Lynna was humming and didn’t hear his knock when Joshua entered the cabin a short while later. As she stood beside the bed clad only in a scanty cream colored chemise of the finest lace money that could buy, Joshua’s eyes feasted hungrily on the alluring view of long shapely legs now only a few feet from his own.
“Oh, Captain Jordan,” Lynna cried, snatching her dress to hastily cover herself. “You should have knocked, sir. I am not dressed to receive company and I certainly hope you do not make a habit of barging into a lady’s bedchamber unannounced.”
“Not as a general rule, no. Normally, I am invited.” Joshua was much chagrined as he hastily backed out the door and stood in the hallway like a chastened lad. “I mean… please forgive me. I will wait outside until you are suitably attired.”
Several minutes had passed before she called for him to enter, the embarrassing incident apparently forgotten. “Will our meal be served soon? I find myself quite famished.”
“The meal should be delivered any moment now,” he answered, sitting down at his desk and opening his log book.
Lynna smiled brilliantly, without an apparent care that her gown remained unfastened in the back and was in danger of slipping from her shoulders.
The sight had not gone unnoticed by Joshua.
“Captain Jordan, you seem a bit pale. Perhaps you have spent too much time in the sun today.” A worried frown creased her brow as she bent to slip on a shoe, causing her full breasts to come dangerously close to spilling over her chemise. “That is why I was never allowed outside overmuch.” She chewed on her bottom lip, tugging the material over her breasts. “Father said too much sun was unhealthy.”
Joshua’s heart pounded erratically in his chest as his eyes feasted on her satiny bosom rising and falling above the lace of her chemise, beckoning him from an arm’s length away. In one simple motion he could have her in his arms, have his mouth on those inviting pink, moist lips. No. He closed his eyes and issued a silent prayer for strength. That could not happen. Was he going stark raving mad? He was a gentleman.
A gentleman who, not less than one hour ago, had sworn an oath to protect this enchantress with his very life, and now ever fiber in his being yearned to seduce her.
“Captain Jordan?” Lynna whispered as concern etched her charming features.
“What?” His tongue finally untied itself and he was able to speak. “Yes, I am fine. No, it is not the sun. Actually, it’s hunger. Supper should be here soon.” He knew he was rambling and was determined to make a hasty retreat before he made an even bigger fool of himself.
Unfortunately, before he was completely over the trauma of having her enticing front side so near, she had presented her back to him and requested, “Before you go, Captain Jordan, will you fasten me, s’il vous plait? I fear I am rather lost without Gertrude.”
“Dear heavenly Father above,” Joshua silently implored, “if ever I needed your strength it would be now.” He was thankful that her back was turned so she wouldn’t witness the trembling hands that moved at a slug’s pace toward her back, sorely afraid that to touch the velvety skin would be his undoing.
“Captain Jordan?” Lynna questioned, wondering at the delay after several long, fumbling minutes had passed. “Is there some difficulty?” As she waited, she fiddled with a tiny locket that hung from a delicate gold chain around her neck. “I fear that my dear father sent me away grossly unprepared. I cannot possibly fasten and unfasten the stays at my back, nor do I feel comfortable asking you to do it morning and night. But what choice do I have? I have no other acquaintances onboard this ship.”
Pity for the girl was strong inside Joshua. Had her father not been sorely vexed at the thought of sending his daughter across the ocean, the fact that she would need a maid to accomplish these menial tasks would never have slipped his mind. “No, no difficulty,” Joshua croaked the lie.
As his hands reached for the dress his fingers made a powerful contact with her bare skin. He glanced out the window to see if a storm was brewing when he felt a jolt of lightning shoot through his arm. He wondered if she felt the tremor that coursed through him, or the heat that leapt from her body to scorch his hands?
As Joshua reveled in the feeling of her satiny flesh beneath his fingers, from seemingly far, far away, he was suddenly aware of a thumping noise inside his head. The sound grew louder and louder still until it at last broke through the pea soup fog of his brain.
“Are ye in there, lad?” Sam, the ship’s cook, shouted. “Yer meal is getting cold and I don’t intend for my victuals to sit outside ye door and be consumed by rodents. Open up.”
Sam’s shout succeeding in gaining Lynna’s immediate attention. Grabbing a nearby shawl, she draped it over her shoulders and hastily tied it in front.
Joshua shook his head to loose the cobwebs, but Sam had called several more times before he made his way to the door. The impulse was strong to stuff a chicken leg in the old cook’s mouth and inform him that food was not what he hungered for at the moment. Instead, he opened the door and allowed the grinning man to enter.
Both men knew the menial chore of delivering lunch trays fell to the cabin boy. Normally Sam would consider the task far beneath him and be greatly affronted if instructed to carry it out. Why in the hell did he lower his standards today? Joshua was fully aware that the older man’s curiosity had overridden his pride and he wished to see first hand if the gossip making the rounds of the ship was true.
“I am happy to see that for once the rumors have some merit. You are a bonny lass.” Sam smiled broadly at Lynna as he marched into the cabin. “A winsome one indeed.”
Lynna’s beaming smile brought a twinkle to the seasoned sailor’s eyes. “You are most kind, sir, and a welcome sight as I find myself quite ravenous.”
“At your service, milady.” Sam was not one to waste time chatting, and having seen what he had come to see was ready to depart. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have about forty more starving mouths to feed on this vessel. Enjoy your meal, lass.”
After Sam’s departure Joshua sat back and watched as Lynna ate heartily of the fine fare spread before her. She paused long enough to glimpse up at him and ask in between bites of crispy fried chicken, “Will you not join me, Captain? I thought you were hungry?”
Joshua poured another glass of wine and peered at her over the rim. “I find that I was thirstier than I was hungry. Would you care for a glass of port?”
“Um… no, I don’t… um, yes.” What would it hurt to try it? “Thank you, Captain Jordan.”
Joshua watched her sip the wine, make a small purr of pleasure, and down the entire glass. “How delicious,” she murmured. Then she licked a drop of wine from her luscious lips, causing his pulse to throb. He refilled her glass as she speared a potato and pushed it past her succulent lips.
Ten minutes later, she untied the shawl and tossed it on the bed, murmuring softly, “It has gotten rather warm has it not, Captain?” With the back of her hand she wiped beads of perspiration from her finely arched brow.
Joshua laughed heartily at her flushed face. “Perhaps you have had enough port, my dear. You wouldn’t want to drink overmuch and miss leaving the docks.” Sliding the bottle out of her reach, he went to pour her a glass of water but was interrupted by a tapping on the door. Thinking it was Sam again he flung the portal wide only to find his first mate.
“Captain, we are ready to set sail. Will you be wanting to steer us out of the harbor?”
“Yes, of course.” Joshua turned back to his slightly tipsy cabin mate. To his surprise, he found that he rather enjoyed the lady’s company. “I will return shortly,” he promised her.
Chapter 5