by Sophie Stern
He didn't have to repeat himself.
Dana and Julianne laid side-by-side on the bed, watching him, waiting to see what he would do next. Julianne immediately began to kiss Dana, but Wade pushed her legs apart and thrust his cock into her before she could get too comfortable. She let out a moan as he gently played with her breasts, touching and biting as he fucked her. Dana moved closer and kissed Wade as he made love to his woman.
His woman.
He shouldn’t be thinking such things.
He had been careful not to make such promises to Julianne. Regardless of how he felt about her, he had to keep his head on straight. He had to stay focused on his goal. He couldn’t allow her beauty or her sweetness to sway his attention.
He was a pirate, and he lived a pirate’s life.
He was not one to settle down.
He continued thrusting into Julianne, knowing she was close, feeling her gripping his cock with her pussy. She shivered with need, quivering at his touch.
"Come for me, love," he murmured. Julianne's body shook and trembled as she came, her hands everywhere at once. Dana and Wade both looked at her with lust as she came undone.
"My turn," Dana grinned, grabbing Wade and pulling him onto the bed. He lay next to Julianne and began kissing her as Dana climbed onto his length. She lowered herself slowly at first, teasing him as she allowed each inch of him inside.
“Don’t taunt me, girl,” Wade managed to moan through his kisses. He thrust his hips upwards, pushing himself into Dana.
She squealed and nodded, grinding down on him. She arched her back to lean forward over him, giving his mouth full access to her tits. He broke his kiss with Julianne and began sucking on one nipple. Julianne slipped her mouth over the other nipple.
It was lovely, the way Julianne looked touching Dana. It wasn’t something Wade thought he could ever forget, even if he wanted to. She was so sensual in that moment, so fantastic. She was a pirate princess in the midst of a war, but it was one she was going to win.
Julianne would always win.
Dana moaned, squeezing Wade’s cock harder. He ran his fingers over her clit, masterfully navigating her body like it was a ship. She groaned again, and Wade nodded.
“That’s it,” Wade whispered. “Come for me, darling.”
Dana nodded and closed her eyes. Her entire body tensed. Then, with a deep breath, she began to shake. She squeezed harder on Wade’s dick as she came, eliciting a hiss from his lips. As Dana’s body began to relax, Wade pulled out from beneath her and stood up on the bed.
He knew how he wanted this moment to end, how he wanted this experience to reach its conclusion. He adored Julianne, and Dana was incredible, but right now, he wanted to remind everyone, including himself, that he was the captain.
He was the pirate.
He was the man who so desperately longed to admit the truth to himself.
He wasn’t ready for that, wasn’t ready to admit what his secrets truly were, but he was ready for this moment, with these women.
“On your knees, ladies,” he grinned, palming his cock with long, heavy strokes. His breath was heavy as Julianne and Dana knelt in front of him, opening their mouths in anticipation. The visual was stunning, and it made him lost all control. If he had wanted to wait any longer to come, he would not have been able to.
That choice was taken from him when the girls looked up at him with their wide eyes and perfect mouths. When Wade came, his cum spurted onto their faces, covering them both. Julianne giggled and smiled up at Wade. Her easy grin made him smile, too.
“Great idea, love. Great idea.”
23
Wade and Julianne kissed Dana goodbye before they left the tavern.
"Until next time," Dana whispered to Julianne, giving her breasts one last squeeze. Julianne smiled and promised she'd visit the next time they made port at Frux. Then it was time for the couple to leave. Wade guided Julianne from the tavern and back into the bustling town. Though it was a small port, there was constant movement and activity in the streets. It felt much busier to Julianne than any other port they'd been to. Wade didn't much notice.
They picked up the supplies they needed before returning to the ship, where they unloaded their new inventory.
"Shall we rest before the crew returns?" Wade asked, raising an eyebrow at Julianne. She knew what he meant. He had taken to calling their sexual encounters his "rest." Whether he was tired from his years as a pirate or from his years being alone, Julianne wasn't sure. She did know that when it came to Wade, she was quite happy to be the one he found rest in.
If nothing else, she felt joy at knowing she brought the poor soul at least a little bit of peace.
They retired to his cabin and stripped off their clothes. Though it had only been a few hours since their last encounter with one another, Julianne was still excited about their afternoon surprise with Dana. Wade kissed her and grabbed her. They fell into bed together, laughing and chatting and kissing until eventually, the laughing and chatting stopped, and all that remained was the kissing.
**
When Nelson returned from his day in Frux, he saw his sister hugging Wade. He watched them for a moment before the couple went to Wade's cabin. Sometimes Nelson thought they spent more time together than they did apart. He knew, logically, that the entire arrangement with Wade letting Julianne stay in his room was for her own safety.
But sometimes Nelson wondered what Wade had wanted in return.
He knew the captain was a loyal man. He was not a good man or a particularly honorable man, but he was loyal. Nelson trusted Wade completely, even with his sister. He also knew that Julianne was a clever enough girl to know when she wanted something and when she didn't.
