Page 6 (1/2)

"While you sated another man’s needs and suffered not at all?" He strove to appear cal stood tense and expectant "Did you think of e bed? Were you ever haunted by drea yours, filling yours? My sweat coating your skin?"

She stood frozen in place for a long moment, and then suddenly her lush ut clench He’d knohen the butler allowed hi to hide or run He’d girded hiht A sexual assault, however, had never crossed his mind Would he never understand her?

"Would you like e bed, Marcus?" she purred "Would you like to hear the many ways Hawthorne took me? What he liked best, what he craved? Hmmm? Or would you prefer to hear how I like it? How I prefer to be taken?"

Elizabeth strolled toward him with a deliberate sway to her hips that s with her she’d never been the sexual aggressor He was profoundly disturbed at how it aroused hi the last four years had been spent indulging in liaisons instigated by his lovers and not the reverse

It didn’t help that his reluctant passion was engaged by her words and the ies they evoked He pictured her face down on the bed, spread and willing as another man thrust into her from behind His jaw ached fros of clai open the flaps of his coat, Marcus revealed the straining length of his cock within his breeches Her steps faltered and then, with a lift of her chin, she continued toward hi at the sight of a man’s desire" Elizabeth stopped before him and set her hands on either side of his knees Before hi fro attire, her bosom was pressed flat by her corset In day wear, the restriction was far less severe and his gaze was riveted by the bounty displayed for his benefit alone

Never one to miss an opportunity, Marcus reached up and cupped the upper sith his hands, gratified to hear the sharp hiss of her breath through her teeth Her body had changed froure of a wo, he stared at the valley between her breasts and iht and looked up at her ony of lust as she licked her lower lip

Then suddenly she straightened, turned her back to him, and reached down to the small table Before he could order her return, she’d tossed a sealed missive at his chest and walked away He knew already what he would find inside Still, he waited for his breathing to slow and his blood to cool before turning his attention to it He noted the paper, a popular weight and tint he’d seen before

Breaking open the un have you had this?" he asked gruffly

"A few hours"

Marcus turned the paper over and then lifted his gaze to hers Elizabeth’s skin was flushed and her eyes glazed, yet her chin was lifted at a deterh to open it?"

"I’m aware of what it must say He is prepared to meet with me and retrieve the book Hoorded the demand doesn’t much matter, does it? Have you perused Hawthorne’s journal since I gave it to you?"

He nodded "The s of the English and Scottish coasts, as well as some colonial ays I’h indecipherable I was hoping to havethe raphy was a hobby he’d acquired after Elizabeth’s e The task required intense concentration, which allowed hiift "I know this spot he refers to Avery and I will be close by to protect you"

Shrugging, she said, "As you wish"

He stood and stalked over to her Grabbing her shoulders, he shook her Hard "How the hell can you be so bloody caler? Or have you no sense at all?"

"What would you have me do?" she snapped "Fall apart? Cry all over you?"

"A little e to tell me you have a care for your own safety" His hands left her shoulders and plunged into her hair, tilting her head to the angle he desired Then he kissed her as hard as he’d shaken her He backed her up roughly, forcing her to stumble until he’d pinned her to the wall

Elizabeth’s nails dug deeply into the skin of his stomach as she clutched at his shirt Her ue Despite the lack of finesse, she treainst him, whimpered her distress, and then melted into his embrace She kissed him back with a frenzy that nearly undid him

Suddenly unable to breathe, Marcus broke away His forehead pressed to hers, he groaned his frustration "Why do you only come alive when I touch you? Don’t you ever tire of the façade you hide behind?"

Her eyes squeezed shut and she turned her face away "And what of your façade?"

"Jesus, you are stubborn" Nuzzling against her without gentleness, he rubbed the scent of her onto his da his oeat upon her cheek With a rough and urgent voice he whispered, "I need you to follow ive thes to interfere"

"I trust your judg in her hair until she winced "Do you?"

The air thickened around theain

"What happened …" She sed hard and her nails dug deeper into his skin "What happened that night?"

He let out his breath in an audible rush His entire fra its rip Suddenly exhausted, Marcus realized the cold fury he still carried over the demise of their betrothal was all that had fueled him these many years

"Sit down" He pulled away and waited until she crossed over to the settee Studying her for long ht of her , he’d pursued her with singular attention, stealing her away to quiet corners where he would take her limpses of the fire Elizabeth hid so well

Her beauty was si treasure Her eyes gave her away In them one could find no trace of a lady’s expected docility or s to be explored and discovered

He wondered again if Hawthorne had been fortunate enough to see all her facets Had she melted for hi?

Clenching his jaw, Marcus thrust the torturous thoughts away "You know of Ashford Shipping?"

"Of course"

"One year I lost a small fortune to a pirate named Christopher St John"

"St John?" She frowned "My abigail hasof a hero, a benefactor of the poor and underprivileged"

He snorted "A hero he’s not The man is a ruthless cutthroat He was the reason I first approached Lord Eldridge I dee offered instead to train e the piratemy own retribution was irresistible"

Elizabeth pursed her lips "Of course A nor after all"

"So his arms over his chest, Marcus enjoyed this opportunity to have her undivided attention The si with her was a pleasure he relished, regardless of her scornful remarks He’d been fawned over and catered to his entire life Elizabeth’s refusal to treat hi other than an ordinary man was one of the traits he found most attractive in her