The Pirate's Jewel (13 page)

Wayland smiled, looking pleased with himself. “I didn’t
even know you’d done that. Well, good for you. I’m proud of ya.”

“Don’t be. That kiss was a mistake.” Nolan hesitated. He
was supposed to be getting information out of Wayland, not the other way
around. “What else did you tell her?”

“To stop flirting with you.”

“Thank God.”

“Yep. I told her just to grab your rod. That’s the way to
a man’s heart. Always works on me.”

Nolan couldn’t speak. He just stared at Wayland. Surely
Jewel had enough sense not to listen. If she took Wayland’s advice—God, it had
been five years. If she touched him like that...

“No need to thank me.”

Nolan surged toward Wayland. “I’m about to strangle you.”

The pirate ducked out of his reach. “Don’t blame me if she
hasn’t done it yet. I did my part, and you did everything you could to turn her
against you.”

Nolan paused. Dancing around the slippery deck to catch
Wayland had somewhat dissipated his immediate need to kill. “She prefers
Parker.”

Wayland laughed, apparently enjoying the fact that he’d
driven Nolan to the verge of violence. “Can’t say I blame her. Parker’s a lucky
man. Wish I had a pretty girl like that to stroke my—”

“Don’t say it.” Nolan pinched the bridge of his nose. An
image of Parker and Jewel popped into his head. “Jewel doesn’t need any of your
advice. She seems to be doing just fine where Parker’s concerned.”

“Don’t think so. She seemed pretty surprised when I told
her. But you know how young girls are. All flowers and cool kisses. You have to
touch them right to turn them hot.”

“She didn’t take you seriously, did she?” Nolan had begun
to wonder. Jewel was a mix of paradoxes. She still had a romantic bent, despite
her circumstances.

“I guess Mr. Tyrell’s going to find out instead of you.”

“Why are you doing this?” Nolan rubbed his forehead with
his palm. “I’ve never known you to do anything that isn’t self-serving.”

“Getting Parker a good time wasn’t my idea. I was trying
to steer Jewel toward you.”

“So you’re the matchmaking pirate now? Thank you, but I
don’t need or want your help.”

“Fine, but you better get a woman quick. If you don’t blow
off more than just steam soon, I’m jumping ship. You ain’t easy to be around
these days.”

“By all means, jump ship! But until you do, keep your advice
to yourself.”

Not that Nolan had any illusions he’d be so lucky. Any way
he saw it, he had trouble on his hands. He couldn’t afford to lose either
Parker or Jewel to a misunderstanding fueled by Wayland’s bad advice. They were
all stuck together on a ship that grew smaller every day.

Jewel sat at Nolan’s desk, smoothing out the map with careful
strokes. Its familiar sight comforted her. On those long nights waiting for her
father to toss pebbles up at her window so they could make their great escape, she’d
studied the map, dreaming of the day they would discover its treasure.

The reality of the quest was sobering. Jewel wrapped her
arms around herself in a comforting hug. Her cotton nightgown provided little
protection against the night’s chill. After such a warm day, the change in
temperature was as disillusioning as her dreams.

She managed to tuck her feet under the billowing gown.
Resting her chin on her knees, she stared at the map. If only Nolan wouldn’t
remind her at every turn that he didn’t want her along, she might be able to
salvage a small part of her fantasy. Seeing a world she’d only imagined,
sailing across the open seas—it had all brought a wonderful rush, but Nolan
seemed to go out of his way to dampen her spirits.

Unfortunately, his blatant hostility during the long
grueling day had done little to quell her feelings for him. Jewel finally
realized why her mother believed men were dangerous creatures. You never knew
which one would steal your heart. And once lost, there was no guarantee the one
who claimed it would know its value. Her mother had learned that lesson the
hard way. Now, after running away to change her fate, Jewel found herself in the
same situation.

That Nolan refused to show anything for her but a slight
contempt might have finally convinced her he wasn’t worth the heartache, but
then Nolan had revealed his vulnerability when they failed to find the
treasure. He’d tried to hide it, but Jewel could see the hurt and bitter
disappointment in every line of his body. She’d watched as he futilely pushed
his shovel into the hard ground, his muscular shoulders and back straining against
his white shirt. And his misery ruined any pleasure she gained by getting the
upper hand.

