Chapter One

1823 Sardinia

 

“Captain, it’s real curious, look over there,” Sam, the first mate on Reid’s ship, pointed to a small sailboat bobbing in the water, rocking to the swells of the waves while the wind whistled, and rain bombarded everything.

“It wasn’t there a few minutes ago.” Reid ran his hands through his hair, wondering about the vessel’s sudden appearance. He didn’t like surprises, which could mean danger.

“Nothin’ was there.”

Reid leaned over the bow of his ship for a better look. “Someone’s in trouble. There’s a person on the bow who’s not moving.” To Reid, the figure appeared to be an almost naked lady. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. “I’m going down.”

“She’s not moving, Captain.”

Reid threw the ladder over the side of the boat. Stepping quickly down, he landed on the deck then strode to the lady lying face down. Sitting on his haunches he watched her, amazed at the way the sight of her seemed to give a small jolt to his heart.

“What has happened to you, pretty lady?” he asked softly, wishing she would wake up. Good lord, but she wore… He didn’t have words to describe what he was seeing. A narrow strip of cloth ran between both halves of her bottom and the top covered her breasts, but in the position she was lying, in he could see her nipples and the entire swell of her breasts. He gulped a lungful of air as his body instantly responded to the evocative sight.

Touching two fingers to her neck, he felt the steady pulse. “Got to get you on board my ship before something else strange happens.” Slinging her over his shoulder and striding to the ladder, he tried not to touch anything he shouldn’t be touching, but the feat was impossible.

Swiftly, he scrambled up the ladder, managing to land on the deck with both feet without letting go of the woman he rescued. He didn’t want the crew to see her, didn’t think he should be seeing her, but there was nothing to do but take her to his cabin.

“Sam, go down and bring up any items she might have on the boat. Take Destiny Rose with you. I want everything, every bag you can find. The way it’s listing, the ship could sink any minute. Set the anchor though, we want to give it a chance to keep from blowin’ away.” He barked out more orders as he continued to the captain’s cabin.

He set the lady on the bed, studying her. Her short blond hair framed the delicate features of her face. He wondered if she had blue eyes, too, or an exotic color of brown.

After covering her body with a quilt, he poured himself a glass of whiskey and waited for her to wake up.

“Captain?” Sam pushed the door open and delivered one large bag and two smaller ones. “Here’s her things.”

“Did you look inside them?” Reid asked, grinning because he knew the answer.

“Of course not, Captain. Can’t say I’m not curious though. You should have seen the inside of that boat. So…ah, different.” Sam ran his hands through his hair, his eyes scrunching as he stared from the bags then back to him before roving to the lady on his bed.

“She deserves some privacy,” Reid said, but she sparked a whole lot of curiosity he wanted desperately to understand.

“Don’t know the circumstances and it’s none of my business, but it seems she wants to show the world all of her.”

“That’s right, you don’t know what brought her here in this condition. We’re going to have to wait until she wakes up to find out anything.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully while Sam backed from his cabin.

“Hope it’s soon.” Sam pulled the door shut behind him.

Reid sat down at his desk, flipping through ledgers then making notes. His mind wasn’t on his work though. He looked to the woman curled up on his bed, a slight smile on his face. Obviously, there were more questions than answers when it came to his interesting find today.

Once again, he tried to concentrate on his work. He would load tapestries in three days’ time. They were headed to London. He’d delivered tea, coffee and tobacco to the residents here. And now he guessed he would have a traveling companion…or not…on his way home.

Was she a native Sardinian? If so, why was she dressed or not dressed in such a bizarre fashion. Was she a victim of some crime? More questions needing answers swirled in his head.

A small moan emanating from the direction of his bed caught his attention. He looked up. She’d moved, pushing the quilt to her waist. The tiny top she wore slipped from one breast, baring it completely. He closed his eyes, realizing he was at this moment either in heaven or hell, couldn’t be sure though.

Covering her was imperative so he strode to the bed. When he stood over her, she opened her eyes. They seemed glassed over and hazy, almost as if she looked through him. He sat beside her, trying to draw the quilt to her shoulders.

