dreamed existed. He was touching her,
and it felt wonderful. Better than wonderful, it felt like what he wanted to find.
It felt like heaven.
He moved his finger gently within her, easing it slowly out of her tight passage.
He added another finger and entered her again, caressing the tiny mound of sensitive
flesh that was concealed by her mass of soft curls. Again and again, he entered her,
massaging and stroking and building a force within her that soon exploded into a million
stars. Aimee heard herself gasp and he immediately reclaimed her mouth, swallowing
her moans and searing her forever to him as uncontrollable waves of pleasure rippled
through her body.
He held her for a long time afterwards, kissing her forehead, stroking her brow. She
remembered his every touch, whether on her arm, neck, or cheek; each was a tender
caress showing that he loved her. They had not said a single word the rest of the
afternoon. They had just sat and held on to each other, knowing he had to leave later
that day.
Then he had left and she had not seen or spoken to him since. He had had opportunities.
She had provided him multiple chances and ways to speak with her and even meet privately,
but he had intentionally avoided all of them. That was why she had jumped in front
of Reece’s man. The fool had stood dumbfounded for a moment, and Aimee wondered if
he was going to take her with him or if she was going to have to throw herself into
his boat. But then, as if he could read her thoughts, he had grabbed her and hauled
her close, quickly binding her hands behind her back.
Aimee had been about to announce that she was not going to fight him, that she would
willingly go with him if he would allow her to see his captain, when a rotten-smelling
bag was thrown over her head. Suddenly she was being roughly manhandled and then hauled
over the side of the ship.
“That ’im, Petey? Pretty skinny, isn’t he?”
“Be careful with ’im. Had to track ’im careful-like and sneak up on the feller to
catch ’im unawares. Fought me terrible for a time.”
Aimee had almost laughed aloud at the lie when she felt herself being lowered down
into something rather unstable. She was shoved down and made to lie on something wet.
When she heard the oars splash down, she realized immediately where she was—in the
bottom of a pinnace heading toward Reece’s ship.
The man nearest to her passed gas again and Aimee decided she had had enough. She
sat up as best she could, but before she could announce who she was and again offer
to go with them willingly, a gag was tied behind her head over the foul bag. This
was not at all going according to plan.
“There, that’ll keep ’im quiet. Don’t want nobody knowin’ what we did till we tell
the cap’n. I’m still not positive that he’s goin’ to be happy about your plan, Petey.”
“Gus, I caught ’im! I caught the bastard that’s been stealin’ the cap’n’s things.
Right from the boss’s own cabin. He’ll give us a bonus for sure for bringin’ the thief
in.”
Aimee heard Gus snort. “Well, maybe yer right and maybe yer wrong, but you better
’ide ’im below for a day or two until we think up a real good way tae let the cap’n
know.”
“Good plan, mate. Good plan. That’s what we’ll do. We’ll hide the bloke below. Tell
no one, mind ye. Don’t want no one else gettin’ the credit for our find. This one’s
mine.”
Aimee felt her heart race. She was to be held for two days before she got to see Reece!
This was not at all what she had planned. She had to get back, now. What would Millie do? Aimee asked herself. She would fight. Aimee started kicking and writhing and twisting and doing anything she could to get
them to let her go.
“Ow!” she heard someone yell. The same voice turned mean. “Stop that or I’ll throw
ye overboard, and tied up like ye are, I doubt you’d go far.”
Hearing the
David Hilfiker, Marian Wright Edelman
Dani Kollin, Eytan Kollin