Lock (6 page)

Lathering the soap in his hands, he reached up and washed his hair. After a moment, he dropped his arms, his back throbbing.

“I’ll do it.” Sparrow stepped behind him. He jerked away from her touch, but she said, “I want you clean if you’re staying here.”

“Why don’t you cut it off?”

“I’m not bringing any kind of blade near you. Do I look stupid?”

“You acted stupid when you bartered for me.”

“Why are you so mean?” she asked, rubbing her hands with the soap and digging her fingers into his hair. She massaged his scalp and he resisted the urge to close his eyes. Her small hands were strong, her touch most pleasant. He bent his head forward. As her thumbs rubbed his nape in a circular motion, his eyes did close. Too soon, she finished the shampoo by dumping more water over his head and washing away the soap. His back stung, but it had almost been worth the massage. It had definitely been worth the opportunity to wash.

He was about to stand, but she touched his hair again.

“What’s wrong?” Lock tilted his face to stare up at her. “No lice, is there?”

She giggled. “No. I’m surprised you’re concerned about it.”

“I’m a pirate, not a pig.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“You have a sharp tongue for an innocent little girl.” Lock grasped her wrist and tugged her to the side of the tub.

“Let me go!”

“I’m the one who’s chained.”

“I’ll bite your cock off if you try anything on me!”

Lock didn’t loosen his grip, but used his thumb to gently stroke the inside of her wrist. “Sounds interesting. Damn, your skin is soft.”

She stared into his eyes, attraction mixed with fury. “Probably because you’re accustomed to leather-skinned prostitutes!”

“Right, but I’ve had my share of princesses, too.” His hand moved to the hollow of her elbow and he reached for her other wrist. When she didn’t try pulling away, he nearly smiled. She might be easier to manipulate into setting him free than he’d thought. Her attraction to him was obvious, even in his hideous state, and she must have been curious about the sexual games he’d wager she knew little about.

“No princess worth her crown would sully her skin with the likes of you!”

“You’d be surprised how eager royals are to claw the trousers off a genuine SothSea pirate.”

“Well not me!”

Lock shrugged. “Well you’re no longer a royal, are you? You’re a farm girl.”

“And proud of it! How about you? Have you ever done anything in your life you’re proud of?”

Lock had no answer for her, so he guided her arms around his neck as he sat straighter in the tub. She stiffened, but didn’t protest.

His gaze held hers as his palms splayed against her back. For a small woman, her muscles were hard, her body trim. He felt his cock leap beneath the warm water. He nearly smiled when she leaned a bit closer. Slowly, so as not to startle her, he brushed his mouth against hers. Her eyes slipped shut at the first touch of their lips. Her hands threaded in the hair at his nape, and Lock’s eyes closed as he deepened the kiss. His tongue traced the delicate shape of her lips, then parted them gently. Her warm, moist tongue met his, mimicking his strokes. She tasted of apples and cinnamon. So sweet and sultry.

Lock’s heartbeat quickened, and his arms tightened around her in spite of how the skin on his back stretched painfully. She tasted so delicious, he felt like dragging her in the tub with him and plunging his cock deep into her soft little body.

One of his hands slid up her back. He cradled her head in his palm as he tasted every corner of her mouth.

“That’s it, girl,” he whispered against her lips. He cupped one of her breasts, his thumb circling her hard nipple through her billowy shirt.

“Lock—”

His mouth covered hers again before she finished speaking. He slipped his hand beneath her shirt and kneaded first one breast, then the other. Stiff little nipples scraped his callused palms, and she pulled away.

“That’s enough!” she snapped, her face flushed pink and her breasts rising and falling with each labored breath.

“Not for me.” He stood and stepped out of the tub, his nude, dripping body looming above her.

She strode across the room and flung a towel at his chest. Grinning, he caught it.

“Don’t think that will ever happen again!” she snapped.

“You think it won’t?”

“I know it won’t!”

“So why didn’t you stop me sooner?”

“Because—”

“You want me. Even shredded up like I am, you want me between your legs, girl.”

Sparrow’s mouth hung open then she laughed long and loud. “Just like a man! The only reason I kissed you was because I’ve never seen a man like you up close before.”

“So it was curiosity, was it?” he teased. The woman was full of shit. He’d felt her lust in her kiss, in her touch, and most of all in her pebble-hard nipples that begged for his caresses.

“Yes. Now it’s satisfied. You were no different than any other man.”

“I suppose you’ve had many to compare me to?” Lock said as he fastened a fresh loincloth she’d bought for him in the village the day before.

“I’m taking my bed back,” she told him flatly, ignoring his question.

“You want me in it?”

“Don’t flatter yourself!”

He grinned and silently sat on the blankets close to the fire while she shorted the chains on his feet.

“How long do you really think I’ll stay in chains like this?” he asked.

“You don’t have a choice. You’re mine now.”

“I’ll never be yours. I belong to myself.”

“Not anymore.”

“You smug little piece of dung.” The woman was really beginning to irritate him! “Remember, you’re not a princess anymore.”

“And you’re not a pirate.”

He smiled, a wicked twist of the lips. “I’ll always be a pirate. You’re going to learn that the hard way, little girl.”

Neither of them spoke again as she drained the tub and left for the barn.

* * * * *

“What makes a man that nasty?” Sparrow patted Daphne’s brown neck as the cow grazed in the field behind the barn. “Wish you had the answers, girl. Wish somebody had the answers. You’d think saving the man from torture would earn me a little gratitude.”

Sparrow gazed at the setting sun as she led Daphne back to the barn for the night. When she’d rescued Lock she hadn’t done it because she’d wanted his thanks or because she’d wanted a slave. She’d felt sorry for him. That was all. It was his attitude that made her question her actions, and now that he was growing strong, what was she going to do with him? She’d wager he’d never act the part of a slave, and she didn’t like the idea of keeping a man chained to her wall like a dog.

