The Pirate Prince by Connie Mason Read Free Book Online Page B

recoiled in fear. His eyes were the gray of storm clouds, his mouth flat and unsmiling.
    “Are you hurt?” he asked.
    She shook her head, unable to find the breath or words to answer.
    He held the candle aloft so he could observe her more closely. Hot color flooded her face as he stared at the purple bruises on her breasts.
    “I will kill him,” he ground out.
    He set the candle down and walked to the washstand. He returned shortly with a wet cloth and pot of salve. Her gaze never left his face as he washed the scratches marring her pale breasts.
    “The scratches won’t leave a scar,” he said through clenched teeth. “Such loveliness should not be abused. Abdul shall feel the bite of the whip for this night’s infamy.”
    His fingers upon her were gentle. His touch warmed her skin, sending bolts of feeling clear down to her toes.
    “Whatever possessed you to leave the cabin tonight? Obviously, I failed to impress upon you the danger that exists from my crewmen. They haven’t had a woman in months.”
    “I did not think,” she whispered. “I awakened after a threatening dream and needed air. The hour was late. I thought no one would be on deck to see me.”
    His voice was ripe with reproach. “There is always someone about.” His silver gaze lingered on her breasts. “Are you bruised elsewhere?”
    Her face reddened. “I d-d-do not think so.”
    His heated gaze swept over her. Suddenly his expression tautened and he brought the candle closer. Before Willow could protest, he loosened the scarf that held upher trousers and pushed them down far enough to expose the scratches Abdul had put on her stomach.
    His eyes blazed with raw fury. “Do you realize how close you came to being raped? What good would you be to me then?”
    Willow’s wits returned, and with it her anger. “What about my feelings, my pain? Do they mean nothing to you? You measure my worth in terms of my usefulness to you. I am only important to you because I can be bartered for someone you care about.”
    Dariq’s hands shook as he applied salve to the abrasions on Willow’s stomach and breasts. Her flesh was warm and firm beneath his fingertips; the thought that her soft white flesh had been defiled by one of his men brought a kind of madness to him. Such beauty was not for the eyes of a common man like Abdul.
    With marked reluctance, he brought the sheet up to Willow’s neck, bade her good night and turned toward the door.
    “Where are you going?”
    “To see to Abdul’s punishment.”
    “Tonight?”
    “I see no need to wait.”
    She swallowed hard. “Stay with me until I fall sleep.”
    Dariq searched her face. “You are frightened.” It was a statement, not a question.
    “I… suppose. I am not a coward, but—”
    He interrupted before she finished her sentence. “I never thought you were.” He came closer. “Very well. I will sit with you until you fall asleep. Abdul can wait until tomorrow. This incident proves that women do not belong on a pirate ship,” he muttered as he settled down in a chair.
    Willow turned on her side to face him. “I agree. If youset me ashore at the nearest port, I will find my own way home.”
    “I would if I could, beauty, but I need you.”
    Willow glared at him and rolled over, facing the wall. Dariq’s gaze traced the enticing curve of her back and hip beneath the light cover and wished himself in bed with her. Covering her scratches with salve had nearly unmanned him. The woman was truly a houri. She lured him with her delicate scent, her beauty and her innocence—an innocence he was beginning to deplore. If she were not untouched, he would have her now, this instant. Gritting his teeth, Dariq reminded himself again why Willow’s innocence was important to him and tried to ignore her.
    Willow woke before dawn. The candle had burned out, leaving the cabin in eerie predawn light. A tall, broad-shouldered figure rose from a chair. With the languid grace of a sleek tiger, Dariq stretched