Storm on the Horizon (Fated For Love) (15 page)

“
Where am I?” he called out.

Olivia sat by his side
and patted his knee. “You’re on Colton’s ship. We’re heading home.”

“
What?” He squinted his eyes at her. “Olivia? What the devil are you doing here? Is father here?”

Olivia shook her head.
“I came to help... alone.”

He gave her his blackest of scowls
, and then pinched his eyes closed. “God damn it! Why is it so bloody bright in here? I can’t handle this right now, I need a bloody drink.”

“
Does the light hurt your eyes? I can have Willy cover the windows.” She offered.

“
That or take an ax to my skull.”

Olivia got up to pull the bell cord. She had expected more of a response about her presence here but perhaps he was too ill to give much thought to it.

Willy responded quickly and knocked on the door.

“
Come in,” Olivia called.

Willy stepped into the room and eyed Devon warily.

“Willy, this is my brother Lord Wilhelm. He feels quite unwell, and the light bothers him. Would it be possible to hang the curtains?”

“
Certainly, I’ll get right to it.”

“
And a drink,” Devon grumbled.

Olivia stood and poured some water into a glass.
“Here.” She picked up his hand and shaped it around the glass. He shakily brought it to his lips. He took one sip and threw it across the room, glass and water shattering everywhere.

“
I said a drink, dammit! I need a bloody drink; brandy, whiskey, gin, rum, wine.” He rattled off angrily, and then turned over to bury his head beneath the pillows.

“
Uh...” Olivia and Willy stared in astonishment. “I’ll see what I can do.” Olivia stood slowly and took Willy by the shoulders before herding him out of the cabin.

“
Perhaps you should fetch Captain Colton,” she told him after closing the door. He ran off and Olivia waited in the hall, a little afraid of the surly man who used to be her affable brother.

Colton arrived swiftly, his brow creased with concern. Mr. Timms followed him.
“What’s the matter?”

He set his hands on her shoulders
, and she instantly felt better. “He is awake and rather unruly. He wants a drink, and I don’t know what I should give him. Offering water did not go well.”

“
He’s sobering up.” Timms offered. “He’s not going to like it.”

“
Have you dealt with this before?” Colton asked over his shoulder.

“
A time or two. His body needs it now, and without it, he will feel like trampled horse dung.”

“
His body needs what?” Olivia asked in confusion.

Colton turned back to her
, and his hands slid up and down her arms in soothing strokes. “Devon’s been smoking opium. It’s a drug that people can easily become addicted to. Now that he is not smoking it, he will feel it withdrawing from him, and it will make him very sick.”

She looked between Colton and Mr. Timms with panic.
“You said his body needs it, will he die without it?”

“
No.” They both reassured her.

Mr. Timms continued,
“But it will be hell for him while it leaves his system, and he will be very sick. We will have to help him through it, but there is no way to ease the process.”

“
Oh. If we give him spirits, will it help?”

“
No,” Timms stated. “It will make him worse.”

Olivia sighed. She had no experience dealing with someone
with such a malady. She felt scared and helpless. “Well, I suppose there is no help for it then.”

“
We have laudanum on board. If we give it to him in decreasing doses, it should help a little. We can mix it in tea.”

“
That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Olivia said in relief. “The light bothers him. I’ve asked Willy to hang the curtains.”

“
Even with the curtains, the light is still bright. If you move him to the smaller cabin, the port hole can be covered, and the room will be nearly black.”

“
Your help with this matter will not go unrewarded, Timms. I think we need you.”

Timms nodded.
“I’m at your service, cap’n. You and I can handle the more indelicate matters until he is on his feet.”

“
I want to help, too.” Olivia demanded.

“
Oh, you will,” Timms assured her. “He will need all of us.”

“
I am indebted to you, Mr. Timms.” Olivia stepped forward and took his hand.

“
And I am indebted to your dear cap’n, m’lady. Tis the least I can do.” Timms went to find Willy and make new preparations.

Colton turned back to Olivia and ran his hand along her jaw into her hair.
“How did you sleep?”

“
Wonderfully. I didn’t even feel you get up. I was surprised when you weren’t there beside me. How did you sleep?”

“
The same, although, I got up while it was still dark and roused the crew to ready the ship.”

Olivia smiled and stepped closer to him. She slid her arms around his waist and rested her head against his broad chest. His arms came around her and squeezed tightly.

“The real thing is so much better than dreaming it.”

“
Pardon?” Colton chuckled.

“
Having your arms around me, I mean. I used to dream about it.”

“
Your dreams were rather tame compared to mine.”

Olivia gasped, but when she looked up at
him, she smiled delightfully. “I’d love to hear about your dreams.”

“
You’re going to have firsthand experience, my love.” He bent his head to steal a kiss.

She clung to him, wanting more
, but he pulled away reluctantly. “They will return any moment.”

She sighed.
“Your right, and there is still glass to be picked up.”

They entered the cabin
, and Devon was still huddled under the pillow. “Olivia!” he shouted from under the pillow. “Where is that bloody drink?”

“
It’s coming.”

“
Don’t be an ass, Devon. You made your bed, now lay in it, and do it like a man.”

