Pirates, Passion and Plunder

by Victoria Vale

  The match flared to life with the first strike and lighting the lantern Mason unsecured the chair as he shoved his arms in his robe. He poured a cup of rum and was almost seated when a loud gasp disrupted the even sounds of the ship.

  “Mason?”

  Looking over his shoulder he found Nox sitting up, the shoulders of his shirt slipping down to reveal that creamy flesh he loved to taste so much, both hands covering her mouth and a look of horror on her face. It took him a moment to realize his robe was still hooked on his elbows and most of his bare back was exposed. He quickly jerked the garment into place, looking away as shame pushed on his chest.

  “Mason? Heaven save us,” Nox cried as she climbed from the bed.

  “It’s nothing Jane, go back to bed, sleep. Forget it,” he almost snarled. It was enough to make her halt in her tracks but not enough to turn her. “Go back to bed.”

  “No, Mason,” she said coming at him. Her approach startling him given what she’d just viewed. “Mason, what happened?” she asked even as she tried to pull his robe down. “What happened?”

  “It was a long time ago,” Mason said pulling her hands away. “It was a lifetime ago, forget it. It makes no difference now.” Except that he was still chasing the ones responsible.

  “Yes Mason it does,” she insisted and pulling her hands away made her way to stand behind him. He waited, breath held, to learn her opinion. He knew he’d not be able to hide it forever but he’d hoped at least long enough she understood he wasn’t that man --that boy, any longer. “It matters if this is why I can’t touch you. If this is why you hold something of yourself away from me.”

  “Its grotesque, not fit for eyes as pretty as yours,” he said and held totally still as she slid her fingers in at the neck and worked the material down. He almost rebelled at her gasp, but her fingers brushed lightly over the marks. “Nox?”

  “Who did this Mason? Who was so vile and wicked as to scar you like this,” she asked as her palms flattened and smoothed down his ravaged skin.

  “My first captain,” Mason said not sure why he gave her the information.

  “I’m sorry Mason, I’m sorry anyone was so cruel to you.” Her lips on those marks sent an unfamiliar calm to his mind while also striking life to his cock. “I’m sorry I ever complained about the petty things, I called hardships, in my life.”

  “Nox,” he called reaching around to pull her back in front of him. “No,” he whispered, a little relieved she’d not asked what he’d done to deserve having the cat o’ nine taken to him. He pulled her close and almost moaned when she pushed her hands under his robe to hold him flesh to flesh. “You’ve had your hardships Nox. You don’t need to deny them or compare them to mine. You’ve had them just like me, but we both survived them, became stronger for them.”

  “This is why you didn’t want me to touch you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why, Mason?” She asked as she brushed her fingers over his ribs and down his abdomen. His cock hardened more.

  “Because in my experience this…” he reached up and fingered the scar across his eye, “Is enough to turn a pretty girl from me.”

  Nox leaned back and tilting her head a bit looked hard at him. “Really?” She crinkled her nose.

  “It doesn’t bother you?” he asked trying to pull her hips back against his.

  “I hardly notice most days, Mason. I keep getting distracted by this.” She put her finger on his chin. “This dimple. It is a horrid distraction. And this little bump in your nose.” She reached up and traced that knot.

  “I broke it once.”

  “In a good fight?”

  He laughed. “No, I wish. I tripped and fell, hit my nose on a rock,” he said as he took a seat and drew her between his knees. Again she crinkled her nose.

  “Well that’s not as dashing as it could’ve been,” she complained.

  He laughed again, covering the groan as he watched her giving his shaft the first real look. It only took a little effort to draw her down to her knees. Her hands moving over both his stomach and thighs but avoiding. The first time it jumped startled her, but as he hardened completely she seemed rather fascinated. Her curiosity was one of her best qualities. “Go on, Nox, touch it.”

  “Touch it, how?” she asked maybe not aware she rubbed her fingers together, like she barely held back.

