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Her reaction nearly drove him over the edge. Beneath the blankets his body throbbed painfully, and he knew that he couldn’t wait much longer. It was a need like none he had ever known, defying description or reason. He slid his hands to her sides, then over her hips and down, defining the curves of her body with his fingertips. She whimpered, and he caught the sound with his mouth, savoring the taste of her as he urged her soft thighs apart.
“Alex, open to me,” he gasped into her mouth. “Please, sweetheart, let me touch you.”
Alex was dazed, drugged, submerged in her rampant newfound desire. Warring emotions tore at her mind and her heart—what she should do, what she wanted to do. … She tore her mouth from Drake’s, panting, gazing down into his eyes. This was wrong, so wrong, but she wasn’t sure she had the strength to deny him … to deny them.
Drake watched Alex’s inward struggle, so clear to him despite his mind’s fuzziness. She seemed terrified by her passion for him. But why? Had one of her previous lovers hurt her? Drake forced himself to stifle his own rampaging need, soberly watching her face.
“Alex?” he whispered, still caressing her exquisite body.
She closed her eyes tightly, her lips trembling with suppressed emotion.
A wave of tenderness swept over him. “Oh, Alex,” he murmured. “Could you really be as innocent as you seem?”
Her eyes flew open, and he saw his answer. “My God,” he breathed, relieved and thrilled in a way that unnerved him more than his passion did. Gently he smoothed the shirt down over her legs. “All right, princess,” he soothed her, seeing the apology on her face. “It’s all right.” For a long moment he continued to stare up at her, his expression unreadable. His thoughts and emotions converged into a pleasant haze as the laudanum finally won its battle over him. With a bit of surprise he became aware of the dull throbbing in his head, a pain that only moments ago he hadn’t even noticed.
Alex started to ease herself away from him, but Drake caught her wrists in his hands and frowned.
“Stay with me.” It was a tender command.
“But you need to rest,” she protested, her emotions still raw.
“And I will. But I want you with me. Please, princess. I promise not to touch you … at least not that way.” He grinned, stifling a yawn. “Besides, I fear that I am not … at my best.” His eyelids drooped. “So you’re safe,” he slurred, leaning back against the pillow.
Alex watched his handsome, chiseled features relax in sleep. His hands still held her wrists, but the grip was loose now, and she could easily withdraw if she wanted to. If she wanted to.
She paused for but a second. Then she cautiously lay down beside him, covering herself with the top blanket, careful to keep the other layers of bedcovers between their bodies. Her head was spinning from what had turned out to be the most turbulent day of her life.
The last thing Alex was aware of, before drifting off to sleep, was Drake’s strong arm drawing her close to him and pressing her head to his chest. And then … blissful oblivion.
Smitty paused for a moment outside the captain’s cabin. He could hear no sounds from within, and it occurred to him that the two occupants might be asleep. He hesitated, uncomfortable with the idea of disturbing them. On the one hand, Lady Alexandria needed her privacy, and Captain Barrett badly needed his rest. On the other hand, the captain’s injury needed to be treated.
In the end concern won out over discretion. Quietly he let himself into the semidark cabin and closed the door behind him. He was totally unprepared for the sight that met his eyes.
Together in the narrow bed, wrapped around each other and peacefully asleep, were Captain Barrett and Lady Alexandria.
Smitty had no time to react, no time to reverse his decision and make a hasty departure. At the sound of the door, Alex’-s eyes flew open and she found herself staring into his stunned face.
At first she had no idea why Smitty was gaping at her in such a peculiar manner or what he was doing in her cabin, for that matter. Then she became aware of the heavy weight of Drake’s arms around her, and the memories of the previous night came back in a rushing flood.
“Oh!” With a mortified gasp Alex snapped to a sitting position.
The sudden jolt startled Drake, and he stirred, blinking sleepily and looking around him. His head throbbed, and he wondered fleetingly if he had drunk too much brandy the night before. Then he dazedly focused on the disheveled beauty beside him and the highly embarrassed first mate in the doorway. And he, too, remembered.
He was still disoriented when Alex stepped from the bed, allowing the oversize shirt to billow out around her, and faced a speechless Smitty with as much dignity as she could muster.
“Smitty, could you check the hallway for me and make certain that it is deserted?” Her voice was high and shaky, but she kept her chin up and her gaze steady.
Smitty was thrilled to have a task that would divert his attention from the awkward situation.
“Of course, my lady.” He inched the door open a crack, peeping out into the hallway. “It is clear,” he confirmed. “The men are all working their morning shifts.”
“Thank you, Smitty.”
Without meeting Drake’s concerned gaze, Alex yanked the top blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her. Fighting the urge to break down and sob with utter shame, she gathered her discarded breeches and shirt, walked past Smitty, and left the cabin.
“Alexandria … damn!” Drake’s abrupt movement from the bed caused a blinding flash of pain to explode in his skull. He staggered about, feeling a wave of sickness rise up in his throat. Clutching his head, he sank back down, muttering one oath after the next.
Smitty helped Drake resume his position beneath the bedcovers. “Another movement like that and you will reopen your wound,” he cautioned him.
