Free Desire In His Eyes by Kaitlin O'Riley Page A

crossing. He regretted that encounter with her after he carried her to his cabin, and he was a man who rarely had regrets in that area of his life. The last thing he needed now was to be entangled with a woman like Juliette Hamilton. He had a little over a week left to endure before they reached New York, where he would send her safely back to London on the Freedom , one of his fastest steam packets with one of his most trusted captains. Then he would be rid of her.
    Then he could breathe easily once again. Only one more week to survive.
    There were too many issues that needed his complete attention. Once he returned to New York, he would meet with his shipping manager and then head straight to his new farm in New Jersey and see Melissa. His worry for her had continued to grow. He could only imagine the state she would be in by now. Annie’s last letter had been full of foreboding and Harrison sensed her frustration and concern in dealing with Melissa. He only wished he had answers or knew how best to help her.
    Now Harrison remained on deck watching the sky and enjoying the quiet solitude of the ship. Except for those on watch, most of his crew were below deck or already in bed and Charlie had the wheel for the night. Harrison would retire soon himself, but he felt too restless to go below just yet.
    He leaned over the mahogany railing and inhaled the bracing sea air as his elegant ship silently cut through the dark waves. Looking up at the sky, he noted that an eerie cloud ring had formed around the waning moon and he knew bad weather was ahead. Harrison could sense it, feel it in the very fiber of his being. He could smell the change in the air and had had it confirmed by the mahogany and brass barometer that indicated falling pressure, a sure sign of rain. Bad weather would only slow them down and cause difficult sailing conditions. If they were very lucky they would avoid the brunt of the brewing storm.
    And he’d be very lucky if he could avoid the dangerous little storm in his cabin.
    Who was this woman on his ship?
    Yes, he was acquainted with her family. Well, at least he had known Lucien Sinclair and Jeffrey Eddington for years. He had spent a few weeks at the Sinclairs’ beautiful home and had a few brief conversations with Juliette while in the company of others. He noted her remarkable beauty, for who could not? She was stunning, but he knew better than to become involved with a woman like that, and he had not sought her out. Nor had he sensed any overt interest on her part.
    Now, he couldn’t stop thinking about her. And to make matters worse he was responsible for her welfare and safety.
    From the second he found her on his ship, he was haunted by thoughts of her. He could not think straight. He had misplaced his maps and misread the barometer. He had been unreasonably short-tempered and quick to anger with his crew, barking at them for the pettiest of reasons. Robbie practically hid from him. Even Charlie had remarked on his foul mood and wondered at his distractedness. Just that afternoon Harrison had made a careless error in his calculations with the sextant, almost sending them off course. Harrison had laughed off his blunder, blaming his temporary and uncomfortable sleeping arrangements for his distractibility and foul humor.
    Although Harrison suspected the true reason for his bothered state rested deeper within him.
    Juliette Hamilton had somehow gotten under his skin, causing him to act out of character. He never had such a problem with a woman before, yet this one made him crazy with desire. She had only to look at him with those wild blue eyes and he became aroused. After their last encounter, when he had recklessly ripped open her shirt like some callous youth, he had to lock her in his cabin and give his key to Robbie to keep himself from her. The fact that he could not dally with her, made his plight that much more painful. Juliette was not a woman he could have. In any sense of the