“How will you do that?”
“I have my ways. Now hush, my sweet. Sleep,” he directed, and tucked her head back to his shoulder.
Elise’s mind swirled with questions of how he could help, but she kept silent for now. He stroked her back again and she sighed, wondering if maybe he planned to make her his pirate queen? In minutes, she drifted off to sleep, images of her next to his side at the helm, fanning the way to her dreams.
* * * *
Raphael didn’t sleep well that night. He played Elise’s situation over and over in his head, trying to find a way to help her. The easiest option he could envision, he fought against. He could ask her to marry him. But the thought of marriage made him cringe. True, he enjoyed being with Elise and he had no doubt in his mind she’d bring him years of surprise and enjoyment, but marriage? He’d never given it much thought, and to hear her tell it, she wanted nothing of it either.
Eventually, the circling in his mind exhausted him and he fell into a dreamless sleep. His last thoughts were that he still had at least three days before they made port at Carolina. He had three more days to bring her untold, forbidden pleasures, and that much time to come up with a plan to give her a happy life, yet still be able to have his revenge.
* * * *
“Captain!”
An urgent shout came rudely through the door.
“Captain? Come quick. There’s a schooner bearing down on us, coming up fast.”
Raphael shot awake, instantly aware he was in Elise’s bed, her warm body pressed tight to his. His cock was hard, his body primed to take her again, and he vowed to kill Bilge, the man who’d woke him up.
“Hmm?” Elise murmured, turning in his arms.
“
Lo siento
. I’m sorry.” He climbed out of bed and pulled on his breeches. “Stay here. I’ll be back shortly.”
He paused at the door and his chest grew tight at the sight of his woman in bed, all sleepy and well loved.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure yet, but go back to sleep. You’ll need it for when I return.”
He left her then, as much as he didn’t want to, to find and throttle the rotter who’d awoken him.
“Reddy,” he shouted as he made his way on deck. “Where’s that ass, Bilge?”
“Not now, Raph,” Reddy said, coming fast from the port side. He handed Raphael the spyglass. “I think the ship is from the governor. She’s flying Carolina colors.”
“
Maldito.
What is going on?”
Reddy shrugged. “What do you want us to do? It’s coming up too aggressive for my likes.”
“Mine too,” Raphael agreed, eyeing the approaching ship. “Ready the cannons, but wait to see what she does. If she is from the governor, we have his niece onboard. He wouldn’t fire on us for that reason alone.”
“I hope not,” Reddy said under his breath.
Raphael had to silently agree.
When the ship came within easy sight, it fired a cannon shot to the left of Angel’s Light. Water splashed and Raphael cursed. “What
idiota
is leading that ship?”
“What do we do, Captain?”
“Wait. I’ll not be the one to start this war. If she fires again, then we’ll blast her out of the water.” His words were said in a whisper, but the news traveled like fire across the deck. Soon every hand was eager and ready, for it had been a long time since the Angel’s Light had engaged in a fight.
No more cannons fired, much to Raphael’s disappointment, but he gripped the handle of his sword nonetheless as the schooner moved in closer.
“
El Angel!
” A shout from the other ship’s deck could be heard. “I want to speak with the cursed
El Angel
!”
No.
That sounded like his cousin, Miguel.
Imposible.
He hid his surprise, however, as he made his way port side.
“Cousin Miguel. What brings you into these waters? And firing upon us as though we’re criminals?”
Miguel made a show of spitting toward Raphael’s ship. “You pirate swine,” Miguel shouted back. “You dare hold my fiancée for ransom?”
“Your fiancée?”
“Yes. Lady Elise Clifton is promised to me by her uncle and father both.”
Raphael’s sight went red. Too many variables clicked into place and his knuckles turned white where he gripped his sword. This man was to be the one to take his Elise? Too bad their ships weren’t closer, or he’d kill the bastard where he stood.
“Swine,” Miguel shouted again. “Prepare to be boarded so I can claim what is mine, then I’ll blast you and your wretched ship to the depths of Hell!”
Before he could respond, a dark, feminine voice shouted out from behind him, “
You
are Edward M. de Marco?”
“Elise. I told you stay below decks.”
