blonde-haired, blue-eyed American would not go unnoticed in Morocco. A caftan and veil would help, but she had no place to hide anyway.
Free to go? If she had to, she would stalk him.
After finishing the dishes, she poured herself a cup of coffee and went to enjoy her breakfast. She saw Jack talking to Mustafa at the end of the hallway, but decided against speaking to him yet. As she entered the dining area she noticed her breakfast was no longer on the table. She turned back and glanced down the hall just as Jack took the last bite of her sandwich. The louse hadn’t been content with ruining her breakfast, he ate it too.
The day passed too quickly for her to find a chance to speak with Jack. She had a full time job just keeping the men fed. By the time she retired for the night, Jack had already started his shift.
Every time Lilly found a spare second, Jack disappeared. Oh, he cleverly kept up the charade. In front of the men he was playful and attentive, but the minute they were alone, he made a quick retreat to work. As the boat filled up with the daily catch there was always something that needed to be done.
The first day, she thought she’d never get used to the smell of fish, but after a while, she didn’t even notice. She worried about what would happen when they arrived in port. If she didn’t speak to Jack soon, it might be too late. Three days had already passed, and she had no idea how much longer they would remain at sea.
When she finished the last of the dinner dishes, she climbed up on deck in search of Jack. He stood at the rail of the bow, watching the red sunset. She took a deep breath and grabbed hold of his arm. “May I talk to you?”
He glanced down at the fingers grasping the fabric of his sleeve and raised his head slowly. “What do you want?”
She cast off the last remaining threads of her stubborn pride. “Please don’t leave me there by myself.”
“Why not? That’s what you want, isn’t it? Or maybe I should stick around until you really do slit my throat.”
Her eyes flew automatically to the gash on his cheek. It had begun to heal, but there would no doubt be a scar. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know who you were. What would you have done in my place?”
* * * *
Jack opened his mouth and then clamped it shut again. How could he defend his actions? He had kidnapped her and he had lied to her. When he was honest with himself, which wasn’t often these days, he couldn’t blame her. He had, in effect, terrorized her across half of the European continent. Should he now expect her to see him as her savior and offer herself to him in undying gratitude?
Although, that mental picture appealed to him. “You’re right.”
She let go of his arm and began pacing. “So, maybe I have a quick temper. I’m sorry. That’s the way I am. But I won’t complain about anything again. I promise.”
“Okay.”
She seemed so intent on getting the words out of her mouth that she stared straight down at the deck and walked back and forth. “Well, maybe I can’t promise that. But I’ll try. Although why I care if I get back is a mystery. I’m going to be paying off my credit cards for the rest of my natural life. However long that might be.”
Jack leaned back against the rail and smiled as she finished her monologue. He saw no point in trying to stop her. She didn’t pause long enough to listen.
“Of course, I won’t live very long if you leave me by myself. And, well, I said I’m sorry. And short of promising you my first born, which I’d have to survive to bear, I don’t know what else you want me to say.” Finally finished, she turned her desperate eyes up to him. “Jack?”
“Are you always this long-winded?”
She blinked. “What?”
“Are you going to be yapping like this until we get back?”
The fear in her face drained away. “You had no intention of leaving me alone, did you?”
He shook his head and broke out in a wide grin. “None at all.”
She
Free to go? If she had to, she would stalk him.
After finishing the dishes, she poured herself a cup of coffee and went to enjoy her breakfast. She saw Jack talking to Mustafa at the end of the hallway, but decided against speaking to him yet. As she entered the dining area she noticed her breakfast was no longer on the table. She turned back and glanced down the hall just as Jack took the last bite of her sandwich. The louse hadn’t been content with ruining her breakfast, he ate it too.
The day passed too quickly for her to find a chance to speak with Jack. She had a full time job just keeping the men fed. By the time she retired for the night, Jack had already started his shift.
Every time Lilly found a spare second, Jack disappeared. Oh, he cleverly kept up the charade. In front of the men he was playful and attentive, but the minute they were alone, he made a quick retreat to work. As the boat filled up with the daily catch there was always something that needed to be done.
The first day, she thought she’d never get used to the smell of fish, but after a while, she didn’t even notice. She worried about what would happen when they arrived in port. If she didn’t speak to Jack soon, it might be too late. Three days had already passed, and she had no idea how much longer they would remain at sea.
When she finished the last of the dinner dishes, she climbed up on deck in search of Jack. He stood at the rail of the bow, watching the red sunset. She took a deep breath and grabbed hold of his arm. “May I talk to you?”
He glanced down at the fingers grasping the fabric of his sleeve and raised his head slowly. “What do you want?”
She cast off the last remaining threads of her stubborn pride. “Please don’t leave me there by myself.”
“Why not? That’s what you want, isn’t it? Or maybe I should stick around until you really do slit my throat.”
Her eyes flew automatically to the gash on his cheek. It had begun to heal, but there would no doubt be a scar. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know who you were. What would you have done in my place?”
* * * *
Jack opened his mouth and then clamped it shut again. How could he defend his actions? He had kidnapped her and he had lied to her. When he was honest with himself, which wasn’t often these days, he couldn’t blame her. He had, in effect, terrorized her across half of the European continent. Should he now expect her to see him as her savior and offer herself to him in undying gratitude?
Although, that mental picture appealed to him. “You’re right.”
She let go of his arm and began pacing. “So, maybe I have a quick temper. I’m sorry. That’s the way I am. But I won’t complain about anything again. I promise.”
“Okay.”
She seemed so intent on getting the words out of her mouth that she stared straight down at the deck and walked back and forth. “Well, maybe I can’t promise that. But I’ll try. Although why I care if I get back is a mystery. I’m going to be paying off my credit cards for the rest of my natural life. However long that might be.”
Jack leaned back against the rail and smiled as she finished her monologue. He saw no point in trying to stop her. She didn’t pause long enough to listen.
“Of course, I won’t live very long if you leave me by myself. And, well, I said I’m sorry. And short of promising you my first born, which I’d have to survive to bear, I don’t know what else you want me to say.” Finally finished, she turned her desperate eyes up to him. “Jack?”
“Are you always this long-winded?”
She blinked. “What?”
“Are you going to be yapping like this until we get back?”
The fear in her face drained away. “You had no intention of leaving me alone, did you?”
He shook his head and broke out in a wide grin. “None at all.”
She
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