Harlequin Historical September 2014 - Bundle 2 of 2: Lord Havelock's List\Saved by the Viking Warrior\The Pirate Hunter (55 page)

‘I wish that, too,' Will said. ‘He was a better man than I, a better Lord of the Manor.'

‘You haven't taken up the title?' Mia asked.

‘Not until Richard is avenged.'

‘I'm sure your brother was a good man, but I don't believe he was a better man than you,' Mia said quietly.

‘He was kind,' Will explained, ‘and sensitive. He'd always know instinctively if something was wrong.'

He felt Mia's eyes searching his face, but found he couldn't look at her. The temptation to seek solace in her arms would be too much.

‘He knew what was right and what was wrong, and he expected others to respect the same values.'

‘I think you're probably more like your brother than you give yourself credit for.'

His eyes rose and met hers and Will knew if he wasn't careful Mia could make him forget everything: the pain he felt over Richard's death and the rage he felt towards the men who'd taken him. And whilst part of him wanted her to soothe his pain, he knew he needed the rage to drive him on and succeed in his mission to avenge his brother.

Chapter Nine

‘L
and, ho,' the sailor up in the crow's nest shouted from his perch.

Mia stepped away from Will. It wasn't good for her sanity to be too close to him for too long.

They both peered over the side of the ship into the distance. She strained her eyes trying to make out the outline of the island, but at first couldn't see anything. It was only after a few minutes that a shape started to form, as if emerging from a haze.

‘Tortola,' Mia murmured.

She wondered if this was going to be where they apprehended her brother and his crew. Part of her hoped for a quick resolution to their hunt—she was feeling guilty about betraying her brother even if he was a murderous pirate. The rest of her wanted this voyage to run on for months, months of sailing the Caribbean Sea with Will as her companion

‘The population is tiny,' Will said.

‘Hmm?' Mia wondered if she'd missed the beginning of the conversation whilst she was daydreaming.

‘The population of Tortola,' Will said again, ‘it's tiny, so if your brother has anchored off the coast it shouldn't be too hard to find someone who has seen him.'

‘What I don't understand is why the Navy couldn't find a trace of him.'

Will inclined his head towards Lieutenant Glass. ‘Would you tell a pompous fool like Glass anything?'

Mia laughed.

‘I suppose not. I'd probably dislike him so much I'd send him in entirely the opposite direction.'

‘Exactly. The Navy have failed not because the pirates are supernaturally good at hiding from them, but because they are generally disliked by most of the people of the Caribbean.'

Mia gazed out at the tropical paradise that was growing closer by the second. She could see the lush interior rising up to a peak in the middle surrounded by golden sandy beaches.

‘I wish...' Mia started to say, then realised she was speaking aloud thoughts that should be kept private.

Will looked at her with interest. ‘Yes?'

She didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell him the truth, that she wished their hunt was over and they were stranded on a tropical beach. Just the two of them. Preferably for a very long time. With very little clothing.

‘What do you wish, Mia?' he asked her softly, his voice seductive and low.

She swallowed convulsively as she felt her cheeks starting to burn. There was no way she was going to come up with a convincing lie; her mind had gone completely blank.

‘Sometimes I wish life were simpler,' she stated, wondering if that was going to satisfy him. He stayed quiet, indicating for her to continue. ‘I was thinking it would be wonderful to live secluded from the world, in a tropical paradise.'

‘And would you be living there on your own?'

Mia glanced up at him and wished she hadn't. She hadn't realised he was standing quite so close. Momentarily she forgot how to speak.

‘Yes. No.'

‘Which is it?' Will asked, turning to face her properly and closing the gap between them even more.

‘No.'

‘Who would you like to join you in your little paradise?'

Mia started drumming her fingers on the wooden rail, trying to channel all her pent-up emotions into physical movement.

‘Erm, well...' She wished she could pull herself together and utter more than a few barely coherent sounds, but she felt as though her brain had taken a holiday and had left her with only the fire that was burning inside her. A fire of desire.

‘Maybe there's a friend,' Will said, ‘or a maiden aunt. Or one of the girls you used to work with.'

He covered her hand with his own and stilled her drumming fingers.

‘I really hope it isn't a Spanish admirer or an Italian lover.'

‘Why?' Mia managed to whisper.

‘Because then I would be very, very jealous.'