  “Like I touch you,” Mason instructed not wanting to influence or discourage anything. She’d discover this power on her own. And as she placed her fingers on him he knew he’d succumb to her touch as easily as she fell to his.

  She grew a bit bolder in her touch wrapping her hand around him and squeezing. “It’s like a mast, but wrapped in velvet. So smooth, but strong.”

  He chuckled then bit back a moan. “Thank you for the compliment, and yes, smooth and hard is how it works best for you. I don’t think you would care for it working inside you if it was any other way.”

  “Hum,” she muttered keeping her eyes on him as she boldly lifted his sac. “No I don’t suppose it would.” This time, as she gripped him and drew her hand up his length, he couldn’t hold back the moan. “You like this?”

  “Uh-huh,” was all he managed as he tipped his head back and griped the arms of the chair to keep from pulling her hands away.

  “You also use your mouth,” she whispered and Mason almost cried out when he felt her tongue flick out. She gripped a little tighter and took up a slow rhythm, stroking his entire length from the head to the base where she brushed his balls with the back of her hand. “Oh,” her little gasp sounded unsure.

  “What?” if she stopped now he’d die.

  A single finger settled at the top of the head and he felt her swirl the viscous liquid around. “You leak too.”

  Not this time, he wasn’t going to let her innocent, if not humorous, comments distract from the maddening pleasure she brought him. “Yes and like you it is well enough tasted if you like.” The suggestion barely left his lips and her mouth covered him. He arched up, took a fistful of hair in his hand and growled. Shaking in his effort to retain control, it was a lost cause.

  That she was one to pay attention in almost every lesson given, served him well. She’d taken notice of the enjoyment he found in cunnilingus, she was perhaps looking for her own in her act of fellatio. With each bob of her head she went down a little more on him. Driving him closer to the end with a wanton abandon, not a bit of shame or uncertainty.

  She took him deeper, this time. He hit the back of her throat, felt her gag and pull off completely. “That was a little much,” she said with a smile.

  “It tends to be,” he said not at all shy about being well equip for such things. “Come here.” He pulled her off the floor and situated her straddling his lap. “For all I enjoy what you do with that mouth. I do find the most pleasure in sharing it with you.” Lifting her up he set her back down on his cock and let her weight pull him inside. Her body, hot and wet, said she’d enjoyed the act too, and with only a little instruction and a little help getting started Nox rode his cock hard. Lifting and falling in perfect time to meet both their needs.

  Mason held off until he witnessed her release then again pulled his shaft free, sending thick spurts up onto both of them. He nearly came a second time when she wrapped her hand around him and started stroking again.

  “This is your seed?” she asked fingering a glob on his belly.

  “Yes,” he panted out, letting the churning in his mind settle a moment. “I won’t set you ashore with a babe in your belly, Nox. I couldn’t allow you to bare the hardship of that alone.”

  “No, I’d not want to.” She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, letting her hands flatten on the scars he’d always thought marked his disgrace. Jagged reminders he was hard pressed to attract a beautiful women if she saw him in his entirety. Nox didn’t seem to mind at all. She empathized with him rather than shun him. That and her willingness, her want to give pleasure as well as she took it.

  N
ox was indeed a rather special woman. He only hoped now she wasn’t the kind of special woman that could ruin him.

  Chapter 11

  She’d had it. She was done. As she stared down Mr. Anders all she could think was she wasn’t scrubbing the poop deck or any deck again, no matter what. She was the only one on board not given several hours each day to simply be. Even now, men lay on piles of ropes and tarps snoring. But she was expected to take that bucket and brush, get on her hands and knees and scrub imaginary dirt from the boards. Well she wouldn’t. Not today. Today she’d climb that shroud to the platform at the top of the main mast and she’d look out over the waters.

