Love's Abyss (St. John Series) (13 page)

Chapter Fifteen

Alex awoke to the sunrise the next morning and found himself cuddled up to the beautiful redhead. Her back was to him. She was holding onto the strong arm that was draped over her body. Memories of last night flooded his thoughts. He should have known better. She was Robert St. John’s daughter. No, she was
Lord
Robert St. John’s daughter—his father’s best friend. She moved slightly and snuggled her head more into the pillow.

He eased his arm from her grasp. She moved slightly sliding to her stomach. He eased his body out of bed, trying not to wake her. Picking up the trousers he had put on last night, he slid them up his long, muscular legs. His back arched in a slow stretch. He walked silently to the table, his bare feet not making a sound. He sat in one of the large leather chairs, leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table as he rubbed the back of his neck.

He could not shake the night’s events. Why did he do it? She was a virgin. He should have known that; after all, she came from a good family. However, she was on McClain’s ship. Any woman McClain had ever been acquainted with ended up in his bed, he reasoned. How was he supposed to know she was innocent? Inexperienced women don’t touch you the way she did. He was trying to make himself feel better. He leaned back in the chair, the cold leather causing a shiver to run down him as he rubbed one side of his face.

A knock came from the door. Alex stood up and moved as to not wake Madison. He quietly cracked the door open to view who was knocking. It was Max. He opened the door a little wider. “Yes?” Alex questioned his friend in a whisper.

Max looked at his friend. Alex was acting strangely he thought. “Uveah surveyed the side of the ship. She took some damage yesterday. We need to make port soon.”

He watched Alex take a deep breath, and then he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Max placed his hand on the door and opened it a hair more. Alex resisted the opening. Max peered over his friend’s shoulder. Madison was lying in the bed, the quilt covering the lower half of her body, her unclothed back exposed.

“Aw, Alex, you didn’t,” Max scolded his friend in disbelief.

“Mind your own business, Max,” Alex snapped at his friend. Max slowly raised one brow. “I’ll be up in a minute.”

Max shook his index finger and left.

Alex dressed in a hurry and met Max on the deck. “What’s the extent of the damage?”

“Other than top of the mizzen mast being broken from the storm, the hull has a large hole in it and several of the eight pound cannons have cracked barrels,” Max informed the Captain. “Not to mention the damage you caused to the captive.”

Alex shot Max a look of daggers. “The closest port is?” he snapped.

“Tortuga,” Max said.

“I hate Tortuga, but so be it. They have the best repairmen. How long until we dock?”

“Two days, maybe. Three tops.”

“Inform Kris. She can cook up the old fare. We’ll make repairs and gather supplies while there. Tell the crew.”

Max nodded. He shouted the orders to the crew on deck and then turned to his friend.

“What?” questioned Alex, knowing what was on Max’s mind.

“You know what,” Max countered, with disapproval in his tone.

Alex drew his brow together. “Who are you now, her father?” he replied with irritation in his voice. He did not need Max’s interference in his personal matters.

“No,” Max told his friend. “But I thought you had a plan, and she will complicate it. No, wait, she
did
complicate it.”

Rubbing his lips together, Alex glared. “My conscience has enough company right now without you butting in.”

“Ah, so you do feel guilty? What were you thinking?!” Max asked holding his hands up by his side in disbelief.

“Not now, Max,” Alex warned.

“Well, just get prepared. If Kris gets wind of this, she’ll be all over you. She likes that brassy hostage that you decided to take. She worries about her.”

“Well, inform your feisty little wife, that I am the Captain. I have reasons for what I do, and when and if I take a hostage, there is a purpose,” he said angrily, reminding Max of an angry bull that had been tampered with a bit too long.

“Are you angry at me for asking questions or at yourself for your actions?”

“Mind yourself, Max.”

“Just what I figured,” Max answered sarcastically. “But let me remind you,
Captain
, I’m your friend, and the only friend you have on this ship. Everyone else is here just for the pay, so don’t get snappy with me. I question your actions because I worry you may be getting in over your head,” Max snapped back.

Alex looked at his friend. “I appreciate your concern, Max, but I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you? I think you’ve gotten attached to your little guest.”

Alex gave Max a strange look. “Attached? I don’t know if you’ve noticed but we argue all the time. I’ve just been at sea too long and she was a warm body,” he said, trying to convince his friend that it was a onetime occurrence.

“The fighting . . . it’s foreplay,” Max voiced his reasoning out loud.

“Foreplay?!” Alex said in disbelief, laughter in his voice.

“Aye, foreplay. Hell, Alex, she is an attractive woman. If I wasn’t married, I’d be after her myself.” Max knew that was a lie, but he couldn’t let Alex know the grounds as to why. “But whatever your logic is, make sure she doesn’t get hurt with your plans.”

“Why are you concerned about her getting hurt? May I remind you of who her fiancé is, the grand and wonderful Commodore Andrew McClain. The same bastard who attempted to keelhaul you, murdered Kris’s parents and Maggie as well—”

“Exactly!” Max interrupted, “Make sure you’re not doing this to spite him. Remember she had nothing to do with McClain’s actions. Plus,” Max said slowly, “if she gets hurt, Kris will give us both hell for the rest of our lives. Despite what you think, she has begun to think of Madison as a sister.”

“All right,” Alex conceded. “Besides, I have no plans of it happening again.”

“Good.”

* * * *

Madison gave a lingering stretch. The sun shining through the window hit her eyes and caused her to squint. She rolled over and pulled the quilt up over her naked body. Reality hit her. She was naked, in bed. She sat up quickly and looked around wide-eyed. Alex was nowhere in the room. She let out a slow relieved sigh as she leaned over the edge of the bed and found her clothing. She pulled on the white shirt that was crumpled on the floor. She slowly got out of bed, the feel of the cool air on her legs caused her to shiver. She looked for her trousers. She couldn’t remember where Alex put them last night.