She shrugged it off, reaching out to touch his face with her hand. “Sean… I thought you were dead.”

The slightest touch of her fingers on his face sent a wave of desire surging through him. Swallowing hard, “I’m not Sean.”

Her eyes seemed to cross. “I’m sorry, no,” she shuddered. “I guess you’re not but you look like him. You could be his twin.”

“Who is Sean?” He was suddenly more curious than when he first saw her, with a touch of jealousy surging through him.

“My fiancé a Navy Seal, but he’s MIA.” She pushed her hair away from her face, the quilt falling to her waist again. When she noticed how much she bared in front of him, she gasped and pulled the covering higher before meeting his gaze once more.

He wanted to tell her he’d seen practically all of her, knew every inch except the minutest details. “What is MIA?” He had two questions but he meant to take them one at a time.

“Missing in action. Who are you? And where am I? Everyone these days knows what MIA means.” She settled against the backboard, keeping the quilt high.

He mulled her words over for a second, deciding not to ask his second question but to give her an answer instead. “I’m the captain of this ship, Captain Reid Stewart. Obviously, you’re in the captain’s cabin of my ship, my cabin. There was nowhere safe to take you except here. I hope it doesn’t make you feel too uncomfortable.”

She seemed nervous as she picked at the quilt then looked at him again. “Where is my sailboat? I’m sorry. It’s just that this is all so weird. If you could lend me a shirt or something to put on over my swimsuit, I’ll leave.”

He couldn’t help but chuckle, not at her discomfort but her use of words. “You call what you’re wearing a swimsuit?”

“Well, I don’t wear it to swim but that’s what it’s called.” A soft pink color rose to her cheeks. Strange that she wasn’t embarrassed earlier.

“You couldn’t possibly swim in it.” But on second thought, it would probably be easier to swim in this suit than the ones women usually wore.

“My boat?” she persisted, a hint of anger in her voice.

“Your sailboat is anchored nearby and I suppose, when it’s safe, you can sail it away. The storm persists though and I wouldn’t want to leave you to navigate the churning waves and violent unpredictable winds.” He paused a moment, “I’d be happy to lend you one of my shirts, but when would you return it?”

“After I dressed. You could wait on my boat.”

“Your clothes are here, in my cabin. I had my first mate bring all the bags he could find on board. We were afraid your ship would capsize in the huge swells, or blow away.” He turned his attention to the window and the rain pelting it. This tempest wasn’t about to let up anytime soon.

“Why am I here? Or did you answer that already?” She looked to the door as if she wanted to race outside then pulled the quilt higher. “I see one of my bags.” She nodded in the direction of the door where Sam had set them down. “Could you…”

“Would you like something to drink?” he asked, pouring her a small glass of whiskey, his drink of choice.

“I suppose so.” She shrugged slim shoulders that still poked above the quilt she was hiding behind.

He handed the drink to her then sat down on the bed. “Let’s start at the beginning. You’re here because your boat appeared suddenly out of nowhere and you were sprawled unconscious on the bow. I climbed down to see if you were still alive. You were, so I brought you to a safe place. Now you’re awake and we’re having a pleasant conversation.”

“I don’t remember anything.” Closing her eyes, she rubbed her temples. “I don’t feel very well and even though I’m trying to get my bearings, the room won’t stop moving.” She tried to place her hands on the sides of her head but the covering dropped and she grabbed at it. “My head won’t cease its pounding.”

“It’s the head injury. You shouldn’t sleep for a while, so we’re going to have to keep talking.” He grinned, pleased with himself. “Talking to me.”

“I don’t remember,” she said softly, closing her eyes and looking thoroughly miserable. “Do you have anything for a headache? Any drug will do.”

“Nothing that will stop the ache.”

She looked around the room for a moment, clearly distracted by something but he couldn’t be sure.

“Do you want some food? Maybe that will help the pain, or water.” He was lost in this situation. Everything seemed just a bit off, but he didn’t know what it was. She spoke strangely and wore clothing he’d never seen before.

