Chapter 5: Open Water

Evie Stanton

God, what happened last night?

My head pounded something awful. The sunlight peeking from behind my eyelids might as well have been a nail hammering into my skull. How on earth did I get back to my bedroom?

I stretched my toes, feeling my muscles whine. A small grumble left my lips. I suppose my father would want an answer today about the marriage situation. As much as I wanted to tell him to shove it up his ass, that was not what princesses do. They smile and nod.

Seen but rarely heard.

I tried to roll onto my stomach and bury myself deeper into furs and hide from the world.

When did my bed ever have furs on it?

Hang on… why can't I move my wrist?

My eyelids flew open, the reality of where I was sinking in. My wrist was attached to a bedframe with a leather cuff, furs draped over my body.

The smell of the ocean in the air, brisk and salty.

I recoiled at the sunlight, but blinked away my discomfort, looking from side to side. A shiver ran down my spine as soon as I noticed Thane, stretched out over a chaise lounge. His chest rose and fell with comfortable breaths. One arm covered his face, roped with corded muscle; the build of his body was unmistakable.

I remembered being cornered by him. His broad chest burned against mine, towering over me and bringing heat to my legs.

Splayed open, his shirt revealed a sprinkling of chest hair, the tattoo of a blue sea serpent coiling against his skin, disappearing into the sleeves. His blouse was tucked into the front of leather pants bringing attention to the prominent erection straining against the front of his pants.

Heat mottled my face, and I looked away, tugging at the restraint on my wrist.

A foreign sensation snaked through my belly, a pleasurable shiver licking its way down my abdomen.

I gulped hard, my eyebrows coming together in a scowl.

It doesn't matter how attractive you find that man. The motherfucker still captured you! I tried to remind myself, as if that would take the desire away.

"You're awake," Thane commented, his voice deep from slumber. My breath ticked, and I tugged at the restraint again. "Calm down. I can hear your breathing from over here."

My eyes darted over to him. "Where am I?"

His arm fell from his face and eyed me intensely.

His eyes weren't normal. Last night, they appeared intensely blue, but now, I could see the narrowed pupil in the sunlight. There were hardly any whites in his eyes, all blue and black. My eyes widened, seeing nothing like that ever before.

Thane reached over to his desk, grabbed his hat, and settled it over his head, shadowing his eyes.

I wish he hadn't done that.

It drew my gaze directly to his mouth. His full, sinfully pink lips. I could see him better in the daytime, a sharp cut jaw stressed by his beard. It wasn't fair. No one in the castle ever looked as appealing as Thane did.

Instead of answering me, his mouth crooked into a sideways grin, his head tilted slightly to the side.

I pulled at the restraint again, sitting up against the headboard. The furs slid off my shoulders and a chilly breeze struck against my skin. His eyes dipped downwards, and instantly, my free hand went flying to cover myself.

Dressed in nothing but a man's shirt. Nothing else. Opened down the center, barely covering my nipples pinched tight by the sudden cold.

"Nothing I haven't seen before, princess."

I gripped at a fur blanket, dragging it across my chest. "Where are my clothes? Where am I?" I shouted, my voice trembling. "I will have you hung for this!"

He leaned back, completely unintimidated by me. "So you keep saying."

Even though I couldn't see his eyes clearly, I could feel how they slipped down my shoulders. "Keep threatening me like that, and I'll regret saving you." He touched his lower lip in mock thought. "How many is that now? Oh, yes. Twice."

"I'd rather die with dignity than have such an arrogant asshole save me," I spat, tugging again at the restraint.

Captivated by his mouth yet again as he grinned. "Not the worst thing I've been called."

"And what would that be? I'd love to commit it to memory."

He made a throaty noise reminiscent of a chuckle, but it sounded too dark for that. "Salope is up there."

A harsh breath left my nose as I smirked, "Salope it is."

Thane leaned forward, "Keep calling me such dirty things, and I'll blush."

"Your heart has to be beating for you to blush."

He made another throaty noise before standing up. "Get comfortable, princess." He slid his long leather coat along his shoulders.

"Oh, I don't think so. Get your ass back over here!" I snapped. He paused on the way to his door. "You didn't answer any of my questions."

"And I'm not going to," he scoffed. "Are you always this demanding with your captors?"

I squirmed under the coolness of his gaze, ignoring his remark to fire off another question. "Why did you capture me?"

Thane didn't expect that one. A small pebble of delight formed inside of me. He rolled his shoulders. "A Stanton heir has to be worth something. Get comfortable, princess."

He opened his cabin door, the noise of men singing and chattering on the deck. Slamming the door behind him, I could vaguely hear the door's locking noise.

Goodbye, Thane.

I'm out of here. Just need to slip away to get the attention of the guard. My father wouldn't be lenient.

We were probably still in the harbor. I don't know how long I was out, but it couldn't have been that long. And if Thane were smart, he'd stay close to the castle for a quick ransom deal.

I yanked at the restraint again, similar to a belt, looped around my wrist and locked to the wooden beams on his bed frame. I imagined a pirate would have irons or shackles, not leather cuffs more comfortable than the former.

I dropped the fur from my other hand, using my free hand to unbuckle the cuff, but the knot seemed too tight to get out with one hand.

So, I used my teeth.

Fumbling with the buckle, I somehow untied the knot. The captain's quarters were well lit from all the windows. All I could see was the deep blue, but I assumed we were simply facing away from the pier.

