A Lesson in Presumption

by Jennifer Connors

  Not having noticed his arrival, Webster's throat clearing pulled her away from Gideon's attention. When she saw the look on his face, a mixture of anger and jealousy, Ginny's smile came on like a bright light in a dark room. Oh, yes, she was going to have some fun.

  “Are you ready for our fight, Corliss?”

  “I'm just waiting for Noddy to bring me some shoes.” As if conjured up by using his name, the boy came running forward with a pair of leather boots and stockings. Ginny took her time putting them on. They were a little big, but nothing she couldn't handle. Once done, she stretched her limbs out, trying to work out some of the soreness from having laid on a hard floor for two days. When one of the crew handed her a sword, she was nearly ready.

  Gideon came forward and asked to speak to the captain alone. When denied, his face turned red. He again asked, this time the strain in his voice barely contained. Webster would have none of it, but did pull him further away to whisper in his ear.

  “I have no plans to kill her, Gideon, so stop fussing around her like a mother hen.”

  “She claims that she would rather die than go back to the brig.”

  Webster looked his commander in the eyes. “She is a stubborn one, she is. But she needs to learn who is in charge on this ship. If another night in the brig will make my point, then another night she will have.”

  Gideon pleaded, “Please, Captain. I ask for very little, but I ask that you not hurt her.”

  When Nathaniel saw the look that came across his friend's face, he could have sworn another chunk of the ice that surrounded his heart melted away. He couldn't help asking, “Do you love her?”

  “Not in the way you think. She reminds me of my sister. I could do nothing for her, but I can help Corliss.”

  “Very well, Gideon. I shall go easy on her. But know this: She does need to learn who is the captain of this vessel. I promise not to hurt her, but I may prick her pride a bit.”

  “Aye, Captain. And thank you.”

  Patting Gideon's shoulder, Nathaniel went to stand in front of his prisoner. She was testing the balance of the foil that was given to her. Her movements were fluid, as though she had some skills, but she would not best him. He'd been accomplished with a sword long before taking to the seas nearly ten years earlier.

  He stood watching her as she looked around at the scenery beyond the ship. They had anchored in a small cove off an island near Puerto Rico. The picture was a pretty one. They were surrounded by clear, blue water, with a white sand beach only a few hundred yards away. The beach was bordered by tall coconut trees. He couldn't blame her for being fascinated by the sight.

  “Are you ready, Corliss?”

  Ginny looked over and saw the captain standing with ease and confidence. He probably thought she would be no challenge at all. Ginny wasn't going to rid him of his assumptions. As a matter of fact, she thought she just might act a little clumsy to lull him into a false sense of superiority. That would be when she would go for the kill, so to speak. He may have left her locked up when he didn't have all the information, but he was her “soulmate.”

  Holding up her sword in front of her face to demonstrate her readiness, Nathaniel mimicked her stance. Both drew down their swords at the same time Nathaniel announced, “En garde.”

  He circled her slowly, never taking his eyes from her face. Ginny, trying to appear scared, turned in a circle to follow him. When his sword lashed out high and to the left, she was ready. Producing a small gasp of distress was a nice touch, she thought as his eyes took on an arrogance that would be his downfall.

  Suddenly, he was engaging her, and Ginny was able to match him move for move. They danced across the deck, forcing crew members to move away or unwittingly become part of the action. Still, Ginny did not become the aggressor, allowing her opponent to make all the initial strikes. In only a few minutes, she understood his style and would accommodate for it.

  Both were breathing a little heavier when Ginny finally lashed out. She had him on the defensive, moving swiftly away from her. His look was no longer arrogant, although he showed no real concern yet. It was no secret that the tips of their foils hadn't been capped. Either one of them could end up being pricked by the other's blade. To Ginny, it was what made it so exciting.

  Now she was in her element. Not that she thought she was truly fighting for her life, but with her heart pumping and beads of sweat on her forehead, Ginny felt more alive than she ever had. The surrealist quality of her life had drawn something from her soul. Meeting men, falling in love, leaving them to move on to another life had left an indelible mark. Her lives had been work, but for the first time, she was having fun. If she had to get stuck by the business end of a sword to get this chance at unbridled exhilaration, it seemed worth it.

  As the two of them fought, Ginny could understand how people could get addicted to thrill sports. In her real life, the most exciting thing she'd ever done was ride a roller coaster. She never considered jumping out of a perfectly good plane, or attaching a large rubber band to her ankles and jumping off a bridge. As much as she liked to have fun, she wasn't reckless. On that day, on the deck of a pirate ship, for the first time in her over thirty years of life, she finally was reckless. And it felt good.

  Concentrating only on the task at hand, Ginny almost had him cornered, when Nathaniel came back with a vengeance. He would not be beaten by some society chit, fresh from the social scene of London. Where she acquired her skills, he decided he would find out as soon as he was able to finagle the sword from her hands. Until then, he needed to concentrate on keeping her from driving her sword into his soft flesh.

