Storm clouds raged above and the ship rocked back and forth. Winds blew the sails this way and that and waves crashed against the hull.

Faryn was safe and warm in Wraith’s cabin from the tempest that beat the outside of the ship, but inside her mind turmoil brewed. In fact, the week they’d spent aboard ship had torn her apart inside. She was falling deeply for the rakehell pirate captain and wasn’t quite sure what she could do about it. Or how to react to such strong emotions.

What could she do? He would return her to her home. She would have to marry Lord Bréagadóir and suffer for the rest of her days—which would most likely be numbered. He’d made it clear he did not truly wish to marry her but would do so for her parents’ sake and the money they would pay him. And Wraith would go back to being a dread pirate on the open seas.

A chill swept over her despite being curled up beneath thick blankets. Dear heavens, she’d spent more time in bed in the last week than she had her entire life. Living aboard ship as the guest of Captain Noir certainly had its benefits. He catered to her every need—not only sensually but in everything else as well. And oddly enough, he seemed to gain satisfaction from it. He was genuinely pleased to be in her company, although at times she could see he struggled with something.

She wanted to ask what it was but she was afraid he was only disgusted with himself for treating her so well, so she did not.

Face reality, Faryn, he is only using ye for coin.

She frowned at nothing and climbed from bed, wrapping the thick wool blanket around her shoulders. She made her way to the porthole and gazed outside at the storm. Lightning streaked across the sky and seconds later a loud boom of thunder hit. She had a sudden urge to leave the cabin, one she hadn’t had since boarding, but now she wanted to. She wanted to see the men at work, wanted to feel the rain on her face. Maybe it would help to wash away some of the shame she was beginning to feel at her behavior—at having not noticed before, or refusing to see, that the captain was only using her.

Just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes. What a fool she was! What did she think? That the captain would fall madly in love with her and sail her around the world while they pirated together?

She could not be part of such dealings, and he would never fall in love with her. Hadn’t her parents always told her she was foolish and childish for wishing for love in the first place? Her father had constantly lectured about how a person made their own fate, that emotions had little play in it.

For her father, how true those words were. He’d offered her no comfort when she’d been ill used the previous spring. He’d only paid a man to take her off his hands. Her fiancé was the worst sort of man there could be.

In fact, being abducted now seemed like a blessing…

* * *

Fighting foul weather on Mother Nature’s open seas was a worse battle than if they'd been boarded by enemy pirates.

Already one crewman was tossed overboard with the force of the winds. The men had tried to throw him a line while at the same time trying to regain control of the ship. They won the ship but lost the man.

Wraith’s head pounded.

He wanted nothing more than to go to his cabin and slip his arms around the beautiful woman who awaited him. To forget the ship, his crew and this hellacious storm.

He ducked suddenly as rigging went flying overhead.

“Churl!” he shouted.

“On it!” his mate hurled back.

The crew scurried around him as the storm picked up wind and took hold of his ship again.

Faryn took root in his mind again, the thought of her curvy hips, round bouncing breasts, taut nipples, wet, hot...

A waved crashed over the side, splashing him.

He frowned. Each time he thought of the woman below, something happened. Spirits ran rampant on the sea. Ghost ships, specters, spirits controlling the waters, the weather. Was the universe trying to tell him something?

A thick rope lashed out from seemingly nowhere and whipped him in the arm.

“Damn!” he hissed in pain, somewhat relieved to see no damage had been done.

Gooseflesh rose along his limbs. Someone was trying to tell him something. Was not the ship’s name The Avenger for a reason? He was letting his whole purpose for saving her, his whole purpose for living, slip away.

Problem was, part of him wanted it to slip away. More than a part of him wanted to live a life with Faryn. Have her to wife. Raise a few bairns he could bounce on his knee.

All rubbish! Nothing would ever come of his foolish fantasies. He had revenge to play out. She was the key.

But dammit if he wasn’t going to continue to enjoy her while the voyage lasted, key or not, foolish dreams or nay.

* * *

A sharp rap on the door pulled Faryn from her reverie as she’d stared out the porthole. Making sure she was covered as much by the blanket as she could reasonably manage and appeared somewhat decent—despite her lack of clothing—she called out, “Enter.”

The door opened and in hobbled several crewmen carrying a copper tub, followed by numerous buckets of warm, steaming water.

“A bath?” she asked.

“Aye, his cap’nship wants a bath fer hisself,” one of the crew stated while pouring a steaming bucket into the tub.

Oh, she hoped he’d allow her to use the tub when he was finished. She looked toward the water bowl and basin she’d been using, filled only with cold water. As soon as the crew left, she would fill the basin with warm water from the captain’s tub. Even if she couldn’t submerge herself in a hot, delicious bath, she would at least have warm water to wash her face and body with.

“Now, dinna ye be usin’ his cap’nship’s bath!” the insolent Churl warned. “He dinna like no second handlins’ of the water.”

She rolled her eyes and turned away in a huff.

The door closed quietly as the last of them left and still she refused to look at the copper tub. As much as she’d decided she would put warm water into her own small water bowl, rebellion rose inside her. He didn’t like to be second to wash. Well then, those nefarious crewmen would have to refill the tub for him, because like it or not, she was getting in!

