Billy's tall figure awaited her on the path up ahead and Sarah felt her heart lift a little at the sight of him. She had been a long time at the pool, ostensibly washing herself and her clothes but most of the time had been spent vacantly scanning the rushing waterfall, searching for answers in the churning water to questions she could barely acknowledge. She had hoped to leave some of her disordered thoughts behind her at the water's edge but they trailed along beside her, a cloud of whispering turmoil.

A slow smile lit Billy's features as she approached and she tucked a still damp ringlet of her hair behind her ear, smiling shyly back and falling in step with him as he turned towards the clearing.

Their argument and her subsequent fit of weeping seemed to have eased the tension that had been building between them, restoring harmony to their unconventional household. Certainly Billy's sombre disposition had evaporated and although he was occasionally a little pensive, he had regained his humour. If anything, Sarah found him to be in an almost playful mood, teasing her more often than before, his eyes twinkling whenever she met his gaze in a way that she found profoundly unsettling, but also strangely thrilling. The only tension between them now was of her own making, her confusion regarding her feelings for the large pirate making her sometimes skittish in his company but, paradoxically, quite unable to refrain from seeking him out on the flimsiest of pretexts. It had crossed her mind on several occasions that his demeanour was almost flirtatious but she had dismissed the idea almost immediately. It was inconceivable. Men, particularly men as handsome as Billy, did not flirt with Sarah, although they sometimes courted her wealth assiduously.

'I was looking for you, there's a bad storm on its way,' he said, absently taking the basket of washing out of her hands and settling it on his hip as they walked.

Sarah glanced rather doubtfully up through the trees at the cloudless blue sky.

'Really?'

'It's coming in from the sea, can't you smell it?'

She rolled her eyes at him, he never missed an opportunity to mock her lack of weather sense, and then sniffed ostentatiously.

'All I can smell is the trees and hints of unwashed pirate,' she said, wrinkling her nose.

'I'll have you know I bathed this morning,' Billy said grinning.

'Perhaps you should have scrubbed a bit harder,' she said, the memory of the last time she had seen him washing flashing unbidden and glorious in her mind.

'Maybe I need some help,' he murmured so quietly she almost missed it.

She flicked her eyes up and met his mischievous gaze, but there was also something assessing there as if he were analysing her reaction. Her response stuck in her suddenly dry throat, and when she didn't speak he changed the subject.

'We'll need to wait the storm out in the hut,' he said. 'If the winds are strong enough fuck knows what'll be flying about. I've moved your trunk inside so your things don't get damaged.'

'Thank you,' she managed to say, wishing she were not so dull, that the charming coquetry she had seen other women display came naturally to her.

When they reached the clearing Sarah saw that he had been busy, stowing everything away in the chests, including her hammock, and putting out the fire. She looked up at him.

'How bad is it going to be?'

'Hopefully not too bad, but best not to take chances.'

She nodded and followed him into the hut, where he helped her hang up her damp clothes. Fishing in her pockets she pulled out a pretty shell she had found earlier in the day and placed it with the others she had assembled in a little nook. Billy glanced at her collection with a fond smile and then handed her some blankets and a pair of lumpy woollen stockings. She looked at them questioningly.

'The temperature will probably drop, I thought your feet might get cold,' he said.

Sarah struggled to stifle a sudden rush of affection for him and quickly busied herself, tugging open her trunk. She had no clear idea what she was looking for but, mercifully, the playing cards sat on top of her folded clothes and she gathered them up, grateful for the diversion they offered.

It wasn't long before the rain began in earnest, thudding down on the roof top and lashing against the sides of the hut. Fortunately Billy had built himself a sturdy shelter and Sarah felt well protected from the worst of the weather. Although, as he predicted, the air cooled with the onset of the driving rain and the darkness of the leading edge of the storm soon enveloped them, the glow of the lamp and the flickering candles gave a snug feeling to the room. Sarah held up the deck of cards and raised an eyebrow challengingly. Billy, lounging insouciantly on his bunk, met her look with a grin.

