Pirate in the Mist: Brody (Second in Command Series Book 1) Page 4

  “How can you say that?” she asked, sounding as if his answer displeased her.

  “It’s all nonsense. The legend is only a story made up, probably by a man to get a wench into bed with him. And the only people who touch these walls are young fools on a dare. They come here at night to prove nothing scares them, carving their names into the stone only to have their lives destroyed afterward because of it.”

  Gwen felt a tingle run up her spine and a heat engulf her as she laid her entire hand on the cave wall next. She wondered if it was just the excitement of being here or if these caves really held some sort of magic. Was she being silly to believe in ancient legends? And was she a fool for believing in love? Brody seemed to think so. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “Oh, but I assure you, I do,” said Brody. “I know from experience.”

  “Experience?” Her hand stilled on the wall, and she looked over her shoulder at him. “What do you mean?”

  “Years ago, I was one of those fools on a dare that sneaked into the cave and etched my name into the stone.”

  He walked up next to her and reached up higher on the wall. With the tip of his finger, he traced letters carved into the stone that she hadn’t even noticed were there. Sure enough, the name Brody was scratched into the cave wall in big, bold letters. How hadn’t she seen this?

  “You – you’re telling the truth.”

  He turned his head to look at her. His eyes were dark, dangerous and sultry. The daylight from behind him at the cave opening illuminated the outline of his body. “Of course I am. Why do you sound so surprised? Is it because I’m a pirate and to you, all pirates are naught but thieves and liars?”

  Something came alive inside her with every swipe of his finger against the outline of his name in the stone. He touched the wall of the cave as if he was caressing a lover. Somehow, she felt it as if he were touching her. Was it just her imagination? Her heart pounded in her ears, mixed with the sound of the waves lapping against the rocks outside the cave. The waves pushed forward and then retreated, like a secret lover in the night. All she could think about was the fact she was in the lovers’ cave . . . alone . . . with a very handsome pirate. She squeezed her eyes closed, feeling confusion cloud her head.

  “Are you ill?” His hot breath in her ear caused her to jump backward. Her eyes sprang open, and she broke the connection of whatever it was she’d been feeling between them. She quickly stepped away from the wall, suddenly feeling very foolish. It had to be the legend of the lovers that made her feel a spark between them. Still, she needed to know if he felt anything at all.

  “We touched the wall at the same time,” she said, no louder than a whisper.

  “And now you think we’ll fall madly in love?” His deep laughter echoed off the walls of the cave. “That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Now, come over here and put your arm around me.”

  “What?” she blurted out, wondering if he’d felt all hot and flushed like her.

  “I need you to help me walk.”

  “Oh. Of course.” Part of her wanted him to touch her the way he’d touched the wall. Thoughts of sensuality rushed through her. It had to be just her imagination. It was silly, just like he said.

  “You’re cold,” he said when she slipped her arm around him. “I’ll warm you.”

  “Nay, I’m not cold.” Her teeth chattered as if on cue to call her a liar.

  “Your words say one thing yet your body says something else.”

  She was cold – yet hot at the same time. She couldn’t explain it, so didn’t bother to try.

  “You’re shivering,” he continued.

  She was shaking, but it wasn’t from the weather. It was because of what she’d felt between them, and that scared her. Had something happened when they both touched the wall at the same time? And could the legend be true after all?

  Anxious and confused, she wasn’t sure what to think. Then Brody reached out for her. Her eyes closed as he wrapped his arms around her in a protective hold.

  “Everything will work out,” he whispered, rubbing his cheek against her hair. “We’ll find your father, don’t worry.”

  “I hope so.” She felt the urge to look up into his eyes, needing to know if he felt attracted to her at all. “Don’t you feel it?” she asked, wetting her dry lips with her tongue.

  “Feel what?” He looked down, his focus on her mouth if she wasn’t mistaken.

  “We touched the wall at the same time. Something happened between us. I felt it.”

