Lynna's Rogue (3 page)

             
Joshua glanced toward his bed and thought yes, his quarters were quite suitable. Where had she gotten the erroneous notion that he was leaving his cabin? Her father had given him strict orders that he was to share the cabin with her, sleeping on a hard cot in the corner
,
of course, but always
within sight of her. Certainly
her father had not been remiss in
sharing this knowledge with his daughter
?

             
Once again his eyes strayed toward the body of the woman, who seemed to posses
s
the innocence of a child. This was a hazardous combination
,
to be sure. Her embrace was a cordial display of affection, nothing more. No coy flirtatious move designed to send a man's blood racing and have him drooling at her
feet. (The first of which was presently
happening with a vengeance, and the latter of which he was struggling desperately not to execute
.
)
He would bet every coin
Nathan Rhodes had deposited in his safe
that
she did not possess the slightest notion of how her affectionate hug had affected him. Her father's words repeated over and over in his mind.
“If you find my daughter lacking i
n worldly ways, Captain Jordan…

             
“Oh, Captain Jordan, I am terribly excited about this
voyage.” Her blue eyes danced up at him. “
But… but you are not at all what I expected.”

             
“An understatement if ever there was one,
my lady. But, pray tell,
what did you expect?”

             
“
Um…s
omeone much older, saltier perhaps. More rugged
. Yes, that’s the word I was searching for. More rugged
from
the
many years spent on
the deck of a ship.
”

             
“I have spent many years on the deck
of the
Windjammer
, to be sure. A
s for my age,
I don’t believe I am ready to be put out to pasture just yet. H
opefully
,
I still have a few good years left in me.”

             
“As I am sure you do. At any rate, all of my knowledge came from books. But, Captain, I have never been to your country, though I have read much about America. Our journey should be about an eight-week voyage if we have good wind. Is this correct? You will tell me what to expect when we arrive,
oui
?”

             
Joshua watched as a tiny trickle of perspiration slid down her neck to the valley between her breasts. What he
would not
give to wipe it off with his... Stop!
Why was he thinking such ludicrous
thoughts
?
He had been hired to protect this girl as he would his own sister. But be damned! Nathan Rhodes should have wa
rned him of what a truly
exquisite creature his daughter truly was, instead of prattling on and on about her supposed lack of social graces. There was not a red-blooded man alive, French, American or any other breed, who would not be taken aback and caught completely off guard by Lynna Rhodes.            

             
“I am sorry, Captain Jordan. Whatever I did to cause you distress, I am truly sorry,” Lynna whispered guiltily as she witnessed his hurried rush to the exit. The Captain failed to answer her and seemed to be having great difficulty with the latch before he was able to fling the portal wide and make a mad dash out of his cabin.

             
For the life of her, Lynna could not comprehend what she had done to upset him so. Why were men destined to be such an emotional lot
,
anyway? The least little thing sent them into a wild and uncontrollable tailspin. For was Captain Jordan not exhibiting the same discomposure she had witnessed on other men so often in the past? She had come to the conclusion long ago that men were the weaker gender. After all, the men at home, the bodyguards and bookish associates of her father, had always reacted in the same manner of agitation after
having
bestowed upon them one of her impetuous hugs
.
Why, on more than one occasion she had feared them to be on the verge of a fit of apoplexy as they had clenched their fists tightly at their sides and began to sweat rather profusely under her father's menacing glare.

             
To be sure, h
er father had frequently chided her for being overly affectionate. Perhaps that was the problem. She was simply too friendly and the Captain seemed to lack the emotion entirely and be rather stoic to boot. But, she did so want him to like her, for he was s
uch an attractive man. T
all, at least six feet two inches, with black wavy hair that fell carelessly across his forehead, and
skin tanned golden from
many hours spe
nt in the sun
. And his pearly white teeth, she was sure, would sparkle were he ever to attempt a smile.

             
Her thoughts meandered back to the impulsive hug she had given the Captain. She had felt…what was it she had felt… exactly? It was… a funny feeling… in the pit of her stomach. But she
could not
name it. The feeling had seemed to rapidly expand to all parts of her body
,
leaving a noticeable sensitivity in her breasts. She brushed her hands across the front of her bodice
,
remembering the feelings that had awakened as she pressed against his broad chest. Lynna knew one thing for certain. Captain Jordan was of a different caliber than any
other
man
she had
met
in the past
seventeen years
.

Chapter Two

             
S
am Bogan had been the ship's cook for as long as Joshua had been the captain and the two were as close as father and son. Joshua knew that over the years Sam had come to recognize the signs of when something was bothering him. Evidently those signs were too obvious to ignore at the moment. “What ails ye, lad?” Sam asked, continuing to peel the mound of potatoes before him.

             
“An extraordinary problem to say the least,” Joshua answered in between huge bites of
a
raw potato, proving Sam’s assumption to be correct. When
ever
Joshua was nervous
,
he ate vast quantities of whatever food was within reach.

