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"If I didn’t know better, I’d think we iht," Martha said

Only Anne did know better The leather strip hich the captain had bound her hair was tucked into a hidden pocket on her skirt

"Oh ripped the railing "We can’t be too far from our destination, do you think?"

"Not too far," a deep voice responded

She spun around, her heart seizing as she gazed at the captain He, too, looked as though last night had never happened, as though he hadn’t held her, as though they hadn’t shared a strange sort of intiers around his shirt, and bury her face in his shoulder, inhale deeply of his now faly tights fists "How soon?"

"A few est and loneliest of her life He didn’t have dinner with her If she was on deck, he was below or on the opposite side of the ship She kneas just as well that they weren’t in each other’s company Each day she recovered a littlethe storm, but as they neared their destination a weariness settled over her

Finally, she saw the spires of the city as they pulled into the harbor They were here They had arrived

But a secretpart of her wished they hadn’t

Chapter 9

Standing on the deck in the predawn, Tristan waited for the night to retreat

They’d arrived in the harbor yesterday afternoon He’d expected Anne to go flying off the ship to be with her fiancé Did she even knohere he was? Surely, she did

Instead, she retired to her quarters, maid in tow Mouse reported that she’d asked for hot water, enough to fill the copper tub Tristan had forced hi h the door and watch as she luxuriated in the bath At first he’d i over her skin, but then the cloth becae hands along her shoulders and circle around until he cupped her breasts He could alht of going into his quarters and clai herit clear that when she returned to the ship, he would be waiting