Before she could turn around, there came a loud splash. She gasped and whirled to see that the captain had already plunged into the steamy water, and she’d not even heard him come in. He must have slipped in before Churl finished closing the door.

Noir laid his head back and glanced over at her. “Join me?” he drawled. His lips were curved in that devilish teasing way he had and she realized the crew had only been toying with her.

“I would love to.”

She dropped the blanket and shucked off her shirt before sauntering toward the tub. She loved the way the captain’s eyes roved over her body as she made her way there. Made her feel like a goddess.

He held out a hand to her and she lifted a leg up and over the side. Holding on to her hips, he settled her between his thighs. His cock was hard and pressed against the small of her back, and a frisson of need wound its way from her breasts to her core.

“Have I told ye today what a vision ye make?” he murmured against her neck as he moved her hair out of his way.

“Only five or six times,” she laughed softly.

“Ye are…but as beautiful as ye are, my love, ye smell ungodly.”

She gasped at him and turned around to slap at him for saying such a thing but he only laughed and ducked. Only realizing too late, that he’d called her my love. Had he meant it?

“Ye are no flowerbed yourself, Captain.”

“Indeed, rutting as much as we have would certainly make one smell a bit wretched.”

They laughed and teased each other some more, comparing scents with animals, barns and other awful situations until tears filled their eyes.

“I’d have still fu—” he stopped himself short, “make love to ye if ye asked.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed as he tickled her ribs. “No need to sweeten your words for my womanly ears, Noir. I’ve enjoyed every minute of our rutting.”

“Now onto the bathing, so we might rut some more.”

He washed her back, her breasts, her most sensitive parts, stopping a moment to stroke her until she writhed against him. But he stopped just short of letting her climax. He continued down to her toes, massaging sweet-scented soap into the soles of her feet. He poured warm water over her hair and kneaded her scalp until she couldn’t keep her eyes open from the pleasure of it.

When he was finished, she turned around to kneel between his legs and rubbed soap into his chest, returning the intimate gesture of washing.

She lathered up his arms, marveling in the feel of the sinewy muscles beneath his flesh. She washed his face, his neck, his shoulders and down over his back. He too closed his eyes as she washed his hair and then she moved down his legs, to his feet, purposefully ignoring his hard cock, which peeked above the froth-covered water.

But she didn’t make him wait too long. Soon enough she stroked a soapy hand over his thick length, up and down, up and down until he grew hard as granite in her hand. Even sitting in the water, she grew slick with the need to slide him inside her, but she wasn’t sure how it would work. He took up nearly the whole tub. She couldn’t straddle his lap.

He must have seen her mind working, as his eyes darkened and he caught her mouth in a demanding kiss. His tongue delved deep, his hands gripped her hips, her breasts. He plucked at her nipples until she moaned into his mouth.

“Turn around,” he whispered.

She did as he asked, turning on her knees, her hands holding the rim of the rub. He knelt behind her, his thick arousal probing her entrance. A sudden thrill rushed through her. He pressed against her again. Desire sparked through her and every inch of her flesh tingled. She rolled her hips back, wanting him to push inside her. He thrust hard.

She gasped aloud as he worked her body. One hand around front, caressing her nipples then sliding lower to thumb over her nub.

Her body felt on fire as pleasure and excitement swirled up and down her limbs and to her center and back again. She moaned nearly constantly and Wraith grunted and moaned behind her.

He pumped faster, harder still, water sloshing over the sides and the sound of their wet bodies joining echoed in the room.

Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more, her body had mercy on her. She climaxed with uncontrollable shudders, her womb contracting, body arching, head thrown back. A guttural, feral moan escaped her lips and along with her Wraith too shuddered, pulling out, his warm liquid finish dripping over the skin of her behind.

Neither one of them moved for several moments and then a warm wet cloth stroked across her buttocks as her pirate captain cleaned away their lovemaking.

When he was finished he pulled her from the tub and gently dried the water from her bottom to the top with a linen towel, his own body still covered in droplets that fell in rivulets over the curves and contours of his muscles. After toweling her hair, he gazed into her eyes and stroked her cheek. A tiny smile curved his lips.

“Thank ye, leannan,” he whispered and brushed a kiss on her lips.

A booming sounded in the distance and the romantic connection was lost. Both whipped their heads toward the porthole and Wraith made it to the wall in two strides to peer out.

“What is it?” Faryn came up beside him but couldn’t see past his broad shoulders.

“Ship.” His voice held no emotion but the clenching of his jaw gave way that it affected him.

“Friend or foe?” she asked, hoping against all hope it was friendly.

“My friends dinna shoot cannons at me, lass.” He chuckled bitterly. “That is unless I deserve it, and I assure ye, I have not vexed any of my friends of late.”

She nodded, swallowed hard, remained silent.

Shouts from above and the pounding of running feet echoed in the captain’s quarters.

A crewman burst through the door and Faryn clutched her towel tightly to her body.

“Cap’n! Pardon me, my lady,” he bowed, but then returned his attention to Wraith. “The Avenger’s under attack!”

Beside her, she sensed rather than saw every muscle in Wraith’s body tighten. Her heart constricted and her stomach plummeted.

Today she would die.