The Sea's Rough Magic

by Alicia C Graybill

  Aaron pulled his white wig off at that second and gripped the back of James' dark hair to lift his face up. When Aaron began to kiss and lip at any available point of James' face, it startled the younger man a bit but Aaron's desperation was so obvious, he couldn't do more than smile. He paused, deliberately, and looked down at Aaron. With the skirt hiked up around his hips and the bodice of the dress down near to his waist, it was more than apparent that he was all male. Yet he was no less appealing than he had been moments ago when still portraying Erin. Aaron suddenly caught his mouth in a hard and invasive kiss, the pressure almost bruising.

  "I need ye inside me, love," Aaron whispered into James' ear, inspiring in him a shiver of delight. "Don't make me beg, Jamie. 'Tain't right t' make a lady beg, hmm?"

  "Ah," James said, his free hand busy opening his own trousers. "But you're no lady now, are you, Aaron?"

  Without warning, Aaron patted his cheek in a mock slap. "That's no way t' talk t' yer missus, Commodore. Ye gonna fuck me or do I have t' get yer Lieutenant t' fill in?"

  James glared at him though he couldn't suppress a half-smile. "Don't even imagine such a thing. A man shouldn't have to share everything with his comrade in arms, least of all the love of his life."

  Aaron grinned at that. "Jealous?"

  Dunbar pulled him down for a kiss and caught Aaron's tongue carefully between his teeth. Eye to eye, he let Aaron see just how close he had come to making an embarrassing display of himself this evening. When he let the appendage go, Aaron kissed him again, mouth open wide as if trying to swallow him whole. James lifted Aaron up onto the hassock, his hand working Aaron's cock faster. Aaron threw his head back suddenly and arched his back as the orgasm rumbled through him. James caught enough of the fluid to use it to ease the way.

  As he worked fingers up into Aaron, the former pirate moaned and pushed back, almost like a wanton alley-cat. He never once took his eyes off James' face, though, as if he needed to see James to take pleasure from this act. James surmised that was probably the case. Wrapping Aaron's legs around his own arms, James positioned his cock and slid into the welcoming warmth.

  "God, James, ye feel so good!"

  The words struck some chord in James. Somewhere within him he had, without realizing it, reservations about taking Aaron. It all had to do with McSwain and the fact that James had been forced to rape Aaron all those years ago. Still, the words and the expression of pure pleasure on Johnson's face lifted those remaining doubts away. James dove forward with renewed vigor and began to suck and nip hard at Aaron's throat. Aaron gasped, a stuttering noise that caused James' bollocks to tighten even more. Against his own belly, he could feel Aaron's prick was hard again. James grunted and began to lick Aaron's jawline, tasting the sweet face powder as it mingled with salty sweat. James menaced Aaron's slightly dimpled chin with his teeth just as Aaron seized his hair in both hands.

  "Harder, Jamie! Fuck me harder!!" The voice sent James over the edge and he began to slam into Aaron with every ounce of energy he had.

  Yet, it was only when he felt Aaron's penis spasm and expel its seed upon him that he climaxed himself. It seemed to last forever and, at the same time, just an instant. When it was all over, he slumped atop Aaron and allowed his lips and tongue to lazily explore the prominent collarbone. He withdrew his cock from its sheath after another minute or two and lowered Aaron to the floor beside him.

  For the longest time, they lay cuddled together on the carpet. James realized he must have dozed off when a leg cramp woke him. Aaron was resting atop him, his forehead pressed hard against James' neck and jaw, his right hand clinging to the lapel of James' surcoat. James managed to wriggle around enough that he could look down and see Aaron's face. To his great pleasure and surprise, there was a pleased, almost smug, smile on the lips and a cheerful glow that shined through the streaks of sweat-caked powder.

  James heard the clock in the foyer strike two of the morning and he couldn't fight back the sigh. Just a few hours and the servants would be returning. As much as he longed to remain just where he was--except for the blasted cramp in his right calf--he knew it would shock both Rodney and Rosemarie to find them in their present state of undress. Despite a headache that he hadn't felt until he started moving, James gained his feet and managed to lift Aaron into his arms. Aaron grumbled something but slid his arms around James' neck willingly enough. It was a bit of an effort but James managed to carry Aaron up the stairs and into the bedroom they now shared. He stripped the gown from Aaron to keep it from getting any more stained or creased and pulled his own clothes off though he let them lay in the floor where they fell. He flipped a quilt over Aaron then joined his lover under it, pillowing his head on Aaron's shoulder, his left hand lightly tracing one of Aaron's scars before he drifted off.

