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Authors: Kathleen Bittner Roth

Alanna (When Hearts Dare Series Book 2) (9 page)

BOOK: Alanna (When Hearts Dare Series Book 2)

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Thompson turned. “See to Wolf’s bathwater, and bring a piece of wood.”

Charlie’s face lit up and he scurried from the stateroom.

Thompson shook his head at Wolf. “Don’t know what you’re up to, but if it’ll keep you out of trouble—” He headed for the table, a cup of tea in one hand, a steaming bowl of soup in the other.

“Told you, I need to stay busy.”

Thompson pulled a chair up to the table. “You might be useful after all.”

“How’s that?”

“You good with numbers?”

“Some.”

“We’ve found a difference in the bills of lading. There’s supposed to be over a thousand tons of cargo in the hold. But the paperwork shows about a five-hundred-pound difference. Doesn’t sound like much next to the total, but it’s all silver, artwork, inlaid tables, carvings, and the like. Expensive stuff. Maybe you can help figure it out.”

“Could they have shortchanged you back in Whampoa?”

“No. We work with a man named Honquoa. You’ll not find a more honest man in all of China. Even has an American ship named after him.”

Wolf scratched his head. “Could it have happened on the docks in San Francisco?”

Thompson stuffed a piece of bread into his mouth. “Maybe we’re not missing anything at all. Maybe something’s just wrong with the paperwork. Can’t figure it out.”

“Is the stuff insured?”

Thompson nodded.

“Maybe Malone stole it himself, or had it stolen. Sells it in San Francisco, collects the insurance when he gets to Boston, and ends up with a pocket full of change.”

Thompson glanced up from his soup. “I’ve never known him to cheat on anything. You two may not see eye to eye, but he’s honest as far as I’ve ever known. He takes extreme care with regard to his image in Boston, as well.”

“Well, he has lying eyes,” Wolf said dryly. “I know. I was up
real
close today.”

“Get over it. I had a hard discussion with Malone regarding his actions. I reminded him that in order to round the Horn, it’s going to take everyone working together, and you two had better meet somewhere in the middle.”

“Did you remind the son of a bitch that I hold the ginger tea in case he gets seasick again?”

“I did.”

Wolf shoved his empty bowl aside and leaned back in his chair. “The Malones sure are a strange lot, don’t you think?”

Thompson finished his soup, and reached for his cup of tea. “What do you consider strange?”

“For one thing, how the hell many ships leave Boston with a woman hanging off the ropes?”

Thompson shrugged. “How many leave port with a male dog named Julia?”

Chapter Seven

Fresh from his bath, Wolf sat before a warm fire, his bare feet buried in Julia’s fur, as he carved on a piece of wood. A pot of the captain’s good Formosa oolong and a ship’s flat-bottomed mug sat to his right.

Already, he’d bored a hole through the wood’s center. Fractured pieces of the broken whiskey glass he’d salvaged lay on a piece of cloth. Every so often, he sifted through the shards, picked up a piece and held it to the wood, then resumed his intently focused carving.

Julia’s head came up and he gave a short whine. “You lazy good-for-nothing.” Wolf rubbed his foot atop the dog’s head. “I was the one drinking last night, not you.”

The door opened behind him. A chill wind hit his back. Julia stiffened, but when the door shut with a thud, cutting off the cold air, the dog flopped back down.

A scent of roses invaded Wolf’s nostrils
. Oh, Christ.

Alanna boldly pulled a chair up next to him. Without a word, she sat at an angle facing him, her knees grazing his thigh, her eyes filled with dignity and purpose. She wore a high-necked, long-sleeved dress the color of her eyes, and a small matching hat over hair drawn back in a tight bun.

“Another Malone visitation?” Wolf closed his eyes briefly, attempting to control his temper—and whatever the hell else shot through him like a bolt of lightning. He shook his head. “Oh, no. Not another Malone for me today, thank you.”

He tossed his knife on the table, shoved his chair back, and stood. “I’ll see you to the door.”

Alanna gripped the sides of her chair like a stubborn child.

Wolf sucked in his breath and fought for patience. “In case you haven’t noticed, I resent your intrusion into my quiet afternoon. I’m sure you can find something better to do with your time.”

“I came to apologize on my father’s behalf. I—”

“Thank you.” Wolf moved to the back of her chair to assist her departure. “Now please excuse yourself before your father finds you missing and blames me, because I have a
real
strong suspicion, Miss Malone, that your father hasn’t the slightest idea you are here. Nor does your mother.”

“And to inform you,” she continued as if he hadn’t said a word, “that whenever you’ve a mind to ask me to marry you, the answer shall be yes.”

