A Captain's Destiny (5 page)

“But if, as you say, the money is rightfully yours, should you not settle this matter in the courts?”

Jack laughed again.

“What is so blasted funny?” she asked, offended.

“Not you, my lady. Never you,” Jack replied, and then he put his head back against the cool rock wall and closed his eyes.

*

Jack tried to sleep, but thoughts of Katherine filled his mind. Her attitude was naïve, but to be expected. She was highborn; she’d never had to work a day in her life, whereas he had had to help his father from the day he was big enough to carry a bucket of feed for the chickens or slop for the pigs. He couldn’t expect her to understand about the inequities of the legal system—the scales of justice were always tipped in favor of the rich—or anything else pertaining to the life of a common man like himself. She was above all that. They were as different as night and day. How could he even think about having her for his own? But there, in a nutshell, was the problem; he
did
want her for his own, and he thought about her that way almost every waking moment.

A cold clammy feeling was seeping into her bones. Katherine sat up and looked around. The light from the glowing embers of what was left of the campfire allowed her to see her captor. His long, lean body was stretched out along the cave wall nearest the entrance. The other two men were nowhere in sight, and she wondered where they had gone.

“Captain?” she called, quietly. There was not a sound in reply, so she called out again. “Captain…Jack?”

Groaning ensued along with a rude expletive. And then a surly question erupted from his mouth. “What?”

“I’m cold,” she whined miserably. “The fire has gone out,” she pointed out, instinctively crossing her arms over her mostly bare chest. Times like this she wished high-necked dresses were in fashion, or that she was at least dressed in one of her day gowns. At least they were made of warmer stuff.

“There’s no more dry wood. Come over here, and I’ll warm you up,” he said, lifting his blanket.

Katherine considered her options, and then she stood and slowly approached him. Stopping suddenly, she gasped at what she saw. Under the blanket he was as naked as the day he’d been born!

“Captain, you’re…you’re…” She couldn’t say the word
naked
. Doing so would be embarrassing as well as improper. Even if he’d been her husband, speaking of such things just wasn’t done.

“Oh, I forgot; I always sleep like this,” he stated, not quite apologizing.

She wasn’t entirely certain that he had forgotten his state of undress. But if she wanted to get warm, then she would have to put aside her morals for the time being. After all, these were not normal circumstances.

“Come on, I promise to behave like a gentleman, if you promise to behave like a lady,” he said with a smirking smile. Then he leaned on one elbow and looked at her, clearly waiting to see what she would decide.

Katherine thought for a minute. They were alone, but what if his men came back and saw them?

“All right, but turn your back.” He did as she requested, and she lifted the blanket and sat next to him. She had to struggle with her conscience to keep from ogling his tight little derrière, but finally she managed to lie down. With her back to his, she pulled the blanket up over her shoulders, and she soon was warm enough to fall asleep.

When she awakened sometime later she was shocked to find herself snuggled up to him, her breasts pressed into his back. But that was not all; she had one arm around his middle, her hand splayed over the crinkly hairs of his chest, and her legs were in between his.

Her first instinct was to pull away, but the feel of his hard body under her hand was enticing enough to make her stop and think. She had never even
seen
a man’s bare chest before, let alone
felt
one, and here was her chance.

Hearing the sound of his steady breathing, Katherine decided he was asleep. She began moving her hand upward through the patch of wiry hair, which fanned out like the mouth of a river, toward his shoulders. The short strands curled around her exploring fingers as if to hold her in its grip, a hold she was reluctant to break, so great was her excitement. But, being fearful that he would awaken suddenly and discover her wanton pursuit, Katherine decided to withdraw her arm from around him.

She had moved her hand several inches when it encountered a small, silky patch of flesh which was totally hairless. Knowing enough about the human anatomy to realize exactly what it was, her curiosity got the better of her good judgment, and she circled the soft little bump with her pointer finger.

Suddenly a big hand gripped her wrist. “If you continue to do that, I will not be held responsible for my actions, my lady,” Jack growled in a deep voice.