  )O(

  Chapter 33:

  Departures and Arrivals

  James wrote his parents and Admiral Mercer the next day that Erin Petit, a plantation owner's daughter on Hispaniola, had agreed to become his wife. He explained that she was an unusual woman. Having been in a dreadful accident as a child, she was mute and terribly shy so their wedding would most likely be a very small private affair.

  "But," James wrote in his letter to Mercer, "She is far lovelier than any other flower of the Caribbean with the possible exception of the one who broke my heart. The day you meet her, sir, is the day you will fall in love with her. She is due to arrive in less than a fortnight and we will wed as soon as she gets here. Reverend Blunt will, no doubt, agree to perform the ceremony and it will be held in my home.

  "I do thank you for your advice on my career and on the pirate matter. When he died, it was as if God was taking mercy upon me for Erin's letter arrived the next day. Her words lifted the clouds from my heart and eyes. Rest assured that Erin's presence will grant me a type of solace that I could find nowhere else.

  "Your servant,

  James L. Dunbar"

  Aaron, reading the letter over James' shoulder, snorted at that. "What he don't know, eh?"

  James leaned back and rested against Aaron's chest, looking up into the former pirate's face. "He never needs to find out. Do you wish to read the letter to my parents? I'm afraid I waxed on a bit about your eyes in that one. Mother will be quite distressed to hear that I'm marrying French. Her great-uncle was killed by a French chef."

  "Eaten by a frog, eh?" Aaron grinned and leaned down to rest his cheek against James'.

  "No, it was a duel over which one of them made the best pea soup," James sighed. "I must warn you, the family you are joining has some members that aren't terribly bright."

  "Don't matter," Aaron whispered and graced James' lips with a quick kiss. "Best an' brightest of 'em is right here, savvy?"

  James felt himself turn red and realized he had to do something or he would grab Aaron and take him there in the study. He stood and walked to the cabinet as if to get himself a drink. After a moment, he realized that Aaron was rereading the letter, holding to the desk as if he were on an unsteady deck. "Is something wrong?"

  Aaron didn't reply for several minutes. Instead, he reached out and grabbed the envelope that James had addressed to his parents, the letter already folded and tucked inside. The envelope for Admiral Mercer stood against the inkwell. Finally, Aaron spoke.

  "You really mean it, don't ye?" His voice was barely more than a whisper.

  James swung to face Aaron full on. "Mean what?"

  Aaron looked as if he were about to cry and he had begun to tremble. "Ye really want t' spend the rest of yer life with me."

  "Did you think I meant something else?" James asked and stepped closer to Aaron, stroking a hand slowly up and down Aaron's nearest arm.

  "I jus'--," Aaron shrugged and waved his hand at the letters. "I never thought—After the Lash, I thought . . ."

  James turned Aaron and sat him down in the chair then propped himself on the desk. "You remember the night I asked you to be my wife?"

  Aaron nodded. It was not an easy
night to forget, after all.

  "The reason that I was awake so early the next morning was that I had a nightmare of my own. It seems so strange when I think about it now but at that moment it made perfect sense," James closed his eyes and tried without success to recall the whole thing. He opened his eyes and regarded Aaron tenderly. "I found myself on the Saucy Maid but she was deserted. I remember vividly going to the captain's cabin and being crushed that you weren't there. It was remarkably painful. At that instant, I heard voices and I hid behind the cabin door. I was sure that I would be discovered but equally sure that I could not be seen. You came into the room then with a man who looked like Ike Stern but was much older. Your voice was different, unspoiled, and you were arguing with him.

  James sighed. "To be truthful, I don't have any idea what you were discussing because it all seemed a foreign tongue to me. At some point, though, he said something to you and you grew incensed and left the room like your coattails were alight. But what was most peculiar was that he turned to me then and spoke directly to me, as if he'd known I was there all along.

