Devi's Paradise by Roxane Beaufort

her.
    The mate was right; Joshua was aware of the increased swell lifting the stout oaken hull. He sniffed the stiffening wind as he went on deck. The dark clouds gathering on the horizon were obscuring the moon. He issued brisk orders and men scampered aloft like monkeys, furling the main sails. Then to his surprise he came across Romilly, and approached, more concerned about her safety than anything else.
    ‘My lady,’ Joshua said, appearing out of nowhere and bowing as he addressed her. ‘May I ask what brings you here at this hour of the night?’
    ‘I needed to feel the breeze on my face,’ Romilly lied, not quite sure how to handle the situation now it had arisen. She was very aware of her damp pussy and the naughty scene she had just witnessed that roused her so much.
    ‘It is unwise to be alone,’ he said, with a sternness that made her tingle. ‘My men have been long at sea and this makes them restless. They are looking forward to landing so that they may enjoy the bounties of women once again.’
    ‘You think one of them might rape me?’ she said, pretending to be frightened, but was all too aware of the flimsiness of her attire. The wind was stronger now. It flattened her negligee against her limbs, ruffled the lace on her bosom and tangled with her unbound hair. Such a state of undress before a comparative stranger gave her a delicious sense of wantonness.
    ‘I wouldn’t go as far as to say that,’ he demurred, casting an eye around, seeing that the seamen were carrying out his commands. ‘The punishment would deter them, I think, but you are putting yourself at risk up here on your own. Where is your chaperone?’
    ‘Asleep. Besides, there are times when I like my own company and don’t appreciate her prattling.’
    ‘Or that of your fiancé, Lord James?’ he asked seriously.
    ‘He’s well enough,’ she replied with a toss of her head, annoyed at having him brought into the conversation. Then, on impulse, she came out with a blunt question. ‘Are you married, Captain Willard? Or is it true what they say about sailors – that they have a wife in every port?’
    He was standing close beside her at the rail, just as Jamie had done earlier. She was very conscious of his strong body in its plain dark blue coat and breeches. There was nothing flashy about his attire; it was serviceable and functional. He wore his own hair, chestnut brown and curling to his shoulders and he was clean-shaven. She wondered as to his age, and placed him in his late twenties. He was confident and trustworthy and she liked him enormously, feeling his arm at her back as the strong motion of the water threw them closer together.
    ‘Married, my lady?’ he said with a smile, looking down at her with those keen blue eyes. ‘No, mine is a roving life and I’d not expect a woman to wait at home for me to return, maybe after months away at sea. It would not be fair on her.’
    ‘But if she loved you she’d not mind waiting, surely?’ Romilly said quickly, wanting him to make some move, hold her hand or kiss her, perhaps, but he seemed preoccupied, staring at the sky.
    ‘I’d not ask it of her,’ he said at last. ‘Besides, it would distract me from my duty. I’d always be longing to sail home and this wouldn’t be good for my career. One day, maybe, when I’ve had enough of the sea and retired.’
    ‘But captain, don’t you long for love, a woman’s touch?’ His arm tightened about her as the vessel dipped and rose, timbers creaking. This stalwart person was a challenge. She wanted him to be weakened by desire for her, setting aside his principles and letting passion sweep him away.
    He continued to look down at her, making her feel small against his tallness. Just for an instance she was sure he was about to pounce, sweep her into his arms and take her, then and there, on the scrubbed boards of the deck.
    It lasted a heartbeat, no more, then he said steadily, ‘I am not without feelings, my lady, but now is