She should stand her ground. Cut him dead like the royal she was. Flay him alive with the whip of her tongue. But her stupid, shameless tongue had apparently decided to mutiny. It had other ideas instead of sensible speech…ideas that involved licking and sucking and a variety of lewd things that defied decency or morality.

Her mouth went dry at her wicked thoughts of tasting him there.

Squaring her shoulders, she met his stare. “I wasn’t aware that you required washing like a helpless babe.”

“Are you offering?”

“No.”

A glittering gaze swept her. “You know you want to, or at least your body does.”

“And what would you know of what my body wants, Your Grace?”

His hot stare fastened on her breasts. To her undying shame, her nipples were proclaiming their steadfast adoration, straining against the thin, dampened lawn of her nightclothes that had now become transparent. Sarani slapped her arms across her front, her cheeks on fire.

“So I’m cold… What of it?”

His smile was wicked. “Are you certain that’s the reason?”

“For a duke, you’re no gentleman.”

“I never said I was.” His smile grew teeth. “And you should know that I’m done playing games, so you had better get used to it, my little apsara.”

The lyrical sound of the Hindustani nickname he used to call her—water nymph—rolling over his tongue did unconscionable things to her needy heart and already shaky willpower. She was weak when it came to this man. And here he was, throwing down the gauntlet.

He hates you and wants to punish you.

He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Don’t trust him.

Gathering the shreds of her dignity, she tossed her chin high. “Play your games or don’t. But I guarantee you, Captain, that the only thing you will do is lose.”

Seven

“There’s a ship on our tail.”

Rhystan passed the spyglass to Gideon and shaded his eyes with one palm to squint at the horizon. It was no more than a black speck in the distance, but the vessel had been following in their wake for some time. Possibly since the storm they’d outrun in the Arabian Sea, though Rhystan couldn’t be sure. He hadn’t been preoccupied with it because he’d been more focused on what lay ahead than what was behind them.

Gideon shrugged and lowered the glass. “This is a common enough trading route. We see other ships all the time.”

“Yes, but they either pass or disappear after a few days. That one has maintained the same gap. That’s what worries me.”

“You expecting trouble, Captain?”

Rhystan shook his head at his quartermaster. “Not that I know of, but keep an eye on it,” he told him. “Best be prepared if it is.”