When she didn’t question him further, he finished stuffing the rest of what he needed in the bag. Then, leading the way, he started toward the steerage hatch. In the offing, dark clouds seemed to have mounted one upon the other, and he couldn’t distinguish where the sea ended and the storm began. The waves were striking the ship harder, tossing the vessel and making walking more difficult.

“Hold on to my coat,” he called over his shoulder.

She grasped his coattail, and he plunged forward just as a wave came over the deck, sending seawater rolling under their feet. Above them, sailors climbed the rigging to secure the sails, their shouts muffled by the roar of the wind and waves.

Joseph steered Mercy clear of the dozens of heavy ropes ferociously whipping about. He’d been stung by flyaway rigging on his first voyage and had to suture his own head with a dozen stitches. In a storm, and without the experience of a sailor who knew how to handle the loose serpents, he’d learned the ropes could be dangerous if not deadly.

At the hatch, Gully was already in the process of securing it with a heavy tarpaulin.

Joseph shook his head, motioning for the old sailor to uncover it. “I need to try to save Mrs. Donovan and the babe,” he shouted above the crashing waves.

Gully’s hardened eyes darted from Joseph to Mercy before softening just a tad. With a nod, he yanked the canvas off and opened the hatch for them.

Immediately the water began pouring inside. Gully swept Mercy up and lowered her with a tenderness that surprised Joseph. Once Mercy was secure, Joseph quickly climbed down, slipping on the ladder rungs even after Gully closed the hatch above.

As his boots connected with the landing, the ship swayed and threw him against Mercy. He braced his hands on the wall, attempting to protect her from the full weight of his body. Even so, he found himself pressed against her, every soft exquisite part.

She drew in a sharp breath.

His attention dropped to her mouth, which was close enough he could feel the warmth of her exhalations against his chin. Though this was neither the time nor place to ponder what it would be like to lean in and capture her lips with his, the desire to kiss her sparked inside him nonetheless.

He forced his sights away from her mouth and found himself looking into her beautiful eyes, wide with confusion, along with something else that sent his pulse to racing. Was it desire? Was she feeling a pull toward him the same way he now felt toward her?

Such a foolhardy and impudent thought. Where was his integrity?