Pleasures of a Tempted Lady Read Free

she been adrift all this time, like some sleeping beauty, waiting for him—her prince—to find her and kiss her awake?
    Did he dare hope that this was a true miracle and not some cruel joke of fate?
    “Meg,” he breathed. The dewy feel of her skin beneath his fingertips swept through him like the stroke of a rose petal. “Meg? Wake up,” he murmured. “Wake up, love.”
    The urge overcame him, and forgetting the men staring at him—at them—he bent forward and pressed his lips to hers.
    Her mouth was soft and cool, with a hint of salt. God help him, but memories slammed into him. He remembered the feel of her lips against his, the feel of her body against his. And his body could do nothing but respond to the images rolling through his mind. The sweetness of her body tucked against him. Her trusting gray eyes… the way she’d looked at him. No one had ever looked at him like Meg had.
    He drew back, his movement slow. She hadn’t moved.
    Keeping himself just over her, he held her precious face cupped in his hands. He couldn’t bear to let her go. He couldn’t bear to pull farther away from her. Instead, he touched her nose with his and reveled in the soft feel of her breath as it whispered over his forehead.
    She was alive. Meg was alive.
    “Captain?”
    It was Briggs’s voice. Will closed his eyes and waited until she exhaled once more, and then he dragged his face up to look at his first mate. Briggs still held on to the shoulders of the dark-haired little boy, though he’d stopped struggling and was staring at Will with wide blue eyes.
    Was the child hers?
    The thought nearly toppled him. He lowered a hand onto the deck to steady himself and said through his teeth, “Yes, Mr. Briggs?”
    “Perhaps we should take the lady below?”
    Will hesitated. Of course they should take her below, but where to put her? This wasn’t a large ship—there was no sick bay or surgery, and none of the men possessed much in the way of medical expertise. There was only one reasonable place.
    Rising to his feet, he let out a sigh that misted into the cold morning air. “Yes. Take her to my quarters.”
    Before anyone else could move, Jasper had gathered her in his arms and risen to his feet. MacInerny led the way to the stern, where he held open the door to Will’s quarters.
    Jasper hesitated, glancing back over his shoulder with his heavy brows raised in question.
    “Lay her on the bed, if you will, Mr. Jasper.”
    “Aye, Cap’n.” With infinite gentleness, he settled her on the bed. Jasper was a rough mountain of a man, born in the slums of London and raised by the Navy. Will wouldn’t have expected tenderness from him in any circumstance. But here he was, behaving like the gentle giant with this lady.
    With Meg .
    Jasper stepped back and gazed at her as Will stepped to his side, and the rest of the men formed a semicircle around Will’s bunk, all looking at Meg, all awaiting his next command.
    Will glanced over at Briggs, who now held the boy’s hand in a firm grasp. “All of you, back to your duties.” As the men turned to go with muttered aye, sir s, Will added, “Briggs, you and the boy stay.”
    When the room was cleared, Will knelt in front of the boy. “What happened, lad?”
    The boy didn’t say a word, but his wide eyes fixed on Will as if he were entranced.
    “Was your ship lost in the storm?”
    No response.
    Will gestured to Meg. His next words were taut. “Is that lady your mama?”
    Again, there was no response, but the boy’s gaze flickered over to Meg.
    With a sigh, Will rose. “What do you think, Briggs?”
    “No idea, sir.” Briggs hesitated, his gaze sharpening. “Are you somehow acquainted with this lady, Captain?”
    After a long, uncomfortable hesitation, Will nodded slowly. “I knew her. Long ago. You’re probably going to think me mad, but…”
    Briggs raised an expectant eyebrow, and Will foundhimself unable to voice the truth. It would make him sound crazy if he said the lady