Desire In His Eyes (7 page)

“You’re bothered by me.”

He stopped and eyed her with a careful glance. Did she know that he had barely slept the last three nights for being bothered by her? “What makes you say something like that?”

“You have locked me in your cabin.”

“Only to keep you from falling overboard.”

She held up her chin. “I feel I am being held captive.”

He titled his head toward her. “When you stow away on someone’s ship, you are taking your chances, my dear. You have been exceptionally well-treated for a stowaway, so you have no reason to complain.” He knew she had the best of the food on board, for Cook had seen to it that the “pretty lady” did not perish for want of sustenance. She was supposed to have been mending some of the men’s clothes to earn her keep, but she had proved surprisingly inept at that task. He was aware that Robbie had even filled the small bath for her earlier that day. She had been given every luxury and treated as a princess. So in essence she had been lounging about in his cabin for three days, without a care in the world.

“Yes, that’s true enough and I do thank you,” she conceded easily. “Yet still, I was locked inside for days with no word from you.”

Struggling with the delectable and arousing image of Juliette naked in the bath, he refocused on her recent comment. “What word could you possibly need from me?” he questioned her.

“Oh, I don’t know…You kissed me, quite passionately I would say, and left without so much as a good day.”

He needed no reminders from her of their heated exchange that afternoon. He had been tortured enough by his own traitorous mind ever since. “How the hell did you get out of my cabin this evening anyway?” he said roughly.

Juliette held up a small brass key that was not unfamiliar to him.

He nodded his head in concession while grudgingly admiring her spirit and determination. “It took you long enough to find it.”

She twirled the key around her forefinger. “It was in the last place I would have suspected you to hide it.”

He had stored the spare key to his cabin in a detailed china figurine of a ship that sat on the top shelf beside some books. She must have investigated his cabin quite thoroughly all right. She ought to be spanked for such behavior. He gave her a hard look, still amazed by the sheer beauty of her face. “So, I am to assume that you have gone through all of my personal possessions?”

She shrugged in a careless gesture. “You locked me in. What else did you expect me to do to alleviate my boredom but search for the key?”

She had been confined to his cabin for three days, so he supposed she had a point. Still, it rankled him to the core that she had looked through his private belongings. “Obviously your parents did not raise you as a respectable lady with proper manners.”

Her melodious laughter filled the air around him. “Have you just come to that conclusion, Captain Fleming? Did you expect a respectable lady with fine manners to leave her family and stow away on a ship with a virtual stranger?”

No, he was certain he sensed that about Juliette from the moment he met her. She was not a proper lady. She was nothing but trouble. He reached out to take the key from her, but she snatched her hand away before he could get it.

Juliette laughed again and he realized the key was looped through a ribbon that was tied around her neck. In one quick movement she tucked the key down the front of the pretty gown she was wearing. The dark blue dress, although displaying her ample bosom quite nicely, sported a high enough neckline that the key was well hidden.

“Oh, it’s my key now,” she taunted in a low voice. “Finders keepers.”

Spurred on by an impulse he could not control, Harrison grabbed her hand tightly and pulled her hard against his chest. “Make no mistake, my dear, it is my key and it belongs to me. Just like everything on this ship is mine to do with as I wish. Including you, Juliette Hamilton.”

They regarded each other warily, and their eyes locked. Harrison’s heart pounded wildly at the nearness of her, while he reveled in the feel of her warm body against his. She did not stiffen or pull away from him. Juliette stood her ground, and if he were not mistaken, pressed her body ever so lightly against his, which only heightened his desire. The scent of jasmine lingered around her and he breathed deeply of her. She stared up at him, her small chin against his chest.

She whispered, “If you want your key back, Captain Fleming, then you’ll just have to get it yourself.”

Good God! The audacity of her words left him speechless for a moment. The implications were staggering. He took a quick breath and muttered, “You, Miss Juliette Hamilton, are definitely more trouble than you are worth.”

Then he crushed his mouth over hers and he was lost. Once again he surrendered all self-control.

