The Pirate's Jewel (21 page)

“How does it feel, sweetheart? Torture me and I’ll always
pay you back tenfold,” he said.

She felt his breath on her cheek and opened her eyes. He
gazed at her face with such intensity she couldn’t speak. Before she could even
think to answer him or ask what he planned next, he covered her mouth with his.
His lips were wet with her taste. Mingled with his own unique flavor, the
combination drugged Jewel. With the last of her inhibitions ripped free, she
moaned into his mouth.

He reached between them, and the tip of his cock nudged her
wider. With slow rocking motions, he pummeled through her untried body’s
resistance—all the while distracting her with his tongue. She wanted him. Her
body ached for him, but there was still a small part of her that had the
consciousness to fear what would come next. She kissed him more fiercely,
reaching out to caress his invading tongue with her own, hiding her sudden bout
of nerves.

“Jewel. You’re so sweet and…so…”—he rose to his elbows and
dropped his head, watching their joining—“tight.” The moan that followed
assured he found the revelation to his liking.

She ached for more of him. With each tiny rock of his
hips, she grew warmer and wetter. She wanted to thrust, to end the waiting, but
she stilled herself. She brought her knees up higher, giving him better access
to her body.

He liked that, too. She could tell because he made a
breathless sound deep in his throat. The patter of rain and his heavy breathing
filled the cabin, and still he gently rocked, his movements too shallow to
reach her building ache. She writhed underneath him to no avail. Finally, she
reached up and wrapped her hand in his dark hair and urged him on.

He thrust deep, deeper than she thought possible, and his
warmth filled her. She sucked in her breath and pushed against his chest. His
weight hovered over her, solid as stone. Every muscle in his body poised and
tensed. The place where they were joined throbbed. The pain of his invasion
eased, but Jewel still felt too full, too stretched.

He dipped his head and nuzzled her ear, his tongue delving
into the hollows. She tried to move her head away, but he went deeper,
purposely tickling her. Her giggles were rewarded with his low chuckle. When he
began a slow sucking of her earlobe, her body began to throb in a different
way. In the place where they came together, they shared one pulse. Though she
never lost the intense sensation of having his length buried deeply inside her
body, he remained motionless. Every so often he shuddered, softly and involuntarily.
Her body responded by clenching, adjusting to his invasion with a sweep of pleasure.
Ready for more, she arched her hips. All the gentle sensation that had deserted
her on his forceful entry flooded back in a torrent.

“Are you ready?” he whispered in her ear.

She wasn’t sure what was next, but her body yearned to
find out. “Yes.”

He moved out on a long fluid stroke and fast back, burying
himself in her so thoroughly she gasped. He paused, and then eased out with
slow deliberateness, wringing every last ounce of pleasure from the motion. Again,
with the same controlled ease, he entered her, making sure she felt every inch
of him sliding into her. He repeated the languid torture, adding a twist to his
hips.

“Come for me. Show me how much you want me,” he whispered
next to her ear. His breath was a hot and damp caress of its own, though his
words alone had no meaning. He put his hand between them and touched the concentrated
tangle of nerves he had awakened with his tongue. His thrusts slowed to the
earlier rocking. He moved over her, arching his body until he rubbed the pleasure
point he had touched with his fingers.

“Is this it? Is this what you like?” He dropped his mouth
to her neck and kissed its length to nuzzle the hollow there before returning
to her ear. “Yes. I feel you clenching around me. You’re close.”

She didn’t feel close. Her skin itched with a need for more.
She thrust against him anxiously. His small movements were making her ache
grow, not easing it.

As if he sensed her agitation, he moved his hips in a
circular motion, bringing her to the brink of insanity. His slight change in
angle forced a gasp. And then ...every muscle in her body contracted and
released. She moaned with her violent undoing.

He paused only until she caught her breath, and then rose
above her, deepening and quickening his strokes in away that forced his jaw to
tense. The abandon that surged through him proved fierce and all-consuming,
because he abruptly surged into her with a low groan. His hair hung over his
face until he threw his head back, thrusting deeper when she was sure he was
buried as far as he could go. A breathless moan ripped from his throat. His
violent jerks eased, and he collapsed to his side. He wrapped his arms around
her and rolled her with him, maintaining the connection.