Nelson climbed down the stairs and walked the narrow hall to his bunk, where he climbed onto his bed and closed his eyes. He was tired. The entire crew had been searching for Mad Drake's treasure for years now, though Nelson had only been with Wade a short time. It was all they talked about, all they thought about. Sometimes Nelson thought it was all they even knew about being pirates.
Nelson didn't feel like he quite fit in with the other boys. Sure, he had a good time pillaging and he always managed to enjoy himself at port. Even if he didn't seek out the company of a lady, Nelson enjoyed finding new places to drink and new ales to try. Sometimes he bought something for his mother, just in case he ever saw her again. Sometimes he thought about getting something for Julianne. Sometimes he thought about the wife he would never have.
But aside from temporary pleasures, Nelson didn't particularly like being focused on only one thing. While Wade might be satisfied seeking out a stupid treasure, Nelson wanted more. He wanted to be feared. He wanted to be respected. He wanted to be the type of man others would admire.
He wanted a reputation.
A vicious one.
Nelson feared sometimes that he was too nice of a pirate. He worried that he wasn't bad enough or scary enough. He worried that the other men didn't respect him, but he tried not to. No, there was no use worrying about what other men thought of you, Nelson knew. The only thing he could do to improve the way others saw him was to work hard, be brave, and fight back. He couldn't let things slide. He wouldn't.
Nelson closed his eyes and hoped he'd be able to get at least a quick nap in before it was time to prepare the ship. He was tired. He tossed and turned for a few moments before sleep finally found him and Nelson drifted off into a world of hope and big dreams.
24
It was only a matter of days before a storm was brewing again. Julianne could feel it. Maybe she was getting her sea legs or maybe she was just learning to pay more attention to the skies. She wasn't sure. She just knew that something was coming and she hoped they would make it through before the worst came.
She wandered aimlessly around the ship, watching the seamen scurry around like rats, preparing the ship for the unsavory weather. She worried that she should do more to assist them, so she went to the kitchen and hel
ped Buck prepare meals for the day. She wasn't very strong, but she could cut and boil and serve, so that's what she did.
When Wade came to find her, she and Buck were almost completely done cooking.
"I need to speak with you," he told her. She laid down her knife and followed him to his cabin. Wade closed the door, then walked up to her. She didn't move as he gripped her face with both hands and kissed her. She was used to his kissing by now: used to it and loved it. Although they had been sleeping together for weeks, every kiss still made her melt beneath his mouth.
Every touch made her shiver with excitement.
But before she could get too excited, Wade stopped and pulled away. He took her hand and led her to the bed so she could sit. Julianne did, and Wade sat beside her. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.
She wasn't sure what he was going to say, but she wasn't scared.
Wade always looked after her.
It was strange, when Julianne thought about it, how comfortable she really was with Wade. She had adapted quite easily to living with him in his room, fucking him and kissing him, talking with him into the late hours of the night. She had gotten used to being around him, to having him.
She looked forward to him.
She craved him.
"We're only a few days from the Isle of Changers," Wade said. His voice was solemn. He sounded worried. Julianne closed her eyes, focusing on his words, trying to stay calm.
Wade sounded afraid.
"It'll be okay," Julianne told him. She wasn't sure if it was the truth or not.
"Listen," Wade hesitated. "There's a risk, Julianne. If you want to stay behind, we can stop at Ell. We can stop and leave you there until our return."
Julianne cocked an eyebrow.
Was he serious?
"You want me to stay behind while you go search for treasure?" She asked him.
Wade nodded.
"Are you out of your mind?" She asked, standing up. Julianne frowned and put her hands on her hips. Wade thought he was going to leave her behind? For her own safety? "I don't want to be left behind."
"I know," Wade nodded. He still looked tense. "I know you don't, but things are a lot more dangerous than you understand."
"It's not that bad," Julianne waved him off, pacing. "There are plenty of dangerous things in the world, Docherty. Plenty."
"Not like this."
"Oh, poppycock."
Now it was Wade's turn to raise an eyebrow.
“Poppycock?”
She just glared at him.
**
"Julianne," he stood and went to her. Julianne turned toward him and Wade kissed her before she could open her mouth to keep complaining. He didn't stop until he knew she would be out of breath and that he could speak first, but by the time he stopped kissing her, his cock was hard and ready. Every bit of him ached to fuck her. Every bit of him ached to taste her. "Come here," he murmured, and kissed her some more.
Wade didn't stop kissing Julianne until he had fucked her hard and long bent over his desk. He fucked her until she came, then he came, then he made her come one more time.
She collapsed on the bed, half-dressed and spent, and he went to her once more.
"Julianne," he began again. This time she listened.
"I need you to be safe. I'm worried, love." He stroked her cheek tenderly, reminding her that he really did care about her safety and well being. He really did care about what happened to her.
Was there ever any doubt in her mind that he cared for her? He should ask her, but he wasn’t the type for romance. He was a pirate: not a lover. He could bed women with the rest of them, but his heart had died years ago.
Madeleine had been his joy, his love. He had promised to love her ‘til the end of his days, and he meant to keep that promise. Until recently, he’d known that loving Madeleine meant he’d never love anyone else. His heart had felt so full with her. They’d grown up together, they’d fallen in love together, they’d had children together.
