When his men began to scuffle about and run towards the hollering, he did not know what happened until he was a few feet away from her on the deck.

His eyes immediately landed on her outstretched hands stained with blood. He had thought the worst. She slit her wrists. But that was not the case.

His jaw clenched.

"What did you do?" he growled.

She said nothing. She stood rigid to the spot. The moment she blinked and looked at him as if seeing him for the first time, she paled and backed away.

"Take her below," he ordered.

As soon as one of his men stepped forward to grab her, she took off. All of them followed.

He stepped forward and took off into a run as well as he saw her climb over the railing. His chest tightened, his heart dropped to his stomach as she looked down into the water....and jumped.

With a curse he ran and gripped the railing then watched with horror as she hit the water. Without hesitation he climbed over and jumped in after her.

Dark salty water enveloped them both as he swam for her beneath the rough current. Breaking the surface, he frantically looked around as he heard his men above shouting and pointing out in the distance.

Enraged he watched as she swam and dove beneath the water trying to escape. He took off in her direction kicking strongly to get to her before she drove them further away from the ship.

With skilled fluidity beneath the current and brutal waves due to his life at sea, he was able to swim faster and quickly catch up to her.

She panicked and kicked harder then grew tired against the waves that curled over her and pulled her under.

Beneath the dark water, she kicked and cried out as his fingers wrapped around her ankle then pulled her back. She kicked and kicked trying to get free but he was much stronger. She thrashed about until she went under and he grabbed her.

"Let me go!" she cried out before drifting beneath the water.

Her struggles only pulled them both beneath the dark waves that engulfed them until he furiously pulled her up and shook her.

"Stop," he growled wrapping his arms tightly around her.

Water sloshed over their heads dragging them under once more covering their silent battle beneath. She kicked hard against him, yanked, and beat at his chest as she inadvertently gulped water in the struggle.

He drew her against him as her struggle slightly weakened and bobbed strongly to the surface with her.

Her last attempt to fight wildly against him failed. Her strength began to wane and her struggles stopped as he furiously gripped her hair and held her tight to face him.

"If you do not cease I will drown you myself you foolish girl," he shouted.

Weak and filled with so much exhaustion, she stopped and sagged against him.

A pang of sadness gripped his heart as she wept and gave up spending her weight on him as if giving up completely.

At a distance he saw his men lower a boat into the water. He swam against the harsh current back towards the ship until he was beside the boat where he lifted her up and helped her in. Shortly joining her he sat as his men hoisted the boat back on board the ship.

Annoyed and wet, he ordered furiously for her to be taken below to his cabin and that she be locked in. She did not resist as she was led away. Some time had passed since he went below and changed into dry clothes in another quarter. He wanted to avoid being near her while he was still fuming with anger at her lack-wit attempt at escaping.

Now he stood at the railing staring out into the sea that nearly consumed them alive until he felt the tension lift from his shoulders. With a deep breath he shoved away from it and headed straight for his cabin.

Finally there, he braced himself before entering for a few minutes then opened the door and stepped in.

When he shut the door and stood before it he looked over to her as she turned to face him.

She stood before him drenched, trembling not only from the cold but from fear. With a mental curse he clenched his jaw as he forgot to bring her something dry to wear. He stepped closer and watched as she nervously shifted and stepped back until she pressed into the wall at her back.

His gaze combed over her delicate features and peered into soft aqua blue eyes that held tears and nothing but fright. Unwillingly his gaze lingered over her petite form. She was the most beautiful thing he has ever layed his eyes upon.

He slowly lifted his fingers and grazed them gently around her nape and pulled her slowly forward until she peered up closely into his eyes.

Heavy droplets of tears slowly rolled down her cheek.

For the first time since he brought her on the ship, he knew nothing about her. No name nor where she was from or where she was going.

"What is your name?" he asked.

She hesitated then spoke.

"Tempest," she whispered.

A ghost of a smile formed on his lips as they repeated her name. Testing the tone of the name that conveyed very little about the breathtaking creature before him.

