Raven Quest by Jo Ann Ferguson

caressed his wind-scored cheek.
    â€œI don’t.”
    She flinched at his terse retort. “What’s wrong? Is it having to pay Ernest’s friend for information?”
    Nathan sighed and looked north. He had waited so long for the moment when the poem would begin to unravel. So many times, he had imagined reaching the end of this quest and finding himself surrounded by gold. Then he would silence the memories of laughter that taunted him.
    â€œNathan?”
    He almost did not turn to look at Rory. His breath caught when he did, for the moonlight stole the gold from her hair, burnishing it silver. With the wind pressing her gown back against her, he was treated to a view of the slender curves that haunted him even more painfully than the laughter that had followed him from Maryland. His hand fisted on the railing as he fought the need to explore each one of those curves. Had Powell guessed that his child would be as tempting as his gold?
    He was sure he must be dreaming when she whispered in the voice that filled his fantasies, “Can I speak to you in the cabin?”
    Not trusting his own voice, he nodded. He let her lead the way to the cabin, his gaze held by the gentle sway of her skirts. He closed the door and relit the candle in the lamp. He stared as she reached into her bodice. She pulled the bag of coins out and handed it to him. For a pair of heartbeats, he stared at it.
    â€œThere’s almost a score of gold pieces in there,” she whispered.
    He shook himself, trying to escape from the mesh of desire she had spun around him without a single word. Opening the bag, he poured the coins out across his palm.
    â€œI know you’re worried about having money to buy information from Padre Fernando,” she continued.
    â€œThis is your money, Rory.”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWhy this sudden generosity?”
    â€œWhy must you question it?”
    He grabbed her hand as she was about to race out of his quarters. Twisting her to face him, he could not speak the truth that when he touched her even thoughts of the gold vanished. Again, he forced that thought aside. “Why are you giving me this?”
    She raised her beguiling eyes, and his fingers slipped along her arm. Drawing it away from him, she wrapped her arms around herself. “Nathan, I lied to you.”
    â€œSeveral times.”
    â€œYou could have gone to speak with the Blindman without me helping.”
    â€œBut I was gullible enough to believe a rascal who hadn’t given me a straight answer since we met.” He smiled. “So you couldn’t resist cleaning my pockets.”
    â€œI thought you had plenty of gold! After all, you agreed to my price so quickly.” She bit her lip before whispering, “Now I know you need it. Take it, and find your dream.”
    He put the coins into the bag as he stood. “And what about your dreams?”
    A sad smile lurched across her lips. “A woman like me should never dream.”
    â€œA woman like you?”
    â€œI’m the illegitimate daughter of a privateer and a woman who sold herself into servitude.”
    He frowned. “I thought you said you didn’t hate your father any longer.”
    â€œI don’t.”
    â€œThen why do you hate yourself?”
    She pointed at the bag of coins. “Will you take this?”
    â€œYes, but Rory—”
    She was gone before he could ask another question. Looking at the bag he still held, he threw it on the table. He started to storm after her; then he paused and picked it up again. Was he the fool everyone had accused him of being? He could not throw away all these years of searching just because of a woman who did not want him. When he was wealthy, he could have any woman he wanted.
    But you want Rory.
    With a curse, he stuck the pouch in his breeches. He strode out onto the deck and grabbed a tankard from one of his men. There was more than one way to forget her. Tonight, rum would