'This time, I'm going to beat you, Miss Castle.'

Sarah just smiled, shuffling the cards and dealing them out. There was a sudden flash of lightning, eerie white light slipping through the tiny gaps between the wooden boards, and thunder rumbled threateningly. Sarah, in the act of fanning out the worn cards in her hand, looked up apprehensively. Lightning blazed again, followed by a sharp crack of thunder and in an instant she was choking on the darkness, groaning timbers lurching beneath her feet.

She blinked and the hut rematerialized, Billy's concerned face swimming into focus.

'It's just a storm,' he said softly.

'I know,' she said. 'It just…'

'It took you back there?'

Sarah nodded and took a steadying breath.

'I was so scared,' she admitted. 'But there was an instant, in the midst of it all, when I came up on deck just as we crested a huge wave. The whole deck dropped beneath me and I looked down into the sea as the lightning lit everything up like daylight. I knew that the ship was sinking, that Death was beckoning and yet I felt…' she paused, unable to voice the feeling that had overwhelmed her as the sea had surged up to claim her.

'Alive,' he finished for her, the recognition in his voice making her glance up. She nodded emphatically.

'And invincible, like nothing could touch me. Like I could ride out that storm and a thousand more. Obviously, it only lasted a second but it was one of the most intense experiences of my life.' She bit her lip. 'Although maybe that says more about my life so far than anything else.'

Billy's eyes were dark and knowing as he held her gaze, the rapport between them almost tangible. There was an electricity in the air that Sarah didn't think had anything to do with the storm outside. It made the fine hairs on the back of her neck stand up and caused a strange tingling sensation on the surface of her skin. She rubbed at her arm absently, tucking it under her blanket.

'You know what would warm us up?' she said, jumping to her feet in a fit of sudden restlessness and fiddling with the lock on her trunk. She flipped open the lid and pulled out one of the flasks of rum.

'I do, but I very much doubt that's what you're about to suggest,' Billy responded.

She turned to scold him, her cheeks unaccountably hot, but he caught sight of the flask and got to his feet. Taking it from her almost reverentially he held it to one of the candles to get a better look.

'Are you actually bringing out the rum for something other than medicinal purposes?'

She shrugged.

'A little won't do any harm.'

'Do you know, my first few weeks here I would've killed for a flask of rum?'

'Well, I'm giving it to you, so if you could refrain that would be appreciated.'

He grinned at her and then held the bottle out.

'Ladies first.'

Uncorking the bottle with a sharp tug Sarah took a sip which made her gag slightly and cough as the rich liquid burned its way down her throat. Billy laughed, taking the flask from her and downing a large swallow with no ill effects at all. Sarah wrapped her blanket more tightly around her, took the proffered rum and seated herself on the trunk, trying not to wince at the roar of the thunder. Her second sip she swallowed with barely a grimace and then she picked up her cards.

'Are you ready to lose again, Mr Manderly?'

Billy pulled a face at her, making her laugh, and then turned his attention to the solemn study of his cards. As they played she noted that he was improving, although she still won every hand. Recently she had been refusing his occasional challenges, thinking that his constant losses would hardly lighten his sullen mood but as his cheerful disposition had resurfaced she had relented.

'How did you learn to play?' he asked as he watched her deal again.

'My brothers taught me and then regretted it almost immediately,' Sarah responded.

Billy picked up his hand and fanned out the cards, a small smile playing on his lips.

'Did you fleece them at every opportunity?'

'Something like that, I certainly never lacked for pin money. James always said had I not been born a lady I would have made an excellent card sharp.' Billy chuckled as Sarah continued, 'It took me some time to realise that my memory and gift for calculating the odds of success were not shared by most of my contemporaries, and that people unconsciously divulge all sorts of information if you take the time to observe them.'

