Page 38 (1/2)

She twisted around, clutching the sheet with one hand to her breast, doing an incredibly lousy job of covering herself because one nipple was playing peek-a-boo and distracting him

"A proper lady says no," she continued "I wanted this"--she jerked her hand back and forth between hi But it’s so intimate, so personal I wanted proof that what I had denied him was of no consequence But it wasn’t It’s ier,ed her down until her head was nestled in the nook of his shoulder "I can assure you that he did not hate you"

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you are the sort of woman a man could never hate"

He had expected her to be stiff in his arms, but as always sheafterward Generally he would si here in the lethargy of love--even if the conversation revolved around anotherto loathe

"You should know, Anne, that a et a woman into his bed It’s our nature Even when he expects the lady to say no, he will still try to convince her otherwise He may be disappointed if the lady turns hi, but he won’t hate her If anything, it was his pride talking that night Not his heart"

She tightened her arms around him, and he felt warm tears trickle onto his chest "Yet, here I a intimate"

"It’s easier if you don’t love the person If you make a mess of it you can just walk away Besides, we’re not in Society Out here there are few rules Who is to care e do?"

"And you’re safe, I suppose," she said quietly "I’ll never see you again I can pretend this didn’t happen"

Could she? Could heat all to her? What did it matter if he was simply an itch that she had a need to scratch? How hout the world and never given another thought to theet her? The one woet

He beca Gently he slid out from beneath her and covered her with the blankets He’d never had a woman sprawled in the bed on his ship Noould always see her there

After drawing on his trousers and a shirt, he slipped silently out of his quarters The ship creaked and rocked, and he found comfort in the fa the railing, he stared out at the vast expanse of black sea and star-blanketed sky He renificant it had htened He hadn’t known then what awaited hiht about washim into hell