His cock was thick, long, and hot, and he conquered her with it, seduced her with it, giving her exactly what she wanted. And exactly what she could not have.

It was raw, passionate sex. Lust tempered by far deeper emotions. Her gaze was riveted by the display of his clenching abdomen and the glistening length of his cock as it worked in and out of her with bril iant precision. The question of whether the memories of their first night together were embel ished or not was answered. Christopher St. John was an expert lover, even when rutting at a fevered pitch. He plunged high and hard, hitting that spot inside her that had her toes curling.

“Yes!” he growled when she whimpered in near delirium, his raspy voice fil ed with pure masculine satisfaction, his gaze hot as he watched her fall apart beneath him.

Dear God, he was devastating her, making her care when she couldn’t.

“No!” she cried, frightened by the feelings he evoked, her hands pushing ineffectual y at his straining shoulders. “Stop!” She beat at him with her fists until she penetrated his single-minded focus.

He thrust deep and stil ed, his chest heaving, his thighs quivering between hers.

“What?” he managed between labored breaths. “What is it?”

“Get off me.”

“Are you insane?” Then something flickered over his features, his gaze lowered. Before she knew his intent, his head dropped, his lips pressing a lingering kiss to her puckered scar. “Am I hurting you?”

Maria swal owed hard, her heart beating so desperately it felt like it could burst. “Yes.” He was kil ing her, breaking her.

“Christ.” His sweat-covered forehead pressed to hers, his harsh exhales gusting across her face.

Inside her, he throbbed. Her body, uncaring about anything other than climax, sucked at his cock, luring it deeper.

He inhaled deeply, then knelt on the edge of the seat and thrust his arms beneath her back, embracing her. He struggled to his feet with her clasped tightly to him, impaled on his rigid cock. How he made into the next room and the bed, Maria would never understand.

Christopher sat on the edge and then fel back, keeping her atop him. “You ride,” he said hoarsely. “Take your pleasure from me in a way that will not pain you.”

Maria nearly cried.

Her fingers clenched convulsively into the velvet counterpane. Who knew the infamous pirate could be so sweet, so caring? The fierce look on his handsome face reminded her of who he was—a notorious criminal who survived in a brutal underworld by his wits and lack of conscience. But here he was, subjugating his raging needs for hers…offering himself to her, to do with as she will ed…

“Maria,” he breathed, his hands on her thighs, his eyes staring up into hers. “Take me.”

Dazed by his generosity, Maria moved as if in a dream. She lifted, relishing the feel of the heavy length of his cock slipping wetly from her and the hiss of his breath between clenched teeth as she lowered again. Christopher remained stil , as he had promised, giving her the lead. The only movement he made was the ticcing of a muscle in his jaw.

She watched him as she rode him, enamoured with the sight of him. How beautiful he was! Even bruised and battered, he was a woman’s deepest, most wicked fantasy. His face—so angelic in its golden coloring and unrivaled perfection—looked enticingly devilish when unkempt. His body— long and heavily muscled—looked no less appealing when leaner. His eyes—those deep blue pools—were irresistible when fil ed with sexual promises and heated affection.

Her fingertips drifted across his brows, then brushed lightly along the lines of cynicism that fanned out from the corners of his eyes and mouth.

“Yes,” he crooned, holding her waist lightly to balance her. “Love me as you will .”

Maria bent and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips, soaking up the low groan he gave. This was the last time she would have him like this. The last time she would touch him in this manner and admire him naked. Even as her heart ached at the loss of what she wished they could have, she felt warmth blossom in her chest at the opportunity to say good-bye to him properly. When she left here tonight, she would have closure. It was why she had come, and she was grateful to leave with it.

So she took her time, her lips fol owing her fingertips as they brushed over every flaw. Every cut, scratch, and bruise. His big body twisted beneath her, the muscles in his arms bulging as his hands fisted in the counterpane, helpless to their passion. Just as she was.

“Maria!” he gasped as her tongue played with his nipple. “I must come, love. Come with me.”

She nipped him with her teeth and he cursed.

“Please!”

Her mouth covered his, her lips wet and soft against the firm line of his. Christopher groaned and thrashed more, twisting.

“I want this to last,” she breathed, never wanted to stop, never wanting to lose the feeling of him stroking inside her, plunging deep and hard.

“Take it,” he urged, the crests of his cheekbones flagged with high color. “Take me.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she nodded.

Her eyes slid closed as she pumped faster and stronger, plunging her cunt up and down his thick cock.

