into the glass.
“I see you’ve met Sophia.”
She gasped quietly. She searched for him in the room with her eyes, but he was elusive. She then sensed his stare coming from the adjoining dressing room.
He was in shadow, but his figure was still easy to make out, so tall and robust.
Her heart beat swiftly. She had to curl her fingers more tightly around the box to prevent the rogue from seeing them tremble.
Slowly he approached her.
She quickly stifled the horde of unwelcome feelings that stormed her breast. The senses in her fingers, her spine, the tip of her tongue responded to the man’s steady advance with characteristic delight. She tried to stomp away the treacherous desire. She failed miserably.
Why did he have to be so sinfully handsome? Why did he have to appear so bloody tempting in the candlelight?
It was sorcery, the way he snagged her every wit, making her dizzy with desire. She had no other word to describe the enigmatic pull he had over her senses…Sophia?
She glanced at the glass case once more…inside was a Jamaican yellow boa.
The blood throbbed in her head. He had named the snake Sophia?
The dark thought quickly doused her burning passions. She glared at the pirate captain with venom. The yellow boa wasn’t poisonous—but she was.
James circled her before he paused and looked into the aquarium. “I found Sophia on the island seven years ago. She was wrapped around a branch outside our bedroom window.”
How charming!
The pulsing pressure in her head worsened the more he gazed at the caged creature with tender regard.
She pinched her lips. She was here to negotiate with the bounder, to bring an end to their war of wills. She wouldn’t let him tempt her into another doomed row.
“What are you doing here, Sophia?”
He looked away from the snake and set his eyes on her, his expression dark.
She shivered. “I need to speak with you.”
She gasped as he pushed her against the wall. Not too hard. But he caged her firmly with his body—and his sensual blue eyes.
Dark locks framed his seductive expression. Loose from the queue, the long tendrils touched his shoulders. He had a smattering of silver at his temples, but he was still as sexy and fit as she remembered. She wanted to curse him for that.
An ache brewed deep in her belly as she stared at the man’s lush lips, the memory of their heated kiss the other night filling her skull, making her other senses tremble in want.
She took in a deep breath to feel his long, thick fingers sink between her breasts. The hot strokes tickled, and she sighed inwardly as he rummaged through her bodice, searching.
At last she heard the soft hiss as the blade rubbed against the sheath. He removed the knife and pierced the wall high above her head.
“Now we can talk.”
She glanced up to see the embedded blade, out of reach. She was dazed. Now they could talk? When she was defenseless? The beast!
She gathered her wits and noted the cut on his chin, the slight swelling around the wound. She took great pleasure in the mark she had made. But she could not afford to be vindictive anymore. He would only resist her request for a truce even more.
He let her go and she swiftly skirted to a nearby chair. She was breathless. Her skin still burned with the echo of his touch.
The man had a fierce hold over her mind. On the island it had attracted her, the distracting energy he possessed. Excited her, even. But here in London it was a dangerous game to be influenced by the wicked pirate. One simple look or gesture indicating an inappropriate attachment to the man, and her dream of becoming a respectable wife would fizzle away.
She took a seat and mustered a dignified pose. Lady Lucas had instructed her to keep her back straight and her shoulders down and her hands in her lap.
He appeared annoyed to see her acting in such a proper, ladylike manner, though. She noted the way his nostrils flared: a sign he wasn’t pleased.
“Why did you come to my room, Sophia?”
He took a seat
“I see you’ve met Sophia.”
She gasped quietly. She searched for him in the room with her eyes, but he was elusive. She then sensed his stare coming from the adjoining dressing room.
He was in shadow, but his figure was still easy to make out, so tall and robust.
Her heart beat swiftly. She had to curl her fingers more tightly around the box to prevent the rogue from seeing them tremble.
Slowly he approached her.
She quickly stifled the horde of unwelcome feelings that stormed her breast. The senses in her fingers, her spine, the tip of her tongue responded to the man’s steady advance with characteristic delight. She tried to stomp away the treacherous desire. She failed miserably.
Why did he have to be so sinfully handsome? Why did he have to appear so bloody tempting in the candlelight?
It was sorcery, the way he snagged her every wit, making her dizzy with desire. She had no other word to describe the enigmatic pull he had over her senses…Sophia?
She glanced at the glass case once more…inside was a Jamaican yellow boa.
The blood throbbed in her head. He had named the snake Sophia?
The dark thought quickly doused her burning passions. She glared at the pirate captain with venom. The yellow boa wasn’t poisonous—but she was.
James circled her before he paused and looked into the aquarium. “I found Sophia on the island seven years ago. She was wrapped around a branch outside our bedroom window.”
How charming!
The pulsing pressure in her head worsened the more he gazed at the caged creature with tender regard.
She pinched her lips. She was here to negotiate with the bounder, to bring an end to their war of wills. She wouldn’t let him tempt her into another doomed row.
“What are you doing here, Sophia?”
He looked away from the snake and set his eyes on her, his expression dark.
She shivered. “I need to speak with you.”
She gasped as he pushed her against the wall. Not too hard. But he caged her firmly with his body—and his sensual blue eyes.
Dark locks framed his seductive expression. Loose from the queue, the long tendrils touched his shoulders. He had a smattering of silver at his temples, but he was still as sexy and fit as she remembered. She wanted to curse him for that.
An ache brewed deep in her belly as she stared at the man’s lush lips, the memory of their heated kiss the other night filling her skull, making her other senses tremble in want.
She took in a deep breath to feel his long, thick fingers sink between her breasts. The hot strokes tickled, and she sighed inwardly as he rummaged through her bodice, searching.
At last she heard the soft hiss as the blade rubbed against the sheath. He removed the knife and pierced the wall high above her head.
“Now we can talk.”
She glanced up to see the embedded blade, out of reach. She was dazed. Now they could talk? When she was defenseless? The beast!
She gathered her wits and noted the cut on his chin, the slight swelling around the wound. She took great pleasure in the mark she had made. But she could not afford to be vindictive anymore. He would only resist her request for a truce even more.
He let her go and she swiftly skirted to a nearby chair. She was breathless. Her skin still burned with the echo of his touch.
The man had a fierce hold over her mind. On the island it had attracted her, the distracting energy he possessed. Excited her, even. But here in London it was a dangerous game to be influenced by the wicked pirate. One simple look or gesture indicating an inappropriate attachment to the man, and her dream of becoming a respectable wife would fizzle away.
She took a seat and mustered a dignified pose. Lady Lucas had instructed her to keep her back straight and her shoulders down and her hands in her lap.
He appeared annoyed to see her acting in such a proper, ladylike manner, though. She noted the way his nostrils flared: a sign he wasn’t pleased.
“Why did you come to my room, Sophia?”
He took a seat
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