Lord, what had she gotten herself into? She didn’t have near enough knowledge of intimacy between men and women to succeed with her plan. She was playacting like a child at adult games and she was bound to get caught. It was only a matter of time.
Again the result of her discovery reared its ugly head and she pictured the captain in all his strength and size looming over her. Yet this time his kisses didn’t frighten her and that thought scared her senseless.
Her thoughts continued to race, setting plans, planning escapes, thinking of home and her father. She twisted and turned with each fresh thought until finally—
Lucian’s hand shot out and grabbed her around her waist dragging her back up against him. “Now stay put,” he growled in her ear.
She felt the hard strength of his large body braced against hers, felt her breath catch from the tug of his arm around her middle where it remained, and she instantly stilled.
“Go to sleep,” he ordered in a tone that expected immediate obedience.
Catherine said not a word. His warm breath had fanned her cheek and sent gooseflesh rushing over her skin. She had no intentions of moving and no intentions of sleeping. She would remain still and hope that he would fall asleep quickly, and then she would slip away from him, to the chair, and find her sleep there, alone.
She closed her eyes against her worry, against her strange plight and against her thoughts, and drifted peaceably into a dreamless state, her body following until sleep crept up and unsuspectingly claimed her.
The leather lash struck Lucian for the fourth time and still he made no sound or movement. His body stiffened, his mind closed off the torture he suffered. The lash sang through the air again and caught his already raw flesh. His teeth clamped down, imprisoning the scream that lodged in his mouth, forcing it back to lock deep in his throat. He would not give the captain the satisfaction of hearing him scream. The captain enjoyed the whipping so much more when the men screamed and cried for mercy. He received no pleasure, no excitement, from a victim who remained silent.
The whip hit his back again and again and with each lash he heard the captain scream, “I’ll have my satisfaction. I’ll have my satisfaction.”
“Never!” Lucian yelled, and bolted up in bed and out of his dream.
Catherine jumped up with him, frightened and startled by his scream and by the darkness that surrounded her. Her hand reached out searching for him and ironically for protection. “Captain?”
Lucian felt her nervous touch to his chest. He needed her closeness and protection as much as she needed him. He covered her hand with his, pressing her warm flesh against his chest. “It’s all right, Catherine.”
His thudding heart and damp flesh spoke other wise and strangely she found herself concerned for his welfare. “Are you sure?”
Her voice was soothingly soft and he ached to lose himself in her comforting tone. He wanted to take her in his arms and lose himself within her, make her lose herself within him and shut the ugly world outside away.
Then the ugly world interfered, he recalled her true nature and his years of torment and plans for revenge.
“Captain?” she asked once again.
Her sincere voice lulled his senses, or perhaps once, just once, he wanted to believe someone actually cared about him. He slipped his arm around her, tugging her against him, against his chest, wrapping his large leg around her small one. She didn’t object. She snuggled against him. He gratefully hugged her to him.
“You had a bad dream, Captain?” she all but whispered, doubtful that she should attempt to comfort him and wondering why she should feel compelled to do so.
“Yes, Catherine, I had a bad dream."Would you like to tell me about it?”
“Why would I want to do that?” He felt her shrug against him.
“It might help you to speak about it.”
“I never speak about it.”
“You’ve had this dream before?”
“Often,” he murmured.
“Then you should talk about it. Talking about it will help you feel better,” she advised.
“I don’t think you would want to hear about it.”
“I don’t mind listening.”
“It’s not fit for your ears.”
“My ears have heard many things.”
“I forget how experienced you are. At times you remind me of an innocent angel,” he found himself admitting.
“I’m no angel, Captain.” She cringed against the lie that followed. “I am no innocent.”
The thought angered him. He had fooled himself into believing briefly that the young beauty he held in his arms was naïve and pure. But she wasn’t naïve and her stepfather was the reason his dream plagued him. It was time for her to discover her stepfather’s true nature.