Devon stiffened under the blanket.
“Colton? You rat bastard. Why in the devil is my sister here, and how in bloody hell did I get here?”

“
We can discuss your sister later. Right now we’re moving you to the smaller, darker cabin.”

“
Thank God,” Devon mumbled.

“
Now get out here and stop acting like a coward.”

Olivia bit her lip apprehensively. She had never heard them speak to each other so heatedly before.

Devon wiggled to the edge of the bed and sat up. He wobbled as he used one hand to cover his eyes and groaned.

“
Keep your composure,” Colton warned.

“
I don’t think I can,” Devon said gravely.

Olivia fetched the basin in case Devon had to cast his accounts. He looked rather green.

Colton pulled a scarf from his closet and wrapped it around Devon’s eyes. He took one arm and slung it over his shoulder, hefting Devon up until he found some balance.

“
Why did you come for me?” Devon asked.

“
Because you’re needed at home,” Colton grunted.

Devon grabbed Colton’s shirt
in alarm. “Why?”

“
Because that is where you belong,” Olivia answered.

“
Why the devil are you here?” he sneered.

“
I wanted to help, foolish I know, but it’s better than sitting at home waiting for you to ruin everything on your own.”

“
So you sought to help me by ruining yourself, as well?”

“
If you had let me help you in the first place, none of this would have happened, you wretch. You’re lucky we love you enough to come get you,” she said angrily.

He dropped his head and didn’t speak again. Colton assisted him to the other cabin. Timms had covered the window and made up the bed with fresh sheets. There was a tray of tea steeping and a plate of biscuits.

Olivia didn’t follow. She was overcome with emotion and trying to keep herself together. Colton returned shortly to ask how she was doing. Willy brought her some breakfast, and after she finished eating, she went to check on Devon. He was sleeping. Colton had reported that he drank the tea with laudanum and had eaten one biscuit. She felt his brow for a fever, and although sweaty, he was normal to the touch and restful. She returned to Colton changing the sheets in their now shared cabin.

“
You should get some rest, as well.”

“
I did.”

“
Not nearly enough.” He finished tucking in the sheet and with a flick, covered the whole bed with the blanket.

“
It all feels surreal now, being with you, having Devon back, and returning home.”

“
Are you scared to go back?”

“
Heavens no, just... I don’t know. I suppose I’m just nervous.”

“
You’ll have to face the hangman’s noose sometime.” Colton pulled her to the bed and they sat.

“
I don’t intend to be hung,” Olivia said belligerently.

“
Perhaps, but—”

“
No perhaps, no but. I’m marrying you whether they like it or not. I will not take no for an answer.”

“
Livie...” Colton chuckled.

“
Don’t
Livie
me. I finally have what I always wanted, and I’m not letting you go. Don’t you want that, too?” She turned to him.

“
Desperately, but I think you are getting ahead of yourself. Let us return with Devon and let things settle. I can court you properly with your father’s permission—” He could see her bristling.

“
I don’t need his permission.”

“
But don’t you want his blessing? Do you truly want to enter into marriage with conflict in our families?”

“
Well, no, but neither do I want to give them any room to argue.”

“
Do you think they will argue our wish to marry?” He looked down into her eyes.

“
You did, didn’t you?”

“
I did before, but now I simply don’t care. That is to say, I don’t want any conflict, but I will marry you regardless. I will have you Olivia Brennton.”

Olivia sighed contentedly
as he leaned down to kiss her. She would never grow tired of Colton’s kisses. It started slow, with teasing brushes and slides against her lips. She opened to him, eager to feel his tongue against hers. He didn’t deny her and claimed her mouth confidently. She shivered excitedly, quickly falling under the spell of this new intimacy between them. There was something so entrancing about his lips and being held close to his body. She would never get enough of him. She pressed herself closer, fascinated by the sensation of his hard body against hers and his strong arms around her.

He tipped her back and she fell back onto the bed. He followed her, his body covering hers and molding to hers. It was a maelstrom of emotion and sensation, a strong need for the press of his weight, and the urge to get even closer. His hands roamed her body and she did the same. Her small hands greedily touched his back, marveling at the sinewy muscle that moved and flexed under her fingers. She slipped her hands under his collar and felt the glorious warmt
h of his skin. She wanted more—she needed more.

“
Olivia, wait,” he stopped.

She wanted to groan in frustration.

“We can’t do this here, not right now.”

“
But why?” She tried to curb the petulant whine in her voice.

“
You deserve more than a tupping in a cabin on a ship. We should be in our marriage bed.”

Olivia thought about that. She’d never heard the word
tupping. It did sound distasteful but nothing they shared between them could ever be distasteful, not to her. “I don’t see it that way.”

“
Perhaps not right now, but years from now you might.” He brushed unruly curls from her face.

“
Don’t you want to marry me?”

“
More than my next breath,” he said deeply.

“
Then make me undeniably yours, right now, in this cabin. This cabin is you, the real you. In our heart, we are already married. There is no if, there is no but. It’s just us. We found that here in this cabin, and that means this place will always be special. There isn’t a better place than where we are right now.