Fortune's Flames (12 page)

Maren was dismayed by his words. “That just happened, Jared. I was foolish.”

“Then be foolish again tonight,” he coaxed huskily. “You owe me, woman. You led me on twice,
then ran out on me in Jamaica.”

“I left you a note. I told you it was dangerous there and we had to leave. We had been told British ships would arrive that day.”

“Why didn’t you warn me about them?” he asked.

“I was aroused before dawn and rushed out, halfasleep. I barely had time to write you that note. I’m sorry. But you should be used to looking out for your own safety. Are they your enemies too?”

“Of course. I’m an American. Thank goodness someone warned me to sail quickly. We barely cleared the island before they arrived.”

“I said I was sorry. I couldn’t risk getting caught waking you. If you’ll recall, Captain Hawk, you had robbed us a few days earlier, and I only had twenty minutes to get ready. But I did say goodbye. You don’t have to be so hateful, Jared. I don’t owe you anything.”

“Are you spurning me after luring me into coming so far to have you?”

Maren was shocked. “I did no such thing! I’ve never behaved like that before. You just…charmed me into misbehaving.”

“Oh, little Maren can’t help misbehaving,” he teased huskily.

“You’re wrong about me, Jared. Let me explain what—”

“Where is your beloved husband tonight?” he asked abruptly.

“Husband?” she echoed, momentarily confused.

“You do recall that you have one, don’t you, Mrs.
James Slade?”

Maren was astonished by his insinuation. “You knew?”

“It seems you forgot to reveal that piece of information to me. If a man needs to watch out for an irate husband, he should be warned. Then he can decide whether the woman in question is worth the risk. You are.”

Maren stared at him as his words sank in. “If you thought I was married, why did you carry on like that with me? Do you always accost married women when you attack ships?”

“I didn’t know the truth about you that day. I found out later.”

“But you pursued me again in Jamaica,” she accused.

“I pursued you?” he taunted mirthfully. “You were more than eager both times. You didn’t mind betraying your husband before, so why act the innocent tonight? You know you want me as much as I want you.”

“Damn you, you lecherous bastard! Getaway from me.”

Maren started to head back to Lady Luck, but Jared seized her arm. Thoughts of her had tormented him for weeks. “Not so fast, my lovely tart. Nobody makes a fool of me or refuses to pay a debt.”

“You made a fool of yourself, Captain Hawk. I’m not Maren Slade; I’m not married to anyone. In fact, James Slade doesn’t exist. That was a ruse to protect me from the sailors aboard Eric’s ship.”

“Eric’s ship?” he repeated evocatively.

“My first cousin, Eric James, owns James Shipping. I was trapped in London by the war. Eric ran the blockade and rescued me. I own Lady Luck and I live there. I don’t need any man to take care of me or to tell me what to do, especially not one who fools around with married women. Don’t you ever come near me again.”

Jared’s mind was working swiftly and keenly. “That would make you Maren James, Cameron James’s daughter.”

“That’s right, Captain Hawk. But my father’s dead.”

“I heard that today,” he replied, his tone noticeably different. “I thought you said you had nothing but that necklace and those clothes.”

Maren wasn’t about to explain her situation to this man. He had dallied with her while thinking her a married woman, and there was no telling what other bad traits he possessed. She concluded sadly that Jared Morgan was not the man she had thought him to be. “I did not lead you on, you foul beast, but you cannot say the same. Leave me alone before I call my guards.”

“You say you own Lady Luck?” he probed. “But you’re a woman.”

“I am, but I can run it better than any man.”

“I imagine you can,” he murmured with a grin.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded.

“I’ve witnessed your talents at work in many areas, Maren. I think you can do anything you wish. You
tricked me easily enough.”

“If you’re referring to how I misled you on the ship, surely you didn’t expect me to be honest with a pirate.”

“I’m not a pirate; I’m a privateer.”

“I doubt there’s little difference.”

“That depends on whose side you are on. I’m an American so I’m helping to show the Brits that we can defend ourselves.”

“I suppose that gives you an excuse to raid ships whenever you wish.”

“You’re a hard woman, Maren James,” he teased.

“I don’t like being duped, Mr. Morgan.”

“Nor do I, Miss James,” he retorted. “I thought you were married.”

“I know you did,” she replied frostily, her accusation clear.

The quick-witted Jared said, “But not until you left me. I was being honest with you those two times. You’ve bewitched me, woman.”

Maren watched Jared closely. She doubted him.

“Are you going to break your promises to me?” he asked softly.

“I made those promises to someone else, not a wife stealer.”

“I told you, I heard that false tale later.”

“I don’t believe you. You were aware of it when you found me tonight, yet you continued your lewd pursuit. How long did you plan to keep your false impression a secret? Until I kept my… promise?”

