The Pirate's Heart — Trinity Lee

What's a pirate captain's daughter to do when she inherits a ship - and finds that the crew have other ideas about her taking over? Fortunately, Nancy Black is as smart and resourceful as she is gorgeous, and she soon dreams up a plan to become the new captain of the Briar Rose. But there's one man who's intent on standing in her way: her old enemy, Heath, who has declared himself captain. Will their reluctant sexual attraction to each other overcome their differences and allow them to work together?Advisory: This 10,500-word erotic romance is the first in the Briar Rose series. Contains explicit sexual material and is not suitable for under-18s.ExcerptSo it was with a flood of memories surging back that I surveyed the polished wooden table. Heath stood facing me, his expression inscrutable. This unsettled me, and I would almost have preferred that he was openly angry. Eventually he spoke."Nicely played, Nancy. I must admit you took me by surprise. I guess I knew in my heart that you would not take your humiliation lightly, but stowing away takes some guts."I shrugged."Heath, we have been friends before and I am sure we will be again, but business is business. And the Briar Rose is more than business for me: she is my home. I would not let an enemy steal her from me, and even less a friend."And how about a husband?" His tone was lighter now, and I could see that he was teasing me. "Technically a husband cannot steal from his wife because she is his property and anything she owns becomes his."If you believe I am lesser than you because I am a wench."My tone was less friendly now. Talk such as this made me flare up. My Dada had brought me up to believe I was every bit as good as the men, and I hated to be challenged in this way."I am not talking about what I believe," he replied, "But in what the law believes. I admit it was a low blow to try and use the law to subdue you, but you asked for it when you came flouncing into the tavern assuming all the men would follo