Last night, they'd both been invited to dinner with the happy couple and their parents. Melani had been shocked when Ellie's parents had shown up unannounced. Not as much as Ellie had been, but still shocked.
Ellie had welcomed them with open arms, and then insisted on a big dinner so she could discuss wedding plans with her mother.
Melani had fought back several grins as Martha Winton had grimaced at the idea of a pirate wedding. But, to give the woman credit, she'd kept her mouth shut, saying nothing to her beloved daughter that would ruin her day. Melani was proud of her.
After dinner, Melani was sure that Royce would send her back to Ellie and Russell's house, but he hadn't. They'd gone to his boat, where they'd each set up separate work areas, she to work on her stories and he to work on the books.
When she'd gone to his room at a little after eleven it was to find him sound asleep. The banana she'd placed on his pillow sat forgotten on the nightstand. She'd stripped and climbed under the sheets, hoping to wake him so they could make up from their afternoon tiff.
After a few attempts at kissing him, he hadn't stirred. She'd turned around and spooned herself against him, falling asleep with tears stinging the back of her eyelids.
When she'd woken up that morning he'd been gone. The only thing that had brought a smile to her face was the appearance of Kidd, delivering a bagel wrapped in two plastic bags. This time, however, no banana or fun note awaited her inside the package.
She turned to him now and watched as he traded jokes with Russell.
Both men were dressed in white shirts tucked into blue jeans, and both of them looked spectacular. Of course, Melani thought Royce looked much better. His long, black hair cascaded down his back, tied at the nape of his neck.
She'd watched in wonder as he'd instructed the sailing crew on the way over, using terms she didn't understand but was fascinated to hear. Watching him on the ship had brought back memories of their night on the ocean, and made her blush. She'd wanted him to turn and talk to her, to call her Red and tease her about being the same color.
But he hadn't. They'd stopped in the middle of the ocean for the rehearsal. It had been a fun affair, with everyone laughing and having a good time. Melani had put on her good face, but underneath she was crying.
Crying for what she was losing. Part of it, she admitted, was the fear that her relationship with Ellie would change after the wedding. She'd had lots of friends who, once married, no longer had time for their friends.
She didn't think that was going to happen now, but it was always a possibility.
Three-fourths of it, she knew, was the idea that her relationship with Royce was over. Tonight she would be with Ellie at the bachelorette party, and he would be with Russell at the bachelor party.
And tomorrow?
She sighed as she turned and walked toward the gazebo and nearly completed dancing area outside the hotel. She wasn't sure what would happen tomorrow. She hoped and prayed that Royce would gather her in his arms and make love to her one last time.
Maybe, just maybe, he'd take her sailing again and they could make love in the ocean. Or they could lie on the deck of his houseboat and cuddle under the stars. She was going to have to do something to make sure that their last night together was memorable.
She jumped when she felt an arm on her elbow.
"You okay?” Ellie's voice was full of concern.
"I'm fine. I was just thinking how beautiful this place is, and how stunning the wedding is going to be tomorrow."
"Yes, it is. And if you think that after all these years I don't recognize when you're lying, you're wrong. You're full of crap. I know something happened between you and Royce yesterday. After the party I want to hear all about it."
"Ellie, it's your..."
"Melani. Kiss my ass. You're going to tell me, and you're going to like it. Or I'll have Russell keelhaul you."
Melani cocked her head. “What exactly is keelhauling?"
"A bad pirate is tied to a rope, thrown overboard and dragged under the ship's keel to the other side. Very, very painful. And possibly could result in death."
"Gee, thanks."
"I just want you to know how serious I am about our talk. I want to know what's going on. In explicit detail. Got that?"
"Aye-aye, captain.” Melani saluted as Russell came up behind Ellie and gathered her in his arms.
"She's not the captain. Just the first mate.” He turned her toward the hotel and they duck-walked over the path toward their guests.
"You ready?” Royce's voice was low and she could feel his breath against her ear.
"Of course,” she turned her gaze to his. “I suppose you have a heavy-duty party planned tonight."
"Naturally,” he said with a grin. “I even have Kidd ready to pop out of the cake."
She laughed. “He'll eat most of it first."
"Probably so, but it'll be great fun."
He offered his arm and she took it. Heat radiated through her body when they touched. She resisted the urge to steer him toward a quiet clearing and tear his clothes off.
"I missed you last night,” she said softly.
He stepped in front of her and put his finger under her chin, lifting her gaze to his.
"I haven't had much sleep this week. Some saucy wench has been keeping me up, and I do mean up, all week."
She smiled and he leaned down and kissed her forehead. She bit her lip, not knowing what to say. When she'd finally thought of a response, he'd taken her hand and led her toward the party.
Her opportunity was gone, drifting away on the air just like her relationship with Royce.
* * * *
"So, do you think I can talk my mother into wearing pirate garb?” Ellie took another drink from her wine bottle, then threw back her head and laughed. It was after two a.m. and Melani knew that her friend had consumed more than her limit. It was a good thing they didn't have to drive. Right now they were sitting on the dock, listening to the ocean.
