Goldie [Pyrate's Treasure 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read Free

her? By the time she reached the two men, she was wondering if he would cooperate with her if she dragged him below decks to one of the empty equipment rooms so she could have her way with him.
    Instead of throwing herself at his feet and making a spectacle of herself, Goldie took a deep breath, held it for as long as she could, before releasing it in a whooshing sigh. Slowing her steps, she fought against the urge to wrap herself around him like a kudzu vine.
    “Cousin,” she said, stopping beside the two men and forcing herself to concentrate on Silver. “Aren’t you supposed to be giving your welcome to Pyrate Island Resort speech about now?”
    Silver looked at her in confusion before checking his watch. “Uh, not for another hour.”
    “Oh, okay.” Goldie sipped at her hot chocolate.
    Finally, she turned her attention to the man who remained silent, but watchful. Lord have mercy, he was beautiful. Strong jawline, sharp planes of his cheeks with high cheekbones, a nose that was straight and narrow, and lips that were thin, but fully kissable. She would be happy to just sit and look at him for a year or so without getting bored.
    “Hello, I’m Goldie Pyrate.” And you are my mate, she finished silently.

Chapter 2
     
    “Caleb Slattery.” Her mate offered his right hand with a warm and friendly smile.
    She hesitated only a second before taking it. Even before their skin made contact, electric sparks flashed between their palms. They both inhaled sharply when their skin met and fingers wrapped around hands in a proper handshake. She looked up into his eyes and found herself falling into pale blue the same color as her favorite pair of old-as-the-hills, well-worn blue jeans.
    Electricity generated by their handshake flashed up her arm and through her body, sparking small fires all along its path. Their hands raised and lowered several times in a perfunctory handshake before slowing and stopping. When she should have pulled away, she found she could not move. He did not seem to mind, so they stood there, holding hands without speaking as they stared deep into each other’s eyes.
    “Okaaaaay,” Silver said, taking a step back. “I guess I’ll go check in with the captain. You two might want to go outside and walk the railing before you set off the sprinklers.”
    “Uh-huh,” Goldie said as she eased a few inches closer to her mate. “Want to?”
    Caleb blinked slowly as he licked his lips. “Want to what?”
    “Want to go outside and walk around?”
    Her smile broadened as his head moved up and down once in the affirmative though he looked like he had not even heard her question. Without another word, he shifted his hold on her hand so their fingers intertwined then headed to the nearest door leading outside.
    As she followed his lead to the door, Goldie glanced around and found more than a few women staring at her with narrowed, calculating, or jealous eyes. She did not know if it was because Caleb was her mate, the Alpha inbred in her, or just something innately feminine, but she boldly met each woman’s eyes.
    Her look said, “Try taking him from me and you’ll be fighting for your life.”
    She held each woman’s stare until they looked away in defeat. Only then did Goldie turn her attention back to the man beside her
    After stepping outside, Caleb started across the deck to the railing. Goldie glanced around and stopped him before they got too far. She wanted privacy with her new mate, not to be standing on the open deck where anyone could see or join them.
    When he turned to look at her with a quizzical expression, she nodded toward the back of the ferry. A metal ladder attached to the side of the building led upward to the flat roof over the lounge. The sign hanging between steps stated, “Employees Only Beyond This Point.”
    “We can be alone up there,” she explained when his gaze cut from the ladder back to her.
     
    * * * *
     
    Caleb did not argue, though as a deputy sheriff he usually