He wasn’t. This amused, cavalier manner smacked of his being smitten with her, but that was absurd. He’d been like this before, too, but last time he’d assured her repeatedly that she’d be let go after the exchange. He hadn’t yet made the same assurance in the last few hours. This time he had to know that he was taking her to her death. And that amused him? Was he every bit as evil as his boss?
She shoved that thought away. She didn’t want to think that. She’d never get any sleep sharing a room with him if she did, and it was going to be a long voyage if she couldn’t turn the tables on him. She needed more information about him. She hadn’t tried to ferret out any the last time, when she’d attacked him every chance she got. She had to be more cunning now because she had different goals this time, to slow his ship down or capture it. Killing him in the process would just be a perk.
“By the by, I offer you my bed again, and no, that wasn’t an invitation to share it. The cot is for me.”
She looked at the bed. It was large. It was probably comfortable, with such a thick mattress. She ought to accept, but it just seemed wrong somehow to sleep in the bed of a man she was going to kill.
She shook her head. “I’ve already claimed the cot. You’ll stay the hell away from it.”
“As you wish.”
“But I’ll accept your offer of the bed if you take the cot out of here and yourself with it.”
He laughed. Of course he did, the bloody sod. She really was going to have to stop amusing him.
So she said, “I still want to know who you hired for that charade at the ball. An actor, or was it some destitute gentleman who didn’t realize he’d be risking the wrath of my family?”
“You still don’t think it was me?”
“You keep forgetting he had blond hair.”
“A wig, but then you also wore one that night.” Then he grinned. “Like minds . . .”
She snorted rudely. He opened one of his desk drawers, pulled out the blond wig, and twirled it on his finger, adding, “It never even occurred to me to hire someone else, but then I wouldn’t trust anyone else to pique your interest. Which reminds me . . .”
He stood and came around his desk. Jack bolted to the door. As usual, he got there first and positioned himself in front of it. She plowed a fist into his stomach, but that hurt so badly she wondered if she’d just broken some knuckles. He didn’t make a sound, lost no breath at all to the punch. Instead he caught both of her hands and gently locked them behind her back, leaving her entirely too close to him, their chests touching.
She looked up at him, about to scream, but that’s when he kissed her. It utterly surprised her, long enough for his lips to brush over hers once, then again, so sensually soft, so . . .
She head-butted him, hoping to bloody his nose. At least she tried to, but as usual, he anticipated her moves and lifted his head out of the way, so her forehead only struck the top of his chest.
“That was for looking so bloody beautiful at that ball, so don’t begrudge me one kiss. It won’t happen again—unless you want it to.”
Chapter Fourteen
HOW DARE YOU KISS me?” Jack snarled. “If you do that again, I’ll do more than try to bloody your nose.” She pulled away from him, able to do so because he’d loosened his grip on her hands.
But all he said was “If you keep hurting yourself on me, I’m going to have to restrain you again.”
“It’s the only way you’re going to be safe. Go ahead and tie me up. It’s no more’n I expect from a bloody pirate.” She quickly turned her back on him because she didn’t want him to see her rubbing her hand. Her knuckles were red, but no bones were broken.
He laughed. “I’m not worried about myself. Give it up, Jack. I’ve seen you soft and flirtatious. You liked me.”
That ridiculous remark made her swing about. He was standing behind his desk.
“Not you, fool! The mystery was all I liked that night. It’s what I expected from a masked ball and was disappointed that my beaus ruined that for me.”
“You mentioned that.”
“Yes, I did, so you should know that you merely supplied the mystery that was missing. I appreciated that. If you mistook that for ‘liking’ you, you’re dead wrong.”
“Yet you showed up at the park to meet me the next day. It’s too bad you didn’t come alone.” Then he sounded a little more than curious, almost indignant on her behalf, when he asked, “What could your father have been thinking, letting bruisers like that escort you? A dozen footmen wouldn’t have drawn as much notice as those four and would have been just as protective.”
“It worked to frighten you off, didn’t it?” she shot back with a smirk.
“I wasn’t frightened, Jack. I do lean on the side of caution though, and I like my face the way it is. It would have been quite a fight and would have served no purpose other than to let you ride off without me.”
She snorted. “You wouldn’t have won. Those four are longtime sparring partners of my father’s—when his brother Tony isn’t around to accommodate him in the ring. And answer me. Did you have my guards killed?”
“No, but detained, yes. All of the men you brought along tonight will be released after my . . . suggestion is delivered to your father. I’m not taking chances this time. I’m letting a full week pass before your father is informed that I have you and he comes after us.”
“Not if you left it to the posts again.”
“I didn’t,” he said a little smugly. “I left a trusted man behind to see to it.”
A full week? Her mother was going to be out of her mind by then!
“I hate you!”
“I’m aware of that.”
“You have no idea what you’ve—I should have shot you while I had the chance!”
“I agree, though it might not have accomplished all that you hoped for.”
“But your blood all over the room would most certainly have been a pretty sight.”
“Or no blood at all depending on what you aimed at.” He began to remove metal plates from inside his shirt.
She stared at him incredulously. It was laughable, that he’d taken a precaution like that. No wonder her hand hurt so much!
“This was an all-or-nothing plan, wasn’t it?” she demanded. “Telling me you were sailing tonight. Would you have sailed if I didn’t show up?”
“No.”
“But you played your final card in that last note, implying that you wouldn’t return to England if I didn’t see you off. What would you have done next? Wait a few days and then say you returned to England anyway?”
“I would have thought of something.”
“Playing it by ear instead of plotting far in advance? Doesn’t sound very piratelike.”
“And you didn’t come for a romantic rendezvous. How did you guess?”
She clamped her mouth shut. He sat down and crossed his arms. “You want answers, you have to give some in return, Jack.”
“What makes you think I play by the rules?”