Her Pirate Master (Entwined Fates) (17 page)

“I don’t know,” Miya said, then sighed. “When I was younger I thought I wanted to marry my dad.”

Jack giggled, knowing what she meant. She’d gone through that phase herself.

“Dad’s strong and has that whole don’t-mess-with-mine mentality. He always made me feel safe. But at the same time, he adores and pampers Mom and isn’t afraid for anyone to know it. He’s always so good to her. So sweet. I want a man like that.”

“Maybe Dorn’s like that,” Jack offered as they stepped out of the shop and headed down the block to the next one.

Miya scrunched her nose. “He definitely has the protect-what’s-mine vibe.” Miya motioned toward a table under a large shade tree, and the two sat down. A waiter walked over and took their orders. Hot tea and cocoa bars for Miya. Flavored coffee and
kema
chips for Jack.

As the waiter walked away, Miya studied her closely. “Are you okay, Jack? Really?”

Jack shrugged one shoulder. “Most days I’m okay.”

“Do you miss him?” Miya asked.

Jack’s lips opened in surprise. Why would Miya ask her that? Then she sighed, realizing she really needed to talk about it. Miya had always been easy to talk to, and Jack knew her cousin wouldn’t pass judgment or make her think she was stupid. It was time she got it off her chest. Maybe if she said how she felt out loud, then maybe she could move on.

HAYDRIEN SAT AT the next table with his back to Jack, listening. It had taken him days to track her down. When he’d spotted her walking down the street with the young brunette, he’d wanted to shout but instead had moved in behind them. He wanted to be close enough when he caught her attention that if she ran, he could stop her.

He was about to say something, but when he heard Miya’s question, he decided to wait to hear Jack’s answer. The last month without her had been harder than he ever imagined.

He missed her. He wasn’t even able to sleep in his own bed anymore. Not without her next to him. He missed her smile, even her smart mouth. That he missed the most.

The waiter returned with the women’s order, and Haydrien fisted his hand in frustration. He wanted Jack to answer. He needed to know if she missed him as much as he did her.

“I miss him a lot,” Jack whispered so low Haydrien almost didn’t hear her. “I think I fell in love with him, Miya.”

His heart skipped.

“Did you tell him?” Miya asked.

Jack snorted. “I didn’t even have the chance. Well, actually that’s not true. I had the chance, several of them. I think I was just afraid and let him distract me.” Jack let out a long sigh. “It was so stupid. I’m sure he hates me now.”

“I don’t hate you.” He turned in his chair to face Jack’s back. Reaching out, he tugged gently at the back of her hair. “I miss you…Jack.”

JACK GASPED AT the voice coming from behind her. Her eyes widened as she stared at Miya’s surprised look. Jack was almost afraid to turn around. Had she really heard him? Had he really just said that?

When she didn’t turn around, Haydrien moved to take the chair between her and Miya. He sat and gazed at Jack. He looked so good, yet at the same time so tired.

“I’m so sorry, Jacquelyn,” he whispered.

A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

“I assume this is Haydrien,” Miya murmured.

Jack swallowed and turned to give her cousin a pleading look of understanding. “Miya, do you mind?”

“Are you sure?” she asked in a soft voice.

“Yes,” Jack whispered.

Miya looked as though she might argue, then changed her mind. She stood and walked a few feet away, giving them some privacy.

Jack turned back to Haydrien and had to fist her hands around her cup to keep from throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him close. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Looking for you. You’re damn hard to find. Do you know that?”

Jack swallowed but didn’t say anything.

“I can’t sleep. My staff won’t talk to me.” Jack’s lips twitched at that. “Even Lear chewed me out. It’s official. I’ve lost control of my house.”

Jack smiled slightly, but it quickly faded. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” she said.

Haydrien reached out and grasped one of her hands. Pulling it from the cup, he wrapped her fingers within his own. “That’s probably my fault. I made you think I would do something terrible to you if you did. I also know the ship wasn’t your fault. Lear ran everything through simulation after simulation. It always ended the same. That ship was just too old to be out there.”

He leaned forward and brought her hand to his mouth. He gently kissed the backs of her fingers, sending a warm current of desire up her arm. He pulled back slightly and stared at her fingers as he softly brushed his thumb over them.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, then sniffed.

