Read The Pirate for Free Online Page B

she was proud to say came from her marriage.
    â€œI needed a change,” she said. “This is a bit more adventurous then I originally anticipated. But being out here on sea has been interesting.”
    â€œIn what way?” he asked.
    â€œJust seeing the way the crew and the captain interact. Have you known the captain for long?” she asked. She really wanted to know if Laz was a man she could trust. Every instinct she had said she could, but her instincts weren’t always on target when it came to men.
    â€œFor a while.”
    â€œDo you trust him?” she asked.
    â€œWith my life,” Hamm said. “Why do you ask?”
    She shrugged. Now what was she going to say, that she’d seen the captain on deck last night doing something suspicious? That would make her sound…silly.
    â€œWe’re all depending on him to get us safely through these waters. The attacks on ships in this area have been up and naturally I’m concerned.”
    Hamm nodded. “Laz will deliver you to your destinations. He’s reliable and dependable.”
    â€œAh, Hamm, you’re making me sound like a Boy Scout,” Laz drawled from the doorway.
    â€œYou are,” Hamm said.
    Daphne hated the way her pulse speeded up just because Laz had entered the room.
    â€œHow’s Renault?”
    â€œGood. The cuts were superficial. I bandaged them and he’s fine now.”
    â€œBack at work?” Laz asked Hamm.
    â€œYeah. How’s Fridjtof?”
    â€œCooling off some. He’s edgy. I was hoping you could keep an eye on him,” Laz said.
    Daphne cleaned up the papers from the bandages and tried to look busy. There was no need for her to stay, except she didn’t want to have to try to squeeze by Laz to get out of the room.
    â€œNo problem. Do you need anything else?”
    â€œYes, but we can discuss it later.”
    Hamm nodded.
    â€œThanks for your help, Daphne. If you hadn’t been here—”
    â€œYou would have handled it fine. This wasn’t a real medical emergency,” she said.
    â€œNo, it wasn’t, but it’s always nice to have an expert around,” Hamm said, as he walked out the door.
    Daphne started to follow him but Laz stopped her with his hand on her arm.
    â€œThere is something I’m dying to know,” he said.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œHow your lips feel under mine,” he said, lowering his head and brushing his lips over hers.
    She surrendered completely to the embrace. The doubts she had about Laz were slowly melting away. Though she knew her instincts had been wrong before when it came to trusting a man, this time she thought that maybe she’d found a man she could rely on.
    She realized as he tunneled his hands through her hair and tipped her head backward to give him greater access to her mouth that whether this was wise or foolish she didn’t want to miss out on a moment of this experience with Laz.
    He was exactly what she needed.
    And for once she knew what she wanted. It had been a long time since she’d felt this decisive. She wanted to experience everything she could with this strong, sexy, mysterious man. She wasn’t about to let him slip through her fingers.
    She wrapped her own arms around his lean waist and leaned up into the kiss. His tongue felt smooth and tasted wonderful against hers. She forgot to breathe, forgot everything except the feel of his hands on her body.
    She’d never felt an enflaming attraction like this before. It wiped out all her other thoughts. All she wanted—no, needed—was to get closer to Laz.
    She slid her hands down his back and cupped his firm butt, pulling him closer to her. She rocked her center over the side of his hard-on. A moan escaped her.
    â€œDamn, Daph, you are one sexy woman,” he said, his voice gruff with passion.
    Ten minutes ago she would have argued that she wasn’t sexy. That she was just a nice girl. A