Valentin started to his feet. „He’ll kill her.“

„The hell he will.“ Nicholas pushed back his chair and was

striding around the table. In three paces he was beside Silver,

jerking her chair out of the way and grasping her by the elbow.

„I believe it’s time we retired for the evening, my dear. What a

pity. Such a pleasant dinner, don’t you agree, Bassinger?“

He began to propel Silver firmly away from the table and

down the long, carpeted expanse of the saloon. „Don’t fight

me,“ he said in a fierce undertone. „I’m in no mood to kill

Bassinger at the moment. I had something else entirely

planned for tonight.“

„I don’t intend to fight you. Why should I? I don’t mind

leaving the table. I’d already finished dinner.“

He blinked. „You’d already finished…“ He suddenly began

to laugh. He slowly shook his head, his eyes still sparkling

with humor. „Do you usually finish your meals by anointing a

gentleman’s head with fine wine?“

„He wasn’t a nice man,“ she said simply. „He was afraid to

vent his anger on me so he was being cruel to that poor woman

on the other side of him.“

„Cruel?“

„He was pinching her thigh beneath the table.“

His gaze searched her face. „Men often fondle women.

Perhaps she enjoyed it.“

She shook her head. „He was hurting her, but she was too

frightened to stop him. I could see it in her face.“ She

shrugged impatiently. „Stupid woman. She should have been

the one to pour the wine on his head.“

Nicholas opened the door to the stateroom and stood aside

to let her precede him. „You call her stupid, yet you drew

Bassinger’s anger against yourself to protect her.“

Silver entered the cabin. „She was afraid. Sometimes it’s

not easy for women to stand up to men.“ She whirled to face

him. „But he hurt her. Why would he want to hurt her?“

„Some men find it gratifying.“ Nicholas closed the door

and locked it behind him. „I don’t understand it either.“ He

turned to look at her. „Beautiful things should be treated

gently, with the most exquisite care.“

Silver felt suddenly breathless. „Women are not things.“

He bowed slightly. „I stand corrected.“

„But you don’t believe it. You think women are weak and

puny. You think we’re nothing.“

„I’m not such a fool. I believe some women have great

strength.“ He smiled crookedly. „Perhaps the reason men try to

keep women weak is that we know their strength is often used

to subordinate and destroy us.“

„Destroy?“ She shook her head. „I don’t wish to destroy

anyone. I want only to be left alone to go my own way.“

„Impossible.“ His voice was velvet soft. „You’re not a

woman any man would be willing to leave alone. Haven’t you

realized that yet?“

The air in the stateroom was too close, and she couldn’t

breathe. No, the fault was with her, her chest was so tight. She

abruptly turned away. „Sweet words, but you don’t mean

them. You just wish to lure me into fornicating with you.“

„I mean them,“ he said gravely. „But the other is also true.

I’ve never denied my intentions. And I’ve never lied to you.“

No, he had always told her the truth, she thought, even

when a lie would have served him better. It was a realization

that disconcerted her. Honesty was the virtue she admired

above all others, and she didn’t want to admit even to herself

that Nicholas possessed that quality. „Go away. I’m tired.

Good night.“

He chuckled. „You’re nothing if not direct.“ His smile held

an entrancing sweetness. „Aren’t you going to undress for me

again?“

„No.“

He lifted a brow. „Why not? Don’t you want to see me

suffer? Are you softening by any chance, Silver?“

Her gaze rose swiftly to meet his. „I’m not softening. I just

want you to leave.“

„And I will leave.“ He moved across the room and stood

before her. „As soon as I tuck you into bed.“ He reached up

and began to slowly unbutton her shirtwaist. „I told you I

intended to act as lady’s maid, remember? Surely you’re not

afraid?“

„I’m not afraid.“ Silver lowered her gaze to his swift,

clever fingers unfastening her blouse. His knuckles were

lightly grazing her breast with every move, and that light touch

was causing a most peculiar sensation. Her breasts felt as if

they were swelling, tautening more with each passing second.

She moistened her lips with her tongue. „I don’t fear anything

you can do to me, but I don’t need your help.“

„I think you are afraid,“ he taunted softly, pausing to look

at her. „Or you’d be willing to let me have my way in this.“

She drew a deep breath and then lifted one shoulder in a

half shrug. „Go ahead. It means nothing.“ She tried to keep all

expression from her voice. „Be quick about it. I wish to go to

bed.“

„Very quick.“ His fingers left the half-unbuttoned

shirtwaist and with two swift movements stripped away her

waist-length jacket and tossed it aside. „You see, I obey your

every command.“ He finished unbuttoning her shirtwaist and

pushed it down over her shoulders and then slipped it off

entirely. „Much faster than you would do it yourself.“ His

fingers deftly untied the satin ribbons of her bodice and

pushed the straps of her camisole from her shoulders. „Let me

see, this was the way you did it last night, wasn’t it?“ His gaze

was fastened on the thin muslin clinging to the tips of her

breasts. „But there’s something different, isn’t there?“

She could feel the furnace heat of his body reaching out to

touch her like a burning brand. She took a deep breath and the

male scent of him surrounded her in a sensual haze. „I see

nothing… different.“

„Perhaps I’m mistaken.“ He slid the camisole down, down,

with painful slowness until the white ribbons contrasted with

the pink of her nipples. „No, I believe you’re considerably

more… ripe, Silver.“ Then her breasts were bare, full golden

mounds spilling saucily over the lacing of her camisole. His

eyes were midnight soft as he looked down at her. „I can make

them even more ripe. Would you like me to do that?“

She was burning, heavy, her nipples hardening under his

gaze as she struggled against the tightness constricting her

lungs. „You said… you would hurry.“

„Ah, yes, I did say that.“ He slowly pulled the camisole

over her head, letting the soft material brush her swollen

breasts like a caress. „I’ll go faster after this, but you’re so… I

don’t want to hurt you.“ The material tugged teasingly and

then released her breasts. Then the camisole was over her

head. „There, it’s gone.“ He threw the camisole aside and

stepped around behind her.

„What are you doing?“ She looked over her shoulder,

startled.

„Nothing.“ He took a step closer, his arms going around

her, his hands moving deftly to unfasten her skirt. „My looking

at you seems to have an odd effect on you.“ He smiled. „I

thought you’d be more comfortable if I finished the task in this

fashion.“

„How kind,“ she said warily. The skirt had dropped in a

pool at her feet and she slowly turned her head to face

forward. Comfortable? She had forgotten what the word

comfort meant. Her heart was pounding, slamming against her

chest, and she could feel every breath he drew against her

naked back. He was unfastening her petticoats, his lips so

close to her ear that each word was a warm, sensual explosion.

„Do you see that picture on the wall? The one right in front of