He shook his head. “You can do better than that.”
“You… scoundrel.”
“Please.” He laughed.
I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth, thinking. “Is ‘you bastard’ good enough?”
He barked a laugh, his chest expanding. “Hell, yes. I love the way you say it.”
A storm of emotions was raging inside me, and if I had to be honest with myself, there wasn’t only shame. The rules of etiquette had been etched into my brain for as long as I could remember. Letting go of them wasn’t easy, but his cocky attitude was charming.
“You shouldn’t sleep in my room,” I said.
“Good. Excellent. Great. Pity that I have a job to do and I’m not keen on the idea of being flogged.” He wasn’t joking, of course. “Go to sleep, Monia. I give you my word that I will not touch you.”
I let out a breath, admitting defeat. Maybe the fact he wasn’t going to touch me was the cause of the disappointment swelling in my chest.
He heaved a sigh and gazed away. “And step out of the light and cover yourself or keeping my word might be rather difficult.” As if realising he’d said something shocking, he clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. “Sleep,” he repeated through gritted teeth.
I slid under the quilt and turned off the light, shock leaving me speechless. Had he meant it when he’d said he was tempted to touch me? I wouldn’t mind testing his control. It was the first time a man had admitted he could lose control because ofme. Not even Sandro showed me such unbridled passion. His kisses were... polite, not filled with unrestrained lust. I hadn’t expected a man like Rennie to have any interest in me unless he was taunting me.
“Did you mean what you said?” I asked in the darkness. Only the lights of the ship offered a small amount of illumination.
“You aren’t sleeping.”
“Answer me.”
“No.”
Oh, the nerve of the man. “Why not?”
“I don’t like where the conversation is going.”
“It isn’t going anywhere because we aren’t having a conversation,” I said, propping myself up on my elbows. Even in the semidarkness, I could spot the burning pits of his eyes staring at me.
“Good night, Monia.”
“You’re impossible.” I punched the pillow and lay down, muttering curses that made him chuckle.
I must have dozed off because a rhythmic noise woke me up. Footfalls padded from the silent corridor. A cold shiver crawled up my back, like a file of ants. The light from the passageway limned the door, which meant Rennie wasn’t sitting in front of it.
“Rennie?” I whispered.
“Shush,” he said, close to me. “Quiet.”
Two shadows cut the flow of light on the floor as the footsteps stopped in front of my door. I touched around on my bed, and when I found Rennie’s hand, I held it. His big, warm hand closed around mine in a reassuring gesture that slowed my pulse. Until the knob turned. I squeezed Rennie’s hand harder. He uncoiled his body as the door inched inwards.
Dread froze me on the spot. A man slid inside, nearly silent on his feet. Judging from his size and build, he was the same man who had attacked Rennie. The moment he stepped forwards, Rennie lunged. A loud thud resounded when they dropped to the floor. I scrambled out of bed and lit the gas lamp on the nightstand with trembling hands. Not that there was much to see. Rennie and the man were entwined together, rolling on the floor. Punches rained on both of them. Thuds, smacks, and kicks made me jolt.
With an animalistic groan, the man shoved Rennie back and darted out of the cabin. Rennie shot after him. The door swung back and forth behind him.
Shaking, I left the quiet corner and tiptoed to the door. I wasn’t sure why I was tiptoeing. It seemed pretty useless, but my brain was dealing with an overload of fear the likes of which I’d never experienced before. No, that wasn’t true. There had been that time when—pain burst in my head. I rubbed my forehead and squeezed my eyes before peeking into the corridor. What in blazes was happening to me?
There was no one, and aside from a low rumble, the passageway was quiet. I locked the door with trembling hands and searched for my shoes. Rennie had to be safe. He was a strong man. But the other chap was bigger. I could call Detective Norton, though.
There was a knock on the door. “Monia? It’s me.”
“Rennie.” I pulled the door open and without thinking, threw myself over to him.