“I know you did, but I had no idea you were meeting with my fiancée. I thought you were about to go into battle. If I’m to be a pirate, I need to learn how to fight.”
Raphael stared at her, not knowing if he should kiss her or scold her. And she had put on the breeches, damn her.
“Lady Elise,” Miguel called out. “I’m here to rescue you. If that fiend has touched you, I’ll skin him alive.”
“And he calls me a pirate,” Raphael muttered. But his gaze swept back to Elise, at the way she now studied his handsome cousin. Could she be having second thoughts? After all they’d shared, could Elise truly want to be with Miguel?
In that moment, Raphael knew what he had to do to. He may not be able to take Miguel’s life this day, but he would definitely take what Miguel thought belonged to him.
Chapter Eight
“Elise,” he whispered. When she turned her head, he pulled her close and laid his lips over hers in a possessive, thorough kiss.
Miguel’s loud cursing washed over him, but he used the insults to feed the growing anger in his kiss. All this time he’d kept away from taking this woman. Why? Because she was to belong to Miguel? Screw the ransom and the pardon.
Miguel would
never
get Elise.
“You have raped the last woman, cousin. I give you one chance to hand her over before I blow you up.”
Raphael broke the kiss and glanced across the water. “She is mine, Miguel. Go to Hell.” Miguel sputtered his outrage, but Raphael ignored him. He kept a tight hold on Elise at his side and spoke to his first mate. “Reddy, the last act of piracy for Angel’s Light won’t be collecting the ransom for Lady Elise. It will be sending that
pendejo
to the bottom of the ocean. Once he’s gone, take us to Port Royal.”
Reddy grinned then turned and quietly gave the orders to the crew while Raphael pulled Elise away.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Miguel yelled. Beside him, Elise stiffened and kept darting glances over her shoulder.
“Are you really going to sink his ship?”
What? Was she feeling sympathetic to the ass? After she’d begged him to remove her from the marriage? How dare she.
“Me? No. I have what he wants and he knows that. My crew will sink his ship.”
He led them toward his cabin and locked the door firmly behind him once they were inside. She turned to face him, shock running across her face.
“Raphael? What’s going on? Surely you’re not going to kill him.”
“I am a pirate, not some storybook seafarer. My crew is a pirate crew. Killing is a way of life for us. You want to be a pirate? I should give you a gun and send you up there.”
“What?”
“You have no idea, do you?” he asked, feeling both possessive and betrayed.
“About what?”
Raphael knew he was being harsh. He knew he should explain his connection to Miguel, but right now, all he could see was her in Miguel’s bed. Her breathy sighs and moist mouth taking his cousin. Raphael would follow the bastard to Hell if need be to ensure this never came true.
It was bad enough, knowing she had been on her way to Miguel. Then moments before, on deck, watching her study the other man, as if considering… Raphael grew that much more determined to bury himself in her body, to claim her for his own.
“Miguel will never be the one to have your virginity,” he stated before turning away with a humorless laugh. “To think I was preserving your purity for him.”
“Wait. Are you telling me you you’ve changed your mind about having sex with me?”
“Of course I’ve changed my mind.” He stepped close and stared into her eyes, wishing he could force her to want only him. But he couldn’t read her now.
“What about your ransom?”
“Fuck the ransom.” He lowered his voice, still unsure of her reception. “I don’t need the gold and neither does my crew. I needed to get close to Miguel. If I had known who you were betrothed to earlier…”
He let his words die off, because he could sense the ire rising in her.
“You what, Raphael?” she countered. “You would have taken me like I wanted to get back at Miguel for some reason? All these times we’ve been together, what’s that been about? Revenge too?”
“You want to be fucked, don’t you?” He lowered his voice. “You boldly stood on deck not minutes ago, melting to my kiss. Miguel knows you’re mine, now I will make that a truth.”
“What if I don’t want that anymore? I’ll not be someone’s revenge.”
“Why? This is what you want, isn’t it? Hot, sweaty sex. Our bodies grinding together, my cock fucking your pussy until you can’t walk.”
She gulped, but did not move as he approached. A part of him hated how he was speaking, but the more he thought about his cousin, and how close Raphael had come to losing Elise’s passion to that ass, he couldn’t think straight.
