by Marie Hall
“I think we might run the keel off the ship if we go faster, pirate,” Devin said and turned to look at her. If he’d thought her beautiful before, seeing her lifting her face to the wind, eyes closed with a smile on her lips burned an image in his mind he’d never forget as long as he lived.
“You should try,” Mia said, laughing again before turning to leap from the bridge. She landed with a thud, grabbed hold of the decorative post, used it to swing around the corner and send her heading to the quarter deck. If her feet even touched the steps, he could not say.
“Where are you going?” he yelled.
“To the bow, to make sure the keel stays on,” she yelled back and dashed forward.
For a moment he wanted to call her back as the activity on deck was barely organized chaos, but Mia again proved her seaworthiness. She weaved between sailors and equipment, managed to catch a loose line whipped free of one man’s hands, and handed it back to him hardly needing to pause. She made it as far into the bow as the ship’s construct allowed, but Devin almost forgot every bit of training when he saw her try to climb out on the stem. His hands let go the wheel the exact same time Grim grabbed her round the waist and set her firmly back on deck. Devin’s grip returned, even as Mia stomped her foot. Grim pointed to the deck, patted her on the shoulder and walked away. Mia remained where she’d been put until the call went out that the island they headed for was in sight. Devin barely took his eyes from her. That she stood in line with his heading might have been all that kept him from sailing clear to the Ivory Coast.
Chapter 6
Mia set her fork aside and sat back from the table. The conversation drifted from the excitement of the sailing today to the plans for bringing on water and supplies. She set her hand on the table and let her fingers rub the rough wood. A moment later Devin set his hand over hers and squeezed her fingers.
The warmth that small touch brought swirled through her. Something she needed to feel as she could also feel Lieutenant Coventon’s glare from the other end of the table. She’d not wanted to join the officers for supper but Devin insisted, saying she’d made her general introductions to the crew, and now she needed formal introductions to the officers.
It was a weighted way to run a ship, in her opinion. Setting people aboard apart from each other. No such thing happened on any of her papa’s ships. Everyone was equally responsible for all duties. The captain had the final say and only when it was time to be paid was any difference had. The division of shares was divided based on how long each man served or according to the ship’s charters. Any man who didn’t pull his weight wasn’t long in service. On a ship owned by the crown, sailors were paid according to rank, so even a useless officer earned more than an efficient landsman.
“And it might take two days to bring down all the reserve barrels if they’re to be filled,” Mia heard Mr. Asher say.
“Hm,” Devin made the sound then sat back and folded his arms across his chest. “That cuts our time table rather sharply.”
“If we only fill the main barrels, it will get us back to Barbados.” Mia’s ears perked up at the sound of her desired port.
“We don’t want to run short on fresh water,” another man said.
“And we’re going to turn course south and come around Trinidad,” Devin said and Mia became more focused.
“A Spanish port might not be as welcoming,” Asher told him. It was true a British ship might be harassed, but it wouldn’t be fired upon. And for Mia she could simply get off this ship and straight onto one of papa’s.
“We won’t be going to port,” Devin said and Mia turned to look at him. Curse him to Davy’s locker, he knew what she was thinking. And curse him twice because he winked at her.
“Captain?” someone at the table queried.
“I think we’ve become a little too predictable in our ways. If we will be effective in our duties, we need to be more subversive in where we might happen to be on the horizon,” Devin said lifting his arms to fold his hands behind his head.
“Then we better take on as much as we can,” Asher said pushing his plate back and setting his elbows on the table. “It’ll take us no less than two full days to carry the barrels up, fill them and bring them back, and if the timing isn’t good with each load the tide could cause delays.”
“That’s Bahari off the bow, is it not?” Mia asked and felt everyone look at her. “You intend to get your water from there?”
“Yes, Mrs. Winthrop, that’s what we’ll do,” Coventon growled out.
Mia ignored him. “It shouldn’t take so long to fill the water stores. Two days is ridiculous and the tide shouldn’t have an impact on the landing.” She looked around to see everyone looking at her like she was stupid or insane. “Exactly where do you intend to come ashore?”
