Corsets & Crossbones Read Online Free PDF

flirting with me as well.”
    “Well, I should like to keep in practice,” Brooke said, shrugging.  “Suitors do not usually flirt with me.”
    “I am no suitor,” Charlie stated, motioning to himself.  “I am a mere gentleman having a conversation with a young woman.”  He smiled devilishly at her, two gold teeth twinkling.  Other than that, his teeth were surprisingly white and straight.
    “Pretty words, Captain Colt, but I do not think words can mask your obvious ties to piracy,” Brooke said, walking over to him and looking at his plain clothing.  “Although, I am sure like everything, there is an exception.  It is possible that you could be a gentle man.”
    Charlie raised his brow, a smile gliding upon his chiseled face.  “Actually, darling, I am anything but,” he said, causing her to blush.  She was quite confident with flirting, but never had a man been so blunt with a sexual innuendo.  Charlie leaned down towards her so that his lips were brushing her ear once again.  “And just so you know, sweetheart, my words are not the only pretty things in this room.”
    “I am sure you are referring to yourself?” she teased as he pulled away and stood up right.
    “No, actually, but I am glad you think me as so,” he answered, his eyes dancing with hers in amusement.  “Although I would say that I am more ruggedly handsome than pretty.”
    She let out a contagious giggle, and he could not help but deepen his smile.  Brooke covered her mouth with her hand, and stole a glance at the man before her.  He was a changed man compared to when she first met him.  His eyes seemed to now be glazed over with wisdom and his face seemed to have gotten more mature.  His body still looked the same, even after ten years she couldn’t help but be more attracted to him now than when she was younger, when she did not understand her attraction to an older man.  But now she could see that even though he was a pirate, someone so incredibly low on the caste system, while in turn, she was so high, she was drawn to him.  Whether it was his dark eyes, his breath-taking smile, or his low voice, she could not deny there was something dangerous about him.  Of course, she would never admit this aloud for he was correct in his terms of not being a suitor; he was simply a passing stranger who happened to remind her of how it felt to be flirted with by a handsome man.
    Her smile dimmed, however.  Brooke knew she could not be up in her room much longer before her father came up to drag her downstairs.
    “Well, I best be going,” she said to him, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.  “My jewels are in the chest.”  She motioned to the foot of the bed where a lovely oak chest was.  “I ask that you leave the rubies and emeralds, though.  My grandmother gave them to me before she passed away, and they are worth more to me in sentiments than material value.  I should not like to part with them.”
    Brooke turned then, and went over to her mirror to touch up her hair and her face.  Charlie watched her, wanting to say something, anything, to keep her from leaving, and going down the stairs.  Once she was done, she turned to him and forced a humble smile on her face.
    “It was an honor to meet you, Captain Colt,” she said.  She waited for him to return her compliment, but he just stared at her without saying a word.  She turned, and walked out the door, shutting it softly behind her.
    Charlie was now alone in Brooke’s room, with not a clue what to do.  He knew she had been waiting for him to give her some kind of adieu, some kind of closure, but he refused to do so.  To do so would be acknowledging the fact that they would not be meeting again. 
    He walked to her chest and opened it, going through handkerchiefs, a painting, and a couple of pairs of stockings before reaching a relatively large box.  He pulled it out and opened it.  It was full of many different, colorful jewels.  Pausing, he thought