Yes, he needed her, though he’d yet to admit it to himself.
Her whole heart thumped with the idea. But when she’d offered him her hand at
the side of the pit, her support, he’d refused.

Jewel turned the map, studying it from every angle. Maybe
if she could find the treasure’s true location, Nolan would let her through the
stone wall he’d built around himself. It would give him a reason to trust her. Then,
he wouldn’t be so alone.

The answer to the map’s riddle lay in the picture, no matter
what Nolan said. Jewel had doubted herself at first because she couldn’t read
the words. Her obsession with the picture had only seemed to emphasize her
ignorance, but Nolan didn’t know where the treasure was any more than she did.
If the words alone revealed the treasure’s location, men would have found it
long ago. Captain Kent hadn’t wanted to make it that easy.

Jewel unhooked the brass lantern from the ceiling and set
it on the corner of the map. She had heard rumors of Captain Kent’s treachery.
He was a privateer who’d grown desperate enough to turn pirate. He’d attacked a
ship flying British colors and killed even his own crewmembers who disagreed
with the treasonous act. The man was Nolan’s grandfather.

Did Nolan also hide a dark side? Jewel wondered. He was so
stiff; if he actually laughed or smiled he might crack. Nolan Kenton made it
his business to be the exact opposite of his grandfather. Even in the long-ago
fight with her father, Nolan had honorable intentions. In fact, they’d earned
him a knife in his chest and a few more years as a pirate.

Perhaps she placed too much importance on the small things
Nolan had done for her, but when she decided to dismiss his kindness in the
face of his continued hostility, it only left her with more questions than
answers. He didn’t have to stand up for her against the British officer at the
Quail and Queen. She had been in no real danger of harm except for her pride.
And despite bringing unwanted scrutiny onto himself, Nolan refused to let the
men treat her with less respect than he thought she deserved.

Also, even though he dismissed the gowns he’d purchased
for her as merely a necessity, Jewel couldn’t believe the quality was an
accident. Something with less lace and silk would have been more practical if
that was Nolan’s only purpose. No doubt the seamstress had swayed Nolan’s
purchases, because he couldn’t possibly know the details a woman would need to
complete her dress, down to matching ribbons for her hair, but he hadn’t said
no to even the most unnecessary luxury.

Nolan had put her comfort and needs above his own even in
the surrender of his cabin, when he’d made it most clear he didn’t want her
aboard. Though the accommodations were small and cramped, she’d come to realize
they were by far the nicest on the
Integrity
. Then, it would have been
easy for him to remove Parker from his cabin, but Nolan hadn’t done that. He
took others’ comforts into consideration before his own.

Though she’d be far better off taking Nolan’s less than charming
behavior at face value, she couldn’t dismiss the man that lay beneath. He’d not
denied his attraction for her, and she had a hard time letting it go at merely
lust.

Jewel turned the map upside-down, hoping to make more
sense of it than she could Nolan. When he wanted to hide his feelings from her,
he went out of his way to act opposite. If Captain Kent wanted to hide his
treasure, would he make the text a picture and the picture the text?

A hard pounding on the door made Jewel jump. She knocked
into the lantern she’d set on the desk with her elbow. It tipped, but she
righted it before it tumbled onto the map. Wax spilled from the candle inside,
spattering her hand rather than the desk.

Jewel yelped, but steadied the lantern, and blew on her
injured fingers. The door banged open, and Nolan was behind her before she had
the chance to turn around. He reached around her to examine her hands.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” The slight sting in her fingers paled in
comparison to her body’s reaction to Nolan. She could feel his heat where his
thighs and chest brushed her thin nightgown. And where he held her wrists with
his hands seemed to come alive with a thousand new sensations, feelings she
didn’t even have names for.

As if he felt it, too, and found the strange contact as disturbing
as Jewel found it pleasant, he pulled away abruptly. He stepped back, putting
several inches between them. But his eyes proved just as intense as his touch.
She glanced down at the plain white nightgown she wore. Long-sleeved and high-collared,
the gown was less revealing than either of her dresses. Still, the way Nolan
stared urged her to fold her arms over her chest, and heat crept up her cheeks.

