by Haley Travis
I nearly giggled against the Captain’s chest.
Then an odd thought formed.
“Captain?”
“Yes?” His voice rumbled right against me.
“Does…does anyone ever call you anything other than Captain?”
His wandering hands stopped moving for a second, then I felt, more than heard, his deep chuckle. “You’re right, Maggie. The crew must call me Captain. It’s a matter of protocol aboard the vessel.”
He ducked his chin, catching me with a slow, smoky kiss that took my breath away. “But when we’re alone, you may call me Levi.”
“I like that. Levi.”
His answer was a soft hum as he kissed me. “How strange that something as simple as my name sounds like music from your lips, Maggie.”
I felt like I was melting, even as the frigid wind gusted around the ship.
“I’m sorry that we have to keep our…closeness a secret for now,” he breathed. “I don’t want to throw off the balance of the crew any more than it already is, just for a bit longer. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I think so. It must be a huge adjustment, having a woman on the ship.”
“Not as much as I’d feared.” That dark chuckle felt like rich cedar smoke wrapping us in our own little cloud. “You’re surprisingly open minded, lass.”
“I’m trying my best to earn my keep.”
“I know you are. We all do. And I appreciate it.”
My fingers reached out from the blankets to slip upward, along his shirt, his collar, then to nestle at the back of his neck. I was rewarded for my bravery with a deep sigh.
“I know it must be difficult for you,” he whispered. “Learning the ways of the Midnight Treasure , and suddenly living with strange men.”
“Yes, a little,” I admitted. “But it’s all so much better than where I was.”
“I’m very glad.”
His low rumble seemed to make me terribly aware of every single part of my skin. Was it natural for me to wish that we were naked? That he was caressing my bare skin, and that my tingling breasts were pressed against his massive chest?
His fingers rose to sweep my hair from my neck, then his lips trailed a path of kisses along my skin. It felt like he was hungry for me, that he wanted so much more.
I didn’t understand why, but that made me feel oddly satisfied. This impressive man wanted me. It felt like a real bond was being forged.
“My beautiful, beautiful lass,” he murmured, “You need your rest. Are you comfortable?”
How could I not be when he held me so tenderly? “Yes.”
“Sleep, my sweet.”
Nodding against his chest, I moved slightly, then pressed my lips together to stifle a gasp. He was completely aroused, and I felt the evidence shift between us.
I’d accidentally seen a few naked boys down at the swimming hole a few times, and was fascinated by the male body. My school friends had told me all about what happened when a man and woman were in bed.
But they hadn’t told me what an erotic thrill it would be, knowing that I had aroused a man to the point of his body changing form.
It was almost mystical. I resolved to explore this much more as soon as we were completely alone together.
I eventually drifted off, only waking slightly when Dwyer and Dobbs switched places on watch. It was impossible to tell time down here, especially with the tiny window blocked, but it felt like I briefly woke up every few hours.
It was as if I was enjoying the feeling of being so close to Levi that I couldn’t bear being asleep to miss it.
I didn’t quite wake up when Cookie got up, earlier than the others, but noticed when Willy and Dwyer left as well, leaving Levi and I alone.
Without a word, Levi’s arms tightened around me. His hand slipped into the back of my hair, arching me slightly as his lips glided down my throat. A strange little noise escaped me, even as I tried to be silent.
His hand moved from the small of my back, around my hip. He found the edge of the blanket and reached under so that he was pressed against my dress.
“Do you like the way I touch you, sweet girl?”
“Yes,” I breathed.
His hand inched higher. Pausing for a breathless moment, his hand slipped under the fabric, and gently cupped the side of my breast.
I hadn’t realized how sensitive and full they felt until now. My soft moan shook loose one of his dark chuckles.
His hand slipped back and forth between the two, squeezing and exploring as if he were testing what movements caused different sounds as I whimpered lightly from his touch.
“Am I the first man to touch you, Maggie?”
That deep voice sounded thick. Strained. As if he were holding himself back from something.
“Yes.”
Those perfect lips crashed against mine in a feverish kiss. His tongue slid against mine as he overtook my senses, my body, until it almost felt like we were one person.
“I’ll be the only man to ever touch you, my sweet girl.”
That murmur was different. A command. I didn’t know why that made my belly tighten so sharply.
“Yes.”
His hand slipped out, then reached lower, hitching up my skirt to my knees. As he caressed my inner thigh, his work worn hands against my soft skin, it felt like I was in a dream.
His fingertips inched higher, and I felt myself shift to spread my legs an inch further apart.