“Where everyone comes ashore—the small bay right on the east side of the island,” Coventon said and the men at the table chuckled. Perhaps thinking he’d pointed out her naivety.
“Maybe all of you go ashore there,” Mia said catching Coventon’s stare and holding it while she spoke, “but taking the risk a rogue wave won’t push you broadside onto the shoals is stupidity worthy of drowning.” Mia turned her head to glare at her husband who’d claimed it was merchant sailors who were stupid.
“Where exactly would you put ashore, Mrs. Winthrop?” Devin asked and she knew it was a challenge.
“Where I always do, the cove on the northwest corner. The island drops off sharp on that side, the waters are deep enough to take a full brigantine clear up to the walls and fresh water pours directly from the cliffs to the beach. If you go inland maybe sixty yards, there’s a large grove of mango and smaller guava and plantain.” She stopped as the men at the table started stacking dishes and making room as a map was carried over and rolled out. “There are other things too. The pigs like the groves.”
“No she said the northwest,” a man she thought named Brinks said and as the map was turned to orient, Mia reached out and put her finger down exactly where she meant.
“Right here,” she said tapping her finger. “Have you never used this cove?”
“No,” Devin said and leaned in to look at the map. “But we’ve only had a reason to stop here—what—three times in as many years. We put ashore where we’d been told it was secure.”
“Well, it’s secure if you don’t mind getting rolled onto the shoals or putting anchor down so to spend half the days rowing to and from.” Mia sat back and worked to remember what else she knew about the east side of the island. “And don’t you have to climb up a good ways to find a freshwater stream on that beach?”
“Yes, we do,” Devin said nodding his head.
“Stupidity,” Mia said. “The only reason to climb those cliffs is to jump from them.” Again she felt everyone look at her. “But that’s fun, we should have time for that.”
“No one will be jumping from anyplace, Mrs. Winthrop,” Devin’s warning was plain.
“But,” Mia pleaded. It wasn’t like she’d not spent great amounts of time climbing every scalable cliff on all of the many islands and jumping from any cliff that lent itself to the activity.
“No,” Devin stated flatly, ending the discussion.
“You can’t be seriously listening to her,” Coventon said pushing away from the table to stand. “For all you know she is steering us right onto the rocks. What can she possibly know about how deep waters might be or what ship can be served? Just because a spoiled girl is given a pleasure craft to sail around doesn’t make her a sailor.”
“I’m not spoiled,” Mia snapped, then took a breath. “As captain, I’ve put a frigate loaded full with cargo in those waters, sir. They’re deep enough,” Mia countered and watched the man’s eyes narrow.
“I’ve little doubt my wife is a competent sailor, Lieutenant,” Devin said and again set his hand over hers. “There’s no harm in learning if the cove exists. It takes only a few hours to sail all the way around the island.”
“She
did know it was only four degrees,” Mr. Asher said with a nervous laugh, catching her eyes. “How did you know that?”
“Know what?” Brinks asked.
“Know turning exactly four degrees would put us perfect with the current.”
“It is basic seamanship to know how to adjust to such things,” Devin said, standing and moving behind Mia’s chair.
“Aye, but she said four degrees. Anyone of us would’ve said five or more likely ten and simply stopped when we found it. Probably correcting back for passing it.” Asher’s eyes came back to her face.
Mia dropped her gaze and was relieved to feel Devin pull her chair so she could stand. As many times as these men seemed intent to stare at her it made her more aware she wasn’t yet part of the crew.
“Mrs. Winthrop?” Brinks called.
“Yes?” She knew the man wanted an answer.
“Four degrees?”
Stepping around and letting Devin pull her to his side, she replied, “I listened. The sea told me.” It wasn’t a lie. Papa always taught her to listen. The waves, the wind, every part of the world would speak, one only had to listen to know what was said. Mia was good at hearing it.