“Some food might help. Can you bring me my bags?”

“Do you have clothes in them? You might want to put something on. Although I like what you’re wearing…” He tried not to smile.

“I would never wear this in public,” she interrupted, the color staining her cheeks turning a brighter shade of red. “I thought I was alone and I was just tanning. I’m nearly naked.”

“I know. I do believe I’ve seen nearly all of you.” He couldn’t help the smile that burst from inside. “You’re beautiful.” Truly he didn’t know where his two comments came from. Of course she was beautiful and he was sure she knew it. He handed her the bags.

“I need to put more clothes on.” She looked at him as if she wanted something from him. “Then I want to leave on my boat.”

For some reason he wasn’t sure of, he didn’t want that to happen. “I won’t stop you if that’s what you’re afraid of, but I have to insist you wait until the storm has passed. I rescued you and I consider you my responsibility.”

“Thank you.” She continued to stare at him.

“Oh, you want me to leave.” Trying for nonchalance, he crossed his arms over his chest while he leaned against his desk. It wasn’t his normal behavior, but he liked teasing her.

“That would be nice,” she told him, pulling items from one of her bags and inadvertently letting the quilt slip again.

Nothing she pulled out looked like normal clothing any respectable woman would wear. He didn’t move for a few seconds then unable to help himself, he sat down on the bed again and picked up several items of apparel. Turning them over and letting some of the tinier pieces slide through his fingers, he decided he liked the way they felt and would have loved to see her wearing them.

“Could you leave?” She let out a breath of air it seemed she’d been holding. “Please.”

“What?” he grinned, “Why? As I’ve just told you, I’ve seen nearly all of you.” He wasn’t sure why he was being perverse. This wasn’t like him. Angry with himself, he stood. “I’ll be back with something for us to eat.”

“Make sure you knock,” she shot at him as he left, closing the door quietly behind him.

He leaned against the door, closing his eyes, trying to absorb those few minutes he had with her. His heart pounded and his breaths seemed to have turned to small pants. He still had more questions than answers. Pushing away from the door he strode to the kitchen.

“Destiny?” He looked around but the cook was nowhere to be found.

“Captain?”

“Sam. Where’s Destiny?”

“That’s the strangest thing. He went down to the sailboat to make sure we retrieved everything that was important and…”

“And…” Reid prompted, a small tick in the back of his throat told him he wasn’t going to like what Sam was about to tell him.

“And a streak of lightning flashed then a huge whirlpool opened up and… And everything is gone.” Sam was waving his arms around, gesturing wildly. “Just like that boat appeared, it disappeared.”

“So, she can’t leave on her sailboat.” He wasn’t entirely sure why he liked that fact, but he did. He wanted her to stay around for a few more days or weeks, possibly longer. She captivated him, touched his heart in a way no one else ever had.

“She wants to leave? Where she going in a storm with no boat?” Sam’s question was blunt and to the point.

“Did we imagine the boat?” he asked, suddenly needing to look in his cabin to make sure he didn’t imagine the lady but decided against it. “I’m grabbing some food from the kitchen. Let me know if anything new happens or if you see Destiny.”

Returning to the door, Reid paused, hand in the air. Inhaling a deep breath, and feeling suddenly insecure, he knocked. “Can I come in now?”

She didn’t answer but opened the door, a smile on her face. Staring into his eyes, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I thought you were going to get dressed?” He strode through the room to set the food he pillaged from the galley on the table. “Look at you, barely wearing anything again.” He wasn’t angry even though he understood he sounded that way. She could parade her curves and beautiful body around him anytime she chose and he wouldn’t complain.

“I did dress.” She stood beside him, picking up a chunk of bread and a slice of cheese.

Needing a moment of thinking time, he changed the direction of his thoughts, “Sorry this isn’t a real meal, but cook seems to have vanished with your sailboat.” He sat down, unable to stop looking at her and the lack of clothing. Indeed, he had nothing more he could possible say on the issue of her apparel.

She found a chair, sitting, the smile vanishing. Then, blinking a few times, “My boat is gone? How am I going to get back to land?”