Her thoughts turned to the events that had transpired the night before. She couldn’t believe that she had allowed that to happen. She should have stopped him. Her fingers traced her lips as she remembered how his kisses felt on them, how they felt everywhere. A dreamy smile crossed her face as she remembered what occurred. She turned back towards the bed and noticed the red spot.

“What’s that?” she mumbled to herself.

She leaned over and examined the bloody stain. She quickly looked down at her legs. Where did it come from? She noticed her privates were tender. She lifted up the long shirt and detected the scant amount of blood on her inner thighs.

“Oh, my! It’s not that time of the month,” she whispered.

Kris came bursting through the door. She stopped short in her tracks at the site of her friend standing beside the bed wearing only the long white shirt. Madison quickly dropped the hem of her shirt and threw the covers over the place on the bed.

“Kris,” she said surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“Bringing your breakfast?” she said with suspicion in her voice. “What are you doing?”

“I’m . . . uhhh,” she had to think of something to tell her friend, but she didn’t want to lie. “I’m making the bed . . . for the Captain . . . as a thank you for stopping that horrid man yesterday.”

Kris looked at her friend and raised one brow. “Making his bed?” she asked suspiciously.

“Yes.”

“As a thank you gift?”

“Yes. It’s perfectly natural to give a gift of thanks when someone does something for you,” Madison said hurriedly, trying to convince Kris.

Kris didn’t buy Madison’s story. She was acting like she was trying to hide something. Kris started towards the bed. Madison hurriedly tucked the blankets into the sides. “I can get this Kris. Really!” Madison told her friend in a nervous voice.

Kris raced to the opposite side of the bed. “What are you trying to hide?”

“Nothing,” Madison insisted.

“Madison?” Kris said with a curious worry to her voice.

“Really, nothing.” Kris stared straight-faced at her friend. “I promise. I’mmmmm just doing a friendly gesture for his actions yesterday.”

“Well, all right. If you say you’re just returning a favor.”

“I am.”

“Okay.” Kris said and turned towards the window and began gathering Alex’s tattered clothing to repair. She waited for Madison to let her guard down. She jumped to the bed with the speed of a cat and threw back the covers. She let out a loud gasp.

Madison looked at Kris with shock in her eyes. “Now, Kris,” she said holding her hand out in front of her. “It’s not what you think.”

“Then what is it?” Kris replied in a skeptical tone.

“Well, it’s . . . I . . . uhhh . . . well you see . . .”

“Yes?”

“Oh, all right, it is what you think.” She couldn’t lie to Kris.

Anger began building in Kris’s dark brown eyes.

“Don’t be upset,” Madison said. “Please . . .”

“I’m going to . . . ,” Kris finished the rest of her sentence in Spanish. She was talking so quickly that Madison couldn’t understand her. “He took advantage of you,” she said through gritted teeth.

“I . . . I,” Madison stuttered. “No.” She looked down, then took a deep breath and raised her head. She looked her friend in the eye. “No, he didn’t.”

Kris ranted in rapid Spanish, pointing up, then towards the door, to the bed and then to Madison. In between all the pointing, she stomped her foot several times. Madison just stared at her friend. “I can’t understand you when you speak that fast. If you’re insulting me, please slow it down a little so I know how to respond.”

Kris took a deep breath. “I said I need to march up to the deck, make the Captain come down here, and apologize to you
after
I cut his
cojones
off!”

Madison just stared.

“Well, I added a few colorful words in the process.”

“Ah,” Madison responded.

Kris looked into Madison’s eyes. She could see the turmoil Madison was experiencing. It wasn’t that long ago when she experienced the same confusion, under different circumstances. Kris took a slow, collective sigh, held both her arms out and motioned Madison to her with her fingers. Madison timidly trudged towards her. Kris wrapped both her arms around Madison. Madison embraced her back. Her sobs were muffled in Kris’s shoulder. “What have I done?”

Kris stroked her friend’s hair. “There, there, Madison. It’s all right.” She took Madison’s head between her hands and pulled her away. She placed her forehead on Madison’s. “I know what you’re going through. Not too long ago I experience the same feelings, but it’s okay.”

“What have I done?” Madison repeated. “I am to be wed soon.”

At that realization Madison’s eyes grew wide. “Andrew! Oh, my gosh! What will he say on our wedding night? I’m assuming he will expect to see that.” She pointed towards the spot on the bed. “What am I to do?”

Kris looked sympathetically towards her friend. “First off, men don’t expect ‘to see that,’ all right?”

Madison nodded.

“And, secondly, don’t take offense at what I’m about to say. You are my friend, but I don’t think a marriage to that Commodore would be a good match for you. You are too good for him.”

“But . . .”

“There is nothing you can say to convince me otherwise. I have witnessed firsthand how he treats others. He is mean and cruel. You are too good for him. Now . . . back to the subject at hand, what happened between you and the Captain was a magical moment—well,
at least I hope it was. It is nothing to be ashamed of. However,” she continued, “he should have known better. Anyway, did you enjoy what happened?”

Madison looked shamefully towards the floor. “Yes,” she whispered.

“That is nothing to feel guilty about. What happens between a man and a woman is wonderful.”

Madison looked at her oddly. “But Miss Ruby said it was a disgraceful act, only to be done on your honeymoon and when a child is desired.”

“Who’s Miss Ruby?”

“My tutor.”

“Oh . . . well, she’s wrong. I enjoy my husband quite frequently—even before we were wed. There is nothing wrong with what happened. You shouldn’t feel ashamed. However, I would suggest it not happen again.”