HIS LIPS WERE FIRM as they slanted over mine demanding entry.

I had been kissed before. Indeed, Peter had planted one on me when he was younger. I remember the pleasant feeling of a boy’s lips touching mine and that pit of warmth in my stomach.

Kissing Alex was nothing like kissing a boy.

My core clenched with need he plundered my mouth, possession, and danger in every swipe of his tongue. My legs trembled beneath me. I might have fallen, if Alex hadn’t pressed me harder against the bark of the tree.

My thin leather dress left nothing to the imagination as he pressed his massive cock against my belly. I didn’t have a warm, comfortable feeling there. No, this was more of an inferno that threatened to burn me alive.

“Touch me!” Alex demanded, and I realized that I was so wrapped up in the kiss that my arms were lying by my side. I gingerly lifted them up and touched the naked skin that was bared by the neck of his shirt.

We both moaned as my fingers stroked his skin. He was every bit as hot as I was, and that only served to embolden me.

I touched his muscular pecks and ran the tip of my finger over his flat nipple through his shirt.

Alex growled and bit my lower lip tugging at it, “You are playing with fire, little girl.”

“I am already burning!”

His eyes widened at my admission. He kissed me again, as if he couldn’t help it, as if he would die if he couldn’t taste me one last time. The firestorm of emotion enveloped both of us. We couldn’t get enough of the other.

Tongues and teeth mashed as he tilted my head back so that he could delve further. I knew that he wanted to conquer me, and I was far from giving him a reason not to.

My fingers dug into his abs, and I wanted to touch his naked skin, but I wasn’t quite brave enough.

His hands had remained on my waist and ass, almost as if he were forcing himself to stay still.

I was about to demand that he touched me like I was doing to him when Alex wrenched his lips away.

“I will not apologize,” his warned, as his glittering eyes raked my body.

I felt naked underneath his gaze, naked and wanton.

I wanted to flippantly reply that I hadn’t asked for a damn apology, but then something better came to mind.

“I won’t fucking apologize either!”

Alex’s eyes widened at the curse word, and I saw him take a step forward and then mentally battling with himself.

This man wanted me, and I wanted him.

I didn’t know what internal battles he was struggling with. But I was tired of the dance that we had been doing around each other all those months of the voyage. I knew that I was innocent in comparison to Alex.

I hadn’t experiences pleasures of the flesh to the degree that he had. Being the chief’s daughter had a way of keeping one innocent. The men in my tribe liked their scalps where the gods had put them and not on my father’s belt.

“I will take what I want from you Alex Smeed,” I continued, “You are a big boy. If you don’t care for my advances, you are going to have to fight me off.”

He sputtered, dumbfounded, “You, are going to ravish me?”

I shrugged, “If I want to I will, and if you are really lucky.”

Alex stumbled back a bit, and then out of nowhere smacked his forehead rather harshly.

“Damn it, fuck!”

“What is the matter with you?” I demanded, pulling his hand away and looking at the red mark that was blossoming on his face.

“Waking myself up,” he grumbled, “Or at least trying to.”

I laughed, I couldn’t help myself.

“Come along, Sleeping Beauty,” I teased, as I began to walk in the direction of Mermaid Lagoon.

Alex stared at me for a moment or two before launching himself forward, grumbling under his breath.

My heart seemed lighter as we walked in silence. The night was coming on, but I had grown up in these forests and knew where the best places to sleep were. I could tell that Alex wasn’t used to it by the way he spooked at every sound.

“It is only the toads singing,” my lips were behaving traitorously. “You have nothing to be afraid of, Mr. Smeed.”

Alex looked indignant, “I am not afraid, Lilly!”

It warmed my heart that he called me by my nickname, and not Princess Tiger Lilly.

“I will protect you, Alex,” and I would with my dying breath.

In an instant, he had his arms around me, and I couldn’t move an inch. I felt the heat from his hard body and knew that I was in trouble.

“What are you doing?” I hissed, but he placed a hand over my mouth. I almost argued, but then I heard it, men talking.

“We need the girl for ransom, Silver,” Black Dog said gruffly, “You should never have let the bitch go.”

There was a low murmur that I couldn’t make out, and then Silver spoke, “We need them to lead us to the map. If I know Hook, he is desperate to find it before we do. Why do all the work when he will do it for us?”

A squeaky parrot squawked, and there was a rustling noise.

“I am going to kill the bastard if he gives us away,” Black Dog growled in annoyance. “He’s just a damn bird!”

“Damn bird! Damn bird!” was the parroted reply.

“Have the spies returned with information?” Silver ignored the them both.

“Not yet,” Black Dog replied, “But I expect them any second.”

I felt Alex pick me up and then throw me over his shoulder. Then to my utter shock and horror, he walked right into Silver’s camp.

“I have news and a hostage,” he set me down none too gently and began tying my wrists and feet.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I cried out, fighting him with everything I was worth.

“You were to bring my daughter,” Silver’s sword glinted in the firelight.

“She wasn’t there,” Alex pulled the ropes tight enough to bite.

“How could you betray me?” I shrieked, but anything else was muffled by the handkerchief that Alex shoved into my mouth.

“But I have the location of the map,” his eyes glanced to mine, and there was something there that I couldn’t quite understand. I hated him more than anyone else in the world at that moment. I had trusted Alex. I was halfway to falling in love with the man.

I willed the tears that threatened to fall back. I wouldn’t let him see me cry, not if the world depended on it.

Silver and Alex spoke late into the night. I was offered something to eat, but I refused. Alex did force some water down my throat, but he succeeded in making my dress soaked in the process. As the night grew later, I began to shiver. We had never made it to a cave and the night wind was cold against my wet clothing.

I felt myself being yanked from the chair I had been tied to. My feet were quickly tied again, but Alex had pulled me close to where he was lying.

“I will remove the gag if you promise not to yell. One word and it goes back inside, do you understand?”

I nodded slowly and then whimpered as he pulled out the offending cloth. True to my promise I didn’t speak a word. Not when he shared the blanket to soothe my chills, not when my eyes finally found sleep, and certainly not when my fingers found the hilt to his blade in the early morning.