‘Mr Greenacre,' the Captain said as he walked towards them, ‘what are your instructions, sir?'

Will tore his eyes away from hers and immediately Mia felt bereft. She burned for him, wanted him with a passion and a force she'd never experienced before. She felt drunk, and every minute she spent in his company the sensation was growing stronger. Then when someone else took his attention she felt empty.

‘Stay within one hundred yards of shore where possible,' Will instructed the Captain, ‘and we'll take each bay in turn. Any of your men not occupied on deck are to be ready and waiting with the cannons.'

The Captain nodded and walked away.

Will turned back to her and smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.

‘We probably won't chance upon
The Flaming Dragon
today but I'd feel much less worried if you went below decks.'

Mia felt a flutter of warmth inside at his concern.

‘I'm not going to hide,' she said softly, ‘and below decks is not much safer than above.'

He must have seen the resolute expression on her face because he didn't argue any further.

‘At least stay well back from the sides of the ship so stray bullets aren't going to get you.'

‘I'm sure I can do that.'

She watched as he walked away and then she took a few steps away from the rail and sat herself on an upturned barrel. As the crew hustled around her Mia only had eyes for Will. She was in dangerous territory and she didn't know how she could extricate herself. Her plan to acknowledge her attraction for him but overrule it with all the reasons they couldn't be together worked well in theory. But when he covered her hand with his and their bodies swayed together it was as if all common sense and reason fled. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone. She wanted to kiss him and caress him and writhe underneath him.

The irony was she could have all of that, but she wanted more. She wanted love and respect and a shared life. There was no way she could fool herself into thinking that was ever going to happen, no matter how often she wished it. Will was a focused man and she was a means to an ends. With her help, his job of finding
The Flaming Dragon
was much more likely to succeed.

Mia wondered if she should just give in to her desires, allow herself a few days of intimate bliss with Will, something that would keep her going through all the lonely years ahead. As she felt her resolve slipping, the image of her mother, welcoming another paying lover into the house, surged into her mind. In the image her mother was smiling, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Mia knew to give herself to anyone but the man she loved would be a mistake, one she would have to live with for ever.

She resolved not to think about it any more. But that was a difficult undertaking when Will strode past her resting place every few minutes all tanned and muscled and confident, shouting instructions to the crew. He was so confident and in control the men followed his commands without question.

Instead of thinking about Will she tried focusing on the scenery, the sky—which was remarkably cloudless and boring—and the other sailors. It wasn't long before she was comparing every man to Will and finding them all coming up short.

Stop it
, she told herself firmly. In the end she rested her head back against a mast pole and allowed the sun to warm her skin.

‘Miss Del Torres.' Lieutenant Glass's clipped tones woke her from a contented doze.

He was towering over her and blocking out the sun. Mia shivered.

‘How can I help you, Lieutenant?' She tried to sound as polite as possible, a difficult task when she hated the man.

‘I just wanted to come and have a talk with you,' he said. ‘Mr Greenacre seems to find you fascinating company. I thought I would find out what the attraction is.'

Mia immediately felt the hairs on her neck stand up.

‘I'm merely assisting Mr Greenacre with his search for
The Flaming Dragon
.'

‘And your brother.'

‘And my brother,' Mia repeated, trying not to grit her teeth.

‘How do you see this all ending for you, Miss Del Torres?' Glass asked.

Mia stood, not liking the disadvantage she was at with her sitting and him towering over her.

‘How do you mean, Lieutenant?'

‘When we have captured your brother, what do you think will become of you?'

Mia chose her words carefully. ‘I would hope Mr Greenacre and yourself would convey how helpful I have been in the search for
The Flaming Dragon
and put in a good word for me with the Governor.'

‘You'd like me to speak on your behalf to the Governor?' Lieutenant Glass asked, giving her a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

‘And Mr Greenacre,' Mia added.

‘What would I get out of this...favour?'

Mia leaned back, suddenly realising his intentions.

‘Help finding
The Flaming Dragon
.'

‘And?'

Mia felt sick. She couldn't even begin to contemplate what the Lieutenant was suggesting.

‘There's got to be more in it for me than that—surely you must agree. Some extra little incentive to speak favourably of you.'

