“And now, you do, Myshka.”
Another movement under him wiped away his ability to laugh or think as she contracted tightly around him, her body telling him it was time to further explore these new revelations. Nicolai was happy to oblige.
He pulled back, nearly freeing his body from the clasp of hers before pushing forward once more, still gentle and careful so as not to cause Adrienne unnecessary pain. Her moan of gratification told him it was safe to venture forward.
Gripping her thighs tightly in his large hands, he began to move in earnest, thrusting rhythmically into her waiting depth as she writhed under him, meeting his hips with her own.
The feel of Adrienne in his arms, her body wrapped tightly around his and the scent of their sex that rose up to greet him as they moved against one another was intoxicating. He felt drunk on it, unable to stop his hips from powering into hers.
Adrienne rolled her pelvis into Nicolai’s, her body awash in the sensations he created and the feel of him embedded firmly within her womb. The friction of their movements rubbed the hardened nub of her venus in such a perfect way that caused the little lightning bolts of pleasure racing from her core to spread throughout. It was so primal, so decadent, and very well something she knew she would never be content living without again.
Opening her thighs wider and pressing herself more fully onto him, she mewled encouragement for him to go deeper. When he complied to her demand, tendrils of bliss wrapped around Adrienne, turning her blood to fire. Adrienne’s cries of passion echoed around them and the sound seemed to ignite something within Nicolai. His thrusts became harder, deeper, more out of control but the woman underneath him seemed to revel in it. She clutched him tightly, wrapping her legs securely around his waist as she urged him onward, seeming to plead with him by her incomprehensible sounds to lose any semblance of control he might yet possess.
He roared with the freedom she granted him as he pounded into her, giving no quarter as lust surged far ahead of reason. Heavy hands buried themselves in Adrienne’s hair as he tugged hard, bringing her mouth to his for a kiss that threatened to singe her very soul.
She felt Nicolai grow longer and harder within her and when he pushed inward roughly once more, his body stilled over hers as he growled his completion.
Wet heat bathed the inside of her channel and she felt his cock flex several times while the man above her held himself rigid. His lust-filled eyes stared down into hers as rumbling noises continued to come from deep inside his throat. After a moment, he collapsed on to her, burying his face in the side of her neck, where he breathed deeply of her scent.
Nicolai took several more fortifying breaths before he rolled off of Adrienne, gently disengaging their bodies. His head reeled with the power of his climax. He’d been with many women over his thirty years but none had enraptured him the way this waif of a girl had. She’d given him such a profound release that he found himself moved in ways he’d never imagined. Unable to bring voice to the feelings stirring within, Nicolai pulled her so that she lay on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. He wondered how he could possibly let her go after this. Especially when she hummed her contentment against his skin and snuggled into his hold.
“I understand now why women have so many children,” Adrienne said with a smile in her voice. “They can’t help themselves when it comes to passion.”
He chuckled grateful that her innocence could distract him from thoughts of a future unlike any he’d considered.
“It’s not like this for every one, Adrienne. Especially when a woman has little to no say over who possesses her body. I’m honored to be the first to have shown you that sex can be quite pleasurable as well as satisfying. Thank you, Myshka.” He placed a kiss on the top of her head before she raised it from his chest. Folding her arms to provide a resting place for her delicate chin, she regarded him thoughtfully for a moment.
“You’ve called me ‘myshka’ several times now. What does it mean?” She tried to roll the word the way he did, but it didn’t have the same effect.
Nicolai chuckled. “It means little mouse in Russian. Because you are so tiny and brave, yet ever fearful of the cat’s pounce.”
“I suppose you would consider yourself to be the proverbial cat in this scenario?”
Nicolai’s grin was slow and sly, which rendered him looking very much like a satisfied predator.
Adrienne laughed and pressed a soft kiss to the wall of his chest in response before yawning. The need for sleep had her eyes drooping closed while her fingers began to draw lazy circles on his skin.
Nicolai cupped her head in his hand, stroking her hair until he felt her sink into sleep.
He woke her a few hours later, fingers questing over her body in search of the throaty little moans that came from her when he touched her in specific areas. Taking his time, he sampled the taste and the texture of her skin and the damp, hidden place between her thighs before sinking himself into her heat just as the sun cleared the horizon of a new day.
Chapter 7
“What’s got you smiling so glibly?” Cooper asked. The quartermaster had stopped by Nicolai’s home to drop off the coin they’d made from selling their plunder from the last excursion. They’d been ashore two weeks and usually by this point, his ship’s captain would be in a dark mood, ready to return to sea. Seeing the man so relaxed and smiling was a novelty.
Nicolai was lounging in a comfortable chair on the veranda overlooking the beach where Adrienne played a game of chase with her students. She’d taken to giving them regular intervals of play mixed with their lessons, something Mistress Toney wouldn’t do. The old tutor hadn’t been a fan of the outdoors and supervising ten children running amuck on the beach was out of the question for her. Nicolai had to admit he could see the difference both the new tutor and her methods was making in their dispositions in the classroom.