She smiled, remembering how he’d looked before he’d been tortured. He was so tall and big with all that wild two-colored hair and eyes that looked like a demon’s. Most likely he’d be more apt to frighten off thieves than a guard dog.

Sparrow knew the pirate’s attitude shouldn’t have surprised her. He was no different than most of the men she’d known in her life. Her brother had been a wretch, completely selfish and amused by the suffering of his subjects. Her father had been little better, and then there had been
the fiend
. The man who’d haunted Sparrow’s sleep and twisted her gut every time she thought of him. Sparrow hated few people, but this man she would kill on sight, though she hoped she’d never see him again.

When her family had been overthrown, she’d left with her younger sister, Thea. Both women had been protected all their lives and were naive of the world outside the palace. No lessons from books or stories from teachers could provide the experience of dwelling in the real world. In spite of their fear and apprehension, Sparrow and Thea had looked forward to the adventures their new life offered. They planned to settle, perhaps raise horses. Thea had always loved horses. Together they’d made so many plans that would never come to pass…

Once Sparrow deposited Daphne to the barn and checked the rest of her animals, she walked to the house. She opened the door to the sound of Shea-Ann screeching, “If you don’t stop that vile tongue from wagging, I’ll rip it out!”

“And stir it up in one of your witch’s brews?” Lock smiled, his teeth gleaming through his beard. Shea-Ann’s fury always seemed to put him in a good mood.

“I’m not a witch, you ignorant scum! Healing is an art and a respected profession, but I shouldn’t expect you to have the intelligence to understand that.” Shea-Ann raised the wooden spoon she was using to stir the dinner cooking on the pot over the fire. Just before she flung it at Lock, Sparrow grasped her wrist.

“Do you realize you both fight constantly?”

“Not my fault,” Shea-Ann and Lock said in unison.

“Looks like you’re strong enough to start pulling your weight around here.” Sparrow approached Lock, standing just shy of his reach.

He raised the chain in front of his face, his pale eyes staring at the links. “Good. Anything is better than being locked up in here.”

“What do you think we should do with him?” Sparrow stood with Shea-Ann by the fire. She took a spoonful of the stew and swallowed.

“He’s your property.”

“I’m sure I can think of something for him to do.”

“Hey! You can talk to me,” Lock snapped.

Shea-Ann continued speaking of the pirate as if he wasn’t in the room. “We can’t let him out of this house, you know that. As soon as we try to unchain him, he’ll be off.”

“Even if you gave him a sleeping potion, he’s rather heavy to move,” Sparrow reflected. “Not that I couldn’t do it.”

“Either of you two bitches tries to give me another sleeping potion and you’ll regret it!”

“Such a strong man,” Shea-Ann said. “Pity we can’t use him for the farm work.”

“No, that’s impossible. Too risky.”

“And he’s not healed enough for it now,” Shea-Ann added. “I know! He can do the washing up.”

Lock stood, nearly yanking his chain from the wall. “Not on your lives! I’m not doing the washing up.”

“Oh,” Sparrow raised an eyebrow, “not man enough for it?”

“Come over here, girl, and I’ll show you what a man is.”

Sparrow swallowed and glanced back into the stew pot. His offer was almost too tempting. She said, “It’s settled then. From now on you’ll do the dishes and the wash.”

“Nothing’s settled!”

“You haven’t got much of a choice,
boy
.” Shea-Ann looked down her nose at Lock.

“I’m nobody’s boy!” he snarled, the mere annoyance in his eyes turning to pure rage.

“I was alive before you were a happy whistle on your father’s lips!”

“Shea-Ann, that’s enough,” Sparrow said softly. “He’s doing the washing up and there’s no more need to discuss it.”

“Over my dead body!”

Shea-Ann turned her spoon on Lock again. “It would have been had it not been for My Lady!”

“Your
lady
? Your
lady
? I forget I’m in the presence of a
princess
.” Lock extended a long arm as far as his chains would allow. “Come, Princess, and let me kiss the hem of your trousers.”

“You love to be hateful, don’t you?” Sparrow shook her head at him. “Why? Life is such a short gift, I can’t imagine wasting so much time being miserable.”

“Life is the underside of a slimy rock, and we’re the slugs who suck upon it.”

“Marvelous conversation for before dinner,” Shea-Ann said. “Just get used to your place. I do the cooking and bring in what goods I can from healing, Sparrow does the wood cutting and farm work, and you do the washing up.”

“If she does all that, she doesn’t need a male slave.” Lock jerked his head in Sparrow’s direction. “And I can see why she’s got no husband. She’s got all the femininity of a he-goat.”

Sparrow’s eyes hazed red with fury. She clenched her fists and stomped toward Lock. “I have news for you, I had my share of proposals when my family was in power! I was engaged to a prince!”

“And where is he now that you’re common?”

“I might be a commoner, but I’m not
nearly
as common as you!”

“Can’t argue with that.” He snatched her wrist before she realized what was happening. She tried pulling away, but he held her fast and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. “I wonder, Princess, did you give him an early taste of the royal wedding night?”

“Let go of me!” She tugged harder.

Shea-Ann whacked him over the head with the shaggy end of a broom. “Unhand her, you murdering scum!”

Lock released her, smiling wickedly, his gaze still fixed on Sparrow’s. “No, Princess, I don’t believe he did. I’m truly honored. I’ve never met an actual virgin before.”

“That’s it! No supper for you!” Shea-Ann raised the broom again, but this time Lock caught it before it landed and jerked it from the older woman’s hands as she shouted, “Didn’t your mother ever teach you any manners?”

Lock chuckled. He leaned back against the wall, a smile still lingering on his lips.