ClaimedbytheCaptain (9 page)

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The shouts of the crew roused Cathy from a sound sleep.

Jason was gone. He’d left her side sometime during the
night. She rolled over, inhaling his scent on the pillow. The sensation of his
touch lingered on her flesh.

He’d made love to her. He hadn’t claimed her…he’d loved her.
She closed her eyes and savored the thought.

The door swung open with a crash. His face taut with worry,
Taylor didn’t bother with his usual formality. “You must dress quickly, Miss
Catherine. I’ll be back for you in a few minutes.”

He didn’t give her a chance to ask questions. The door
slammed behind him as violently as it had opened. Cathy blinked as she sat up,
tugging the sheet around her bare body. The bed swayed as the ship rocked
wildly. The wind screamed in her ears like a crazed banshee.

Clutching the sheet against her skin, she managed to find
her dress flung over a chair. She slipped into the garment, widening her stance
to brace herself against the relentless seesaw motion of the cabin floor. The
slap of waves against the bow of the ship blended with the thundering footsteps
and frantic shouts of the crewmen on deck.

The door opened again and Taylor stepped inside. He pressed
his large hands against a wall to steady himself.

“What’s happening?” she asked.

“There’s no reason to be alarmed, Miss Catherine,” he said
in a tone that did little to reassure her. “A storm has arisen.”

Seeing the worry etched on Taylor’s drawn features, she
pressed for facts. “A hurricane?”

“I don’t believe that is the case, but the waves are quite
powerful. Gales have come up suddenly from the south. There will be rough seas
and the winds will be far stronger than usual, but you have no need to worry.
This ship has been put through far worse.”

The floor lurched wildly beneath Cathy’s feet. She lost her
balance, nearly careening into the quartermaster’s arms. She skidded back onto
the bed, landing with an undignified thud.

“I’m needed on deck with the captain. You’ll be safe in
here.”

She attempted to smooth her rumpled skirts without success.
“I can see that.”

One corner of his mouth lifted in a hint of a smile. “Only
your dignity has been harmed.”

She swallowed the unladylike reply that came to mind. “May I
be of assistance?”

Taylor’s lips flattened into a tense line. “Do not attempt
to come on deck. It is far too dangerous. We can’t risk you being swept over by
a rogue wave or blown off by a strong gust.”

He placed his hand on the doorknob. “This is a dangerous
storm, Miss Catherine. There’s no way to predict what these vicious winds will
do.” He cast his gaze to the unsteady floor. “Since I’ve been aboard this ship,
we’ve lost two men to the winds and tides. We cannot take a chance with your
safety.”

With that pronouncement, he closed the door. She struggled
to ease the queasiness in her stomach as the ship continued to fight its way
through the ocean’s lashing strength.

Cathy stretched out on the bed and pulled the quilt to her
shoulders. Huddled beneath the covers, she shivered as the vessel heaved
against the waves.

The cries of the crew echoed from the deck above the cabin.
The men were consumed in a frenzy of activity. She threw off the bedclothes and
got to her feet. The ship lurched back and forth beneath her. She made her way
to the porthole and her gaze lit on the face of a young crewman, little more
than a boy actually, his features pale, his mouth taut with what she took to be
fear. He froze, as though aware she’d spotted him. Offering a shy smile, he
squared his shoulders and returned to the task of securing equipment on deck
with a hank of thick rope.

Taylor’s voice cut through the chaos. Harsh and demanding,
stripped of its gentlemanly manner, but so familiar. “I need that rope now,
boy. The captain’s in trouble.”

His words ripped through her like a dagger. An image of
Jason flashed in her mind. Swept over the side, fighting the battering tides.
Life draining from his eyes. She pressed her knuckles to her mouth. “Dear God,”
she whispered.

She rushed to the door. The knob swiveled easily. Thank
heavens Taylor had not secured it. She threw open the heavy barrier and peered
down the galley way. Steadying herself with one hand pressed to the wall of the
corridor, she made her way to the ladder that led to the quarterdeck.

Maneuvering the steep, narrow ladder in her full skirts
would have been difficult in the best of circumstances, but with the ship
bobbing about, the feat seemed nearly impossible. Dispensing with modesty, she
hiked her dress up past her knees and managed to navigate the rungs. A whoosh
of breath expelled from her lungs as she reached the top and pulled herself
onto the deck.

