comprehension. The dangerous notion warned he tread with care.
“Aren’t you?” Her brisk retort snared his return to their conversation.
Excellent. She had no notion of his identity, nor did she care. “I rarely worry myself with aristocratic concerns.” That was a lie—his title and lineage sharp thorns in his side.
She darted her eyes to the house behind him, high on the cliff, pitch black aside from the lanterns Bitters had lit in the front rooms when his friends departed, undetected from where they stood on the beach. The cliffs climbed their steep ascent, so high even he had to extend his neck to follow her line of vision. Goddamn, his house looked like a fortress, locked up tight, sealed from the world of emotion that waited outside. Dark, like his soul. Empty, like his heart.
“You should.” Her mouth hitched in a delightful half smile. “The lofty lord who owns this monstrosity would justly see us jailed for treading on his land. Perhaps he’s counted every grain of sand, every ripple of water that washes ashore.” The last remark held an acidic note of disdain. “I left on an evening walk, but never meant to wander this far. I’m not usually of a reckless nature.”
At last she realized the danger of her actions, but truly she’d be smarter to worry about his intentions than the master of the house, even with her blatant dislike of titled peers.
“Not of a reckless nature? I am.” That was a truth.
When she flicked her eyes to his, caught in the net of interest he’d cast, he elaborated. “At least many believe it true as they assess my staggering wagers with critical speculation, label my phaeton races as harrowing and mad, and hold me responsible for each dangerous liaison when it’s the women who should know better than to tempt me. I’m often accused of recalcitrance for what is more boredom than interest, and yet my absent conscience enamors the gossips into spinning rumors of legendary scandal.” He watched for her reaction.
“And you’re proud of this reputation?”
She appeared unaffected by his lengthy description of imprudent character and unrepentant debauchery, yet he couldn’t be certain.
“More a relaying of facts.” That was the second lie. Stories of his actions and relationships were greatly exaggerated to provide lascivious storytelling. The threads of truth were there, for he enjoyed all the aforementioned disreputable habits in moderation, but the mongers of gossip had woven his exploits into a colorful tale—simultaneously providing him the armor necessary to live with the choices of his parents’ indiscretions. It proved a convenient dual relationship.
A distant boom of thunder drew her attention and he used the distraction to step closer.
Her hair looked as golden as fresh straw, her skin creamy soft, and her body, silhouetted by the wind’s persistence to mold her diaphanous gown to curves in all the right places, offered promises of exquisite pleasure. He wondered for a fleeting moment if he was lost in some strange hallucination, the likes of which he hadn’t experienced since his jaunt through Arabia and his wild decision to smoke from the pipe offered.
But no, this midnight beauty was real.
“And what would cause a mermaid to leave the safety of the sea and run the risk of confronting an incorrigible pirate?” He cast his eyes to the moon, noting a brisk roll of cloud cover racing across the sky.
Her brows shot straight to the heavens. “I’m restless more than reckless, I suppose.”
She didn’t reveal more, perhaps believing her answer sufficient, and he leaned a little closer, catching the scent of fresh cardamom and sweet cherries. The exotic fragrance jolted to the forefront, a rush of memories from sultry past travels. Perhaps he dreamed, after all.
Again a baritone of thunder sounded. A streak of lightning rent the sky soon after. Her eyes flared and, sensing she might slip away before he learned how to find her again, he took one final step.
“With the weather threatening, will you once again slip into the waves, a sea nymph dissolved into gossamer mist?”
She smiled and his heart thumped a heavy beat. The wind scattered clouds to obscure the remaining moonlight and cobalt shadows slid across the rocks, the steady ebb and flow of the waves mimicking the rhythm of their conversation.
“And what would a nefarious pirate do when confronted with a mermaid seeking adventure?”
