Free The Captain of All Pleasures by Kresley Cole

admit, with some pain. He dimmed a look of disbelief when the reason for the fight tumbled into the hall, followed by a behemoth of a man right at her heels.
    Her hair was falling out of its loose knot atop her head, and her cheeks were pinkened. Obviously she’d just dressed and raced down here. She was the type of woman, he thought unexpectedly, who looked beautiful when she first awoke.
    She took in a sharp little breath when she saw him standing next to the constable, but aside from her slight hesitation, there was no semblance of acknowledgment. She nodded to the man with her, who stayed behind as she walked right past Derek to go to Lassiter. The rejection was like a punch in the gut, only this bothered him much worse than the blows he’d sustained earlier in the night. In her mind, he didn’t warrant even a backward glance. So much for saving her.
    What could she possibly see in that American bastard? He supposed women might find the insufferable Yank not absolutely unappealing, but the man was old enough to be her father. Though if Derek were honest, he should wonder what a woman like that would see in himself. He scared many women. It wasn’t intentional. Some of it was due to his size, and probably a lot more to his attitude and reputation.
    But she hadn’t been afraid of him the night before.
    Derek stood motionless, ignoring the constable and the man planted behind him. He watched her walk down the wide corridor, slim shoulders back and heels clicking lightly along, until she escaped his vision. Then he heard her gasp. Probably, he thought with a smirk, because she’d seen all the damage he’d done to Lassiter’s face. When a soft sniffle followed, his thoughts sobered.
    What would it be like to have a woman feel his pain, to be so close that if he hurt, she hurt, too? To have a woman care for him enough to run anxiously to a jail before dawn just to be with him? He’d always known that something vital was missing in his life, but as he stood in that cold jail, his face beaten not quite as much as that bastard’s in the cell, the lack grew keen.
    There was a dull scrape across the floor as she moved a chair. Backing up a step, Derek could see her sitting before Lassiter’s cell. The hefty man behind him noticed his interest and made a growling noise, but Derek kept watching her. Even knowing she’d made her choice, he was enthralled with her dainty but purposeful movements. She was so intent on her protector, invisible to Derek in his cell, she seemed not to notice him staring.
    She put her hands over her eyes, and Derek thought with dread that she would cry. He wasn’t the type of man who was affected by a woman’s tears. His mother’s never moved him, nor had Lydia’s the last time she’d come to him for money. But here tonight, he didn’t know what he’d do if the girl wept.
    Thankfully, she didn’t. She dropped her small hands to her lap and knotted her fingers before she sighed sadly, “Oh, Father.”
    Father .
    The first woman he’d truly felt something with…was Lassiter’s daughter .
    Bloody, bloody hell.
    Unfortunately, it made sense. He hadn’t been able to find her at the Mermaid, and she hadn’t looked or acted like a prostitute that night. Well, she did kiss like a talented courtesan and responded like a wanton. But her bearing and accent were far from a doxy’s. Now he didn’t know if he should be delighted that she wasn’t a whore or cringe knowing that she was related to Lassiter.
    â€œWe’ll arrange for bail and have you out of here today,” she said to her father in a confident tone.
    â€œHow will you raise the money?” Lassiter asked slowly.
    She said nothing, only stared at the ceiling, the wall, straight past Derek in the doorway, back to the ceiling.
    It was as if Derek could see the sudden realization washing over Lassiter’s face, because after a pause,