Wraith’s eyes popped open and he tried to meet Faryn’s gaze but her eyes were closed tight against flushed cheeks.

“Are ye all right?” he asked, just in case he had in fact torn through her barrier and not been aware of it.

“Aye.” She blinked her eyes open, hazy with desire and wonder. “Please, dinna stop.”

Starting into her eyes, Wraith pulled out slowly, then just as slowly eased back in. Faryn moaned, her head falling to the side, legs clenching tight around his hips, and her hands roved over his back.

As much as he wanted to stop, to question her further, he couldn’t. His desire for the lass was overpowering. Beneath him, she lifted her hips encouragingly. It felt too damn good. To hell with questioning. He plunged deep inside her, withdrew and drove home again. He gripped her hips, tilting them farther upward as he plundered deeper inside her treasure.

He shouted out encouraging words, her answering cries leading him to a point of no return. His control was lost. On the outskirts of his consciousness he could hear those around them moaning with delight, cheering on the pirate as he took what was his. But that mattered not to him. What mattered was this woman in his arms—that she was a perfect bedmate for him. A match to his lusty desires.

He would enjoy taking her back to her family. There would be many nights upon his ship for him to do this again and again.

Faryn tightened up around him, her back arching as once again she found climax. With four final thrusts, Wraith grunted deep inside her.

They stilled on the bed, both of their breathing labored as they came down from the heavenly height of pleasure.

Bones of the sea devil, what had just happened? Wraith buried his face in the crook of her neck and worked to gather his breath. Never before had he lost control with a woman as he had just now.

* * *

Faryn jerked her head up, eyes wide as she stared at their surroundings. The blood drained from her face and she bit her lip hard to keep from crying out in surprise.

How could she have forgotten where they were?

Her legs were still wrapped around Noir’s hips. Her arms still on his shoulders. He was still inside her, although softer now.

How could she have forgotten what was expected? They wanted to see blood on the white sheets.

Orelia stepped forward, a cruel smile on her lips. She clapped her hands slowly.

“My, my, slave. You are an ardent and passionate lover for one who claims to be a virgin.” Her cold dark eyes bore into Faryn’s gaze before slowly moving to meet Noir’s.

Oh, nay! How could she have let herself go so completely? How could she have lost all control and acted the wanton? She knew exactly how. Noir was a masterful lover. His mouth, fingers, body had stirred something primal within her. She’d instinctively heeded the call. But only to her detriment. The queen knew. Faryn felt naïve for thinking she could keep the knowledge of her not being a virgin from their minds. But her loss of virginity was too painful to recollect. Her virtue had been lured from her by lust and empty promises. Had Noir suspected she was not pure? Did he know?

Noir fiddled with something between them. He turned his gazed toward her own and his eyes flashed warning. Before she could understand the meaning in his expression, a sharp sting came from high up on her thigh, near her groin. She cringed and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out.

His actions answered her question. Once he’d entered her fully he’d been aware she was no virgin and yet still, he’d continued to make love to her. He’d delved inside her body with an exuberance and delight she’d never known possible and he’d pleasured her. He’d cried out to her, whispered nonsensical words of her beauty, of her passion and his desire for her.

Yet, he’d known.

Faryn swallowed hard. She couldn’t read too much into it. He was doing what he needed to survive the queen’s wrath and to keep Faryn alive. He knew the only way to get her out of here was for her to bleed, and if he didn’t get her out of this place, he wouldn’t get his coin from her family.

Noir withdrew from her slowly and, using the sheet that had covered her to keep her warm before, he wiped at the inside of her thighs. The sheet came back stained red with blood.

She studied his nails, which were neatly trimmed. How had he cut her?

“The answer to your question could go one of two ways. Either I’m a lucky pirate or I’m that good, my queen.” He laughed and showed everyone the stained linen.

Orelia was naturally shocked, as Faryn was sure she’d figured out her secret. Her eyes widened and she nodded. A hungry look came into the queen’s eyes. “I see,” she said toward Faryn and then turned back to Noir. “You’re that good.”

Captain Noir stood, putting his breeches and the rest of his clothing back to rights.

Faryn felt suddenly vulnerable. She was on display for all to see. She crossed her legs and her arms over her chest to hide her areas. She turned to Noir, wondering if he would take her to safety now or if his tenderness had been a ruse to get her to willingly spread her legs.