Her eyes ran over him from top to bottom and his skin heated under her scrutiny. Was she encouraging his attention? He was both confident and unsure, while her bold, flirtatious inquiry caught him off guard and elevated their conversation to an acute physical level. He knew with certainty what he wanted to do. Lower her to the sand, strip her bare, and drive into her luscious warmth. But what could the woman be after? He’d never felt so unbalanced when dealing with a female, still nothing satisfied like a quest or challenge.
With the next gust of wind the clouds broke, releasing a drenching rain that doused the lantern to a gleaming sputter. Without hesitation, he captured her around the waist to sweep over his shoulder in true pirate fashion, as if he’d plundered for booty and now stole the treasure. His long strides carried them to the groundskeeper’s cottage across the beach, partially hidden by a rock formation jutting a line between the coastline and house. It offered a wall of protection and a tangible landmark in the pitch-blackness. Her surprised laughter beat against his back in time with her small fists, and the novelty of her rebellion provoked him to grin.
Shifting to cradle her in his arms, he deposited her with care beneath the eaves of the cottage, then swept a palm across his brow to slick back the lengths of hair fallen forward, both of them soaked to the bone and reclaiming breath, her from amusement and him from the sprint across the sand. He eyed her, not at all sure if she would scream her discontent or lash him for his outrageous endeavor, but she remained quiet.
The downpour transformed into a steady rain, dripping from the eaves to form a curtain of water that secluded them from where they once stood. A palpable tension took hold. They were wet. They were strangers. And each lightning strike ensured they were trapped together for the time being.
Chapter Five (#ulink_10b178bf-2ded-5ad5-a400-b29f2723f667)
Angelica eyed the handsome pirate who’d captured her attention and absconded with her person. His deep tenor caused a pleasant prickling of gooseflesh to dot her arms, while her mind raced with the current predicament. Here she stood in the middle of the night, hardly able to see the man beside her though she could feel the heat from his nearness, sense his potent masculinity, hear each exhalation. When he’d set her down, his hands had grasped her waist with strength and gentle agility. A flutter of excitement coalesced with fear and anticipation to send her pulse into a mad race. He may have carried her across the beach, but it was her heart that pounded in response. His body hard as stone beneath her stomach as he’d moved them to shelter, the shifting tension of his muscles against the thin barrier of her wet gown difficult to ignore.
She’d wished for some kind of adventure. Akiss from a stranger. A boldflirtation. They were guiltless wants. Indulgences before she returned to London and accepted her father’s decisions. Now serendipity offered a chance to grasp hold of an adventure, to create a memory that bespoke of freedom and choice…and pure pleasure.
Something about the man, his large stature and visceral command, intrigued her on a level she’d never experienced. He drew her to the situation as if she clung to a rope and he merely wound her closer. Deeper and tighter, pulling her into conversation, illicit and rich with innuendo, and though she knew it unseemly, she’d enjoyed it. Worse, she went willingly, any voice that warned she flirted with danger or tempted fate was silenced by her desire to see what might happen next. What he would say or how he might behave. He was tall, strikingly handsome, and absolutely forbidden. Virility rolled off him in waves. She should have a care. She knew better. Still that ever-present undercurrent of wild curiosity suffocated any suggestions made by common sense.
While she contemplated her reckless not restless behavior, he lit the lantern on the hook by the door and bathed them in the soft glow of the lamp.
“We need to dry off.” He said the words as if they were an edict to be obeyed, and she nodded her agreement although how they were to accomplish the task remained unknown.
He wriggled the knob on the door and patted his pocket, although she couldn’t imagine why. Only the groundskeeper and the owner of the manor would retain a key. Then he raised his boot and before she could summon an objection, kicked in the cottage door with a dull thud. He grabbed the lantern from the hook and preceded her, glancing over his shoulder and offering a winsome smile to imply she should follow inside.
She swallowed audibly. What was she doing? This was insane, yet she’d never felt so enthralled. Some unspoken sensation she couldn’t explain assured she was in no peril, but still how could one be certain? If he desired, this stranger would overpower her with ease proving only a fool should enter the cottage. A rumble of thunder concurred, underscoring her decision to depart. She managed one step backward before his hand shot through the doorframe, captured her wrist, and tugged her into the dry shelter of the room.