Her gasp was lost in the swirl of noise. Desperation mingled
with defiance in the crew’s hoarse shouts as the storm threatened to overwhelm
the ship’s defenses.

She spotted Jason. He stood tall, securing a length of rope
around the mainmast. Cathy’s gaze trailed higher. The sturdy cord formed a
tether on a rigger who’d gone aloft. Calmly barking orders, Jason seemed
unfazed by the near chaos around him. Cathy flinched as he caught her in his
sights. His stare bore into her.

Jason motioned to Taylor, then crossed the quarterdeck with
long, sure strides. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, taking hold of her
shoulders. “You are to stay below in the cabin.”

“I thought you were in danger.”

An unfamiliar emotion flickered in his gaze. In the time it
took to blink, the glimmer vanished, replaced by a look of stern determination.
“This ship has persevered through far worse. In any case, there is nothing you
can do. It’s too dangerous for you to be here.”

She read the concern in his eyes. “I might be of assistance
in some way.”

Jason shook his head. Pressing one finger to her lips, he
smiled. “You are a distraction to me as long as you are in my sight. Go back to
the cabin.”

The ship shuddered against brutal winds threatening to shred
its sails. She nearly lost her footing, grasping a post to keep from crumpling
against him.

“Go back to the cabin, Cathy. I will not have you in
danger.”

She nodded, alarmed by his look of grim resolve.

He seemed to read her thoughts. “We will save the ship,” he
said. “But it will not be easy. This is no place for a woman. You’ll be safer
below. I can’t take the chance you might be swept overboard.”

He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “The crew needs me here.
Wait for me in my cabin.” When she began to protest, he silenced her with
another kiss, quick and hard. “Wait for me.”

Chapter Eight

Catherine marveled that she was able to make it below deck
without breaking her neck. Simply staying on her feet was a struggle. The ship
tossed about wildly on the sea’s violent waves. The floor’s sudden lurch
pitched her forward, nearly bringing her to her knees. She pressed her palms
against the wall and inched her way back to the cabin.

“Has he tired of you so soon?” A man’s voice, harsh and
insolent, jarred her. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickled to
attention. She didn’t recognize the voice, but the speaker’s contempt was
clear. An insistent warning surged through her brain.

She turned toward an unfamiliar face surrounded by a lank
mop of dirty blond hair. “Who are you?”

His mouth curved into a grotesque parody of a smile. He
parted his lips to reveal a mouthful of teeth black with decay. Pale blue eyes
raked over her as though she were a common trollop out to sell her wares.

“Keeping a choice piece like you all for himself must’ve
worn the cap’n out,” he mocked. “Pity the bastard tired of ye.”

He fixed her with a ravenous stare. He moved toward her with
lumbering steps and his unwavering gaze propelled a shiver along her spine. A
large man, at least a head taller than herself, he reminded her of a foul giant
in childhood fairy tales. He reeked of alcohol and unwashed skin. She backed
away from him, keeping a hand against the wall to steady herself.

“Don’t come near me.” She forced the alarm from her voice.
“Don’t touch me.”

Long, muscular arms seized her and dragged her against a
body as powerful and unyielding as an oak. The foul-breathed ogre stared down
at her, a sneer curving his thick mouth. She repressed the nearly overpowering
urge to retch as his heavily calloused hands coiled around her upper arms.

Cathy straightened her spine, summoning every ounce of
dignity she possessed. “Take your hands off me.” She grated each word slowly
between her teeth.

His harsh laughter assailed her with the stench of his
rotten teeth. “You won’t be so high and mighty after you’ve got me between your
legs.”

She wrenched herself from his hold. Retreating one step at a
time, she wanted to scream in frustration when the wall pressed against her
back, cutting her off from escape. He reached out to her, thrusting a meaty
hand through her long curls. With one sudden, violent movement, he jerked her
head up, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“Kane’s whore, acting like a fine lady. Ain’t that rich?” He
dragged her closer. “The cap’n shared you with that bastard Taylor. He won’t
mind one more.”

