Taken By Storm (12 page)

“I
t’s Cullen!” Burke exclaimed once they entered his cabin.

Storm took off her bonnet and jacket and placed them on the chest. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“What do you mean?”

“How would Lady Alaina have made an acquaintance of a prisoner?” Storm shook her head. “The earl would never allow his daughter access to the prison. We could very well be chasing the wrong man.”

“Then I need to question her some more and find out what she knows of Cullen.”

Storm shoved her hand out to stop him. “That would definitely cause suspicion, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she is already suspicious of us. With gossip a livelihood on the docks there’ll be many tongues wagging about the American who asks so
many questions. And if Thomas could be bought with a pint or two of ale, what makes you think one of your crew can’t be bought as cheaply?”

Burke didn’t look too happy. “What you’re suggesting is that we’ll need to leave here by tomorrow the latest if we’re not to take chances.”

“We’ll need to leave before dawn’s first light.”

“You don’t think we should be seen again?”

“I think enough people have seen us already, any more and we’d be asking for trouble,” she said. “And besides, between what we learned from Lady Alaina and the information we can find out from the man we pay, it may be enough to piece the puzzle together.”

“If not?”

“Then we’ll have no choice but to speak with Lady Alaina again.”

Burke paced the room. “Then why not just question her now and save us time?”

“We need more information,” she advised, attempting to calm his agitation while understanding it. He was a man who took decisive action, but more thought was called for in this situation, and besides, she didn’t want to see him imprisoned, especially not by the Earl of Balford.

“Which we can learn from her,” he said with a wave of his hand.

“I don’t think that is a wise course of action. Foreigners asking too many questions aren’t well received. What we need to do is piece together what we already know and add to it. Then we can make a better judgment call.”

Burke stripped off his waistcoat and rolled up his sleeves. “What do we have?”

Storm’s glance gently fell over Burke. He was so very different from her Daniel in features, but alike when it came to protecting her. Burke had certainly taken a firm stance on that when he had stepped in front of the man with the whip. He had made it clear that no one would hurt her and he had done so with confidence.

At that very moment when he had stepped around her, blocked her from harm, she realized that he would do anything to keep her safe, even placing his own life in jeopardy.

“Storm?”

She stared up at him as he stroked her arms.

“Are you all right? You looked to have drifted away.”

His tender touch sent a tingle through her. It spread a warm heat throughout every part of her body, warning that passion was close behind.

She stepped away from him. “I’m fine. Lost in thought is all.”

“Good thoughts?”

His crooked smile warned that her answer could prove to sidetrack them from their present conversation. While her body alerted her to its readiness, her mind cautioned that the matter of his brother needed attention now.

“Your brother’s name was finally mentioned, so it tells us that he has been or may still be in the area.”

“You’re right. This is the first time someone
actually has mentioned him by name.” Burke rubbed his chin. “Peter mentioned that I resembled the prisoner and Lady Alaina spoke of my resemblance to Cullen. That means the two very well could be one. Cullen must be the man being held prisoner by the Earl of Balford.”

“Did you notice the tears in Lady Alaina’s eyes when she spoke Cullen’s name?”

“Yes, I did,” Burke admitted anxiously. “She’s obviously upset by his imprisonment. Perhaps they were friends.”

Storm shook her head slowly. “There’s only one reason a woman would shed tears when speaking of a man.”

“And that is?”

“Love.”

Burke dropped down into the chair. “Something invaluable was stolen from the earl, isn’t that what we were told?”

Storm sat on the cushioned stool beside Burke. “His daughter’s heart was stolen. She must have fallen in love with Cullen, a man beneath her station.”

“But why imprison him? Why not just ship him off to another country?”

“I don’t know, but keep your distance from the Earl of Balford until we can figure this out.”

“Why?” Burke asked. “I could offer to take Cullen back to America with me and his problem would be solved.”

“Would you leave the woman you loved if presented with such an offer?”