Mia opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to think of a suitable response. She was in an impossible situation. If she rebuffed the Lieutenant completely, he would speak against her when they returned to Barbados. The other option made her skin crawl. Glass was a snake. Although not physically unattractive, he repulsed her and she realised she'd rather risk a harsher penalty than even contemplate what he was suggesting.

‘I'm sorry, Lieutenant, I'd better get below deck,' Mia said without offering an explanation why. She smiled as blandly as she could manage and hurried away.

Closing her cabin door behind her, Mia felt her heart pounding in her chest. She flicked the lock and tested the door. She wouldn't put it past Lieutenant Glass to follow her down to her cabin and reiterate his offer more firmly.

Mia shivered despite the sunlight streaming into the little room. Sometimes she hated being a woman, being subjected to men's whims and fancies. If she were a man, Jorge's brother rather than sister, Glass would never have thought to offer a favourable word in exchange for intimate moments.

Will's face popped into her mind, calming the churning of her stomach. If she were a man, Will Greenacre would not trace his fingers over her skin or hold her gaze those extra few seconds. Maybe being a woman wasn't all that bad.

Chapter Ten

W
ill thanked another of the crew for their hard work and tried to keep the smile fixed to his face. It had been a long day. They had been circling Tortola, hugging the coastline, since mid-morning. Although they had come across plenty of sheltered coves and secluded bays, none of them had been hiding
The Flaming Dragon
.

He wasn't sure why he was so despondent. It wasn't as if he'd expected success on their first real day. It would have been more than lucky to come across Del Torres in the first location they scoured.

Despite this knowledge Will still felt like the day had been a failure. He wanted some proof, some sign they were on the right track.

He looked around the deck in the fading light and realised it had been a long time since he'd seen Mia. Initially he'd been pleased when he had glimpsed her heading down to her cabin in the late morning, but as the day had worn on he'd missed her presence at his side. He had got dangerously close that morning to leaning in and kissing her again, on the deck of the ship with all the crew's curious eyes watching. He needed to be careful and demonstrate at least a little self-restraint.

With these thoughts in mind he strode across the deck and hurried down the wooden stairs into the darkness. He knocked on Mia's cabin door and waited for an answer. After a few seconds he heard her quiet footsteps approaching the door.

‘Who is it?'

‘It's me, Will.'

The lock on the door turned and Mia peered out.

‘I missed you,' Will said simply. ‘On deck.'

‘I didn't want to get hit by any stray bullets,' she said with a smile.

‘I have to admit there wasn't much chance of that today.'

‘So we weren't successful.'

Will shook his head.

‘We weren't likely to come across
The Flaming Dragon
on the first day searching,' Mia said practically. ‘The Navy have been looking for years.'

‘Ah, but the Navy don't have you as their secret weapon.'

‘I'm not sure I like being called a weapon. Is it a compliment?'

‘Most assuredly.'

Will was beginning to feel better about the day already.

‘We've anchored near a small settlement. Doesn't look big enough to be called a proper town, but apparently it's Tortola's capital.'

‘So are we going to wait until tomorrow and then go and talk to the locals?'

Will felt the mischief flashing in his eyes.

‘Why wait until tomorrow?' he asked, ‘when tonight lips will be loosened by alcohol.'

As he said it Will felt his gaze drawn towards Mia's own lips, luscious, full, just a little moist and very warm and inviting.

‘You're going to row over now?' Mia asked, sounding excited by the idea.

Will nodded.

‘And how are you planning on getting back?'

‘Tubs, one of the men, reckons he can find his way to row back to the ship in absolute darkness.' Will grinned at her dubious look. ‘And if not I'm sure there are plenty of beds if you have the right-coloured coin.'

‘Are you going on your own?' Mia asked.

‘I was planning on asking the Lieutenant if he'd like to join me for an intimate drink by the light of a candle,' Will said, ‘but if you really wanted to get your feet back on dry land I expect Glass won't mind postponing our date.'

‘I don't want to spoil your plans.'

‘That's settled. Let's leave before Lieutenant Glass finds out and insists on chaperoning us.'

‘It would be more fun without a chaperone,' Mia murmured quietly.

Will felt his heart pound in his chest. A whole evening alone with just Mia. He couldn't think of anything more wonderful, or more tempting. Their eyes locked for an instant and Will felt a jolt of excitement rush through his body.

