On this pirate ship, their fake marriage isn’t meant to last.

If there is one thing Rebecca Smith knows how to do, it is survive. Shipwrecked in the Caribbean, she heads for The Ghost, a legendary pirate ship that targets the slave trade instead of gold. She hopes to be welcomed onto the crew, but she doesn’t bargain on the surly, tattooed quartermaster who tries to stop her.

Sharkhead Chow has been a pirate too long to allow a pretty woman aboard. After the rest of the crew votes to admit her to the ship, he vows to ignore her, no matter how clever, captivating, or courageous she proves to be. But when her safety is threatened, Sharkhead steps in to protect her the only way he knows how:

By claiming her as his wife.

Though their kisses are real enough, Rebecca knows her steady, stalwart husband doesn’t mean to keep her. To survive, she tells herself she isn’t falling in love with him. As The Ghost chases slave ships across the Atlantic, Rebecca and Sharkhead are drawn deeper and deeper into a deception that could lead to mutiny—or worse, heartbreak.

This forced proximity short story is the perfect 1-hour read for fans of Lauren Smith, Rose Prendeville, and Eloisa James! Dive in for a swashbuckling pirate ship and two independent lovers afraid to confess their love. This quick read includes on-page intimacy for fans of spicy romance!