  The reason given for her having to keep both feet on the deck no longer applied, in her opinion. In seven weeks she’d not only learned the majority of the workings of a ship like this, she damn near knew the names to all the stupid sails, rigging and other bits and pieces. Only because she’d not yet mastered tying ever kind of knot to be had, and there were a ridiculous number of them all for so many purposes it was a wonder anyone knew them all, she suspected some were even made up. Though when she’d challenged Mason on that he’d spent the entire night and a good part of the next day showing her exactly how knots could be tied and used.

  Nox ground her teeth, how frustrating she was so easily distracted by the thoughts of what they did together. And how easy a look, a touch, a soft word from him made her ready to do it again. Fornication was probably listed as a sin, a vice, only because one could be led to forget all other things in life save for that act.

  But not today. Today she’d take back her will. She’d climb that rigging and stand on that platform and the captain, Mr. Anders, the whole damn crew could kiss her ass, as they often said. So when the bucket was again thrust at her, she snatched it away and heaved it straight over the side.

  Anders didn’t hesitate. “Insubordination,” he yelled which instantly roused the crew. He’d yelled it several times and each time ended with her being either scolded or strapped by Mason, depending on the infraction. Though the last few times he was maybe not as harsh.

  This time, she didn’t wait to see which it’d be as she watched Mason break away from the conversation he was having with two others. She turned and hurried straight for the port side. She’d climb the main shroud to the futtock and step on the platform from there. She’d seen the men do it a hundred times. It didn’t look hard at all.

  “Captain told you keep your feet on the deck.” She heard Mr. Little say. Turning to look at the biggest, though gentlest, man on the ship she sent him a glare which as she learned was enough to make him step back.

  “Well today I won’t,” she announced and put her foot in the weave of lines. “Today I’m going up.”

  “Aloft,” Little corrected. “Today you’ll get tossed over,” he warned.

  Nox shrugged, “I tread water well enough now,” she said smugly, then chanced a glance towards the helm. Mason was on his way towards her, a look like he might open hell on his face. As soon as she put her second foot in the rigging he lengthened his stride. “Get down,” he yelled. Nox scrambled to climb at least high enough he couldn’t reach up and grab her back. “Nox, get your ass down,” he called from below her.

  “No,” she yelled and at that moment knew she’d gone too far. It might not be complete mutiny, but no one was allowed to be in direct defiance of the captain. Looking now she saw that wicked calm on his face. The one that meant her ass was going to pay in ways she’d not forget. Looking up though, that platform called. “In for a penny,” she muttered reaching for the line above her head. “In for a pound.” With that she worked to climb the shroud, ignoring whatever was going on below and around her.

  It hadn’t looked so high from deck, nor did she think the climb would be so much work but the one glance down made her a little dizzy and still a good distance from the top her arms began to shake from strain. Nox kept climbing though. If she was going to be strapped for this she’d at least have the prize in hand when it happened. Or so she thought. Perhaps only four feet from her goal three men swung in from both sides and took position above her.

  “Captain said no,” Martin told her making his way down along with Jones and Mutt. “Captain said get down, so you’ll get down.”

  “No I want--” Nox protested but knew relief when they expertly started handing her down between them.

  “Don’t matter what you want. Captain gives an order you obey,” Jones said as in less than half the time it took her to climb up they had her almost down.

  “Don’t no one like to see you whipped, Nox, but you’re sure to get it good this time,” Mutt said and with the next move her feet touched deck and his prediction came true.

  The leather bit into her hind before the men even let her go and before she could cry out she was bent over the rail looking at the waves splashing the sides of the ship. Three vicious snaps of the lash in quick succession a pause and three more had her screaming for mercy. She got none. The captain set her skin on fire and then fanned the flame higher. The ocean spray did nothing to wash the tears, snot or drool from her face and when she was pulled back, her knees gave out and she hit the deck with a scream which became racking sobs.

  She heard someone call Mason’s name, and turned in time to see him exchange the lash he’d used for something else, but what she didn’t know, couldn’t see through the tears. She was trying on her own to get to her feet when Mason grabbed her, and lifting her tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of grain. “This will be your last mutiny,” he ground out as he carried her off deck into their cabin. “Strip,” he ordered before he’d set her down completely.