“Maybe,” he responded honestly. “I believed you
had lied to me and led me on. You hooked me good, and I wanted you.”

“As you can see, I owe you nothing.”

“You’re mistaken,” he murmured mysteriously, then smiled.

Something else was gnawing at Jared’s mind: Eric James and his voyage to London. Had the man actually gone there to rescue his cousin? Why risk trying to get her through a blockade when she was safe in England? And since her parents were dead, why had Maren hurried home during a war? He knew from stolen official papers that the British had their eyes on New Orleans which offered a base for an inland invasion via the Mississippi River. Was Eric James a traitor? A spy for the British? What about that stop in Jamaica and those concealed boxes? His hasty flight when the American agent, Captain Hawk, arrived? Was Maren Eric’s helper or his cover? Lady Luck was the perfect place for contacts. Maren owned it, and she had returned at a curious time. She had tricked him easily and expertly, just as Peter Thomas had heard Eric say. Kip had warned him that this girl could mean trouble, that she must be watched.

Maren observed how pensive Jared was, and she wondered what was going through his mind. His next question stunned her.

“What is Eric James up to, Maren? Why did he really go to London? And why did he make a stop in a British port?”

Maren asked herself why Jared had asked about
such things and why he was suspicious of her cousin. If Jared also worked for the Americans, then he would know about Eric and the London mission. She recalled what Eric had said about being sought out and slain if his mission was exposed. Jared had been in a British port, Jamaica, and he had acted strangely during the attack on their ship. Perhaps he was a spy….

“I could ask you those same questions,
Captain Hawk,
but I doubt you would answer them, at least honestly. Just stay away from me.” Maren tried to free herself, but Jared refused to release her. “I will scream for help,” she threatened.

“And reveal our quarrel to your friends?”

“You wouldn’t dare expose yourself,” she murmured.

“Why not? Everyone knows I’m Captain Hawk,” he responded.

“You’re a devil.” She corrected him tersely.

“Some say I am, but others call me an angel, an avenging angel.”

“Oh, yes, I remember, ‘an angel ashore,’ wasn’t it?”

Jared chuckled. “You know me so well, Maren.”

“I know you better than I want to, Mr. Morgan.”

“I think not, Miss James, at least you didn’t act
that way earlier.”

“Only because I had you confused with someone else!”

“Who might that be?” he inquired, lifting one brow.

Maren bridled her loose tongue. “Someone I met a long time ago. But you’re nothing like him. Letgo of me, you bastard.”

“Is there a problem here, Miss James?” a voice asked politely.

Maren glanced at the other man and smiled. “Nothing I can’t handle, Dan. I’ll walk back with you. Good night, Mr. Morgan.”

“We aren’t finished, Maren,” Jared said firmly.

“Yes, we are. Don’t come near me again. Dan, make certain Ned and Harry are ordered to keep this man out of Lady Luck.”

Jared chuckled at her last statement. “You can’t escape me this easily, Maren, but we’ll let it go for tonight. Think about what I said, and I’ll see you tomorrow. ’Nite, Dan.”

Maren missed Dan’s reply for she was watching Jared Morgan stroll away, whistling a merry tune. “Of all the nerve,” she murmured angrily.

“Anything wrong, Miss Maren?” Dan asked.

“Just a very persistent suitor, Dan. I tried to convince him I wasn’t interested in him, but he’s too arrogant to pay attention.”

Dan Myers realized these two had met before and were close, despite their squabble. He replied evocatively, “Jared Morgan usually isn’t like that.
Maybe he was upset about something.”

“You know him?” Maren asked, eagerness brightening her eyes and enlivening her voice.

The manager nodded. “He’s been to Lady Luck many times during his visits to New Orleans on business. He’s a well-liked man. You sure you want to exclude him? He was a friend of your father’s.”

That revelation startled her. “Jared Morgan knew my father? I’ve only known him a short time, but why didn’t he tell me that when we met?”

“I suppose Jared thought you knew. Actually, Jared’s father, Benjamin Morgan, was a good friend of Cameron’s. That’s how Jared met your father. Ben died a few years back; he was a good man, too. I’m surprised you’ve never met him or his son.”

“So am I, Dan. But I guess Papa had many friends I didn’t know. He was a popular man and did business with a lot of people.”

It was after midnight and Maren was still sitting on the sofa and thinking about Jared Morgan. She recalled his curious reaction to her identity. Now it made sense to her. But, having known her father and having been his friend, why had he kept taunting her? And why had he not revealed that relationship? Another mystery to solve, she decided.

Her father might have introduced her to Jared Morgan years ago! If only she could have told him her real name that first day on the ship…Would Jared have behaved differently to the daughter of an
old friend? There was something unusual about Jared Morgan, and she intended to discover what it was.

