Rapture's Rendezvous by Cassie Edwards Read Free Book Online

jerked from his hold, with anger flashing in her eyes. “We shall never break our bonds,” she hissed. “Ours is an alliance of love.”
    Michael stormed away from her and grabbed his shirt to pull it on. “Can his love warm you at night?” he shouted. “Can his hands caress and excite you as mine can?”
    Maria's fists doubled at her side.-”You are filthy-mouthed, Michael,” she screamed. “How could I have let you touch me?”
    He laughed sardonically. “Because for a while there, you realized there was more to life than being a sister.”
    Maria flung her hair around her shoulders angrily, now realizing that she had left her hat on the top deck, lying beside the bunk. Now everyone aboard this ship knew that she was a female. A fear gripped her insides, remembering Alberto's warnings. She had wanted to be seduced by Michael… but not anyone else. . . . But at this moment, that was the least of her worries.
    â€œI'm getting out of here,” she said, buttoning the last button of her breeches. She hurried toward the door, but stopped to eye the apple and cheese slices, worrying about Alberto and what he had probably had to eatfor his evening meal. “Can . . . 1.. . ?” she whispered, begging with her eyes.
    â€œHell, yes,” Michael pouted. “Take it all.”
    â€œOh, thank you. Michael,” she murmured, scooping as much food into her pockets as was possible. Then she eyed Michael with a long, lingering look, again feeling the warm, pulsating between her thighs, knowing that no amount of anger she felt for him could ever make her hate him. She was in love with him . . . and would be . . . forever and ever.
    He moved toward her and secured the cork in the wine bottle. “Here,” he said, handing it toward her. “Take this also. It gets quite cold topside. But you already are aware of this, aren't you?”
    Tears sprang up at the corner of Maria's eyes. “Oh, Michael,” she whispered. “Thank you.” She tucked the bottle beneath an arm, picked up her violin case and stood aside as Michael unlocked and opened the door for her.
    â€œGood night, Maria,” he said, leaning to brush a kiss against her lips.
    â€œGood night, Michael,” she replied, then turned and began to flee down the long, dark passageway, being guided by only slight flickerings of whale oil lanterns positioned on each side wall.
    Moving onward, keeping her eyes forward, anxious to reach the steps that led upward to top deck, she suddenly stumbled against something sprawled at her feet. She leaned against the wall, feeling desperation rising inside herself when she looked downward to see what could be blocking her passage. Then a loud scream surfaced from the depths of her throat when she discovered it to be the body of Alberto . . . lying lifeless … in a fetal position . . . with blood gushing fromhis nose and mouth.
    Slumping to the deck, Maria let the wine bottle crash to the floor. She placed her violin case next to Alberto, then lifted his head to rest on her lap. “Alberto,” she moaned, rocking back and forth, with tears streaming down her face. “My sweet, sweet Alberto.”
    A sudden rush of feet brought Michael to her side. “Oh, my God,” he groaned, stooping to see how Alberto was. He checked his pulse. “He's just knocked out, Maria,” he said. “He'll be all right.”
    â€œWhy would anyone do this to Alberto?” she cried, feeling a part of her dying inside. She could almost feel his pain. She cradled him closer to her.
    â€œMany evil things can happen on a ship,” Michael said. “Come. Let's take your brother to my cabin.”
    â€œNo,” she snapped angrily, remembering the cruelty of Michael's words of only moments earlier about her love for her brother.
    â€œWhy not?” he snapped back at her.
    â€œMy brother and I have our own bunks. Up on top deck,”