Anytime he walked by the instruction gallery, the children were seated and immersed in whatever the day’s lesson was. He was impressed, but more than that, he found himself quite enchanted by the small woman, both inside and outside of her teaching abilities. She not only managed to engage the children, but she engaged him as well.
Every night since the first night they’d made love, she’d slept in his bed. Nicolai marveled at how much he enjoyed having her there. After a few days, quietly and without a fuss, he’d had the servants move her belongings to his chambers. The fact that she seemed just as enamored with him was also another source of happiness.
“I wouldn’t say I’m glib,” Nicolai chuckled. “But I have found myself more content of late.”
Cooper followed Nicolai’s gaze down to the sand where Adrienne frolicked with a group of children. “I suppose if I were bedding that, I’d be content also.”
“Mind yourself, quartermaster. A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell,” Nicolai chided as Cooper leaned against the railing of the veranda.
“Captain, your smile tells it all. And while I readily admit to being envious because she is exquisite, I’ll also say that I’m happy about this development. She seems a good match for you,” the quartermaster said sincerely.
“That she is. I’d have never dreamed it would be so, especially after our time together on the ship, but Miss. St. John does have a way of growing on you,” Nicolai returned thoughtfully.
“Will you make an honest woman of her, then?” Cooper inquired.
Nicolai shifted in his chair. “I won’t lie and say I’ve not considered it, but what kind of a husband would leave his wife alone for months at time while he’s out gallivanting the high seas? I’m not as yet ready to retire and don’t particularly like the idea of requiring her to wait for my return as she would if she were my wife. As it is now, any time she chooses to leave, she’s free to do so, both legally and morally.” He didn’t add that the thought of her leaving him caused a pit of despair in his gut.
“Aye, well, you do have a point there. Still, a woman such as she will not be content in t
he role of lover for long. You might want to consider that,” his quartermaster intoned.
“Is that all, Stiles?” Nicolai didn’t like the turn the conversation was taking as it dredged up a wealth of emotions he didn’t want to consider.
“On that subject, yes. However, we received some reliable intelligence from our sources that we need to discuss.”
Nicolai gave one more glance toward where Adrienne played on the sand before he stood and motioned for Cooper to follow him into his office. To protect the occupants of his plantation he did not conduct pirate business openly in front of the servants. They could not be tortured to tell what they had no knowledge of should he end up captured and bound for the gallows.
Once he and Cooper were safely behind closed doors with glasses of fine claret wine in their hands, his quartermaster continued.
“We’ve learned from our sources in India that a heavily laden ship filled to brim with a wealthy cargo will be making its journey west toward England before making its way to the colonies. Some wealthy merchant is escorting it himself which leads one to believe the contents are priceless. It appears to be a worthy catch if you’re about intercepting it.”
Nicolai regarded Cooper as he turned the idea over in his mind. The fact that he was hesitant to immediately jump at the opportunity was a telling factor for both of them. He wasn’t keen on the idea of leaving Adrienne for the amount of time that journey would take.
“When would we need to depart?” Nicolai asked.
Cooper shrugged. “If we left in a weeks time, we could intercept her somewhere around the Cape of Good Hope and be back within a month.”
A month. Before Adrienne had invaded his life, as well as his home, a month seemed like a short journey but as he considered the days it would mean apart from her, it now felt like an eternity. Still, if he wasn’t ready to retire and turn over the captaincy of his ship, he’d better think twice about passing up booty such as the one Cooper was describing.
Nicolai nodded as he rose from his desk, walking the quartermaster to the door. “Have the ship ready to sail in two week’s time and inform the men.”
“Aye, sir.” Cooper said, turning to leave so he could carry out his captain’s instructions.
When he left, Nicolai returned to watching Adrienne and the children. They were now sitting in a semi circle with her in the middle as she told them a story. She gestulated wildly for emphasis and sound of the children laughing brought a smile to Nicolai’s face.
A heaviness settled on his chest. He would have to tell her tonight of his plans to leave. Would she mind his absence? Would she pine for him while he was away? Nicolai was both hopeful and sorry if the answers to those questions turned out to be yes. Perhaps someday he would be able to commit to a woman without worry that he’d have to leave her, but today was not that day.
Chapter 8
Adrienne rode beside Nicolai in the carriage as they traveled into Nassau proper. He’d asked her to stay behind at the plantation, but she’d refused, saying she would see him off at port. She wasn’t enthusiastic about his leaving and in private shed more than few tears but she was determined to keep her sadness to herself. While she dreaded his leaving, she also recognized that this was his life. As he’d given her the freedom to live hers as she chose, she could only grant him the same in return.
So, she’d dressed this morning and done her best to keep a stiff upper lip. She wouldn’t let the last vision he had of her for a month be one of tears. Chin up, Adrienne clamped down on the sick feeling in her stomach and rode proudly at Nicolai’s side.
She was in love with him. She knew that now but hadn’t revealed the information to him. The past two weeks had been nothing short of heaven as she learned all there was to know about the man he kept hidden behind his gruff, pirate exterior.
For all that they’d shared though, he hadn’t confessed any deep feelings toward her. Adrienne suspected that he wouldn’t welcome a conversation in that regard started by her. She held her peace, though it grew increasingly difficult to do so as her feelings toward Nicolai continued to grow.
