Pleasing the Pirate: A Loveswept Historical Romance by Sharon Cullen
Authors: Sharon Cullen
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Ach, but it felt good to be clean for once. Such a shame that she had to put her filthy gown back on but what was she to do? She had no other clothes and wasn’t about to spend precious coin on a new gown. Not when she had to give every farthing to Captain Phin.
* * *
To give Mairi privacy, Phin wandered down to the main room of the Coxswain. Mairi had been appalled that they were lodging here but from what Sebastian had told him, Grant made frequent appearances here and a few other local establishments. This was the cleaner of the two and the best place to hide Mairi in plain site.
His plan was to bring her down tonight and test his theory that McFadden’s spies were in the tavern. If he was correct, he was certain they’d hear from McFadden soon. If he was wrong, they would move to the next establishment. Eventually McFadden’s men would see Mairi and report back to him. At least that was his hope.
Phin nursed his ale and watched the people around him, his free hand never far from his pistol and sword. He had no doubt she was safe in their chamber, but the main room was a different story. One never knew what could happen when drunken sailors got together.
He had been surprised at her reaction when she learned she was to be used as bait to flush Grant out. There were no feminine vapors, no screeching or, God forbid, crying.
She merely digested the information, saw the need for it and accepted it.
She had a warrior’s mind, this one did. She knew what needed to be done and set aboutdoing it, despite the fact that the sea made her sick, and that she’d never left her native country, and that she had very little money, no resources and no contacts. He liked her and was a bit disconcerted that he liked her.
He certainly hadn’t been prepared to like her. Before encountering her in Scotland, he’d only thought of her in terms of her brother and her brother’s crimes. It wasn’t until he actually set eyes upon her that she became a real person to him.
A person with a history, with fears.
Another thing he hadn’t been prepared for. Her fear.
What really drove her to find her brother? She claimed it was so Grant could lead her clan, but Phin got the impression from Sebastian that the clan was scattered and comprised mainly of homeless women and a few men.
So where did the fear come from?
And why did it bother him?
He wished he could go back to thinking of her as nothing more than a traitor’s sister, but that was impossible now that he’d spent some time with her.
As he’d thought before, she was a tiny bit of nothing, but her slight stature was misleading. She’d traveled across Scotland in search of him, determined to do whatever it took to procure his help. She even bargained her body, which was still surprising to him.
It all came back to that fear. Whatever she feared was worse than bedding an Englishman, and
that
was telling.
Yes, she was intriguing, and the last thing he needed was an intriguing lass crowding his mind when a noose hung over his head.
Hell and damnation.
He finished his ale and stood. He’d given her enough time to bathe. It was time she came down and began this mission so he could get his life back. He stopped briefly in Ezra’s bedchamber, where he wrangled some of his first mate’s clothing. Ezra wasn’t happy about it, but then Ezra hadn’t been happy with Mairi’s presence from the beginning. Phin had made the decision not to tell his crew of his bargain with the king. There was no need for them to know and they were willing enough to follow him where he led.
He knocked on her door, his heart beating harshly. Strange, that. His reaction to her bothered him, but he could control himself.
At her soft, “Come in,” he opened the door and stopped cold.
She was bent over at the waist in front of the fire, her delectable derriere front and center. His mouth went dry.
She looked at him upside down, her hair hanging nearly to the ground.
She jerked upright with a
* * *
To give Mairi privacy, Phin wandered down to the main room of the Coxswain. Mairi had been appalled that they were lodging here but from what Sebastian had told him, Grant made frequent appearances here and a few other local establishments. This was the cleaner of the two and the best place to hide Mairi in plain site.
His plan was to bring her down tonight and test his theory that McFadden’s spies were in the tavern. If he was correct, he was certain they’d hear from McFadden soon. If he was wrong, they would move to the next establishment. Eventually McFadden’s men would see Mairi and report back to him. At least that was his hope.
Phin nursed his ale and watched the people around him, his free hand never far from his pistol and sword. He had no doubt she was safe in their chamber, but the main room was a different story. One never knew what could happen when drunken sailors got together.
He had been surprised at her reaction when she learned she was to be used as bait to flush Grant out. There were no feminine vapors, no screeching or, God forbid, crying.
She merely digested the information, saw the need for it and accepted it.
She had a warrior’s mind, this one did. She knew what needed to be done and set aboutdoing it, despite the fact that the sea made her sick, and that she’d never left her native country, and that she had very little money, no resources and no contacts. He liked her and was a bit disconcerted that he liked her.
He certainly hadn’t been prepared to like her. Before encountering her in Scotland, he’d only thought of her in terms of her brother and her brother’s crimes. It wasn’t until he actually set eyes upon her that she became a real person to him.
A person with a history, with fears.
Another thing he hadn’t been prepared for. Her fear.
What really drove her to find her brother? She claimed it was so Grant could lead her clan, but Phin got the impression from Sebastian that the clan was scattered and comprised mainly of homeless women and a few men.
So where did the fear come from?
And why did it bother him?
He wished he could go back to thinking of her as nothing more than a traitor’s sister, but that was impossible now that he’d spent some time with her.
As he’d thought before, she was a tiny bit of nothing, but her slight stature was misleading. She’d traveled across Scotland in search of him, determined to do whatever it took to procure his help. She even bargained her body, which was still surprising to him.
It all came back to that fear. Whatever she feared was worse than bedding an Englishman, and
that
was telling.
Yes, she was intriguing, and the last thing he needed was an intriguing lass crowding his mind when a noose hung over his head.
Hell and damnation.
He finished his ale and stood. He’d given her enough time to bathe. It was time she came down and began this mission so he could get his life back. He stopped briefly in Ezra’s bedchamber, where he wrangled some of his first mate’s clothing. Ezra wasn’t happy about it, but then Ezra hadn’t been happy with Mairi’s presence from the beginning. Phin had made the decision not to tell his crew of his bargain with the king. There was no need for them to know and they were willing enough to follow him where he led.
He knocked on her door, his heart beating harshly. Strange, that. His reaction to her bothered him, but he could control himself.
At her soft, “Come in,” he opened the door and stopped cold.
She was bent over at the waist in front of the fire, her delectable derriere front and center. His mouth went dry.
She looked at him upside down, her hair hanging nearly to the ground.
She jerked upright with a
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