Andrea Pickens - [Lessons in Love 03] Read Online Free Page B

the rough wool of a man's coat. An arm groped its way around her waist and pulled her even closer.
    "Why, it's a female," continued the soft drawl. "And a rather shapely one at that." The man's feet moved unsteadily with the next buck of the hull, causing the bottle in his other hand to thump into the cross beam. "Perhaps you would care to join me in a little toast to weathering this blow. I'm sure we could also... come up with some interesting ways to keep each other warm in this cursed cold."
    A binnacled oil lamp up ahead cast just enough light for Octavia to make out the lean jaw, straight nose and full lips of the face before her. Lips that were slowly curling into a suggestive smile. He was tall enough that he had to stoop quite low to avoid hitting his head, causing a tangle of long, raven locks to fall over his bleary eyes. They were blue, she noted, despite the tumble of curls. An unusual blue, somewhere between cerulean and slate.
    "Let me go at once, sir!" she demanded as she struggled to free herself from his grasp.
    His arm only tightened its hold. "I assure you, it would be a most pleasant way to forget about the storm outside." The hull rocked wildly once more. "We could... make our own waves."
    What gall! How the devil did he presume to know what she would find pleasurable? As she opened her mouth to tell him just that, his mouth brushed against hers and she felt his hand begin to rove lower.
    That settled it. Since words were having very little effect in discouraging his amorous attentions, she decided she would have to resort to a more convincing way of saying no.
    Her knee came up hard in his groin. Very hard.
    The bottle fell from his hand and rolled away. With a sharp intake of breath, the man sunk to his knees, then toppled forward and rolled into a fetal position. A low moan escaped his lips—which, she noted in grim satisfaction, were no longer curled in a smug smile.
    Her rather limited experience in such evasive action had taught her now was the time to take to her heels. As soon as the man recovered, he was likely to be in quite an ill-humor. Unfortunately, the ship took a steep plunge. Octavia lost her footing and both she and the other body slid down the pitched planking, coming up hard against the latched door of storeroom.
    She began struggling with her tangled skirts, desperate to be out of the man's reach by the time he was able to move again. However, another sound from his lips brought her up short. She couldn't quite believe her ears.
    Why, it appeared he was laughing.
    "Good Lord, where did you ever learn that?" he managed to gasp.
    Octavia sat up on her knees. "From a friend," she replied warily. "I was told it was the most effective way to discourage a man's attention."
    "Oh, most effective," he agreed. He slowly propped himself up against the closed door and wedged his long legs against the other side of the bulkhead to keep from being thrown about any more. Octavia couldn't help but acknowledge that it was handsome face, despite the sallow skin and fine lines etched at the corners of the mouth. Such hints at dissolute habits were at odds with the flash of lively intelligence in those piercing blue eyes, a light evident despite the haze of alcohol. "I suppose it is a good thing I am a youngest son and need not worry about begetting an heir."
    A flush of color rose to Octavia's cheeks. "That, sir, is a most ungentlemanly remark."
    He chuckled. "And your action, my dear lady, was a most unsporting blow."
    "I didn't realize it was a sport to accost innocent females," she countered.
    The grin disappeared. "To some perhaps, but not to me. Believe me, I am not in the habit of forcing myself on a lady, no matter how deeply foxed. Allow me to apologize."
    She could hardly believe her ears. "You are not angry?"
    "I imagine I got what I deserved." He regarded her in silence for a moment. "Though I must admit it came as a bit of a shock. You have a good deal of, er, spirit, Miss—"
    She ignored