Storm grew uneasy with the way his dark eyes rested on her, holding firm as if they refused to let go.

“Never!”

“Then I think we can safely assume that your brother would have an identical response. If he and Lady Alaina truly love each other, one is not going to let the other go. They will fight for their love, and the only victor in this battle will be the Earl of Balford.”

“You’re sure of that?”

“Believe me. I know the earl well.”

Burke’s eyes narrowed. “Lady Alaina thought you looked familiar as well. Why is that?”

Storm clenched her hands as that storm-ravaged night came back to her in full force. Before she could find her voice, Burke stood, took her hands in his, and gently guided her to the chair. Then he sat on a stool he pulled in front of her.

“Tell me, Storm.”

He squeezed her hand, offering comfort and courage, and she began her story.

“My husband, Daniel, and I had a small plot of land. We were happy, content in our own world, with ourselves. Then one day the landlord claimed that half of our land did not belong to us. The land he proposed to rob us of was ready for harvest and would have provided us with sufficient food for the coming winter and enough to pay our tenant rent.”

She took a breath, and she was relieved that Burke kept hold of her hands. His touch was warm and so very comforting.

“Naturally, Daniel protested, but the landlord
had him imprisoned for a ridiculous charge. Fees for his imprisonment mounted, and without the harvest to sell at market, I was penniless.”

She choked on her words and the memories they evoked.

“Take your time,” Burke encouraged.

“The landlord took pleasure in making his prisoners suffer and more so if the family did not provide him with extra coins.” Tears welled in her eyes and she sniffed them back. She had cried endlessly then; she didn’t want to cry anymore. It did her no good, served no purpose, and hadn’t brought her husband back to her.

“I watched my Daniel grow thinner and thinner from hunger, the little food I snuck to him not sufficient to maintain his abused body.”

“Was there no one who could help you?”

“Tanin,” she said on a tear and wiped it away. “His Ellie had been imprisoned simply because the landlord had taken a fancy to her, and he was not about to let her spend one night in that cell.”

“He helped you?”

“I found out his intentions to free his wife and asked if I could join him.” She choked on her laughter. “He thought me a fool. What could a pint-sized woman do?”

“I guess he found out fast enough,” Burke said with a grin.

“I did surprise him, freeing his Ellie with ease and then…” She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried without success to quell the vivid memories that rushed through her mind. “Daniel took his
last breath in my arms.” Storm bit at her lip to stop it from quivering. “His—” She choked back the sobs that wanted to rip from her throat. “His last words to me were—” She paused to regain control. “‘I knew you’d come for me. I knew you wouldn’t let me die here.’”

Tears flooded her eyes but she contained them. “Tanin carried Daniel out of the prison and into the woods. He carried Daniel all the way to the ruins of the old church and he helped me bury him there. A fitting place to say good-bye, since it was our second anniversary.”

“I’m so very sorry,” Burke said.

“If I had been a day or two sooner, perhaps I could have saved him. I would have tended him day and night until he was well. I would have never left his side. I would have—”

“Shhh, Storm,” Burke said, placing his hand gently on her cheek. “You did what you could.”

“I didn’t do enough. I let my husband die.” Tears rolled down her cheek, and before she could wipe them away, Burke stopped her and gently eased them off her face with his thumb.

“You did all that you possibly could and Daniel knew that. He told you so himself before he died.”

“He didn’t have to die.”

“No, he didn’t, but it wasn’t your fault that he did. It was the landlord’s greed and brutality that killed Daniel,” Burke said.

“Tanin has told me as much many times and though I know it is so, it doesn’t help ease the pain in my heart.”

A knock at the cabin door broke them apart, and Burke bid the caller to enter.

“Supper will be ready shortly, sir,” Douglas said. “May I see to preparing the cabin?”

“I could use some fresh air,” Storm said and grabbed her bonnet and jacket.