“I’ll take you when the storm subsides. Not safe now.” He spoke through bites of food he picked off the platter. His gaze focused on her, on her ever so long, slender yet well-muscled legs.

“I’m going to have to pay for it and I don’t have enough money for that.” She downed the whiskey he poured for her earlier then held her glass out seeming to ask for more.

“Slow down, I’m not understanding anything here. You don’t make sense.” He downed his glass of whiskey and filled both glasses again.

“I rented the boat and if I don’t return it, I’ll have to pay for it. I only have enough cash for the rest of my vacation, hotels and such unless my friend, Olivia, gets the villa she’s renovating to a point where we can live there.”

“People rent sailboats? Around here? Since when?” he asked, settling into the chair behind his desk with a plate of food. He wasn’t sure if she was sane, yet she was beautiful. He could get used to all the strange things she said and did. What she wore certainly couldn’t even be considered pants. They ended just below her well-shaped derrière. And the top she wore molded to her breasts like a second skin; the neckline was edged with lace as well as the bottom, which ended above her waist.

He grinned and ate a piece of cheese before sipping the whiskey. Bloody eyes but he could see her navel. She had a tiny waist and large beautifully shaped breasts, although he suspected she’d never worn a corset a day in her life.

“Just this afternoon,” she replied indignantly, hands on her hips.

“Impossible. Why don’t you start telling the truth?” He drummed his fingers on the table and was surprised when he noticed tears in her eyes.

“Are you calling me a liar?” she blurted out.

“Of course not, it’s just that…well, well…no, whatever you say.” He was tongue-tied.

Seemingly indignant, she brushed the tears away with the back of her hands. “This is the truth. Why don’t you try being a gentleman?”

“There is no place on this island that you can rent a boat, and I’d be shocked if there are any villas anywhere on Sardinia to be bought. Nothing on Sardinia needs to be renovated.”

“Everything needs renovation and almost all the villas are empty. What are you talking about?” she shot back at him.

“Then we’re speaking of two different places.”

“I just came from the town of Ollolai. I drove down to the bay, rented a boat and was enjoying the day when the storm hit. The boom hit me in the head, and I woke up here.”

He poured her another glass of whiskey then filled his. Shaking his head, disbelief in everything she told him settled in, but she spoke as if she described some other place and she sounded so sincere. He’d always been good at deciphering truth from lies but this time, with this lady, he had no idea. Everything she said sounded genuine.

“I’ll take you there tomorrow if the weather is good. I don’t know what you mean by drove but we’ll have to ride donkeys to navigate the steep trails.” The expression on her face turned to horror.

“Donkeys?”

“That’s the only way up to Ollolai.”

She waved her hand in the air, shaking her head at the same time. “No, we can take my jeep. I’m not riding a donkey. No way in hell.”

He shrugged, at his wits end, having no idea what was left to say. The conversations they had since she woke were bizarre, and they didn’t seem to end in resolution. “Suit yourself.” There was no reason to argue or disagree. She’d discover the truth tomorrow when they rode into the bustling town on donkeys.

He decided to change the conversation to something that couldn’t be disputed. “I’m the captain of this ship, the Aina. Aina means joy and that’s what this beautiful ship gives me when it cuts through the water, dolphins playing alongside, wind filling the sails. For several years, I was in the British navy.”

“I don’t know your name or perhaps I forgot it.” She poured herself more whiskey, swirling the liquid in the glass then seeming to study him as she peered over the rim.

He wasn’t sure but she either drank a lot or she was just as confused about this conversation as he was. If he didn’t stop her, she was going to wake up with a blinding headache. “Reid Stewart. Captain Reid Stewart.”

“I’m Taylor Maxwell.” She held out her hand.

He took it in his, felt a jolt of passion, or perhaps lust was a more appropriate definition, surge through him and quickly let it go. “You from Sardinia? You speak nearly perfect English with very little accent. Although it seems more like an American accent.”

