Once a Mistress Read Free

ridiculous.” She tugged at her arm. Unable to break his grip, she sent him a look of cold fury. “I would tie the anchor to your feet first.”
    He narrowed his eyes. “That mouth of yours will get you into trouble.”
    “Not as much trouble as you will have when I scream.”
    As she opened her mouth to carry out her threat, Alex pulled her close and stopped the cry with a kiss.
    The taste of her exploded through him, as exhilarating as standing barefoot on deck while a storm rocked his ship. He rediscovered the thrill of pitting his wits and his will against an impressive force of nature as he held this spirited young woman in his arms. With such a woman a man could be tempted to forsake even that most demanding of mistresses, the sea.
    The idea so unsettled him that he jerked away from Diana as if she were the devil’s own daughter. She stared at him with eyes the color of storm clouds. A flush graced her cheeks, and her lips, moist from his kiss, parted.
    He wanted her, but he could not have her. He retreated behind the rakish facade that had always served him well.
    “Now that was surely a proper show of gratitude, my sweet,” he quipped. “But despite your lusty eagerness I must take my leave. Mayhap we will meet again.” He ignored the shock that swept across her features and sketched a mocking bow. It was better for both of them if he disappeared from her life. Turning away from her, he melted into the night.
     
    Diana stared after him, straining to see some trace of him in the shadows. She found herself touching her lips with wondering fingers and snatched her hand away. She would tell her father about the intruder. And she would have the servants beat the bushes for him. With their muskets. Aye, and she would be gracious when they flushed him out like a frightened quail, and she would listen to his pleas for mercy.
    She was, after all, a compassionate woman.
    Lost in her fantasy, she wandered back into the ballroom. She smiled and greeted her way past the guests, inquiring after her father’s whereabouts. One of the servants mentioned that he had called for port to be served in the study. She left the ballroom and made her way to her father’s private sanctum.
    As she approached the study, her steps slowed. Her ire faded to be replaced by chagrin. As angry as Alex had made her, he had helped her out of a dangerous situation. Did he really deserve to be shot for trespassing just because his mocking remarks had sparked her temper? After all, if he had intended to harm her, he could have done so while she lay helpless beneath him.
    The memory of his kiss rose in her mind. His mouth had felt softer than she expected, and when his lips met hers she realized how truly dangerous he was. He was the type of man that a woman might beg to seduce her…
    “Explain these documents to me at once!” Her father’s voice thundered through the hallway, jarring her from her musings.
    “Really, Frederick, at times your actions are of such a common nature.” Chilton’s high-pitched tones brought a frown to her face. She thought the man would have taken his leave by now. Would she never be free of him? She edged closer to the door of the study, which stood open a crack.
    The sound of rustling paper broke the silence. Then came Chilton’s deadly hiss. “Where did you get these?”
    “You know where I got them,” her father answered. “Did you really expect to keep this from me?”
    “You had no right!”
    “I had every right!” Frederick Covington’s answering roar could have rattled the pictures hanging in the hall. “These documents, written in your own hand, are proof of your dealings with Marcus. You know Sir Henry Morgan as well as I, Chilton. What would our esteemed lieutenant-governor think of your activities?”
    “Morgan is hardly a consideration.”
    “Hardly a consideration!” Her father’s voice rang with incredulity. “The man has made it his personal mission to rid the Caribbean of piracy.