Once inside she barely moved, though he busied himself with an ease that exuded well-worn confidence. The steady rain on the roof seemed to count the seconds, measure her exhalations. She strove to regain a normal breathing pattern. He made a fire in the hearth, lit another lantern, and gathered towels from a closet near the cupboard. For all intents, he did not appear a sex-crazed ravisher who’d lured her inside with the intent to force his advantage and steal her virginity. For some peculiar reason the rash thought hitched her emotions higher and her pulse raced in response, making her head swim with indecision.
Indeed, she required composure gathering, but the concept was near impossible to fathom. Now that they had light, she noticed every firm muscle outlined through his sodden linen shirt. Her gaze drifted upward over his biceps and broad shoulders to his collar where droplets of rain flicked from the lengths of his long hair to the floor with each movement. He possessed startling handsomeness, his hard-etched features profiled in the glow of firelight, the growth of new whiskers evident on his chin, acting the hero and looking the part, yet one carved of stone. Perfect in almost every way, but not quite alive. The thought struck her as odd, but she had no time to consider it.
“Dry off or you’ll catch a chill.”
Another command and she, who usually had a witty retort or friendly reply on the tip of her tongue, accepted the towel and did as she was told, no matter the deep timbre of his voice sounded more brusque than concerned. When at last she’d accomplished the best result possible, he came to stand before her and she stared at the flesh exposed by the absence of a cravat, his collar plastered to his shirt, almost translucent, the pale linen several shades lighter than his skin, which was darkened to a medium brown from sunshine and negligence.
He stood close. Too close. The hairs on the back of her neck rose in objection, warning that were she to tilt her eyes upward she would be as near to a man, as near to a kiss, as she’d ever been. Her breathing went shallow as if she feared a deep inhalation would overtake the gap between them and somehow close the scant distance separating their bodies.
Still, she didn’t even know his name. This pirate who’d somehow inserted himself into her plan for carefree adventure and tempted too many things to consider. She should return to the beach and find her way home. If only the weather would ease a bit.
She didn’t raise her chin. She couldn’t look at him. To look would be dangerous. How easy to get lost in his eyes. What color were they anyway?
She wouldn’t succumb to the charming tenor of his voice and fall prey to the seduction of his words. He swallowed and she watched the movement of his throat, felt the warmth of his breath against her temple. She thought he might speak, but the moment stretched, bristling with a shared energy, an unknown frisson of tension and potent untapped emotion that radiated between them with unexplainable heat.
Her body reacted.
She should feel chilled—damp layers of clothing clung, her hair dripped, her skin cooled—yet instead, warmth drenched her core. A tingling rise of sensation was alive within, ricocheting from point to point, swirling and settling low in her belly with a tremulous tension as if she’d drawn back a harp string and held it extended, taut and stretched tight, quivering, begging to be released but unable to do so, not knowing how. Was this prurient desire? Men of his ilk likely experienced it all the time.
She had little knowledge of it.
Not even one kiss worth.
The realization spurred her to action. To look into his eyes might prove her downfall, but she raised her gaze to his.
He matched her curiosity. His eyes a rich shade of mahogany, framed by long thick lashes. A flicker of amusement gleamed in their depths and her heart squeezed with panic. What was she doing? Had she lost all sense?
“I need to leave.” She managed the words despite her constricted throat. “I shouldn’t be here with you.”
A shadow of some unidentifiable emotion passed over his brow. “The cottage is empty and you can’t leave in this weather.” His reply sounded calm and even, unlike hers. “Aside from the downpour, the lightning is dangerous, and there’s no way you can find your way home in the darkness. I’m not about to venture outside until the rain lessens.”
