Brynne couldn’t believe her eyes when the door swung open and she was left looking at two thoroughly gorgeous–if also somewhat roguish looking–men. Though they were stark opposites, each was attractive in his own way. Why couldn’t my betrothed be as young and handsome as these pirates? She regarded the man closest to her, with his dark hair and eyes and muscular build.

“State your station,” she snapped in her most haughty, demanding voice.

“Master Burns doesn’t answer to you, lass, and I’ve half a mind to let him take you over his knee and tan your hide for being so presumptuous.” The fair-haired pirate with the striking smile and easy charm had just established who was who without ever letting their respective positions slip.

Brynne narrowed her eyes at him and gave her best impression of an offended sniff. “Judging by that oh-so-subtle threat, I suppose that you’re the captain, and this brooding chap with the guarded eyes is your first mate, perhaps?”

She enjoyed the subtle flush that crept up the darker man’s neck and settled in his cheeks. She let her eyes flick to his big, work-roughened, thick-fingered hands and suppressed a shiver at the thought of those powerful digits striking the pale, tender flesh of her bottom. She had to bite her lip to bring her expression back in check. If she weren’t careful, they might discover that she’d engineered her own kidnapping, and who knows what they’d do if they discovered that little tidbit.

“Ye guess well, lass,” the fair-haired pirate agreed. “I am Gage Callahan, captain of this vessel, and the so-called ‘brooding chap’ is, in fact, my first mate, Reid Burns.”

Brynne frowned at the name Burns. Something about it was familiar, tickling at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t for the life of her think why it was so familiar. She shook off her curiosity and turned her attention to the captain, making a mental note that she wouldn’t mind him spanking her, either. Apparently, she was going to have a terrible time behaving herself as she should around such ruggedly handsome men.

“I assume the two of you already know who I am since you’ve kidnapped me and are presumably holding me for ransom?”

“Aye, Princess, we know who you are and exactly what you’re worth to us,” Gage grinned.

Brynne crossed her arms, glaring back and forth between the two of them.

“You do realize that the Royal Navy will blow this ship out of the water, don’t you?”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Gage crossed his arms, both mirroring and mocking her. “The Royal Navy knows better than to be daft enough to fire on a ship that’s carrying Her Royal Highness, the Princess of the Realm of Honorest. If they accidentally hurt you, your father would have them all slaughtered.”