Something glinted on his finger in the candlelight as he handed her the sheet to recover herself. A skull-shaped ring. But it was a strange ring. She narrowed her eyes to look closer and saw that it had a very tiny dagger coming out the length of his finger from the ring. Before she could look further, he pressed a button and the dagger disappeared. So, that was how he’d cut her.

Though it had been a risk to slice her so close to her nether regions, she was grateful for his quick thinking. She’d never seen a weapon like that before, and it sent a shiver running through her. How many others’ blood was on that tiny dagger?

“Anyone else want to taste the blood of a virgin?” Orelia shouted to the crowd, her arms spread wide before she pointed at Faryn.

Faryn started to protest but the captain stepped forward, cutting her off.

“We had a deal, Orelia.”

“Deals can be broken.” The queen’s eyes narrowed.

“Not this time.” Noir had a deadly look on his face. Judging from the muscle jerking in the side of his jaw, Faryn would venture to guess he was reaching the limit of his patience. “I’ll take my booty and be on my way.”

Orelia turned fully toward him, her face away from Faryn. They stood that way in silence for several moments. Neither moved. It was a battle of wills that Faryn was glad she didn’t have to participate in.

“You’d best be on your way then, Captain, before I change my mind.”

Noir nodded, gripped Faryn’s hand and yanked her to her feet.

Orelia’s head fell back and she laughed aloud as Noir walked fast, pulling her behind him out through the crowd of undulating, moaning bodies.

“Avast, men! Ye landlubbers! Back to the ship! We sail within the hour or I shall see ye to Davy Jones!” the captain shouted.

At his authoritative words and commanding voice, men pooled around them. The whines of women and men accompanied the loss of their sexual partners as the pirates gathered to serve their master. A servant rushed forward and handed Noir a jingling bag, which Faryn assumed must be his payment for delivering Orelia’s shipment.

Faryn stumbled between Noir and his men out of Orelia’s lair, to the docks and back up the gangplank. The captain didn’t stop, even when she nearly fell to her knees. His strides were determined. He barked orders left and right and all around her, what at first appeared to be chaos was actually quite orderly as the men pulled up anchor, set the sails and prepared to shove off.

Noir took her up a series of narrow short stairways, dodging ship’s equipment and men until they entered a large oak door, which he promptly shut behind them. The room was vast with a gigantic bed piled high with pillows and what appeared to be thick blankets made of woven plaid. A large table with several chairs around it stood in a corner, piled high with papers.

Before she had a chance to look anywhere else, her attention was caught by the captain who’d flung open the doors of his wardrobe and was rifling through its contents.

“Ballocks.” He came back and rubbed at his chin, still staring into the wardrobe. “Thought I might have had something for ye to put on, a gown or some such, but it appears that whatever women’s wear I may have once had on this ship has disappeared.”

He grabbed a white linen shirt and tossed it to her.

“Wear that for now. It will at least keep ye somewhat warm.” He narrowed his eyes and licked his lips. His gaze fell to where the sheet was pulled taut to her breasts, causing her heart to pump faster. Her belly warmed and a frisson of the same desire she’d felt before flashed through her veins. “Aye, put my shirt on quickly, else I have a mind to take ye to bed again, which at the moment would not be a good idea.”

She nodded and tugged his shirt on.

“I’ll be back later. The sooner we leave port the better. Orelia is known for changing her mind often.”

He left the cabin without a backward glance. She scowled at nothing in particular with the realization that she’d wanted him to embrace her, kiss her before he left. Their lovemaking hadn’t felt like a duty but something more. She had to stop thinking on it for it would only bring her disappointment.

Noir was a pirate. He wanted something that she’d promised. That was it. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Faryn sighed heavily. Relief flooded her. They were away from the queen. They were away from the den of vileness. She would be home soon. Relief was replaced with trepidation and then relief again.

Back and forth. What would she do when she returned home? Would she even be accepted? Would her family pay the pirate? Or toss her out?

Knowing her virtue was compromised, there was no telling that her family would want her back. Already she’d been the cause of pain and shame.

A shiver chased down her spine.

Noir would surely punish her if they didn’t.

She would have to strike a deal of her own with him. Something he couldn’t refuse. But what? Already she’d promised him a fortune from her family. He’d already had her in bed. What more could he want?

She shook her head and sat down on the pirate’s large bed.

