Mystery in the Moonlight (26 page)

“It sounds like tiny little bells.”

He drew a teasing line down her cheek with one finger. “There are only a couple of bells on the
Sea Devil
, but they’re not tiny. More likely it’s one of the metal fasteners on a sail—” This time he was interrupted by the pouncing arrival of Calico Jack. “Oof!” Leaping bravely onto the crowded bunk, the cat had landed half on the mattress and half on Bryce’s chest. “What the hell!”

Studiously ignoring the man and keeping out of his reach, Jack scampered over Bryce’s body to lick Caitlin’s face, then curled up at her side and purred.

“At least they’re ringing true this time,” she remarked softly, fingering the red collar around the cat’s neck. “Look, here are those bells I heard. Lars must have put the collar on him for the party. And Jack must have been climbing around the outside of the cabin while we were making love. Isn’t he cute?”

“I’d say
obnoxious
was a better word for him,” said Bryce, grumbling irritably and disentangling his arm so that he could rise from the bed. He made a grab for the cat. “And he’s going to have to find somewhere else on this ship to have a cute time tonight.”

Awakening from a dream about Caitlin later in the night, Bryce reached for her, only to find the bed achingly empty. Groggy and disappointed, he wondered sleepily if he’d taken her to St. Vincent and forgotten already. Had she kissed him good-bye? Turning over, he caught sight of the windows and let out his breath in relief. An ethereal-looking figure knelt on the trunk.

“Caitlin?”

She glanced over her shoulder and motioned to him. “The sea’s completely covered with mist, Bryce. Come and see. It looks like something out of a dream.”

He rose slowly and went to stand behind her, slipping his hands beneath the partially buttoned shirt she was wearing and caressing her warm flesh underneath. She shivered and leaned back against him.

“Isn’t the mist beautiful? It doesn’t take much to imagine magical beings out there doing mysterious things.”

“It’s just fog,” Bryce told her. “The trade winds must have shifted, bringing up some heat from the south. And I’m afraid the only beings out there are the normal species of fish and bird and human.”

“You’re ruining the fantasy.”

“Only a dreamer has time for fantasies,” he said with a soft laugh. “I learned long ago that I had to curb my imagination in order to live in the real world.”

“Oh? How sad.”

“It isn’t so sad.” He moved her long hair aside to kiss the back of her neck.

“Yes, it is. Dreams can change the world. How would you ever know you wanted to try something different if you never let yourself imagine what that something was? I wouldn’t have come to the Caribbean if I hadn’t followed my dreams about finding adventure here. Those dreams led to reality. They came true.”

“I guess you found adventure, all right.”

“Of course, even in my wildest dreams, I never imagined I’d find romance with—”

“A wild sea captain?” When she laughed, he ran his hands over the satiny skin of her hips and stomach and teasingly threatened her. “Would you like to see just how wild I can be? Come back to bed, lovely lady.” Sliding her off the trunk, however, he stopped when she cried out in pain. “What’s the matter?”

She rubbed her leg. “I hit one of the latches with my knee. Why do you keep this moldy old trunk in here, anyway?”

“I use it for storage.”

Flipping the light above the table on low in order to examine her injury, he found her prying the trunk open, her back toward him. When she lifted the heavy lid, he knelt beside her and peered inside.

“Curious? I guess you must not be hurt too badly.” He removed an item off the pile of clothing inside the trunk and showed it to her. “See the gold braid? This is my official White Winds captain’s cap. I have my fancy dress shirts folded up in here also.” As he placed the hat on his head she looked him up and down and giggled, making him realize that she’d suddenly become aware of his nudity. “Like the rest of my outfit?” he offered. “You have my permission to come closer and examine the details.”

“I can already tell that they’re quite lovely.” Smiling demurely, she quickly lowered her eyes to rummage in the trunk.