Jared was having a similar debate with himself. Cameron James’s daughter… his partner in Lady Luck…He chuckled as he wondered how Maren would take that shocking news. Keep him out of the gambling house of which he was half-owner? “No way, my little siren,” he said aloud.

Jared had not imagined an entanglement like this. He wished he hadn’t mentioned her alleged marriage before learning it had only been a pretense. Could it be she was telling the truth about everything? Was she a pawn in Eric’s schemes? Of course, she could be a willing participant. After all, her grandparents were English, and she had been in England for years. Maybe she had been talked into aiding the other side. Eric might have duped her, or she might be indebted to him in some way.

“I wonder just where you stand in all of this mess, my little siren. I must uncover the truth before I let you get too close to me. And by damn, I want you real close.”

Jared jingled the keys to Lady Luck and grinned. “Soon, my lovely one, but not tonight.”

He stretched out on his bed, and called Maren’s image to mind. She certainly had a sparkle in her eyes when she was mad. He wanted to run his fingers through her silky hair and over her satiny flesh,
wanted to see her smile again, hear her laugh, feel her in his arms. And he wanted to kiss her until she breathlessly surrendered to him. He said aloud, “I want you, Maren James, and I’m going to have you.”

The wine was delivered as promised the next afternoon and Maren paid the man who delivered it with money from the bank box. She recorded the transaction and then left the receipt with the remainder of the money. She was tempted to remove the cash, but decided to wait until the war was over, if there was any left. If no one showed up to make a claim on Lady Luck by then, she would consider the cash hers.

That night, Maren slipped into one of the matching purplish blue gowns and styled her hair in cascading curls. She had revoked her order for Dan to keep Jared out of the place, for she knew if she was going to learn more about him, she had to see him again. Now her pulse raced wildly as his smiling face loomed before her mind’s eye. His golden brown eyes had danced with mischief last night, and she loved the way his hair had waved playfully, settling into sun-tipped locks. She longed to trail her fingers over his hard, tanned body, to kiss him, embrace him. If only…

“Stop it, Maren. You have work to do, a devil to unmask,” she said suddenly.

Jared did not appear until eleven o’clock, an hour before closing time. He saw Maren speaking with
people in one room, so he entered the other and found a game to join.

As Maren strolled through that room to see how things were going, she noticed Jared Morgan. She halted and watched him until he looked up and smiled at her. It was hard not to return the smile, but she merely nodded in response. She talked with a few people and tried to keep her mind off the enticing man who kept glancing at her.

When Jared’s table cleared of the other players, she boldly went to sit across from him. “Dan told me you knew my father.”

Jared counted his winnings and pushed them aside before meeting her probing gaze. “For many years. Too bad he didn’t think me worthy of an introduction to his beautiful daughter.”

“If you were anything like you are now, Mr. Morgan, I can easily understand why he didn’t.”

“Then that is why, because the only thing that’s changed about me is my age. I suppose your being Cameron’s daughter made you seem vaguely familiar to me that day on the ship. You favor your mother, but you have traces of Cam in you.”

“You knew my mother, too?” she inquired, more intrigued.

“I had the honor and pleasure of meeting her on several occasions. As best I can recall, you were usually visiting your grandparents in London when I was around. Too bad. We could have started our private war years ago. I’ll bet if your father had known how daring you are, he wouldn’t have
allowed you to go away alone so many times.”

“I’m only daring when I’m around devils like you, Captain Hawk. Besides, my parents trusted me, and with good reason.”

Jared’s twinkling eyes drifted over her. He liked the way she looked with her curls cascading—older, romantic, sensual, but also very feminine and spirited. “Thank goodness there aren’t many of us infamous devils around to lure nice little girls like you into trouble.”

“I’m not a little girl; I’m twenty years old.”

“And still single. That amazes me, Miss James. Can’t you find a man to suit you? Or is it that you’ve been waiting for me all these years?”

Maren reacted guiltily to his last jest, but her reply was delivered in a decisive tone. “I’m single because my betrothed was killed when this bloody war began. I went to London to be married. That was my wedding gown you saw on the ship.”

“You were going to wed a Brit? And in that exquisite gown! Shame on you, Maren. You certainly have a bad habit of lying artfully.”

“Well, I’m certainly glad you don’t have any bad habits that need correcting,” she taunted.

“Oh, I have plenty of them, but you’re just the woman to change them. Want to give it a try?”

“Perhaps,” she replied with a compelling smile. “Frankly, you are a man of contradictions, and they intrigue me.”

“What contradictions?” he asked, propping his elbows on the table and leaning forward.

