experience or not, she didn't dare to consider.
“You must spend a great deal of time planning a project as detailed as this,” he said. “How long does it take, start to finish?”
“Depends on the model, my access to source material, and how much time I have to devote to it. Usually a year or two. I moved around a lot, so it was kind of tricky. I might be able to get this one done a bit more quickly now that I've settled in one place.”
“And how do you decide which ship to build next?”
She tried not to flush, honestly. The knowing twinkle in his eyes proved too much. “I'm in New Orleans, so I decided to take advantage of the information available to me.” When he continued to study her, she hurried on. “It just so happens that this is one place where I can gather a great deal of authentic detailing on this particular kind of ship.” She shrugged again, suddenly self-conscious.
“An unusual diversion for a woman.” He stepped closer. “Could it be you have private dreams of sailing the high seas? Romantic visions of life as a pirate queen?”
Jamie swallowed hard, remembering how they'd first met each other. “I doubt it was all that romantic,” she managed.
Jamie swallowed hard, remembering how they'd first met each other. “I doubt it was all that romantic,” she managed.
“You would be correct.” He ran his fingertip along the rigging lines of one of her plans. His expression took on a faraway look, his eyes reflecting a fond sadness. “It was adventure and danger and every dream aboy could have of treasures plundered.” He turned suddenly and looked at her, his dark eyes now reflecting far more than an adolescent high-seas holiday. “But romantic?
Non
.” He dropped his hand. “There are days when I miss the taste of salt in the air and the feeling of being rocked to sleep by the sea. I miss the camaraderie of having crewmates.” The barest hint of the twinkle resurfaced in his eyes. “And coming into port had its own special pleasures.” The light dimmed as he turned away from her. “But the rest? …” He shook his head. “I do not miss the rest.”
“How long did you sail?” The question just popped out. So what if he was a phony? At that moment, for just that moment, maybe she was a believer.
“As I told you, I was pressed into service for my country as a young boy. Our ship was raided, and I was given to the crew who boarded her. Several times over the next year I moved from crew to crew. Never at my own request.”
Jamie could not swallow. Even if she could have formed the words, she could not have asked him to speak of what she saw in his eyes.
“Then Dominique took the ship I was on and I became part of his crew. We sailed to the Caribbean, and it was there I found my home. I found the closest thing I ever had to a family. I stayed with them until—” He shrugged and once again his smile returned, but this time it didn't ignite that twinkle in his eye. “Until fate guided me in this new direction.”
Jamie knew this was insanity, but it was almost impossible to look in his face, hear the experience of life color his voice, and not fully trust that this man spoke of things he'd truly known. “What happened?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “How did you end up … you know.”
“I fell prey to the machinations of a young island woman.”
Jamie couldn't help but smile at that. “Yeah, right. I'm believing you as the innocent victim.”
The twinkle returned, and Jamie felt herself relax her guard altogether. Foolish of her, most likely, but she was enjoying herself too much to care.
“I was never innocent,
ma chérie.”
Foolish, most definitely. “What happened? You seduced an innocent woman?”
“Hardly innocent, despite her surprising virginal state. Her
maman
was an island priestess of sorts. She was as believing in my innocence as you.”
“Ticking off a priestess. Tsk tsk. Not good juju.”
Sebastien laughed at that. “
Non
. Not
“You must spend a great deal of time planning a project as detailed as this,” he said. “How long does it take, start to finish?”
“Depends on the model, my access to source material, and how much time I have to devote to it. Usually a year or two. I moved around a lot, so it was kind of tricky. I might be able to get this one done a bit more quickly now that I've settled in one place.”
“And how do you decide which ship to build next?”
She tried not to flush, honestly. The knowing twinkle in his eyes proved too much. “I'm in New Orleans, so I decided to take advantage of the information available to me.” When he continued to study her, she hurried on. “It just so happens that this is one place where I can gather a great deal of authentic detailing on this particular kind of ship.” She shrugged again, suddenly self-conscious.
“An unusual diversion for a woman.” He stepped closer. “Could it be you have private dreams of sailing the high seas? Romantic visions of life as a pirate queen?”
Jamie swallowed hard, remembering how they'd first met each other. “I doubt it was all that romantic,” she managed.
Jamie swallowed hard, remembering how they'd first met each other. “I doubt it was all that romantic,” she managed.
“You would be correct.” He ran his fingertip along the rigging lines of one of her plans. His expression took on a faraway look, his eyes reflecting a fond sadness. “It was adventure and danger and every dream aboy could have of treasures plundered.” He turned suddenly and looked at her, his dark eyes now reflecting far more than an adolescent high-seas holiday. “But romantic?
Non
.” He dropped his hand. “There are days when I miss the taste of salt in the air and the feeling of being rocked to sleep by the sea. I miss the camaraderie of having crewmates.” The barest hint of the twinkle resurfaced in his eyes. “And coming into port had its own special pleasures.” The light dimmed as he turned away from her. “But the rest? …” He shook his head. “I do not miss the rest.”
“How long did you sail?” The question just popped out. So what if he was a phony? At that moment, for just that moment, maybe she was a believer.
“As I told you, I was pressed into service for my country as a young boy. Our ship was raided, and I was given to the crew who boarded her. Several times over the next year I moved from crew to crew. Never at my own request.”
Jamie could not swallow. Even if she could have formed the words, she could not have asked him to speak of what she saw in his eyes.
“Then Dominique took the ship I was on and I became part of his crew. We sailed to the Caribbean, and it was there I found my home. I found the closest thing I ever had to a family. I stayed with them until—” He shrugged and once again his smile returned, but this time it didn't ignite that twinkle in his eye. “Until fate guided me in this new direction.”
Jamie knew this was insanity, but it was almost impossible to look in his face, hear the experience of life color his voice, and not fully trust that this man spoke of things he'd truly known. “What happened?” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “How did you end up … you know.”
“I fell prey to the machinations of a young island woman.”
Jamie couldn't help but smile at that. “Yeah, right. I'm believing you as the innocent victim.”
The twinkle returned, and Jamie felt herself relax her guard altogether. Foolish of her, most likely, but she was enjoying herself too much to care.
“I was never innocent,
ma chérie.”
Foolish, most definitely. “What happened? You seduced an innocent woman?”
“Hardly innocent, despite her surprising virginal state. Her
maman
was an island priestess of sorts. She was as believing in my innocence as you.”
“Ticking off a priestess. Tsk tsk. Not good juju.”
Sebastien laughed at that. “
Non
. Not
Similar Books
