The captain’s command was given lightly. “Throw him overboard.”
Order followed before John might comprehend why, those nearest him hoisted him up and sent him cartwheeling through freefall.
He screamed all the way down. And must have landed feet first, bones shattered, to yell as his broken body tried to swim and sank.
A good minute, he thrashed for life, not a soul at the party making a sound.
One soul swallowing it down as if a kiss had touched her lips for the first time in years.
Opening her eyes, infinitesimally lighter in spirit, she met the captain’s hazel gaze and said, “I thought foreplay was against the rules.”
Chapter Eleven
Aaron didn’t find her quip funny. Looked angrier than she’d ever seen him. “Go to my room. Clean yourself up. I want you naked on the bed when I get there.”
It wasn’t so bad a plan. She’d start with the captain and get him out of the way. More importantly, the rest of the men might be more eager if she wasn’t bloody and wild-looking. Brushing her hands on her mussed skirt as if smoothing the Chanel suit she’d worn for her Harvard Med scholarship interview, she pulled herself together in a way that would have made her mother proud.
And walked away without a word.
Operating on instinct, allowing no thought, she washed herself, felt no pain as grit was scrubbed from abrasion. Raided the pirate king’s medicine cabinet for precious aspirin and bandages. He’d charge her for them, but she needed to be a presentable fuck.
Because her new goal was nothing but tickets, tickets, and more tickets.
Wet curls combed, her pussy shaved for the first time in her life, she sat at the edge of his bed and stared forward. There was no acknowledgement when the door opened, no acknowledgment of the man who had come to take what she sold.
Kneeling down in front of her, he held ice to her cheek, hushing her when she startled.
“I don’t need that.”
“I say you do, troublemaker.” Another hand to her knee, he gave it an easy squeeze. “It’s going to swell up something awful if you don’t hold still.”
A little spite, a lot of bitterness. “Are you going to order me to call you Doctor while we do it?”
“I technically am a doctor, so you wouldn’t be the first.”
She rolled her eyes, which didn’t help the headache.
With a chuckle, he explained, “Multiple PHDs, former professor at Tulane. I taught history and philosophy.”
“You have got to be kidding me…”
Smirking, he confirmed, “Dr. Aaron Kingston.”
Jealous down to her toes that he’d made it academically further than she had, Eugenia sneered. “And here I thought you were some kind of renegade cowboy soldier.”
“Former Navy. Family tradition. My grandfather was the governor of Mississippi. Also a family tradition.”
“What a fancy pedigree… one which explains a lot. Mississippi had a terrible track record for human rights.” As much as he was right about the ice, she didn’t have time to waste. “Let’s stop with the small talk. I have a bunch of tickets to make. And it isn’t my night to
be in here, so I want Hellen’s tickets too. Unless you can go more than once…”
Voice husky, he made a promise. “We’re going to go more than once.”
“All right then.” And she scooted back to get on her hands and knees.
Or, tried to scoot back and was caught. Tired of the endless struggles, she put up a token effort before flopping still and laying an arm over her eyes. “I don’t want to do it face-to-face like this matters. I know what you said about first times, but you have a pass. Can we please just get it over with?”
“Look at me, Eugenia.”