His words were reasonable, but her pulse hitched another notch. She had no rebuttal other than a silent wish that he didn’t stand so close or smell so intriguing. The rain brought out a subtle masculine scent, leather and shaving soap, that permeated her memory ensuring she’d never forget the detail. Her eyes skimmed over the whiskers at his chin, blunt and bristly. How would they feel against her fingertips? Her neck? The forbidden thought did little to settle her composure.
“Perhaps I’ll stand near the fire.” The words escaped as a husky murmur.
“You may move wherever you wish.” He stepped away to enable her to pass, despite his words issuing a challenge.
As she did so, she was rewarded with a smile, a flash of white teeth, straight and even. She slanted him a sideways glance, aware of the gleam in his deep brown eyes. For him this seemed a game. A wave of foolishness swamped her, the necessary elixir to at last restore her heart to a normal rhythm. She busied herself with arranging her skirt before the flames, rubbing her hands together and making a show of gathering warmth. Had the downpour lessened? The rain on the roof seemed lighter, softer, unless it was her own heartbeat in her ears that hampered the sound.
“Are you warm then?”
His question sounded genuinely curious. Here was no ravisher of women, stalking the night hours in search of prey to capture. She almost laughed aloud at the ridiculous notion she’d conjured.
“Would you like some tea?”
He would make her tea? La, definitely not the action of a depraved seducer. Her pulse calmed considerably.
“It would warm me, no doubt, but I can’t possible stay. I shouldn’t be here and the rain has reduced to a drizzle. I shan’t melt if I leave to find my way home.”
“I can’t allow you to slip into the night unescorted. Who knows what mischief you may encounter next?” He paused and she didn’t miss the implication of his question. “Where do you live? I’ll return you once the weather abates.”
He approached the fire to stand beside her and again she looked away. She had the niggling feeling that to look at him overlong would be to succumb altogether. He possessed a carnal attractiveness that was absent of the gentlemen in London—a virile, sensual quality that caused her to blush when she considered it. Good God, to experience his kiss.
The wild notion took hold and anchored her resolve, securing her disinclination and transforming it to reticence. This was the adventure. This was the moment she craved. One kiss and then she’d dash out the door, a mystery, unable to be found. Forever changed.
She turned to face him where he’d approached from behind. “That sounds a logical plan.” She clenched her still-damp skirts to calm her trembling hands. “How can I thank you?”
“There is no need. A mermaid and a pirate are kin to the ocean.”
He curled a sincere smile and she experienced the full force of his handsomeness. Pirate, prince, pauper…it didn’t matter. His gaze, as intoxicating as brandy, warmed her from the inside out.
“Perhaps a small token.” He reached forward to raise a curl between them, caressing the lock of hair between his thumb and forefinger. “Something to remind me I haven’t drunk too much liquor and imagined this little nighttime escapade.”
She almost laughed. How was it he read her thoughts, peered into her heart and realized her secrets? “Of course.”
He bent to his left boot and removed a dagger that quickly caught the firelight on its blade. Her breath snagged, realizing late she’d been far too trusting and more than foolish. Perhaps her father was right of mind to secure her a future where she would never be tempted by wanton adventure. This remembrance prodded her to act, mindful of the scarcity of her time in Brighton. While she considered this, he sliced through the crimson ribbon at her collar, removing the length to twist tight with a strip of leather meant for his hair. He tucked it into his pocket, the gesture confusing and…intimately romantic.
Sudden heat consumed her. She must be too close to the fire. Again, she caught the scent of his shaving soap and breathed deep, wanting to keep the memory. She watched his face in the enveloping silence, his smoldering gaze, golden brown, fixed as if she were his only focus, as if he memorized her somehow, etching a permanent picture or wishing to divine her intentions. Indeed, this man likely gained anything he wished for. He exuded confidence and strength—a man who conquered those around him, allowing little disruption, akin to a captain who commanded his crew and the high seas.
