Taking back forever and a day

by Marcy Lynn

  “Maybe you’ve forgotten, I’m not some pet to be commanded!”

  He took it as a challenge. This wasn’t like their childhood arguments. Real people had been involved, a ship stolen; this wasn’t the boy Derek in front of her ripping her dress. This was the man and he was clearly determined to show her that. Two years he’d been waiting for the opportunity to show her that she’d made the wrong choice leaving him. After she’d realized who he was on the ship, a small… no a rather large part of him had jumped with hope that she had been glad to see him. Him. Not a way out.

  “I gave you the chance to do this yourself.” The front of her dress had a jagged rip. Threads bounced with his constant jerking motions to rip it further.

  “Stop!” He felt Elanor pulling on his arms. “I will not abide this any further!” He meant to strip her to her skin! To show her right away that he wasn’t having any of her nonsense.

  She lifted her foot kicking him in the shin. He growled then pushing her back. Her arms flailed as she fell onto the bed awkwardly. Elanor tried to scramble up, but Derek moved on her. His hands pinned her wrists above her head, while the rest of his body held her down. Pushing, wiggling, anything she could do to buck him off her- she tried. But he had her arms now held together by a single hand while the other worked striping the rest of the dress off her.

  The dress couldn’t take much more abuse and with another violent jerk of his hand the rip broaden to her waist. Flaps hung limply to the sides as full breasts pressed against the thin material of her chemise. As air passed in his lungs, her chest lifted and fell heavily.Her mind hadn’t fully settled on the fact that, Derek, this man making her struggle to keep her dress on, was dead on serious making her pay attention to what he said. And meant.

  Somehow her temper had become more important than her modesty and she wasn’t going to let him win. At least she wasn’t making it an easy task for him. His temples were just as damp as hers. He could feel a stream of wet slide down the side of his face.

  He had no shirt on, his muscular chest bare. But the cabin’s window wasn’t open to let fresh sea air in and the room had grown quite stale with all the heavy breathing. A frustrated noise sounded in her throat when she couldn’t twist her wrists free.

  Elanor lay still, they were at an impasse now.

  Derek couldn’t take the dress the rest of the way off unless he let her up.

  “I guess the dress stays on.” She taunted nearly out of breath.

  “I don’t think so.” The glint of a blade flashed in the light coming through the window. Spotting the dagger, her gaze flew back to his face. “You’ll cut me!”

  “That is the price one pays for not doing as you’re told. Better hold still now.” He said. She watched Derek bring the blade up past the front of her dress. She held her breath when the blade entered under her chemise collar. A slow, deliberate cut down the front, stopping at the end of his reach.

  The dress and chemise didn’t cover her any longer. The material lay in two flaps at her sides. He lay heavy, catching his breath on top of her. Her moonstone pendant glittering in the sunbeams between her bare white breasts. There was a deep contrast between her ivory flesh and his sun bronzed. Perhaps it had been the shock drawing her attention to that detail because she lay beneath him with astonishment on her face.

  He shifted his weight while his middle pressing her down and releasing her arms. She didn’t struggle now but didn’t help him either when the final parts of the dress were removed. Body laying limp, he could see she took some spiteful enjoyment out of him having to work so hard to get the dress the rest of the way off while conserving her energy. He could see it lit within her pretty brown eyes as they stare up at him.

  “You see how fruitless it was to fight me? Now we’re both uncomfortable and hot. If you would have just taken the damn thing off!” He grounded out. He pulled the dress, stay, and chemise the rest of the way down; his weight released her from his hold as he did.

  Elanor lay with her legs hanging off the edge of the bed. She didn’t move.

  The battle had been spent.

  She was in a right snit or it would have dawned on her sooner that she lay on his bed completely naked. He knew in her grandmother’s country side home, they were able to be less stringent on what was worn. But in this realm, people focused heavily on issues like modesty and women covering all aspects of her femininity. He remembered growing up watching her parents trying to straddle the two very different ways of life. He had always hoped when Elanor had finally chose which to reside in fully; she’d chose whatever one he was in. The memory and pain of her choice washed over him renewed.

