Saving The Pirate (Book Two)

8. Late Night Talks

I waited in his room while Christopher cleaned up in the gallery. I was already in night clothes, which was an old tunic that hung down to my calf and my undergarments underneath.

Christopher had given it to me, saying I might make better use of it then he was, complaining it was too baggy for him.

At the time, I took it willingly, knowing that no one was ever going to see me in it other than me, but as I stood there, in the middle of the room, I felt completely naked.

It was just a matter of time before Christopher would stroll into the room, raking my body over with his eyes.

Along with sharing the same bed, Christopher had seen me in a nightgown, which was more revealing and open than the tunic I was in, but I was a guest at a manor. Christopher wouldn't have acted on his urges then, would he?

I was on the privacy of his ship, in his room, soon to be in his bed. What would happen then?

I made a plan right away. I would stuff a pillow between us, just as I had done before. There would be a wall between us.

I felt a bit more confident with that thought and clung to it as Christopher swung open the door and came inside, shutting the door closed behind him.

He smiled at me as he entered, and I had the urge to pull the tunic down further, but I had to stop myself.

I couldn't act cowardly in front of him.

"Gallery is all cleaned up, " he said. "Thank you again for supper."

He said this every night, but that night it felt different, almost as if he were avoiding saying something.

That's when I noticed his eyes. They were running down my body with a particular interest in them.

I felt small, and I didn't like the feeling, so to avoid the thought I knew that would follow, I said, "this is only for one night, right? With me staying here."

After saying that, Christopher's eyes snapped to my face. "I would recommend you stay longer so that you can recover from the sleep that you lose, but I'm not forcing you into it, " he said plainly.

I nodded dumbly,  not sure what to say next, but Christopher filled that gap.

"I will go clean up. I'll be back in a moment, " Christopher said and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door shut.

I didn't know I was holding my breath until I let out a sigh of relief.

With Christopher left getting changed and cleaning up, I climbed into his warm bed and covered myself with as many sheets as possible, capturing the warm air underneath and holding it for my own.

I will be the first to admit that I loved Christopher's bed. It was soft and cushiony, and it smelled like Christopher.

Taking in the scent at first, I was thrilled to be basked in the smell of it, but then after that feeling, I felt sick to my stomach thinking of all the other women that could or could not have been in it, combining their scent with his.

It made everything about him seem dirtier. Even with the hard work I put into dusting and cleaning his room, I still sensed fingerprints of other women touching his things, the smell of their perfume, strands of their hair.

Even the thought of Christopher's person was sickening.

As handsome as he was, how many women had he lured in? How many women had told him how attractive and tempting he was?

How many of them have been in his chambers?

Christopher walked out of the bathroom then in nothing but his nightshirt that hung lazily past his knees.