Christopher’s powerful body arched, his neck corded with strain, his hands steadied her as she fucked him frantical y, his golden head tossing from side to side as she rode him to the finish.

“Maria,” he moaned. “Maria.”

Bending at the waist, she took his mouth again, kissing him ravenously, her eyes stinging with the fervor with which he kissed her back. Her skin was so hot, feverish, covered in a fine film of perspiration. She ached to climax, to hear his cries, to feel him explode inside her.

Settling her hands on his chest for leverage, Maria lifted and fel in measured rhythm, feeling his great size stretching her, forcing her slick tissues to part and accept him. Her passion rose, her climax primed from his mouth and his blatant expertise. She was so wet with pleasure and desire that soft sucking noises fil ed the air.

Christopher moved with her in perfect timing, his hips rising to meet her every descent, fall ing on every ascent.

“Yes…Maria…dear God…yes!”

He thrust upward hard, his pelvic bone hitting her swol en clitoris, and she cried out in orgasm, unable to stop it, her body quaking around his wildly pumping cock.

He growled his triumph, and the sound flowed through her, making her come harder, her cunt spasming desperately as he joined her, spurting his seed deep inside her in hot, hard bursts.

She fel over him in a tangle of sated limbs, whimpering as he held her hips slightly aloft and continued to stroke his cock inside her until he was emptied.

Final y, gasping, he released her waist to clutch her tightly to his sweat-slick chest.

Maria pressed her fist to her mouth and stifled the sob that fought to leave her. She feared her feelings had already progressed too far. She wanted to remain like this forever, warm and safe in Christopher’s embrace. But how much of this was real? How much of this was simply an effort to achieve his goal? Was Christopher truly the haven he presented himself as? Or was he the means of her destruction?

There were too many questions and no definitive answers. With Amelia’s life in the balance, Maria could not take the risk.

And so she waited until his breathing was deep and even beneath her cheek, betraying his slumber. Then she extricated herself from his embrace and left the bed.

“FareWell,” she whispered, her gaze raking the naked, magnificent length of his frame before she turned her back to him and made her egress. The bedchamber door shut behind her with a soft click of the latch.

Stepping into her ruined gown in the sitting room with shaking legs, she col ected her blade and donned Christopher’s coat, refusing to breathe through her nose for fear of smel ing him. She would cry if she did, and there was stil some distance to be crossed.

She remembered nothing of her journey down the stairs and out the front door. Was she watched? Had she garnered an audience? Did Christopher’s lackeys witness her dishabil e? She did not know, and she did not care. She knew only that she maintained her pride.

Until she was safely ensconced in her carriage. Then she all owed her tears to fall.

The silence of the night was broken by the approaching clatter of horses’ hooves and the rhythmic sound of carriage wheels across cobblestones.

Mist hung low to the ground, chil ing the feet and legs of the man who hunched his shoulders and held his threadbare jacket close to his neck for warmth.

As the equipage rolled to a stop, the man stepped forward and peered inside. The interior of the unmarked coach was darker than the outside, effectively hiding the occupants.

“Two daughters,” he whispered. “St. John’s coves found the one. Young gel in Lincolnshire.”

“I require the direction.”

“When I works wiv a flash, I get paid.”

The barrel of a pistol appeared.

“Right, then.” He dug in his pocket and withdrew a grimy, folded sheet, which he held out. “If you read it, I’l tel yer if ’e got the way of it.”

A moment later, he nodded. “That’s it. Bobby is a peevy cul .”

A bag of coin was thrust out and grabbed with similar swiftness. “God love yer!” he mumbled with a tip of his hat, then he melded into the shadows and was gone.

The coachman urged the carriage on.

In the darkness of the interior, Eddington settled pensively into the squabs. “Bring me that girl before St. John takes her.”

“Yes, my lord. I will see to it.”

Chapter 15

A melia peeked around the corner of the house, her lower lip worried between her teeth. She searched for Colin in the stable yard, then heaved a sigh of relief when she found the area empty. Male voices drifted on the wind, laughter and singing spil ing out from the stables. From this she knew Colin was hard at work with his uncle, which meant that she could safely leave the manse and head into the woods.

She was becoming quite good at subterfuge, she thought as she moved deftly through the trees, hiding from the occasional guard in her journey toward the fence. A fortnight had passed since that fateful afternoon when she had caught Colin behind the shop with that girl. Amelia had avoided him since, refusing to speak with him when he asked the cook to fetch her.