  He openly stared at her exposed pinked flesh.

  And why shouldn’t he? Derek had won this battle.

  “Mind your eyes!” She said scrambling up to a sitting position, her knees drawn up for cover finally realizing it would be prudent.

  Derek didn’t say anything as he lowered back to the bed, a dark intense expression on his face. He didn’t feel the need to make himself hotter. She’d scooted away until her back pressed against the wall.

  “I think that’s about enough of that, Mr. Davis. Do give me something to cover with!”

  “Captain Davis.” His lips pursed. “I’ll give you cover when I feel like it. Perhaps, it’s too hot to wear anything for awhile.”

  “You can’t be serious! It’s not proper for a woman to-” She began.

  “Proper! You’re not fooling anyone here, Miss. I know you wear less than proper attire when it suits you!”

  “That’s different. We’re not in any magic realm just now. This is the seeker realm remember? Where they punish and even kill casters? Or punish women for not following their rules. Now, give me something to cover with!”

  He stood up then walking towards the window to push it open. “I make the rules here. This is my ship. My crew. My cabin.” Derek gave her a hard look.

  “Don’t tell me you’re feeling modest my beautiful burde. I’ve seen this all before- remember?” Leaning his hip against his desk, he took a long deep breath and let it out forcefully.

  “I don’t know whose favor you’re trying to gain here, Captain, but you will not gain mine.” Her tone stiff and cold.

  “Oh I know very well how you would like to be anywhere but with me.” He shot back. Derek pushed off the desk and nearly stomped his way to the door to leave. Before he did, his pride made him toss the little barb over his shoulder.

  “I wouldn’t open this door if you really value your false modesty.”

  Chapter six

  “Well you can’t fault the woman for telling the truth. We do look like shaggy dogs.”

  “Maybe a little more like a wolf-men.” A younger voice said.

  “Nah, his back isn’t hairy enough.”

  “My back isn’t hairy at all.” Elanor heard annoyance in Derek‘s tone.

  Elanor had eased herself across the quarter deck to get a better look at the three sitting just below. She’d dug through his chest again and found a black vest. It hung a bit too low in the chest but covered enough. She’d even found a pair of boots that reached her knees but her feet slid about in them. She’d manage it though. He hadn’t locked the door after leaving the last time.

  She’d looked up first when coming out of the captain’s cabin. The mizzenmast often had men working there during the day but as they cut the crew with the night bell, she would be safe to sneak out. The sky and horizon had taken on a beautiful mauve as the sun sunk down into the navy blue. Determination pressed her on to escape her floating prison.

  First, she had to find a place to hide.

  No, first she had to find a way past the men sitting on the barrels below. The other two sitting with him she recognized as Caspin and the younger fellow to be the cabin boy Steppe.

  Steppe held up a mirror while the other two cut at their long hair and beards.

  Caspin must have started before Derek. His hair lay in cropped curling waves and less wild. For
a moment she forgot herself having gotten used to his look and wondered about the new cut. His back to her, his arms were bent as though he were doing something to his face, likely trimming his beard too. She noted Derek had only started on his hair with his arms extended up to crop at it unhurriedly.

  “At least she didn’t say you looked like a Fomori.”

  A gasp came from the cabin boy. “Don’t say that so loud, Caspin!”

  The mirror flashed a little of the dying light before it was leveled again. He seemed afraid of the sea monsters, as he well should be. They were a brutal bunch.

  “Relax. You’re too jumpy.” Caspin laughed.

  “Those one eyed bastards will gnaw your leg while you watch them do it. They save your insides for last!” Elanor couldn’t agree with him more. In fact, she felt her skin goose taking the time to glance around to see if they had indeed drawn attention from the sea monsters by saying their names.

