throat refused to function. Fringed by lashes as dark as pitch, those fathomless portals captured and drew him down like the unrelenting pull of a tidal pool. A man could drown in her gaze. Plummet straight to Davy.
He swallowed with effort. Cleared his throat. Even then, he felt the unsteady tremor in his voice. “Here. Drink this. It will help you rest.”
She took the glass from his hands and drank deeply. Before she could swallow her zealous gulp, her eyebrows shot to her hairline. With a fierce cough, she spewed the arrack all over both their laps. “What in the seven hells is that?”
Laughter burst within Cain. Grinning, he eased the glass from her hands and returned to his desk to refill it. “I presume you’re not a fan of rum.”
“Rum? You fed me rum?” Her jaw dropped, and she gave him an incredulous stare.
Cain nodded on another hearty chuckle. “Aye, little bird. It will keep your dreams away so you can sleep.”
India blinked. “Dreams? I wasn’t dreaming.”
“Indeed you were. You were like to smash my nose.”
Her grin caught him off guard. Yet there was no mistaking the sudden humor behind her eyes or the way her dainty mouth quirked. “I did? Oh dear, I’m so sorry.”
To Cain’s consternation, another chuckle threatened. He pursed his lips, forbidding it to break free.
India arched a dark eyebrow, and her grin broadened. “Wrong thing to say to Cain ?”
Devil’s tail, where did she get this spunk? He knew no woman who would dare to tease given her circumstances. For India , the impishness was doubly confounding. All he knew of her painted her as the prim and proper miss. A decent young woman who would make an appropriate wife. It seemed there was no limit to the surprises she kept tucked beneath her sleeves.
Or rather his blanket. His gaze flicked over the drooping cover at her breasts as he returned to her side, the glass extended. “This time, drink it. I have no desire to see my favorite arrack wasted.”
She eyed the glass warily. “I really don’t think this is wise. It wouldn’t be proper for me to lose my senses under these…circumstances.”
Cain laughed again. With a shake of his head, he pressed the glass into her hand. “My dear, there’s nothing proper at all about your circumstances.”
Color crept into her cheeks, wiping her smile away. She glanced down at her body as if she just realized her state of nakedness and hastily clutched the blanket with her free hand. Her spirit temporarily reigned in, her features pinched tight. Dutifully, she lifted the glass. When she had drained it completely, a shudder rolled through her shoulders. She wrinkled her nose and passed the glass back to him.
“I’ll fetch you another.”
“No. Please. One’s enough. My insides are on fire.”
At his desk once more, Cain looked over his shoulder. “When your toes burn, you will have had enough.” Glass clinked as he poured again. At the tolling of the half-hour bell, she would be in a dead slumber . Then he could attend to his logs undisturbed.
She downed the second serving with no more than a flinch. The third went down with a mere blink. By the time he passed her the fourth, her eyes held the glassy sparkle he’d hoped to achieve. He took the empty glass back to his desk and sat down in his simple wooden chair. Feet propped on the scarred wood, he nodded at the pillows behind her. “You should rest.”
Her giggle rang through the close quarters. “The good doctor is finished with his patient?”
A smile tugged at his mouth. Cain gave it freedom, along with a soft laugh.
“I admit to a bit of disappointment, Cain.”
India ’s eyes danced with mischief, and something else, something darker he couldn’t identify. Whatever it was, he didn’t like it. Somehow, he instinctively knew, conversation had taken a dangerous path. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “And why is that, little bird?”
“Well here I am.” In an exaggerated movement, she
He swallowed with effort. Cleared his throat. Even then, he felt the unsteady tremor in his voice. “Here. Drink this. It will help you rest.”
She took the glass from his hands and drank deeply. Before she could swallow her zealous gulp, her eyebrows shot to her hairline. With a fierce cough, she spewed the arrack all over both their laps. “What in the seven hells is that?”
Laughter burst within Cain. Grinning, he eased the glass from her hands and returned to his desk to refill it. “I presume you’re not a fan of rum.”
“Rum? You fed me rum?” Her jaw dropped, and she gave him an incredulous stare.
Cain nodded on another hearty chuckle. “Aye, little bird. It will keep your dreams away so you can sleep.”
India blinked. “Dreams? I wasn’t dreaming.”
“Indeed you were. You were like to smash my nose.”
Her grin caught him off guard. Yet there was no mistaking the sudden humor behind her eyes or the way her dainty mouth quirked. “I did? Oh dear, I’m so sorry.”
To Cain’s consternation, another chuckle threatened. He pursed his lips, forbidding it to break free.
India arched a dark eyebrow, and her grin broadened. “Wrong thing to say to Cain ?”
Devil’s tail, where did she get this spunk? He knew no woman who would dare to tease given her circumstances. For India , the impishness was doubly confounding. All he knew of her painted her as the prim and proper miss. A decent young woman who would make an appropriate wife. It seemed there was no limit to the surprises she kept tucked beneath her sleeves.
Or rather his blanket. His gaze flicked over the drooping cover at her breasts as he returned to her side, the glass extended. “This time, drink it. I have no desire to see my favorite arrack wasted.”
She eyed the glass warily. “I really don’t think this is wise. It wouldn’t be proper for me to lose my senses under these…circumstances.”
Cain laughed again. With a shake of his head, he pressed the glass into her hand. “My dear, there’s nothing proper at all about your circumstances.”
Color crept into her cheeks, wiping her smile away. She glanced down at her body as if she just realized her state of nakedness and hastily clutched the blanket with her free hand. Her spirit temporarily reigned in, her features pinched tight. Dutifully, she lifted the glass. When she had drained it completely, a shudder rolled through her shoulders. She wrinkled her nose and passed the glass back to him.
“I’ll fetch you another.”
“No. Please. One’s enough. My insides are on fire.”
At his desk once more, Cain looked over his shoulder. “When your toes burn, you will have had enough.” Glass clinked as he poured again. At the tolling of the half-hour bell, she would be in a dead slumber . Then he could attend to his logs undisturbed.
She downed the second serving with no more than a flinch. The third went down with a mere blink. By the time he passed her the fourth, her eyes held the glassy sparkle he’d hoped to achieve. He took the empty glass back to his desk and sat down in his simple wooden chair. Feet propped on the scarred wood, he nodded at the pillows behind her. “You should rest.”
Her giggle rang through the close quarters. “The good doctor is finished with his patient?”
A smile tugged at his mouth. Cain gave it freedom, along with a soft laugh.
“I admit to a bit of disappointment, Cain.”
India ’s eyes danced with mischief, and something else, something darker he couldn’t identify. Whatever it was, he didn’t like it. Somehow, he instinctively knew, conversation had taken a dangerous path. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “And why is that, little bird?”
“Well here I am.” In an exaggerated movement, she
Similar Books