“I think I prefer to keep them a secret for now. I wouldn’t want you changing on me before I can figure you out.”

“Don’t you keep enough secrets from me without adding a new one?”

“Me, keep secrets from you, Captain Hawk? You appear to be a man who knows everything, a man who gathers every ‘tiny piece of information’ that can save your life.”

“Is my life in danger here, Maren, or only my freedom?”

Maren watched his eyes glow with desire, and she warmed to the flames that burned in his tawny gaze. Her eyes drifted appreciatively over as much of him as she could see. “There’s freedom, Jared, and then there’s…
freedom.”

“I
believe you once told me you would like to become my willing captive. Is that offer still open?”

“It was a silly jest made by a terrified woman during a pirate attack.”

“But I’m not a pirate and you weren’t under attack.”

“Wasn’t I?” she playfully retorted, enjoying their word game.

“I would never attack you, Maren, but I would love to…get to know you better,” he said, his eyes darkening as his hunger increased.

It was as if they had suddenly forgotten they were in a room full of people. Jared came around the table and sat down beside her, their gazes remaining locked as he did so. As he covered her hands with his
and bent forward to dispel most of the remaining distance between them, Maren did nothing to discourage him. For some moments they watched each other, his thumbs absently stroking her hands.

“Will you, Maren?” He finally broke the seductive silence between them when he posed the question. He wanted to yank her into his arms, to whisk her away to his room. As always, something in her eyes called out to him. It revealed her yearning for him, bound her to him whether she realized it or not.

“Will I what, Jared?” she responded, lost in his gaze.

“Will you let me get to know you better?”

“Should I?” She was asking the wrong person, the right person. He was so overwhelming that he made her feel weak with need for him. He caused her body to sing with joy, to tense with anticipation, to blossom.

Jared felt comfortable with Maren, even when they quarreled or misunderstood each other. A bond was growing between them, one he could not resist. Jared knew so much about raiding ships and stealing supplies, but did he know how to steal a heart, this woman’s heart? “If you refuse, Maren, we’ll miss something special. Can’t you feel the pull between us? Can you resist it?”

Maren trembled. He had a powerful effect on her, but his behavior on the preceding night kept flashing into her mind like destructive lightning. Hoarsely, she said, “I have to resist it, Jared. I don’t know you anymore, and I’m afraid to trust you.”

“You weren’t afraid on the ship or in Jamaica. Don’t fear me now.”

“That was different. You were different,” she told him, then hurriedly left him. She was unprepared for this romantic siege, and she had to put distance between them to think clearly.

Jared watched her leave in a panic, and wanted to pursue her. But he couldn’t. He would not compromise her. Later, he promised himself. Noting that Dan Myers was observing him, Jared decided that he had to win Maren’s confidence, but without jeopardizing his investigation of Eric James. He sighed heavily and left.

Dan Myers glanced at the front door, then at the stairs. He knew something was going on between those two, and he wondered how it would affect him….

Jared went to Lady Luck on Saturday to invite Maren to lunch, but she wasn’t in, or so he was told. When he asked to speak with Dan Myers, he learned that the manager no longer lived there. The housekeeper, Mary Malone, would tell him nothing more.

That night at ten-thirty, Jared showed up again to play cards. He joined Maren and three men at a table. They played poker for over an hour, with Maren or Jared winning nearly every hand. The talk centered on the war and Jared shared what news he could. The main topics they discussed were Andrew Jackson’s
battle at Horseshoe Bend in Mississippi and the abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte, which would allow the British to concentrate on the war with America. Jared told the men that the blockade had been extended up the eastern coastline to Maine and that there was a great deal of fighting along the Canadian border.

Maren nearly choked on her wine when one of the men asked, “Is it really as bad as they say at sea, Captain Hawk?”

Jared grinned at Maren before replying, “Worse, sir. The Royal Navy had the advantage by over a thousand ships when this war began, and I’m afraid things haven’t improved much. Our nine frigates and three sloops can hardly battle four hundred of theirs, and that doesn’t include their nearly two hundred warships. About a hundred to one odds, gentlemen, but we do our best to destroy as many British ships as possible.”

“You’re mighty brave to go against such odds, Captain Hawk.”

Jared played his hand, then replied, “Brave, or reckless, I don’t know which. We need money and supplies to fend off our determined foe. New England has plenty of both, but she’s stingy with them. Talk is those Easterners are whispering about secession, about rejoining the British Empire. Too bad we can’t toss them out like rancid meat. Many of their businesses still deal with the British, shipping them goods that help defeat their own country. Worst of all, the New Englanders make the rest of America
pay heavily for supplies. Until the Brits bottled them up last May, they controlled most of the commerce and manufacturing. Somebody needs to break their control.”