Captain Merric

by Rebecca Cohen

  “You’ll play some cards and have a drink?” Brillack held up a jug.

  “I’m not here for the ambience,” said Edward, taking a seat.

  Brillack poured Daniel and Edward a large measure of rum and dealt them into the card game. Edward played a couple of hands, but his popularity meant he was interrupted constantly, busy talking and laughing with the other patrons in the bar.

  Brillack tutted and stopped dealing him in, but Edward appeared unconcerned, more than happy to embrace a string of people, exchanging stories and drinking toasts.

  After losing several hands and drinking far more than advisable, Daniel could see that there was still no respite from Edward’s throng of admirers. A young server placed a flagon of foaming ale in front of Edward, his hips canting in invitation, and Edward’s appreciative gaze travelled the length of the young man’s body.

  Daniel looked away, trying to keep his mind on the cards in front of him, but he found it impossible to concentrate. It was too much. He’d known it would be difficult spending the evening with Edward, but it was harder than he’d imagined. Edward’s easy nature charmed all around him, including Daniel. Perhaps it would be better if he left now; let Edward enjoy the rest of the night without Daniel having to see it.

  He threw down his cards and pushed away from the table.

  Edward turned to face him, his brow crumpled as if he was confused. “Is something wrong?”

  Daniel glanced to the young man who was still standing too close for his liking. “I think it’s time I retired. But you need not call your night short.”

  Edward stood with him. “If you are leaving, then so am I. If it is this particular tavern that’s not to your liking, then we can move to another.”

  A different tavern would just mean more people for Edward to entertain. “It is not that.”

  “Then perhaps somewhere quieter?”

  He should say no, insist Edward stay and be with his friends and crew, but he was too selfish for that. “I didn’t think such a place existed in Plesmaya.”

  Edward raised an eyebrow. “You witnessed one place first-hand, but I have another in mind.”

  With cries of consternation from the other drinkers that they were going, they left the tavern. The last of the evening sun painted the sky in rich orange and purples as the daylight began to fade.

  “Where are we going?”

  “To the beach. A few folks will be gathered around fires singing, but we need not join them. I am happy to keep you company.”

  Edward steered him through another warren of streets, reappearing on the edge of the town, and Daniel saw the ocean in the distance, the azure waters now dark as the sunset rippled across its surface. As they got closer, he could hear music from one group where two women were dancing on the beach around blazing fires with much encouragement from the onlookers.

  “You didn’t like the tavern,” said Edward, but it was more a statement than a question.

  Daniel shook his head. “Not really. I’ve never been one for such places. I always felt I was intruding. Once I became captain I think my men felt the same way. You do not have to concern yourself with that, they are comfortable about you.”

  “But I am not their superior—only the captain. It is different. Whereas you can pass down punishments the Royal Navy would deem fit, I am not going to send my men to the brig or order forty strokes for a minor insubordination.”

  “You might.”

  “Maybe, but far less likely. My crew share equal spoils, and while it continues they are not going to rebel for the sake of it.”

  “Not all pirates are like that—I have heard tales of some captains killing crew members to increase their share.”

  Edward dropped to sit on the sand, and Daniel joined him. “Some of us are complete bastards—I am only part bastard.”

  Daniel found it difficult to reconcile the charming man by his side with the pirate, Captain Merric, but he wasn’t naïve enough to think Edward could be the only pirate that wasn’t a ruthless scoundrel. “Some of the worst excuses for humans I have met have been aboard a naval vessel. Men punished for the weakest of reasons to keep them in line, some half-starved if they’d crossed the wrong officer. Whatever flag you sail under, a life at sea is not an easy choice.”

  Edward smiled sadly. “You were never meant to go to sea. You were supposed to be safe behind a desk at the Admiralty. Once I had finished appeasing my father, I was going to return, and we’d find a way for two good friends to share quarters. Keeping everything between us behind a closed door.”

