“I know exactly what you meant.” He chuckled against her lips before the kiss grew urgent, and he gripped her backside, flipping their positions. With a last, hard drive against her—he’d finish that later—he yanked her hips to the edge of the bunk and knelt. “Allow me to demonstrate.”

With a shaky laugh, she watched him trail kisses down her body, his gaze staying upon hers, even as he pulled off her boots and breeches and palmed her thighs apart. As he paused there, her chest heaved, mouth open in a way that made him want to lose himself against it.

“Now,” he murmured, gaze still locked on hers, the scent of her filling his breaths, “I believe it was something along these lines …”

Nassau Now, Nassau Then

It was almost seven weeks since they’d last been in Nassau, but it might as well have been a lifetime. Perhaps several. Hadn’t Knigh sworn off the temptation of Vee that day in the bookshop? And yet here they were, walking through the streets side-by-side, having thoroughly succumbed.

They took the same route as last time, snaking up towards the grocer’s first. Again, he wore her tricorn hat and civilian clothes. He hadn’t worn his uniform in weeks.

He wanted to offer his arm and walk the town with her hand tucked in the crook of his elbow, but she kept several inches between them, veering away every time he came closer. The way she lifted her chin and strode with such purpose didn’t welcome interference from anyone else—him included.

This morning, he’d woken to find her still in his bunk where usually she crept out in the night, returning to the hammock she’d slung in Perry’s cabin.

Face peaceful, she’d cuddled against him, arm draped over his waist. He hadn’t had the heart to wake or move her, so he’d lain there until a sudden deeper breath, and the fluttering of her eyelids said she was awake. In that first moment, she’d burrowed against him with a soft sound of contentment—all gentle, affectionate, no note of seduction in her movements.

Then her eyes had sprung open, and she’d frozen. With a muttered oath, she’d stared at the bright light spilling through the stern windows and had rolled away and dressed, swearing about the time.

She’d been tetchy ever since.

Naturally, she was concerned she might have been spotted leaving his cabin. Someone must’ve worked out what was going on, but no one had said anything, except Perry. Aedan had taken to giving Knigh a broad grin whenever they were near Vee, but that was all. He understood the possible danger from FitzRoy well enough to keep quiet.

And even if word had reached FitzRoy, he was either past caring or was sensible enough to not threaten the Queen’s representative.