Twilight was claiming the horizon as Storm emerged on the deck of the ship. She wanted a brief distance between her and Burke, but he would have none of that, reaching out and hooking her arm in his.

“You don’t run from me, Storm. It’s your memories that chase you.”

She grew annoyed and tried to yank her arm free, but his grip was too strong.

“Get mad if you wish, but you’re not going anywhere. You’ll stay here beside me.”

“Is that a command?”

“Must it be? I offer my friendship, my concern, my empathy for your plight. I do not wish to see you go off alone to suffer your memories. Share them with me so that your pain is eased.”

No one had so bluntly offered such friendship to her. Her men cared for and respected her, but none dared speak so boldly to her. Burke spoke his mind and made no excuses for it. He wore his honesty as boldly as he spoke it, and, strangely enough, his direct manner comforted her.

“I have not shared memories of my husband with anyone since his death.”

“Then I say it is about time you do. It is good for the soul to release its burden now and again, and I
daresay your burden has been a heavy one to bear.”

The twilight glistened off his dark brown eyes and highlighted the few wrinkles that fanned the corners of his eyes. She favored the thin lines, for they spoke of a man who had weathered the elements and survived, a man strong in nature and conviction.

“Daniel would have liked you.” Her remark surprised her for it was the truth.

“I believe I would have liked Daniel. Tell me more of him.”

Storm had shared laughter and tears with Burke by the time they returned to the cabin for supper. He had been right—speaking of her husband had served as a catharsis for her, finally allowing her to shed some of her pent-up pain.

She was enthralled by the lavish display that had been prepared. Pewter plates and goblets dressed a table draped in fine white linen while a white china tureen was the centerpiece of the table. The smell of fresh fish stew permeated the air along with freshly baked bread, and an array of cheeses and fruits.

It was enough food to feed her entire camp for a whole day.

She shed her bonnet and jacket and took the seat Burke held out for her.

“I know your thoughts and I will see that your camp is adequately supplied with food for the coming winter. Tonight, however, you will enjoy this meal without guilt.”

She smiled. “You know me well, Mr. Longton.”

“Of course I do, Mrs. Longton.”

Her hand squeezed the linen napkin in her lap, the title sending a quiver racing through her stomach. Today she had had a small taste of what it would be like to be Burke’s wife and she found it too much to her liking.

“There is one thing I’ve wanted to ask you, though I think I have my answer.”

“What is that?” she asked as he emptied a ladle of stew into her bowl.

“We had started talking of Lady Alaina and how she might know you when you began to speak of your husband. I can only assume—”

Storm interrupted. “Lady Alaina saw me now and again when I visited with my husband. It was mostly from a distance, though once up close when I was leaving after a visit and crying terribly. She attempted to console me, but I wanted nothing to do with her and brushed past her.”

“I don’t blame you. How could you when her father was responsible for imprisoning your husband.”

“Now you understand why I do not want you going to the Earl of Balford to bargain for your brother’s release. I will not lose another man I care for.”

S
ilence ensued, and Burke admired Storm’s courage. After sharing the heart-wrenching story of how she lost her husband, she had the courage to admit that she cared for another man.

Cared enough that she would not see him suffer the same fate.

“I have given thought to
us
, Mr. Longton,” she said calmly.

He had done the same, but he hadn’t admitted that he cared for her as well, or that his caring might go deeper than he had expected. A strange thought but one that plagued him lately.

“What about us?”

She pushed the spoon around in her bowl. “I am an outlaw. I have no future to offer a man. There can be no future for us since you will return to
America and I will remain in Scotland and fight for the rights of the less fortunate.”

“Which means?”

“We have a brief moment in time to enjoy each other. I propose that we do just that until it is time for you to leave.”

“What if I want more?” he asked, finding himself annoyed that she would think that a quick roll in the hay was all he wanted from her. But hadn’t he? At first, possibly, but now? He wasn’t certain what he wanted from her, and that irritated him even more.