'A formidable arsenal. What sort of information?'

'Woodes flares his nostrils when he picks up a significant card. My father, his eyelid twitches, the tiniest flicker. Mr Barnes always taps the corner of his highest card, quite involuntarily I assure you.'

'And me?'

She eyed him warily and then said a little reluctantly, 'The corner of your mouth.'

'What about it?'

'It's like you're suppressing a smile but there's always a little twitch that gives you away.'

'And you've spent a lot of time staring at my mouth?'

'Observing,' she corrected. 'And assessing.'

'Assessing what?'

'How good you could be.'

'At what?' He raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his lips.

'Cards, if you learned control.'

'I could be very good, I'm sure, particularly if you help me to practice,' he said with a languid smile that made her stomach flutter. There seemed to be some hidden connotation to his words that she couldn't quite fathom. She looked away and tried to focus on the game.

The door gave a sudden bang in the wind, startling them both. Sarah shivered and pulled her blanket a little tighter. Billy got up with a curse and went to secure the door. While he was knotting the rope that held it shut Sarah leaned over and appropriated the bottle of rum. However, when she tilted it to take a sip she noticed that almost a quarter was already gone and replaced the cork with a regretful huff. Billy came back and settled himself once more, picking up his cards, seemingly intent on his choice of discard.

'Can I have the rum?' he said eventually, without looking up.

Sarah schooled her expression into one of mock severity.

'I think you've had quite enough.'

'You might think that, but the truth is that I've hardly touched a drop.'

She dropped a hand to the bottle. He was not wrong, he had only had a few swigs but the restlessness that had prompted her offer had faded and she was once again mindful of both the rum's medicinal value and their limited supply.

'Please can I have some more rum?' he said again, one brow now raised, an amused glint in his eye.

She shook her head apologetically.

'We might need it in the future.'

'Sarah, my dearest, do you not think my current need of more importance?' he said, with a melting look of entreaty.

Her heart stuttered to a halt at the sound of the calculated endearment and the sweet appeal in his eyes. How she wished he spoke in earnest.

'It has not escaped my notice that I'm only your dearest because you want something from me. I am not so easily deceived,' she retorted in dignified tones.

He winked impishly at her and reached one large hand out for the bottle but she moved it away, tucking it behind her and shaking her head again with a small smile.

'I could take it you know?'

'Yes,' she acknowledged, 'but to use your superior strength on a defenceless lady would be the very basest of behaviour.'

'It would, wouldn't it?' he said, not a hint of contrition in his voice.

'Am I going to have to put it away so you're no longer tempted?' she said sternly. He looked at her for a moment, an oddly twisted smile on his lips.

'I'm not sure that's going to help.'

Sarah gave an exasperated snort as she swivelled on her heels, picking up the contentious bottle and reaching for the chest's lock. The scuff of Billy's boot on the dirt floor alerted her and she straightened quickly, turning to face him. He was standing only a step away and holding out his hand. She shook her head and his eyes gleamed wickedly. The moment he shifted his weight she ran to the door, laughing. It was only when she got there she remembered he had sealed her escape route with his intricate knots and she turned towards him, pressing herself against the doorframe, the bottle concealed behind her back.

Crowding her against the wall Billy reached for his prize while Sarah giggled and struggled to keep the rum out of his grasp. She felt almost diminutive enveloped in his burly frame and yet, despite his size, she knew no apprehension. She placed one hand on his chest to push him away but his sudden stillness and the rapid thump of his heartbeat under her palm made her pause and look up at him. He was staring down at her hand, splayed over his heart, and as she watched he swallowed hard. A surge of longing made her feel light-headed and reckless.

She reached up slowly to the strong line of his jaw and trailed her fingertips across it, watching as he closed his eyes in response to the caress and feeling his fingers clasp her waist. Billy's hand came up and engulfed hers before he slowly turned his head and pressed a gentle kiss to the pale skin on the inside of her wrist. Heat suffused the area under his lips and spread slowly up her arm.

