Strange how I had that faculty of perception with a man I’d only known a few days. Yet whenever he neared, I became unmistakably conscious of his presence as if my entire body was attuned to him.

There was only one other man who had that effect on me.

The distant horizon drew my gaze, the sun high over the yard-arm. There were no ships in sight. No signs of Priest.

Changing our route wouldn’t throw off his pursuit. If anything, it would make it easier for him to find me, for I was leading Ashley into the busiest port in the West Indies. And it just so happened to be in the vicinity of Harbour Island, where I’d sent Reynolds to hide Jade.

In full suits of sail, HMS Blitz set a northerly course to New Providence, riding easy on a south-southwest wind.

I had a week.

One week to corrupt the lord of propriety and reunite with my ship.

28

I felt his eyes on me.

It had been two days since he tossed me out of the wardroom, and I hadn’t seen him since. He spent most of his time in that damnable cabin with his lieutenants. Evidently, my access to it had only been a one-time event. Every time I approached the door, Sergeant Smithley turned me away.

At night, Ashley slipped into his private quarters after I retired. He was quiet enough to not wake me. If he was pleasuring himself on the balcony, I’d slept through it.

If he was trying to evade me—and that kiss he owed me—he was doing a fine job of it.

Be it as it may, he wasn’t ignoring me now. I felt him somewhere behind me on the upper deck, his gaze boring a hole between my shoulder blades. The impulse to look gripped my neck, but I didn’t turn, didn’t give him the satisfaction of acknowledgment.

Straight ahead, thunderclouds heaped together on the horizon. Their dark undersides scudded along the chopping waves, freshening the wind and injecting enough friction in the atmosphere to prickle the hairs on my arms.

We were headed into the teeth of it. I should take cover since I only had one gown. Though, I’d started working half-heartedly on a second one, needing something to do to pass the time.

Nevertheless, I didn’t dare move out of the cage of Ashley’s gaze. With any luck, he would approach and personally escort me below.

The wind rose, warm and damp and thick with brine. Below, white foam broke upon the crests of turbulent waves, flinging the spray high over the warship’s bows. Since it had been overcast all day, I’d foregone a hat. My loose curls whipped in the gale, tangling around my arms and slapping my face.