Nicholas felt a rueful smile spread across his face. And a curse be on him for it, because now he knew her. She'd shown him her mind, and she'd opened up her heart, and now he knew the taste of her tears. And he was wrecked.

Rest assured,” he said, when he managed to find his voice, “there will always be a position for you on my ship.”Her face brightened with her clever, beautiful smile. “Will you let me climb up into the rigging? Reef the sails?”A burst of thunder rolled through him. “Absolutely not.”She laughed again. “As if you could stop me.

I wish you'd go a a little easier on him,” she said. “He came in here thrashing a sword around. Was I supposed to stand idly by and do nothing?” he huffed. “Well, you weren't supposed to try and rearrange his face with your fist.”“I wasn't,” Nicholas protested. “He lunged up into it several times. I was only in the way.”“You're ridiculous.

Society is always the same, regardless of the era. There are rules and standards, with seemingly no purpose. It's a hateful, elaborate charade, equal parts flirtation and perceived naïveté. To men we have the minds of children.

How about a kiss, hey?” Etta liked that she was still able to startle him, just a little. The blank look of concentration broke as he barked out a laugh. “I don't know if that's a wise idea. We'd never leave.

Etta?” Nicholas's face floated in front of hers. “I'm okay,” she promised. “Just...” Hasan's face transformed, sharpening. “Who are you to be so familiar with my little niece? Remove your hands before I do.” “Familiar?” she repeated, just as Nicholas's grip tightened and he said, “Her husband.

I don't need a protector,” Etta said. “I need a partner.

Well,” Etta said weakly, “she's always told me a good challenge builds character.” “Then we'll have an excess of it,” he said dryly.

She set her shoulders back, meeting his gaze with a challenge. “You call that a kiss?” One corner of his mouth quirks up. “We haven't the time for a proper one, pirate. Now tell me, where precisely are we?