Reaching under the other clothing, she soon pulled out a wide-brimmed black hat, complete with huge, drooping ostrich feather. “Wow! Do you sometimes wear this while you work?” She dragged out a long vest and a wide-sleeved white shirt. “And these too? They look pretty piratey to me.”

Bryce had to grin when she placed the hat on her head and held the vest and wide-sleeved shirt up against her. “That’s my costume when we throw shipboard parties for the tourists. They love playing pirate.”

“I bet you look dashing in it.”

“If you want to see something dashing”—he delved deeper in the trunk—”I’ve got something far more exciting. Here, take a look.” Carefully extracting a pair of curved swords from their cloth wrappings, he pointed to the finely etched blades. “These cutlasses are real antiques.”

“Incredible!” She touched them lightly with her fingers. “Maybe they even belonged to Morgan or Blackbeard.”

“Probably nothing so interesting. It’s more likely that they were worn by ordinary seventeenth-century Spanish sailors.”

“Don’t you know the history of the swords?”

“No, no one does. I bought these from an antique dealer and usually have them hanging on my wall in here.”

“Why did you take them down?”

He hesitated giving her an answer for a minute, not wanting to tell her the truth. “I got tired of looking at them,” he lied glibly, knowing that Caitlin, despite her sympathy, would prefer to continue enjoying her romantic fantasies.

Reality was much less pretty. Why would he want to be reminded of old-time pirates and their legends during the past weeks when he was having to live out the all too unromantic experience of being a pirate himself?

Caitlin hefted a sword. “This is kind of heavy. But it must look very decorative hanging on your wall. I don’t see how you could get tired of looking at it.”

“I’ve had the cutlasses a long time. Besides, I wanted to simplify things, do an overall streamlining of the ship.”

“They weigh the same whether they’re on the wall or in the trunk.” Narrowing her eyes, she inspected the blades of the cutlasses. “I’m sure Captain Morgan went about his many exploits wearing a sword like this. It’s perfect for a pirate. What fun it is to imagine him swaggering around!”

If only she knew. Instead of having a rollicking good time and enjoying legendary exploits, Bryce thought, he’d been taking double watches to ensure that they avoided pursuers, worrying constantly about the dangers to his crew, and coming to terms with the hard fact that he’d have to face unpleasant consequences for assuming a pirate’s role.

Thinking about the latter reminded him that he’d have to take Caitlin to St. Vincent in the morning. He quickly glanced at the cabin clock. Two more hours and he’d have to go on watch. Six more hours and he’d have to part with the woman he loved.

Suddenly aware that he’d made the silent confession he’d been avoiding for many days, he gazed at Caitlin with new eyes. Had she only been teasing when she’d refused to admit her love for him? Would she be willing to wait for him once she was released from the ship? Or would she grow impatient and want to return to her job in North Carolina? In his present position Bryce was aware that he might have very little to offer her for quite some time.

Unsure and uncomfortable, he reached for the only security he had at the moment—Caitlin’s warm body in his arms. “Let’s go back to bed,” he muttered, rising to a standing position and holding out his hands to bring her up with him.

She inspected the full length of his nude body and grinned self-consciously. “Well, I guess this is how Caitlin the Pirate Queen likes them, undressed and willing.”

Despite her humorous modesty, he could tell that she was titillated by what she saw. “You have no idea how willing I can be,” he challenged.

“Why don’t you show me?” she teased, leaping up out of his reach and placing the hat with the droopy feather on her head.

“Come here, Caitlin,” he ordered.

“Come here, Bryce,” she taunted, backing away.

He followed her, thinking that she was heading for the bunk. But she skirted it and ran for the rear doors. Pulling them open, she turned to face him on the small private deck. Surrounded by misty fog, her hair wild around her small face, she indeed resembled the magical beings she’d told him of earlier.

“I’ll get one of those cutlasses and make you walk the plank if you don’t please me,” she threatened.

“You’ll need a cutlass if you expect to keep me away.”