  “I remember what was meant to happen. But things changed, and so did I, although not for the better. Unlike you, I am not the whole man I once was. I gave up on a lot of things.”

  Edward removed a pocket watch from his coat and held it out in the palm of his hand. “If I am so whole, why have I continued to carry this with me every day?”

  Daniel gasped and reached out, picking up the watch. “My grandfather’s pocket watch.”

  “I never forgot you. I told myself that if you didn’t want me then I would continue my life with the most it had to offer. But in reality, the reason I never settled down, kept moving from one warm body to the next, was that there was only one person I have ever loved.”

  Daniel didn’t know what to do. The sensible man, the captain inside his head, told him not to be stupid, let Edward go, but the young man who wanted happiness had begun to find his voice. “My love for you was never in doubt. If it was the only factor we would have no problem.”

  Edward picked up his hand, threading their fingers together. “Give me another week. Let me show you that we are not so different from when we were young men, that we could have what we had once planned.”

  He should say no. Insist Edward take him to Jamaica as soon as possible, but he couldn’t. “I cannot help but think I would regret it to the end of my days if I were to say no.”

  “Then say yes,” Edward whispered into his ear, and Daniel couldn’t stop his traitorous cock from responding to having Edward so close to him, his breath ghosting across Daniel’s overheating skin.

  “Yes.”

  Edward captured his lips in a fierce kiss, which Daniel returned with equal passion. Real life could wait a week when he had Edward in his arms. They might not be able to make up for the last fifteen years, but they could try. Edward pushed him backwards, the soft sand under him still warm from the day’s sun. He moaned into the kiss, and Edward’s hand roamed under his shirt, burning a sensuous trail across his skin.

  Edward moved away enough so their gazes locked. Daniel didn’t resist the soft lips that met his, didn’t struggle as Edward kissed him. Edward knew how to kiss, all lips and a coaxing tongue that left Daniel powerless to do anything but allow him access.

  They pulled apart, panting.

  “Not here,” said Daniel, conscious they were not far from the others on the beach and only moments away from giving the locals a show.

  Edward grinned but didn’t move. “I am quite comfortable here.”

  “Edward,” Daniel warned, pushing at his chest.

  Edward kissed him again before rolling off. He got to his feet and dragged Daniel with him. “Let’s go home.”

  Daniel didn’t argue. He wanted this as much as Edward. He pocketed the watch and let himself be guided through the streets to Edward’s house, trying to keep his hands to himself, even though all he wanted was to touch, to feel, to hold Edward and never let go.

  He paid no attention to the white sands or the exotic smells and plants along the way, his sole focus on Edward’s hot hand that had once again wormed its way under his shirt and rested on his waist. He tried to get Edward to remove it, but Edward was not going to budge and instead pulled him closer. No one who passed them could mistake what was happening, Edward’s arm wrapped possessively around him, their gait determined, almost falling over each other to get back to the house. Here in Plesmaya, no one had batted an eyelid at two men in an intimate embrace. In Engl
and they would not have dared to even touch in public for risk of being accused of sodomy, and he wanted to enjoy the freedom and be as close to Edward as possible.

  He could’ve sworn Edward’s house was nearer, but it seemed to take far too long to get there. Finally, they arrived, almost tripping over their own feet on the steps. They crashed through the front door, and Daniel let out an undignified squawk as he was lifted and thrown over Edward’s shoulder.

  “Put me down, Merriston. I am not some wench for you to manhandle.”

  “Calm yourself, Daniel,” said Edward, swatting his arse and racing up the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. “This is solely for convenience—I know you’re no woman.”

  Deciding that struggling further would just risk them both falling down the stairs, Daniel stopped wriggling. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it—I’ll get you back for this.”

  “Now that sounds like the kind of promise I’d like you to keep.”

