A Pirate's Curse (Legends of the Soaring Phoenix) (28 page)

“Hungry
, were you lass?” William teased. “I’ve never seen a woman devour so much food.”

She frowned.

He laughed.
“I’m just kidding, Hannah. Would you like to take a stroll on deck with me? Kane, do you mind?”

Kan
e shrugged. “’Tis up to her.”

She looked between them.
“That will be fine.” What was she? The prize between two warriors?

William stood
and offered his hand. She glanced at Kane. He gave her a curt nod, poured some rum into his glass and turned away from her. He talked in a low voice to Amadi, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. She ran her hand down his back as she left the galley and smiled as he shivered beneath her touch. 

William led her up the stairs to the main deck.
The stars had replaced the sun. There was a waxing moon tonight. Lucky for Kane and his men. Only a full moon brought out Zuto’s curse. At least, Kane would remain a man.

They walked in silence.
William stopped and leaned against the mast. “So, lassie, I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

“About?”

“About this morning. I didn’t mean for you to think I didn’t approve of your…” he hesitated. “…ability or you learning to fight.”

She
gazed over the portside at the rushing water, splashing onto the side of the ship.

He
gripped her shoulders and turned her around. “I don’t want you to be in danger, Hannah. You need to be far away from the
Fiery Damsel
.”

“You’
re thinking of Sharon?”

His eyes clouded.
“Promise me you won’t do anything dangerous. I don’t want you to die.”

He avoided
her question, but she didn’t press him. “I promise I’ll be safe.” She tilted her chin. “You don’t think I should be with Kane.”

“Aye.
” He lifted her chin, his thumb caressing her skin. “Kane can’t offer you much of life, Hannah. Not until the curse is lifted.”

She stepped away, his hands dropped.
“I know, William, but I’ve made my choice.”

He hung his head.
“You never even gave me a chance.”

She shook her head.
“You’re wrong, William.” She grabbed his arm and squeezed. “I do have feelings for you as a friend. I’m sorry.”

Hurt filled his eyes.
“Fine. Stay safe.” He pushed her hand down his arm, turned and left.

She stopped.
What was she saying? What did she feel for Kane? Just admit it. She was in love with a vampire pirate.

Hannah
returned to Kane’s cabin and sat on the bed. Every muscle ached and she wanted a bath, but she didn’t even know if she could summon the strength to ask for one. Kane opened the cabin door. “What happened with you and William?”

She jumped.
“Nothing, why?”

He slammed the door. “Well, he grabbed a bottle of rum and he’s sitting
down at the stern getting
stinkin’
drunk.”

She
sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “I’m sorry, Kane. He just does not want me to end up like Sharon.”

“And?”

She rubbed the back of her neck. “Kane, I don’t want to argue.”

He crossed his arms.
“Then tell me.”

Why did everything have to be a battle with him?
“Telling you means that we’ll argue. I’m tired of arguing.”

“I promise you that I won’t argue with you.”

“That grim expression on your face says otherwise.”

“What did William say?” he prodded, but softened his voice and relaxed the scowl.

“Fine.” She sighed. “I’
ll tell you, but that is the end of the discussion. Promise?”

Kane nodded.

“He told me I should not be with you. Happy.”

“He did what?”

She regretted her shrewish tone. “I’m just tired.” She patted the bed. “Come over here before you do something feckless. I told him I wanted to be with you. Curse or no curse.”

H
is glower slowly disappeared, replaced by a grin. “You did?”

She pushed away a lock of his hair from his face.
“Yes, I did.”

“So, is that why he’s getting drunk?”

She grimaced as a knot crippled her hand. “I guess.” She rubbed her hand.

He
glanced at her hand. “What’s wrong with your hand?”

She shook her hand, trying to
loosen the knots. “Oh, ’tis just sore from today.”

“Lie down on the bed.”

He gave her a disconcerting smile. Too tired to care, she did as she was told. “Why? What are you going to do?”

“
Take your clothes off, and get under the covers. I’ll be back in a minute.”

T
he door shut softly. Her face heated at removing her clothes. She yanked off her boots and tossed them to the floor. Disregarding his order, she crawled under the covers. Soreness gripped her and she wanted to sleep. The blankets smelled of Kane. She clutched his pillow inhaled his scent, drifting to sleep. The door opened and her eyes fluttered open. Kane carried a tray with jars and bottles. She yawned, “What’s that for?”

