Lucian smiled recalling Zeena, who had been his housekeeper since soon after he had landed on his island three years ago. Her silky black hair hung to her waist and her bearing was proud and regal. She demanded respect and gave the same to man or woman. And she had fallen deeply in love with Santos.
Love. A fool’s notion, Lucian thought, and he was no fool. “You and Zeena share something rare and special.”
“Your tongue won’t fall from your mouth if you say the word.”
Lucian shot Santos an intimidating glare.
Santos ignored it. “Love. It’s called love, and some day —”
“Enough!” Lucian shouted. His powerful voice reverberated off the walls, sending the scarred wood to creaking. “I’ll not hear another word about it.”
“About love?” Santos asked in feigned innocence.
“So help me, Santos,” Lucian warned.
“Exactly,” Santos declared, banging his tankard down on the table. “That’s exactly what I’m trying to do. Help you. You should lay the past to rest. Look to the future. “You’ve made yourself a fortune. Find a woman and settle down on your island and raise little ones.”
“When my revenge is complete, perhaps then I will consider your suggestion.”
“With Catherine Abelard’s beauty, she would certainly bear beautiful babies.”
An angry response rushed to Lucian’s mouth, but it was quelled by the deadly smile that captured his words. “The only problem would be that her husband would not know if the babe was truly his.”
Santos shook his head slowly. “I still can’t believe her a whore. She looks too much like an angel.”
“An angel who has spread her wings once too often.”
Santos laughed. “I bet the angel waits Lucifer’s return.”
Lucian stood. “She waits for naught. I’ll not satisfy her blasted lust.”
“She could tempt.”
“She’d be wasting her time.” Lucian walked to the door.
“If she is as skilled as you believe she is, she could succeed in seducing you,” Santos warned.
Lucian looked back around at his friend.
“An angel has been known to save many a lost soul; perhaps this angel will help you find yours.”
o0o
Catherine dried her eyes with the back of her hands. Tears would not help her now. Sound reasoning would. With her emotions so distraught she would need to calm herself and attempt to be rational about her situation.
Her first thought was to dress. She slipped cautiously to the edge of the bed, fearing at any minute the captain would burst into the room. The long strand of pearls rolled along her bare flesh and sent a tickling sensation running over her warm skin.
You mustn’t dress yet! The warning thought halted her. She cast an uncertain glance at her clothes neatly folded on the chest and considered the consequences of her intended actions.
Would a woman, an experienced worldly woman, hurry to dress or would she remain abed relaxing in her nakedness?
She gently shut her eyes against the drumming pain that began in her temples and against the worrisome decision.
She was far from a worldly woman and far from a whore. She was a virtuous young lady who wanted desperately to save her father from a heinous and wrongful death. And for that she was willing to pay dearly.
Catherine shivered to the tips of her toes thinking of the consequences of becoming Captain Lucifer’s wife. Her eyes widened with her thoughts. He was so large, so overbearing, so powerful and so terribly frightening.
She had thought for certain she would have fainted when he had grabbed her and held her so close. The angry look in his eyes, the smell of the sea on his hard chest, the blood red color of his long wet hair and his starkly handsome features all served to frighten her beyond reason. She had not been sure if he meant to kiss her or strangle her.
Catherine slipped beneath the linen sheet, her body chilled though the morning sun had toasted the cabin to a pleasant temperature.
The idea that as his wife his control over her was limitless made her tremble even more. She should be grateful that she would not suffer such a horrid fate. As long as she kept her wits about her and continued to act as an experienced woman, he would leave her alone. He would not kiss her, touch her, or—
Catherine turned several shades of red. She could not fathom herself lying naked beneath Captain Lucifer, her legs spread wide while he had his way with her. He would certainly cause her pain, perhaps even crush her with his mighty strength or force her to do unspeakable things.
A sudden thought rushed a short startled cry to her lips. Certainly, as a woman who had lain with so many men, she would be expected to know of such unspeakable acts. She knew only bits and pieces of the intimate act shared by a man and a woman. And that information she had learned in a most unladylike fashion. She had eavesdropped on the housemaids’ conversations. She would need to make a mental note of the things she had heard and hopefully she would make reference to them correctly.