She raised her hands, wielding her nails like talons. She
raked his bloated face. He recoiled, releasing her long enough to wipe the
blood from his face with the back of his hand. “You little bitch,” he snarled.
“You’re goin’ to regret that.”

Cathy lashed out at him again. Howling in pain, he trapped
her wrists within the unyielding shackle of his fingers. He tightened his grip
until she squirmed and cried out against the crushing pressure. His ravenous
gaze roamed her body from head to toe. “The cap’n needs to share a little of
his bounty with his men.”

She writhed to escape his control but her struggles were
useless. The hulk’s strength overwhelmed her. He pinned her wrists over her
head, his free hand roaming her body in unfettered exploration.

The sounds of the storm and the crew’s frenzied efforts on
the deck above drummed in her ears. No one could hear what was happening. No
one would see them.

He stared down at her for a moment, a look of ugly triumph
on his face. “Ain’t no one coming to stop me. Cap’n Kane’s got his hands full
trying to keep this ship from goin’ down. It’s a hell of a storm. If this is
goin’ to be my last day, I ain’t planning to spend it taking more orders from
that son-of-a-bitch. I’ll be spendin’ my last hours with my cock inside his
doxy.”

The sour aroma of stale alcohol on his breath sickened her.
She gulped and pressed her lips together in a tight line as she averted her
face. His mouth curled in an angry sneer as he dug his fingers into her flesh,
cupping her chin in a merciless grip.

“What’s the matter? Ain’t I as handsome as Kane? You won’t
be worrying about my face when I’m moving inside you.”

He released his hold on her chin and tore at the fastenings
of his trousers. Cathy fought wildly for escape, levering her elbow into his
belly. He grunted a curse and pulled her tighter with punishing force.

Trapped against the length of his body, Cathy wrenched
against his control. His brutal hold intensified while he dragged her down the
galley way. A scream of fear and desperation tore from her lungs. “Jason!” As
if in a nightmare, it didn’t seem possible the terrified sound had actually
come from her throat.

The giant’s hand clamped over her mouth. “Shut up before I
knock your teeth down your throat. He’s not coming.”

He dragged her inside an unfamiliar cabin, his hand pressed
firmly over her mouth. He bolted the door and shoved her onto a cot. His eyes
gleamed, his gaze darting about, as though he expected to see Jason Kane lying
in wait.

“You’re afraid,” Catherine challenged him. “You know he’ll
kill you.”

He shot her an angry glare. “No chance in hell he’d hear
anything above the racket on deck. Even if he did, what makes you think he’d
care?”

His tone mocked her, though his wary expression contradicted
his swagger. She fixed him with a look of pure contempt.

“You
are
afraid of him,” she taunted. “You’ll be a
dead man when he learns what you’ve done.”

He watched her without speaking. A flicker of amusement
marked his lusterless blue eyes.

“What makes you think you’ll be around to tell him?” His
voice was raw and cold. “A lot of things could happen to a curious doxy who
likes to roam around a ship in a storm. Hell, you might even go overboard.”

“You intend to kill me?” Her voice quivered despite her
struggle to control the fear surging through her veins. “If that’s the case,
you might as well do it now.”

He smiled and advanced on her. “Now what fun would that be?”
His malicious tone chilled her.

Cathy surveyed the sparsely furnished room for anything she
could use as a weapon. She spied a brass candlestick on a small table.
Stretching her arm, she strained to grasp the object. “Stay away from me,” she
gritted the words.

“I’ll take that pretty piece of brass and beat your brains
in with it. But not quite yet. You’re not much use to me dead.”

He didn’t think she’d dare to use the makeshift weapon. The
truth glimmered in his malicious gaze.
He’ll soon find out he’s wrong.
She swung around, wielding the heavy brass candlestick as a bludgeon.
Undeterred, he came toward her. The candlestick carved an arc through the air,
connecting with his shoulder. He didn’t stop. His face contorted into a
rage-filled mask, he tore the weapon from her hands and took hold of her.
“Enough,” he bellowed. Flattening her to his torso, the steely length of his
erect cock pulsed against her belly.

“Touch it,” he breathed against her mouth.

Gritting her teeth against the sickening terror, she shook
her head.