He abruptly fixed his gaze to a spot over her shoulder.
“Do you want to burn my ship down to the waterline?” He reached around her,
grabbed the lantern and returned it to its hook. “Everything on a ship is
designed for a purpose. I expect you to follow—”

“Lecture me later. I have something to show you.” Jewel
focused on the map, taking his lead in pretending nothing out of the ordinary
had occurred. Her heart continued to race.

He backed to the door of the cabin and leaned against it.
“First, there is something important we need to discuss.”

Jewel grabbed his arm and guided him back to the desk.
Instead of the fight she expected, he let her lead him. A quick glance at his
face showed he watched her with a heavy gaze, but sleep looked like the last
thing on his mind. Wayland had been right. She rushed on before Nolan snapped
himself out of his daze and began reprimanding her or insulting her or whatever
he thought would best hide his interest. “Look at the map. Doesn’t the picture
look like words and the words look like a drawing of an island?”

Nolan glanced at the map. “I don’t know. Jewel...” He
sighed, apparently unable to continue with what he needed to say.

She turned her back on him and stared down at the map. To
hear him talk of sending her home again was more than she thought she could
stand. “Hand me something to draw with and I’ll show you.”

Nolan retrieved an ivory parchment much too fine for her
purpose and a charcoal pencil. Before he changed his mind, she placed the paper
over the map. “Bring that lantern closer. You can hold it to make sure I don’t
start a fire.”

Nolan obliged, but Jewel could tell he only did so to humor
her. The more he doubted her, the surer she was. Her steadiness surprised her
as she traced the outline of the text. The obvious shape of an island that appeared
on the paper even gave Jewel pause. “See?”

Nolan took the paper. At first he just skimmed the sketch,
and then something caught his attention. He turned the paper sideways and
upside-down. Recognition flickered in his eyes, and she swore he paled, the
stubble of his day’s growth of beard appearing black in contrast.

“It’s nothing. Just a shape.” He handed Jewel the paper,
his gaze more shuttered than usual.

“You saw something. You know the place. I could tell by
the look on your face.” She shoved the paper back at him. Nolan could be
stubborn, but to ignore the evidence just because it came from her was childish.

She held out her hand until Nolan took the sketch. He stared
at it again, this time with real concentration. “It reminds me of a place I’ve
been—but the island’s not been charted. You won’t find it on any map.”

“Perfect. That’s it. Don’t you see? Where else would
Captain Kent hide his treasure?” Nolan’s frown only made her more desperate.
“We have to look there.”

“Jewel, it’s probably nothing. I’m imagining I’m seeing
something that isn’t really there.”

“Well, what about this picture?” Using her index finger,
Jewel traced what she thought might be letters. They were drawings, but they
reminded her more of the sharp angles of text rather than an actual picture.
They were too stiff to be a poor attempt at creating landscape.

Nolan leaned closer. Finally, he nodded. “You might be
right.” He straightened, studied her a moment, and then pulled a thin, leather-bound
book from the top desk drawer. “I found this with my father’s things after he
died. I thought it might be a clue to reading the map. What do you think?”

Jewel took the book with reverence. Nolan had breached his
trust no one
motto for her. She flipped through the pages, and then
glanced up at him, hoping her sincere gaze showed how much his gesture meant to
her. “I wish I could help, but I can’t read.” She’d not try to bluff her way
through the first honest moment she and Nolan had shared.

He nodded, his eyes kind, but withheld further comment.
Somehow, it seemed to be the right thing to do. Finally, he merely shrugged.
“Being able to read certainly didn’t do me much good today. Next time…” He paused,
as if struggling for words. “Next time, I’ll take your opinions into
consideration. Maybe there is something here I’m missing.”

“Thank you,” she said, and then returned her gaze to the
pages. Nolan had taken her breath away when he was barely being civil. This new
behavior was devastating. In the face of his admission of failure—something she
suspected didn’t come easily—combined with his surprising gesture of trust, her
last resistance against the pull of her heart crumbled. To protect himself, or more
likely her, Nolan ensured he was a difficult man to love—which only increased
Jewel’s determination to do so. She loved him. She could no longer deny it.