Nicole Jordan - The Passion

"What about his men?" March asked.

"I will simply order them to return to their posts. I doubt they will challenge me, especially if their captain is wearing a gag and cannot countermand me."

"Gerrod will be livid that you interfered with his duty."

"What of it? I am not about to let him deliver Nick to the hangman's noose."

"It may not come to hanging," Dare mused aloud. "Not if Nick petitions the Prince Regent for a pardon."

"Just what did you have in mind?" Nicholas asked with extreme interest.

"Buying a pardon. Pirate or not, you could no doubt convince Prinny of your innocence if you offer to fill his coffers."

"It is certainly worth a shot," Luce remarked.

He finished tying the knots just as Gerrod awakened.

Groaning, the captain raised his bound hands to his head and winced in pain. When he looked up dazedly, it was to find the Earl of Clune training his own pistol on him.

"You struck me…" Gerrod said in amazement. "You bastard… How dare you!"

"No," Aurora replied, staring down at him. "I am the one who struck you."

At the captain's astonished look, Nicholas couldn't repress a smile. "You should not have threatened me, Gerrod. My – " He stopped at the word wife , remembering the pretense he still had to maintain. "Lady Aurora is like a tigress when it comes to defending her loved ones."

If looks could kill, Nick knew he would have been skewered by Gerrod's malevolent glare.

Eventually the captain turned his angry focus to the other men in the room. "You obviously have been duped, my lords. I tell you, this man is not Brandon Deverill but a convicted pirate – "

"This stale claim is beginning to bore me," Dare remarked. "Would you like a gag for the good captain, Luce?" Drawing out a clean handkerchief, he handed it to Wycliff.

Gerrod recoiled in horror. "Damn you, you will pay for this!" he threatened. "I will charge you all with treason!"

"I doubt you'll succeed," Lucian said mildly. "You'll find that my word carries more weight with the Admiralty than yours. The navy owes me a few favors, in any case. And Lord March is considered a war hero."

Almost wildly Gerrod looked to Aurora. "You will regret it if you go with that criminal, my lady. You will be considered a fugitive in England. You will never be able to return."

She met Nicholas's gaze across the small cabin. "I don't care," she said staunchly, her blue eyes soft.

He felt joy well within him, and it was all he could do to refrain from lunging across the room and taking her in his arms.

Just then Wycliff raised the gag to the captain's mouth.

"You cannot do this!" Gerrod exclaimed, beginning to struggle.

Lucian simply grasped the captain by the throat and stared at him with narrowed eyes. "I hope you won't put me to the trouble of dispatching you to your Maker. You could easily find yourself alone at sea, with no rescue ship insight."

Immediately Gerrod ceased his struggles.

Barbaric but effective , Nick thought with satisfaction.

Gerrod looked as if he had swallowed bile.

Lucian gagged the captain, then hauled him to his feet. "We should be on our way and leave you two to prepare to sail."

"Thank you, my lord," Aurora said to Wycliff, her smile including Clune as well. "Our thanks to you both."

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "For helping save his skin? You needn't thank me. I'm rather fond of the rogue. If you wish, I will make your apologies to your acquaintances for your sudden departure."

Nicholas saw Aurora's smile fade. "What is it, angel?"

"Raven… I wasn't able to say farewell. And I am apprehensive about leaving her alone in England."

He glanced at his cousin. "Will you look after Miss Kendrick for me, Luce?"

"I would be happy to."

"And I," Dare volunteered, "would be pleased to offer my services as well."

"Forgive me," Nicholas retorted, flashing a grin, "but asking you to safeguard a lady is like expecting a wolf to protect a flock of sheep."

"In this instance you have nothing to fear. I vow I will be as chaste as an elderly brother."

"If I hear anything to the contrary," Nick threatened, only half in jest, "I'll string you up by your thumbs."

"Point taken. Well then, farewell and good journey, my friend."

When the two noblemen had shepherded their prisoner from the cabin, only March was left. Nicholas watched as Aurora went to the earl and took his hand. With the softest of smiles, she raised her lips and planted a tender kiss on his cheek.

Nick found himself clenching his jaw… but he willed himself to endure it. He no longer had reason to be jealous of the nobleman, he told himself. Not when he was the one claiming Aurora as his wife.

March murmured a farewell and then fixed his gaze pointedly on Nicholas. "You had best take good care of her, Sabine, or you can be certain I will be paying you a visit in America."

"Be assured, I will guard her with my life," Nick vowed solemnly.

The earl returned his attention to Aurora. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, my dear."

"And I, you. Simone is a fortunate woman. Perhaps someday I may meet her."

Stepping back, March gave Aurora a final smile and then left, shutting the cabin door behind him.

Nick took a slow breath, trying to ease the brutal tension in his body. When Aurora turned to face him, his gaze riveted on hers. "I wasn't wrong, was I?" he breathed. "You love me?"

"Yes, Nicholas. I love you."

Joy hit him with such fierceness it made him shake. In two strides he had reached her and caught her up in his arms, the way he'd been longing to do since her arrival onboard the schooner. Aurora found her lips smothered beneath his passionate kiss.

Even when he had stolen her breath away, he wouldn't cease. His mouth moved over hers hungrily as if he were starved for the taste of her. Finally, however, Nicholas broke off the tender assault long enough to rasp hoarsely against her lips.

"Tell me again," he demanded.

She didn't misunderstand his urgency. "I love you," she managed to say before he cut off her declaration with another devastating kiss.

It was a long, long moment before Nick allowed her to speak again, although he still refused to let her go.

Breathless with desire and love, he pressed his forehead against hers. "What caused your change in heart?" he dared ask.

"I realized I couldn't live without you," Aurora said simply.

"Then you will be my wife?" He lifted his head, searching her face. Her eyes were bright with love; her lovely smile trapped his breath in his throat.

"Yes, Nicholas. I will… on one condition."

That finally gave him pause. He drew back to eye her warily. "What condition?"

"That you promise to make at least a small attempt to curb your recklessness."

"My recklessness?"

"Since I've known you, all you have ever done is deliberately court danger. I have no intention of becoming a widow again."

"I have no intention of letting you."

"You just said you intended to guard me with your life. And I saw you eyeing Gerrod's pistol as if you planned something rash. I felt sure you would have fought him for it if I hadn't acted."

"I would have found another way. I wouldn't have risked endangering you." Nick couldn't help but grin. "The look on Gerrod's face… He was so certain he had me in his grasp. He didn't count on having to deal with my beautiful, courageous wife."

"It was not courageous in the least. I was terrified he would shoot you." She shuddered. "I couldn't bear to lose you, Nicholas. I want your promise that you will try to keep yourself safe for my sake."

"I promise, sweetheart. My reckless days are over, I swear to you. I have too much at stake to risk losing you."

He gazed down into her azure eyes, still not quite believing his good fortune. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Aurora. I want to have children with you and grow old with you. I want to sleep with you and share dreams with you and wake up beside you…"