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

didn’t seem so sound. He pushed to his feet. He needed to get back to his duties. He grabbed his coat off Carrack’s cage, shrugged into it then opened the chest he had at the foot of his berth. Finding what he was looking for, he tossed it to Grace.
    “I’ve no need for a hat.”
    “You will above decks. Let’s go.”
    Squawk. “Let’s go. Let’s go.”
    “I’m not going up on deck. Your entire crew is there!”
    “Most, yes. As I will be.”
    “And you’ll be working. ’Tis better if I stay here. I won’t be a distraction.”
    If only it were so easy . “You’ll be less of a distraction if I don’t have to worry about someone slipping into my cabin when my attention is turned. This way the men can see to their duties and you can enjoy some fresh air.”
    “’Tisn’t fresh air I’m wanting, ’tis peace and I’ll have more of it here.”
    “You’ll be fine on the quarterdeck. Besides, I’ll not have my men thinking they can control circumstances on this ship. I won’t be maneuvered into keeping you below simply because it’s less of a distraction for them. They have duties and they will see to them while learning that I and I alone decide who comes and goes on this ship.”
    “But—”
    “You’re going up, Grace.”
    Squawk. “Up Grace. Up Grace.”
    “To what purpose? To have them gawk and stare the moment you turn your head? To suffer the lust in their eyes?”
    “If they do you’ve only to tell me who and he will see the same fate as Isaac.”
    “Be that as it may I’ve had—”
    “There isn’t only you to think of, there’s the child. It’s not good for either of you to be locked in stale air for days on end.”
    “And what would you know of what’s best for a child?”
    Everything in him went still then turned cold. Grace seemed to realize her misstep. Clutching the hat in her hand, she hurried to apologize.
    “’Tis sorry I am. I’ve overstepped.”
    Steele took as big a breath as his constricted lungs would accept. Then looking her in the eye he said, “Five minutes. If you’re not on deck by then I will come and get you.”
    *
    The moment the hatch closed, the air left Grace’s lungs in a puff. She sat hard on the berth. When she’d seen the dark look come over Steele, she’d been sure she was in for a beating, or worse. She’d hurt him and she’d expected him to retaliate. Instead, he intended to see she had constant protection.
    While a part of her resented the order, for it made her feel like she was a captive all over again. She could also admit, in this situation, she was relieved. Weapon or not, she was no match against most men. She’d learned that the hard way as an indentured servant. Granted, it could’ve been worse, the overseers on the plantation could have done to her what Roche had, but she’d been beaten enough times to know she had little defense against men. And while she’d bloodied Isaac and had threatened to do worse to him, if Steele hadn’t come, she’d have fared worse than Isaac.
    Yet, as tempting as the idea was of the sun on her face, of the warmth of the air floating over her skin—as she’d had precious little of it while in Roche’s captivity and she certainly hadn’t enjoyed the blistering sun day in and day out working the sugar fields—she knew sailors. They had to go weeks and months without the pleasures of a woman and it drove them to bad tempers and poor judgment. Isaac wasn’t the first example she’d seen, there had been plenty on their sail from Ireland.
    But Steele would be near and she was safe with him.
    Though it couldn’t have been more than a minute or two since Steele had left her, he was waiting. He opened the hatch just as she reached it.
    “Thank you.”
    His blue gaze pierced hers. “You aren’t in any physical discomfort?”
    “You’re speaking of the sutures? They pull a little, but ’tis more uncomfortable than painful.”
    He nodded, guided up her to the quarterdeck where yet another