“Wha . . . what?” Wolf swept around the chair in front of her and bent at the knee. He studied her face, disbelieving what he’d heard. Her eyes held not a hint of mockery. The heady scent of roses filled his nostrils again—and that alluring scent that was hers alone. This was a hell of a time to let her plump, moist mouth distract him. “Leave, Miss Malone.”

She sat steadfast and resolute. Unblinking.

Perhaps she was daft after all. The dull thud in his head returned with a vengeance. “What the hell are you up to? Are you trying to get me killed?”

“It was very wrong, what my father did and said to you today. I feel uncomfortable about what transpired.”

“Then you just might have a small inkling, ma’am, as to how incredibly uncomfortable I am feeling at this particular moment. Maybe you can manage a little compassion and remove yourself with great haste.” The bridled anger in his harsh whisper was fast accelerating into scalding fury.

She threw her head back in stubborn defiance. “Before you lose your temper—”

“Alanna Malone, it’s too late. I have
already
lost my temper! Now then, you spoiled little snippet, leave and take your insane ideas with you or I will carry you out and dump you on the other side of the door.
That
, Miss Malone,
will
drive me into even further rage, because I do not condone manhandling women.”

“I will not leave until—”

He decided to try another tack and scare the hell out of her. He leaned closer. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

“No.”

Her daring gaze reminded him of the night he’d first laid eyes on her back in San Francisco. In a flash, Wolf slipped back into his chair and scraped it closer to hers until the corners touched. He reached his arm across her lap, rested the palm of his hand on the far edge of her chair, and leaned into it for support. His other hand rested on the back of her chair. If anyone walked in, he was a dead man.

He was so close he could feel her breath falling on his mouth, could smell a trace of chamomile soap beneath the soft scent of roses.

She blinked and, cool as an ice princess, stared back at him.

An unwelcome heat flashed through him. He cast it aside by drawing on his anger once again. If he had to scare the wits out of her, so be it. If she was indeed insane, then he would soon learn that, as well. Either way, he had to get her the hell out of the stateroom—and fast.

“I think I have this whole thing figured out.” He studied her through half-closed lids. The lush curve of her mouth as her lips parted sent a wild throbbing through his groin. “Thompson told me he’s met your fiancé and that he is a homely man. Dull. Always sniffing and wiping at his nose.” He arched a brow and let the devil play at the corners of his mouth. “Wealthy as sin, though.”

Alanna simply gazed at him without expression.

“I wonder, Miss Malone. Do you figure this is your last chance to savor a few wicked delights before settling down to monotony?”

When she still failed to make a move, he drew his hand slowly across her lap, then boldly rested it on her knee. His fingers warmed from her heat.

She ignored his blatant act. “I’ll never marry that swine.”

“So, you want me to save you, do you?” His mouth drew closer to hers. “Am I your last hope before the ship docks?”

“Oh, do grow up.”

Wolf was caught off guard by the sudden vibrancy of her voice. “No, Alanna Malone,
you
grow up.”

He leaned further forward, his voice deceptively calm. “Do you have any clue what you are asking for by coming into a man’s quarters like this? Do you have any idea what could happen to you if it were someone besides me?”

“Why don’t you tell me?” she said with easy defiance.

That did it.

Without warning, his hand flew off her knee, under the hem of her skirt, and up her leg. He gripped the top of her bare thigh.

Surprise shot through him. “Christ. Where are your drawers?”

“I don’t wear any.”

“That is scandalous!”

“Only to one with a hand up my dress.” Her eyes were languid pools of blue calm.

Try as he might, Wolf couldn’t suppress the amusement that washed through him. But his hand was still immobilized on her smooth, naked skin. The heat of her melded into his palm and his heart thumped erratically. God, the tips of his fingers were entwined in soft curls.

“God forbid there should be a strong wind.” He was unable to suppress his humor, yet his body filled with a familiar ache.

“I would probably wear them then, but only as necessary.”

“Are you—”

“Yes,” she answered.

“How can you—”

“Know what you were about to say?”

He nodded.

“You are very readable now, Wolf. Your eyes are filled with many questions.” She blinked slowly, deliberately. “You were going to ask me if I am virginal. The answer is that I do not care to so much as kiss a man who sniffles all the time, let alone yearn to have him bed me. I don’t know how to kiss, by the way. You’ll have to teach me.”

“And are you wanting that from me now?” When had he leaned closer? One hand rested on the back of her neck, while the other was still suspended on her hot thigh. He caught the faint scent of chamomile again.

“I don’t think so.” She spoke without guile, yet a smoky flame smoldered in her eyes.