He placed the tray on his desk, opened a bottle and a soft sweet
aroma of jasmine filled the cabin. “You’ll see.” He frowned. “I told you to get undressed.”

“I was cold.”

“Ah, ah.” He walked over to the bed.

Hannah clutched the blankets tighter. “Kane.”

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he promised. “But this can’t be done with you fully clothed.”

“What can’
t be done?”

He grabbed the quilt and leaned over, his hair brushing against her skin. “Hannah, let go.”

She trembled. “What are you going to do?”

“Trust me. I promise I won’t hurt you.
Every man aboard this ship has indulged in this pleasure after a hard day of practicing with the sword.”

“Every man?”

“Yes.” Curiosity got the best of her and biting her lip, her fingers released the blanket.

“Roll over.”

She did, too tired to fight him. He held her gaze as he slowly undid her breeches and pulled them off her legs. His fingers sent chills down her spine. He moved up her body and undid her buttons on her shirt. He kissed her stealing her breath as his hands maneuvered her arms out of the shirt. Groaning, he muttered, “You better remove your chemise or I’m likely to rip it in half.”

He got off the bed and hurried over to the desk. Disappointment filled Hannah as she removed her chemise. His kiss had her forgetting her sore muscles and his masculine taste teased her. She wanted more, but she sighed
and covered herself with the blankets.

“Roll onto your stomach.”
He poured oil into his hands and rubbed his hands. His wicked look turned her core to a smoldering liquid. “Lay still.”

She clutched the pillow
tighter, every muscle winding into a tight knot, as he sauntered over to the bed. Any minute her muscles would snap like a whip. He climbed on top of the bed. “Relax.”

She tried to relax
, but when he pulled down the covers, his knuckles brushed against her skin. He straddled her naked buttock and she nearly jumped five feet. “Kane, what are you doing?”

He gently pushed her down.
Leaning over her, his hair caressed her naked back, sending chills to every tired muscle. “Trust me,” he whispered in a husky voice.

He caressed her shoulders, working the sweet oil into her shoulder and the crook of her neck.
His hands glided down to her slender back, pressing against the knots and tightness, stroking, kneading, manipulating each ridge of her spine, releasing the adjoining tension. She moaned as he worked the massage deeper into her body. She was a slave to his magical touch, wanting more, much more.

Kane edged further down her body, sitting on her calves
. His fingers slid down her thighs, moved up her buttock and pressed on her lower back. She groaned and clutched the pillow.

Oil spattered on her back
and she jolted. “What are you doing?”

“Slowly torturing you.”
His firm hand nudged her back, and he cracked every stiff bone along her spine. With each snap, she surrendered to him, powerless to move. Where did he learn this? 

Travel
ing to her buttocks and moving up her spine, he pressed down onto her flesh, molding her into a piece of dough ready to shape into whatever he wanted. Every place he caressed her skin grew hotter. Her pounding heart thumped blood between her temples. She was in a sultry steaming bath.

He
glided his hands down past her thighs and calves. She quivered when his fingers skimmed over her. He changed his rhythm from lightly tapping to harder drumming. Her muscles grew slack under his sleek manipulations. When he worked his thumbs into the arches of her feet, she moaned like a dying woman and shifted on the bed. 

She jumped as
he kissed her leg, the soft feathers of his hair caressing her flesh, sending tremors up her spine. She sighed as his palms drove deeper into her sore muscles. Serenity filled her every core. “Mmm, nice.”

His fingers brushed over the scratch on her thigh.
She winced. Pain gripped her.

He stopped kissing her.
“What’s wrong?”

She glanced over her shoulder.
“Nothing.” She avoided Kane’s penetrating eyes. The memory of Jacques’ sneer and long fingernails haunted her and she shuddered. He had been so violent, not caring about how she felt, determined to violate her, punish her, rape her.

He frowned
and rubbed her lower back. “You cried out. Did I hurt you?”

“No, no.”
She bit her lip and laid her head down on her pillow. She tried to block out the memories of Jacques, but her thigh throbbed and she couldn’t push him out of her mind. She tensed. “H-h-he hurt me there, and it hurt when you touched me,” she murmured.

He stopped rubbing her back, his hand pressed down.
“Let me see it.”

Her face burned hot.
How could he ask that? She wanted to curl in a ball and crawl under the blanket. “No, it will heal in a couple of days.”

His voice hardened.
“Hannah, show me where D’Aubigne hurt you.”