  Edward raced down the hallway, Daniel clinging on, not wanting Edward to drop him. They were on the opposite side of the house to Daniel’s room, and Daniel had to admit he was curious to see Edward’s private space. Edward kicked open the bedroom door and Daniel let out an annoyed oomph as he landed heavily on Edward’s large, soft bed.

  He propped himself up on his elbows, staring with a mixture of arousal and amusement as Edward stripped off his shirt. Any thought of seeing what the rooms were like disappeared as he watched Edward hop on one leg, then the other to remove his boots. Edward straightened and stalked naked towards the bed, his shirt and trousers abandoned on the floor. With his broad shoulders and muscled chest smattered with hair, Edward made Daniel’s mouth water.

  The small voice in the back of his head finally silenced, Daniel sank into the mattress, opening his arms wide in invitation. He was out of practise, but Edward knew that, and Daniel trusted him not to rush this.

  Edward crawled over the bed, his knees on either side of Daniel’s thighs. The rough calluses on Edward’s fingers made Daniel gasp as they skirted over his skin, pulling his shirttails out of his trousers and pushing the shirt up over his chest as if desperate to touch him. Edward made what sounded like a frustrated growl as he attempted to unbutton Daniel’s shirt, the sound of ripping fabric and displaced buttons bouncing off the wooden floor following moments later as Edward’s impatience got the better of him.

  The fingers were replaced by lips as Edward kissed his way from Daniel’s navel to his neck, stopping to worship each of Daniel’s ribs en route, licking a wet stripe over each nipple and blowing a warm stream of air across the damp skin. The soft tickle of Edward’s beard a new sensation that Daniel could grow to adore.

  Daniel moaned in appreciation as Edward peeled away his trousers, kissing a trail across his thighs. He dragged Edward close and kissed him; hot, wet, and desperate, as if he might never get the chance to kiss him again.

  Daniel allowed his hands to roam the expanse of golden skin of Edward’s back, the idea of letting himself have what he’d thought had been lost forever making him breathless. Edward had died, but now here, in the humidity of Plesmaya, the memories of the encounters from his youth could be re-enacted. He could allow himself the pleasures of having Edward in his bed. Regrets, if he allowed himself such meaningless emotions, could wait until tomorrow, or the day after, or maybe never.

  Edward sat back, his stare not predatory but observant, as if cataloguing all the changes that had happened since the last time they had been naked together. In the pool, the water had covered him. Here Daniel was exposed, with nowhere to hide.

  With anyone else, Daniel would’ve found such an examination unbearable. He’d shunned anything other than the most perfunctory of contact, never letting anyone see him naked. There’d been no need—a quick fumble to relieve the occasional necessity but nothing more. But lying here with Edward watching, he had no such concerns; the gentle exploration of his hands made Daniel’s body sing, made him want to grant Edward access to everywhere.

  From the nightstand, Edward removed a vial which, when uncorked, released a pleasant floral aroma. Edward must have sensed his unease and rubbed his hand over Daniel’s belly. “I will take care of you. I know you are a little…rusty.”

  “Rusty doesn’t given begin to describe it.”

  Edward leaned over and claimed a kiss. “I will be careful. You only have to say the word and I will stop.”

  “You won’t break me. But not too fast.” He didn’t want Edward to treat him like some delicate flower. He wanted this, craved it, and he might have been a bit out of practise, but he didn’t want to stop.

  Edward upended the vial, pouring a generous quantity of glistening oil over his fingers. A moment passed as their eyes met, Edward asking a silent question and Daniel answering with the merest of nods. Then Edward’s fingers were at his entrance, gently stroking, not making any attempt to breach him. Daniel keened as Edward’s other hand fastened around his cock.

  “Oh, you are a feast for the eyes.” Edward smiled and worked a finger inside.

  It had been so long, but Edward’s careful considerations readied him for the intrusion, and after the initial discomfort he relaxed and welcomed Edward’s fingers. Daniel gasped and arched his back as Edward took his time, making sure Daniel was prepared and begging.