The crack and sizzle of fresh wood in the hearth overrode the sound of raindrops on the roof. Perhaps the weather cleared at last. The breath-robbing realization that she’d no longer have an excuse to stay cozied in this cottage took hold. A ridiculous, addled thought. What was she about anyway, every thought a contradiction?
A hot spike of desire reminded her that she sought a kiss this evening. Her eyes dropped to his lips, full and sensual, crafted by the devil for kissing and seduction, and she grasped hold of her adventure with both hands, her fists clenched in her skirt with determined vehemence.
“I, too, have a request.” Her voice sounded unlike her own. Who was this bold woman who dared ask for kisses?
“I will escort you home. There is no need—”
She stayed him with a raised hand, her now steady palm lowered flat to rest on his chest, the linen against her fingertips soft and damp, the muscles beneath hard and smooth.
“I want a kiss.” Her voice almost quavered. In an unexpected twist of circumstances, she swore she saw his eyes widen before his puzzled expression transformed into one of assured complacency. When she spoke, he placed a fingertip over her mouth to stall her words. He tugged softly on her bottom lip, dragging his touch to trace over the fullness to the arch of her upper lip and delicately across her skin, down again, the subtle pressure of his caress resonating through her body instead of solely where they connected.
He swept his palms across her cheeks, brushed his knuckles down her neck and rested his palms on her shoulders. His hands were firm, possessive, and at once her body responded, full-knowing every action beyond this point was new territory, long wished for and much desired.
The warmth of his exhalation against her temple signaled he’d stepped closer, yet his hands still rested against her nape as if waiting for her to bolt, measuring whether she’d change her mind and scurry from his clutches. There was no chance of that.
She didn’t know his name and didn’t need to. She hadn’t planned on this kiss, but she wanted it nonetheless. Nothing could remove her from this moment. It was the one lifeline she’d treasure when her future changed altogether.
A kiss? Kellaway knew women. All kinds. And although the young miss in front of him had a bolder approach than the trussed-up ladies in London, he could easily decipher she was out of her depth. And scared. She trembled beneath his touch and it wasn’t from his intimate attentions. He had no doubt he could bring her to such a point, but that wasn’t important. At least not now.
She appeared too innocent to be accustomed to the predicament of requesting a kiss from a man, gathering the affection as one might collect rare coins or decorative salt spoons. He’d have much preferred to participate in the first kiss of her life, but why would he deserve the right? He’d kissed a shameful amount of females in his lifetime. Debutantes and virgins excluded, and rightly so.
Her expression shifted to one of discomfort. Gone was the valiant confidence, replaced by a glimmer of panic in her eyes, her mouth pressed tight as if she suffered from a debilitating bout of collywobbles. He almost laughed. Best be done with her request quickly.
The rain subsided, a noticeable hush enveloping the cottage as the patter of a light drizzle tiptoed across the roof, the perfect weather for tarrying in bed. He should grant her the boon and see her home otherwise he’d be tempted to invite her to his chambers, as even the weather conspired with his lust.
Unsettled by her reaction, he searched her face for any clue as to why she would wish to proposition a complete stranger, but Lord, desire won out. This was no time for intelligent deliberation.
He took her mouth with anxious intent, unwilling to allow doubt or some other emotion to change her mind before he tasted her lips and discovered her flavor. How much could a man endure? At first sight of her in the moonlight his body had reacted. The drenched image of her now, wet and gleaming from the sudden rain, convinced him he wanted to devour her more than anything else.
He held her firmly, his mouth sealed to hers, unable to pull away, somewhat bewitched and bedeviled. Somehow the controlled favor he meant to deliver quickly unraveled into something else altogether…an unknown entity, a spell of pleasure. He had no explanation other than he wished it would never to stop, whatever it was. This kiss proved life wasn’t all regret and resentment; it assured a sliver of hope prevailed. He’d gone overlong without genuine affection and, somehow, this kiss offered the very comfort absent in his soul.
Yet too soon the carnal physicality of her soft curves chased away unexpected notions. Lust reigned.