  "'Aaron's the only one I've ever loved, you know,' He seemed very upset yet at the same time there was this odd smile on his face. 'But it's the same for you, isn't it? He's afraid and he's still hurt but I can see you want the job.' When I tried to ask him what job he was referring to, nothing would come out of my mouth. But he acted as if I had asked anyway. He said: 'If you hurt him, I swear I'll come back to haunt you. Do you understand?'"

  James couldn't suppress the chill that swept down his spine. "To be truthful, I've never had a dream that made me so afraid. It wasn't Mr. Stern, though, that frightened me. It was the idea of what might happen to you should I not be around to protect you. Even now, it makes me sick inside. He-He showed me images, flashes really, and I've never wanted anything to stop so badly in my life," James swallowed hard and took Aaron's hands in his own. "To know that you are in this world and not at my side, my Raven, would destroy me. You may depend upon that with your very life because it is God's own truth."

  He watched as Aaron's face, which had gone very pale at the description of Henry Stern, colored a healthy pink then the eyes rose to meet his own. "Sounds jus' like 'im. Cursed fool was more heart than head. Guess it mus' be then, eh?"

  James nodded slowly and pulled Aaron up to embrace him. As he held him, James realized Aaron's trembling was going away. Finally, Aaron pushed away a bit and looked up into his eyes. "When does the boat leave?"

  James smiled. "According to my information, the Marie-Louise left this morning and the Intrepid will rendezvous with her about 10 leagues out where it will pick up Erin Petit, the future Mrs. Dunbar. Lieutenant Chambers will be in charge and he will escort her to a cabin for the short journey back here to Port Royal."

  "An' who is he really pickin' up?" Aaron asked worriedly.

  "Rosemarie's niece who has been visiting relations in Port-au-Prince for a few months. She agreed to play along on her aunt's request and with the understanding that she will find a tidy nest egg of 100 pounds waiting for her before she begins employment as a maid-of-all-work for Dr. Hudson. If it all goes according to plan, Chambers will arrive here with her next Saturday," James gave Aaron a grim smile. "You have that long to change your mind, you know."

  "And have the Lash hauntin' me favorite maltoot? Not bloody likely," Aaron grinned, revealing gold teeth that James hadn't realized were there before. "'Sides, I'd rather haunt ye meself."

  )O(

  "Erin" arrived the next weekend as planned. While they waited, James had Rosemarie take her dress to the dressmaker shop and request three more gowns, explaining that Captain Dunbar intended them as wedding gifts to his new bride. She chose an ivory damask fabric with white lace for Aaron's bridal gown. The second dress was a sky-blue silk with silver brocade along the collar, bodice and cuffs. The final dress was a deep burgundy, almost a black compared to the dress she had given Aaron. Alleviating the somber was the delicate pattern of a rose picked out in gold thread. It nearly made her heart race to imagine what Captain Dunbar would think when he saw Aaron in that.

  She stopped by the market after placing the order to find some fresh fish for supper that night. It was a beautiful day, all in all, and she was enjoying being out. She was seriously examining some bass when she heard one of the fishmonger's wives say to a customer, "I hear that the Gov'nor's daughter's back. Went to England, she did. Some said she went there t' be presented t' court but I hear tell she went so she could hatch the Captain's egg without his ring."

  Rosemarie felt her heart clutch at the idea. If it was true, that the Governor's daughter Abigail had gone to England to give birth to Captain Dunbar's child, what did that mean for their relationship here? Abigail had refused James' request for her hand, adamantly in fact, if Rosemarie remembered right. Wouldn't she have been better served--if she had been in the way--to simply accept his proposal and marry him quickly? Worse, Rosemarie wondered if Abigail meant to take up with James, especially as he was now Commodore. Rosemarie tried not to listen anymore as she chose the fish she wanted (it was a nice snapper with a good clear eye), and left the market as soon as possible. Until she knew for a fact what the situation was, she didn't want to mention a word of this to Aaron.

