Page 39 of The Sea of Zemira (The Zemiran Chronicles 1)

Lincoln sauntered towards Nola with his eyes set down to the wooden floor, which creaked with every step. The stowaway girl sat on a little wooden chair where Big Red had tended to her wound.

Captain Lincoln replayed in his mind what he had done earlier to her. Though he was not too keen on helping a fugitive and was mildly agitated she had stolen from him, all that changed when he saw her on his ship. She was there. The girl from the tavern he thought he was never going to see again was there.

He hated himself for pointing his pistol at her. However, if he had not shown her that side of him, she would have never confessed why she had boarded his ship in the first place.

Nola looked up as he stepped closer to her. His expression was quite indecipherable; she was having trouble reading him. She could tell, though, that he was pretending to be harsh—something he was not.

“You’re not very good at this, are you?” she teased.

Huh, she is wiser than I expected,the captain thought, fully knowing she was referring to his awkward behavior. He straightened his back and narrowed his eyes.

Lincoln had no doubt she was somewhat afraid, but he, deep inside, hoped she would warm up to him. Truth be told, Nola was indeed frightened. The journey ahead was scary, but Lincoln was not; she saw him for what he truly was.

Nola was becoming aware of the changes in her body when he was that close to her. He smelled so good she almost had to hold her breath. Maybe it was cedar, like his ship, but there was something else.

Musk? Something citrus? Nola thought, trying to figure out why she liked it so much.

She shifted uncomfortably and tried to look away, but her gaze would not leave his dim eyes—she both loved and hated his presence.

“Hm, you think you can read me?” he asked, lowering his mouth to hers, but stopped near inches from her lips. “What secrets do I have, Nola?”

The pirate’s eyes raked hers, and she gulped. “I may not know your secrets, Captain Lincoln,” she admitted, “but I know true malevolence when I see it.”

He turned away and eyed Ardley, who mumbled a melody to himself, seemingly trying to pretend he was not listening to their conversation.

Nola noticed she had made the captain uncomfortable. She enjoyed it for a moment but then felt a bit guilty. The smile on her lips was meek.

“Your eyes give you away.” A smirk briefly crossed her lips, “I see you,” she muttered proudly but felt uneasy as he loomed closer to her.

He matched her smile, placing both hands on each side of her hips to trap her where she sat. “Aye. And I see you, too, Nola.”

She swallowed but kept her body poised.

Does he honestly see through me?She thought. Could he know I am a siren? Or am I better at hiding secrets than he is?

The silence between the two was both awkward and intriguing, but they rarely diverted their eyes from each other. Ardley shifted uncomfortably, distracting himself with the medical equipment next to him.

Lincoln stepped back, taking a seat at the table where Big Red sat. The girl who had been pressed on his mind since he met her lowered her head. Guilt tore at him again for how he had treated her; he should not have behaved that way despite his reasoning.

“Did the wound need sutures?” Lincoln asked Ardley, taking his eyes from her for only a short moment before looking back into hers again.

Ardley straightened up, shaking his head.

“Nay. It wasn’t deep enough. I treated it with frankincense and bandaged it properly. It is her headache I’m worried about. She said she hit her head rather hard.”

As Nola continued to stare into Lincoln’s unrelenting gaze, his jaw relaxed as a sudden warmth rose inside his chest.

Blimey, woman!Lincoln thought as desire invaded his body. I need a drink.

After he sauntered her way, he reached out for her hair, running his fingers through the silver strands. When she flinched, he lifted his fingers and stepped back just as he had at the tavern when she blenched from his touch.

The girl trembled under his fingertips. Nola was brave, but he had frightened her then.

Dammit! Now she fears me again,he thought, almost saying it out loud.

He wanted to tell her not to be afraid of him because he would never hurt her. Never.

“Why does your hair grow in three different colors?” he asked, but when her lips pressed together, he snickered.

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