Nicolai held himself in check, his body stiff as he navigated the narrow streets of Nassau toward the livery. Everything in him was balking at the idea of going on this voyage, but to back out now would surely raise more than a few eyebrows as well as some protests from his crew. They were eager to be off on this latest adventure and needed to know their captain was as dedicated as they were.
He’d wanted Adrienne to remain at the house. Not because he hadn’t wanted her at his side, but because it would harder to say goodbye at port. Nicolai would have preferred to leave while she slept peacefully in his bed, to avoid the emotions that were filling his chest at this very moment but in the darkness just before sunrise, he’d been unable to resist reaching for her. Pulling her under his much larger body, he’d kissed her awake and watched her expression change from sleepiness to bliss as he joined their bodies.
Slowly, he’d taken her, moving into her as if they had all the time in the world. He wanted to savor the feel of her channel clenched so tightly around his cock while he drank in the gasps and delicate moans that came from her mouth.
Keeping his eyes open, he’d watched her climax, branding the sight of her flushed cheeks and glazed eyes into his memory. When it was over, he’d tenderly kissed her and she’d promptly fallen back to sleep in his arms.
He had lain there holding Adrienne for as long as possible until the sky began to lighten and he knew he could no longer delay his departure. It seemed she was aware, even as she slumbered, that their time had come to an end for the duration. Eyes snapping open, she’d risen along with him and began to dress, her silence saying more than words ever could. He’d requested again she stay behind but true to her stubborn nature, she’d insisted.
Handing the reins over to one of the stable hands at the Nassau livery, he dismounted and held out a hand to help Adrienne down from the carriage. Together, they walked toward the pier, reaching the gangplank of his ship; he took her into his arms, unable to remain distant from her now that the moment of departure had come.
“Do your best to stay out of trouble while I’m gone, Myshka,” he said, bending low to whisper in her ear.
She laughed softly, her fingers clutched tightly around his shoulders.
“I cannot promise, as mischief does seem to follow me wherever I go, but I will make an effort on your behalf.”
Nicolai pulled back to gaze into her sea foam colored eyes. “I shall think of you every day that we’re apart and miss your warm, sweet body next to mine.”
“As I will do the same.” She lifted her lips to his in chaste, respectable display of affection. “Do take care on this journey, Nicolai. I shall be most put out if you were to find yourself marooned or shipwrecked.”
He rumbled a quiet laugh. “Aye, Miss St. John. That would make both of us. I vow I’ll return to you whole and unscathed by month’s end. Goodbye, Myshka.”
Nicolai placed one last kiss on her mouth and set her away from him. Turning, he strode up the gangplank without looking back.
Nicolai’s manservant waited by the carriage at the livery for Adrienne so that he could drive her home, but finding herself at a loss over the goodbye, she couldn’t bear the thought of returning to his home just yet.
“I’ll be just a moment,” she told the dark skinned young man. “I need to check the mercantile store for an item I require.” The man simply nodded and lounged against the wooden planks of the buggy.
Setting off away from the livery, even though she had no clue which direction the mercantile might be in, Adrienne was soon lost in the crowds of the city.
She stopped at few of the open-air markets and purchased some trinkets for her students as well as for herself. She was on her way back to the livery when she bumped into a man, in the most literal of sense. Her face planted into his foul smelling blouse and Adrienne nearly gagged. Looking up, she recognized him as one of the crew from the ship sh
e’d journeyed on out of Bombay.
Under other circumstances, she might have been elated to see a familiar face, but because of the ease and worry free existence she’d found with Nicolai, the man in front of her now represented a threat. There was no way he would not recognize her nor keep quiet that she wasn’t in fact at the bottom of the sea as she’d hoped her family now believed.
“Mistress St. John?” the man said as he looked down upon her.
“No, I’m sorry. You must have me mistaken with someone else.” Adrienne muttered as she attempted to pass by him.
He stopped her escape with a gentle but firm hand on her arm.
“Miss St. John, I’m sure it’s you. We thought you’d perished at sea.”
Pulling her arm free of his grip, she stood ramrod straight. “My name is not Miss St. Whomever. I am Mrs. VonPatten, of the VonPatten sugarcane plantation. As I said, you are mistaken.” She used Nicolai’s legal name in order to protect his pirate identity.
She turned quickly and hurried to the carriage, instructing Nicolai’s servant to make haste back to the manor, her insides trembling with fear.
The man had been one of the lower deckhands on her father’s ship and she hoped, or more rather, she prayed that her dispute of identity would deter anyone else who might have survived the wreckage from looking further into her presence on the island.
Nicolai carried his sea bag to his quarters aboard the Chameleon. Opening the door to his room, he came up short as a very naked woman lay across his table, drinking a bottle of his finest Spanish red.
“Consuela.” He said curtly, moving into the room to shut the door. “What brings you here?”
Her long black hair tumbled down to cover her breasts as she rubbed a hand over her bare hip.
“Nico,” she cooed in a thick Spanish accent. “You didn’t come to visit me when you returned so here I am. It’s been too long since I’ve felt your hard cock inside me.”
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