He watched as she hurried into her cabin to fetch a shawl to keep her warm after dark. He felt like he was watching her all the time. Every minute of the day he had an awareness of where she was, catching glimpses of her out of the corner of his eye. And when she disappeared he felt bereft. Although they'd only known each other for a short time Mia was becoming the person he turned to if he felt unsure, the one he wanted to share every success with and dissect every failure.

‘Shall we make our escape?'

Will offered her his arm and led her on to the deck and towards the back of the ship. Tubs, a sailor with leathery skin and a toothless grin, was waiting for them and silently nodded a greeting.

‘Watch your step, sir,' he said, ‘there's a bit of a drop from the ship to the boat.'

Will peered over the side. A rope ladder was swinging against the side of the ship, hitting the wood with a soft thud every few seconds. The small boat below rocked gently in the current and Will could see there was a few-foot gap between it and the ladder.

‘Will you be all right?' he asked Mia.

‘If you catch me.'

He felt a surge of guilty pleasure at the thought of a legitimate reason for holding Mia in his arms again.

‘Of course.'

He swung his legs over the rail of the ship and began his descent. Climbing down the rope ladder was harder than he expected; it was a flimsy thing and every time he shifted his weight the ladder swung precariously from side to side. As he reached the bottom rung he glanced beneath him. The boat seemed quite a distance off and he hoped he landed squarely. Letting go of the ladder, he dropped down, bending his knees instinctively on impact and finding his balance immediately.

‘You make it look so easy, Mr Greenacre,' Mia shouted down from her position above him.

He watched as she daintily swung her legs over the rail and carefully tested out the rope ladder. He tried not to stare at the honey-coloured skin of her ankles as she lifted her skirt so it wouldn't get caught beneath her feet. From her ankles his gaze moved up her legs to the shapely backside making its way towards him. He had an overwhelming urge to reach up and squeeze her buttocks through the thick layers of her dress, but somehow managed to restrain himself.

‘Are you ready for me?' Mia asked, looking dubiously at the drop from her position at the bottom of the ladder into his arms.

‘Ready and waiting.'

Mia craned her neck one last time to check his position, then without any hesitation pushed herself from the ladder and into his arms. In the milliseconds it took for her to drop through the air Will felt a surge of elation. She trusted him. She trusted him enough to believe he'd catch her no matter what.

Then she landed.

‘Oof,' Will groaned.

He'd caught her—actually, he'd caught her quite magnificently. His arms encircled her waist and slowly he lowered her feet to the floor.

With his arms still around her Mia turned to face him. Will enjoyed the closeness of her body pressed against his and let his arms linger for just a few seconds longer.

‘Oof?' she asked.

Will frowned.

‘Am I that heavy I knock the wind from you?'

He grinned. ‘You must be. I felt quite stunned.'

She raised a hand and swatted him gently on the shoulder.

‘You really know how to compliment a lady.'

Will was about to say something very charming and witty in reply when Tubs called down, ‘Watch out below.' Will was forced to let go of Mia as they shuffled apart to make way for the old sailor.

‘You get yourself sitting down, sir, otherwise a little boat like this will capsize,' Tubs said. ‘Leave all that romance nonsense for dry land.'

Suitably chastised, Will edged around the seaman and took a seat next to Mia.

Quickly they moved away from the ship. Tubs's skinny arms belied their strength and in a few minutes they were closer to shore than the ship.

Will felt Mia shift on the wooden bench.

‘Are you comfortable?'

She nodded. ‘Just a little cold.'

The change in temperature as the sun went down was surprising. Balmy and hot in the daytime, the Caribbean air certainly had a slight chill about it in the evening. Will cursed himself for not bringing an overcoat—he would have gladly given it up to make Mia more comfortable.

‘Come closer,' he said quietly, so Tubs wouldn't hear.

Mia looked at him with indecision in her eyes.

‘I promise not to ravish you,' he said, trying to keep his tone cheery and light, ‘but it might make you a little warmer.'

As she scooted her bottom closer to his he silently cursed his promise not to ravish her. He was finding it increasingly difficult to keep chaste thoughts when Mia was close.

Her left thigh pressed into his right and slowly Mia relaxed into his body. Gently he placed his arm around her shoulders and little by little she allowed herself to fold into him.

‘Better?' he asked softly.

