My Seaswept Heart (41 page)

“I know ye don’t want to leave, but—”

“What made you think that?” Anne looked up at
the captain. The incessant wind streamed burnished hair back from
his face, showing the glitter of gold in his ear. He looked every
inch the pirate, but his expression was gentle as his eyes met
hers. “Libertia was my uncle’s dream, not mine. Oh, I wanted to see
it succeed... for him. But I will not mind quitting this place.”
Her lashes lowered. “At least I wouldn’t if we were together.”

“Annie.” His voice was raw with pain.

“I love you, Jamie. Nothing can change that.
Not the fact that you’re a pirate...” Her words trailed off. “Not
anything.”

“Why do we have to discuss this now?”

“When would you prefer? When you leave me in
Charles Town? Or perhaps you’d rather we never talked about it at
all. It would be easier that way, wouldn’t it?”

“Damnation, Anne. I think I’ve shown I’m not
always willing to take the easiest course. And you’re mad if ye
think that’s what I’m doing now.” He turned away from her. “I’ve
explained to ye why it would never work.”

“Because you’re a pirate.”

“Aye. Nothing’s changed there.”

“But what if you weren’t?”

He turned on her slowly, his expression sad.
“Annie, don’t do this.”

“I want an answer.” Anne stepped away from
his hand when he would have touched her. “I think you owe me that
much.” She ignored the brows he raised at her last comment. “All
right, perhaps you owe me nothing. But I’d like an answer just the
same. If you weren’t a pirate what would you do?” Lifting her chin
she challenged him to answer.

He hesitated only a moment. “I’d marry ye,
Annie, if you’d have me,” he said simply, and Anne was filled with
so much love for him she vaulted into his embrace, snuggling
against his wide chest. He smelled of wind and salt and freedom,
and she was wont to let him go, even when his hands gently pushed
her away.

“What I want, and what I shall have are two
entirely different things. ’Twas a lesson hard learned, but not
easily forgotten.” With that he turned and slowly walked down the
hill. Not stopping until she caught up with him and forced a rolled
parchment into his hands.

His gaze fell on the document, then raised to
meet hers in question.

“Read it,” was all she said. Anne watched his
face as he untied the bit of twine and spread the paper out in his
hands. He scanned the words written in her uncle’s meticulous
script, then read them more carefully before looking up again at
Anne.

“Don’t you know what it is? What it
means?”

“’Tis a Letter of Marque... made out to me.
But why...? How...?”

Anne let out a breath she didn’t realize she
held. “The ‘why’ I don’t know for certain, but the how is easy.
Uncle Richard founded Libertia on a royal grant, which made him the
governor, equal in standing and importance with other royal
governors.”

“Capable of soliciting privateers?”

“Exactly. England is at war with France. I
suppose Uncle Richard felt that since d’Porteau was a French
pirate, you were helping England.” She paused. “Uncle Richard had
vice-admiralty powers. Actually as royal governor, he had many
powers, but in keeping with John Locke’s philosophy he rarely used
them.”

“But he did this.... By official decree he
made me and my crew privateers rather than pirates.” Jamie could
barely contain the excitement in his voice as he stared down at the
parchment, then back at Anne.

“He was fond of you, Jamie, and he believed
in you. As I do.”

Anne no sooner had the words out of her mouth
when she was drawn into his hard embrace. They were both laughing
and crying and holding on to each other.

“Did you notice at the bottom where he gave
you a pardon for past crimes?”

“I did. But I can still hardly believe it.
’Tis like a second chance at life.” His thumb brushed along her
cheek. She looked up at him, her eyes bright with love. Slowly his
lips brushed hers. “A second chance for us, Annie, love.”

Charles Town, South Carolina

Spring 1764

As soon as the crew had the gangplank in
place Anne rushed onto the
Lost Cause
. She’d watched from
the docks in Charles Town as the sloop sailed into port, shading
her eyes and trying to catch a glimpse of Jamie. She waved now as
he leaped from the quarterdeck. The sight of him took her breath
away, even dressed as he was in the more subdued garb of a
respected sea captain.

He wore his hair brushed back in a queue with
nary a glimmer of gold showing at his ear. And his jacket covered a
shirt fastened at the throat. But there was something about him
that conjured up images of making love with the trade winds
drifting over her naked skin and the tide tickling her toes.

Her body quickened at the thought, and her
cheeks were a rosy pink when he lifted her into a sweeping embrace.
His kiss was deep and hungry, and Anne’s knees could barely support
her when he lifted his head.

“Captain... please,” she whispered, as she
grabbed for the hat tilting off her head.

“Please what, Annie?” His grin was wicked. A
pirate’s grin. “Isn’t this a proper greeting for my wife?”

“Well, yes.” Anne smiled. “I suppose it will
do... for a start. But it’s not as your wife I’ve come aboard.” His
brow arched and Anne hurried on. “I’ve come as your business
partner.”

“I see.” His expression sobered. “Then I
suppose if it’s business we’re to be discussing, my cabin be the
place for it.” He grabbed her hand, before she could say a word and
led her through the maze of sailors, toward the hatch. He yelled
something to Deacon about needing a private discussion with his
partner before hustling her down the ladder.

He pulled her through the door, kicking it
shut and backing her against it. Anne found herself wedged between
the hard wood and his equally hard body in one fluid motion.

His mouth trailed a path down her neck, not
stopping when he encountered the border of ruffled lace. Anne
arched her back as he bit at her nipple through the binding
silk.