She kissed him as fervently as he kissed her. Her arms wound around his neck and she pressed her body hard against his. He felt her fingers spread out through his hair, caressing his head. He held her tightly, devouring her with his mouth and tongue, losing himself in the heady sweetness of her lips and mouth. Small, yet curvy in all the right places, she fit in his arms so perfectly it was as if she were made for him.

Under the twinkling stars on the swaying deck of the
Sea Minx
, they kissed each other with a ravenous hunger, passionately locked in an embrace.

Unable to bear any more, Harrison swept her up in his arms. By God, if she was going to tempt him in such a way, then she was going to get what she asked for. Without uttering a single word, he carried her with purposeful strides to his cabin. When they reached his quarters, he set her down, slowly sliding her body along the length of his, while he again devoured her lips.

Breaking free, Juliette kissed him on the cheek and little by little pulled the key from beneath her dress. With a mischievous look, she locked the door to the cabin from the inside. Turning back to face him, she placed the key back down her dress.

With a wicked smile and a gleam in her blue eyes, she whispered, “Now, you’re locked in with me, Captain Fleming.”

Good sense dictated that he run, but in that moment he knew he was doomed. With a swift movement he grabbed her, pulling her hard against his chest.

“Do you know what you are doing?” he growled, more aroused than he had ever been in his life. This wild, beautiful vixen had just locked them both in his cabin and placed the key down her dress. To get out he had to obtain the key, most assuredly a pleasurable endeavor, and in so doing he would certainly not have the strength to use the key to escape. The very idea of retrieving the key left him undone.

Juliette stared up at him with heavy-lidded eyes. “Do you truly wish to leave me?”

She was a sea siren, that was what she was. All the tall tales he’d heard all his life were true. Juliette had cast some sort of spell over him. That was the only explanation for his lack of control. His answer was a scorching kiss. It was as if a splendid fire ignited between them, glorious and hot and all consuming.

But Harrison had a dreadful suspicion he would be the one consumed by the flames when all this was done.

Juliette could not breathe and did not care. Harrison was kissing her and that was all that she wanted, or needed, quite frankly. For three days she had been trapped in Harrison’s cabin, sleeping in his bed and being tormented by the memory of his kisses.

Now she kissed him back just as thoroughly as he kissed her. She gasped as his hands slid over the curves of her waist and along her back. She felt his fingers brush the buttons at the back of her dress. Slowly he unfastened them, one by one. She opened her eyes. In the dimly lit cabin she could see Harrison’s face, the rugged line of his jaw, as he kissed her, nuzzled her neck.

She reached up and again splayed her fingers through the softness of his golden hair. The sensation aroused her even more. He slowly walked her back to his bedchamber; with her heart in her mouth, she allowed him to lead her, guide her to his enormous bed. She had no one to blame but herself for what was about to happen. She had willed this. She had, in fact, sought Harrison out. After being deprived of his company for days she had ached for him with a longing she had never experienced. Yes, this would be the first of her many adventures.

And she did not doubt that being in Harrison’s bed would be a great adventure. And in all honesty, what did she have to lose? Her reputation would be considered lost already by everyone who knew her, so why not take her pleasure where she might? Harrison certainly promised pleasure, with his mouth, his hands, with his body.

Juliette shivered in breathless anticipation as he continued to undress her with infinite care. With slow, methodical deliberateness he inched her dress from her, and she shimmied to ease herself from the garment. His breathing heavy, she stood before him in nothing but her chemise.

“You are incredibly beautiful, Juliette,” he murmured low.

A heated blush crept over her skin.

He reached for the key around her neck. With a wicked grin, he removed it from her and tossed it behind them. She smiled before she stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around Harrison’s neck, pulling him toward her. He groaned as his lips found hers once again. As they kissed, she began to unfasten the buttons down the front of his shirt, exposing a long vee of his skin. His bare chest visible, Juliette felt her stomach tighten at the sight. With a hesitant gesture, she touched his warm and silky smooth skin as she traced the lines of his muscled chest.