  “Please, oh dear Lord. I need more.”

  With a dark chuckle, Edward withdrew his fingers and crawled forwards. Hovering over him, Edward pressed their mouths together in a strangely gentle kiss. “It will be easier if you’re on your belly.”

  Daniel rolled onto his stomach. Edward’s spicy preferred scent infiltrated the sheets, and he was intoxicated by the smell as if Edward was consuming him in every way. He opened his legs wide in invitation, the last vestiges of any doubt a distant memory. Edward settled between his thighs, trailing his oily fingers down Daniel’s spine, making him tremble with delicious anticipation. His skin was overheated, his nerves on fire, and Daniel hadn’t felt so alive in years.

  Edward moved Daniel’s hair to one side and pressed a kiss to the base of his neck, sending a thrill down Daniel’s spine. Daniel felt him shift, massaging Daniel’s arse, causing his hard cock grind into the mattress. He was already close, his body singing with want. Edward finally gave him what he needed, guiding his cock inside. He took his time, sinking slowly in so Daniel could adjust. It had been so long since he’d done this. He’d not let anyone have such intimate knowledge of him since Edward. He raised his hips, bringing Edward deeper until he was fully seated and maximizing their mutual enjoyment.

  There was no mistaking that Edward’s technique had developed since they’d last made love; he had always been more experienced than Daniel and a generous lover, but now he had a method that could make an angel sing. Edward set the pace, constant and deep, as if he instinctively knew what Daniel needed. Their bodies moved together, a glorious rhythm which made Daniel gasp and writhe with the pleasure he’d denied himself. The years were swept away as his orgasm hit him like a crashing wave. Edward came with a growl and one deep, final thrust.

  They untangled themselves, Edward pulling Daniel to him so Daniel lay with his head pillowed on Edward’s chest. His breathing erratic, it took several minutes before Daniel was coherent enough to speak. “You can still do such wonderful things to me.”

  Edward stroked his back, and Daniel had thrown his arm across Edward’s middle. “I wish to do many more. Sleep now, we have much to sort out, but it can wait until the morning.”

  For once Daniel agreed without an argument.

  Chapter Eleven

  As usual, the birdsong woke him. Edward realized he hadn’t slept so well in years. Daniel lay on his side facing away, his dark hair spilling over his shoulder. A sense of contentment settled upon him, but Edward knew he had to be his most persuasive over the next few days to get the ending he wanted to their twisted fairy tale. Having Daniel back in his bed had been a revelation. He’d known his desire for Daniel hadn’t wane
d, but the connection they shared was as intense now as it had been before. The thought that Daniel was his once again, and the frankly startling realisation that Daniel had not let another man take him such a way, lit a streak of possessiveness within him that Edward had never encountered. Daniel was his, always had been, and Edward would ensure Daniel remained so.

  He trailed his fingers across the soft skin of Daniel’s flank, tracing a pattern of moles. He had a small scar on right side and could probably have done with putting on a few pounds. He’d never been stocky, but a life at sea had left Daniel on the scrawny side, not that Edward minded, but he wanted Daniel to be as healthy as possible. He knew Daniel would need to return to England. The men who had wronged him had to have at least a modicum of intelligence to have pulled off their plan, and Edward expected they wouldn’t have remained in the Caribbean for long. If so, that meant Daniel would have six weeks at sea ahead of him. He might hold the rank of captain, but any ship heading to England would already have a crew—at best he would be a special passenger, maybe warranting a small cabin, but if he were unlucky he might find himself bedding down with the ordinary sailors.

  He heard the clink of crockery in the distance and knew Lelia was on her way with his breakfast tray. Quickly, he rolled away, snatched up his drawers, and headed out to intercept her, careful not to wake Daniel.

  Lelia was almost at his door when he stepped into the hallway.

  “I can take that,” he said, intimating the tray.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing.”

  She huffed. “Then what has you flying out of bed as if the sheets are on fire?”