A Pirate's Possession by Michelle Beattie

each other, wanted to linger. It wanted to trace the arch of his brows and feel the roughness of his beard. It wanted to once again be taken in his arms and to be cherished.
    For God’s sake, stop it , she scolded herself. The map, remember the map. Remember the lies, the hurt .
    To that end, she deliberately kept her gaze off his face. Reaching forward, she slid her hand into the pocket of his jacket. Her fingers brushed against the paper and Claire’s heart leapt to her throat. She had it!
    She slowly pulled her hand away. When Nate didn’t move, Claire exhaled a trembling breath.
    She looked at him once more, had a moment when she wished things could have been different. But knowing they weren’t, could never be, she backed away from the berth, tucked the folded map into her undershirt, and turned for the ladder.
    She got as far as the base of it before she was grabbed from behind.
    The scream ripped from her throat.
    â€œGoddammit, Claire,” he swore as she thrashed to break free.
    Her arms flailed wildly, desperate to connect with some part of him that would make him release her. Her elbow struck his chest. Her foot came down hard on his. Growling, he spun her around. Her right knee came racing up.
    â€œNo, you don’t,” he said as he deftly wrapped a large hand around the back of her knee and held it there, a mere breath away from where she’d intended to strike him. His other hand grabbed her left wrist and held it shackled down at her hip.
    Luckily Claire was right-handed. Smiling sweetly, she aimed for his jaw.

Five
    Nate dropped her leg and caught her fist. He angled his hips when her knee tried again.
    â€œDammit, Claire!”
    With his right hand holding her left, he quickly grabbed her leg again, but this time he raised her clear off the ground. She had no choice but to grab on to him for balance. Moving to the berth, he tossed her onto it. Before she could scramble away, he’d covered her with his body. She was trapped. But it didn’t stop her from trying.
    â€œGet off me!” she raged, pushing and bucking. She nearly managed to crack her head against his, but he pulled back in time.
    â€œThat’s enough!” his voice rumbled from deep in his chest, frustration coating every word.
    He clasped each one of her wrists and shoved her arms over her head, effectively trapping it within the frame of her limbs. His lower body pressed hers into the mattress. His eyes latched on to hers.
    Claire’s breath heaved, her heart raced within her chest. Sweat dampened her back. Nate’s breathing was rapid and the heat of it moistened the exposed skin at her throat, sending a wave of fire skimming over her skin. Suddenly she became aware of just how intimately they were touching. Her breasts grazed his chest, and with each breath she took, the sensations doubled. Despite herself, her nipples went rigid and her blood began to pound between her legs. She shifted uncomfortably, a mistake she realized too late when it placed his hardness directly at the place she throbbed.
    Her eyes flew to his. Reality slapped her in the face. He wanted her, at least her body. And dammit, her own was betraying her. How dare it! After everything she’d had to endure the last eight years, her body was foolish enough to desire him? And how dare he want her after all this time! He’d had his chance.
    Claire set her teeth, arched her back, and began thrashing. “Get off of me!” she yelled. He didn’t seem to require any effort to hold her down, which only infuriated her more. She turned her head as best she could, opened her mouth, and nearly succeeded in biting him.
    â€œWould you settle down!”
    â€œYou’ll never get what you want from me, Nate. Never.”
    He angled his head. “And what would that be?”
    She felt the burn in her cheeks and wisely kept her mouth shut. She wouldn’t bring lust further into this and neither would she remind