Chapter 17
Rosetta laid curled into Alister’s side.
Watching him sleep, she brushed her fingertips through the black hair on his chest. She was admiring this brutish man in all his masculine glory, finding he looked rather peaceful with his large, hairy chest rising and falling so slowly and steadily.
He’d passed out not long ago.
She’d taken every burst of him. She was a little sore and tender all over, but although he’d been rough with her, she knew he hadn’t taken her as deeply as he had in Tortaya.
It might be because she’d made sure he was too intoxicated to truly have his strength. She also knew it would make him fall into a satisfied stupor at some point, which is why she had truly done it.
Everyone has their limits, she thought, taking in his warmth, the feel of him, how she pressed up against him.
Even Alister could get legless, and since she’d been feeding him bottle after bottle, she’d made sure he achieved it. He was so out of it that she was even able to reach up and caress the side of his face without him waking to stop her.
He looks so peaceful like this. It was hard to imagine he was a brutal, cutthroat criminal.
The scar on his face was always a reminder, as were the many other scars on his torso, arms, and even hands, but Rosetta could no longer think of him as anything hard.
To her, under all that arrogance, he could be sweet, caring, protective, and charming.
She brushed her thumb over the scar before drawing her hand down so she could palm his muscled chest, moving to his large biceps to appreciate it as well. She ran her hand down his arm until she found his fingers and started playing with the golden rings.
She stayed there playing with them, spinning one on his finger repeatedly. He didn’t wake, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths of sleep. She played with his family crest in particular.
As much as she was enjoying this silence-filled moment by herself, she hated this bed. It was hard against her soft muscles. She knelt beside him to stare down at his face.
Even with that nasty scar, you’re such a handsome man.
A small sad smile curled her lips before she leaned over and pressed her mouth to his, giving him a light kiss.
Then Rosetta carefully crawled off the bed so she could return to her ship. She dressed in the cold, bitter air, making sure she was presentable before she left the room.
It was silent when she opened the door, the night so late that she was sure the sun wouldn’t be far from trying to rise. She was tired and desperately wanted her bed, where she would be comfortable.
There were a few stragglers on deck, those who had fallen asleep on it because they were too inebriated to make it to their beds.
She shooed them by kicking them and flapping her hands. “Off to bed, you lot.”
With grumbles and curses swearing she was the devil, they stumbled their way below deck so they could pass out in their hammocks.
There was a long plank between their ships, since they had made sure they were steady by dropping both anchors on either side. She walked across it, meeting Naeem, who was waiting for her on the other side.
He pulled the plank back into their ship.
“Are you sure about this, Rosetta?”
The look he gave her was one of extreme disapproval. Naeem had never regarded her that way. His lips were tight with tension while he stared her straight in the eye with disappointment... in her.
“No.” She laughed nervously.
His look turned into sympathy.
He patted her on the shoulder while letting out a puffed breath of concern. “Fair enough.”
“W-wake the men,” she told him, averting her gaze when a heavy swirl of shame twisted her gut.
She turned away when he headed below deck to do as she commanded. Her eyes fell over the Howling Death, and she tried to give it a smile as she took in its faded sails and rigging.
Rosetta wasn’t sure about what she was doing anymore.
All she knew was that she’d foolishly fallen in love with Captain Alister Paine.