He wiped a tear away and smiled softly. “It doesn’t matter anymore. Come back home with me,” he whispered.

Jack thought her heart would melt at the love shining in his eyes. The chair next to her made a noise as it was pulled away from the table. She looked over to see her brother sit down and stare firmly at Haydrien.

“Man, you’ve got balls,” Jonah drawled.

“Jonah,” Jack growled.

Haydrien sat back and studied Jonah thoughtfully. “This is between Jack and me.”

Jonah sat back, mimicking Haydrien as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh, so she’s Jack now?”

Jack slapped her brother on the chest with the back of her hand. What the hell was he doing?

“Are you trying to tell me that you forgive her little secret? That you’re in love with her and want her to come back with you?”

“Yes,” Haydrien answered without hesitation.

Jonah turned and grinned devilishly at Jack. “Oh, I have to be there when you tell Dad.”

Jack rolled her eyes. “Did Miya call you?”

Miya walked over and took the seat across from Jack. “Sorry,” she said. “I knew Jonah was in town, so I called. I just wanted to…” Her words trailed off as she looked pleadingly at Jack.

“She did the right thing,” Jonah said, then turned his gaze to Haydrien. “I wanted a word with the pirate anyway.”

“Jonah, please don’t do this,” Jack whispered.

“It’s okay, Jacquelyn,” Haydrien said but kept his gaze on Jonah.

“You broke her heart, asshole. I should break your neck.”

Jack dropped her forehead into her hand. She had a sudden and fierce headache.

“I know I did,” Haydrien said softly. “I’m here to make up for it.”

Jonah tilted his head. “How?”

“Jonah!” Jack yelled in exasperation.

“What? Don’t you want to know how?”

Jack glared at her brother. Jonah chuckled. “You never let me have any fun.”

Haydrien turned his head, but Jack didn’t miss the grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“You won’t have it as easy with the count,” Jonah said to Haydrien.

“Dad’s over it, Jonah,” Jack growled.

Jonah grinned wickedly. “Dad doesn’t know he’s here.”

Jack scowled. “It’s not Dad’s decision, now is it?”

Haydrien put his finger under her chin and turned her to face him. The amused look on his face made him look so sexy. Or maybe she’d just been without him so long that any look on his face would be sexy.

“Why are you fighting with him?” Haydrien asked. “You realize he’s just pulling your chain, right? Besides. How do you think I got the clearance to get through Daego’s security perimeter?”

Jonah chuckled softly. Jack turned and slapped him on the chest again, making both her brother and Haydrien laugh loudly.

* * * *

Haydrien sat across the table from Stefan, Sidious, and Jonah, wondering what the hell he was supposed to do. He wanted Jack home, and if this was what he had to do to get her there, then so be it, but how in the hell was he supposed to win her father over? Especially after what happened.

“This little meeting isn’t about Jack, directly anyway,” Stefan said.

Haydrien frowned. “Then what’s it about?”

“It’s about the hurvidium,” Sidious replied.

Haydrien’s frown deepened. “What about it?”

“We understand that you lack the means to mine it,” Stefan said.

“I have no interest in forming another partnership with anyone,” Haydrien said firmly.

“And I can certainly understand why,” Sidious said. “But this isn’t an offer of partnership. This is an offer for a loan.”

Haydrien eyed them suspiciously. “Why?”

“Honestly?” Stefan replied. “Because of Jack. I want you to be able to keep her in the same style that I do, and quite frankly, I can keep her in a style that right now, you can’t come anywhere close to touching.”

Haydrien raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Silently, he agreed with Stefan. He’d lost his fortune a long time ago.

“What exactly are you proposing?” Haydrien asked.

“We loan you what you need to get started. You pay us back; then it’s all yours. We’re out of it.”

Haydrien didn’t say anything. Just stared at them. Were they serious about this? And what did Jack think of it? Or was it Jack who put them up to it? Did money mean that much to her?

“Jack has no idea we’re even talking to you about this,” Jonah said, and some of Haydrien’s concern fled. “She has her own money and believed she would eventually be able to convince you to let her help. Jack’s good with numbers, but I don’t think even she realizes just how much it’s going to take to get this operation up and running. Hurvidium is a bitch to mine, but it will make your planet unbelievably wealthy.”