Katherine quickly pulled her hand away and sat up. “
You
were the one who insisted I lay down with you,” she reminded him, feeling the color rising in her face.

“But I wasn’t the one who decided you should fondle my nipple,” he returned smartly, as he threw back the blanket and fluidly rose to his feet. Afraid of what she might see, Katherine turned around so quickly that she almost wrenched her neck. She could hear him moving around behind her, but at least she couldn’t see him.

“It’s almost dawn. The rain seems to have stopped. I’ll go out and gather more wood. Perhaps some of it can be made to burn,” he said as he drew on his pantaloons. He followed them with knee-high boots, a long-sleeved linen shirt, and his great coat.

Jack was able to find some wood that wasn’t totally soaked, and once he got the fire going again, he made a pot of coffee. He poured them both a cupful and gave her some hardtack, which she took and ate without argument. She didn’t know if it was the cool, damp weather or the circumstances, but she was famished. The coffee warmed her body, and at least the unleavened bread stopped the rumbling in her belly. And though she was grateful for both, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him. She was still angry, and her pride wouldn’t allow her to forgive him for what he’d done.

“I want to show you something while it’s not pouring,” he told her unexpectedly and held out his hand to her. Curious, Katherine stood and took his hand, allowing him to lead her out of the cave and down a narrow muddy path leading along the cliff face to another cave. She was surprised to find one of his men, the first mate, standing guard at the entrance. Jack nodded at him, and then he drew her inside the cave, leading her along by one hand, a torch held high in his other hand.

This cave was larger than the one in which they had slept, and he continued to walk, bending at the waist when the ceiling was too low for him to stand upright. Even Katherine had to lean down a bit to keep from smacking her head on the ceiling. The passage, which led down into the earth, gradually narrowed from side-to-side as well. Water dripped here and there from the ceiling, and there were puddles everywhere. Her pretty satin shoes—the only ones Jack had brought her—were getting soaked through, but with her hand in his she didn’t feel cold. What she felt was claustrophobic.

“Are we going much farther?” she asked hopefully, not even trying to hide the anxiety in her voice.

“No, it’s just up ahead now,” he said, and a few steps later the small tunnel opened into a huge cavern. They both straightened up and stood there, staring as the light from the torch illuminated the great underground room.

“Jupiter and Mars!” she exclaimed, her eyes widening as she looked around. She didn’t normally swear, but the cavern was exceptional.

“It’s very impressive, isn’t it?”

“It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!” she cried. And it really was. There were glistening formations of some sort hanging from the ceiling, and these were matched by similar ones standing on the ground. Amazingly, they seemed to glow with a light of their own. She had never seen or heard tell of anything so wondrous, and her mouth fell open in awe.

“I thought you might like to see it.”

“Yes, indeed! Thank you, Jack,” she told him sincerely. She realized he had brought her to see the cavern for her own enjoyment, and she really did appreciate his thoughtfulness. He could be very thoughtful and considerate when the mood struck him; she knew that from experience. For an instant she remembered her childhood and how many times Jack had been her protector, her hero. But what about now? Had he been acting as her hero when he had abducted her from her home, or did he have an ulterior, selfish motive—one that would eventually reveal itself?

On the way out, Jack left her standing alone in the dark passage, while he turned down a branch off the main tunnel. “Stay here. I will be back shortly,” he promised, and she watched as the torch light bounced from wall to wall as he made his way down the narrower tunnel.

She figured the little passage must lead to where he had stashed the casket containing the stolen wages. Katherine shivered, but not from the cold. It was exceedingly dark in here, and the feeling of being closed in had returned, but fortunately for her it wasn’t long before Jack returned to her side. Then they proceeded back to the cave where they had spent the night.

Seated on the ground in the damp, dimly lit cave, Katherine was warmed by the campfire and the hot spicy seafood chowder brought to them by Jack’s cook. It was delicious, and Katherine freely complimented the man, who blushed profusely.