             
“Well, spit it out,” Sam said and chuckled at his own humor, “the problem
,
not the potato.”

             
“You most likely
will not
consider it a problem at all. Howeve
r there was
an extremely fetching, and might I add extremely affectionate, young lady sprawled in the center of my bed.”

             
“Ye would be correct in your assumption, lad. I
do not
consider it much of a problem at all.”

             
Ignoring his comment, Joshua glowered. “And when I entered my cabin
,
she propelled herself into my arms
in a most provocative fashion
.”

             
“And?” Sam roared with laughter. “I still fail to see the problem.”

             
“And I got the hell out of there! What did you expect me to do?” Damn! He sounded like a raving lunatic even to himself.

             
“Anything, except that. I’ve not known ye to be resisting the amorous advances of comely females, quite the opposite. But wait, might this be the young lady ye are escorting to relatives in Georgia, and being paid quite handsomely to see her arrive there unmolested?
”

             
“The very same.”

             
“
I almost forgot about the bargain with her father.”

             
“I wish I could.” Joshua sprinkled salt on another potato and mumbled around a mouth filled to overflowing, “But I have a penchant for living.”

             
Joshua noticed Sam trying to hide a crooked smile. “
It is
true that I know nothing of the young girl's character. However, it would seem the lady in question be no lady at all if she throws herself on ye at first sight. I seem to recall many a fetching damsel trying to hook ye over the years. While thus far, through some grand stroke of luck, ye’ve managed to slip through their enchanting fingers without getting caught. Does the young lass perchance know that her own father has practically issued a death warrant for ye head if there be any…ah… mishaps on this voyage?”

             
“How could she possibly know? I
could not
trust myself in her presence long enough to babble more than two words!”

             
“Is it possible
that
her life in France was so isolated and lonely that she is willing to do whatever is necessary, including bedding the Captain of the
Windjammer
and forcing him into marriage, to prevent a return to it?”

             
“I suppose it could be possible.”

             
“As ye well know, most young ladies of good breeding are no more than eye
-
batting, simpering, parasol twirling, swooning flirts. Were ye to try anything more than a polite peck on the cheek, she would in all probability jump in the bed and cover her head, or run across the deck screaming for
your
head.”

             
J
oshua lips curved into a knowing
smile. Of course! Sam was absolutely correct. The girl had given him a simple hug in greeting and what a juvenile reaction he had shown her in return, practically bolting from the room like a nervous schoolboy. She must be near rolling on the bed with mirth at this very moment given his ado
lescent reaction to her plentiful
charms. With strong resolve
,
he left a grinning Sam, marched back to his cabin, and
with only a moments pause,
shoved open the
door
.

             
Lynna stood beside the bed clad only in a scanty cream-colored chemise of the finest lace money could buy.
His eyes feasted hungrily on the alluring view of long shapely leg
s now only inches from his own. H
is strong resolve deserted him immediately and his eyes near left their sockets as he reached for a shiny red apple on the desk and chomped down on it.

             
“Oh, Captain Jordan!” Lynna cried snatching her dress to hastily cover herself, “
Y
ou should have knocked, sir. I am not dressed to receive company. I certainly hope you
do not
make a habit of barging into a lad
y’s
bedchamber unannounced! Now, please get out!”

             
“Not as a general rule, no. Please, forgive me,” he mumbled, much chagrined as he hastily backed out the door
. “I will wait outside
until you are suitably attired.”

             
S
everal minutes had passed
before she called,
“You may enter
now, Captain.
Will our meal be served soon?” she asked when he again entered the cabin. “I find myself quite famished.” When he failed to answer, though not from lack of trying, she moved to stand directly in front of him
,
holding her unfastened dress together at the bodice.

             
“Um yes,” he stammered, decidedly ill at ease. “T
he meal should be delivered any moment now.”

             
She smiled brilliantly, without an apparent care for her state of undress. “Captain Jordan, you seem a bit pale. Perhaps you have spent too much time in the sun today.” A worried frown creased her brow as she b
ent to slip
on a shoe
,
causing her full breasts to come dangerously close to spilling over her chemise. “That is why I was never allowed outside overmuch,” she continued as she tugged
the material over her breasts.
“Father said too much sun was unhealthy.”

             
Joshua's heart pounded painfully in his chest as he gazed at her satiny bosom rising above the lace of her chemise, beckoning him from not an arm
’
s length away. In one simple motion he could have her in his arms, have his mouth on those inviting pink, moist lips. No! He closed his eyes and issued a silent prayer for strength. That could not happen! Was he going stark raving mad? He was a gentleman! A gentleman who
,
not less than one hour ago
,
had sworn an oath to protect this vixen with his very life, and now ever fiber in his being yearned to seduce her. For the love of God! Would he survive this voyage?