Desire tightened his loins as he observed the rosy nipple exposed by her half open shirt. He enclosed her in a tight embrace, sliding her body against the front of his own as he slowly lowered her to the deck. Then he knelt and, supporting himself on elbows and knees, lay over her.

“You…you pirate!” she exclaimed, running her fingers through his thick hair and caressing the earlobe with the earring.

“I thought
you
were the pirate,” he said, covering her mouth with his and roughly kissing her.

“You’re playing the aggressor now.”

“Oh, I see how it is.” Fully aware that this night might be the last time he’d be with her, Bryce decided to go along with Caitlin’s imaginative games. If he couldn’t be her reality, he might as well be the best damned fantasy she’d ever had.

Pinning her down more tightly, he jerked the rest of her buttons open with one hand and said, “I’ve been sorely tempted to rip your bodice off long before this, milady. Now you’ve pushed me too far.”

“Please, Captain,” she pleaded, wiggling under him, creating delicious sensations as skin rubbed against skin.

“Please what? You know you want me, pretty wench.”

“But, Pirate captain, sir. If you take my innocence, no other man will have me.”

“Then I’ll keep you to myself,” he stated gruffly before kissing her thoroughly.

Wishing that he could actually possess Caitlin entirely and so easily, Bryce abandoned himself to their lovemaking as he never had before. Wrapping her slender legs around him, she responded with unconcealed passion. Isolated by the enveloping fog, it seemed as if they were completely alone in a mysterious floating world.

Only when they lay entwined together later, completely sated, did Bryce have second thoughts about the fantasy they’d played out. Was Caitlin only attracted to him because she saw him as the hero of her imaginative dreams? A pirate? An adventurer? A flamboyant captor?

Remembering some of the things she’d said during their night in the cave, he decided that he had reason to question her motivations. Could a wide-eyed dreamer have a continuing relationship with the ordinary man he really was?

Perhaps taking Caitlin to St. Vincent would be the best thing for both of them. Given a little time, her feet firmly on land, she’d surely recognize him and his life-style for what they were. She’d be happy to leave the West Indies. And he should be happy that he’d be spared the experience of seeing her awaken from illusion.

Not that the thought made his heart ache any less. How had he managed to get himself so involved? Willing himself to forget about the impossible situation, Bryce pulled the woman he loved tightly to him and breathed in the scent of her hair. He’d only have her a few more hours.

It was daylight when Caitlin awoke, though no golden sunbeams streamed in through the cabin’s windows. The world outside was shrouded by eerie white fog. Pulling up the sheet to cover herself, she wondered why she’d suddenly gotten cold, then realized that Bryce’s warmth was missing from the bed. How long had he been gone? Was he taking his watch? Or was he already preparing the ship for a sail to St. Vincent?

Feeling more than a little abandoned, she slid her feet over the bunk’s edge and glanced around the room, noting her scattered clothing on the floor. The clock on the table told her that it was very early, just past dawn. Should she get dressed and find Bryce? Maybe she’d think of some way to talk him into delaying their imminent journey.

She’d put on her dress and was attempting to smooth the wrinkles in the skirt when Bryce entered the cabin. “Going somewhere?” he asked, his green eyes curious.

“I was getting ready to look for you.”

“No need for that, milady.” He smiled sexily. “I’m here to see that you don’t escape my bed so early.” Lifting her easily, he carried her back to the bunk. “When I went to take my watch, Anselm generously offered to pull a double. How could I refuse? You and I have had so little time for loving.”

Between soft kisses he slipped the dress farther down her shoulders. “Why don’t we wait another day before we leave for St. Vincent?” she asked, luxuriating in the pleasurable sensation of his beard on her skin. “Won’t it be difficult to travel in the fog?”

“No, we can find our way with radar.”

“Oh.” Disappointed, she was trying to think of an. other excuse when they heard the ruckus outside. The popping noise she’d learned to associate with gunfire sounded rapidly, followed by hoarse shouts and thuds.