She took courage in hand, squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment, then opened them wide as she softly said, “Lucian.”
His sharp response attested to his alertness. “I’m not in the mood, madam.”
Her thoughts centered on her immediate concerns, leaving her confused by his statement. “In the mood for what?”
Lucian reluctantly admitted she was talented, always playing the innocent while she spun her seductive web drawing her victim in closer and closer. Like a spider she waited patiently to snag her prize. Waited until he was so caught up in her sweet web he had no alternative but to surrender.
His anger got the better of him. “To ravish you,” he shouted.
Startled by his unexpected outburst Catherine spoke candidly. “I’m not interested in your body tonight, Captain.”
“Then why disturb me at this hour and while in my bed?”
She took objection to his reply. “I have no choice in my sleeping arrangements, but —” She took a deep, fortifying breath and surged on. “I was thinking that since I shared my exploits with you, it is only fair that you share yours with me.”
“You wish me to detail my sexual exploits?” he asked incredulously
Catherine almost choked on her quick response. “Good heavens, no. Your pirate tales are what strike my fancy.”
Lucian turned, bracing his head on his hand to stare down at her in the dark. Her eyes were open wide, their dark green color sparkling like emeralds. “You fancy pirate tales?”
“Yes,” she answered with the excitement of a little girl impatient to hear a bedtime story.
He gave his head a quick shake. “Such stories aren’t fit for your ears.”
Catherine decided to remind him of their unusual topic of conversation just before supper. “Really, Captain, earlier this evening we discussed sex. Surely a few plundering tales wouldn’t be improper.”
“Make up your mind, Catherine,” he said irritably. Her remarks were well aimed and, he was certain, intentional. “Is it plundering or pirating tales you wish to hear?”
His response confused her. Evidently she had spoken out of turn and her wisest choice was to return a simple answer. “Pirating.”
Lucian dropped onto his back, the feather pillow cushioning his head. If he didn’t keep his wits about him she would drive him insane. One minute her voice was sultry and full of confidence, the next it was soft and accented with a slight tremor. Sometimes he wondered if his own mind was playing games on him. He had to keep his mind focused on the fact that she was his instrument of revenge and that he would use her to achieve his goal. How, he wasn’t certain, but in the end he would succeed.
Perhaps a pirate tale or two was just what she needed to hear at the moment. His tone was brisk while the darkness concealed his smile. “Remind yourself, madam, you asked to hear these tales.”
“I’m most anxious to hear them,” she assured him, and folded her hands on her stomach
and closed her eyes ready to pay close attention to every detail of his stories.
“I’ll start with Dirty Dunbar —”
“Dirty Dunbar, my, what an interesting name,” Catherine commented as she attempted to visualize a man tagged with such a name.
“Madame, do you intend to frequently interrupt me?”
“Certainly not.”
“Then kindly keep your remarks to yourself until the conclusion of my story, then and only then may you comment.”
“It was because I found his name amusing that I related my opinion.”
“The reason he was given such a name is far from amusing.”
Anxious for Lucian to continue his tale, Catherine turned on her side to face him. “You mean Dirty Dunbar was actually dirty.”
“Filthy. So filthy that neither man nor beast could stand next to him.”
“He was a pirate?”
“I thought you weren’t going to interrupt,” he said, amused by her eager question.
“But I needed to know if he was a pirate or a captive.”
“This tale is about a pirate. I will tell you a captive tale next.”
“All right,” she agreed quickly, wanting to hear more.
“Now, where was I? Yes, I was telling you about filthy Dunbar —”
“Dirty Dunbar,” Catherine corrected hastily.
Lucian turned on her in a flash, the tip of his nose coming to rest against her own.
“Madam, if you don’t cease interrupting me I shall sew your lips shut.”
Catherine felt her breath catch in her throat and there it stayed locked in fear. She recalled the story Dulcie had told her about a pirate captive having his prisoner’s lips sewn shut and here she was rattling off at her mouth without thought to the consequences.