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“Mia,” this time his tone was softer. For a moment she wondered what it would take to bring back the warning one. But why bother. Devin didn’t want her. She heard his sigh and then the soft tread of his feet as he crossed the room. “You’ve been sitting here since before sun up and,” he said leaning over to draw the plate of toast closer, “you barely ateanything.”
She set the pen aside and pushed the plate back. “I’m rather tired of dry toast, Captain. I think other prisoners get better than this bread and water that I’m served each day. Perhaps I might tell the admirals I’m a pirate just to find betterfare.”
“You could go right now and commit some act of piracy right before them and they wouldn’t take you for one,” Devin told her placing a kiss on the top of her head. “You ruined that for yourself withthem.”
“I didn’t ruin it,” Mia grumbled. “You ruined it. Telling them what youdid.”
“I didn’t ruin it,” Devin chuckled and pulled her chair back from the table. “You ruined it. By showing them your pirate side. Now they know you’re just a naughty, mutinous, little pirate that I can well enough manage without the whole of the navy stepping in.” He took her hands and pulled her up and againsthim.
Mia poked him in the arm but then simply soaked in the rare moment of being held securely by him. It was rather true: her crazed fit before the board made Devin’s teasing name for her sort of a joke. As was her insistence she wasn’t spoiled. She couldn’t go anywhere near the academy without the instructors or the administration teasing her and she couldn’t run into any of the wives or daughters of those men without the same. Though none of the teasing was anything but kind or silly, it seemed to take a little of her ability to intimidate away. She was spoiling now for a good fight, but no one, not even Hong would take oneup.
“Come. Let me help you into bed,” Devin said, stepping back and taking herhand.
“No.” She snatched her hand back. “I don’t want to lie down. I don’t need to liedown.”
“Mia, you can’t sit in this hard chair for hours on end. It isn’t good for you.” He took her hand again and tried to tug herforward.
She pulled away and crossed her arms, so he couldn’t take her hand again. “I wouldn’t have to sit in the chair if I could go to the offices andwork.”
“Oh, so you might stand on your feet all day?” Devin countered and took her by the upper arm. “I think not. Let’s go.” With that he tugged her hard, causing her to stumble forward and making it so he managed to get her to the bottom of thestaircase.
“No, Devin,” Mia said refusing to lift her foot and climb the stairs. “I’m not going to lie down. I’m nottired.”
“Mia, I saw you at the table, you were asleep in the chair.” He pulled and she had no choice but to stepup.
“No, I wasn’t,” she denied, though it might have beentrue.
“Aye, youwere.”
“Even if I was, it isn’t because I’m tired,” Mia said, now that she was halfway up the stairs. “I’m bored. It’s dull staying home all day.” She was losing this battle as with one more tug she stepped on the landing. “Devin, I don’t want to liedown.”
“You want a proper spanking?” he asked and Mia’s whole body flushed hot. “Stop behaving like a stubbornchild.”
He wouldn’t, would he? Was she that desperate to feel something other than this doldrums existence? Maybe, but could she get that with aproperspanking, rather than agoodone? At the moment, feeling the wetness building between her legs, perhaps she might. She grabbed the door jamb and pushed back refusing to step inside the bedroom until she knew she might be going in for more than a nap. When Devin moved behind her to pry her hands off she sat down on thefloor.
“Mrs. Winthrop,” Devin almost shouted, though she detected a bit of humor and far too much patience in his tone. “Stand up.” His hands went under her arms so he could lift her, but she wouldn’t put her feet down. “Mia, stop this or you’re going to get hurt.” She refused to cooperate with him. “Mia, you’re going to be sorry if youpersist.”
“I doubt it,” she tossed back athim.
“Mia,I’ll—”
“You’ll not do athing.”
“I will. Now standup.”
“Won’t,” she pushed, and his next words were as chilling as they werethrilling.
“Mia, I’ve spoken with Doctor Crane and he assured me it’ll not harm the child if I punish you. Is that what youwant?”
“Aye,” the word was out with hard assurance before Mia could think about it. Nothing for it now but to add anchors and sink herself faster. “Aye, yes. Punish me. Anything to make you touch me again, anything even if it isn’t what Iwant.”
“Mia?” Devin said stepping around her and kneeling on the floor in front of her. “What isthis?”
It didn’t work. She should already be face down with her skirts up, but it didn’t work. “You never touch me anymore,” she said quietly, more to herself than to him. “It must be a Cadley curse. Once with child no one wants us. Mama, nowme.”
“God save me, Mia,” Devin cried and yanked her forward into his lap. “I’m sorry my love. I’m sorry. Of course, I wantyou.”
“No, I don’t think so. You haven’t touched me in twenty-eight days,” she informed him and helped him as he worked to cradle her in hisarms.