In a swift movement, Harrison lifted the shirt over his head. Juliette sucked in her breath, mesmerized by the broad expanse of male chest. She leaned in close and pressed her lips to his heated skin. She had no idea a man could be so soft and hard at the same time. Her tongue licked one flat nipple, and then the other, marveling in the feel of a man’s body. This close to him, she could feel his heart hammering inside the walls of his powerful chest. Drawn by the incredible warmth he exuded she kissed the taut ridges of his stomach. His body tensed under her mouth, but she continued to lean down, pressing her lips against his body. Spurred by his obvious desire for her, in a brazen move she reached lower and unfastened the front of his trousers and tugged them down. With shaking fingers, she untied the laces of his drawers and pulled them down as well. He stepped out of them with an ease and quickness that startled her. Faced with his nakedness, she suddenly lost her courage and glanced frantically up at his face. His stormy eyes were so intent on her, it felt as though he could see into the deepest recesses of her soul. Her mouth went dry.

He lifted the hem of her chemise, and without a word she raised her arms over her head as he removed the last remaining vestige of covering she had. Now completely naked next to his bare and brawny body, her legs ceased to support her. She began to sink. Harrison, sensing her sudden weakness, grasped her in his arms again; covering her mouth with his in a kiss so possessive that Juliette lost herself completely. She pressed herself against him, holding on for dear life.

Gathering her in his arms, Harrison placed her in the center of the large bed, covering her body with his. Juliette closed her eyes and kissed him, clung to him, her heart pounding erratically and about to burst from her chest. The intimacy of having a naked man atop her, his legs positioned firmly between hers, brought home the realization of her little adventure.

He pulled away and her eyes fluttered open in alarm.

Her words came out in a frantic whisper. “You’re not leaving me now, are you?”

Harrison stared at her for a long moment. “Not unless you tell me to,” he murmured softly in her ear. Leaning on one elbow, Harrison brushed her face with gentle fingers, slowly tracing the line of her cheek. His seductive touch melted her.

“No.” She swallowed hard. “I don’t want you to leave me.” There was no mistaking her meaning. At least she hoped not. Unsure why she desperately wanted to be with this man, she simply gave in to her desires.

“Juliette.”

Her name fell like a caress upon her and her stomach tightened. She reached her arms around his neck and stared at his ruggedly handsome face.

He looked down at her, his gaze unwavering. “If I stay, you know what will happen between us?” he asked.

Her mouth went dry. She merely nodded at him. Of course she knew what would happen between them. She was dying for it to happen. She practically locked the man in his cabin with her. If it didn’t happen, if
something
didn’t happen soon, she would surely die of this intense wanting. Juliette had no frame of reference for this situation with Harrison. Lying naked in a bed with a man’s naked body on top of hers had to be the most delicious experience of her life. That old medical text never described this sensation, that was certain. If Harrison didn’t get on with it already, she would perish from unfulfilled desire.

As if he read her mind, Harrison leaned down and began kissing her again, and Juliette melted into him. Yes, melted. There was no other word for how her body virtually became part of his. Her mouth eagerly sought his, their warm tongues entwined in a spiral dance, his kisses leaving her hungry for more.

And he gave her more. He kissed her mouth, her cheek, and made his way along the curve of her throat, the hollow of her neck, down her collarbone and up to the peak of her breast. Again, the fervent touch of his lips on her sensitive skin left her reeling. The intimacy of his touching her was like nothing she had ever experienced. An intense thrill coursed through her body and pooled low inside her, causing her to arch her hips.

“There’s no rush,” he said in a husky voice. “We have all night, angel.”

Juliette held her breath. With a languid pace, he brushed delicate kisses upon her other breast, leaving her shaking with pleasure. His hands caressed her, while she clung to him, her fingers mindlessly stroking his neck and splaying into his hair as he moved between her breasts.

