Considering that Damon did confirm an association with Lacross, even though he'd been utterly vague about it, she let Jeremy know by writing, Gabby and Drew once met our greatest enemy, so he'd know Damon had confirmed it. Jeremy's reply to that was Wish I had a knife so I could start sharpening it.
Other than the notes, the only interesting things happening were the strong winds making the ship speed through the ocean, and the few times she'd heard sounds of arguing outside the cabin. Mortimer broke up one of those disagreements; Damon broke up another. It was a bit unnerving because it had sounded as if the pirates were trying to get inside the cabin. She'd quickly latched the door until it was quiet out there again.
But this morning, her seventh at sea, yet another argument started outside the cabin just as she was finishing her breakfast, and it sounded like a particularly nasty scuffle. Someone or something was thrown so hard against the wall that even her empty plate rattled on the table. Damon entered the cabin a few moments later, looking disheveled and angry.
"Let's go!" he ordered. She was too confused to move immediately, so he came over and took her hand. "I've decided to keep you at my side. It's the safest place for you."
Safe from what? But she was being pulled along with him out of the cabin, so she couldn't ask yet. She saw blood on the deck, not much, but it alarmed her. He didn't stop until he was at the unmanned wheel and turned it sharply to get them back on course.
He'd placed her in front of him, between him and the wheel. She could feel his chest against her back, though the physical contact didn't seem deliberate and was gone as soon as he was done turning the wheel. But he was still holding the wheel, which left his arms on both sides of her.
Jacqueline's grin showed up immediately. Freedom from that damned cabin-did she care why or that she had to share it with him? And she hadn't needed to make any concessions for it. Wind and sun on her face, the wheel in front of her, barefoot and in britches, this was such familiar territory for her that she didn't need to wonder why she was suddenly so happy.
She watched some of the crew working or loitering on deck. She'd seen nothing of this ship before, except to watch it sail away from St. Kitts. She didn't even know if it was the same ship.
///
Most of the crew were dressed like normal English sailors, were even barefoot like her. A few weren't; of the more flamboyantly dressed men, one wore an ancient green satin coat, tattered and frayed, and another, a dirty white silk shirt, with a saber hanging from each hip. They gave her such leering looks it caused a slight shiver down her back. Satin Coat even had four pistols stuck around his belt.
"You're allowed to ask why I haven't waited for you to seduce me," Damon said from behind her.
She choked back a laugh. "I don't care why I'm out here, just that I am."
"Really?"
She glanced back to note his frown. "Fine, if you're dying to tell me, go ahead."
"I'm not. We can discuss where you got those britches from instead."
She turned around to face him. He was looking down at the new floral-patterned britches. "I finished making these yesterday out of one of the dresses you supplied."
"Those were expensive dresses."
"Stop trying to evade. Why am I suddenly only safe at your side?"
"The pirates have been lusting after you ever since they saw you dripping wet after Mort and I fished you out of the ocean. They keep trying to get past my guards."
"But you warned them off."
"They're pirates, Jack, the dregs of the Caribbean. They aren't known for being loyal under any circumstances, but certainly not to me. They're merely along for the ride."
"Explain," she demanded.
"Then let me be blunt. I can continue to fight them off and risk failing or give them a reason to back off for now."
"What reason?"
"They need to think you're sharing my bed."
Her eyes flared. That was a little too blunt. "That's not happening!"
He feigned a sigh. "I wish you wouldn't say that so adamantly, but I did say they only need to think it's so. The pirates know you stabbed me, and two of them saw you sleeping in your own cot rather than my bed. Perhaps if you made an overt gesture of affection toward me out here on the deck, the pirates will think you're my woman."
She gave him a suspicious look. "If this is some convoluted plan you dreamed up just to get me to smack my lips to yours, that's not happening, either."
He grinned. "If I thought that would work, I would have tried it long before now. So, no kiss?"