I scrambled out of the bed, my bare legs getting tangled in the furs.

He never told me what happened to my clothes. I don't remember anything after being dragged aboard his ship, shouting colorful language at him. Did I really have that much to drink at the tavern that I can't remember?

I tried to recollect what happened. There were those scoundrels Thane saved me from. I wanted to thank him, but I was too modest to ask for a kiss.

Even though I craved to know Thane's taste, my mother's voice rang clear in my head. Subtle thoughts here and there about what good princesses do. What they expect from me. They would be so disappointed at the language I used.

Good princesses conduct themselves with class. Never use profanity. Never speak unless spoken to. Your husband would not be interested in your thoughts so appearances are much more important than intelligence.

All my manners went right out the window when Thane threw me over his shoulder like a barbarian. I never imagined a man could handle me like that so easily. Prince Robert had a thin frame, hands soft like he had never lifted a finger. He could never handle me like that.

And I wouldn't want him to.

But I had my responsibilities. Duties expected of me.

Then something Thane said stuck out to me.

What did he save me from that second time? I couldn't remember.

Whatever. It didn't matter. All that mattered was escaping. Getting back to those stone walls. The only hint of adventure was the feeling I got looking over the harbor.

Goosebumps rose across my naked legs, giving me an uncomfortable coolness between my thighs. This shirt fell to my mid thigh, covering my intimate regions. A shameful heat rose to my ears.

Did Thane undress me? He said my body was nothing he hadn't seen before. My heart jumped into my throat as another question plagued my thoughts.

Did he like what he saw?

Helpless tingles flooded downwards, and I noticed my core moistened at the pleasurable image of his cold eyes looking over me, darkening at the sight of bare skin. The daydream shouldn't have tempted me as much as it did.

More intrusive thoughts chastised me. "Really? That's your concern? Not that a strange man put his hands on you while you were unconscious?"

I shook my head, pushing the foreign sensation away. Modesty be damned. I had to get out of here.

I tried the door, confirming what I already thought. The damned thing was locked. Frosted windows lined the sides of the door so I couldn't see what was on the other side. I could break one of them, take off toward the side of the boat. There was a paperweight on his desk. A colorful piece of metal with the emblem of a dragon on it.

Weighty in my hands.

Perfect for breaking windows.

I tossed the object in my hands a few times.

As soon as I threw it, I had to run.

Men were on the other side of this cabin, but I was small. I should dodge them. I didn't know how many, but I'd rather make a break for it while I could.

The doorknob jiggled.

Shit. He was back.

As soon as the door opened, I offered Thane a big, cheeky smile and broke his window. He stared at me for a moment as if he couldn't believe his eyes. A big hand grabbed my ankle, pulling me down onto the floor before I could get a leg out the window.

"Let go of me!" I shouted from the top of my lungs, using my other leg to kick him in the groin. Instantly, he released my ankle to cover himself from my attack.

I got to my feet, dodging one of his arms and sprinting right out the door. I passed a few men, screaming, "I will have you hung! My father will have every single one of you executed!"

I hoped my words would strike fear, but the crewmen only raised an eyebrow at me.

Thane came running after me, heavy footsteps creaking the wooden slats beneath them. I squeaked when he tried to grab me again, the noise not intimidating at all. I cursed myself. Why can't I appear threatening? Just once, I want someone to look at me and be scared.

But here I am, running around practically naked in front of a bunch of men, hollering like a possessed feline.

My long legs carried me forwards right to the half-wall between me and freedom. Then I froze.

Where was the pier?

Where was the harbor?

Land?

As far as I could see, water surrounded me. Deep blue water. I was fucking stranded. If I remembered correctly, the horizon was twelve miles long. There was no way I could swim twelve miles.

But I had to try. Maybe I'd just float.

Suddenly, a thick arm coiled around my waist, yanking me backward and off the side of the ship. "Let's not have a replay of last night, sweetheart," Thane said, his breath fanning my earlobe, holding my back flat across his chest.

"Let me go! You scoundrel!" I shouted, kicking both of my legs up, wriggling and throwing my head backwards. With each kick, I remembered what was in his pants as I unintentionally rubbed my ass up against him. Suddenly, Thane groaned. The deep reverberation tightened my entire body. His hot breath fanned the back of my neck.

The way I felt him react made my eyelids flutter, further enraging me.

"Put me down! Motherfucker! Salope!"

His arm tightened around me, and I could feel his chest quaking. He was laughing at me. Peals of laughter flying from his lips with every weak struggle. There had to have been fifteen crewmen on deck, including the man I saw last night. Every single one of them stared.

The men kicking up a ruckus. Some of them were laughing at me too.

Everything was so noisy, questions flying at Thane from every direction, but they were lost in the din.

"Who is she?"

"Where did she come from?"

"Why was a woman in your cabin?"

"Did you forget about her when we left the harbor?"

Suddenly, a sharp matronly voice cut through the commotion, plummeting the entire deck in silence. "Thane."

All eyes flew to a dark-haired woman, standing cross armed. A tricorn cap of her own shadowed her abnormally blue eyes. She looked oddly like Thane. Much older, but incredibly elegant. A cutlass on her hip. A worn leather coat cascaded down her back. The same sharp cheekbones and unruly black hair, only hers was much longer, curling around the lapels of her jacket.

"Mother," Thane greeted.