She blew heatedly into his ear, kissing and nibbling. His blond head moved lower, kissing an impassioned path along the taut lines of her stomach. She shivered and trembled in anticipation as he leisurely kissed his way around the curve of her hip and down her upper thigh. While gently massaging her leg with his free hand, he continued to kiss her ever so gently, circling the area of her greatest need. Juliette thought she would shatter into a million pieces if he didn’t touch her and would just as soon shatter if he
did
touch her. His teasing assault on her senses seemed to last forever.

A wild gasp escaped her when his hand finally cupped her and her back arched in response to his touch.

Harrison grinned wickedly as he rose to meet her mouth with a kiss, while his hand continued to move magically below. He then whispered, “Ah, it seems I have finally found the way to capture your complete attention.”

The exquisite sensations he created within her left her wanting to cry. When he gently and slowly slid one finger inside of her, Juliette did cry out.

“Oh, Harrison,” she gasped, her fingers digging into his shoulders. She truly could not bear any more pleasure, yet she knew there would be more. There had to be. But good lord, how would she survive it? This intimate act involved more than she could possibly have imagined. No wonder Colette could not describe it to her.

He kissed her again and Juliette let herself drown in the feelings Harrison evoked as he continued to arouse her with his skilled fingers. Wicked fingers. Heavenly fingers. Time and space lost all meaning. The cabin disappeared and her entire focus narrowed to the man next to her and how he touched her so intimately. The pleasure built within her and she held her breath, frantic and clinging to him. A sudden burst of pure bliss descended upon her.

Again she called to him. He kissed her lips and she called his name into his mouth. Juliette clung to him, her fingers digging into his broad shoulders.

In that instant, Harrison moved over her and pushed the hardness of himself inside her in one even thrust. Unprepared for the impact of Harrison inside of her, her eyes flew open. His eyes stared intensely down at her, a look of longing on his handsome face. Surprised by the force and strength of him, but welcoming him all the same, Juliette arched up to meet him, matching his thrust.

He groaned and began to move steadily within her.

“Juliette.”

He uttered her name as if it were a plea. Not sure exactly what it was he wanted, Juliette willingly let him lead her, moving with him. She matched his rhythm.

Now this,
this
, was what she had been craving. Longing for. This is what she needed. She could not even think coherently. She could only feel, and touch, and kiss, and enjoy…Good God, her whole body throbbed with pleasure.

As their rhythmic movements coincided with the swaying of the ship, Juliette lost herself in Harrison’s embrace. He surrounded her, filled her, completed her. The utter maleness of him engulfed her being. She reveled in the feel of him, while another peak began to build within her. Giving in to the increasing waves of pleasure that coursed through her body, Juliette’s breath came in short, frantic gasps that matched the increasing frequency of Harrison’s thrusts. She thought of nothing but him, of Harrison making love to her in his bed on his ship. This man wanted her. And she had let him have her. The power and closeness of this profound exchange overwhelmed her.

As Juliette’s pleasure peaked, so did Harrison’s. They both cried out each other’s names as ecstasy claimed them.

Juliette frantically hoped that Harrison did not notice the stray tear that escaped her eyes as passion crested within her. Never had she felt anything so intense and astounding. She lay curled in his powerful arms, reveling in the feel of his skin against hers, attempting to regain her breath. Harrison continued to press kisses into her hair. They held each other tightly as the ship rocked beneath them. In a caring gesture, he pulled the quilt over the two of them and settled back next to her.

She snuggled into the crook of his arms, not the least bit uncomfortable or embarrassed by what they had done. She murmured to him, “Never mind climbing the mizzenmast,
that
was the most thrilling, most exhilarating thing I have ever done in my entire life.”

Harrison chuckled and kissed her. “Good God, Juliette. You are something exceptional. Do you know that?”

“Of course, I do,” she said sleepily. She closed her eyes, unable to keep them open another second, and snuggled even closer. Her head rested in the curve of his neck. She had never felt as at home as she did then. She sighed contentedly.

Harrison hugged her tightly to him. He whispered something to her, but she could barely make out his words. She could recall nothing else, except a deep sense of complete and utter peace and contentment.