“You can’t do this, Raphael.”
“Why not? Unless it’s truly him you’re wanting.”
“I would never…” she sputtered. “Damn you, Raphael. Why are you being so cruel?”
Her words made him pause. He was being cruel, and he hated how he was speaking, but at the same time, the past days of wanting and not taking her were driving him insane.
He couldn’t speak. Maybe he could show her that she was meant for him.
Like a cat snaring his prey, he grabbed her arm and yanked her to his bare chest.
Elise made a strangled sound and tore herself away, running for the door. He couldn’t let her go. Not yet. Not like this.
He caught up to her and slammed his hand against the door just as she reached for the bolt.
“Let me go,” she demanded.
“Why? So you can scurry off to Miguel?” He spat the name as he spoke it, the sound like venom on his tongue.
“You cretin. I’ve never met the man before today. I don’t want him.”
“I saw how you looked at him. And your disgust at the thought of his death.”
“Bastard. I wouldn’t wish for anyone’s death. You know, there was a time I wanted you to take me, but no longer.”
He stared into her immense eyes, shooting fire and daggers at him, and his cock thickened inside his breeches. Her chest rose and fell in quick, deep, angered breaths and her nipples stood erect beneath the thin lawn of the shirt she wore.
“That’s not your choice,” he informed her.
If anything, her stance grew stiffer. She jutted her chin forward. “I beg your pardon. I’d much rather go above deck and take my pick from your crew.”
Raphael knew she was baiting him. He knew it, damn it. But the thought of her lying down for his crew… To imagine their filthy, rough hands on her smooth skin, their mouths making her flesh wet and ready for their crude and painful thrusts, was more than he could bear.
They stayed like that, staring hard at each other, neither one of them moving, as if doing anything would admit defeat.
A loud boom echoed down to them and the ship lurched, throwing her against him. He didn’t waste the opportunity. He pushed back and slammed their bodies against the door, her back hitting the wood hard enough to make her grunt. She’d barely caught her breath before his mouth was there, kissing her, covering hers and thrusting his tongue deep inside, sweeping through the recesses and devouring every part of her resistance.
And resist she did. She wiggled and beat her little fists against his chest, which inflamed him more. She tried to scrape her teeth down onto his lips, but he forced her mouth open wider and pressed the kiss deeper.
Shouts rang down to his ears and he felt his ship tilt in the sharp turn he’d ordered, but he felt confidant of his crew. Right now, all he could process was the woman with him. The heated beauty who even now was softening to his kisses. In that instant, in spite of the chaos that had raged through him minutes ago, her clinging kisses calmed him.
She didn’t want Miguel. Raphael knew this, but now could he see past the haze of chaos that had reigned inside him.
He let thoughts of his cousin go, thoughts of his crew fade. He had Elise tucked close, her strong arms holding him tight and her sharp teeth now teasing his neck. He knew then that he wanted her, not because of any sort of revenge, but because of the strong woman she was, and how she made him feel when he was with her. Alive and free and hopeful for the future. The whole damn world could go to hell for all he cared, so long as he could keep her with him and wanting him.
She moaned into his mouth and her fingers curled around the muscles in his arms while her leg rode up his thigh.
He gripped her leg and pulled it high to his hip to press his aching cock to her. They fit together perfectly and he ground his hips, wanting them both naked.
“Is this what you want,
mi
Elise?” he asked, breathless, trailing hot, open kisses down her throat.
“Yes.”
“You want me to take you? Fuck you so hard you can’t walk afterward? Will that make you happy?”
“Yes, please, Raphael. Take me.”
She begged so prettily when moments before she’d demanded release from his touch.
She rolled her hips against his, causing him to groan and grip her hip. “Steady, girl,” he told her, struggling for control.
“I don’t want to be steady,” she cried out, her nails scoring his back. “I want to be free.”
Raphael picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist. She crossed her ankles at the small of his back and he carried her to his bed, tumbling down with her. She clung to him, but he didn’t mind for now. Her touch inflamed him as he kissed every inch of skin he could reach. With fast fingers and nimble hands they removed each other’s clothes then fell upon one another once more, twisting and curling around each other, skin to skin, heartbeat to heartbeat.