  )O(

  Chapter 34:

  Matrimony

  The wedding of James Dunbar to Erin Petit was very quiet. In attendance were Rosemarie, Rodney, Ellis Chambers and Mrs. Blunt. Rosemarie and Rodney served as witnesses, Mrs. Blunt sang a lovely hymn, and Ellis gave the bride away. James had made no inquiries of Rosemarie as to what Erin's wedding dress would look like so he saw his bride for the first time while standing at Reverend Blunt's side. The ivory dress made Aaron look nearly quatroon in coloring. The white lace veil made the black hair of the wig he wore glow. In the white gloves, Aaron's hands looked exceptionally pretty.

  "Good God," He muttered then remembered where he was. He threw a glance over at the minister. "My apologies. I just--."

  He became aware then that Blunt was staring, as if mesmerized, at Aaron as well. He spoke without taking his eyes off the bride. "No apology necessary, my son. You are, indeed, a fortunate fellow. I believe invoking the Creator is not inappropriate when regarding such a beauty."

  Blunt finally tore his eyes off Aaron and gave James an almost lustful grin. For a moment, James felt a shot of terror in his guts as it occurred to him that the Reverend knew what was going on. After a moment or two, James shook himself mentally. There was no way Reverend Blunt could know. He had never met Aaron and had absolutely no reason to suspect anything unusual. James resisted the urge to reach for Aaron as Chambers brought him near.

  "Since this ceremony is strictly for the young couple and their closest friends, we shall dispense with the formalities," Blunt said and closed the Bible though he kept it in hand. "One of my favorite duties as shepherd of the flock here at Port Royal is to marry young couples. If you will pardon my indulgence, I would like to pass a word of advice on to the two of you. My beloved Lucille and I have been married for nearly 20 years now and there are two things I have learned that make for a happy marriage. The first, Commodore, is that your beloved wife is always right. No matter what you think or believe, trust her intuition and insight. She will prove to be right in the long run if not on the day."

  Blunt then turned and smiled at Aaron with a wink. "The second is that if you are ever inclined to question your beloved about anything, refer to rule number one."

  For a brief instant, there was a stunned silence then everyone laughed. With the laughter, the tension seemed to evaporate from the room. Blunt began to speak the traditional vows, including the word "obey." Aaron nodded but the expression he wore when he looked up at James simply reminded him that Aaron had been a pirate. He obeyed his own dictates in the end.

  "Give me your hand," Blunt said and held out his right hand to Aaron. He held out his left hand, still holding the Bible, to James. "Place your hand on the Good Book."

&
nbsp; James did as instructed and the Reverend gently placed Aaron's hand atop James' then rested his right hand over them both. "What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. You are now joined in holy matrimony. Commodore Dunbar, you may kiss Mrs. Dunbar."

  James lifted the veil then drew Aaron into his arms, careful not to disturb his wig. He leaned in to kiss Aaron and found himself the victim of a most thorough and ardent assault. When they parted, James had to cling to Aaron for a moment for support. Aaron's eyes twinkled merrily and he gave James a mischievous smile. After a few more seconds, the Reverend cleared his throat.

  "If I may, Commodore?"

  James' eyes met Aaron's and saw that neither of them had planned for this event. James wagged his eyebrows impishly then nodded and stepped away. "Be my guest, Reverend."

  The look Aaron aimed at Dunbar was withering, James had to admit, but there was nothing Aaron could do about it. The preacher pulled him close and planted a chaste kiss on Aaron's cheek. He then turned to Chambers. "Your turn?"

  Briefly, Chambers hesitated, giving his commanding officer a questioning look. Without warning, Aaron had hold of Chambers and proceeded to kiss him almost as thoroughly as he had kissed James. Blunt watched then turned to James.

  "It's a good thing she remembered that I'm a married man. I take it the Lieutenant is still a bachelor?"

  His guts suddenly twisted with jealousy, James fought to keep a game smile on his face. When Aaron released Chambers, James wasted no time in catching his new wife's hand up and pulling "her" close. He was gratified to see, however, that Chambers was as staggered by the kiss Aaron planted on him as he was. They turned to the rest of the guests and were greeted with a chorus of "congratulations" and "best wishes." James glanced down into Aaron's eyes and realized he had been ridiculous. It was high spirits, nothing more. There was no mistaking the tender regard for him that lay in those bright eyes.