~ * ~

Taylor studied her self-proclaimed rescuer carefully. Time and again he subtly accused her of lying then distinctly told her about things that weren’t true. Ollolai was not populated and one could rent a boat. Hadn’t she just done that? And she drove down to the bay on a dirt road in her jeep. Didn’t she?

“My home is America, Oregon to be exact,” she told him, daring him to dispute that fact and he didn’t disappoint.

“Oregon is a territory where only a few inhabit, besides the natives of course. I believe Lewis and Clark led an expedition there only twenty years ago. I also know there is a fort there, but I’ll bet you your villa that no one wore clothes like that.” He pointed to her.

His words struck her hard. Gasping for breath, she sat down. “What did you just say?”

“Twenty-two years ago Lewis and Clark settled at the mouth of the Columbia River. Is that what you wanted me to repeat?”

“Yes, something like that.” She set her glass on the table hard, staring out the window a second in an attempt to get back her bearings.

He refilled the empty glass. “Are you going to get muzzled?”

“If that means smashed, yes. What year is it?” She didn’t want to ask the question and she certainly didn’t want to hear the answer either. She pinched herself to see if she was alive or at least not dreaming. By his math, it was eighteen twenty-three but that just wasn’t possible.

“If you get drunk, I’m not going to be responsible for your actions, or mine,” he told her. Regarding her lazily, his gaze rested on her, especially the space above her shorts and below the skimpy tank top.

She pulled it down. “I’ll accept all responsibility for my actions. Always have and always will.” Her bag was still sitting on the bed. She rummaged through it and pulled out an oversize shirt. Putting it on she said, “It’s getting a bit chilly.”

He looked at her as if he was saying you just figured that out. “The sun has gone down but it’s still warm. You don’t have to cover up for me. I like looking at your bare skin.”

Was he challenging her? Well, if her guess was right, men were scum everywhere. “I felt a slight chill. Maybe it was the blow to my head. Perhaps it was the way you were looking at me.” As if he wants to devour me.

“Maybe it’s the whiskey.”

“That too,” she told him, abruptly sitting down. “I should probably eat something.”

“Not a bad idea.” Looking out the window, he said, “The rain has stopped and the clouds have cleared. Would you like to walk on the deck?”

“After I eat.” She coupled a piece of cheese with a slice of bread, wishing for peanut butter or something else, anything to smear on the bread. Mustard would be nice.

“That walk?” he asked again.

“By myself, yes,” she said, wondering if he would allow something like that. Yet in a way she didn’t understand, he helped her forget about her fiancé. She liked this man and the way he smiled when he looked at her.

“Not possible.”

“Why ever not?” She wanted to scream it’s the twenty first century, but she knew first hand just how despicable men could be in that time. And she’d also guessed that she was no longer in the twenty-first century even though every part of her told her this wasn’t possible. He had to be lying to her, but she could think of no plausible explanation for that.

“Not safe,” he told her as his fingers drummed the table all the while he watched her. “You have to take me with you or you can’t go. It’s as simple a fact as anything.”

“That’s autocratic.”

“I am the captain.” He grinned shamelessly as he stood and gallantly offered his arm to her. “I enjoy giving orders.”

“Most men do,” she said bitterly, remembering the man who thought he had the right to her body just because he was her boss.

“For the moment I’ll ignore that, but I would like to know what makes you so jaded about men.”

She picked up another piece of bread and inhaled deeply, reminded of all the reasons why she traveled to Sardinia. One of those reasons stood beside her: tyrannical men. Men who thought they could take what they wanted without asking.

“It’s not your business,” she said curtly, trying to get over the fact she was attracted to him. She’d travelled halfway across the world to forget that man and what he expected in return.

“As your captain it is my business. I need to understand what could go wrong and why.” They stood at the door, seeming to wait for something.

“A man tried to take what I didn’t want to give just because he thought he could,” she blurted without thinking.

“Why did he think that? No man should take from a woman what she doesn’t want to give.”

“He was my boss.”

“Boss? Did you provoke him?” He looked at her clothing as if suggesting it might be her fault.