She gave a soft laugh and shook her head. “There is no
more
for us. There is only now and good-byes.”

“And I am to accept this?” Why he suddenly thought her idea ludicrous astounded him since he had thought the same as she. They would share a brief interlude and then he’d be gone. Now, however, the idea disturbed him.

“It is all we have.”

Her sadness showed in her deep blue eyes that normally stormed like a raging sea but now appeared serene and ever so beautiful.

“Not so,” Burke said, tossing down his napkin and pushing away the bowl of stew that he had barely touched. “We have what we choose to have.”

“We have what life has dealt us,” she corrected. “We were brought together for a brief time and then we will part. Do we share this time provided us or do we waste it and always regret the opportunity?”

Her remark caused his heart to ache like hell.
How did he love her and leave her? And did he love? Had he suddenly discovered he had feelings for the wisp of a woman who had entered his life in a flash and planned to leave the same way?

“I will never love as I did my Daniel, but I must admit, Mr. Longton, that I have feelings for you, else I would never propose such an interlude.”

“I daresay I feel the same,” he admitted, perturbed at his own questionable feelings.

“Then we have nothing to lose, do we?”

Burke feared they had more to lose than they bargained for, but then how would he discover that if he didn’t pursue his interest in her? Then and only then would he know for sure if he could truly walk away from her.

“Are you willing to find that out?” he asked.

“I have my answer. There is nothing for me to discover, only to enjoy.”

“Why do you refuse to allow yourself to love again?”

She placed her spoon to the side, not having tasted a mouthful. “I don’t refuse. I just know that I could never love as strongly as I did Daniel.”

“As I mentioned once before, first love can never be replaced, but love can still flourish and be even stronger than before.”

“Oh no,” Storm said adamantly. “I’d never love with the strength that I loved Daniel.”

“Then you aren’t being fair to Daniel.”

Storm looked affronted. “Why do you say that?”

“If your husband loved you, truly loved you, then he wouldn’t want to see you alone. He’d want you to
love again, and with the same if not more courage and strength than you did him. Would you not want that for Daniel, if it were you who had died?”

Storm didn’t hesitate. “I would want Daniel to be happy.”

“Then what makes you think he wouldn’t want the same for you?”

Storm placed her napkin on the table. “It doesn’t really matter what Daniel would want for me. My fate was sealed the day I rescued him from the Earl of Balford’s prison. The man is determined to see me caught and paid to suffer for the humiliation I caused him. I’ve stayed several steps ahead of him but he will catch up sooner or later. It is inevitable.”

Burke stood, walked around the table to her, and yanked her out of her seat by her arms. “There is no way in hell I would let you be captured and imprisoned.”

“You will not decide my fate, Mr. Longton.”

He pulled her up against his chest. “I am your fate,
Mrs. Longton
.”

He claimed her mouth with a feverish kiss that had their passion soaring in seconds.

He held her close, running his hand up to her hair and freeing it of the combs that held it in place so that he could run his fingers through the silky black strands. He wrapped his hand in the long waves and tugged her head back to expose her neck to his lips, and he feasted on her smooth flesh.

She moaned her pleasure and it stirred his own. With quick fingers he opened her blouse and moved his lips to her hard nipples and continued to feast.
She tasted exquisite, and he couldn’t get enough of her, nor she him, since her hand cupped the back of his head.

He took a moment to free her completely of her blouse and himself of his shirt and once again pulled her up against him.

She gasped as their naked bodies made contact, and he swallowed the staggering moan that rose in his throat.

Lord, but she felt good against him. She was warm and soft and fit perfectly to his chest, as if they were made for each other. Her hard nipples dug into him and the full mounds of her breasts snuggled against him as if they had come home and were content.

She belonged there, melded with him as if they were one, and the thought startled and excited him as he leaned down and took her lips once again.

He kept his arms firmly around her as he walked her over to the bed and lowered them down on it, continuing to kiss her as they descended into the soft bedding.