They lay nose to nose, both struggling to catch their
breath. He traced the side of her face with his fingertip, brushing a lock of sweat-dampened
hair from her cheek. She grabbed his hand and kissed the tips of his fingers.
Their joined hands fell between them. Nolan’s eyes shone with emotion. She knew
hers did as well. Neither could deny the love that simmered between them.

His eyelids lowered, as if he couldn’t keep them open another
moment. She snuggled against him, fitting into every contour and nook of his hard-planed
body. His wet skin adhered to hers, letting her experience the relaxing of his
breath, the slowing of his heart as if she were the one drifting off to sleep.
His body slipped from hers, but his heat stayed with a sticky warmth between
her legs. He invaded every one of her senses as thoroughly as he had just taken
her body. She closed her eyes in perfect bliss. Nothing could harm her as long
as she was consumed by Nolan. She belonged to Nolan and he to her. Everything
would be all right after all.

Chapter
Twelve

Nolan lay with Jewel in the crook of his arm and stared at
the beams forming the deck above them. Things between them couldn’t have taken
a more treacherous bend. Had she said lay with me or
stay
with me?

It didn’t matter. Even if she had offered an invitation,
he was still a fiend for taking it. How easily his resolve had fallen in
shreds. It disgusted him. Of course, he could argue that she’d been more than
willing, tempting him beyond endurance, in fact. And he might have allowed
himself a moment’s reprieve if not for the fact that she’d been vulnerable,
scared, and alone, and he was an animal, a rutting animal. He’d said he would
be damned if he didn’t hold himself to not taking advantage of her, and damned
he would be. Having a wife whom he lusted after but who hated him should do it.

There was no question he had to marry Jewel. If he’d doubted
she was a virgin, the slight trace of blood on her thighs when he took her the
second time proved it beyond a doubt. He cringed, remembering his desire the
second time. She had been sleeping, for God’s sake!

He’d awoken after passing out like a drunk, a drunk
besotted with lust. When he had rolled over and found her there, it all came
flooding back to him—her incredible tightness as he pushed past her barriers to
bury himself inside her. Not an ounce of shame or even regret could quell the
carnal demands of his body. His ravenous hunger had taken control of the
situation before his sleepy brain could protest. He had licked the smooth contours
of her ear until she looked up at him with sleep-filled eyes, the most trusting
eyes he had ever seen. She’d wrapped her arms around him and opened herself.
He’d rolled onto her, was inside and moving before he fully realized what he
was doing.

Why hadn’t he sent Parker here in his place? He’d had a
raging erection before he even walked into the room. Though no doubt a part of
him knew better—the part above his waist—he’d convinced himself he was the
master of his baser instincts. There was no question now who was master. If
only Jewel hadn’t been so willing, he might have escaped with both their honors
intact. The way she had touched him...would she have touched Parker like that?

Nolan flexed his arm, instinctively pulling her flush with
his body. The thought was unbearable. Not for a moment did he believe Jewel
would be in Parker’s arms right now if the lieutenant had come in his place. Jewel
had all too clearly revealed her romantic bent. She thought she loved him. And
damn him for liking it. He’d used her misplaced devotion to his advantage
better than Bellamy ever could have. But he would be punished for it.

Yet, he could atone. He could do the right thing by Jewel,
get off this hedonistic path for the rest of his life. Although he’d veered off
course in his quest for self-control and honor, he had the opportunity to
correct it before it was too late. In fact, marrying Jewel would not only make
up for the fact that he’d taken her virginity, it might ease some of his guilt
where her father was concerned. He could provide a better life for Jewel than
Bellamy ever would have.

His justifications served him so well, he almost relaxed
and enjoyed the sensation of Jewel nestled against him. Then he recalled that
she would have to know about his involvement in her father’s death. Not telling
her would be a deception he couldn’t live with. It would be as bad to marry her
under false pretenses as not marrying her at all. Of course, he had to ensure
that she married him, so it might be best to wait until after the wedding. That
was when his punishment would start. Would she keep him from her bed? More than
likely, and it was as good as he deserved.