She realized he would accept different standards of dress if this were the nineteenth century. “Of course not and I wasn’t wearing shorts. I was dressed in very severe office clothing that covered almost every inch of me.” She smiled inwardly, realizing those words might baffle him.

“Is that what you call these? Shorts?” He starred pointedly at that item of apparel. “I like them on you.”

She didn’t want to admit anything to him just yet, and she had no idea what he might be thinking. In any case time travel wasn’t possible. It only existed in fiction. He was just acting but he was damn good.

“I don’t have anything you might consider acceptable clothing. For the most part, I took the bare minimum to the sailboat. I was going to be alone for a few days. I didn’t need very much.” She now possessed only a few changes of clothing and minimal underwear. Her makeup was in a separate case, which had been brought aboard, as well as her purse with her ID and cellphone.

“What do you think I consider acceptable? Like I said before, I like your shorts and this top. The color suits you, and I also like to see a little cleavage. Just enough to make me curious.” Gently he touched her lips with a callused fingertip.

She appreciated the way his touch sent a spiral of heat inside. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You said you had a fiancé. What war was he missing in action?”

She realized he wouldn’t accept her answer unless he was beginning to accept the truth. “Iraq. The Iraq war.” She tilted her head slightly, trying to read his reaction.

“Never heard of it, that war. Never heard of the country,” he told her, implying she was lying again.

What she did know was that the country was not titled Iraq until 1922. “Well, it’s part of the upper Mesopotamia and the Syrian Dessert and Arabian Dessert. Have you heard of those?” She didn’t mean to be sarcastic. Slowly, she was beginning to feel differently about this man.

“The territory sounds like a British holding to me. Is your fiancé British?”

If her worst fears were correct, she truly had travelled back in time. Just ask him what year it is, fool. Confirm what you’re thinking. He might just be joking about the Lewis and Clark bit. “Perhaps and no.”

“Why would Americans fight a war on British land?”

She didn’t understand his tone. She decided for the truth as she knew it in her time. “Terrorists and nine eleven.”

His heavy sigh gave her second thoughts and brought her closer to her conclusion. “Can we go for that walk now?”

“I’d like that.” She needed a diversion from this conversation.

“Let me send my men below.”

“Why?” She wanted to hear the words from him but if her guess was right, men weren’t used to seeing women’s legs unless they were having sex with them.

He coughed, “Because I don’t think you’d be comfortable if they were staring at you, at your, at…”

“My butt? Or my breasts? Or perhaps my navel?” Once again she snapped at him and he was only trying to be nice to her. He hadn’t asked for anything from her, for the most part had only been courteous.

This time it wasn’t a cough. He choked. “That was a bit graphic.” Then he tossed his head back and laughed. “Are you always so blunt?”

“Just telling it the way it is. If you have something, I can…wait.” She rummaged through her bag and found a skirt she used as a cover up. It was semi-shear but with the darkening night, no one would get an intimate view of her or clothing they probably never saw before. She wrapped it around her waist and fastened it.

“That’s a little better.” He told her, grinning. “But if you’re going to be honest, I should too. I liked your clothes better without the skirt.”

“Of course you did. You’re a man.” She laughed at his look of chagrin, which lasted only a second. Then he smiled and it touched her heart even though the grin was arrogant and all alpha male. She knew he appreciated her well-toned body and large breasts.

“I’m certainly glad of that fact. Don’t believe I would do well as a woman.” He opened the door for her and waited for her to exit.

She didn’t know why but she accepted his arm when he offered it to her. Sean used to do that and she loved to walk beside him. “In too many ways to count you remind me of my fiancé.”

“Why is that? Besides the fact I look like him.” They stopped at the railing on the starboard side near the bow.

His hand settled on her shoulder and she took comfort in that small gesture. “Yes, you do look like him, and your voice is similar. I…”

“He is missing in Iraq. Does that mean you’re waiting for him?” His voice turned husky and inquisitive.

She was, even when she was told he was most likely dead. “It’s been over a year. All of the men with him were killed. No one, not even the Navy, believes he’s alive.”

“Do you?”

