She licked her lips as she closed the cabin door, trying to ignore how heat churned within her at the taste of him still lingering there. It was beyond intolerable that she had lost her mind and kissed that man. He was the most pompous, irritating, wickedly intelligent, undeniably brave…
Oh no.This couldn’t be happening, but it had happened. Somehow her loathing had transformed into consuming passion. He’d climbed that mast like the madman he was and saved all their lives. Watching him risk his life like that was like striking flint next to a barn full of straw. She went up in flames as surely as that mast, and heaven help her, she wanted the man she was married to.Neededhim. When he’d walked toward her, looking at her like she was his whole world, forces beyond hercontrol had taken over. Before she’d known what she was doing, she’d crashed her lips into his and wrapped her arms around him.
And that kiss! Lord in heaven, that kiss. She would never recover. But he was still the man Lady Eleanor sent and therefore not to be trusted. She had to find a way to undo what she’d just done.
“My lady, are you all right?” Will asked from his corner.
“I’m fine,” she said quickly, her voice croaking.
“What happened up there?” Rising from the corner, he took her elbow and led her to the bed where she took a seat on the edge beside Pascal. It was the only place to sit, since the stools were still lashed to the table.
“Go up and see for yourself. I’ll keep watch here.”
Will nodded and went running out the door.
Grateful for a moment alone with her sister, she put her hand on her belly and took deep, steadying breaths. Adelaide joined her and took her hand, squeezing it.
The kiss changed nothing. Anyone would have been overcome upon seeing such a display. It was the heat of the moment and nothing more. Martin was still untrustworthy, and this marriage was still intended as some sort of punishment for a transgression she never even knew she’d committed. And she still needed to rescue Adelaide.
The cabin door opened, and in walked the man at the center of her turmoil. Immediately, all her best intentions flew out the door.
“Isabella—” he began.
“It was a mistake.” Why was her voice so high? She clutched the edge of the bed, desperately trying to ground herself. “A lapse in judgment. It won’t happen again.”
“Isabella,” he took a slow step toward her, palms open. “We have to—”
“Stay back. We aren’t going to speak of it. Forget it ever happened.”
“What never happened?” Adelaide asked, but Isabella couldn’t take her eyes off her husband.
Panic coursed through her at his proximity. If he got much closer, she was in grave danger of losing control and repeating the rash action that had gotten her into this fix in the first place.
He folded his arms and smirked. “Ah, but it did. You. Kissed. Me.”
Blood rushed to her face, and her cheeks burned. “It didn’t mean a thing,” she said as lightly as she could. “I’m still marrying an earl.” It sounded weak, even to her.
He looked down at her with an intensity that made her tingle from head to toe. It was so wrong that he could make her feel like this. He took a step toward her. And another step. He was nearly toe to toe with her, looming over her as she sat, but not touching her. Adelaide stood up abruptly and headed for the door, mumbling, “I’ll leave you two alone.”
Curses! She needed the buffer of her sister to keep herself from doing anything rash.
Martin leaned close. Too close. The urge to close the distance fought with her outrage at her body’s utter betrayal.
“Have it your way,” he said softly, touching his finger to her chin and tilting her face up. “It didn’t happen.” He knelt down so that his face was level with hers, lips inches away. “It didn’t mean a thing.” Leaning in, he stopped just short of a kiss, his breath brushing against her lips. Everything in her tensed. He tilted his head. “You’re marrying an earl,” he whispered in her ear, letting his mouth brush against it.
She gasped. God in heaven, she was in so much trouble.
“And I,” he said, standing and backing away, still with a devilish twinkle in his eye, “need to change into dry clothes. Would you like to stay and watch?”
He began loosening the laces of his tunic. As he pulled it over his head, she bolted, but not before catching a glimpse of his chest, the glorious contours of which were clearly visible beneath the nearly transparent, wet linen shirt that was plastered to him.
Slamming the door behind her, she rested against it for a moment, all too aware of the amused and curious glances she was getting from members of the crew belowdecks.
She cleared her throat and straightened her back. “I think I’ll just…” What was she going to do? Where was there to go on a ship that would have easily fit inside her father’s great hall? It didn’t matter. She had to do something. “I’ll go find my sister and get some fresh air.”
Up on deck, she found Adelaide in her usual position beneath the forecastle. The storm had abated, and patches of stars shone through the remaining shreds of cloud. Threads of smoke still curled up from the charred top of the mast. It was a miracle they had all survived.
No, it wasn’t a miracle. It was her husband—the man she couldn’t afford to fall for, the man she had just kissed. In front of the whole crew. Fortunately, they were all studiously ignoring her now. It was embarrassing enough to know they saw without seeing the knowing amusement in their eyes. Her sister, on the other hand, was stifling a grin.