  As they dueled, he took time to admire her skill. She was graceful in her steps. Nathaniel could see that in the beginning, she'd been playing with him, drawing him out to see what he had to offer. A very smart move, he conceded. But that was all he would concede to the woman across from him.

  Not long after Corliss began to show her true skill did he begin to feel an altogether more dangerous feeling: Lust. Watching her move made him think of how seductive she would be in his bed. Her hair was still dirty, but she'd washed the grime off her face, leaving her delicate skin and kissable lips on display. The shirt she was given was tight, accentuating her breasts against the fabric. It was hard enough concentrating on the match when he was trying not to hurt her, but it was made more difficult with his increasing erection.

  Deciding to end it before his shame became apparent, Nathaniel worked even harder, only to find her able to keep up with him. Of course, she had everything to lose, so her passion was greater than his, though the more he watched her, the more he began to doubt that. As soon as he finished, he would need a cold bath.

  He saw her growing tired. It wasn't fair, considering her injury and accommodations over the past two days, but Nathaniel didn't care. He needed this to end and soon. Someone would be hurt if they continued.

  With a swift thrust, he brought their bodies close together, grabbing her spare arm with his hand. Their swords were crossed in front of their faces, and Nathaniel bored his eyes into hers. Feeling her breathing hitch, he relished when she tried to pull away and couldn't. He would have this woman, it occurred to him at that moment, if it was the last thing he did.

  Ginny's body was plastered against the man she fought. His look was intense and erotic. Pressed against her belly was proof of his desire. But for Ginny, there was more at stake then great sex. If she lost this match, it would mean another night in the brig and that was something she couldn't allow. As she tried to pull away, he held tighter, not allowing distance. So, she did the only thing she could under the circumstances. She kneed him in the crotch.

  Nathaniel anticipated her move a second before she could fully connect with his goods, and thankfully so. Although she hurt him, it could have been much worse, even leaving him incapacitated. Flinging himself backwards, he hated himself for setting her free. Like a mother badger, she was back on him in a moment, fighting him against the railing.

>   What she wasn't prepared for was him ducking under her thrust and knocking her sword out of her hand before she could turn to face him. As the foil skidded across the deck, he saw the look on her face change from the excitement of the fight, to crestfallen by her failure. Only a second later was the look of desperate anger. She turned slowly to face him, got down on her knees and put her hands behind her head.

  “You win. Do you have the balls to kill me?” Ginny already knew the answer, but it was the only way she could prick his pride. Mocking him was anything but wise. On the other hand, what difference would it make?

  “You know I cannot kill you. Gideon would have my head if I did.”

  “Pussy.”

  “Beg pardon?” he asked, not understanding her meaning.

  “Fine. Back to the brig, is it?” It would be a while before she could get rid of her churlishness. Truthfully, at one point she had been winning. His distraction took only a second to unhand her, and it was what made her the maddest.

  Nathaniel stroked his chin as if being thoughtful. “Yes, I think you need another night.”

  “Fine. Just let me take off Noddy's boots. I wouldn't want them to get messed up.”

  Ginny sat on the chair that Gideon had provided earlier and took off the boots. She hadn't been kidding about not spending another night in that hole, especially after finally getting most of the stink off her. There was only one other choice.

  As the crew came forward to congratulate their captain on beating a woman, Ginny placed the boots and stockings next to the chair. Seeing that everyone's attention was focused elsewhere, she ran down the deck to the back of the ship. Diving off the edge into the warm Caribbean water, Ginny heard the first sounds of alarm coming from behind her.

  Swimming as fast as she could, knowing that she had only one shot, Ginny used her less than stellar skills in free style to make her way toward the beach. The water was calm, making the going easier. It was a short distance, and it was good to get the exercise after so many days in captivity.

  The awareness of Webster's anger got Ginny more pumped up and she was soon close enough to the shore that she could stand. Still swimming, she rode the gentle waves to the shore. Her clothes clung to her body intimately, but still she turned around to give the Victory Sound a one fingered salute. That was when she noticed that Webster had decided to give chase. When she saw how close he was, Ginny decided instead to turn tail and run for the trees. There was no shame in running if she didn't get caught, right?

  Chapter 17

  Nathaniel took little solace in winning against a girl. He wasn't about to admit how close he came to losing and that he was considering several underhanded tricks if his diversion hadn't worked. Still, as he stood receiving his congratulations from his crew, he didn't like having to put her in the brig again. But if she were to learn her place, he had to be forceful about it.

  No one noticed anything untoward until Noddy screeched. Turning on his heel, all Nathaniel saw was a pair of bare feet going over the side of the ship. He, along with most of his crew, ran over to see his prisoner making a swim for it. Nathaniel couldn't take his eyes off the woman who now swam gracefully to the shoreline. As far as he could remember, he'd never known a lady who would even touch ocean water, let alone be able to swim in it.

