Nicole stood and met his eyes, unflinching. I wanted this to happen, Chancey. And I dont regret it. She didntin her mind, Sutherland had given her a gift. Even with his harsh words and anger, she wouldnt trade her time in his bed for anything.
At length, Chancey released an exasperated sigh. Ill let him live for now, buthe raised a hand to cut off her next wordsonly because yell be marryin him.
Marrying me?Derek thought as he came to. He struggled to bite back a curse as continuous waves of stabbing pressure circled his head. His eyes opened into narrow slits as he stifled a hiss of pain, knowing that if he made a sound the giant cur with the club would just put him back out.
When he had some success in focusing his eyes, he squinted over at the arguing pair. The man was turned from him, so all Derek could see was his immensely broad back. But considering his size, he had to be the one whod accompanied Nicole to the jail. Derek was a big man himself, but that mammoth probably had two stone more bulk on him.
And Nicole the relatively tiny Nicole openly challenged him, shaking her head furiously at his command that she marry Derek.
He compromised ye. Even yer father would feel forced to see ye marry him, Nic.
Sutherland? Think about what youre saying, she said incredulously. Besides, Father doesnt have to find out.
Ye know Ill be tellin him, lass.
The girls face turned ashen, and the big mans shoulders slumped in response. At once, he marched across the cabin and bent down awkwardly to pat her head with one of his huge paws. Derek had a hard time hearing what they said when their heads were bent together. Finally, the man stood up.
So ye were able to go all over this ship?
All over?
Yes.
And?
And I did what I came to do. You can cross Sutherland off your list.
What bloody list?
I cant be happy with what yeve done here tonight, but at least yeve accomplished somethin, the man said before exhaling loudly. We can salvage the rest. We need to go and get more o our men before the sods crew gets back. If we have to force him to marry ye, then that we will.
Derek guessed that the big man knew the battle was just beginning because he quickly added, Ill argue with ye on the way. But, Niccome hell or high water, yell marry this scoundrel for what he did to ye.
Why was she shaking her head determinedly, telling the giant that she damn well wouldnt marry him? Nicoles reaction astounded Derek; he had difficulty keeping his eyes hooded when she glanced over at him on the floor. She was in such a dudgeon that he doubted shed notice hed awakened anyway. He doubted shed notice if he jumped up and danced a jig. The chit was fuming at the thought of marriage to him.
As if he would ever marry a girl like her. But, damn it, whats so bad about marrying me? Many women had set their caps on him, praying hed honor them with a proposal, and some, he thought darkly, had schemed to manipulate him into marriage.
But not her. This little bit of fluff quaked with anger. That simply couldnt be right. It went against all reasoning. If his head didnt hurt so badly, he could sort through all this and make some sense of her behavior.
Chancey, she said in a low voice, for the last time, I am not marrying him. He is a wastrel, a drunk, aadespoiler of women. Would you see me chained to that as if repelled, she flicked her hand in his directionfor the rest of my life?
Ah-ha, Chancey is his naWait! What the hell did she just say? Derek could feel anger pumping through him. He was not a wastrel nor a drunk. And hed certainly never despoiled a woman. But a small part of him admitted that if he hadnt been knocked out, he wouldve started with her.
Still he couldnt believe what shed said. Did that explain the look shed given him that night in the Mermaid? Was that how she regarded him? As a drunk?
He experienced an unwelcome tinge of embarrassment, and the feeling was raw and new and most definitely unwanted. Bloody hell. He could barely suppress the urge to get up and shake her until she took back her words.
Instead, he secretly watched as she marched up to the grizzled salt with shoulders back and eyes flashing. Derek thought she looked regal when she said, Chancey, you must leave with me right now. You know Ive recently made promises that do not include him. We will leave him be, she finished warningly.
The man hesitated; then, shaking his head, he stalked to the other side of the cabin. He had to lean down to make it through the doorway. Just as they started out, he grumbled something about how she should have been sent back sooner.
Derek began to rise, but seeing blackness waver before his eyes, he dropped back down to the cabin floor in furious impotence. He might not be in any shape to go after them tonight, but it didnt matter. He would make them pay for this.
He would have her if it killed him, and he would teach that girl not to think of him as awhat ridiculous name had she called him? A despoiler of women. By God, she would beg for him.
In his anger, he strained to rise yet again, but he lay as weak as a babe. His head would not stop pounding, and his racing thoughts, although they never left the girl, were chaotic and confused .
Light footsteps sounded, and he shuttered his eyes. Nicole.
But her return did nothing to help clear his confusion. In fact, he became certain he was imagining it when she swept back inside and softly drew a blanket over him. There could be no doubt he dreamed when, tenderly kissing his aching head, she whispered into his hair, Thank you for tonight, before she leapt up and vanished.
Sixty hours. The Great Circle Race began in sixty hours, and Derek hadnt the slightest idea where Nicole had disappeared to. Hed already made up his mind when he and his crewmen couldnt locate her that he would bloody well remain in port. Hed be damned if he would wait seven months to have this situation resolved.
On his order, his men had searched every place of lodging near the water when they couldnt find her on or near the Bella Nicola . Theyd torn apart the wharf looking for her, offered substantial rewards all over the city, but every lead stalled.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked down at his desk. He couldnt say he was becoming obsessed with her, because shed already caught him in her snares. Leaning back in his chair, he again allowed his mind to revisit that night. Although hed believed she sought to trap him into marriage, shed definitely disproved that idea with her adamant refusals of him. And everything before that had been incredible.
Damn it, he didnt need to relive the night. As always, the memory of her abandon and the swift power of her climax aroused him to a painful degree. Even after hed been clubbed, her kiss had been sweet and worth the pain. Shed thanked him. Then disappeared.