A good round of nervous laughter ensued as Devin propelled her out with barely a polite goodnight. He kept them walking until middeck. Stopping short he pulled her around to face him. “That cove does exist, doesn’t it?”
“Of course,” she said, enjoying the night air as it cooled her. The more formal dress she’d been forced into by Hong nearly suffocated her as she sat for dinner. “And it’s deep enough that it is a safe jump.”
“There’ll be no jumping, Mia,” he warned and Mia gave up. Maybe after he saw it, he’d agree. Perhaps he’d never done it and she could encourage him to try once. He’d be hooked like a mackerel. “You’re not directing me into a trap. I’m not going to come along broadside and be fired upon by one of your fat— papa’s ships.”
“Why would Papa fire on you? You said you didn’t steal me from him.” She stepped back to cast him a hard look.
“I didn’t steal you.” He stepped closer and put his hands at her waist. The relief the air gave her heated body vanished. “I did try to shove you off.”
He pulled at her hips, bringing her flush against him, and she felt the tightening in her belly, and like happened so often around him, her sex clenched and wetness formed.
“But I want you now, Mia. I want you quite badly.”
Anything she might have said was lost as his lips crashed down on hers. The act stole her breath. She’d been kissed before, but what Devin was doing was nothing like the butterfly softness of the boy in Jamaica. Devin was practically devouring her. When she managed to gasp in a breath, his tongue plunged in. Mia could only think it to be instinct that made her use her own tongue to fight against his. The first sweeping motions filled her senses with his taste. Warm and spicy from the cup of rum at dinner. It made her heady as if she’d drunk the liquor directly. When he broke the kiss, Mia cried out like she feared being swept overboard. His lips settled on her throat, licking, kissing, even biting up the column. With her hair put up in an elaborate coiffure there was nothing to impede his course. He worked his way to her ear, then took the lobe between his teeth and bit down until she moaned. His tongue was swift to lave away the ache. With his next breath, his lips were again on hers. More gentle this time, but no less able to make her body storm.
“I want you now, Mia,” he said against her lips. “I can’t wait.”
She wasn’t sure what he meant, but something drove her to say, “I want you too.” She felt his smile and then needed to run to keep up with his long stride as he made his way back to the captain’s quarters, her hand firmly gripped in his.
He pulled her through the multi-roomed space to the sleeping cabin she’d only been let out of this morning. He dragged her in, nearly flinging her to the middle as he turned, shut and locked the door. He was pulling off his formal jacket as he crossed to her and Mia couldn’t take her eyes from his broad chest as his shirt followed it to the floor. Every muscle he had was defined and rippled like an undercurrent beneath his skin. She gave in to the urge to touch him as soon as he was in reach and she wasn’t disappointed.
His skin was warm and smooth and that spicy scent he carried washed over her. This time when his mouth came down on hers, she was ready. Working her lips the same way his worked, she was rewarded by his own deep harsh moan as his arms circled her and pulled her against him. This time when she hit against him she didn’t miss the hard shaft that pressed into her belly.
She knew what it was. Saw it in action any number of times. It was hard not to growing up as she had. But Papa always warned never to let any man other than her husband close to her with it. Only a husband would have care enough not to hurt her as her mother was hurt. Devin was her husband.
“Mia,” Devin called as he pulled away and sat to remove his boots. “Turn around let me help you out of that gown.”
Mia giggled and wondered if the sway she gave was due to the way he spoke or the rolling of the sea below the ship. Either way, she turned and gave him her back. The formal dress was held with laces not buttons and like any seaman worth his salt, no rope, line or string could slow him down. The laces loosened and the dress dropped away. Devin’s hands slid up her back and pushed the sleeves of her shift off her left shoulder as his lips kissed along the back of her neck. She wore no corset, her waist narrow enough. She wanted to be able to take a deep breath in case she should find herself in the ocean. Corsets were for land. When Devin’s hands settled on her hips, she leaned back against him and brought her arms up to reach for him behind her head. His fingers moved and the gown pooled at her feet. He continued to drop kisses along her neck and shoulder. When she threaded her fingers into his hair, she was more than pleased to find its thickness to be silky soft. His hands slid up along her ribs and when he slid them beneath her breasts and lifted Mia groaned and squeezed her thighs to keep the wetness from slipping down more than it had.