  Looking at his commander, Nathaniel saw the big smile that spread across the man's face. Clearly enjoying this moment of temporary victory for Corliss, Gideon made no bones about who he was rooting for. Instead of responding, Nathaniel took off his boots and ordered his men to lower one of the long boats. He then dove cleanly in after her. If she wanted to make him chase her, she would pay dearly for the inconvenience when he caught her.

  By the time she'd reached the shore, she had spotted him and ran. You had better run, my lady, he thought as he pumped his arms harder in pursuit. Images came to his head of her thoroughly see-through shirt and clinging breeches. The erotic images only made him swim harder, trying to expel the desire from his body. The last thing he needed at that moment was to be aroused.

  Finally climbing onto the shore, he turned to see that his men were still working on his order. No doubt that Gideon had held them up with some nonsense. His commander may very well spend the night in the brig with Corliss. Leaving his crew to their own devices, Nathaniel followed his quarry through the obvious path in the trees.

  What Corliss didn't know was that this small island was used by ships from every country who had a presence in the West Indies. The path led directly to a spring water lake, where crews replenished water supplies almost daily. There were few places to hide, because around the lake, the foliage was so dense, it was doubtful Corliss would be able to find a way through it. Which left few places to hide.

  Smiling, Nathaniel slowed his step a bit. After his swim, there was no sense in wearing himself out. And once he found Corliss, he would drag her back to the shore and back to his ship. From there, he just might have her flogged for her insolence.

  ********

  It didn't take long for Ginny to find the lake. As soon as she saw it, she realized she was boned. There were no pathways leading further into the forest. She had no machete to make her own path and after seeing some of the spider webs scattered in the branches around her, she had no desire to crawl through the greenery. She could turn back and hope she had time to find another way before Webster made it to shore, but even she wasn't that optimistic.

  Looking at the cliff on the far side of the lake, she wondered if she could climb up to the top of the waterfall. Not one to take accurate measurements visually, she estimated the climb to be sixty plus feet. The walls were jagged, but glistening from the moisture, leading her to believe they would be slippery and the going dangerous.

  Ginny walked around the lake, coming nearly under the waterfall itself. Once directly underneath, she knew she wouldn't be climbing any mountains that day. What was maybe sixty feet, now looked like a thousand and completely unclimbable. Leaning her head against the rock in fatigue and frustration, Ginny's eyes spotted an alternative.

  Under the waterfall was a cave, of sorts. The deep impression in the rock face didn't go anywhere, but it would serve as somewhere to hide. With no other options, Ginny carefully made her way under the spraying water and into the cool, wet cave.

  It was surprisingly comfortable, with soft moss on the smooth rocks. As she sat with her back against the wall, Ginny knew she would be discovered soon. Part of her thought she should just give up and hand herself over to Webster. But a larger part of her wanted him to have to take the time to try and find her.

  When they had been fighting, there were several occasions when her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. He was wearing tight breeches that cradled his firm butt. His shirt was open in a V at his throat, showing off a generous amount of black hair. He was physically fit and every inch the mega-hunk. So, should she just seduce him? Would that get her out of the brig?

  Momentarily disgusted with herself that she would sleep with the man to get out of a night in a hole, Ginny shook her head. She was going to sleep with him regardless, so who would care if she did it to increase her chances of avoiding something unpleasant? No one would care, that's who, she thought, smiling and relaxing, waiting for the captain to find her hidey-hole.

  ********

  Nathaniel came to the clearing and looked around. He hadn't expected her to just be sitting out in the open, but by now, she should know that her situation was hopeless. After their brief conversations, he knew she wouldn't make it easy on him and for some reason, the thought made him smile. She was a feisty one, and there was nothing more sexy to Nathaniel than a strong woman.

  Something must have changed in her since Timmy's death. If what she said of his cousin's behavior were true, she had lived a very confined life. Perhaps her deportation was a good thing for her, giving her the chance to be her true self.

  Nathaniel slowly made his way around the lake, careful to look for possible hiding places along
the way. He looked up to the top of the cliff, but there was no way she could have climbed it. That left only one option: the small cave behind the waterfall. Surely she didn't think he wouldn't know of such a place. Taking the well worn path, Nathaniel went to retrieve his prey.

  Chapter 18

  Ginny saw a flash of white a few seconds before his face appeared inside her cave. While waiting for him to arrive, Ginny took the time to wash out as much of the grime from her hair as she could. Without soap, she wasn't too successful, but it still made her feel better after her ocean swim.

  Crawling behind the waterfall, Nathaniel knelt under the roof of the cave and stared at her. His face wasn't as angry as she thought it would be. Instead, he looked at her with mild curiosity, his cheeks tinted red from the exertion of the swim, she supposed. He didn't say a word, only continued to stare, perhaps waiting for an apology.

  Ginny decided to go with the obvious. “You found me.” Her false cheer changed his expression. Now he looked as though he tried not to laugh.