Darkness fell over her soul and she trembled with every step he took towards her. She felt isolated in the large Ballroom with nowhere to turn or run. With growing trepidation, she lifted her gaze to his when he finally stood before her.

" Miss Whitwell," he drawled, acknowledging her with a triumphant smile.

Overcoming her reluctance to speak to him, she responded cordially.

"Lieutenant Haines?"

His eyes narrowed and very slowly combed the length of her, from head to toe. When at last he looked at her, she saw hunger in his eyes that brought on a dizzying sense of panic and repulsion.

His lips twitched with her visual discomfort.

" I see the Black Guard of O'Shea returned you unharmed," he said.

The twinge of disappointment that Justin had returned her was apparent in her gaze.

"Yes, he has," she swallowed squaring her shoulders and raising her eyes daringly to his.

"Indeed," he murmured.

His smile was pleasantly false as he continued to scrutinize her. Before he could continue, The orchestra struck its first chord for the Waltz.

He turned to her, his voice dropped to a husky whisper. "Would you honor me with a dance, Miss Whitwell?"

Unable to answer quickly, she held his expectant gaze. He smiled as if sensing her hesitation. There was no measure of defense to protect her if she denied him. The Ton will talk and her mother would begin a vicious tirade.

The hard judgmental plains of his face softened when she took his hand and was led to the middle of the dance floor. He remained quiet as he led her to the middle; then turned to face her and pulled her in for the first steps as the chords struck. She stood rigidly erect in his hold relieved with the other couples surrounding them.

Silence lingered between them for several unbearable seconds, then he cocked his head to the side to eye her suspiciously.

"You do not look as if you are happy to be here." he speculated.

"Why do you say that?" she frowned.

"Oh! I don't know it is as if you were saddened, forlorn, suffering from... shall we say ....heartache?"

She blinked quickly several times averting her gaze. " I... I don't know what..," she began.

"Oh! Come now, Tempest," he chuckled interrupting her.

She felt appalled that he would use her given name so openly as if they were more than acquaintances. He pulled her slightly closer unaffected by her incredulity.

"You don't expect me to believe that the Black Scourge, had you for so long on his ship and you remain..." he paused gazing down at her. "Chaste?"

Blood left her face.

"I... I beg your pardon," she tried to pull away, but he held her steadfast in his hold.

With a satisfying exhalation of breath, he continued. "Now if I am not mistaken, O'Shae left Tortuga with a pardon that can easily be revoked."

His words threatened her composure. But, boldly she looked up to his face. "What does his pardon have to do with me?" He continued to gaze at her unmoved by her growing anger. His eyes flickered and she nervously waited for his response.

"He compromised you and that cannot go unpunished."

A Rush of air escaped her. "You cannot do that, He did not harm me," she argued.

"True, but he ruined you," he whispered with a grim stare.

Silence lingered between them for a while. Their gazes locked in a heated challenge.

"Whether I am ruined or not that is not your concern," she clipped.

"Au Contraire, my sweet Tempest," he grinned slyly. " You see it would be poor of your mother and father to deceive these eligible wealthy Bachelors that are seeking an untouched marriage prospect when in truth, she is no longer a... virgin."

Horrified by his forwardness, she continued trying to pull away. Trying to avoid a scene, he squeezed her mercilessly tight, until she stopped.

"The Ton," he went on to say. "Revels in gossip and it would be a shame to see them trample your reputation and have your poor family embroiled in scandal," he murmured, his voice growing husky; his expression and manner cynical.

Suddenly, she knew he was about to reveal his intentions.

" And I suppose you would save me from such a disgrace, Lieutenant?" she asked icily.

She watched as he lightly chuckled.

"Perhaps I might just do that," she jerked back in horror at what he was implying. But he held her tightly in his grasp.

Under the cover of the dim-lit ballroom, the strings of the music and guise of the dance, he pulled her even tighter against him in time for a dizzying twirl.

"Being that dog of a pirate ruined you for any marriage prospect, I don't mind picking the spoils," he brushed his lips across the shell of her ear.

Pulse racing and feeling emotionally drained, she leaned away from him. Her gaze filled with contempt lifted to his. They were intense and penetrating, sparkling with satisfaction.

"So an offer for marriage would be the next best thing," he smiled wickedly.

"After he pays for his vile deed and is put to death of course," he added ruefully.

Trembling with anger and trying to hold back her tears."You wouldn't," she struggled against him horrified.

"Oh! But I would," he squeezed her taut against him enjoying the feel of her in his arms.

Now merely inches from him, their bodies so close, she felt instantly trapped.

He slowly relaxed his grip then and leaned in. "Besides," he began.

" I find that our last encounter has left me rather unsatisfied," he whispered against her ear.

With renewed strength and angry with his nefarious plot, her emotions grounded, she attempted to pull away from him once more, but he would have none of it.

Filled with so much rage, she looked up to him. "I would rather die than ever marry the likes of you."

His brow rose, his lips twitched.

"I don't believe you have a say in the matter," he grinned.

For a heart-stopping moment, she paused, mortified with his response. She trembled in his hold with anger.

" Your mother already accepted it," he winked wryly.

The worst feeling of dread floored her that her knees buckled. The dance was finally coming to a close. But before she could pull away, he pulled her close to him once more and whispered for her ears only.

" I'm not one to be easily brushed aside, Tempest," a smile curled at the edge of his lips. "I vowed one day you will be mine and it has come to pass," his gaze turned dark.

She couldn't speak. she couldn't breathe. As suddenly as he said those words, she pulled away and this time he released her.

He stood there as she took a step back from him. For seconds he did nothing as a sly grin spread across his mouth and then her mother was at her side; cooing over the delectable news of the Lieutenant being overcome with her charms after just one dance.

Tempest said nothing as he cleared his throat and shot a quick glance at her, then at her mother.

" I will see you in the morning as we agreed upon, m'lady."

With that said, he nodded to them both; turned, and walked away.

Tempest's emotions took the best of her and she nearly collapsed on the spot. It took all the strength she could muster to stand erect. It was then that her mother turned her around to face her. Her lips curled into a beaming victorious smile.

"There ....there... was that so hard?" she pulled Tempest into a false motherly hug as tears slowly trailed down her cheek.

For the brief second, it came, her mother quickly released her and her fingers rose to Tempest's chin and tilted it up to gaze into her eyes. The Victorious smile then disappeared and turned cold and hard.

Then she spoke.

They were not words of a loving mother filled with concern or seeking to comfort her.

"Do not ruin this, am I clear?"

She glowered at her for a long, charged moment until Tempest agreed.

She lowered her lashes in defeat.

"Yes, mother."

Satisfied, her mother lifted her skirts and with regal bearing, stepped past Tempest; leaving her there... numbed to the core and feeling utterly broken.

*******

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