Real Vampires: Glory and the Pirates by Bartlett, Gerry (red white royal blue TXT) 📕

Perhaps you led a troop of warrior women. I’ve heard there are such on islands far from here. I shake at the thought of facing them in battle.” He pulled down my bodice and ran his hands over my breasts, making me shiver. Then he looked me over as if he’d never seen them before. “Surprising, then, that you have no battle scars like I do.”

“I must have been a brilliant leader.” I stepped back and jerked his shirt off over his head. “Or good at hiding behind my warriors.”

“You? I doubt that.” He became impatient then, making quick work of stripping away the rest of my own clothes before taking off his own. He abandoned me to walk over and grab the steaming water to add to the bath. “Get the soap and a cloth. I fancy a thorough scrubbing from my fearless woman.”

“Mayhap I fancy the same from my lord warrior.” I picked up my favorite scented soap then put it down again. Jeremiah liked the lavender scent on me, but not on his own skin. He had a bar with a more manly lemon scent and that’s what I’d use to scrub him. Of course, our scrubbing was playful and ended with my riding him until the stone floor was wet and I lay breathless on his chest.

“I love you, Jeremiah. You may want to protect me, but I do want to be a warrior. I will not cower in a locked room like Lady Anne did when the pirates came before.” I kissed his chest then sat up. “Hear me. I mean it. I will not hide.”

“I’m told women were stolen from the village and taken away.” Jeremiah lifted me and stood. Water streamed from his body. I admired his wide chest, narrow hips and sturdy legs, even as I was picked up and put on the stone floor. He handed me a warm cloth then picked up one for himself. “I will not risk you, Gloriana.”

“Nothing will happen to me. I’m vampire, thanks to you. Do you really think I won’t rip open the throat of any pirate who tries to take me?” I dried myself then tossed away the cloth. My robe was on a peg on the wall and I grabbed it. “You know that. I cannot be captured easily, certainly not by a mere mortal.”

“You can try. But your best defense is to shape-shift. If you can do that, then perhaps I will consider letting you stay out and help defend the castle.” He threw down his own drying cloth while there were still drops clinging to his broad chest.

Gods, but I loved him. Too bad he was so stubborn. We had gone round and round about this. I didn’t want to shape-shift. I had a deep and abiding fear of it but I had no idea why. I just knew that if I tried to turn into another creature, I was very afraid I would never be able to shift back into Gloriana the woman again. Was I foolish? No doubt. Jeremiah shifted as easily as breathing. So did Valdez. Bird, bat, even a wolf. It didn’t seem to matter. But I couldn’t or wouldn’t. I turned my back on him as I pulled on my robe.

“You ask too much.” I wouldn’t let him see my tears. Damn him for picking the one thing that he knew was my weakness and impossible for me to overcome. He touched my shoulders.

“Gloriana, look at me.”

“Why? So you can win again? You knew I would admit defeat. Now you can gloat. Go ahead.” I resisted when he tried to turn me to face him. But I couldn’t resist for long. I finally looked up at him. He wasn’t smiling.

“I only want you to be safe. To be with me forever. Is that too much to ask?” He urged me closer. “I love you. I don’t want to lose you.”

“I am not a helpless female. I am not.” I bit my trembling lip. Damn him. He pushed my robe open and palmed my breasts. Unfair. He knew how that affected me. I shoved his hands away.

“Of course, you’re not helpless. You are brave and have saved my life. In more ways than one, my love. You have no idea how low my spirits were when you came into my life. I was looking for a reason to live after some losses…” He stared into the fire behind me then shook his head. His jaw was set, the firelight playing over it and showing me how his eyes gleamed before he looked down at me again.

“Please believe me, Gloriana. You lifted me out of despair and forced me to move on from a dark place. You became my light. I will always be grateful to you for that.”

“Jeremiah.” I ran my hand over that strong jaw, those lips that could be tender or demanding. My love. I couldn’t imagine him without hope. But then it was true that night he had met me, he had taken me quickly, as if desperate for a distraction. Would he ever tell me what had brought him so low? There was something that had happened…

Jeremiah had left his home where he was surrounded by family and gone to London where there were enemies aplenty. There must have been a reason. If he’d only tell me. But the truth remained his secret. I should let it alone and be glad he loved me and wanted me with him.

“Please understand that I only urge you to shift to keep you safe, my love. Practice your sword craft with Valdez. He will let me know how you do. Shoot your arrows as well. The castle can always use another archer. The captain and I will do our best to make sure the pirates don’t get this far but then you never know what might happen in battle.” He kissed my fingertips.

“Really, Jeremiah, you drive me mad.” I gave up when my robe hit