They’d loved one another so deeply that he had never felt the need to find anyone else to love him.
Until now.
Now, Julianne filled his thoughts. His days were spent thinking more of her than the sea, more of her than his long-lost love, and that was a strange feeling for a pirate.
The thought of losing Julianne was one Wade didn’t want to entertain. He couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to her, of her becoming trapped or lost or stuck somewhere. He didn’t know what he would do if she succumbed to the Isle of Changers.
He didn’t know that she’d be safer in Eli.
Eli wasn’t known for entertaining characters with good reputations.
Eli wasn’t a place for honorable men.
But the Isle of Changers could take her from him forever.
“If you come, you have to stay in the cabin,” he said. “I’ll tie you to the bed if I have to. I mean that. You cannot be on deck when we pass the island. It’s just not safe.”
**
She shook her head.
"I've survived worse. Besides, I'm not scared of ghosts."
She would follow Wade to the ends of the earth.
And then she would follow him some more.
Julianne wasn't scared of the stories, of the threats surrounding the Isle of Changers. She wasn't scared of ghosts or ghouls. She wasn't scared of things that might be lurking in the shadows or hiding.
She wasn't scared because she had Wade.
She wasn't scared because he was there.
She wasn't scared because her pirate would do anything for her.
Her pirate was the bravest man she'd ever known.
Hers.
25
The storm rocked the boat as they neared the isle. Wade had grown agitated and anxious as the waves got worse, shaking the ship. The storm tossed the boat back and forth, shifting barrels from one side of the ship to the other. Most of the men were on deck, trying their best to keep The Dark Lovely afloat. Wade was with them, as was Nelson.
Julianne, however, was hunkered down in the kitchen with Buck. The old cook scurried about, making sure his spices weren't going to spill as the ship threw them around. Julianne was sitting on the floor with a bucket. Any notion she had of being ready to deal with the sea was gone.
She had no sea legs.
She certainly didn't have a sea stomach.
She threw up in the bucket a few more times, wondering if this poor weather would ever end. All she wanted was to relax with Wade. All she wanted was to be able to look out over the water with him during the day and to look out over the stars with him during the night. She wanted the freedom that the ship brought. She wanted the freedom that the pirates represented. She did not, however, want to die at the hands of a horrible, terrible, old ocean.
Julianne clawed her way to her feet and mumbled something to Buck before she left the kitchen. She went out into the hall and stood for a moment, trying to find her balance. She ship swayed and she practiced moving her body along with it so that she wouldn't fall over. The last thing she needed was to hit her head and be knocked unconscious on a ship full of pirates.
The last thing.
She made her way to the deck and looked around at the chaos. Wade and Nelson were both screaming orders at the men. Wade was at the helm, trying to keep a steady course. They would pass the Isle of Changers today, which meant that by tomorrow, they should have an idea where Mad Drake's ship had disappeared.
Julianne wondered if they would find it. Would it be caught up on some rocks? Would it be half-sunk, but still visible? Would it be beneath the sea somewhere that no one would ever find it? Was the treasure even really there?
Suddenly, she wondered if Wade's quest to find the treasure was about more than prestige on the sea. Was this just something he needed to do to prove how much of a badass he was? Did he need to prove how strong he was?
She understood the urge, certainly. She h
ad fought for a long time to feel like one of the men on the ship. She had tried to fit in, to make a place for herself. She had tried to make herself strong enough to be included with the men. Julianne didn’t want to feel like a passenger on The Dark Lovely. She wanted to feel like a part of the group.
But suddenly, finding Mad Drake’s treasure didn’t seem as important as getting out of the storm.
Suddenly, this felt like a suicide mission to her.
She went to Wade. The wind was howling and her hair was blowing in her face. Wade's was matted to his own head. She wondered how he could even see through his mop of hair, how he could even see through the torrents crushing down on them.
Julianne went to him and wrapped her arm around his waist.
"You shouldn't be up here, love," he yelled to her. "What happened to Buck?"
"I think we should turn back," she screamed. Wade's eyes opened wide as if he couldn't believe her suggestion.
"We're in the middle of a storm, Julianne," Wade yelled. "How exactly do I turn back?" She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Suddenly, she realized how very small and very silly and how very out of place she was.
She felt someone grab her arm and looked up to see Nelson next to her.
"Come on," he said to his sister. "Let's get you dry."
He guided her back to Wade's cabin, closing the door behind them. The second it was closed, he started to yell at her.
"What the hell were you thinking? 'I think we should turn back'? Dammit, woman!"
Julianne shirked back, not meeting her brother's eyes. He was right, she knew. Talk about the epitome of bad timing. She could have at least waited until the two of them were alone. She could have at least waited until the storm had passed to offer up her not-so-expert advice.
Instead of admitting her fault, however, Julianne defended herself with more yelling.
"Why the fuck is this so damn important, anyway?" She yelled at Nelson. She knew it wasn't his fault. None of this was. It wasn't his fault that she was on this ship or that they were on this quest. Wade had given her many chances to leave. He had given her chances to stay behind, but she hadn't.