Free Prisoner of Desire by Mary Wine Page B

but the hands on her confirmed it was very real. There was no safe sunrise waiting to free her from this horrifying event.
    "I said no!" Lorena stared at the man in front of her. He dropped the rope and faced her. She had to tip her head back to meet his gaze. His expression gave her no hope. It was set and hard. But worst of all, pity shone from his eyes.
    "My apologies, madam."
    His apologies? Lorena blinked, trying to overcome the shock. She shook with her rising temper.
    A person apologized when they were tardy for an appointment or clumsy with a tea service. The word was grossly misplaced during an abduction.
    "I shall not accept your apology, sir. Place me back in that boat. I insist" Her voice rose like a fishwife's, and she did not care.
    "You'll never make it back on your own."
    The sails crackled and filled. The ship jerked and began moving faster. The motion added more fuel to her temper.
    "I am not helpless—"
    "But you are also not endowed with the strength of two men either. Rowing against the current, I'd still worry about sending two of my men back to that fort. You would wash out farther within an hour. It would take days for you to die of exposure."
    "But.. .1 cannot remain here..." She couldn't, but for some reason it was becoming difficult to think. Her brain felt fuzzy and the strength was rising up out of her body like heat off a newly baked loaf of bread. She turned toward the rail and the little boat was already out of sight, the ship having pulled away from it. A hand caught her upper arm, pulling her back.
    "Unhand.. .me—"
    She turned to face him but a wave of dizziness swamped her. The deck kept spinning even
    though her feet felt planted firmly beneath her. A warm trickle of fluid touched her chest, followed closely by several more.
    "Jesus." Her captor grasped her neck, his hand closing all the way around her throat.
    But fear didn't flood her. Instead rage for all the things she had never experienced filled her.
    Lifting her gaze to his, she glared into his eyes,
    willing him to understand how much she despised him. Darkness swept her away, the last of her strength evaporating and leaving her helpless.
    "I didn't think you cut her that deep." Garrick lifted their sagging hostage up while Warren kept a grip on the wound oozing blood across her neck. Together they took her into his cabin where lanterns could be lit without being sighted by any royal navy ships searching for them.
    "I sure as hell didn't mean to. She's stronger than she looks." But that was only an excuse.
    Warren felt sweat pop out on his forehead. Bright red blood was seeping through his fingers. His impulse was to tighten his grip on the bleeding wound but he couldn't risk suffocating her. Self-loathing filled him.
    "She's a lively one." Ronan entered with his assistant trailing him. Warren was forced to scoot across his own bunk while Garrick laid his hostage down. His hand needed to remain against her throat if he didn't want to see her face in his dreams for the rest of his days. Killing men in battle was something he shouldered when necessary. He'd pressed his blade against her innocent neck, which made it his responsibility to control. She'd put up more of a fight than he'd ever expected from her bonnet-covered, glove-wearing appearance. She'd actually bitten him. One side of his mouth threatened to curve up in response. It was his Achilles heel.. .spirit. In a woman he found it irresistible.
    Which was grossly misplaced under the circumstances.
    "Ease up, Warren, and let me look at it." Ronan leaned over to peer at the wound. Warren felt his gut tightening when he got a good look at the amount of blood spilling down her neck, but
    Ronan's thumb caught his attention too. A deep wound marred the top of it. A gaping hole left by a thumbscrew. The surgeon would be lucky if he escaped infection, especially in the tropical climate rich in insects.
    Warren still battled against guilt as he watched Ronan work. Frustration drew