A long silence followed.

"Don't ever do that again," he warned. "Or I will ring your neck, am I clear?"

She nodded.

With that he stormed off out of the cabin slamming the door shut.

A torrent of tears followed with breathless sobs.

A short time had passed and her cries quieted down slightly to sniffles. Then slowly the door to the cabin opened and she watched as he entered again. There gazes met for a brief moment before she lowered her head and looked away.

He came forward and dropped dry clothing.

"Take that off and change into these," he ordered.

Her gaze lowered to the clothing in his hands before lifting her gaze wearily to his.

Noticing immediately that she was not simply going to undress before him, he stepped closer to the bed and placed them there, then turned to leave.

When the door shut, she turned to look at them from afar. Tears welled up in her eyes at the garments he brought for her to wear. Although she she should be grateful, deep down she was trembling and cold. But she was mostly angry and wanted nothing from him. She lowered her gaze to her sopping wet nightrail that clung to her body clenching her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering. She tightly shut her eyes and hugged herself , warm tears trailed down her cheek. She felt weary of her predicament.

Not realizing some time had passed, so deep in her thoughts, she was not aware that he had returned. When he slammed the door shut, she jumped.

She stood there with her gaze lowered as his landed on the garments untouched on the bed.

"I see you refuse to change," he said stepping forward.

She did not answer.

He stared down at her and gazed at her with a mixture of impatience and anger as she trembled slightly no doubt from the cold but stubbornly refused to take off her wet nightrail.

"Take off those wet clothes Tempest, and change," he ordered again.

Her head shot up to look at him. She did not move an inch to his order.

His gaze hardened and his lips thinned. "Do it or I will take it off for you."

She pressed her lips tight together as she glared back at him with frustration when she heard his threat in the tone of his voice.

He muttered a curse, grabbing her by the front of the gown. Her gasp and cold fingers landed on his to keep him from pulling it.

Her cries and struggles did not deter him any as he twisted the wet fabric in his fists.

"Stop," she begged between sobs panicking as the sharp sounds of tearing fabric echoed throughout the cabin.

Deep down a hurtful pang formed in his stomach at what he was doing but he could not afford to see her catching her death from a cold due to her stubborness.

She frantically held on and he roughly ripped the gown in two, straight down the middle, yanked it off of her, and tossed it to the floor.

His jaw clenched as his gaze fell on her naked and beautiful before him. She cried as her hands flew to her breasts to cover herself.

"Get dressed," he said again pointing to the clothes on the bed. His tone low and dangerous.

Her large eyes filled with so much hate and contempt faced him.

"You animal!" she yelled then turned away furiously and reached for the clothes and tossed them at him.

"I want nothing from you," she cried out trembling with anger and tears.

His piercing gaze held hers.

His statuesque stance and silence only angered her more then she lunged for him with more hateful words.

With as much control as he could muster he warded off her assault and held her wrists that pummled at his chest. As weightless as feather as she was he lifted her up struggling and screaming, and tossed her on the bed.

"You are an ungrateful little wench," he growled between his teeth stepping closer.

She scrambled for the sheets beneath her and covered herself.

"And you're a black-hearted scoundrel," she yelled back on her knees facing him.

Heated with rage their gazes clashed as he stepped closer until she could feel the heat from his body. His hand shot out quickly and bit harshly into her arm and yanked her close until their noses touched.

The deadly glare in his eyes sent a shiver up her spine. "I will be a fool twice over if I ever help you again. Stay the way you are if you wish. It is to my greater advantage because you can't escape with nothing on."

To her horror she realized what he meant as she clutched the sheets tighter to her chest.

"If you don't want to be prey for the sharks above deck, I suggest you stay locked in here. And mayhap with time, you will come to your senses," he shoved her away.

With that he spun around and retrieved the clothing from the floor. With one last glance her way it felt as if a knife twisted in his stomach watching her lower herself to the bed in defeat and sobs. But she chose this.

He shook his head. He left, slamming the door shut.