"Doubt it. But I do think we should go and look for some soft drinks. Or some food. You don't want to have a hangover at your own wedding.” She tried to grab the bottle from Ellie, who took another swig, then reluctantly handed it over.
"It would just be so perfect, though. My mother dressed as a pirate wench. I would love it."
"You should be happy she's here."
"I'm thrilled. It says a lot, because she's so royally pissed that I'm not wearing a white dress with a six-foot train."
They both laughed, then Ellie put her arms around Melani and pulled her close.
"Thanks for being here. And thanks for doing the stories."
"You're welcome. I've had a great week."
"I would say so. You've had more sex than I have this week."
Melani giggled nervously. “Probably."
The two friends sat, their arms around each other.
"You love him, don't you."
"No. I told you, you can't fall in love with someone in a week."
"Bullshit. You love him. Don't let him get away."
Melani brushed back tears and turned her face toward the ocean.
"I don't have a choice. The only hope I have is for him to make love to me tomorrow night, and then drive me to the airport on Sunday."
"No, it's not. Don't give up so easily."
Melani whipped her head back toward Ellie.
"You think this is going to be easy?"
"No, that's not what I meant. Put up a fight. Let him know that you love him."
"Yesterday I as much as told him I didn't need him in my life.” Melani related the story of the blow up after the pearl incident.
"Well, I know that Sarah screwed him royally, but he opened himself up to you."
"Yeah, for sex."
Ellie shook her head. “He told you about his ex, didn't he? That's opening up for more than sex."
Melani stared at her friend. “You're right. And I never once told him about Charles, or anything.” She shook he
r head and sniffled. “You know, this is why you don't jump into bed with people. I knew this would end badly."
"It doesn't have to. Let him know what you want. Show him that you care, and that you want to be in his life."
"How do I do that? Mark an X on my chest and ask him to dive for treasure?"
"Cute,” Ellie said with a sarcastic grin. “But I have a different idea. How are you at fencing?"
"Excuse me?"
"Lunge and parry? Foil and thrust?"
"Right. I know nothing about fencing."
"Then it's a good thing I'm not that drunk. Let's go."
Ellie stood and dusted off her pants.
"Where are we going?"
"To help you win your very own pirate."
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Fifteen
Melani tried to focus on Ellie as she spoke her vows, but her mind kept wandering to the gorgeous hunk of man standing opposite her. And from the way Royce's eyes wandered over her body, she would say he was having trouble focusing on the wedding, too.
She knew that she looked pretty good, even if her breasts were on display. Her maid-of-honor outfit was in red, with a full skirt poofed out by several petticoats. The red blouse was low-cut, and cinched in by a white vest, beautifully decorated with small diamonds and pearls.
She'd about choked when Jace told her the jewels were real, and the outfit hers to keep.
"I'll have to talk to Ellie about that."
"She's the one who told me,” the designer had said as he'd pulled the vest tighter. “And, about that ... other thing."
Melani blushed. “Yes."
"You'll have to hurry to find me after the boat leaves with the bride and groom. I want this to work for you."
"Thanks, Jace, for being so nice to me."
"No problem. He's so delicious that I hate to see him alone. Just give him a few licks for me."
Melani stifled a grin at the memory. She could see rough and ready Royce being licked by Jace. Somehow she didn't think it would go over too well.
"Melani.” Ellie's voice was low. “The ring?"
Melani jumped, then reached into her pocket and pulled out the box with Russell's ring. She handed it to Ellie with a smile.
Her friend looked so beautiful in the cream colored dress that was an exact match of Melani's except for the colors. Ellie's skirt and blouse were cream, and her vest was red. The men were wearing tight black pants, boots that rose above their knees and white shirts that showed off their chest. They even had swords on their hips.
Ellie winked at her, took the ring and handed Melani the box. The rest of the service passed very smoothly, and when the couple was pronounced man and wife, confetti and bubbles were released from machines. The ship's guns sounded, rocking the deck and breaking the crowd out into nervous laughter.
Melani sighed as Russell pulled Ellie into his arms and kissed her, his hands tenderly caressing her cheeks before he broke the kiss, and then claimed her again.
Melani turned to Royce, who was staring at her, his face unreadable. He smiled at her, but it wasn't the smile he'd always given her this week. It was a sad smile, as if he was sorry that things hadn't worked out between them.
A grin lit Melani's face and she lifted her eyebrows at him. He, in turn, cocked his head in question. She just smiled.
Just wait, buddy. You've got the surprise of your life coming to you.
His confused smile remained in place until the justice of the peace introduced Mr. and Mrs. Russell Todd. The crowd broke out in applause while Ellie and Russell kissed again. She turned and took her flowers from Melani, winking at her friend before heading back down the stairs and the makeshift aisle to the bow of the ship.
Melani took Royce's arm and they followed them down the aisle.
Russell held up his hand.
"We want to thank you all for coming. Of course, you are all invited to attend the dinner and reception on our private island. When you're ready to leave, there will be boats ferrying guests back to the mainland in fifteen-minute intervals. All you have to do is go to the dock and wait. But, we hope that you stay until the very end, so that we can party our way into our new life together."
