She nodded, pushing her chair back.
“”Where are you going?”
“I need some air,” she said. She did need air. But more than that, she needed space to think.
He frowned. “You cannot go out alone.”
“Or what?” she asked, with no heat, just logic. “Roger will not hurt me. And any other enemies I might have must surely know not to harm the daughter of a pirate queen.”
The words seemed to hang in the air between them. They sounded just as ludicrous out loud as they had in her head. Pirate queen.
Pirate queen?
Honestly, at what point had her life turned into a melodramatic work of fiction? Next thing she knew there’d be a crazed madwoman wailing in their attic. But no, she supposed a traitorous, murderous, thieving mother and one passionate kiss with a former pirate was enough for tonight.
Her father didn’t try to stop her again, and Hattie did not seem to notice when she slipped past the drawing room on her way to the front door. Once outside she didn’t exactly think about where she was heading.
Her feet seemed to make the decision for her.
There was only one person she wished to talk to right now. Or rather, one person she could be with. One person who wouldn’t force her to talk or expect her to smile or judge her if she ranted and raved.
She’d barely made it to the edge of her own property when that one person stepped out of the shadows.
A little gasp slipped out at the large burly form that seemed to be one hulking shadow until the moonlight reached him.
“Caleb!”
“Didn’t mean to startle you.” He moved toward her slowly, and for a moment Abigail was forced to wonder if this was a dream. With the stars shining brightly overhead, the sight of this handsome, scarred, mysterious man coming toward her...
Surely this must be a dream. Or perhaps she’d never made it out of that cave at all. If it wasn’t the bitter chill in the wind that whipped around them, she’d be certain that this was all in her head.
Silliness. She gave her head a shake as he stopped a foot away from her. Of course this wasn’t a dream. “What are you doing here?”
His gaze was dark and heavy. “Keeping an eye on the place. Just to be safe.”
She moved closer to study him. “You were worried about me.”
She got a huff from him in response.
A smile tugged at her lips despite all the swirling emotions from her talk with her father. She took another step closer. “You were worried about me,” she said again.
“Of course I was.” He sounded defensive. “It’s not every day a lady gets a shock like that.”
“You were worried about me.” It was all she could seem to say, but it said everything. All the darkness, the worries, the fears. They seemed to slide away the closer she got to this oversized, impossible man.
He drew back a bit, shoving his hands into his pockets, but he didn’t move away.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said.
His frown intensified. Caleb looked utterly uncomfortable, and that had a laugh bubbling up inside her despite everything. “What were you thinking leaving your house alone at this hour?”
“I was going to see you.” As she said it, she realized it was true. On instinct, she’d sought him out. If there’d been any doubts before about what her heart was telling her, that was the final confirmation she needed.
Her heart had spoken, and now she just needed him to know how she felt.
“Why were you watching out for me tonight?” she asked. She took another step forward and his wariness grew to nothing short of panic.
How wonderful.
She knew he felt it too. He had too.
“I, uh...well, I was worried. Like I said.”
“Mmhmm.” She reached a hand out and rested it against his chest, directly over his heart. “And why were you so worried about me? You knew I was perfectly safe.”
“Yes, well...” He stopped talking as his gaze dropped to her lips.
Triumph. That was the only word for this sweet sensation that made her feel light and jubilant. He felt it too!
At long last, she’d found it, this ephemeral, mysterious connection. After all this time of fearing she would never find it, that she would have to settle for less...it had come to her. It had sprouted and grown between them like some beautiful, unexpected wildflower.
Her smile broadened. “Caleb...”
“Yes?”
“I am going to kiss you now.” She used that teacherly voice he’d accused her of having, but at this particular moment, it seemed in order. He looked like a man possessed, torn between passion and fear.
Fear of what, she knew not. But that hardly mattered now. All that mattered was that he felt it too.
His eyes were dazed and darker than she’d ever seen them. “What?”
She took that to be acceptance and went up on her tiptoes, using her hand against his chest to steady her as she leaned in toward him. She was so close she could feel the heat of his breath against her lips when he gripped her by the waist and set her down. Nearly a foot farther back than she’d been before.
As if that weren’t enough, he then took one long stride back so they were facing each other from several paces apart.
She found herself blinking in surprise at the suddenness of it. One moment she’d felt so happy and certain and warm. So close to his heat and so wrapped up in this pull that seemed to be a physical force drawing her toward him.
And now she was here. Alone. In the middle of a grassy expanse with nothing but the whipping wind and the distant sound of waves. And this man...who looked as though he were bracing himself for battle.
Well.
This was not going as hoped.
“Listen, Abigail, I should have said this to you yesterday.” His expression was difficult to discern in this light, but there was no mistaking his tone.
Her insides shifted and then