‘Better.' She sounded content and comfortable and Will had a sudden urge to tell Tubs to turn around and head out into the open sea and keep going. He wanted to be alone with Mia, outside the constraints of society, not under pressure to complete the task he had set himself. Just man and woman and their mutual desire. There was no way they could be together in the real world, their lives following such different paths, but for a few moments in his imagination he could see a future with him and Mia happy without the judgement of society.

It was a strange thought for Will, who for so long had assumed he would spend his life alone, but Mia was getting to him, making him re-evaluate what he thought was important. Maybe he
could
open up his heart and his life enough to share it with someone else.

‘There we are, sir,' Tubs said, pulling the small boat up alongside the wooden jetty.

‘Thank you, Tubs.'

Will reluctantly stood and hopped out of the boat, reaching down to take Mia's hand and help her on to dry land.

‘I'll wait for you here, sir.'

‘If you'd be more comfortable back on the ship...' Will started to offer.

‘Don't you worry about me, sir, you go ahead and enjoy yourself with the lady. I don't mind waiting all night, if you catch my drift.'

The old man gave him a leery wink, then settled down in the bottom of the boat and promptly closed his eyes.

Mia giggled quietly.

‘Don't encourage him,' Will said. He picked up her hand and slotted it into the crook of his arm and set off down the jetty.

The town rose up the gentle hill before them. There were a few welcoming taverns along the waterfront with lamps lighting up the exterior. Most of the rest of the small settlement was in darkness. Tortola didn't have a raucous reputation like Jamaica and Barbados, but he hadn't expected it to be quite so sleepy.

‘So what's the plan?' Mia asked him as they walked past the first of the taverns.

‘I was going to choose one of these fine establishments to buy my lady a drink.'

‘How very generous of you.'

As they passed the second of the taverns the door swung open. A woman with arms the size of two fat logs and a chest an opera singer would be proud of heaved a drunken man through the door and out into the street.

‘Maybe not that one,' Mia whispered, earning her a glare from the beefy barmaid.

The third tavern they reached seemed quieter and slightly more salubrious. The wooden sign hanging above the doorway declared this was the Golden Chest.

They entered and the whole tavern suddenly fell silent. Thirty pairs of eyes regarded them as they walked through the warm interior and found an empty table.

‘I don't think they get many visitors,' Mia whispered.

Will checked the faces staring at them. They didn't look openly hostile, just curious at who these intruders into their tavern were.

‘Good evening,' Will said with a cheery smile.

One by one the conversations started up again until there was a quiet background hum.

‘What can I get you?' a young woman in her early twenties asked as she came sauntering over, eyeing Will up and down and giving him a winning smile.

‘A pint of ale.' Will turned to Mia.

‘Rum,' she said sweetly.

‘Anything else takes your fancy you just let me know,' the barmaid said flirtatiously.

‘You've got an admirer,' Mia said as the barmaid went to fetch their drinks.

Will looked at her carefully. He was trying to assess if she was jealous. He wanted her to be jealous, just like he would be if a man started vying for her attention.

‘You from that fancy ship?' an old man at the next table asked, leaning over towards Will.

There was no use denying it, a town this size probably didn't get more than one strange ship anchor each night. He wasn't sure Captain Little's vessel counted as fancy, though.

‘Yes.'

‘What's your business in Tortola?'

Straight to the point. Will wanted information, but he didn't think coming out and asking about
The Flaming Dragon
directly was going to get him very far. He was saved from answering by Mia.

‘I'd heard the men of Tortola were the handsomest and strongest and bravest in the Caribbean,' Mia said, ‘And I forced him to bring me here.'

This got a murmur of approval from the mainly male occupants of the tavern.

‘I wanted to see these marvellous specimens of manhood for myself.'

‘You can see my marvellous specimen of manhood, darling,' a voice called from the other side of the tavern.

Will felt his temper rise, but squashed it back down. He knew Mia was doing this for him, gaining the men's trust so they would be more likely to talk about
The Flaming Dragon
. He just wished she'd do it in a less suggestive way.

‘I wonder...' Mia pondered aloud. ‘If I wanted to meet the bravest, strongest, most handsome man in Tortola, who would that be?'

‘You're looking for me, miss,' a brawny man in his mid-thirties yelled, standing up and thumping his fist on the table, ‘I've fought twenty men and never lost.'