The crowd cheered and Royce let go of Melani's hand, kissing it lightly before turning toward the stern.
"Raise the anchor and let go the sails!"
The crew went to work immediately and Melani watched as Royce joined in. It really was magnificent to watch him. Seeing him bounding up the stairs, a grin on his face and a light in his eyes, she knew that there was no way she could lose him.
She wasn't sure when her lust had developed into love. She closed her eyes and thought back over the week. Maybe it was the night they'd talk about his wife. To see the emotions on his face as they had lain in bed and talked about Sarah, and what she had done to him.
Or maybe, just maybe, it was Thursday, when he'd been so mad at her for rushing off to the coffee shop without him. It showed that he cared for her. If he didn't, he wouldn't have been angry with her.
And she had shot him down with just a few poorly-chosen words.
She sighed as she remembered the look of pain on his face. Hopefully tonight would change all that. Hopefully, she would be able to show him that she cared about him as much as he cared about her.
* * * *
Royce put his hands on the railing of the top deck and stared at Melani. She looked so damn beautiful. His cock had come painfully to attention when she'd walked down the aisle, which was a horrible thing since his pants were tight like the skin on a piece of fruit.
He'd put his hands in front of his crotch and prayed that no one noticed the bulge. Then, he'd tried very, very hard to concentrate on the wedding. It had worked for a few minutes, and then he'd looked at her. And she'd given him that mischievous smile.
That smile reminded him of their first night together, when she'd taken him in her mouth and swallowed everything that he'd offered. In that moment, he knew he had to have her.
But he was a realist. He knew there was no way she would stay here with him in Florida. No way whatsoever. She'd proven that Thursday night when she'd told him how she'd done things on her own for some time now. She didn't need a man in her life. She probably didn't want one.
The sex, though, had been fantastic. Once she'd gotten over her “I don't know you” phase, she'd been game for everything that he'd thought up. He had plenty of other ideas, too, but giving in to them would be too painful.
It was going to be hard enough to let her go. She would fuel his fantasies for years to come, and somehow he doubted that another woman would come close to capturing his heart the way she had.
Even though she was by the book, and he wasn't, he knew that they would be perfect together. But convincing her would be too painful. He'd lose in the end. He knew that. And letting her leave tomorrow was going to be bad enough. One more night would only pile the hurt on top.
Besides, who said she'd even agree?
He yelled instructions to the crewmates as they neared the docks. Sails started to rise and the one hundred and fifty people gathered for the wedding moved to the sides to watch the island come into view.
The reception would be beautiful, he knew. He just had to make sure to keep his distance from Melani. She would cause his mast to rise again, and this time it would be hard to hide it from the guests.
Most importantly, he wasn't sure his heart could take one more night, despite what his cock said. He could take matters into his own hands after the wedding was over. It was a poor substitute for Melani's soft, warm body. But at least it might keep him sane for the evening.
* * * *
"So, you're ready to sail into the sunset,” Melani said, smiling as Ellie pulled her close for a hug.
"We are.” They held their hug for a moment. “Good luck, tonight."
"Thanks. I think I'm going to need it. He's been avoiding me."
"Just remember what I taught you last night. Hold your
sword firm and level. And make sure he knows it's the real thing."
They laughed together, and Melani wiped away tears as Ellie kissed her cheek and ran toward Russell. She followed them out toward the boat and watched them board. Large bubble machines had been placed around the area, the tiny, shimmering orbs filling the sky as the crew pushed off from the dock, with Russell in charge.
It hadn't been hard to convince Russell to ask Royce to stay behind. When he'd heard the ladies’ plan he'd laughed until Melani thought he was going to cry. Then, she'd watched him walk toward his friend and ask him to stay behind and make sure everyone was off the island before he left.
"Take the last slip back, if that's okay with you."
Royce had looked confused, but had agreed.
When the boat was away from the dock, Melani turned and raced toward one of the bungalows. Jace was waiting for her.
"Hurry up,” he said as he pulled her inside the building. “Most of the guests have gone already and if we're not careful we'll be stranded here."
He quickly undid her vest, pulling her wedding clothes away and handing her the new items he had created for her. She donned them quickly, amazed that in a short week she wasn't ashamed to be naked in front of someone that she'd just met.
She jumped when Jace put his hands inside the blouse she was wearing and pushed her breasts together, tucking the material tighter into the pants.
"What are you doing?"
"Making sure the merchandise is arranged properly. These are my creations, remember? I want them displayed to perfection."
Melani pushed at his hands. “My breasts are your creations?"
"No, but this blouse is, and I want you to look perfect.” He finished poking and prodding, and then took a step back.
"Perfect. Just one more touch.” He turned and picked up a tri-corner hat from the bed. He placed it on her head, tying the silk bandana so that the ends trailed over her shoulder. He fluffed the huge feather that hung over the back and then sighed.
"Absolutely magnificent. You make the perfect pirate, my dear. Now, go and do some treasure hunting.” He handed her Ellie's sword. “And don't take no for an answer."
Melani took a fortifying breath and headed out of the bungalow, ready to do her first bit of piracy with a man who was already a perfect mate.
The Pirate Wench Page 11