Addicted to the Duke (Imperfect Lords #1)(28)
His heart seized on his next breath.
What would he do?
He’d think on that once this was all over.
Chapter 8
The next day, Hestia spent a pleasant afternoon helping some of the men wash and repair clothes. One thing about Alex, he expected things to be kept clean. He’d always been fastidious about, well, everything: clothes, house, carriage, horse. She remembered how on their trip home he stopped often to ensure he carried enough water on board to keep the ship, men, and clothes all spotlessly clean. Jacob would shake his head when he complained of dirt on the anchor chain. It was almost an obsession.
Like Alex, she too had a mission: to make him notice her in the most primitive way—as a sensual woman. Alex’s mission was to find her father. By the time they did that she hoped Alex would be smitten.
She’d make Alex fall in love with her, and perhaps then he would demand her hand in marriage from her father.
When Alex wanted something, nothing stood in his way. It was time she took control of her dreams instead of waiting for someone else to change her world. All she had to do was make Alex want her—for his wife. No mean feat when dealing with a notorious rake. One who’d avoided marriage as if it was the black plague.
Still, she thrived on a challenge, and this one would be a lot of fun.
A thought about her father entered her head. This time she would not sit back and say nothing. She would tell her father exactly what she thought of him and his desertion.
Still playing the words she would say to her father over in her head, Hestia entered the stateroom. A wave of disappointment swept through her at finding it empty.
Alone and able to stand and stare, she was even more impressed by the dignity of the room than when she’d seen it this morning. A magnificent Persian carpet covered most of the floor. The rug’s brilliant reds and blues added to the room’s vibrancy.
At the far end of the cabin stood a heavy claw-foot table, currently set up with her lunch. She moved further into the room fascinated by the table that dominated the other side of the wide stateroom. The large desk strewn with charts and maps contained one decanter of what she assumed was brandy and one of whiskey. Near the doors to the balcony at the rear were three high-backed leather armchairs that made the room look more like a prestigious gentleman’s club.
Making her way across the rug toward the table she spied the door on her right that would be Alex’s cabin. Hestia glanced left and right. This might be her only chance; the stateroom was virtually never left unattended. She stood biting her lip between her teeth and decided it was worth the risk of being caught. She took a deep breath and slipped into Alex’s cabin, hoping curiosity would lead to knowledge of the man she hoped to come to know.
She tried the door handle and to her surprise it was unlocked. Alex obviously didn’t keep anything of value in there. As she stepped inside, her mouth dropped open in surprise. No, he didn’t keep anything of value in there. He kept—almost nothing. The cabin was very spartan. His wood-framed berth was built into the bulkhead, draped like hers, with curtains to block out the light and keep heat in. There was only a washstand in the corner and a large leather sea chest by the foot of the bed. There was a door at the opposite end of the cabin that opened out onto another balcony, much smaller than the one off the stateroom. Hestia raised an eyebrow; for a duke and charming rake, he traveled light.
Hearing voices, Hestia quickly left the cabin and took her seat at the table, raising her teacup to her lips trying to look the picture of innocence.
She almost dropped the cup when Alex entered. She felt the flush of feminine desire seep into her bones.
He had been up on deck, for his hair was tousled. Suddenly her hands began to shake so much the tea slopped over the sides onto the table.
He still wore it. Her necklace.
Why had she not seen it that morning? She saw the outline of the shells under the fine linen of his shirt. He still wore her necklace. What did it mean?
His sea-green eyes stared at her, sending more heat through her body, pooling in her loins. Images from her dreams flashed before her eyes and her face turned scarlet, realizing he was far more potent than anything she could have imagined. She lowered her eyes to the table.
“Jacob tells me you’ve been very helpful this morning, thank you, but you don’t have to—”
“I like to help.” She had to put the teacup down, as her nerves would not settle. Excitement skittered through her. “It feels good to be useful.”
He nodded before moving across to the maps on the table. “I hope the weather holds.” He crossed to the desk and perused the maps. Over his shoulder he continued. “You will have all your meals here, but during the day the officers and I need this room to work. So you’ll have to stay in your cabin or up on deck—”
She interrupted him. “That’s all right. I’d prefer to spend more time up on deck anyway.”
Alex turned to her and rolled his eyes and sighed. “You will not leave the area around the quarterdeck cabins, nor wander the ship unless you’re accompanied by either me, David, or Jacob, is that clear?”
Hestia eyed him warily. He seemed to be in earnest. “Care to explain why I cannot roam freely? What are you not telling me?”
Alex leveled his steely gaze at her. Through gritted teeth he said, “You’re no longer a young girl, you are a woman. This ship is far larger than the schooner we previously sailed on. There are too many men on this ship, many that I don’t know. I can’t guarantee your safety if you wander about above deck.”