Wrong Kind of Paradise (12 page)

woman. “Welcome home, Cap’n Barclay.”

“Baina, have you fared well?”

Dark eyes rested on Angel as she nodded. “We had a big storm but all is well. Was your trip

prosperous, Cap’n?”

“Aye, I’ve acquired what I sought.”Angel didn’t glance at him but he spoke of her. What did he

mean?

“That is good then. I will have supper ready by seven.”

Blac held open the door for both women to enter. The shuttered door sprang shut behind them. The

hall opened to a beautiful dual staircase with banisters made of rich mahogany wood. The limestone

bricks had been coated with plaster and whitewashed to a blinding hue. There were six doorways beyond

the stairs, and Baina disappeared through the doorway to the left.

“So you own slaves?”

“No.” Blac led her up the flight of steps and to the second door to the left. “Everyone here is paid

with either shillings or trade. Baina has seven siblings she must feed, so I feed them and she takes care of

my home.”

“Oh.”

“She and her family lived on Jamaica, and I brought her here with me several years ago. She’s yet

to complain and her siblings are a joy to have around. I am sure you’ll run into one or two during your

stay.”

Angel gave him a sideways glance.
He didn’t mind children? Was that pride she saw?
How

strange to think of Blac with children. But how endearing as well.

An image of a dark-headed baby flashed in her mind, and an ache settled in the pit of her stomach.

Her dream of marrying Blac and having children seemed as distant as ever.

He swung open a door and she entered. The bedroom was bland in color, white walls, a white, lace

coverlet draped over the bed, and white lace curtains adorned the shuttered windows. But the jalousie

doors opened onto the veranda and the view of the rear of the house took her breath away.

Lush rain forest interrupted the grassland just before the colossal grey mountain peak jutted from the

center of the island. Beyond stretched an endless expanse of ocean and azure sky.

Breathtaking
.

~*~

“Amazing isn’t it?” Blac grinned. A welling pride sprang inside his chest as Angel crossed to the

veranda door to peer out at the view beyond.

“How did you find this place?” she whispered.

He scooted past her onto the veranda and sat in one of the wicker chairs, leaning back with a sigh.

“I have to thank your father for that one.”

Her brows lifted in surprise. “How so?”

“Your father and I go way back.” With a hand he indicated for her to join him. “We were

midshipman aboard the HMS Aberdeen under Captain Wythecliff. He had been there of course a bit

longer than me, as I’d just hired on. I was a lad of eight and your father was fifteen. He took me in and

showed me the ropes until he graduated to officer rank.”

Memories assailed him of his younger years. A boy of eight faced with the responsibility of taking

care of his family, while the rest of his friends were still playing soldiers. Suddenly, he had to become

one — the youngest member of the crew, forced to hide any fear. Logan had understood him without

saying as much. And Blac had been glad for the company.

“I didn’t see him again for many years. Next time I saw him, he flew the Jolly Roger.” He turned to

her and folded his hands. “I had acquired my own ship by then, the Enforcer. I was about four-and-twenty.

We met on the opposite ends of cannon, and after a brutal battle —” he sighed —“he won.”

She scooted around him and settled into the chair next to him with wide eyes. “Really?”

“Yes,” he said. “I watched her sink into the folds of the ocean just off this shore, to the north of here

as a matter of fact.”

She frowned. “Then how did you become friends?”

He chuckled. “I had resigned myself to go down with my ship, but his men fished me out of the

water. My crew and I, what was left of them, were taken prisoner. A musket ball gravely wounded my

side. Logan took me to his isle and nursed me back to health.”

And I owe him my life. Yet, I can’t seem to keep my hands off his daughter. What kind of friend

am I?

Angel clapped. “Oh, I remember now. I was twelve. It was the first time we met.”

He nodded. “I lived on your island for close to two years.”

“Two and half years,” she corrected.

“He ransomed me back to the English. My father, of course, paid the money. That’s when I learned

about the exorbitant bounty on Logan’s head.” He sighed. “I was forced to betray him, you know.”

“This isn’t the first time you’ve betrayed him?”

“I haven’t betrayed him this time,” he corrected with a frown. “My father was minor competition

for Worthington Shipping Industries. It was run by a Viscount Brackley. My family had always struggled.

It’s why I went into the Navy so early. Someone had to pull my family out of the incredible debt we’d

gotten ourselves into. Brackley came to me and threatened my father’s business if I didn’t give up your

father’s location.”

“And you did?”

He nodded. “I had to. My family’s existence depended on it...but I switched the longitude and

latitude. Not being a navy man, I’m certain he didn’t figure it out until it was too late. I set sail to warn

your father of the viscount’s interest. Logan didn’t seem surprised at all. I got the feeling that the two had

a long history, but I never did figure out what happened between them.”

“What happened to your father?”

He shrugged. “I knew that the viscount would ruin my father anyway. He knew of my father’s

weakness for gambling. My father owed the Viscount large amounts of money but died before he could

pay it back.”

He stood and moved to the rail to peer in the distance. “I found this island several years later, and I

was determined to settle here. I really had no reason to return to England. But I keep going back anyway.

Every shilling I make goes into building this place. Then once I got the sugar mill up and running, things

took off. My men and I have made this our home. One day I plan to retire and live the rest of my old life

here.”

He eased around to find her gaze studying him. Her brows furrowed with sympathy. “Alone?”

Where was this question leading?
“I hope not.” He eyed her warily.

She climbed to her feet and stood before him. So close the heat of her body urged him forward, but

he resisted.

“Who do you see yourself with?”

His gaze snapped to her, and he frowned. “I haven’t given it much thought. I don’t plan to marry for

many years yet.”

