Taken by You by Connie Mason Read Free Book Online Page B

crew.
    Morgan chuckled to himself as he strode away. He hadn’t exactly been truthful with Luca. His men might want her, but they would obey his orders or suffer the consequences. After he had spoken with them this morning not one man among them would dare lay a hand on her without his permission.
    Luca watched him leave as the delicious aroma drew her to the tray of food. She had to keep up her strength, didn’t she? With that thought in mind she quickly devoured the contents of the entire tray, finding it amazingly palatable for ship’s fare. She had no sooner finished than she heard a discreet knock on the door. She watched in trepidation as the door opened without invitation and the first mate stepped inside, carrying a pitcher of water and a stack of soft cloths.
    “The captain thought you’d like some water. This the closest thing we can come to a bath. That will have to wait until we reach Andros.”
    Crawford set the pitcher down on the washstand and boldly assessed her. He wondered if Morgan had taken her last night. Judging from the captain’s vile mood, he assumed the virtuous little nun had managed to keep her virginity intact. It wasn’t like Morgan to lust after a Spanish slut, no matter how beautiful or desirable. Yet this little gray dove had Morgan tied in knots. It puzzled Crawford. He thought he knew Morgan better than any man alive, and it wasn’t like Morgan to deprive himself of something that was his for the taking, something he wanted desperately, as he obviously did this Spanish nun.
    “Is something wrong?” Luca asked, smarting under Crawford’s intense scrutiny.
    Crawford gave her a cocky grin. “Are you aware of what you’re doing to Captain Scott? Why don’t you surrender and save you both time and trouble? In the end he’ll have his way.”
    Luca bristled indignantly. “Surrender? No, never! I am a nun. To defile me is to defile God.”
    “God deserted Morgan when he needed Him.”
    Luca gasped aloud. “You blaspheme! How like die Godless English. You may tell your captain that I will fight him with my dying breath”
    Crawford shook his head. “No one need die. Sister. I am but warning you that Morgan isn’t a patient man, and ate crew prefers to have him happy. I prefer him happy.”
    “You can go to the Devil, Mr. Crawford!”
    “Where did you learn English? You have an excellent command of the language for a nun.” Like Morgan, he also suspected the fiery Spaniard wasn’t what she claimed.
    “I had excellent teachers at the convent. My studies began at age ten, and I found I had a natural affinity for foreign languages. I also speak a smattering of French and German.”
    “No wonder you intrigue Morgan,” Crawford intoned dryly. “Beauty and brains are rare in a woman. Are all nuns as well educated as you?”
    Was he baiting her? She couldn’t admit that her father had demanded that she be educated so as not to embarrass her future husband. Don Diego del Fugo was a very learned and powerful man who needed a wife as bright as she was beautiful. Don Eduardo had been generous to his only daughter in regards to her education.
    “I can only speak for myself, Mr. Crawford. Thank you for the water.”
    Crawford recognized a dismissal when he heard one, and he turned to leave. “Oh, by the way,” he added before he stepped through the door, “there’s a piss—uh—a chamber pot beneath the bed. You may use it. The cook’s helper comes in and empties it once a day.”
    Luca’s face flamed. In truth she was in desperate need of a chamber pot but was too embarrassed to ask the despicable Captain Morgan Scott for one. She wondered if Morgan had instructed Mr. Crawford to mention it. She did appreciate the water, though, for she hadn’t had a decent wash since she’d been abducted from the Santa Cruz.
    When she noted there was no bolt on the door, Luca did the next best thing. She wedged a chair beneath the door handle. Then she quickly washed, removing the upper part