Page 102 of Silver Angel

Chapter Forty-eight

Dawn was slowly creeping through the porthole when Derek finally rose from the bunk. He had spent the night, but not to sleep. Chantelle stretched luxuriously as she watched him dress and splash cold water on his face. He was tired, while she felt smug that she wasn’t. Not yet anyway.

“Are you certain you wouldn’t like to stay just a little longer?”

Derek glanced over his shoulder to find her leaning back on both elbows, her uncovered breasts thrust provocatively forward. He groaned and looked away.

“A man has his limits, Shahar,” he said in an aggrieved tone.

“Are you begging for mercy, my lord?”

“Yes,” but he quickly amended, “Until tonight.” He came back to sit on the edge of the bunk. Those sweetly thrusting breasts were almost his undoing. “Then you can be as merciless as you like. I will insist upon it.”

She laughed throatily. “It’s your own fault for ignoring me for so long.”

“Me?” He mustered up some indignation in his tone. “You had me practically on my knees.”

She turned on her side so her pelvis pressed against his hip. She trailed one finger slowly up his arm.

“You would never grovel, my lord. You’re too used to getting your way and relying on your seductive powers.”

“None of which did me much good recently.”

“Oh, I don’t know. It wasn’t easy trying to ignore you, especially when I adore this fine strapping body of yours.”

“Minx,” he said as her hands slipped inside his open shirt.

“Give me a kiss and I’ll let you go without further protest.”

He did, but when her tongue thrust inside his mouth and one hand started a slow descent down his chest, Derek turned the aggressor. “I wouldn’t have believed it was possible, but I’m not going anywhere.”

“What a shame. You kept me up all night, you know, and I’m suddenly feeling quite—” At his growl, she giggled. “Well, when you put it that way, I suppose I can stay awake for another hour or so.”

It was nearly an hour later when Chantelle again watched Derek dress, but this time she yawned, sleepily content to make no protest. Tenderly, he bent over to give her a last kiss.

“I’ll see you this evening, little moon.”

“You’ll see me sooner than that,” she replied dreamily. “Or don’t you think it’s time I had a little fresh air and exercise up on the deck?” When he didn’t answer, she opened her eyes to find him frowning. “Well, don’t you?”

“Actually,” he replied hesitantly, “I would rather you continue as you have.”

She was fully awake now. “Locked in? You must be joking.” But at his deeper frown, she exclaimed, “You’re not joking! Why?”

“It would be better all around—”

“For who? Not for me, so it must be for you.” And now she was frowning. “Is there something you haven’t told me?”

“Why do you say that?” he hedged.

“Because you obviously don’t want me talking to anyone else on the ship. And as I recall, you mentioned something last night about thinking I would be angry. What exactly was I supposed to get angry about?”

“Very well,” he said tightly. “The captain and half the crew know that I have a fiancée awaiting my return to England. She was with my grandfather when he made the arrangements for this ship to pick me up in Barikah.”

“I see,” she replied with admirable calm. “A fiancée. Now tell me you intend to break the engagement.”

“Break it? You just don’t break an engagement to the daughter of a duke.”

“You could,” she said angrily.