She chuckled. “You’re thirty-four years old, Blac. Just how much longer do you think you have?”

He let go of the rail and drew himself up. “I am not old.”

Her features softened into a smile. “No, certainly not, but you’re not young either. If you plan to

leave this place and your holdings in England to a son, then you’d best get to work begetting one.”

“Before I’m too old?” The word left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Yes. You won’t live forever.”

His frown deepened. “Might I demonstrate to you just how young I am?”

She chuckled. “I am not denying your manhood. Blac, I am simply saying every day you grow older

and every day is one step closer to the grave. When do you plan to start a family? When you’re sixty?”

“No,” he snapped. “But I still have some time.”

She lifted a brow. “Do you?”

His hands clasped her upper arms and drew her close. “I know what you’re up to. It won’t work.

You’re searching for something that doesn’t exist.”

“Then why do I fairly burn whenever you look at me?”

“You mistake love and lust, little girl. The two are not the same.”

Her mouth flattened into a straight line and her eyes narrowed. “But they coincide, do they not? You

cannot love someone you don’t lust after.”

He arched a brow. “And you have such a vast knowledge of lust and love?”

She moved to him and placed both hands on his cheeks. “Call it woman’s intuition.”

He stepped away. “You delude yourself.”

“Do I?” she asked. “Or is it you who gets the two mixed up? Maybe you’re just afraid.”

A sharp bark of a laugh escaped him. “After a life at sea, Miss De’haviland, there is little I fear.”

He straightened. “Love is an illusion. It’s an emotion one feels at the beginning, but it soon fades into hate.

The two sides of a single coin: love and hate. And no one is immune, not even those who pretend

otherwise.”

He exited the veranda and headed for the door. She followed him when he whipped around. “And

you, my dear, are looking for fairy tales where none exist. You will find yourself sorely disappointed by

reality when all is said and done. Mark my words, life has a way of sucking all the hope and dreams from

us. The only real happiness we will ever find will be in ourselves.”

She crossed the room. “Like what? Give me an example. If not love, then what makes us happy?”

He swept his arm in an arc. “Take a look, princess. Money is the only happiness you can hold.

Anything else is an illusion and little-girl fantasies.”

Nine

Blac entered the study and settled into the leather chair behind the mahogany desk he’d built

himself. He ran a hand across its smooth surface. Money had allowed him the opportunity to make this.

Mahogany trees grew in abundance on the isle and most of the furniture, banisters, and doors in the house

had been made of it. It was money that’d allowed him to build this tiny empire in the middle of the

Caribbean Ocean. And this empire allowed families to come together and live their happily-ever-afters.

And that makes me happy, doesn’t it?

Angel’s words came back to him.
You won’t live forever.

He knew that, and with every passing day it became more and more apparent to him. He longed for

something he didn’t want to name.

He did want children, a son to inherit all he’d built. He wanted to pass on more than just his home

and this isle, he wanted to watch his children grow into adults. He’d convinced himself it was too early to

think of things like that, but now he was faced with reality. He wasn’t getting any younger.

Blac sighed and propped his booted feet on the desk. He had to get Angel married. That, at least, he

could do. He’d promised Logan he’d protect Angel and he would. Then he could work on getting Logan

out of the British prison and hopefully eke out a little revenge on the lieutenant while he was at it. Until

then, he would avoid Angel like the plague and dump her cute little derriere off at her grandfather’s house

as soon as possible.

“You look like you’ve just tussled with the wrong she-cat.”

Rigo sauntered to the cupboard and fixed himself a brandy. Blac ran a hand over his face and when

he peered up, Rigo handed him a glass. Nodding his thanks, he took a sip.

I have
.
And this time she may have won.

Blac shrugged and scowled.

“Round one to Angel?”

Heat shimmied up his neck into his face. Damn, was he that obvious? Blac shot a narrow-eyed glare

at his quartermaster. “Don’t you have something to do?”

Rigo stopped in a dramatic pause, appearing to consider the words, and then shook his head. “No,

not at the moment. You gave me the week off, remember?”

“Not my first mistake.”

Rigo chuckled. “So, what are you doing in here all by your lonesome?”

Why lie? Rigo would figure it out anyway and would just goad him for his weakness. “Brooding,

until my unwanted visitor showed up. What do you want?”

Rigo laughed and flopped onto the settee. “You know...these things are really comfortable. No

wonder women like them so much.”

“Are you insinuating something with that comment?”

Rigo glanced up, his dark Spanish eyes filled with mirth. “Not at all, old man. Just wanted to drop

in to let you know the lookout spotted a ship. It’s still quite a ways off-shore but I thought you’d want to

know.”

Old man. Even my crew thinks I’m old.

He sighed. “Thanks.” A ship? That meant Angel’s crew would have left shortly after the Revenge

had. Had they found out something so soon?

Rigo swallowed the rest of the amber liquid in his glass and set it on the table. “So what is the

plan? I’d love to be able to help out once in a while, but it’s hard when I’m uncertain what our goals are.

After all, two years ago, someone forgot to inform me we were supposed to escort Miss Angel back to

her grandfather’s. I probably would have been better prepared for her trickery had I realized the

situation.”

Rigo was right. Blac had completely bungled everything by keeping it a secret from everyone who

should’ve known. And this was the result he must live with.

Blac stood and made his way to the window. His island seemed a little lonely suddenly.
Or is that

just me?

Life on this island no longer held as much appeal as it had years ago. Now it seemed desolate.

Dreary. Despite the beauty all around him, everything seemed a little colorless.

He whirled back to Rigo, refusing to look close into that part of his life. “The lieutenant has Logan