“It weren’t nothin’ much, your ladyship…just bits and pieces of whatever I could catch,” the man replied as he came back to retrieve the bowls.

As soon as the man had gone out to wash the bowls, she smiled at Jack. “He seems to be able to create miracles, whether on a ship or on dry land. Has he always been a cook?”

“No. He was a farmer when I met him. But he took to sailing right off and has been with me ever since.”

Katherine could imagine living on the sea nearly all the time, and she doubted many people could do it. Certainly the people she knew would not be as adaptable. Her stepfather would go stir-crazy in such a small space as a ship, and being stuck on a deserted island, without his friends and his law books, would be worse than death for him. Just then an image of scrawny, pale Viscount Richelieu sprang into her head, and she giggled.

“What?” Jack asked, giving her a confused look.

“I was just imagining Viscount Richelieu under these trying circumstances. He would most likely be crying for his mama and vowing to have you beheaded.”

“I do recall you wishing for something similar,” he reminded her, referring to her earlier tantrums upon discovering that he had abducted her.

Katherine gave him a remorseful look, shaking her head as she looked back over her shoulder at him. “I am sorry, Jack. I know now that you never meant me any harm. You were only trying to help me avoid a fate worse than death,” she told him, an impish dimple appearing in her cheek, as she smiled at her captor.

“Well put! But I dare say Richelieu would be aghast to hear it,” Jack remarked, smiling.

The howling of the wind could be heard outside the cave, and Katherine shivered, more from nervous energy than from the cold, although the air was brisk. Despite the hot food, and the fire, which Jack and the other men kept burning by frequent additions of wood they gathered, the cave was still damp and cold. Katherine sat huddled under her shawl, as near to the fire as she dared.

“You’re cold and we can’t leave until the storm abates. You should try to get some rest,” Jack said gently from the pallet where they had spent the previous night.

The blankets surrounding him looked warm and inviting, and Katherine knew that surrendering to the warmth of his body would be the only way she would get any sleep. But a part of her fought the desire to feel his arms around her once more. She had been embarrassed to the bone to discover herself wrapped around him that morning, and she was afraid of what might happen if she gave in to her body’s desire to be near him. He was too much man for her body to ignore.

Unlike the men who had courted her since her come-out, Jack was all male. He cared not about how he looked, about what he wore—or didn’t wear—or about any of the frivolities that were so popular with the men of her social standing. Indeed, he looked better than they ever could, even in their finery, when he was just dressed in simple breeches and a linen shirt. That thought drew her eyes to Jack’s tall, lean body, causing her to blush.

As Jack removed his clothing and slipped under the blankets, he smiled at her. “Now come here and lie with me. I will keep you warm, and you can do the same for me,” he said, as he patted the space beside him.

Katherine shifted over on her bottom, until her hips were next to his, all the while trying not to stare at the swirl of dark brown hair below his navel, which was slightly exposed when he invitingly lifted the blanket.

“You would be more comfortable if you removed your gown,” he said softly, as she tried to get comfortable.

Knowing he spoke the truth, she sat up, dropped her shawl, and allowed him to help her with the laces of her gown. Dressed only in her chemise, Katherine stretched out on her back next to Jack. It was much more comfortable without the encumbrance of her gown and slips, but now she was cold. She shivered.

“Turn on your side,” he said then, nudging her so that she turned and faced away from him. With Jack snuggled up behind her, his arm across her hip, Katherine felt as warm as toast. She was asleep in minutes.

Sometime later she began to awaken, as a big, warm hand made smoothing circles on her belly, while warm, wet lips nibbled the side of her neck. What Jack was doing felt good and non-threatening, and so she allowed it, as she continued to drift between sleep and waking.

It was another minute before she realized that the hand she felt was touching her bare skin, and that her chemise was no longer covering the area below her waist. Moving her hand down, she discovered her only remaining article of clothing gathered around her middle, and a large male hand was making circular passes over her exposed belly. She quickly realized whose hand it was, and she was about to protest, when his voice whispered in her ear.