Desire In His Eyes Read Free Page B

him, startling him. He had meant to intimidate her, but apparently that did not work. He turned around to face her. She had crossed her arms across her chest. He could not help but notice that she looked extremely enticing, even dressed in men’s trousers and a shirt that was entirely too large for her small frame.
    “Surely you can come up with something more original than ravishing me!”
    He laughed at her. “Don’t flatter yourself, Juliette.”
    “Isn’t that what men do when they want to intimidate a woman?”
    He shook his head at her sarcasm. She was not an easy woman to rattle. “Not always.”
    “Well then? What shall it be, Captain Fleming? Am I to walk the plank? Shall I be tossed overboard? Will you tie me to a mast and flog me?” She glared at him, her eyes flashing with something between anger and amusement.
    He fought the urge to wipe the condescending look off her beautiful face. “Any one of those punishments would suffice.”
    “You wouldn’t dare,” she held his gaze. “Lucien would kill you.”
    She had him there. Harrison would never do any of those things to any woman, let alone the sister-in-law of his good friend and business associate. He could not harm a hair on Juliette’s reckless head. But lord knew she needed to be taught a lesson.
    “I should turn the ship around and let your family deal with you.”
    She did not utter a word or move a muscle, but her quickly downcast eyes told him more than enough. What? No challenging remark? No sarcastic retort? Harrison had finally hit his mark with her. She truly did not wish to go home. Her desire to go to New York was strong enough to curb her tongue. Who or what awaited her in New York that was compelling enough to lure her away from her family and risk her pretty neck and more simply getting there?
    “Yes, that would be best,” he said nonchalantly, nodding his head. “I should inform my crew that we will be delayed because we need to return an errant young lady back to her home.”
    “Please don’t do that, Captain Fleming.”
    He barely heard her whispered plea. Ah, he was finally getting through to her. He walked closer.
    She glanced up. “Please don’t take me home. I’ve come so far. I can’t go back now. I would rather you flogged me. Or even ravished me instead.”
    Stunned by her words, he stood speechless for a moment. “It is quite gratifying to know that you would prefer my charms over a flogging, Miss Hamilton.” He considered her carefully. “However, before I make any decision, I must ask. What on earth is so important to you in New York?”
    She shook her head, causing her long dark hair to swing seductively around her shoulders. “You’re a man. You wouldn’t understand.”
    Harrison eyed her with keen skepticism. Her transparency was obvious to him. “You must be madly in love with him.”
    Again she shook her head, her eyes rolling in derision at his question. But Harrison was not so sure. What else could drive a woman to take such a reckless chance with her life and endanger herself but love for a man? He would lay odds there was a handsome young man, probably deemed unfit by her family for whatever reason, waiting for her somewhere in New York City.
    “You men all truly believe the world only revolves around you, don’t you?”
    The bitterness in her tone surprised him. Dumbfounded by her comment, he stared at her. “What are you babbling about?”
    “Not a thing.” Again she shook her head as if she thought he wasn’t worth the effort of explaining her opinion to.
    Harrison clenched his teeth, fighting the urge to wipe the smug expression off her face. That little act of derision and her air of complete condescension infuriated him. Harrison felt outraged at this untamed girl who just upset his ship, his plans, and his schedule by saddling him with the responsibility of dealing with her well being, and who then had the audacity to challenge him while looking down her nose at him at the same