'You're making it very hard to be a gentleman,' he murmured, his breath huffing against her skin as he spoke.

'Gentleman? Not a word I would use to describe you,' she responded flippantly, though her voice was husky. He opened his eyes and lowered them to her face. Sarah's heartrate increased.

'Are you saying that you don't want me to be a gentleman?'

'I never said any such thing. I said you aren't a gentleman.'

The heat of his gaze almost made her look away, but she held it even when something hungry and savage blazed in his eyes.

Sarah refused to be a coward this time.

'You're playing a very dangerous game,' Billy said in a low voice that sent a shiver down her spine.

'I know,' she whispered.

His hands crept up to frame her face, his callused thumb grazing the corner of her mouth but when he leaned towards her he merely rested his forehead against hers and sighed, the faint spicy scent of rum on his breath. Sarah wondered if she had somehow misread his intentions. He pulled away and stared at her, his gaze searching and almost pained. Staring back she wet her lips and watched his eyes flick as they tracked the movement of her tongue. The combined might of her yearning and her fear of his rejection caused her heart to pound against her ribs.

Would he kiss her? Or would he spurn her?

The soft groan Billy emitted sounded as if it were almost torn from him and then he leaned forward and hesitantly brushed his lips to hers, barely more than a whisper of sensation. Sarah's insides coiled tight as she tilted her head up to him, her hand clutching his collar, unconsciously pulling him closer. Suddenly his lips were on hers again but this time Billy did not hesitate. She gave a tiny sigh against the demanding press of his lips and he slid his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss with a low growl. His hand tangled in her curls, clasping the back of her head even as his lean body pressed her firmly against the wall. The bottle of rum dropped from her fingers unnoticed, falling to the dirt floor with a hollow thud and a slosh of liquid.

Sarah had only ever been kissed by two men; a clammy palmed suitor who had assumed that she would be grateful for his attention and had been most affronted when she had indignantly thrust him away; and her husband, who bestowed the occasional absentminded kiss on her, dutiful, polite salutes. There was nothing polite about Billy's kisses. They consumed and provoked, stroking her desire until she was arching her back against him, craving further intimacy. Nothing could have prepared her for the deluge of sensation that overwhelmed her as Billy explored her pliant lips with ever increasing fervour, the scruff of his beard rasping against her chin and making her shiver deliciously. Her legs felt weak and it was only his muscular body and his hand on her waist, hot through the fabric of her chemise, which kept her upright as she burned with restless need and shame.

A tiny rational portion of her mind knew she should stop this, push him away, but it didn't seem to be communicating with her hands, one of which slid to the nape of his neck to rake her nails through the soft hair there, the other slipping into the collar of his shirt to run her fingers over the hot, smooth skin of his shoulder. He seemed to shudder under her touch and pulled back slightly from the kiss.

'God, I've been thinking about doing this for weeks,' Billy said softly against her lips.

Weeks?

Sarah's astonishment at his revelation was swept away when he kissed her again, his hand slipping from her waist to her hip to pull her more firmly to him. She willingly parted her lips to the teasing touch of his tongue as he all but devoured her until she suddenly became aware of the hot, hard press of him against her stomach. She couldn't prevent the sudden tension that rippled through her as unpleasant memories taunted her for a moment but she impatiently brushed them aside; this bore absolutely no resemblance to her previous experiences.

Billy must have sensed her momentary flicker of hesitancy because he abruptly jerked away, backing up unsteadily until he was almost on the other side of the hut. The sudden absence of his weight left her breathless and bereft.

'Shit, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that,' he said, rubbing the back of his neck, his face flushed and his eyes anxious.

'I…' she started but she didn't know what to say. Billy scrubbed his hands agitatedly through his hair.

'It's just been a really long time since I've been with a woman,' he said. 'It won't happen again, I promise.'