“Before I left for Sardinia, I came to terms with his death and I made the decision not to wait for him to miraculously be found alive.” If she now lived in another century, she would never see him again. Waiting was ridiculous.

“I’m glad to hear that,” he told her, his fingers gently massaging her neck muscles. “Is this alright with you?”

“The massage? It’s heavenly.” She liked the way he asked, the way he teased yet treated her gently. She reminded herself he wasn’t anything like her boss, ex-boss. This man wouldn’t take anything from her or assume he could.

“You’re hard to resist. You’re smart and beautiful. You make me laugh when you say the strangest things. I have more questions for you than answers. America must have very interesting women.”

She felt the warm touch of his lips where his fingers had just been. Sudden heat swept through her, infusing her with hope for love and a future of happiness. It had been such a long time since she’d felt this way.

Mourning for her lost love had sent her into a spiral of despair and depression. She turned in his arms, suddenly gazing into his eyes. In the moonlight they seemed to sizzle with desire and passion.

“We should go inside,” she told him, realizing if she gave in and let him kiss her, it might lead to something more than she was ready for with him. Twenty-three and a virgin, she and Sean had made a pact of celibacy until their wedding night. It had been easy because he shipped out soon after their short engagement.

Reid Stewart reminded her of her lost love and the fact they never acted on that love. It was something she regretted for the year he’d been missing. She no longer lamented that act of abstinence because she had found an instant attraction to this man, and in time, she was more than willing to give him her virginity, just not tonight.

“But the moon is shimmering and the night is warm.” One of his hands wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She felt his hard arousal against her and knew he wanted her.

“I don’t trust myself with you. I don’t fall into anyone’s bed the first day I meet them,” she told him and knew there was a greater chance these impulsive feelings could quickly change to sex. Before she let him make love to her, she needed to know more about him and where exactly she was.

He chuckled softly. “Again your honesty amazes and intrigues me. I don’t know any other woman who would be brazen enough to imply they wanted to make love or they were even thinking about it.”

“Is it shameless here for a woman to tell a man how she is feeling?” She knew it was in any other century but her own. Even then many women did not speak of their feelings and needs. Men still assumed control.

“Americans are different,” he told her. “But since you admitted feelings for me, could I plead my case for a kiss, a chaste kiss, well maybe not too chaste.” He pushed her hair behind her ears, his hands settling gently on her face.

Unable to help herself, she moistened her lips and leaned into him at the same time. His mouth settled softly against hers. She opened for him, accepting the tantalizing warmth of his breath before feeling his tongue touch hers. In the back of her throat she moaned, accepting all he gave. One hand now resting on the small of her back, he drew her closer to him.

Her breaths came in short intervals. When he looked at her, she knew she craved more but also told herself she didn’t want him to think she gave herself to anyone or everyone who kissed her.

In his arms, she turned in a slight effort to distance herself from him and regain a tiny measure of composure. This was happening too quickly. In a rush, she found she was falling in lust with him. She’d only felt this way once before and that was with Sean. It had been incredibly hard to remain chaste with her fiancé when she craved intimacy.

“That was enough for one night,” she told him, running her hands along his arms, wishing her life was more stable.

“Never enough but I’ll abide by your wishes.” His hands now rested on the bare skin at her waist and she realized with the slightest invitation from her, he would explore higher, perhaps slip his large, calloused hands beneath her top.

“You told me you were in the Navy. A captain perhaps?” She needed to discover more before sex kept her from thinking rationally.

“I was, but I didn’t fight in the War of 1812.” He moved his hands a bit higher until they rested just beneath the swell of her breasts, “I was too young for a commission.”

“Did your family buy you one?” she asked, curious about the workings of the British government and trying to find out more about the time. She told herself she had to keep her mind on the questions and not where he explored.

“No, a friend of my family bought the commission with the provision I work for him once my duty to my country was done.”

“What do you do for him, this man who helped you become a captain?” She laughed, understanding he wouldn’t appreciate her question.

“If I told you I’d have to kill you.” He trailed kisses down the back of her neck in what she assumed was an attempt to distract her.

“You’re a spy.”

