A Pirate's Heart (St. John Series) (27 page)

Mr. Henderson nodded his head. “As you wish, Mr. Sinclair.”

Alex shook the man’s hand. “It is not my decision. Now allow me to see you out.”

Max and Kristina were unaware of the fact that Alex had dismissed the solicitor. Max kissed his wife tenderly again. “I know nothing of being a husband or a father,” he admitted as he looked at Kristina. “But I promise, I will try to be a good one. You shall never want for anything. I will have Mrs. Potts arrange a room for you to stay in while I’m gone—”

“Gone? Where are you going?” Kristina interrupted.

Max looked affectionately at his wife. “I made a promise to Alex to help him avenge Samuel’s mother’s murder. I cannot break that promise and Alex will not allow an expectant mother on board his ship.”

“I’m not letting you go anywhere without me,” Kristina protested. She looked up at her husband coyly. “We’ll just have to keep it a secret, until I start to show.”

“No,” Max protested. “I will not place you in harm’s way again.”

“Well, you’ll just have to deal with it. A wife’s place is by her husband’s side.”

Epilog

Kristina slowly stretched as the full moon’s light shone through the bedroom window. She gave a contented sigh as she looked over at her husband and gently kissed his cheek. He opened his eyes and looked at her. Before either could speak, a faint cry came from across the room.

Max leaned over and gently kissed his wife. “I’ll get her,” he said as he stood up. She smiled as she admired her husband’s naked body. She never got tired of looking at him. He pulled on his trousers and walked over to the crib. Kristina’s heart became full as she watched her husband pick up their daughter.

“Good evening, Princess,” he said as he gently picked up the infant. Cradling her in his arms he kissed her forehead. His heart swelled. His daughter was so beautiful. She resembled her mother with her soft black hair and long lashes. He softly stroked her cheek and smiled as she turned her hungry mouth towards his fingers. “I think that is your mother’s job.” He laughed as he walked over to the bed.

Max handed his daughter over to Kristina. He watched her lovingly as she gently took their daughter and began feeding her. “I’m jealous,” he said as he watched the infant hungrily nurse.

“Max,” Kristina scolded as she looked at her husband.

He lay back down in the bed and watched his wife and daughter. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

“I think Alex would disagree,” she teased.

“Well, he may think so after he married that feisty little redhead, but I know so.”

Kristina smiled. She was so happy. Alex had sold Max his Nassau estate, so that they would have a place to raise their daughter, Sophia. But that only happened after Alex met and married her new best friend, Madison St. John. Kristina never dreamed that her best friend would be the daughter of
the
Earl. Not that Madison knew Max was her brother. Max had made Kristina promise not to tell Madison the secret. It was hard not to tell her best friend, but Kristina had learned from her mother that all things will eventually be known . . . you just have to be patient and all things will work themselves out when needed.

When Alex’s alter persona, Nicholas, “rescued” Madison from—well himself—he turned
The Abyss
over to Max. Max took over the Nassau office of Emerald Shipping and began providing protective services to the shipping vessels using
The Abyss
. Once he had successfully managed to persuade others that
The Abyss
was no longer a pirate ship, Max turned the captaining of her over to James. He tried to make Smitty captain, but the old sea dog refused, stating he was quiet happy being the gunner. So Max made the offer to Slim. The tall Jamaican refused, too, stating a black captain would be frowned upon. He also reminded Max of his plan should he find his mother. With his first two choices out, Max informed James that he would be captain. The robust bos’n graciously accepted the position only if Slim agreed to be quartermaster. Slim refused that position too. But once Max reminded him that he could order Smitty about, he readily agreed.

“When are we leaving to go visit Madison and Alex?”

“We’ll leave in the morning around eight,” Max replied as the clock struck ten. “And it’s not Madison and Alex. Its Madison and Nicholas.”

“I can’t wait to see Madison again. You know I haven’t seen her since she and Alex married,” Kristina continued, ignoring her husband’s correction of Alex’s name.

“I know,” Max replied.

“It’s all your fault . . . refusing to let me sail just because I started to show.”

“I know.”

“I so wish she could have been here when Sophia was born.”

Kristina’s thoughts turned to the birth of her daughter. Mrs. Potts had stayed on until after the birth, insisting that she be the one to deliver the baby. Mrs. Potts nearly changed colors when Kristina refused to let Max leave her side during the birthing. She told the outspoken housekeeper that since Max help make the baby, he should witness it being brought into the world. At her insistence, coupled with the fact that Max refused to leave Kristina’s side, the older woman had no option but to allow Max to stay. He soon regretted the decision after Kristina called him every name under the sun . . . in Spanish. And he understood every single insult since he had learned to speak her language out of necessity. After Sophia’s birth, Mrs. Potts turned the household over to Emily and left to assist in the birth of Alex’s child. Kristina knew Mrs. Potts would not miss that.

“I know.”

“I hope she hasn’t had her baby before we get there,” Kristina continued.

“I know.”

“Can you please say something else?”

Max rose up on his elbow and gently kissed his wife’s lips. “I love you.”

“That’s better,” she said with a teasing smile. Kristina looked down at Sophia and a warm feeling entered her. Every time she gazed at her daughter, she saw her mother’s image.

She stood up, walked over to the crib and laid Sophia back down. Turning to Max, a seductive look crossed her face. As she walked towards him, she slowly allowed the gown to drop lower and lower until it fell to the floor.

Maxed watched her suspiciously. “What are you up to?” His eyes then grew wide. “Can we?”

She walked seductively towards her husband, allowing his eyes to take in her naked form. Climbing into bed, she straddled him. She leaned over and took his ear lobe into her mouth. “Yes,” she whispered into his ear.

They made love several times during the night, enjoying the feel of each other’s body. As the clock struck one, Kristina smiled and she snuggled deeper into her husband’s arms. Never in all her wildest dreams did she ever think she would be the owner of a pirate’s heart.

About The Author

Lora Thomas
is a longtime reader of romance novels. By accepting a challenge from her husband, she wrote her first book
Love’s Abyss
. Born in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, she grew up in Owingsville, a small town in Eastern Kentucky. She graduated from Morehead State University with degrees in Business, Health Promotion and Nursing. Today, Lora resides in Kentucky on her family’s farm with her husband, son and several family pets.

I

If you enjoyed this book, please read one of my others from the St. John Series
:

• Love’s Abyss
  —the story of Alex and Madison.
  

Coming Soon:

• The Wild Bell
  —the story of Michael St. John, and Andrea Craycraft, a South Carolina plantation owner’s daughter.