“Mia,” Devin said her name as he moved to stand in front of her. He dipped his head and kissed her collarbone then set his lips to the top of her breast. “God save me, you’re beautiful,” he said then began sucking on the flesh he held.
It wasn’t the first time she’d heard the compliment, but for some reason coming from him, it made her flush hot. So hot her head felt light and she needed to clutch him to stay upright. Every place he put his hands, fingers and lips he seemed to both create a flame and soothe the burn. She felt her shift slip, his mouth settled over the stiff nipple and Mia was jarred by the explosion in her body. She cried out from the pleasure and again wove her fingers through his hair, this time to hold him against her.
Devin’s hand splayed out over her belly and smoothed down to the juncture between her legs. She wanted to care that he’d find all that seepage, but she couldn’t. When his fingers brushed that small pulsing nub a second explosion, no less than that of cannon fire, ripped through her. Her knees buckled and if Devin hadn’t swept her into his arms she’d have hit the deck hard.
He carried her to the bed, laid her down, and shucking his pants, climbed in beside her then crawled atop her. “Mia.” Her name came out on a sigh as he again dipped his head and took her tit in his mouth.
His weight forced her to spread her legs and his body dropped perfectly into the space. Again his fingers found that part of her she’d been warned not to let any man touch, but if he didn’t touch her she’d die for the want of it.
“So wet, so ready,” Devin said and he slid up her body. She felt his shaft nudge at her and the reality of what he was about to do hit like a tidal wave.
“Devin, I,” she started, only to feel some pressure as he slipped forward more, “Devin, please I haven’t. I don’t know.”
“What Mia?” he stilled and his dark blue eyes fairly stormed as he looked down on her.
“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” She felt him chuckle.
“We’ll discuss it for next time. This time do what feels good.”
She nodded and lifted her body against his because that felt good. The next moment though, Devin rocked forward hard and Mia felt like she split in two. The scream ripped from her throat and tears burned her eyes. Devin rocked back and then forward again and Mia knew she had to get away or he’d kill her.
“Stop,” she screamed, pushing at him. “Stop, stop. Captain,” she sobbed, “please stop.” But even as she was begging for him to end the suffering, it seemed to ease on its own.
“I can’t stop, Mia,” Devin ground out. “It’ll be all right, hold on.”
She felt him slip one arm behind her shoulders and another around her waist lifting her so his thrusts came more angled and each one worked to wash away enough of the pain that it became part of the pleasure. She no longer felt torn in two; She felt full, stretched but able to feel every inch of his hard shaft as he worked it along her walls. The friction gave her no reprieve from the heat the movements caused and she knew what a lit fuse must feel as it burned down to the powder stores that would ignite and explode. “Come Mia, I know you can. Come.”
She didn’t know what he meant, but in that moment she’d felt that one heartbeat between the end of the fuse and the ignition. The sensation forced a second scream from her lips, washing over her like the surf in a hurricane along the shore. And it didn’t end with a single powerful feeling. Devin continued moving and each thrust took Mia more fully into the headwind. She cried out again, clenched down on his shaft, hoping to still him that she might gasp a breath only to feel him tighten his hold, go stiff and then groan loudly. A wet heat flooded her and one more time the waves of pleasure nearly drowned her.
Devin collapsed on top her and the feel of his weight was strangely comforting. She felt anchored even in the wild tides which a moment ago tossed her like a paper ship. His ragged breath and sweat drenched skin felt more real and solid than the bunk beneath her. His arms around her tightened as if securing her more firmly to him. Between her legs she felt his shaft jerk and the pleasure was tinged with a bit of that pain she’d first felt. He shifted, pulled back a bit and Mia whimpered and hissed as her body seemed not to want to give up his.