Chapter Thirty-Three
“If you would like to come along, I am certain that captain would not mind,” Damian suggested after they’d returned to the deck and stopped beside a railing, where the captain said that he would meet him.
Georgie had said nothing when the captain had directed the invitation to Damian and after her speech on the unfairness of it all—that of being female, he wanted to make certain she was included.
“Thank you for asking, but I truly am not interested.”
“I do not believe it will take very long.” Though, he truly did not know how involved the tour would be or how many questions he might have.
“I will be perfectly fine on my own, Damian.” She held out her arms. “It is not as if I can run off anywhere and leave you behind.”
That was true, but there were also several men on the ship and she was the only woman and the true reason he did not want to leave her unattended.
“Go,” she insisted. “I plan on returning to the cabin anyway.”
He frowned. “Why when you can be outside.”
Mischief twinkled in her brown eyes. “I intend to begin reading Glenarvon,” she said with a grin. “Then, when I am done, I might write my own memoir.”
“Remember, she wrote hers out of revenge, supposedly.”
“I promise to be kind,” Georgie said as she patted him on the cheek before walking to the stairs that led to the cabin they shared.
Well, if she was going to pen her own novel, he intended to provide her with several scintillating details before they parted.
“Mr. Wynd, I am ready to begin the tour,” the captain said, interrupting his thoughts.
He then led Damian below where they first inspected the engine, and found a frowning engineer, and sailor, who Damian believed was his assistant.
“Is there no improvement?”
“The pistons are irregular and there is hissing from valve joints.”
“Is the engine running too hot?” the captain demanded which caused Damian to become even more concerned. Given the stories he had heard of previous disasters, he did not want to be part of one.
“Not as of yet, but it is being monitored.”
“Keep me informed,” the captain insisted, before he continued his explanations and tour of the steamship.
By the time they were finished, not only was Damian anxious to return to Georgie because their time was limited, he was also certain that he was not yet ready to introduce steam powered ships into the Trade Wynd fleet.
However, when he did reach the cabin and stepped inside, he found Georgie curled on her side, the book open but face down on the bed and she was sound asleep.
Damian grinned. He had some excellent ideas for ways to wake her.
*
Georgie batted away the feathery touches along her cheek before her hand connected with flesh and her eyes flew open.
“Have you grown tired of my attentions already?” Damian asked. “You could have simply told me. A slap was not necessary.”
Georgie gasped and sat up, an apology on her lips when she realized that he was laughing.
“I did not hurt you?” she questioned.
“You barely tapped me,” Damian assured her before he placed his lips against hers.
Georgie returned his kiss, quite happy to be awakened for this purpose.
Damian broke the kiss then leaned back against the wall and pulled her onto his lap. Georgie gasped in surprise, but his lips were soon on hers again before she could react further, other than return his kiss.
His hand caressed up her side until he cupped her breast, a thumb brushing across a sensitive and erect nipple through her clothing, she noted his lengthening desire pressing against her leg as the temperature rose in the cabin.
As her nether regions began to ache, Georgie turned and straddled him so that she had better access to his lips, neck, shoulders…
Damian took that opportunity to bunch her skirts as his hands slid up her thighs and she nearly moaned as his fingers came near where she needed to be touched the most.
Except, he held back as he trailed kisses across her jaw and down her neck.
“What do you tease me so?”
Georgie could feel his smile against the pulse in her neck.
“Because it drives you mad, does it not?”
“It drives me to frustration,” she groaned.
Damian chuckled and caressed up her inner thigh as her aching need to be touch pulsated.
“Mr. Wynd,” a voice called right before there was pounding on the door.
George pulled back and looked at Damian.
He leaned forward and kissed her neck. “Maybe they will go away.”
“Mr. Wynd, are you in there?” the voice called as the man pounded on the door again.
George blew out a frustrated sigh and rolled away from Damian.
He rose from the bed, and cracked the door open just enough to see who had disturbed them.
“The engine has gotten hotter and the valve gear is failing to maintain rhythm. We are pulling in at the Port of Douglas.”
“Where is that?” Damian demanded.
“Isle of Man,” the man answered. “Gather your things because you will need to leave the ship as soon as it docks.”
As the man walked away, Damian closed the door and leaned back against it.
“Isle of Man?” Georgie asked. She may have heard the name but was uncertain of the location.
“Isle of Man,” Damian groaned. “An Island in the middle of the Irish Sea.”