Page 18 of The Pirate's Daughter

She opened her eyes to find him smilingfoolishly.

“You taste sogood.”

“That was wicked, Captain,” Mia said taking a deep breath, then another and another until she could almost put thoughts together. She inhaled only to lose the air when Devin pinched her pulsing clit,hard.

“Say my name,Mia.”

“Captain?” She cried out when he pinched heragain.

“My name,Mia.”

She was on the verge of that release again, “Devin,”

“Mia.” His thumb brushed soft and the release came. More easily than before, but stealing her breath. “Have mercy, you are beautiful.” He turned, leaned in, and bent his head towardshers.

Mia turned her head and his lips landed closer to her ear. She scrambled to her feet, yanking the shift over her head. “Beautiful, but stupid and weak,” she said, jumping into the pool to let the chilly waters douse the flame. She stayed submerged as long as shecould.

Surfacing only to find herself eye to eye with a scowling man. Devin’s hand clamped down on her arm and forced her closer. He pulled her to the edge of the pool, turned her to face the other direction and dragged her from the water, plopping her down rather hard on the rocky ledge. Every instinct told her to run, but his continuing scowl held her inplace.

“Now,” he said rolling his wide shoulders as he shucked his jacket. “Who said you’re stupid and weak?” He leaned away to set the fine, if not formal, piece of clothing safely aside. The muscles along his back stretched and pulled, his shirt followed. Mia shook her head trying to end the thoughts she had about running her hands along his smooth, sun kissed skin. “Mia?”

Pulling her eyes from his body she again met his disapproving expression. She gave him one of her own. “You did,Captain.”

“I didn’t,” hedenied

“You said you thought I was so stupid as to fall overboard off an anchored ship in peaceful waters and that I’d be hurt jumping into the water from thecliffs.”

“Mia, that isn’t what I said,” he told her, bending to push his pants down his legs and pull them past his feet. She almost choked seeing the leviathan between his legs. How had he gotten that inside her? “What I said,” he sat down on the edge beside her, “was—watching you lean out over the rail worried me and I don’t want to know what it’ would feel like to see you jump from thecliffs.”

“I’m not going to fall overboard. I’ve been on deck on ships my wholelife.”

“Mia, I’m not insulting your seamanship. It is a simple matter. You’re my wife and I, as your husband, get to worry about you. I don’t really believe you’ll fall overboard, and if you did I don’t have any doubt you’d know what to do tosurvive.”

She gave her head a firm nod, of course she knew how to stay afloat until rescue, at least he didn’t think her completelyincapable.

“Nevertheless, I’m going to worry, the same as I worry for all the men serving on the ship, but more because I’m not wed to any ofthem.”

“You shouldn’t. I do these things all the time.” She watched him slide into the water, heard him hiss a bit at thechill.

“It’s my prerogative to worry Mia, and so I will and sometimes I’ll say I do. But it isn’t a criticism or a judgment against you.” He reached up and lifted her back into the water, pulling her against him as he stepped to where it was deeper. The heat of his body kept her warm as she was submerged up to hershoulders.

“I’m not a guppy,” she pouted and put her arms around hisneck.

“I might need to see this fish before I can speak to that,” he said, then laughed when she tried to pull back. A slight struggle ensued, as well as good deal of splashing and his laughter ringing out overhead. She realized she’d not be able to dunk him because even in the deepest part of the pool his feettouched.

She squealed when he lifted her out of the water and cradled her a moment against his body. He waited until she’d let down her guard then pulled his arms back. Mia came up sputtering, wiping the hair from her face. Devin moved back to the edge of the pond and was searching through her basket. When he turned and made his way back, he had her soap and her sponge in his large hands. She watched him lift the soap to hisnose.

“Mmm,” he made the sound and smiled. “This is nice, what isit?”

“Cherry blossoms,” Mia said and held out her hands for theitems.

“And the stuff you used on your skin was molasses?” She nodded as he dipped the sponge in the water and started lathering it. “I wouldn’t have thought the combination to be so enticing.” He handed her the soap as he put the sponge to her neck and drew it down over her shoulder then along her collarbone. His free hand settled at the small of her back causing her to arch against him. She felt his knee push between her legs so she straddled it. When he bent his knee she cleared the water almost to her waist and without even a by your leave he started rubbing circles over her arms chest and belly. He came back several times to wash her breasts. Each time the sponge brushed over her nipples the sensitive tips stiffened more, sending flashes of heat down through her stomach to the juncture between her legs and each time she’d feel him shift so his knee pressed in and rubbed over her nub. It was just enough to keep her on the verge of that powder keg explosion, but not enough to actually cause it toblow.

He increased the pressure at her back forcing her to lean into him. For a moment she was confused until he pushed aside her hair and washed along her spine. Not as thoroughly but it was more sensual than she’d everknown.

“Hold on to me a bit,” he said. He dropped his knee so she slid backwards, nearly off, then he lifted her foot from the water he began washing herleg.

He again took more time than needed and again each tight sweeping motion urged her closer to the insane feeling of bliss he created. He took his time with both legs before letting her slide off his thigh to rinse. She was reaching for the sponge so she might wash the only part of her he’d not gotten to when he took her by the waist and lifted her back to theledge.

---