  “The last time I touched that bloody wall, I was captured by pirates,” he scoffed. “These walls are nothing but a curse. I haven’t been back to Cornwall for over ten years and have no desire to be here now.”

  “You – were captured by pirates?”

  “Aye. You see, I wasn’t always a pirate, Gwen.”

  He’d used her name, and she liked it. Curious, she found herself needing to know more. “Please, continue,” she told him. “I’d like to hear about how you became a pirate.”

  He hesitated, and for a moment she didn’t think he would. But then he opened up a part of his life to her after all.

  “I was here with my good friend, Edwin, on a dare. It was right after I lost my family to a passing pestilence. Edwin’s family felt sorry for me and took me in. Besides them, I was always treated by everyone else as an orphan.”

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.” Her gaze dropped to his mouth. They were standing very close. It would be so easy to kiss him. His head lowered, and his face came closer.

  “I wasn’t always a pirate. At one time I was a son of a fisherman and no different than you.”

  “Didn’t anyone come looking for you?”

  “Who would come looking for an orphan? My family was gone, and I hadn’t made many friends since I was aboard the ship and at sea most the time.”

  “You were part of your father’s crew, just like me.”

  His head bobbed up and down in agreement.

  “What about your friend, Edwin?” she asked. “What happened to him?”

  “I don’t know. The pirates had captured him at first. I fought them off, and told Edwin to run and get help. I thought he’d be back with his father and some of the men from the village. Mayhap they did return, but I never had the chance to find out. I was scooped up and thrown onto the Sea Mirage by the infamous captain, One-Eyed Ron. From that day on . . . I was considered his property. And a pirate.”

  “That’s awful,” she said, her heart going out to him. She faced him and slipped her arms around his waist, just trying to get warm. Her teeth chattered so much they rattled her brain. If she had been thinking with a sound mind, she would have never been so bold.

  His hand gently cupped and lifted her chin, bringing her mouth closer to his. Then he dipped down, and their lips touched – and she let him do it. Heat seared through her as they shared a kiss. He tasted like fresh air mixed with the salty sea. Dangerous, yet exciting. His hand reached out, and he cupped her cheek next. Tilting her head toward him, she leaned into his caress as her eyes drifted closed. She reveled in the feel of his warmth against her skin.

  Aye, there was something between them, and he could not deny it. He had felt it, too. She was sure of it. Why else would he kiss her?

  “We both touched the wall, and look what happened,” she said, just to prove her point about believing in legends. “Do you see what I mean?”

  He hesitated for a moment, causing her to open her eyes. Then he cleared his throat before he spoke. “I’ve had a change of mind.” His arms fell from around her body as he released her. With it went the excitement and heat she’d felt between them. Then he turned away, staring at his carved name on the wall as he talked. “This place holds bad memories for me, and I don’t want to stay here any longer.”

  “You don’t?” This wasn’t what she wanted to hear. She thought for sure he’d say he felt something, too. That now, after touching the wall at the same time, they wer
e falling in love. But instead, he said the opposite.

  “Perhaps we can make it down the beach before the tide comes in after all. No sense waiting any longer. Let’s get out of this god-forsaken cave and go find some warm shelter, food, and ale for the night.”

  He limped out of the cave, leaving her standing there alone. She looked over to the wall and sadly shook her head. Now, it just seemed to be a cursed wall like he said. Brody’s name was scratched into the stone in tall letters, reminding everyone that he’d been there. She thought of his sad story. There was no love here. What she’d felt was naught more than her imagination. But now, that was gone, too. Mayhap he was right. This cave was nothing but the product of an ill legend devised by pirates to lure young people away from their families. A shiver coursed through her.

  “Aye, let’s get out of here and never look back,” she told him, pushing past him and leading the way.