“And the three of you have that much?” Haydrien asked skeptically.

“We can get it,” Sidious said.

“We’ll draw up papers so there’s no doubt,” Stefan said. “The operation is yours. You’re in charge. No interference from us…at least on this matter.”

Haydrien snorted with amusement. “I see.”

Stefan’s look turned hard. “You kidnapped my daughter.”

Haydrien opened his mouth to say something, but Stefan held up his hand, stopping him. “I’ll be watching.”

“So will I,” Jonah said with a nod.

Haydrien sighed. “Fair enough.”

Epilogue

Jack smiled up at Haydrien as they slowly swayed around the dance floor. The last year had gone by incredibly fast. Upon her return to Meenose, Gora had starting cooking for Haydrien again. Jack still got a giggle thinking about how they’d all ignored him after he’d told her father to take her home. It warmed her heart to know they’d liked her that much and thought she was perfect for Haydrien.

And Haydrien… For the first few weeks, he didn’t touch her sexually, had even put her in a separate room a floor above him. At first it had unsettled her, but she’d soon realized what he was doing. He was courting her and making her fall in love with him all over again.

When he proposed, Gora had been so excited, she cried and immediately began planning the wedding of the century. Jack tried to tell her she didn’t need all that fluff and pageantry, but Gora insisted and hadn’t let Jack do anything in regard to the preparations. She’d planned everything right down to the canopy of flowers that covered the reception area.

The mining of the hurvidium had gone exceptionally well. Each of the provinces were well on their way to a full recovery. If they kept up with their current schedule of production, they would have her father paid back in just a few months. She couldn’t believe Haydrien had agreed to it; unfortunately he’d never told her how they’d convinced him.

Maybe later she could get it out of him.

Haydrien leaned down and softly kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful,” he whispered. “I can’t wait to get you alone and out of that dress.”

A shiver of excitement traveled up her spine at his words. “I thought you liked my dress.”

“I like you in anything, Jack. It’s not the clothes. It’s just you.”

He gently bit her neck, just beneath her earlobe, and she shivered. She wasn’t sure when she’d ever been this happy. She was so glad he’d kidnapped her. It turned out the pirate had been the man of her dreams in disguise.

He pulled back and grinned down at her. “Do you suppose the men in your family will hunt us down if we leave this party early?”

“I don’t think they’ll mind.”

“Yes, we’ll mind,” Jonah drawled from behind Jack.

She sighed and glanced over her shoulder. Jonah had arrived here a couple of weeks ago. He’d enjoyed spending time with Haydrien and checking out the mines. He’d never actually seen hurvidium mined and was curious. He’d also been curious about a couple of the local women who had taken an interest in the newcomer. She’d been worried about his getting sick, but the doctor had worked with the hospital on Rhinari to come up with a plan to eradicate the virus. So far, it had worked, and no one else had come down with it.

“Don’t you think you’ve monopolized my husband enough since you’ve been here?” Jack asked.

“Husband,” Haydrien said, grinning. “I think I like the sound of that.”

“Oh, Lord.” Jonah sighed. “Get out of here.” He nodded to the main house on the hill. “I’ll run interference.”

As Haydrien pulled her off the dance floor, she heard her brother call out, “But you owe me.”

Jack giggled almost the entire way to their room. Haydrien swung her inside, then shut the door behind him. He stalked toward her, his eyes burning with hunger. Every nerve in her body tingled with excitement. He could always do this to her.

He looked sexy in his white shirt and black slacks. His hair was shorter now, and she really liked the look on him.

She began to walk backward until she hit the wall on the other side of the room. He grabbed her wrists and lifted them over her head, securing them in the cuffs that hung from the wall. Jack’s heart began to pound wildly.

“I’m going to flog you, wife,” he murmured. “And every time that leather strap hits your flesh, I want you to yell out, ‘yes—’“

“Master?” she whispered.

“Husband,” he replied.

Jack grinned. “Yes, husband,” she repeated softly.

Haydrien rewarded her with a kiss she felt clear to her toes. “I love you, wife,” he whispered against her lips.

She smiled happily. “I love you.”