Free Pirate of My Heart: A Novel by Jamie Carie

seemed perfectly happy to have John’s company. More happy and comfortable than with him. Jealousy, he decided, was a very unpleasant emotion. Not that John had any intentions toward her. John had been engaged for over a year and planned to marry Victoria at the end of the summer. Still, the more he tried to appear uninterested in his passenger, the more she haunted his mind.
    And worse still, the crew was noticing something was amiss with their captain. He’d caught more than one hastily turned gaze or stopped conversation when he entered a room. And he’d barked orders in a tone that spoke of the raw edge to his nerves. It was astounding. How could a mere slip of a woman turn him into someone he didn’t know? For the first time in his life, he felt like he didn’t belong in his own skin.
    The object of his thoughts laughed, causing his gaze to snap back down to her. John was leaning down and saying something close to Kendra’s ear. She looked up at his first mate with another laugh and joyous sparkle in her eyes. Dorian gripped the railing under his hands until his knuckles turned white. Why did he want to march down there and jerk her from John’s arm? Maybe he would.
    Before he had time to talk himself out of the madness he had reached the couple. Kendra jerked her head up and took a step back. Dorian realized he was breathing with a harsh sound coming from between his teeth . Get control, man! He unclenched his fists and demanded his body to relax. John watched him approach with raised brows and the quivering mouth of a suppressed smile.
    “Something amiss, Captain?” John looked at him as if to say, what in the world is wrong with you?
    Dorian pasted a smile on his face and attempted a light tone. “Nothing wrong, John. I just forgot that Smythe has the grippe and has taken to his bed. I’ll need you in the crow’s nest this evening.”
    John ducked his head and Dorian could swear his shoulders shook for a moment. When he looked back up he had his features back under control. “Yes, sir. Funny though, saw Smythe a little while ago and he seemed as healthy as a horse to me.” The corner of John’s mouth quivered.
    Dorian set his teeth. “It came on suddenly.”
    “Of course, Captain.” John looked down at Kendra. “If you will excuse me, my lady, duty calls.”
    Kendra’s gaze settled on Dorian with a perplexed crease on her brow, as if she knew something was not quite right but couldn’t put her finger on what it was. “Thank you, John. I always have a lovely time with you as my escort. And I am looking forward to meeting Victoria. She’s sounds wonderful.”
    John bowed his head at her then turned to Dorian and saluted. Dorian frowned at him. He never demanded his men salute and they knew it.
    Kendra sighed. “I suppose you are much too busy to play nursemaid to me, Captain, and I will have to return to my cabin.”
    Dorian had achieved his goal of getting her away from John, but found the idea of confining her to the cabin on such a nice evening unfair. It wasn’t her fault he couldn’t seem to behave as a person with a morsel of sanity. “Actually, I have a little time. It is such a fine evening. Would you care to allow me to escort you?” He held out his arm and found to his further discomfort that his heart was pounding with the fear that she would reject it. She stood there looking at him for a moment too long. He was just about to pull his arm back to his side where it belonged, when she reached out and clasped his arm, taking a step closer to him. “Why Captain, I apologize for the hesitation, it is just that you surprise me so. I was under the impression that you couldn’t abide the sight of me.”
    Couldn’t abide the sight of her? Was she daft? He couldn’t get the image of her from his mind. Of course, when he looked at the situation from her perspective it might appear he wanted nothing to do with her.
    Dorian put his other hand on top of her hand, the one resting on his arm,