“Now,” he teased, glancing up at her through
gold-tipped lashes. “What did ye want to speak with me about?”

She had no idea. And the more he fondled her
breasts the less she cared. Anne moaned when his hands skimmed off
her hips to search through the layers of petticoats.

“Oh, Jamie.” Her fingers tangled in his hair.
“I’ve missed you so much.”

“And I ye, Annie.” His palm splayed the tight
curls between her legs. “Lord help me, but you’re soft.” His voice
caught as she fumbled with the front packet of his breeches. “And
wet.”

His mouth fused with hers as his manhood
surged into her hands.

And then he was filling her, deep and
complete.

Anne buried her hands beneath his jacket,
clinging to his hot skin as he lifted her legs, wrapping them
around his waist.

Jamie thrust, and Anne melted around him,
neither able to stop the explosive release that gripped them. They
both trembled, clutching each other as the sky opened to reveal
love’s tempting peek at heaven.

He was staring at her, his forehead pressed
to hers, when Anne finally floated back to earth. She couldn’t help
the tiny giggle that burst forth. “Two months is a long time,” she
said, sighing.

“Too long, Annie,” Jamie agreed. “I do not
like leaving ye.”

“I don’t like it either. While we were at war
with the French there was no choice. But now...” Anne let the rest
of the sentence fade away as he settled her feet onto the floor.
Taking her hand Jamie led her to his bunk. She didn’t say anything
as he brushed the charts and rumpled clothing to the deck.

When they were comfortably settled, lying
side by side, Jamie spoke again. “I wish there was another way to
live other than this.” He shifted to look down at her upturned
face. “Not that I’m not especially fond of the homecomings, but
living apart is hard on us both.”

“What if there was a way to be together?”

“Now, Annie, we’ve been through this before.
I don’t care if ye have gotten over your seasickness, I won’t be
taking ye with me. It’s too dangerous.”

“I don’t want to go.”

“Ye don’t?” He lifted her around until she
faced him.

“No. I’ll be too busy to go off on sea
voyages.”

“Doing what?”

“I’ll tell you in a moment. First of all, I
want to know how important captaining a ship is to you. I know how
long you’ve done it and how you enjoy the wind in your face and the
freedom, and—”

“Are ye asking as me wife or business
partner?”

Anne settled on his chest, her breasts
flattened against his hard chest. “Both.”

“Then I’ll answer as both your husband and
partner. I’d rather be home with ye.” He drew in a breath. “I know
that’s not possible.”

“But it is.” Anne hurried on when he looked
at her. “You’ve made a great deal of money, Jamie.”

“We’ve made it.”

“Well, you’ve been the one to risk your life
going after French ships; all I did was sell some jewels to make
some repairs on your sloop.” Even so, he’d called her his partner
from the beginning. “Anyway, I’ve been going over the books and we
have enough money to expand. Buy a schooner. And there’s more
business than we can handle now that peace has come.”

“’Tis a good idea, but I don’t see how it
will help me stay in port.”

“We’ll need someone to handle the business
end, arrange for shipping the rice and the like. And I won’t have
time to do it anymore.”

“A merchant. Me?” Jamie scrunched higher
against his pillow. “I think I like the notion.” He hesitated,
realizing what else she said. His eyes narrowed. “But what are ye
going to be doing, Annie?”

“Well.” Anne stretched the word out. “I’m
speaking as your wife now.”

“So tell me, wife, what’s goin’ on here?”

“We’re going to have a baby.”

Anne didn’t think she’d ever see the pirate
speechless, but as he pulled himself to sitting, Anne across his
lap, he was.

“Aren’t you going to say something?”

He hugged her to him, burying his face in her
hair. “A child,” he murmured. “I love ye, Annie.”

They spent some time just holding each other,
speaking of their future and the love they shared, before
straightening their clothing and going above deck. Arm in arm they
walked to their house on Tradd Street.

“Oh,” Annie said, as they climbed the steps
toward the door. “I almost forgot in all the excitement. Last
Sunday at Saint Philips I met a woman with the last name of
MacQuaid. She’s married to the Indian agent and lives to the west
on the frontier. She was very nice and terribly interesting to talk
with. Do you think she could be a relative?”

“What was her husband’s name?” Jamie scooted
his wife through the door and toward the steps leading to the
second floor.

“Raff.”

“Nay, I’ve but a half-brother named Logan,
and he’s far away in Scotland.”

“Mmmm.” Her pirate scooped her into his arms
and Anne had no more time to think of anything but him.

The End

I hope you enjoyed
My Seaswept Heart
.
The love story of the handsome pirate, Captain Jamie MacQuaid and
his Annie, is one of my favorites. Perhaps one reason is that I
adore men of the sea. And I seem destined to reform pirates. It’s a
tough job, but I suppose someone has to do it.

My Seaswept Heart
is the second book
in the MacQuaid Brothers trilogy. Thanks to all who helped make the
first book,
My Savage Heart
, such a success. And now the
trilogy continues.

Look for
My Heavenly Heart
, Logan
MacQuaid’s story in e-book format. Logan was introduced in
My
Savage Heart
and he’d just lost his wife and infant daughter in
the Cherokee uprising. The sinfully handsome Logan is tortured by
guilt and the last thing he wants is a blue-eyed angel to care for.
But Logan needs love and perhaps a bit of magic... in his life.