He chuckled and combed his fingers through his hair—that would do for speaking to FitzRoy. “I’d apologise, but I’m not even the slightest bit sorry.” He crouched beside her and planted a lingering kiss on her lips. “Hearing you practically beg me to take you in that cave...” He shook his head, his traitorous hand gliding down to her breast. “Well, I never thought I’d hear the notorious Lady Vice beg for anything.”

The notorious Lady Vice. He kept the teasing smile fixed in place even though his heart squeezed painfully.

She adjusted his hair, touch gentle. “I don’t beg, I’m just not afraid to ask for what I want.”

He bit the inside of his cheek. She wasn’t the notorious Lady Vice at all. And he had to fix the awful plan he’d put in place. With a stiff nod, he rose, ignoring her protests, and ducked out of the tent.

Weakness

The sea was wide and glimmering, the air fresh, and the wind with them, all without Vice having to use her gift at all. The Covadonga trailed in their wake as it had for the past few weeks, sailed by a skeleton crew, the silver safely split between it and The Morrigan. Breeze snagging her hair and tugging at her shirt, Vice strode fore.

What a bloody glorious day to be alive.

Speaking of glorious …

Walking the other way, deep in conversation with Aedan, came Knigh. He’d shed all traces of the uniform, now in breeches and loose shirt that the air blew against his torso. Again, the weather’s cooperation was nothing to do with her gift.

His gaze hit hers, making her internal organs dance a jig.

To the casual observer, he gave no reaction. But she’d learned his little tells—the poor man would be a fool to play poker with her now. The fractional move of his eyebrows, the crackling spark in his eyes so much like lightning in grey clouds, she could almost feel it with her gift, and the sudden, hard breath raising his chest.

Both continued in their strides, eyes locked upon each other. Every fibre in her hummed the closer he came, and she had to hook her thumbs in her belt to keep her hands from the temptation to swat his arse when he drew level, as she so often did when they were alone.

Their eye contact only broke at the very last moment. Then he was past, and she gave a slow, shaking exhalation.

Ooh, just you wait until later, Knighton Blackwood.

“What’s got you so cheerful, I wonder?” Eyebrows raised, Perry watched her from the bow.

Cheerful? Vice blinked. Gods, she was grinning like a loon, wasn’t she? She massaged her cheeks to get rid of the ridiculous expression and went to lean on the rail with Perry. Barnacle sprung to the gunwale, then to Vice’s shoulder with a chirrup of greeting.