Nolan let his hand drift over Jewel’s hip, past the dip of
her waist, and then cupped her breast. Lust. Desire. Selfishness. Reverting
back to his true colors happened faster than he’d ever imagined it could. In
the back of his mind, he’d given himself a good year before he would find
himself holed up, feasting hard in some den of debauchery. He had fooled his
father and friends for a while, but deep down Nolan had always known he was pretending.
His heart was dark and wild. His passions ruled him. Tonight had proved that in
every way. He had loved the battle aboard the
Neptune
. The moment he’d
drawn his sword, exhilaration surged through him like a long-lost friend. Even
the letting of his own blood had made him feel more alive. And to finish his
night with carnality, he’d sniffed out the woman plaguing his dreams and rutted
until he was sore.

Damn, but he was already hard again. He gritted his teeth
against the urge to press into Jewel’s backside. This would be his hell. He
would probably spend the rest of his life with an insatiable erection and a
wife who hated him. And it would be just.

***

A hesitant knock caused Jewel to lose her grip on the roll
of hair she had coaxed into a reasonable imitation of a chignon. The limp
strands cascaded around her shoulders in a dark sheet, refusing to show even
the slightest wave for her efforts. She turned away from the mirror,
immediately forgetting her struggle with her painfully straight hair. Her
desire to appear transformed was nothing compared to her need to see Nolan.

Parker’s presence on the other side of the door erased her
grin. “Oh, it’s you.”

Parker laughed in spite of the dismal greeting. “Well, good
morning to you, too, Miss Sanderson.”

Jewel’s cheeks burned. She hadn’t meant to be short with
Parker. In fact, seeing him after what she had done last night conjured a surge
of guilt. She had used Parker unfairly in her quest to win Nolan’s heart. “I’m
sorry. I just expected someone else.” It had just occurred to her that her
relationship with Nolan should be kept a secret. She knew what they shared went
deeper than an illicit fling, but what would others think?

Parker winked. “I know who you expected.”

Jewel could feel the heat of her earlier embarrassment creep
down into her chest. Suddenly, she couldn’t meet his gaze.

Parker had the grace to clear his throat. “And that somebody
wants to see you on deck. You’d better make an appearance before he takes any
more of his bad temper out on the crew.”

Jewel frowned. She felt absolutely blissful today. Her whole
life had fallen into place. She’d thought Nolan would experience the same sense
of rightness. An uneasy twinge sprouted in the center of her happiness like a
weed, ruining the rosy view.

Parker gently touched her arm. “Don’t worry. His mood will
lighten once he sees you.”

She latched on to Parker’s suggestion. Nolan’s foul mood
might be due to the fact that he was as nervous as she over the change in their
relationship. They just needed to see each other to be reassured. She forced a smile,
but a seed of doubt held on in the pit of her stomach. “Give me a minute to
braid my hair. I wanted to put it up, but it’s hopeless. I’ve spent the better
part of an hour trying to make it stay pinned.”

“You need to twist it.”

Jewel turned away from the mirror to glance at him. “What
do you know about arranging a woman’s hair?”

He looked her straight in the eye, but she could have sworn
she saw a hint of red around his collar. “Um…my sister taught me.”

She struggled to contain a grin, but Parker surely knew
she didn’t believe him. Still, he’d been so accepting about what happened
between her and Nolan last night, she was more than willing not to question him
on his exploits—no matter how surprising they appeared to be. “Could you fix
mine?”

“I’d be honored.” He followed her to the mirror without
the least bit of hesitation, and then gathered the loose strands. “We need to
brush it out first.”

She reached around him to grab a brush from the desk. “I
did, but it tangled while I was trying to put it up.”

Parker pulled the brush through her hair, working out the
tangles with practiced strokes. The gentle tug of bristles across her scalp
encouraged Jewel to relax. She let her eyes drift shut, and imagined Nolan’s
surprise when he saw her hair up instead of in the simple braid she usually
wore. Hopefully, the more sophisticated style would help her face him with
confidence. Why she needed confidence to face the man to whom she’d pledged her
love, in action if not words, was a matter she didn’t want to think about too
carefully.