He grabbed her hips and turned her, but she
gripped the blanket, refusing to be turned around. “No! Stop.”

He lay down next to her.
“You’ve a choice. You show me what he did, or I send Doc in here.”

She turned her head.
“No!”

“Fine.
” He sat up. “I’ll send for him.”

She slipped further under the covers and wrapped the blanket around her neck.
“Kane, no, you can’t do this!”

He rubbed her back.
“Hannah, I’ll know what he did to you, one way or another. ’Tis me, or Doc. Take your pick.”

She
buried her wet cheeks onto the pillow. “Please don’t do this to me.”

He patted her back.
“I’ll send in Doc.” He moved away from the bed and put his hand on the doorknob.

She sobbed.
“Kane, stop.” Her heart sank at his grim face. There was no mercy in his look.

“Fine,” she whispered.
“I’ll show you, you bastard.”

He strode
back to the bed and gently pulled the covers down, chilly air rushing over her. He gripped her shoulder and rolled her onto her back, showing him the bruises on her thighs and bite marks on her breast. She closed her eyes unable to look at him.

“Bloody hell!”

She opened her eyes and shrank. His furrowed eyebrows and tight line of his mouth chilled her blood. He stormed to his desk. She grabbed the blanket and covered herself, curling into a ball. Kane grabbed a jar and tore the lid off. The scent of sweat heather filled the room, easing her tight muscles.

Kane sat back down.
He pushed her hair back from her face. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I should have stopped him.”

“Kane, you were strapped to a breaking wheel.”

“I’m a bloody vampire. I should have been able to stop him.”

“During the full moon.”

He sighed, running his hand down her arm. “Jacques will pay for what he did to you.”

She sniffed and nodded.

“Hannah,
lower the blanket. I promise you’ll feel better.” She gulped but obeyed, avoiding his eyes, and stared at the ceiling. He smeared a salve onto her breast and she jumped. Kane’s face remained frozen. Was he repulsed?

He lifted the blanket and placed it on half of her shivering body.
His fingers smoothed salve onto her right thigh, and she gritted her teeth.

His expression
softened. “I’m sorry, love. I didn’t mean to hurt you. The salve will heal the bruises and the scratch.” He crossed the room and opened a dresser drawer, taking out a white sheet, which he tore into long strips.  He sat on the bed and, gingerly, wrapped strips around her thigh. “Get under the covers.” She nodded and obeyed. Was he disgusted?

He put out the lantern
, and she waited for him to leave, but the bed sank with his weight. He stretched out next to her and gathered her into his strong arms, holding her close to him, and the nightmare vanished. He kissed her on the top of her head. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.” She believed him.

Snuggling closer to him, her breathing soon matched his.
She rested her head on his chest, her tears slipping down her cheeks. His arms tightened around her and he kissed her again. “Shhh,” he whispered.

Her eyes grew heavy and she
kissed his chest. He sucked in his breath and she smiled, slowly drawing on his chest with her fingers. Strong arms tightened around her and she sighed. The memory of Jacques’s evil face faded. She lifted her head and stared into Kane’s hooded eyes. The vampire would protect her. Kane was hers.

She woke the next morning and he was gone. Where was he? Just before they drifted to sleep, she had tried to kiss him, but he had turned his head away. She had run her fingers over his chest and he had told her to stop, his voice stern. Was she soiled goods?

She sat up and blinked back tears.
Her sore fingers hurt, but she was determined to practice using her cutlass. She got out of bed and winced. Every muscle screamed for her to return to bed, but since Kane obviously wasn’t interested and would probably dump her someplace, she had to learn to protect herself. 

She rolled Kane’s shirt up, tying the ends together and a pair of breeches.
She had to tie a scarf around his breeches to keep them falling down. Within minutes, she was up on deck. Kane stood next to Sean with his spyglass in his hand. She could see Tortuga in the distance.

Black smoke rose on the far side of Tortuga up to the blue sky.
With each passing fathom, it grew closer. Fire licked the tall buildings. The scent of gunpowder mixed with the sea air. Many ships docked in the harbor had cannonball holes in their hulls. One such ship tilted into the ocean, its stern rising up as the bow sunk below the surface. Hannah closed her eyes and hung her head. The slowly sinking ship suffered the same death as the
Dolphin
. How many people had died? The
Fiery Damsel
? Had to be.

Not caring if he found her tainted, she ambled over to
Kane. “Kane, why are we here?”