LITMIR.BIZ

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to admit, when he’d heard Alice tell Robbins of Jaxon and Annalise’s blessed life and dear infant son, the ensuing slice of envy had stung deep.

      Alice was steadfast in her work. She’d spent every minute above deck. Sleeping little and eating less. Even Neo had good words for her. She’d only lost her temper and composure once more in his presence, and that was simply out of frustration for the certainty of Kgosi’s outcome.

      Even Bump had taken a fancy to her. Alice had ruffled his hair once in passing and Bump had begun following her about her duties as a duckling attaches himself to a mother duck. In fact, there were only a handful of men left not impressed by her. Jessup was leading the pack.

      Had Quinn had a change of heart as well? He frowned as he watched her sleep and noticed the new sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Why was it so hard for him to acknowledge her presence and be done? Carry on as if having her here was of no consequence? Why had he spent the last two days finding every excuse possible to keep her within his sight?

      She was his last thought at night as he lay in his bed, and his first thought come morning. Even that he could explain away given the oddity of a woman aboard, but it was more than a sense of protection for her.

      No, it was the dark, dream-filled hours within those long nights that caused the most unsettled thoughts. He’d been correct. The vision of her in tight breeches continued to haunt the cloistered part of his mind. And his body. Damn it, he was only human. He’d shielded himself from women for a dozen years, and here was an ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary situation. Of course he’d pay attention to her—to all the soft curves of her, and the memory of a tender pale thigh.

      Gavin rubbed a weary hand over his eyes hoping to erase the vision in his mind. He could make all the rational explanations necessary, but the truth of the matter screamed louder than an angry gull. He was captivated by the good Mistress Tupper, as was most of his crew. If he were to keep his head, he needed to stay more than a fair distance away from her. The sooner they turned this ship in the direction of Virginia, the better.

      Quinn knelt by her side. “Tupper?” He quelled the urge to brush the stray wisps of hair from her cheek. “Alice?” He lowered his gaze to her lips. They appeared impossibly soft. A more powerful urge to test them coursed through him.

      Lifting his eyes in a slow sweep of her face, he was surprised to meet the green of her gaze. “You’re awake.” Their closeness made the hush of his voice all the more intimate. “I need you…” He cleared the sudden dryness of his throat. “You need to know about Kgosi.”

      “I guessed.” Alice brushed her hair away from her face and sighed. “Is it wrong to be grateful?” She worried her lip.

      “No.” He fought to keep from reaching out and stroking a finger along that lip.

      “I’m saddened by his passing, of course, but I can imagine him strong and vibrant now. Young and proud for eternity.” She glanced past Quinn. “Are Neo and Tau seeing to his body?”

      “Aye.” Her continued concern touched him. For him, death was as common as breathing. It was a daily occurrence. Perhaps she was right, he was callous. Time had hardened him. Life had hardened him. For all her bravado, this was still no place for her. The sooner he could get her away, the better.

      “Another to commit to the sea. How many does that make?”

      Looking into her wide eyes, he couldn’t recall the figure. Too many. “Kgosi’s body will not be buried at sea. We’re close to the coast of Africa now. His people will want to honor him in their own way.”

      Alice nodded and stretched her back. Quinn nearly groaned at the innocent yet sensual gesture. He shifted his body to still its impulsive behavior. She scanned the remaining cots. “The rest are doing much better. Proper food, water, and fresh air have done their work.”

      “None have worked harder than you.” Gavin stood and offered her his hand. “You’ve proved your worth these last few days.”

      Alice shrugged one shoulder as she got to her feet. “Earning my keep. You’ve worked as tireless as any. I see why your crew respects you.”

      “Perhaps you’ll find your way to your quarters now. Not a large space, but you’ll be able to sleep on a proper cot and have a bit of privacy. Luxury aboard ship.”

      “I don’t need luxury.” She brushed at the seat of her pants.

      “Solitude is the only advantage of the space I’ve found for you.”

      She straightened her shirt and adjusted her belt. “I didn’t displace someone, did I?”

      “Storage is all.” As Alice tidied herself, he couldn’t look away. It was as if she were dressing before him. Never had anything so innocent affect him so sensually. It had been a long time since he’d shared company with a woman. He’d forgotten all the small ways they could beguile a man.

      Picking up her ridiculous hat with the feather, she gave him a small smile. “I should thank you.”

      Clearing his throat, he shook his head. “Best see it before you offer thanks. You’re dismissed from duties for twenty-four hours. After we’ve delivered Kgosi and the other survivors back to their shores, we set sail for Virginia.”

      “Virginia.” She blinked at him and fiddled with her ring.

      Something in the tone of her voice caught him as strange. “That was your destination.”

      A frown creased the space between her eyebrows. “Yes, I… It’s strange. I somehow got it in my mind I’d never get there.”

      “Where did you imagine you’d end up?”

      Alice looked toward the bow of the ship and lifted her one shoulder again. “I’ve been too busy to give it much thought.”

      “You’ve still got weeks.”

      She met his gaze and stood a bit taller. “Then a new life in Virginia.”

      Her forced determination struck him as odd. “Isn’t it what you wanted?”

      “So much has happened.” Alice glanced once more to where Kgosi had lain. “It’s hard to know exactly what I want.”

      The long journey should erase any doubts in her mind. And in his. “As I said, you’ve time to work it out.”

      “In the meanwhile, what’s my next duty?”

      “For the remainder of your time aboard, you’ll be giving our gunnery master a hand in the armory. It takes a sharp mind. You’ll do well. His name is Malcolm MacTavish. He’s a beast of a Scotsman. Red tartan. Braids in his beard. Smells like sulfur. He’s the brilliance of the Scarlet Night’s red smoke.”

      “You used it during your attack on the Delmar.” She nodded. “Stunning effect. How’s it done?”

      Quinn snorted. “You’ll have to pry that bit of information out of MacTavish’s dead fist. He shares his secret with no one. Until then….”

      He moved closer and crooked his finger. Alice’s eyes widened. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth as the lad came from behind her. “Bump will take you to your quarters.”

      Was that relief on her face? “Your name is Bump?” She dipped her head when she spoke to him, looking the child in the eye, waiting for an answer which would never come.

      “Aye, it suits him.” A few pointing gestures and the lad seemed to understand what he wanted. Quinn patted the boy’s shoulder and urged him forward. Bump slipped his hand in Alice’s and tugged on her to follow him. “He’s not much of a talker given the fact he can’t hear a word you’re saying.”

      As Bump pulled her away, Alice shot a hard look back over her shoulder. “Why on earth is a deaf child living aboard a pirate ship?”

      Quinn folded his arms over his chest. Ah, the makings of another battle for

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