Hope filled her when she’d realized that she was soon to be going home. But now there was no trace of hope left. Only dread.

* * *

“Where to, Cap’n?” asked Churl, Wraith’s first mate.

“Go west through the Mediterranean Sea. All the way to Ireland. We’ll dock at Clew Bay and go to her family’s estate by horse. The lass goes home.”

Churl raised his brow at that then narrowed his eyes. “Either ye’ve fallen for the gel, or she’s worth more coin to ye than the queen was offerin’.”

Wraith nodded but gave no more away than that. He was conflicted himself. Faryn touched him in a way he was unaccustomed to. Och, he wanted her money, but he wanted so much more than that too.

He paced the deck of The Avenger, hands behind his back and gaze toward the open sea. Occasionally he glanced at his men and barked orders that really had no need of being voiced as the men were already immersed in their duties. Shouting made him feel better. But what he really needed was a fight.

“Full speed ahead!” he bellowed. The first voyage they’d made had been long, nearly a month of moons. This trip he wanted to see done in a fortnight, not thirty days, and since they’d not be making as many stops as they had before, he saw no reason why his wishes could not be made a reality.

He walked to the bow of the ship and stood, head back to look at the sky. The wind riffled through his hair as they picked up speed and spray from the salty sea splashed against his skin.

He sighed with contentment. The sea was his home, always had been, always would be. Whether he was gliding atop her fair waters or looking down at her from a window on the shore, the sea was his maiden.

Anger sliced at him as a vivid image of his childhood home flashed before his eyes. He could picture walking up the outdoor covered walkway, with arched stone ceilings and a gravel path that crunched beneath his boots. The walkway led to a doorway and beyond, winding stone steps that took him to the top of the tower. He’d lean out through one of the narrow windows, reaching his arm as far as he could, imagining droplets of water from the waves splashing up to meet his outstretched fingers. At his back were the heathered fields that lead up to the Highland mountains.

Hell and damnation!

All of it had been ripped away. His whole life taken in one night. A bloody massacre of all he knew, and his future shredded and bloody as the bodies around him.

“Cap’n?”

Startled, Wraith whipped around and growled, “What?”

Churl backed up, hands waving in defense in front of him. “Didna mean ta scare ye, Cap’n. S’only, the men be wonderin’ if they can have a meal now we’s out to sea.”

Wraith nodded, not trusting his voice to come out sounding right through his closed throat.

“Will ye be takin’ yer meal with the lady, in yer quarters?”

Again, Wraith nodded, then waved Churl away.

With a deep sigh, he made his way down to the quarterdeck and the doors leading to his cabin. But there he paused. He wanted to enter, to see Faryn again. He wanted to ask her how she fared, to discuss with her the plans for their voyage and when they landed. Wanted to gauge from her how her family would react, what amount of coin he could expect. But knowing he needed to ask those questions wasn’t what stopped him. What kept him from entering the door were the other feelings creeping in, trying to take over his controlled and methodical mind. Feelings of possession, interest, desire—he dared not give voice to anything more than that.

With a curse through gritted teeth, he turned the knob on the door and slipped inside.

They’d left at dawn and now the sun blazed outside on the decks, reflecting almost blindingly from the water’s surface, but despite that, inside his cabin was dark. The curtains were drawn over the few portholes and no candles were lit.

Aware of the room like he was the back of his hand, Wraith let his eyes adjust to the change in light and then looked around. Where was she?

Soft breathing and an occasional nonsensical murmur were whispered. He walked toward the bed and found her curled up under the thick plaid blankets, deep in sleep, hair fanned out like a golden halo atop her head.

He watched her. Admired her beauty. Took in her innocence. Felt himself grow drowsy with the even rise and fall of her chest.

Sleep sounded perfect. Wraith peeled off his linen shirt, had a moment where he thought being nude beside her not such a good idea but quickly tossed it overboard. They’d already made love once. What would it matter if he slept nude beside her? Hell, she herself was only dressed in one of his linen shirts.

Without another thought, he stripped down to his skin and slipped between the sheets. Lying on his side, he pulled Faryn’s warm body against his length.

He ignored the quickened beat of his heart and how his breath caught in his throat. He rested a hand on her bare hip, his shirt having risen to bunch around her mid-section. Somehow, he even managed to bridle his erection, which raged hard against her soft buttocks.

Sleep was what he needed. But sleep was not what he was going to get.