Page 67 of Hush Darling
“I think you’ve domesticated me.”
He chuckled. “That’s an interesting way to put it. You were rather feral a few minutes ago when you came all over my hand.”
She hid her smile in the pillows, certain her cheeks were flushing pink. With a content sigh, she lounged back and stared at the amber shadows that glowed and flickered overhead. “If I’ve gone feral, it’s because you made me so.”
“One might say you have an issue with accountability.”
She snickered. “One might say you’re a savage.”
“Right on both accounts.”
He was as unruly as the flickering flames. Powerful and unpredictable. Her earlier opposition had been wasted on him. He claimed he’d get everything he wanted, and now she was convinced he would.
Twirling her hair around her finger, she stared at the canopy, wondering what would become of her. Would he keep her as some sort of ship slave, tied to his bed by day and taken hard by night? Grinning at the thought, she silently laughed. There was definitely something twisted and wrong inside of her.
She should be questioning how much time she had left. Reality beckoned as the fleeting thought of her home life crept in. This was a dangerous place, and he was obviously a dangerous man, yet she felt secure in the fact that he clearly coveted her. Was she safe enough to ask what his plans were?
She rolled to her side, angling her elbow to rest her head on her hand. “Do you plan to kill me?”
He stilled from unbuttoning his shirt as if her blunt curiosity caught him off guard. “Ah, to die would be a great adventure.”
Her smile faltered. “Is that a yes, then?”
He glanced at her through narrow eyes. “I’m afraid you’re much more useful to me alive.”
Her smile returned. “Because of all the things you’re going to do with my body?”
“That, and other reasons.”
Other reasons? The sense of security she’d been luxuriating in vanished, and she frowned again. “What does that mean?”
The air chilled when he pinned her with a sharp glare. “Don’t question me.” Malevolence flashed in his eyes, and she drew back. His unreadable expression clarified nothing aside from the fact that they were not on the same side. The sense of closeness was gone, as if he’d stripped off a mask and his true nature returned.
What a fool she’d been to think this was something other than a game to him. Seconds ago, she felt more connected to him than anyone else in the world. Now, she just felt stupid and alone.
How could she be so dumb? He was a criminal. A pirate. And she gave herself to him.
Her skin chilled as she sat up, pulling the covers to her chest.
She was a gullible idiot, desperately painting pretty pictures of her dishonor to somehow romanticize captivity. She could not have made it easier for him. He called her a slut because she conceded like one.
She could still fight him. She could escape the next time they docked. No one needed to know what happened here. She could bury it like a secret for the rest of her life.
“Would you like some wine before we continue?”
Her panicked stare met his. They weren’t finished. How was she going to stomach more now that she realized she meant absolutely nothing to him?
Or did she? She needed to know his reasons for taking her. She couldn’t believe anyone could be that detached and, at the same time, that intimate. There had to be something real between them.
Or was she thinking like a fanciful child again?
“There were at least fifty other women at that lagoon.”
He glanced over his shoulder and cocked a brow in question. “And?”
“Why did you only take me?”
He crossed the room slowly, not stopping until he leaned over her, forcing her to angle back as he caged her in and stared directly into her eyes. “Careful, darling. You’re trespassing on private territory.”
