She sat beside the stream for a while to rest her aching feet and injured ankle. Hours later, Mercy was standing at the foot of the volcano breathing fresh air. She basked in the sun’s rays and was overwhelmed by its beauty. She had been inside the darkened cavern so long, that the sunlight hurt her eyes.
The rumbling of her stomach grabbed her attention. Mercy turned to the matter at hand. She had to find something to eat. She searched the area and found the island to be mostly demolished. There were fallen trees everywhere. She found dozens of berry bushes. She was thankful Cain had taught her which ones were poisonous and which ones weren’t.
Her next task was to find shelter for the night. She decided that it would be best to camp inside the cavern. She gathered up all of the dry wood and straw she could find. She found a smooth place just inside the cave and built a fire.
Once the fire was ablaze, Mercy noticed an opening in the side of the wall. She saw that someone had left a torch attached to the wall filled with some type of oil. She lit it, and examined the area. The gaping hole opened up into a larger room.
“I wonder what’s in here,” she whispered as she stepped through the hole in the wall.
She took a few paces and then she saw what the room was hiding. There was a mountain of treasure in the corner ranging from three feet to five feet in width. Mercy was overwhelmed as she rushed to the gold and jewels. Never before had she witnessed such beauty. Tears filled her eyes as she remembered the time that she found a treasure chest with Cain. If only he could see this, she thought as she wiped away her tears.
Mercy examined the treasure and found dozens of gold bars, sapphires, and golden crucifixes. The beauty of it all overwhelmed her. She ran her hands through the treasure and wished with all of her might that someone would find her and take her home to Corbin’s Crow. She slept in front of the treasure. She was afraid to leave it alone. She knew that it been unguarded for quite a while, but somehow it was different now. It was hers.
Day after day, Mercy sorted the treasure. Emeralds were her favorite. They reminded her of the heart shaped emerald she had taken for her prize on the treasure hunt with Cain. One night, she drifted off to sleep and found herself in a dream:
She stands in a large room with fancy decorations. Many candles illuminate the room giving it an enticing aroma. She is wearing sheer sashes that are pink and purple covered in glitter. Her hair is full of large flowing curls with beads hanging along them.
Suddenly, a voice calls to her. She turns to see Cain sitting on several feather pillows. He beckons her to come to him. She responds and stands before him awaiting his next command. He pulls out a diamond necklace adorned with a heart shaped emerald and hands it to her.
He orders her to discard her clothing and wear only the necklace. She obeys. Next, he commands her to dance. Slowly, she sways her slender hips to the enchanting music. Once the song ends, Cain stands and faces her. He is wearing only a black silk robe. She melts in his arms as he lays her onto a stack of pillows. He begins massaging her toes using almond scented oil. Slowly, he works his way up to her thighs where he begins a lighter touch in the massage.
Her body is hot with desire and aching for his manhood. He complies with her begging body motions as he climbs on top of her and slips into her treasure trove. In seconds, her body is trembling with pleasure. Moments later, he joins her in ecstasy. As she hears him cry out her name, Mercy erupts into another intense orgasm. Cain is the perfect lover, and she belongs to him body and soul.
Mercy was awakened from her erotic dream by a loud noise. Quickly, she put out the fire and hid in the corner of the room. She wanted to be rescued, but she didn’t want to be rescued by the men she had escaped from. Silently, she hid and watched as she heard voices inside the cave with her.
“Light the torch,” a deep voice bellowed.
“Here,” someone exclaimed as the hole in the wall was discovered.
Suddenly, the room was filled with light as a man with a torch stepped through the hole. Mercy stayed still and hoped that he wouldn’t see her until she could figure out if it was Hawkins or not.
“Cain, look at this mountain of gold,” Samson cried out as he displayed the treasure with his torch.
Cain, Mercy thought. She must have misunderstood. She was still mesmerized from her dreams.
“Captain, the Devil’s Dilemma may not hold all of this,” Samson laughed as Cain entered the room.
