Heart of Steel - Meljean Brook [106]
“I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to touch you.” His hand tugged at his breeches. “But they will see you put in your proper place.”
“My proper place?” She laughed. “And so this is why you won’t have women on the crew. You can’t stop yourself from raping them after they dared to climb out of bed.”
“You’ve brought this on yourself.”
“Oh, yes? Well I must say, for someone who doesn’t want to touch me, your prick seems eager.”
“Eyes forward!” He moved in behind her, pressed the gun to her shoulder. “You’re fortunate I did not do this in front of my crew and then toss you to them!”
She was fortunate? No. That might have saved him.
His hand curved up her ass. Yasmeen whipped around, dropping her shoulder. His pistol fired, the bullet digging into the table, wood chips striking her cheek. Her elbow smashed into his ear.
He staggered back. Her foot struck his hand. The gun went flying. He turned to run, and she caught him before he made another step, bringing him to his knees with her forearm locked against his throat and her hand in his hair.
“Alive,” he wheezed. “You need me alive. Or they’ll kill him.”
“Maybe. But I think I’ll get them first.”
She twisted past the crack. He dropped to the floor.
A sudden commotion of running feet sounded down the passageway. The door crashed open. Archimedes burst through, the long blades at his forearms dripping with blood, eyes wildly searching the cabin. They stopped on her.
She arched her brows.
His gaze dropped to Guillouet. “Goddammit. Can’t I save you just once?”
“You’ve already saved me twice, just using your grapnel.” She lifted her gaze to the bruise forming on his cheekbone. “Who was that?”
“Bigor.” His fingers gently traced her jaw. “He’s still alive, but tied.”
“Good.” She’d deal with him in a bit.
He held up his hands, showed her the bloody blades extending from his wrist guards. “And I’m sorry, I surprised and killed the other two marines while getting away. Are you all right?”
“Just a headache. Why are you sorry?”
“They murdered your crew.”
Oh. She shook her head. “I don’t like killing. But I’ll do it if it needs to be done. I’m just glad it’s done.”
He glanced down at Guillouet and sheathed his blades. “So am I. Now what?”
“Do you want her?”
His brows drew together. “Do I want who?”
“The ship. Ceres. Do you want control of her?”
“No.”
“Then she’s mine.”
For now. Ceres was a lady, but would never be her lady.
Archimedes followed her as she started for the door. “All right. And then?”
“And then . . . I’m ready to head to Rabat.”
Chapter Fourteen
By the lady, she hated leaving Archimedes this quickly. There was much to say—but there was also now a ship to manage.
His voice caught her in the passageway. “Yasmeen.”
She turned, caught sight of Guillouet’s body in the cabin before the door closed. That would need to be removed, the wardroom cleaned. “Yes, Mr. Fox?”
“I kissed you on the cargo lift. Do you need to hang me over the side of the ship?”
Her gaze snapped to his. His emerald eyes were steady on hers, his features set with determination.
He would let her, she realized. If it meant making certain her position was secure, he would let her strip him naked and humiliate him.
Such a man, to let her be, to give her so much. Why had it taken her so long to see?
She shook her head. “No. That kiss was personal, and nothing to do with rank or our relative positions. All who saw would know that.”
“All right.” His grin held more than a hint of relief. “I’m glad to hear it.”
But because he also needed to know, she said, “But now, there is a line, and it will end at that cabin door. When I tread her decks, I am captain. When we’re alone, we can do whatever we like.”
“Or when we’ve just been saved from zombies.”
“Yes.” She approached him, took his hand in hers. “And even in that cabin, I will not kiss you while we stand over a dead body. I will not kiss you when there is work that must be done. I want nothing more than to kiss you now, as I desperately need to.