Free Her Pirate to Love: A Sam Steele Romance by Michelle Beattie Page A

Steele’s rant, it made him realize he was protesting too much. Clearly the whole lot of them had gotten the wrong impression. “She’s my responsibility, that’s all.”
    “Of course, Captain.”
    “Then wipe the damn smirk off your face before the rest of them see it. I’ll be below.” He scowled at every man who dared look at him as he raised the hatch to his cabin.
    He’d no sooner placed his feet on the decking of his cabin than an appreciative whistle rang through the room. He stopped cold.
    Grace was sitting on the bed and her face, ears, and the length of her neck flushed brighter than the parrot’s red head. She looked horrified. Jacques, on the other hand, wore the same infernal smirk Aidan had a moment earlier.
    “It was Carracks!” She hurried to explain, inexplicably bruising his pride. “And I swear on me brother’s grave, I wasn’t the one to teach him.”
    Steele held up his hand. The moment Samantha had taken Luke Bradley aboard her ship and subsequently married him, the man had started teaching the bird an entirely different vocabulary. Since she passed the bird to Aidan four years ago, Steele had overheard the boy adding to it on more than one occasion.
    “I don’t hold you accountable for what the bird says. He’s had years of Luke’s and Aidan’s teachings.”
    Squawk . “Luke is handsome. Luke is handsome.”
    Steele peeled off his coat and tossed it over the cage.
    “I-well—” She placed a hand over her stomach as her eyes darted from him to Jacques and back again. “Despite me present condition, I don’t make a habit of throwing meself at men.”
    He’d already figured as much and it wasn’t her words which held him captive. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from her hand. He remembered placing his own large palm on Catherine’s belly and wishing for the babe to hurry and grow so he could feel it move. When he’d finally felt Caden stir for the first time, he’d felt like a god.
    He shook his head. Grace wasn’t his wife and it wasn’t his child she carried.
    Jacques pushed his chair away from the table. “If you’ve no further need of me?”
    “You can return to your duties.”
    Steele took his crewman’s empty seat at the table. Not only was it an appropriate distance from Grace, it was a safe one as well. He’d seen the gash she’d left on Isaac’s cheek. While he had no intention of attacking Grace, he’d nevertheless witnessed her temper and his next words were going to fuel it.
    “I promised you safety on board my ship and yet Isaac slipped in and you were almost hurt. It won’t happen again.”
    “I don’t hold you responsible for his actions. Besides, ’tis thanks to the knife you gave me I was able to defend meself.”
    “You shouldn’t have had to and I will ensure you never have to again. From now on, Jacques, Aidan, or myself will be in your company at all times.”
    The flush which had begun to dissipate returned to Grace’s cheeks. She opened her mouth to speak then seemed to change her mind. She swallowed, took a breath. “That is completely unnecessary.”
    “It’s also not open for negotiation.”
    Grace came to her feet. Her hands curled at her sides. Yet she surprised him by not raising her voice, though he could see it cost her not to.
    “I’ve a weapon and you’ve work that needs doing. Surely your time will be better spent manning the ship and getting us to Santo Domingo as fast as possible.”
    “We will be later making port than planned. We’ve altered our heading. Isaac won’t be reaching Santo Domingo with the rest of us.”
    “Then surely once Isaac is gone you won’t need to play nursemaid.”
    “He’s the not only man on this ship and, clearly, I can’t keep watch on them at all times. As for having work to do, you’re right. My time is better spent manning the ship than whiling away the day in my cabin.”
    Grace’s hands unfolded. Her smile caused an odd and unwanted catch in his throat. Suddenly his plan