He near shivered when her hand explored his chest, her fingers playing with his nipples before they slipped down to rub the hard length of him through his trousers.

He wanted to feast his eyes over every inch of her, become familiar with every little detail until he knew her as no one had ever known her before him.

He whispered in her ear, “I want to kiss every part of you, claim every nook and cranny and make you mine.”

He moved his lips to her mouth, and the palm of her hand greeted him.

He didn’t like the sadness he saw in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought I made it clear that I could never be yours. This is but a brief interlude, no more.”

Why did the idea disturb him? He had had interludes before, and it had never bothered him to say good-bye to the women. Why did the thought of bidding Storm farewell weigh so heavily on his mind?

He could tell her he had meant just for this night, for this time they would spend together, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

“I can’t give you more, Burke.”

He thought, or perhaps he imagined it because he wanted to, that she sounded regretful, almost as if she were on the verge of tears. Did she want more herself but know it wasn’t possible? Did it hurt her to believe so?

“Nothing has to be decided tonight,” he assured her, leaving possibilities open to them both.

“Yes, yes it does,” she said, pushing him gently off her.

He reluctantly moved away and she reached for a pillow to shield her naked breasts as she sat up.

“Why?” he demanded a bit more forcefully than he had intended.

“Because it is the way of things, and nothing will change that. You will return to America and I will remain in Scotland.”

“What if we fell in love?”

Storm’s blue eyes widened considerably. “We cannot.”

“What if we did?” he asked, the force of his query remaining adamant.

“It’s not a possibility. We barely know each other.”

“If I remember correctly, you and Daniel hadn’t known each other long before you fell in love.”

“That was different,” she said.

“Why?”

She looked puzzled, as if the answer hadn’t come as easily as she had expected.

“No answer, Storm? That’s because there is no answer. Love is love, and it comes in its own good time to unsuspecting people.”

She bounced off the bed holding the pillow to her chest. “Are you claiming to love me?”

“No,” he said, though the thought plagued him. Why fight her on this if he wasn’t in love? “I just feel we should leave fate to deal with it, not throw obstacles in its path.”

“I know my fate and I know my feelings. I will not love again.”

“You are a stubborn one,” he said on a laugh and shook his head.

“Much like you,” Storm said with a toss of her chin.

He folded his arms across his chest. “So where does this leave us?”

Storm sighed softly, and Burke could see her shoulders droop along with her guard.

“You look for something I cannot give.”

Burke raked his fingers through his hair and came close to muttering an oath. “I don’t know what I look for, but…” He paused and stepped closer to her. “I’d like to find out.”

“I don’t know, perhaps…”

He pressed a finger to her lips, preventing her from objecting. “We owe it to ourselves.”

She gently pushed his finger aside. “Why?”

“We’re attracted to each other and have a small time frame of opportunity here,
which
”—he emphasized—“if we ignore, we will live to regret.”

“You can’t be sure of that.”

“You can’t be sure we won’t, so why take the chance? Why not see what awaits us? Why not delve into the unknown and let fate deal with us? But then you know your fate,” he said. “So what have you got to lose?”

He didn’t wait for an answer. Instead he walked over to the chest near the chair and pulled out a white silk nightgown and handed it to Storm.

“Here, for you. Tonight I want nothing more than to hold you in my arms as we sleep. Can you give me that much?”

She looked bewildered and took a moment to answer him. “I would like to sleep in your arms tonight.”

“Good, then change while I disrobe and join me beneath the blankets.” He turned his back to give her privacy, and then shed his clothes and climbed beneath the covers naked.

It took only a few minutes for Storm to join him. He held back the blankets for her to slip beneath, and
when she did, he took her in his arms and rested her body against his.

She cushioned her head on his chest and rested her arm across his midriff.

He rested his chin on top of her head and held her snugly against him and whispered, “Good night, Mrs. Longton.”