I wanted him to touch me everywhere. No, I needed it. It was the most unusual, overwhelming feeling I’d ever experienced.
The door to the bunkroom opened, as Dobbs stumbled in, crawling straight into his hammock. I nearly whined as those thick fingers pulled away.
“Time and place,” he whispered, but I could hear the disappointment in his voice. “We need to get to breakfast so the others don’t talk.”
“All right.”
In my mind, since we weren’t alone, he shifted back to the Captain. Yet it was Levi’s hands who held me so carefully as he helped me out of the hammock. Definitely Levi who dragged his lips along the back of my neck as we climbed the steps.
And definitely Levi that was making my heart race in circles like a confused squirrel.
~ Chapter 10 ~ The Captain ~
* An Important Free Job *
Sleeping so close to my darling Maggie made me feel energized. Like I could take on the world.
Even though I was the Captain of a vessel, and in charge of a crew of five, well, six now, I didn’t feel like a particularly powerful man every day.
Caring for Maggie made me want to be more powerful. Made me want to be an admirable man. Someone worthy of her love.
After checking our position, and making sure we were on course for Fleeryville, I went down to see Maggie working merrily alongside Cookie.
“Thank goodness you were there to help us heat the bunkroom, lass,” Cookie said as he began dishing out bowls of porridge. “I wouldn’t have gotten any sleep had I been listening to Willy’s teeth chattering the whole time.”
“You’re kind of like a sister,” Dwyer said, nodding both to Maggie and his mug of strong tea. “I’ve never had a sister. And I was tiny when my ma passed. I like having a girl around who knows different things.”
“Thank you,” Maggie said softly. She looked genuinely touched by his praise.
It warmed my heart to see her fitting in with my men so well, and to see them studying her as we all learned more about her ways.
“She’s also saving us a bit of money, Cap’n,” Cookie said to me. “Maggie knows lots of wee tricks, like thickening a stew by crumbling stale bread into it.”
My proud grin made her blush. My girl was a clever one.
We arrived in Fleeryville shortly after breakfast. The crew made short work of trading cargo and selling off one barrel of rum.
Since five barrels were taken on board at Parrinport, the plan was to simply sell one at each of the next three ports, and keep two for ourselves.
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br /> As the men stowed away some fresh supplies, an elderly gentleman approached the ship. “Good morning,” I called out. He looked vaguely familiar, with a long, crooked nose, and the weathered skin of a fisherman.
“Captain Maddox,” he said, tipping his hat politely, “I have some news that may interest you.”
I came closer, so that he could lower his voice enough to have it swept away on the breeze. “A ship was here late last night, bound for Port Chancelry,” he said.
“Aye, we’re headed there next.”
He nodded, taking another step closer. “One of the crew became right rowdy over at the pub. His tongue became loose as a torn sail.”
I chuckled, looking around, but there was no one close. “Go on.”
“The crew of the Devil’s Blue Sea are off to Port Chancelry to kidnap one certain Mrs. Wescott.”
I scratched my head. “Is she related to Noah Wescott, the Mayor of Parrinport?”
“Aye, that’s his wife. She went back to her hometown to visit her sister. The wily bastard who wishes to unseat him thinks that he’ll step aside as Mayor if he thinks his family is in danger.”
“Hell’s teeth!”
We were a shifty, thievin’ band of mischief makers for hire, but kidnapping an innocent woman? That’s unforgivable.
“I know the Wescotts,” the old man continued. “Good people. Salt of the earth. A bit strict with rules, but it’s for the common good. If we let a jackass like Hoddnett take over a major shipping town like Parrinport there would be nothing but chaos.”
“You’re absolutely right.”
He nodded, digging into his pocket and pulling out two gold coins. “I don’t have much, but someone needs to stop them. I’d like you to take the job.”
I held up my hands in protest. “No fee required. We’ll do this on behalf of the entire coast.”
Nodding, he put the coins away. “All right then, you’ll all drink at my brother’s pub for free when next you visit.”
My loud laughter made Willy’s head perk up from where he was winding ropes at the far end of the ship.
“Fair enough.” I shook his hand firmly. “We’ll do our very best.”
Watching him walk away down the dock, a strange feeling overcame me. For the first time ever, I felt like I should consult with more than Willy, and my own conscience.
I knew that Cookie, Dwyer, and Dobbs would go along with any plan I chose. They were good men who didn’t ask a lot of questions.
Although we rarely spoke of our pasts, I had the distinct impression that every man on my ship had had a rough life, and was grateful to be here among a crew who valued a bit of peace and quiet between jobs.