It’s really him! Cain is alive! Mercy rushed out from her hiding place and leaped into Cain’s arms and said, “It’s really you! I thought you were dead!”
“Mercy,” Cain whispered in disbelief as he turned pale. “I thought you were dead. How did you get here?”
“I’ll explain later. Kiss me,” Mercy begged.
Cain gave her a long possessive kiss that seemed like it would never end. Mercy had tears of joy rolling down her cheeks as Cain held her in a long embrace. Mercy quickly told Cain the details of how she had ended up here. Cain was relieved to hear that Hawkins had not forced himself on her and proud of how brave she was to escape and survive. He filled her in on the details of his revenge. She was glad he had avenged his family, friend, and her.
“Cain, look at all this treasure. Have you ever seen such beauty?” Mercy asked as she pulled him to the treasure where his crew was already searching through the piles.
“I have found the greatest treasure a man could ever find,” Cain said never taking his eyes off of her.
“Me too,” she responded as she kissed him lightly realizing he was talking about her.
“Men, start bagging the treasure. I am going to find a quiet place to make love to my wife,” Cain ordered as he led Mercy into a private area in the cave.
“Cain…,” Mercy said as she stared into his eyes.
“Don’t deny me now. It’s been way too long,” Cain stated.
“I was only going to say….,” Mercy whispered as Cain interrupted her with kisses.
“Shh. Talk later. Love me now,” he commanded.
While the men gathered the treasure, Cain was discovering a treasure all on his own. He made love to Mercy as if it was their first time together. He was slow and patient while her sexual urges. Then, and only then, did he find his own pleasurable climax. Afterwards, Cain asked Mercy what she was going to say.
“I don’t remember,” Mercy moaned as she held her husband tightly.
They rejoined the others and decided to stay in the cave for the night and begin the hike back to the ship in the morning. Cain and Mercy returned to their private place in the cave while the rest of the men stayed in the larger open space. Cain made love to her three more times during the night. They were both exhausted by morning, but they were both well satisfied.
They wasted no time in packing up and getting back to the ship. Mercy showed Cain how she had survived on the island until the storm hit. He smiled as she told him how she had known which berries were safe to eat. He was so proud of her.
Once aboard the ship, they were relaxing on deck enjoying the sea breeze when Mercy began to laugh.
“What is so funny?” Cain asked.
“I was just thinking about the stories we will have to tell our grandchildren.”
“Grandchildren,” Cain exclaimed.
“Perhaps we should have a baby first,” Mercy hinted.
“I could see you breastfeeding my son,” Cain teased.
“Suppose it’s a girl?”
“I can live with that if she looks like you,” Cain said as he scooped her up and carried her to his cabin so they could make a child.
The two loves emerged from the cabin only once on the return trip to Corbin’s Crow. They stood on the deck at sunset and watched the golden sky turn shades of pink, purple, and red. Just as the last glimmer of light illuminated the sky, a pair of hump-backed whales swam up alongside the ship. Mercy squealed in delight.
Once the Devil’s Dilemma was back at home, the entire island rejoiced. There would be peace once aga
in. Cain decided that his pirating days were over now that the entire island was filthy rich thanks to their latest haul. A month later, Cain and Mercy were strolling along the beach in the moonlight. Mercy paused and kissed her husband.
“I have something to ask you?”
“What is it, My Love?” asked Cain.
“What shall we call our child?”
“What?” Cain asked suddenly stunned.
“You’re going to be a father,” Mercy said as she smiled.
“Well, if we have a son, I’d like to name him in honor of Luke.”
“And if it’s a girl,” Mercy asked.
“Whatever you wish, My Love.”
“Are you truly happy about this,” Mercy asked.
“How could I not be? I have everything a man could ever want. I have you. I have treasure beyond imagination and in nine months, I’ll have the greatest treasure known to man,” Cain whispered as he kissed her softly under the stars.
Take Me Forever Page 12