Chapter 54

JACK MOVED SLOWLY at first, almost cautiously, like he wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. Nora matched his rhythm. Something was happening inside her, and it was more than another building orgasm. Each time he kissed her, each time he thrust deep within her, he freed her more and more. She felt like she could fly. Nora laughed with the exhilarating feeling of it, and Jack smiled down at her. She reached up and tentatively touched his face with her fingertips, and he gently kissed the inside of her wrist. She had no fear of him. How could she be afraid of anyone that could make something so beautiful?

He continued speaking in Shawnee, over and over. His rhythm sped up. The burn started slowly, deep inside, and rolled its way out, picking up speed until it spun out of control, and her eyes shut. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and she screamed his name.

Jack’s whole body tensed and froze for a moment, then he whispered something and buried his face in her shoulder. Finally, he collapsed on top of her. Nora couldn’t move even if the ship were under attack.

They lay there entwined, neither moving for a while, until he shifted off of her and his hand started stroking her side. Nora turned to face him. He looked perplexed, like he was trying to solve a complicated riddle.

“Cold?” he asked.

“Mmm…yes,” she murmured. “But I cannot seem to mind at the moment.”

He laughed, then reached down and pulled the blankets over them.

“Jack, that was…more than I ever thought it could be.”

“For me, as well.”

“How is that possible?” Nora asked. “With the experience you must have…”

“It’s the truth, I have never had an experience like that.”

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JACK STROKED HIS hand down Nora’s face. His head spun. He hadn’t known coupling could be that way. There had been no emotions before, just mechanics. But with Nora, everything was more. He felt more, and he wanted more.

“You were speaking your Indian language,” she mur-mured.

“I was?”

“I suppose you don’t remember what you said, then?” Nora sounded a bit disappointed.

“No,” Jack lied. Now that he thought about it, Jack knew exactly what he had said, though he may not have intended to say it at the time. He’d told her she was beautiful. He’d told her she belonged to him. And more enlightening, he’d told her he loved her. He thanked God right now that he had spoken it in a language she didn’t understand. He wasn’t ready for her to know that yet. He wasn’t even sure if he did love her, or if he’d just been swept away in the moment.

“Maybe one day you could teach me that language,” Nora suggested.

“Why?” Jack asked suspiciously.

Nora shrugged. “Maybe it would be beneficial to speak it when we didn’t want others to understand what we were saying. I don’t suppose there is a large population of people in Europe who can speak an Indian language, would you think?”

“Nora,” Jack said, trailing his finger down her arm and kissing her shoulder, “sometimes I forget how clever you are. Of course, I will teach you.” And he would remember not to speak to her in that language when they were making love.

Jack pulled her close and snuggled down with her under the blankets, keeping her in his embrace. He couldn’t remember a time when he had felt this content and at peace with himself.

As she began to doze, he pulled back and took a look at her injuries. The bruised ring of fingerprints that had appeared so angry already looked like they had been caused days ago. He frowned and ran a light finger over them. Whatever else the elixir did, he could not deny its healing powers. How bad of an injury could it heal? A ball from a gun? It had healed the deep sword wound to his shoulder fast enough. Just what would need to happen in order for her to be killed? He shook his head once and moved even closer to her. He wouldn’t think of that now.

His thoughts returned to the intruder. Just how could he have missed him? He had watched the door the entire time, and the man was not in the room when he’d left it. The only time he had taken his eyes off the door…

“Son of a bitch,” he said quietly, then shook Nora awake and jumped out of bed, tugging his breeches on. “Get dressed,” he ordered as Nora sat up and blinked, then pushed the hair out of her face. “We’re about to have guests.”

“Guests?” Nora squeaked, pulling the blankets up to her breasts. “After we just—Jack, are you mad?”

“Here.” Jack tossed Nora a nightgown and kicked the dress and undergarments she had been wearing to the side. When she struggled to get into the gown, he stomped over and yanked it over her head. He then went and opened the door, barking at the first sailor he saw. “You there! Go get Captain Hancock and Mr. Franklin and bring them here!”

“I don’t take orders from—”

Jack grabbed the man by his shirt and pulled him to his face. “Now!” he growled.

“Y-y-yes, sir. Right a-away, s-sir!”

Jack tossed the man aside and walked back into the cabin.

“Might you tell me what this is all about?” Nora de-manded.

Jack could only stand there and stare at her. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders in disarray. Her face was flushed. Her lips were swollen, and her eyes were heavy. It would be blatantly obvious to anyone what had occurred between them. Ah well, it couldn’t be helped now.

“What is all the commotion?” Hancock asked, entering the cabin a few moments later, followed by Ben. “My man is in quite the state, sir. What could be so urgent? You’ve already thrown one man overboard.”

“There was more than one,” Jack said quickly.

“More than one, you say?” Ben asked. Then he looked from Jack to Nora to the heap of clothing on the floor. Jack hoped he wouldn’t remark on the evidence.

“Yes,” Jack quickly said, hoping to bring Ben’s attention back to the issue at hand, “the man on deck, the man who knocked over the barrels and diverted our attention for just that moment. That is when Collins slipped into the cabin. That man works for Rogan, as well. The danger is still out there. Do you remember who that was?”

Hancock thought for a minute, considered Jack’s revela-tion, then said, “Yes, I believe I remember the man. He, too, is new to the ship.”

“Are there others?” Jack asked.

“No, just those two fellows,” Hancock replied. “I don’t like to take on too many new sailors at once. I spend more time training them in how I run my ship. The fewer new sailors I have, the better.”

“Can you bring him here to me?” Jack requested.

“That depends,” Hancock replied with his tongue in his cheek. “Are you going to speak with him or just toss him overboard?”

“I’d like to ask him a few questions before I toss him overboard,” Jack said.

Hancock sighed but acquiesced. “I will be down two sailors because of you. You will pitch in on deck to make up for it.”

“I don’t know how to be a sailor,” Jack reminded him.

“Based on the fact that you only got up out of that bunk this morning, I’m aware of that, sir,” Hancock replied. “Nonetheless, you are about to learn.”

Hancock quickly left the cabin while Jack and Nora continued to blink at him. Ben backed out of the room but waited in the doorway until Nora looked up at him. Once he caught her eye, he winked and closed the door behind him. Jack dropped his face into his hands.