Catherine waited anxiously to hear the man’s fate.
“The sky was on the verge of a storm that fateful morning the crew took matters into their own hands. They pounced on him as soon as he showed himself on deck. It took ten men to hold him down and ten men to tie him up.”
Catherine was beginning to feel sorry for Dirty Dunbar.
“And each of those men had plugged up their noses just so they could get near him.”
Catherine laughed and her sympathy swayed to the crew.
“Once they had him all tied up tightly they took him to the plank stretched out from the deck of the ship over the sea. They told him to walk the plank or be pushed.”
Catherine gulped, having heard of captives being forced to walk the plank and wondered now if those had been true.
“Dirty Dunbar chose to be a man about it and walked to the end of the plank, turned and smiled at the crew, then jumped. The men ran to the balustrades and peered over whooping and yelling in satisfaction. Then it happened.” Lucian said quietly, almost in a whisper, as though he shouldn’t have uttered a word.
“What happened?” Catherine asked just as softly.
“The sea churned and roared and rocked the ship until suddenly the water heaved like a sickened belly and in one loud belch it spit Dirty Dunbar right back on the deck of the ship.”
Catherine burst out laughing and playfully poked Lucian’s bare chest. “You’re teasing me.”
Lucian grabbed hold of her finger. “Madam, you asked for a tale and I related one to you. And might I add a favorite tale among pirates.”
“And why would that be their favorite tale?”
He gently turned her own finger on her, giving her chest a poke before releasing it. “Any pirate that accuses his fellow mate of smelling is put to the test.”
“What test?”
“The accused must jump into the sea and if the sea doesn’t spit him back then he doesn’t smell bad enough that the crew can’t live with him.”
Catherine stared at him wide-eyed. “You are fooling with me, aren’t you?”
“No, Catherine, I’m not,” he assured her, though his eyes danced with merriment in recalling the tale he had heard often enough himself.
She shook her head and laughed.
Lucian responded to the pleasurable sound. His flesh tingled and his loins hardened. His unexpected reaction annoyed the devil out of him. And set the devil inside him to work.
“Now that I’ve told you a tale, answer me a question.”
“But I’ve answered questions. This tale was to reciprocate for our earlier exchange. And besides, you promised me a captive tale next.” She had grown tired and sleep was tempting her eyes and jumbling her thoughts.
He didn’t ask again. He demanded. “You’ll answer my question.”
Catherine felt too wearing to argue. “As you wish.”
“Did you like the way Ben kissed you?”
Catherine had to think a minute before she recalled what she had told him about Ben earlier. “Yes. He was most skillful.”
“And gentle?”
Catherine gave pause before answering. She had described his kissing as gentle if she remembered correctly. “Yes, and gentle.”
“Ben never took you beyond gentle?” he asked, annoyed that he found the uncontrollable need to question her on the matter.
She wasn’t even aware there was a step beyond gentle. Her experience with kissing had been a few pecks on the cheek and a brush across the lips. And then there were Lucian’s kisses, delivered with an edge of anger and revenge, not desire or love. “He was my first and most gentle lover.”
“You’ve had ones that demanded more?” The thought infuriated him for it reminded him of her many lovers.
“I gave only what I wish to give, Captain,” she said, and rolled on her back with a yawn.
Lucian felt like a small child being chastised by a tutor for not having learned his lessons properly and then dismissed without consideration. It was his turn to teach her a lesson.
“Demonstrate this gentleness Ben taught you.”
Catherine felt a jolt to her stomach and suddenly sleep was the furthest thought from her mind. She decided to pretend otherwise, not having the slightest idea how to handle the situation except to run, and being on a ship in the middle of the sea vastly limited her possibility of escape.
She yawned extra widely, covering her mouth to hide her pretense. “Another time, Captain, I’m so very tired.”
Lucian rolled over next to her, grabbed her hand that lay on her stomach and her hand that covered her mouth and held them, locked by her wrists, above her head. “Catherine, you must listen and learn.”
She stared at him, a sense of captivity descending over her as he continued to hold her imprisoned. Her fear escalating, she studied the perfectly formed lines and angles of his face.