  Chapter 3

  Brody’s leg hurt like hell and all he wanted to do was sit down, but he had to keep going. The tide was already starting to come in, making it hard to walk in the water. A better idea would have been to stay put somewhere until morning. However, after touching that blasted wall, he couldn’t stop thinking about the legends Gwen mentioned.

  Was it just the power of suggestion that made him kiss her? He’d had the overwhelming urge to press his lips against hers. And before he could talk himself out of it – he kissed her. It felt so good that now he wished he had never given in to his impulses. He did feel something for Gwen, but what did it matter? They could never end up together.

  After all, he was just a pirate, and she was the daughter of a fisherman who wanted to take off every bloody pirate’s head. Brody couldn’t blame her father for feeling this way. He only wanted the best for his daughter. Gwen might dress and act like a boy, but that kiss told him that she was a diamond in the rough.

  Just thinking about the kiss they’d shared made his lips tingle. It was the oddest thing. Then when he’d pulled Gwen into his arms, he felt as if he’d known her forever. He didn’t quite understand it. Mayhap, he was just feeling randy since he’d been living at sea and hadn’t had a proper bedding in some time now.

  He watched Gwen walking in front of him - the last rays of sunset casting a golden glow over her body. With her long, blond curls released from their confinement, her hair bounced back and forth with every step she took. She was an angel in disguise.

  Gwen couldn’t hide her girly figure beneath her male attire. His eyes focused on her tiny waist and the delectable roundness of her bottom end. He’d felt her feminine curves when he’d pulled her into his arms. The swells of her breasts pushed up against his chest had made him excited. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. All he could think about now was bedding her. It was only lust, he reminded himself. She was a young woman, and he wouldn’t roger her at the rail like most of his crew would have had no qualms in doing. Nay, he needed to concentrate on finding a place to stay and healing his leg. All other thoughts, he needed to push from his mind.

  Gwen stopped in her tracks causing him to walk into her. He reached out and steadied her from falling. Or, mayhap, it was to keep himself from hitting the ground. After being almost drowned twice lately and not having enough fresh water or food, his body was breaking down. He could no longer think with a clear head. He felt dizzy and his leg throbbed. He needed to find somewhere to sit down before he fell over.

  “Sorry,” she said, looking back over her shoulder with those big, beautiful eyes. So innocent, yet at the same time filled with courage and vigor. “I didn’t mean to stop so quickly, but I was wondering if we should move to higher land. The tide is coming in fast. I’m not sure if we’ll make it all the way to the docks before we’re swept out to sea.”

  “We won’t,” he told her, knowing all along it wasn’t a good idea. If he hadn’t been in such a hurry to get out of the cave and away from his bad memories, he would have thought of another plan. He looked up the embankment, recognizing this rocky ground. “We’ll go up there,” he told her. “Just atop the hill, there is a place called the Three Gulls Inn. That’s where we’ll spend the night.”

  She strained her eyes to see the area, nodding in agreement. “Yes, I remember that inn. It has a tavern inside. My father and brothers used to go there every time they came back from a fishing trip. My mother used to warn me not to go inside. I snuck in once and saw my father and brothers drinking with a bunch of men. The men all wore red head cloths, ragged clothes, and some had black hats. They scared me. They all carried swords. They also had wooden chests filled with coins that they were counting. My father and brothers were doing it as well.”

  “Sounds like pirates to me.”

  “Don’t say that.” She headed up the embankment and he followed. “You think everyone is a pirate or has some dealing with one.”

  “It is possible.”

  She stopped in her tracks and turned around. “What’s possible?”

  “That your father and brothers had dealings with pirates. It’s no secret that the coasts of Cornwall are filled with them.”

  “I don’t want to ever hear anything like that again about my father and brothers. Do you understand, Brody – Brody . . . what is your surname, anyway?”

  “I don’t know,” he told her. “No one ever used surnames when I was a child. I don’t think I even have one.”

  “Everyone must have one. I’ll just give you one then.” She crossed her arms over her chest and surveyed him from head to toe. His body heated under her perusal. She tapped her finger on her chin in thought. “Banks.”

