Page 19 of Queen's Griffon

The captain’s. The question being, why?

Why had he put her in his room? In his bed? His shirt?

Wait, had he molested her while she’d been unconscious? She felt no soreness between her legs and from what she knew, her first time would hurt. Or so the maids claimed. She’d never intended to find out.

“You can stop trying to sneak so noisily. I’m awake,” grumbled the man.

“Did you compromise me?” she blurted, even as she felt certain the answer was no.

“What?” Griffon rolled to his back and frowned at her. It should be noted he looked ridiculously attractive. His hair was mussed from sleep, his jaw shadowed with the start of a beard. The breadth of his naked chest was exposed as the sheet lay pooled around his naval.

“I asked if you took liberties,” she huffed.

“No. And it’s insulting you would even think I might have. I prefer my women awake and willing,” he snapped with affront.

“Then why am I in your room, wearing your clothes?” She gestured to the shirt as she crouched on the foot of his bed.

“Dunno. After you got fished from the ocean, I told Monty to put you to bed. Apparently, he thought that meant mine.”

“Who’s Monty? Is he the one who saved me?”

“No.” A terse reply.

“Did he undress me?” she squeaked.

The captain shrugged. “No idea. You were already tucked in bed when I crawled in. Guess you’ll have to ask him.”

“I will and I’m telling you right now, if he took liberties?—”

“Then I’ll toss him into the ocean myself.” A low growled promise.

“Oh.” She’d not expected that. “Thank you.”

“No thanks necessary. My crew know my rules,” was his flat response.

“Do you have many? What are they?” she asked, curious but also trying to ease her anxiety over being in such a situation.

“Listen when I talk. Do your job. No stealing from your mates. No raping. No killing of children.”

“Those seem reasonable.”

“What else did you expect?”

“I don’t know. You’re the first pirate I’ve ever met.”

“We’re people like anyone else.”

“Who’ve chosen to steal from others.”

He shrugged. “Not much choice given Saarpira doesn’t have any resources we can exploit.”

“If you had a choice, would you continue to pirate?”

“A moot question to ask, since we don’t have another option.”

“Say you did. Like, for example, a kingdom offered you employment.”

“As what?”

---