Yet I didn’t know what Maggie wanted.
This world had been thrust upon her accidentally. She had been taken away from her reasonably wholesome life, no matter how troublesome it may have been, and landed here with us.
With me.
If I ever put her in danger, I had no right to call myself her man.
She had said before that she wanted to know what was going on. How could I tell her that we were going to engage with some extremely rough men, and violence might ensue, even if it was to save an innocent woman?
If I hid it from her, that would make me a liar of sorts. If I told her about it, she might be ashamed of me, or disgusted by the situation.
As soon as we were back out at sea, I waited until Willy met me in the chart-room to discuss the plan.
We had always been a good team. Somehow once we were bouncing ideas back and forth, we managed to think of many scenarios, and plan contingencies for almost every potential problem.
“You know,” Willy said, staring down at our notes, “this would be much easier if we could use Maggie as a decoy. Nobody would suspect that such a fine young lass would be up to no good.”
Running a hand through my hair, I sighed heavily. “I can’t use her that way. It’s not right.”
He cocked his head, those black curls bouncing as he looked me dead in the eye. “If you’ll forgive my saying, Captain, is she a member of the crew now or not?”
Just a few weeks ago, my fist would be greeting his teeth for such a remark.
But he was right. If Maggie truly was one of us, she would have to pull her weight occasionally.
Although I would never put her in danger, there were always little ways to draw attention away from the action. No one would ever suspect a woman.
It was the right thing to do.
Yet it made me feel seasick for the very first time in my life.
~ Chapt er 11 ~ Maggie ~
* Learning the Plan *
I honestly didn’t mean to eavesdrop. Over the years I’d become an expert at moving around silently, so as not to alert my brothers. It was always better if they didn’t know where I was.
When I approached the chart-room to fetch the basket of clothes that needed mending, I froze outside the doorway when I heard voices.
After I’d heard more than I could take, I slunk back to the main deck.
My head was spinning with too many questions. Did the Captain consider me a member of this crew? Or was I simply a woman who happened along, so he began courting me out of convenience?
Actually, when I thought about it, this certainly wasn’t proper courting. I didn’t know what it was. And I didn’t know how anything worked on this ship.
The men seemed to do whatever the Captain said without question. Would I be disobedient if I inquired?
If there was a plan he wanted me to help with, he should ask. He should keep me informed. And he should certainly ask me whether or not I wanted to be put in danger of any kind.
And now, just as I was beginning to think there was a man in my life I could actually trust, it appeared the Captain might be devising a plan without my knowledge.
Because I had so little experience out in the world, I had no idea whether this was how men treated women, or Captains treated the members of their crew.
A strange bell rang out, making my heart leap up into my throat. It wasn’t the usual few rings that signalled the time and watch shifts. This bell rang rapidly and continually for a moment.
Dobbs appeared from where he had been fussing with something on the side of the deck. “When you hear that bell, it means get to the galley as fast as you can,” he said as he rushed to the steps.
I followed quickly behind, gathering with the others around the table.
“All right, men,” the Captain began. Then he glanced in my direction. “And woman.”
Everyone smirked, but I simply smiled politely.
“As you know, we’ve been doing more trading, and less outright pirating,” he said. “I believe we all prefer this simpler, less violent life.”
All of the men nodded firmly.
“Aye, it’s a great relief to have some stability, Captain,” Cookie said.
“I’d rather have a bit less money, and a lot fewer swords at my throat,” Dobbs added.
“I was thinking that now, with the addition of a nice elegant young lady aboard our ship, we should probably avoid violence even more,” the Captain stated.
I was relieved when everyone nodded again. “I don’t want you to change your ways for me, Captain,” I practically whispered.
“It’s not just you,” he said. “A few of us are getting up there in years…” He gave Cookie a pointed glance, to which the older man laughed merrily. “And we make plenty of coin from regular trading. We have a fast ship, we work hard, and we live a good life.”
“Aye, ’tis a good life indeed,” Dwyer agreed.
“However, sometimes life deals you a different hand than you were expecting,” the Captain said, lowering his voice. “Sometimes, in order to be good men, we have to do something that’s a bit on the shady side.”
He quickly explained how Gervase Hoddnett was planning to have the men of the Devil’s Blue Sea kidnap the Mayor of Parrinport’s wife.
Dwyer shook his head emphatically. �
�No. That’s playing too dirty. That’s not right. Nobody brings women into things, ever.”
“And beyond that,” Dobbs added, “Parrinport was a shambles before Mayor Wescott took over. It’s an important trading port, and the entire coast needs a reasonable amount of control there.”