  “What?” She’d heard him she just didn’t understand the order.

  “Strip, now,” he yelled and Nox started fumbling to do that, feeling her heart sink when she saw him drag a length of chain and irons to the table. Rope was always for pleasure. Chain… chain wasn’t something she cared to see. “Now Jane,” he snapped making her realized she’d stopped undressing at the sight of the chains being attached to the table. “Defy me again, now, and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

  With a sob she bent and pulled her foot from the leg of the britches she wore then stood there, arms across her breasts waiting. As much as she ached to rub her ass she didn’t dare. She knew better. But then she’d known better than to climb the shrouds. She knew now she didn’t have what it took. She might have reached the top but her strength was gone by then. She’d not have managed to get on the platform or climb back down. It was a stupid, foolish thing to attempt. “I’m sorry, Captain, sir,” she offered.

  “Not as sorry as you’re about to be,” Mason said grabbing her arm and dragging her to the table. “Bend over.”

  “Captain, please,” she begged even as she bent forward.

  “Hands.”

  She offered them hesitantly. He wasn’t gentle in his taking of them and when the cuff clicked close around her wrists she cried out. His response was to shorten the chain so she was pulled up on her toes over the table. “Captain, sir, please,” she begged.

  Taking a fistful of hair he pulled her head back. “You could’ve been killed, you little fool. I won’t have it. No one on this ship can be spared and that certainly includes you. This will be the last time you ever think to mutiny against me.”

  “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I’m sorry I won’t do it again, please,” she told him as earnestly as she could, feeling the irons wrap around her ankles and the chains be pulled so her legs stayed spread. “Please.” The word came out broken with her sobs.

  “You think you can defy me, at risk to your life, and not pay a price? That isn’t how it’s done on this ship,” he said picking up a heavy looking paddle and slapping it against his palm. Nox wasn’t sure how it could hurt much with all the holes drilled through it. “No one who says fuck the rules, fuck the captain, lives long at sea. And before it crosses your mind to do it again,” he took a position behind her and set the cool wood on
her still burning ass. “I’ll give you the only reason you’ll ever need to never get in harm’s way again.” With that the paddle lifted away and a pain like Nox didn’t know existed burst across her flanks. “Count it, thank me, and ask for another.”

  Good lord not that, she couldn’t it hurt too much. This wasn’t his hand nor was this some play happening before they had a tumble. “One, thank you Ma—Captain, please another,” she finished with a sob before the next blow landed and she screamed for how it hurt. “Two, thank you captain, please another.” The words were barely out when the paddle fell again, her skin sucked through those holes, leaving her feeling the same hot bruises she felt when Mason sucked to long at her neck or tit, only there was nothing at all pleasurable in these. She managed to count out five before Mason stopped giving her time between to get the choked words out.

  How many times he brought the board down on her she didn’t know but he covered every tiny bit of her ass and even a bit of the top of her thighs, though it might have been what was struck as he took aim on the more sensitive under curve of her ass. She knew she’d feel this every time she moved for days if not weeks. That spot was his favorite to batter when she’d defied him in something. She became aware slowly that the spanking ended, though she couldn’t say when, only it seemed awhile since a new pain exploded on her seat. Still crying and barely able to catch her breath she lifted her head from the table and came face to face with Mason, who squatted down before her, the dreaded expression still on his face.

  “I’ll not lose you Jane,” he said reaching out to cup her chin. “Not to the sea.” Perhaps a reference to her nearly being swept overboard during a storm. He raised blisters on her ass for that as her new ability to not go straight to the bottom of the ocean when in it, gave her a bit too much courage. “Certainly not to your own stubborn stupidity. You could’ve fallen, broken your neck.” His expression remained that of a man not yet satisfied with the punishment inflicted, but his eyes said something else entirely. Though what, she couldn’t hazard to guess. She knew what was between them. She knew he’d no plan, no want, no ability to make it more, still.