Read Online The Bargain: A Port Elizabeth Regency Tale: Episode 2 by Vanessa Riley - Free Book Online
Authors: Vanessa Riley
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do.”
“Good mouse.” He put one arm behind her neck and stretched his palm to cushion her shoulder. With his other hand, he clasped the front of the joint. “This is going to hurt like nothing you ever felt.”
“Doubt it. I know a lot of ache.”
His chin nodded, and his gaze latched onto hers. Concern, and something else, some unreadable warmth, colored his intense stare. “Get ready to screech.”
"Don't let me scream. They'll think you're hurting me. You're not like them."
His lips tensed. "You don't know what I'm capable of."
She lifted her good hand to his chest; her fingers couldn't help but fall on the deep scar. "I don't want to sound weak to them or you."
"I won't let them hear. You ready for me to make this shoulder right?""
She nodded and counted, “One, two, three, four, ready.”
With a mighty shove, he snapped the joint back into place. The pop sounded like a china cup slamming against a rock. It deafened, but not enough to mask her howling.
Not that she could, not that she wanted him to stop, but, with his firm lips, he covered hers and caught all the remaining high notes of her scream.
The world grew black and inky, and his mouth stayed on hers, claiming her until she saw nothing at all.
Chapter Six: A Better Man
Gareth put his scope in his pocket and laid his hands at noon and three on the wheel. The setting sun had framed the right side of the ship, made making the water have a blood orange color. If red stayed in the water and away from the morning, they just might make it to Port Elizabeth without a horrid storm delaying them. Well, no more woman-made incidents. His brain filled with thoughts of Jonas’s stubborn nanny. Hopefully, there would be no Precious Jewell-made storms.
Three days ago, the girl fell into the ocean. Now she lay sick in his cabin with him and Mrs. Narvel taking turns caring for her. It was probably a good thing Precious was so bull-headed. Her fever had spiked pretty high before it broke, but she fought with all she had and then some. The girl warred hard against the ocean, and against him with the punch she’d delivered on the bow. That kind of fire comes from withstanding something horrid. What happened in the girl’s past? Would it always drive her to be reckless, running away in the middle of the night or dropping into an ocean?
Eliza never said anything of Precious's story, just that she couldn't do without her.
The wind blew hard, kicking his thin cravat into his chin. She’d lashed out wildly, slapping at him at the height of her sleep. It made sleeping next to her difficult, but far more interesting than being alone.
What was he to do with Precious Jewell?
Ralston marched up side him. “Captain, I can take over watch for you.”
He folded his arms and stared at the Judas who almost made his men turn against him. “Not too busy stoking rebellion to do your duties?”
A sheepish, almost boyish, grin peeked from underneath his mustache. He wrenched at his neck. “I’d like to blame things on the liquor, but that ain't it. I shoulda known you were still all man. Blast the rumors.”
The false rumors that a cannon blast had taken all his strength had persisted since war. Marrying Eliza and having an heir had squelched most of it, but now they appeared again. He turned and looked out at the vast ocean. Maybe focusing on the cold water would ease the volcano of anger ready to blow in his system. "Ralston, next time, I'm not going to give you any rope, unless it's about your neck."
The fool clapped Gareth's shoulder. “Dunkin’ me in the drink and taking that nanny woman, there is no more doubt about you now. I’ve done you a favor.”
He pivoted and squinted at Ralston. “I don't think I need those types of favors.”
“But the hellcat, she must make it worth it. I saw how you looked at her when you brought her on board, and then saving her. You know you wanted her, even if she works for you, even if she’s a
“Good mouse.” He put one arm behind her neck and stretched his palm to cushion her shoulder. With his other hand, he clasped the front of the joint. “This is going to hurt like nothing you ever felt.”
“Doubt it. I know a lot of ache.”
His chin nodded, and his gaze latched onto hers. Concern, and something else, some unreadable warmth, colored his intense stare. “Get ready to screech.”
"Don't let me scream. They'll think you're hurting me. You're not like them."
His lips tensed. "You don't know what I'm capable of."
She lifted her good hand to his chest; her fingers couldn't help but fall on the deep scar. "I don't want to sound weak to them or you."
"I won't let them hear. You ready for me to make this shoulder right?""
She nodded and counted, “One, two, three, four, ready.”
With a mighty shove, he snapped the joint back into place. The pop sounded like a china cup slamming against a rock. It deafened, but not enough to mask her howling.
Not that she could, not that she wanted him to stop, but, with his firm lips, he covered hers and caught all the remaining high notes of her scream.
The world grew black and inky, and his mouth stayed on hers, claiming her until she saw nothing at all.
Chapter Six: A Better Man
Gareth put his scope in his pocket and laid his hands at noon and three on the wheel. The setting sun had framed the right side of the ship, made making the water have a blood orange color. If red stayed in the water and away from the morning, they just might make it to Port Elizabeth without a horrid storm delaying them. Well, no more woman-made incidents. His brain filled with thoughts of Jonas’s stubborn nanny. Hopefully, there would be no Precious Jewell-made storms.
Three days ago, the girl fell into the ocean. Now she lay sick in his cabin with him and Mrs. Narvel taking turns caring for her. It was probably a good thing Precious was so bull-headed. Her fever had spiked pretty high before it broke, but she fought with all she had and then some. The girl warred hard against the ocean, and against him with the punch she’d delivered on the bow. That kind of fire comes from withstanding something horrid. What happened in the girl’s past? Would it always drive her to be reckless, running away in the middle of the night or dropping into an ocean?
Eliza never said anything of Precious's story, just that she couldn't do without her.
The wind blew hard, kicking his thin cravat into his chin. She’d lashed out wildly, slapping at him at the height of her sleep. It made sleeping next to her difficult, but far more interesting than being alone.
What was he to do with Precious Jewell?
Ralston marched up side him. “Captain, I can take over watch for you.”
He folded his arms and stared at the Judas who almost made his men turn against him. “Not too busy stoking rebellion to do your duties?”
A sheepish, almost boyish, grin peeked from underneath his mustache. He wrenched at his neck. “I’d like to blame things on the liquor, but that ain't it. I shoulda known you were still all man. Blast the rumors.”
The false rumors that a cannon blast had taken all his strength had persisted since war. Marrying Eliza and having an heir had squelched most of it, but now they appeared again. He turned and looked out at the vast ocean. Maybe focusing on the cold water would ease the volcano of anger ready to blow in his system. "Ralston, next time, I'm not going to give you any rope, unless it's about your neck."
The fool clapped Gareth's shoulder. “Dunkin’ me in the drink and taking that nanny woman, there is no more doubt about you now. I’ve done you a favor.”
He pivoted and squinted at Ralston. “I don't think I need those types of favors.”
“But the hellcat, she must make it worth it. I saw how you looked at her when you brought her on board, and then saving her. You know you wanted her, even if she works for you, even if she’s a
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