“I can’t answer that,” he said as his teeth slowly seduced, leaving an impression as they investigated. She shivered, succumbing to his seduction of her.

“Doesn’t matter if you deny or confirm. I’ve no interest in anything secretive.” If he were on a mission on this tiny island…well, she couldn’t imagine unless he was after a person. Perhaps she was more interested than she let on.

“Earlier you spoke of an office and a boss. Seems strange. Women work in America?”

“Whatever I told you, you wouldn’t believe me and I don’t want you to think I’m lying to you.” Nothing she told him about her work would be believable to him. She was a graphic artist who specialized in advertisements, emphasis on the internet and social media. She could tell him she drew pictures.

“Try me.” He wrapped one arm around her and leaned against the railing with his other arm.

When one door closes, another one opens. For the first time since Sean left, she felt protected and safe. More than anything she wanted to tell him what he asked but… She didn’t want to find herself committed to some insane asylum.

“You have no faith in me?”

“It’s not that…” she paused.

“What is it then?”

~ * ~

Destiny Rose jumped from the rope ladder onto the bow of the sailboat. She didn’t know why she was so curious about the vessel and the lady they found, but she felt from the first moment she saw her something was different. She must have known her. Had this woman been sent to her? Was she supposed to weave a tapestry for Reid and this lady? Intrigued, she had been determined to see the boat for herself and was reminded of something she’d forgotten, a life in another time.

Slowly she walked into the main cabin. No one on Reid’s ship knew the cook was a girl, no one except the captain. Over the years he’d made so many concessions for her, she felt as if she owed him her independence. She smiled. He protected her privacy for years and she didn’t doubt he would continue.

One reason and one reason alone forced her to masquerade as a man. Her stepfather had abused her for years. When she was old enough, she ran away. An advertisement for a ship’s cook caught her attention. With the help of a friend, she wrapped her breasts, cut her hair and approached the captain to ask for a job. She never thought…well there had never been a deserving lady in the captain’s presence before.

She walked into the galley of the lady’s ship. The small kitchen contained things she’d never seen before. The stove was different and she opened a door to a small box. It was cold inside. A container labeled milk sat on one of the shelves as well as wrapped cheese and turkey slices.

There were others things she couldn’t define or explain, yet something niggled in the dark recesses of her brain, some memory that wanted to get out but couldn’t. Starting for the stairs, ocean swells rocked the boat. She scrambled to keep her footing while hanging onto a table that was bolted in place.

“Bloody eyes,” she murmured. “I’m not supposed to be down here. What if the captain finds out I’m snooping? Damn, I’m…a dream spinner.”

Lightning slashed across the sky and thunder drummed in her ears. The vessel began to turn on its axis, swirling faster and faster with each passing second. Destiny Rose lost her balance. Her head hit the floor hard. She heard the crack then nothing more except a roaring in her ears.

When she opened her eyes, sunshine filled the tiny cabin. She pressed her hands to her temples, trying to ease the pain throbbing through her head. Slowly, she found her way to the deck.

The sky was a vivid blue with a few clouds lying close to the horizon. Reid’s ship was nowhere to be seen although the sailboat sat in the same cove. She didn’t know how to sail a boat, didn’t have any idea how to get to land.

Would Reid sail without her? Good lord, she hoped not. She’d have to find another job and she’d have to find another man she could trust.

Another boat passed by and she waved at it, hoping someone would rescue her. It made a turn, heading her way. Watching the sails come closer, she held her breath, praying for her safety.

“Can we help?” someone from the boat asked as it pulled up close. “You look stranded.”

“I’m lost. Yes, stranded,” Destiny admitted, shrugging her shoulders as she tried to assess this man who seemed to be offering aide. “Can you take me somewhere, a city close by?” While she’d made several trips with Captain Stewart, she’d never been on the land, never left the boat. She had no idea what Sardinia offered.

“Sure thing, I’ll take you to Ollolai. You know anybody there?”

“No,” she was shaking her head and wondering what she would do to survive. “I can cook. Does anyone need a cook?”

“I know someone. Climb aboard.”