humiliated, Rupert.”
Behind her Jack roared with laughter,
his approval of her revenge evident.
Chapter Ten
Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her
from the tawdry little house and the spectacle of her fiancé
splayed out on this rug. Roselyn couldn’t suppress a giggle that
bubbled in the back of her throat. She couldn’t even tamp it down
when she realized she had nowhere to go and no means to support
herself now that she found herself stranded in the Caribbean. Jack
grinned at her as they rounded the picket fence and burst through
the little gate, his teeth white and gleaming under the sensual
mustache. Roselyn stomach tightened recalling the tactile knowledge
of exactly how that mustache felt against her skin.
“ I cannot believe your
father wished you to marry that useless prig.” Jack’s scalawag grin
drew down into a scowl. “I can’t imagine a man less fitting for
you, Rose.”
Roselyn didn’t wish to disrespect her
father, even from the grave, but she couldn’t agree more. She was a
changed woman, and not just because she’d lost her virginity to a
famous pirate. For the first time, she had control over her life.
She wasn’t marrying that “prig” as Jack called him, a more fitting
description she didn’t know. She had no idea what she was going to
do with her life, or what other outlandish twists were in store,
but she was filled with excitement at the possibility like she’d
never been before.
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed
him full on the lips. “Thank you.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist
and pulled her tight against him. “For what?”
“ Standing up for me.” She
kissed his lips again, this time lingering a little longer than
before. “No one’s ever done that for me before. Ever.”
“ I am forever at your
service,” he grinned at her. He took her hand and continued with
her along the narrow, dirt lane. “I have a few things to do before
the tide this evening.”
Roselyn considered her own situation.
Right then and there, she vowed her life from this moment forward
would be an adventure. “I do, too,” she admitted.
Jack raised their clasped hands to his
mouth and pressed a quick kiss to her knuckles, then pulled a
leather pouch from a pocket and wrapped her fingers around it.
“You’ll need some clothes. You won’t be able to run around in just
that frock, as lovely as you are in it, forever.”
She looked at him with a hopeful
glance. “I’d hoped to see what other dresses you had in the hold
that might fit. You said there were trunks of them down
there.”
“ Anything you wish, Rose,”
he grinned and pleasure coursed through her. “Still go to the shops
and get everything else you need – under things and bonnets,
ribbons and lace and whatever suits your fancy.” They came to a
crossroads, the intersecting street was much wider and shops with
all types of commerce lined the sandy walks. Jack pointed towards
several likely buildings. “Right down that way you’ll find what you
need. I’ll come find you in an hour or so and help you tackle
anything else you lack.”
It occurred to Roselyn that fripperies
such as ribbons and lace were a foolish extravagance when she
didn’t have a house to put them in but, as she shifted in the
too-large silk slippers Jack’s cabin boy had found for her in the
hold, the idea seemed less of an indulgence. Since she no longer
owned a single item of clothing that didn’t come from the bounty of
stolen goods in the Neptune’s Revenge, some underclothes and a
corset and a chemise or two would be prudent.
“ An hour then?” Roselyn
squeezed the pouch of coins in her fist.
“ Or so,” Jack answered and
kissed her on the nose before turning and heading the opposite way
down the road, away from the shops and docks and further into the
heart of the town. He moved quickly, his strides long and
purposeful. He glanced back and blew her a kiss before he turned at
the next block and
Behind her Jack roared with laughter,
his approval of her revenge evident.
Chapter Ten
Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her
from the tawdry little house and the spectacle of her fiancé
splayed out on this rug. Roselyn couldn’t suppress a giggle that
bubbled in the back of her throat. She couldn’t even tamp it down
when she realized she had nowhere to go and no means to support
herself now that she found herself stranded in the Caribbean. Jack
grinned at her as they rounded the picket fence and burst through
the little gate, his teeth white and gleaming under the sensual
mustache. Roselyn stomach tightened recalling the tactile knowledge
of exactly how that mustache felt against her skin.
“ I cannot believe your
father wished you to marry that useless prig.” Jack’s scalawag grin
drew down into a scowl. “I can’t imagine a man less fitting for
you, Rose.”
Roselyn didn’t wish to disrespect her
father, even from the grave, but she couldn’t agree more. She was a
changed woman, and not just because she’d lost her virginity to a
famous pirate. For the first time, she had control over her life.
She wasn’t marrying that “prig” as Jack called him, a more fitting
description she didn’t know. She had no idea what she was going to
do with her life, or what other outlandish twists were in store,
but she was filled with excitement at the possibility like she’d
never been before.
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed
him full on the lips. “Thank you.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist
and pulled her tight against him. “For what?”
“ Standing up for me.” She
kissed his lips again, this time lingering a little longer than
before. “No one’s ever done that for me before. Ever.”
“ I am forever at your
service,” he grinned at her. He took her hand and continued with
her along the narrow, dirt lane. “I have a few things to do before
the tide this evening.”
Roselyn considered her own situation.
Right then and there, she vowed her life from this moment forward
would be an adventure. “I do, too,” she admitted.
Jack raised their clasped hands to his
mouth and pressed a quick kiss to her knuckles, then pulled a
leather pouch from a pocket and wrapped her fingers around it.
“You’ll need some clothes. You won’t be able to run around in just
that frock, as lovely as you are in it, forever.”
She looked at him with a hopeful
glance. “I’d hoped to see what other dresses you had in the hold
that might fit. You said there were trunks of them down
there.”
“ Anything you wish, Rose,”
he grinned and pleasure coursed through her. “Still go to the shops
and get everything else you need – under things and bonnets,
ribbons and lace and whatever suits your fancy.” They came to a
crossroads, the intersecting street was much wider and shops with
all types of commerce lined the sandy walks. Jack pointed towards
several likely buildings. “Right down that way you’ll find what you
need. I’ll come find you in an hour or so and help you tackle
anything else you lack.”
It occurred to Roselyn that fripperies
such as ribbons and lace were a foolish extravagance when she
didn’t have a house to put them in but, as she shifted in the
too-large silk slippers Jack’s cabin boy had found for her in the
hold, the idea seemed less of an indulgence. Since she no longer
owned a single item of clothing that didn’t come from the bounty of
stolen goods in the Neptune’s Revenge, some underclothes and a
corset and a chemise or two would be prudent.
“ An hour then?” Roselyn
squeezed the pouch of coins in her fist.
“ Or so,” Jack answered and
kissed her on the nose before turning and heading the opposite way
down the road, away from the shops and docks and further into the
heart of the town. He moved quickly, his strides long and
purposeful. He glanced back and blew her a kiss before he turned at
the next block and
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