“For the life of me, Alanna, I can’t figure you out.”

He didn’t know what to make of his emotions now—they were a strange mix. He’d never had anything to do with a woman like her—he’d spent his life living in hotels, befriending barmaids. And he had a goal to accomplish. He had to find his mother’s killer. The last thing he needed was this impossible situation.

Now tell that to his body.

The calm demeanor Alanna struggled to achieve warred against the hammering of her heart. Silence pervaded the room as she studied him. “You have hungry eyes,” she finally responded. “And a rebel heart.”

“Aren’t you afraid then?”

“No. But you are.”

“How’s that?” Humor still touched his mouth, but there was a hint of dark, delicious sin in his eyes.

She steeled her mind against any thought that might weaken her resolution or allow her thin veneer of strength to crack. She knew without doubt that he was what she needed. She just had to convince him without giving away her secret. “Because wielding force in an aggressive manner is just another form of fear. And fear is the result of a lack of a sense of power.”

Wolf studied her, his eyes hot and hungry. And then he leaned over and brushed his lips lightly against her cheek. Her pulse jumped. The moment hung between them like some magnetic force. It was plain he wanted more, but he wouldn’t take it. But then, she already knew that about him or she wouldn’t have come.

He released his grip on her thigh, as if reluctantly, but the heat of his touch remained. His hand slid down her leg and out from under her dress. He brushed her skirt into place and returned to leaning against the back of his chair.

Alanna’s gaze roamed his face. His nostrils flared. “You have caught my scent, sir.”

He laughed. “Your
what
?”

“My scent. The part of me that mixes with you. Something you cannot deny.”

“What do you want, Alanna?” He scanned her face. She swore his lips were softer now, even lusher.

“You want me, don’t you?” she murmured.

He sucked in a breath between his teeth. “Once again, I am finding it hard to believe this conversation. You need to leave.”

“You say you want me to leave, yet you are fighting the urge to keep me with you.”

“And?” Humor suddenly crinkled the corners of his eyes.

“And you are quite taken with me, sir.”

“Well, what of you, Alanna Malone?” He leaned forward. “Have you caught my scent, also?” A smile tipped the corners of his mouth.

Her heart thumped in her throat. “Long ago.” Her answer was nearly a part of her exhale, it came so soft.

They sat in silence—so close she could feel his breath fall rhythmically on her mouth. He closed his eyes and let his lips barely touch hers, for a brief moment only.

He withdrew, just enough to look into her eyes. “Am I your knight in shining armor, then?” he asked mockingly.

“Yes.”

“But I might not fit the bill.” He reached up and lightly tucked an errant curl behind her ear.

The heat in his eyes warmed her in places that were better left untouched at present. She took in a shallow breath, which was all she could manage. “Oh, your armor has dents, make no mistake. I don’t consider you to be perfect. On the contrary.”

“And do the dents in my armor offend thee, fair maiden?” There was a thickness to his voice now.

But she was dead serious. Her bold stare never left his. “Oh, I would not want a knight with no dents. It means he has never been to battle, never fought for his honor, the things he believes in, or for sheer survival. Without the dents, sir, I would not trust my knight to be fully human.”

“And what if your almighty knight fixed the dents? Or got new armor?” Those gilded lashes swept low as his gaze slid from her eyes to her mouth and back again.

Something hot shimmered in her blood. “A good knight would keep his armor. Repair it, but never entirely smooth it out.” Her words grew heavy in her throat. “That would be an impossible task. And I would not want a knight who insisted on having new armor, the surface always shining and clean. He would only be living for who he thinks he might be, or for what others in the world desire him to be.”

Wolf regarded her for the longest while, his body communicating a language even she, in her innocence, could understand. “I think, Wolf, now is the time for me to take my leave.”

“Why do you call me Wolf, and not Mr. Wolf?”

His words, little more than a murmur, collected in the pit of her belly. “Because that’s your name
, Wolf.”
She mocked him. “
Wolf. Just plain Wolf
.”

“Where did you hear that?” His voice grew deliciously rough.

She stared at his mouth, mesmerized by its sensuous curves. “In the hotel in San Francisco.”

“Well, then.” The air shifted, as if a sultry breeze had blown in. His gaze filled with a spectrum of emotions. He leaned forward, his lashes lowering. “Tell me to stop, Alanna Malone, because I can’t seem to help myself.”

The sharp intake of her own breath echoed in her ears. She closed her eyes.

His hands cupped her face. “Sweet Christ,” he uttered as his mouth, warm and soft, gently covered hers.

BOOK: Alanna (When Hearts Dare Series Book 2)

2.29Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

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