Treasured by Crystal Jordan

Author:Crystal Jordan
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: pirate time travel romance
Publisher: CJ Books
Published: 2016-07-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4

Port Royal, Jamaica

Becca stared at crimson fabric. It belled out from the dress model in the store window. Heavy, blood red embroidered silk cupped the dummy’s torso and the skirt swirled to pool on the display floor.

“See something you like?”

She startled and glanced back at James. “No. Nothing. Where are we going?”

“The Stuck Pig. Just there.” He tilted his head to indicate the opposite side of the street.

Following him into the tavern, she couldn’t help a last look back at the red dress. It was the same one from the painting, she was certain of it. Was the painting of her or the other Rebecca?

She’d convinced James to let her come into port armed, and dressed in his clothing. She pulled down the brim of her wide hat. From a distance, she’d look like a prepubescent boy—like Willy. A wry smile tugged at her lips. She’d finally found an advantage to being short and skinny. In the time she’d been with James, she’d worked out enough that she fit into Rebecca Morrow’s clothes, but she refused to wear them. Even here, where they’d be appropriate. She was not Rebecca Morrow, and she wanted nothing to do with what was hers.

Except her husband. Him, she’d keep. If she could. Her eyebrows arched at her own…ruthlessness. Some subtle shift had taken place within her these past few weeks. The discontent she’d always known was gone, had evaporated under the Caribbean sun. Maybe it had taken living among hard, merciless pirates to make her a happy camper.

“I have business with unsavory men. I would prefer they not meet you.” James spoke just loudly enough for her to hear over the raucous din of the pirate bar. Every man there was drunk and singing and laughing and fondling scantily clad prostitutes. She recognized most of the crew from The Dark Fortune in the crowd.

She nodded to an empty corner table by the staircase that a few pirates were leading the doxies up. Their rough flirtation had gone to the point of payment. “I’ll sit over there. If anything happens, one of your men will help me. But I have my weapons.”

“I can have some of them—”

She shook her head. “Let them have their fun. They’ve earned it. I can take care of myself. Trust me.”

“I don’t trust well.” His voice came out flat and unemotional. His gaze shuttered.

She sensed the sentence had more meaning than this moment called for, but his body language screamed that he wouldn’t welcome her touch. Nodding, she met his eyes. “People you should have been able to trust betrayed you. I understand. Just trust that I can take care of myself. You’ve seen me with a sword.”

His lips quirked. “They won’t approach unless you call, but my men will be watching you in any case. You’ve managed to have them dancing in the palm of your hand in mere weeks. I think they’re ruined.”

“Or well prepared for marriage.” She winked at him, tucked her chin to hide beneath the hat again, and sauntered over to the table.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.