Sarah felt herself go cold. A woman? Any woman? She swallowed the sudden tightness in her throat, mentally berating herself for her stupidity. Had he only kissed her because she was a woman? She didn't want to kiss him because he was a man, she wanted to kiss him because he was Billy, and she had thought… she had hoped… that he felt some partiality for her. His passionate response had certainly given her that impression but she realised now that the length of his isolation could probably rouse passion for tree had it the right curves. She was not a fool, she could see that he desired her, but only as a thirsty man desires water. If rum were not available he would make do with what he had. She swallowed again and drew a shuddering breath, calming herself.

'It's fine,' she said in a level tone.

'It's not fine, I shouldn't have taken advantage,' Billy said. 'It was wrong.'

Irritation flared irrationally in her. Taken advantage? Had she protested? Was she unable to make her own decisions? And then just as quickly she felt tired, tired and sad.

'Shall we just forget this, call it a momentary lapse in judgement?' Sarah suggested. There was a long silence and when she looked up he was staring intently at her. She looked away quickly. 'As you already said, it won't happen again, so I see no need to discuss it further.' She briskly smoothed her skirts, not meeting his eye.

Billy went to the door, cursing under his breath as his careful knots initially resisted his fumbling efforts to unfasten them, and then opened it a crack.

'I think the storm has passed. I just be out here for a moment,' and with that he was gone.

Sarah watched him go, her stomach knotting uncomfortably, noting that the rain was still clearly falling. Her eyes burned as the door banged shut behind him and she sank to the floor, digging the heels of her hands into her eye sockets in an effort to ease the sting of tears.

The answer to one of those questions she could barely acknowledge struck her with painful clarity.

She was in love with him.

However much she tried to deny it to herself, call it esteem or regard, it was undisputable that she had fallen foolishly and reluctantly in love with Billy. With his roguish smiles, his wilful stubbornness, the inherent kindness of his nature warring with the brutality of his past, his complexity and very human frailty, all of it had slowly but surely won her heart. It didn't seem possible but she, a well-bred lady of a good family, was in love with a pirate.

She had never been in love. At seventeen years old she had thought her first childish, unrequited inclination towards a totally unsuitable second son to be love, but after her inclination had swiftly and violently run its course she was forced to concede that she had known nothing of his flaws and have been captivated by little more than his handsome face. Her love for Billy was of a totally different nature, although the man in question was infinitely more unsuitable and flawed than the first. It was a slow burning fire, smouldering unnoticed until she was completely ablaze with it.

Mortification swept through her. She was in love with him and it was obvious to her that he did not return her regard. He had called the intimacy they had shared 'wrong'. Was it wrong? It had felt right to her as if something had finally clicked into place, like something missing had been found. She knew she should be ashamed of reneging on her wedding vows and a few weeks ago she would have been. Despite all that Woodes had done she had still felt bound by her promises but the feeling had gradually faded, her burgeoning love for Billy blurring her previously hard held views on the sanctity of her marriage. Now, when she referred to Woodes as her husband it was only as a result of long established habit.

Sarah groaned, burying her face in her hands. Would this change everything? Could she hide her feelings from Billy? She would have to hide them, she chided herself sternly. The humiliation of him knowing the depth of her infatuation would be too much to bear. She would simply act as if nothing were amiss and treat him as she would any agreeable acquaintance. There would be no more wistful stares, no more helpless blushes over his smiles and no more futile daydreams of an impossible future.

It was a sound plan and her execution was flawless, until Fate, capricious as ever, saw fit to intervene in a way that she did not foresee.

Yes, Billy's trying to do the right thing (but he's not made of stone), and Sarah's got some insecurities to work through. You didn't think I was going to make it that easy, did you?

This was definitely the hardest chapter to post, I couldn't stop myself from going back for one last edit. I really wanted to get it right given that we have spent some time building to this first major romantic milestone.