  “What did you say?”

  “Banks. Brody Banks. I found you in the water and we landed on the banks together. So that’s what I’ll call you.”

  “All right, Gwen.”

  “It’s Gwendolen Fisher.” She made a face. “I don’t like to be called Fisher, though.”

  “Why not? You’re the daughter of a fisherman. That’s your name.”

  “Still, I wish it could be something else.”

  “Then how about Banks as well?”

  Gwen froze when she heard Brody’s suggestion. His intense eyes drank her in and her heart skipped a beat. Why would he say a thing like that? That is, unless he was purposely trying to make it sound as if they were married. Surely, that’s not what he meant. Feeling insecure and, at the same time, intensely attracted to him, her tongue felt too big for her mouth. She couldn’t bring herself to answer.

  While the thought of it intrigued her for some reason, she needed to remind herself he was a pirate! Her father would most likely kill Brody the next time he saw the man since he hated pirates. And if she decided to marry one without confronting him first, he might kill her as well.

  “We’d better hurry if we’re going to make it to the tavern before darkness sets in.” She turned on her heel and started to climb the rocks. When she glanced back, she noticed his eyes on her backside. That made her smile. Something did happen in the cave whether he wanted to admit it or not. So, mayhap the lovers’ legend wasn’t such nonsense after all.

  They made it to the Three Gulls quickly. When Gwen realized Brody limped even more than before, she put her arm around him, and they entered through the front door of the establishment.

  “That’ll be a halfpence each,” said the guard at the door. He held a piece of wood in his hand. His job was to collect the entrance fee that would help pay for any damages should a fight occur. The man would test the coins to see if they were real, by bouncing them on the wood.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t have any money,” said Gwen, looking at Brody.

  “Don’t look at me. It’s not like my crew loaded me down with coins before they made me walk the plank,” Brody mumbled.

  “Walk the plank?” The guard lowered the board to his side. His eyes scanned the room. He leaned over and whispered in a rough voice. “Pirates are free. Go on in.”

  “What makes you think he’s a pirate?” asked Gwen.
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  “Don’t ask questions.” Brody took her by the elbow and escorted her into the tavern. “Now, let’s just hope that food and ale and a room for the night are free for pirates as well.”

  Gwen gripped on to Brody’s arm, frightened by what she saw. Drunken, dirty, rugged men lifted tankards and bottles to their mouths, guzzling down the liquid and belching loudly. A few of them had whores on their laps. The place smelled like wood smoke from the fire and there was no mistaking the strong scent of whisky. The rushes under their feet were soiled and reeked from urine. The smell of the place made her want to retch.

  “Let’s find a table.” Brody pulled her over to a small table in a dark corner, plopping down on a chair, running his hand over his injured leg. The cloth was bright red with new blood.

  “You’re bleeding again,” she said, genuinely concerned for his health. “We need to find help.”

  “There’s no one here that’ll be interested in helping me.”

  “I’ll go ask.”

  His hand clamped around her wrist. “Take a seat, sweetheart. If you go out into that sea of sharks, you’re nothing but fresh bait.”

  She looked over to see all the men staring at her. Pushing her long hair behind her shoulder, she wished now she had it tucked into a cap so they’d think she was a boy. “I suppose you’re right.” She sank into a chair opposite him. The place was noisy and dark. She didn’t like it. It reminded her of the time she’d seen her father and brothers in here. That night her father discovered her and threatened to punish her if she ever told her mother.

  Brody grabbed two tankards of ale from a serving wench’s tray, handing one to Gwen.

  “You need to pay for that,” said the woman, putting one hand on her hip.

  “Keep track. We’ll pay later. And bring us some food.” Brody took a swig of ale.

  “We don’t take credit from strangers,” spat the woman.

  “Brody’s not a stranger. He grew up in Cornwall,” Gwen told her.