Her Very Strict Captain by Carpenter, Maggie (best book club books of all time TXT) 📗

a ton of money and killed someone,” she abruptly blurted out. “My fingerprints are on the gun and some of the cash was found in my apartment. I came back to the Virgin Islands because I didn’t need a passport and I thought I’d be able to disappear for a while. That’s my story in a nutshell.”

Scott stared at her, then pushing back from the table, he walked across to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer.

“Aren’t you going to say something?” she asked earnestly. “You wanted to know, now you do.”

“What you just told me only raises more questions,” he said solemnly. “I need some air. Stay here and finish your dinner.”

Watching him leave the salon and walk out on the deck, she let out a relieved sigh. He could have hit her with a barrage of questions, none of which she was in the mood to answer. Everything was so complicated.

Gobbling down the rest of her pasta and washing it down with the last of the iced tea, she took a deep breath and walked out to join him. He was near the helm staring out at the water. Ambling forward, she stood at his side. The sun had almost set, and the water was so calm they could have been on a sheltered lake.

“It’s truly lovely here,” she murmured, “much too lovely for all my chaos.”

“I take it this Dan guy wants to make sure you’re convicted for his crime,” Scott remarked without looking at her.

“Apparently. Now you know, so if you want to drop me off somewhere—”

“No, I don’t want to do that, but I need to ditch this boat.”

“Why?”

“Look around, Elizabeth. What do you see?”

“Uh, lots of water.”

“What else?”

She paused, her brow crinkling. “This reminds me of another conversation we had, when you asked me if I could hear the wind.”

“Interesting you should say that, because right now I want to take you back inside and spank you just as hard as I did that day. No. Harder.”

“For what?”

“Getting me involved in this,” he exclaimed, turning to face her. “You said some guy was after you, but I never imagined anything as dangerous as a crooked detective who’s fucking killed someone and wants to frame you for the murder.”

She cringed.

He was right.

She had no business dragging him into the middle of her horrendous drama.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly, “and I mean that. If you can let me hang out at your house for a couple of days I’ll be able to think things through. Once I have a plan in my head I’ll be on my way. Scott, you’re not involved, and you don’t have to be.”

“That ship has sailed, Elizabeth. I already am. You’re a fugitive on my boat.”

“But you don’t have to take it any further.”

“I’m not sure that will make any difference.”

“You know what, forget I was here, forget what I told you, just forget the whole thing,” she exclaimed, overcome with frustration and fear. “Turn around and take me back to your base on St. Thomas. There are plenty of boats around. I’ll find another one to charter. I’ll be fine.”

“You think I’d do that?” he demanded, grabbing her by the arms. “You think I’d leave you to fend for yourself with that lunatic on your tail?”

* * *

Staring down at her big, blue, worried eyes, he found himself possessed by an overwhelming need to protect her.

He was also fighting the same hunger he’d felt six months before.

The need to clutch her hair and devour her mouth.

And spank her ass beet red.

His craving for her made no sense.

But he didn’t care.

Diving his lips on hers, he devoured her mouth in an endless, all-consuming kiss, then abruptly pulling back, he clutched a fistful of hair and pressed his mouth against her ear.

“Is there a man in your life? Someone back in L.A? Someone else who’s looking for you? Is Dan the only guy on your trail?”

“I have no one,” she panted, “but Dan works for the same man I did. A drug dealer, and he’s probably in cahoots with Dan to find me.”

“But Dan’s a cop.”

“Yeah, but he’s totally corrupt. I told you that.”

“Are you into drugs?”

“No, not at all, no, I swear.”

“Then why were you working for a dealer?”

“I was trying to help the police catch him, but please, can I tell you about that later?”

Though common sense screamed at him to walk away, Scott meant what he’d said. He wasn’t about to leave her at the mercy of the bad-tempered detective. But motivating him more was how glad he was she’d returned, and having her in his arms. Sliding his hand quickly down her body, he slid his fingers inside her shorts and into her pussy. She gasped, but didn’t try to pull away.

“Why are you so fucking wet?”

“I, uh, I’m not sure.”

“I told you not to lie to me,” he growled, swiftly pulling his hand out and landing a hard slap on the side of her thigh. “Why are you so wet?”

“The dream,” she gasped. “I had wild sex with the captain, and when I woke up I was… uh…”

“Did you play with yourself?” he demanded, recalling her flushed face and sanguine state when he’d entered her cabin.

“Uh-huh.”

Shoving his hand back inside her shorts and pushing his finger into her hot, wet channel, he was rewarded with a deep groan.

“But it wasn’t enough.”

“No, it wasn’t,” she bleated, leaning into him. “It left me wanting so much more.”

Keeping his arm around her shoulders, he turned back to the helm, slowed their speed, then effortlessly swooped her up. As he carried her to his cabin, she murmured his name and sank into his arms, fueling his carnal hunger. Dropping her onto his bed and quickly stripping, he climbed on top of her and pinned her arms above her head.

“What is it about us,” she whispered, gazing up at him, “why do we want each other like this?”

“Don’t know, don’t care, but now we’re going to have another kind of