  “You’re letting him around the kitchen and Red, too much, Derek.”

  “I see that.” Came the dry reply.

  Elanor eased towards the right of the quarter deck to look for a way down without being spotted. They were distracted with the discussion of sea monsters and cutting of hair. If she were quiet enough, she might be able to get past unseen. She would aim for the cover of the mizzenmast.

  Elanor knew the power of perception.

  If she stared at them while trying to pass, they’d sense her energy and look her way purely out of instinct. Sneaking as quietly as she possibly could down, she didn’t look at them but a darting glance at the top of the stair. Then at the near bottom, she glanced once more to judge when to move, but the boy Steppe look exactly when she did.

  Their eyes met and Elanor froze.

  As he stared, she tried to keep his silence with a pleading look, a finger moving to her mouth. A useless gesture since both men turned to see what he’d been staring at.

  “Looks like your captive is wandering.” Caspin observed casually.

  “I saw the door open earlier. She won’t go far without a dress.”

  “Ah, modesty being her prison.”

  “Unless she wants the crew to take a fancy to her lovely body, she won’t come down further. A bit of fresh air might put some sense back into her head.” It seemed he wasn’t actually speaking to the other man but to her. His words only provoked her instead of making her turn back around the way she came.

  None of them were moving towards her.

  Confidence sometimes could be a weakness to prey on.

  Launching herself off the stair, she ran full tilt down the length of the ship.

  “I guess she‘s feeling a bold streak.” Caspin’s laughing comment was met with a string of salty words from Derek. But Steppe got to his feet first.

  “I’ll head her off!” Caspin grabbed the scuff of his neck to stop him. “If she’s naked boy, he’ll just as soon cut your eyes out for looking at her. Best let him settle this one himself. Doubt there is many places she can run to.”

  Elanor heard him as she ran but felt differently as she managed to make it down the gun deck’s stair to the main deck. It was a big ship, plenty of places for her to squeeze in and hide for awhile. She ran as best she could in the boots wondering too late if they were actually a help. Spotting the long boat that leaned against the mainmast.

  Good spot to lose him as any.

  Her heart picked up in beat as she heard Derek catching up behind her. She dodged under the small boat just as a crew man came walking around. She scrambled to pull herself under the boat before he or Derek could grab her. She heard Derek tell the other man to carry on with his work, he‘d manage her.

  Not if Elanor could help it.

  There was little light to see with. A few whispered words of a spell prompted the light to grow into a ball of illuminating glow. Using her arms she bellied to the other side of the over turned boat while the little ball hovered near her face. Just before reaching the belly of the long boat, she stopped casting the spell, dousing the light. It didn‘t take her long before she peaked her head out. Seeing no one, she took the risk, pushing out.

  The vest road up again as she ran towards the front of the small over turned boat. Yanking, it distracted her from seeing him until knocking into a solid wall of chest. Elanor bounced off, slamming back onto the deck. Stunned at first, she looked up at him. He didn’t look very pleased. That face she recognized, her heart actually did a warm tingle despite the soreness of her bottom. He almost looked like he did when she left- if it weren’t for the maturity. The trance snapped as soon as he started to reach for her. She didn’t wait for his hand to grab for her. Rolling in a fluid motion to her feet she started to run back towards the gun deck again.

  Her steps sounded like a horse gallop from the awkward way she ran. Blisters had formed from the rubbing of leather over the sides of her feet. A useless notion now why the sailors were mostly barefoot on ships flitted into her mind. Reaching the gun deck again, running for a stack of crates, she squeezed through the small space behind them. A shrill frustrated screech sounded from her throat when he managed to grab her leg.

  He struggled to pull her back out as she held onto another crate. He pulled hard but she held on making him growl in his throat. Her body moved in and out of the opening like a puppet on strings. Her moonstone pendant dangled from her neck, swinging and the vest crept up with the tug of war. Soon her lower half became uncovered completely, the vest bunched at her waist. Not caring if he could see every line of her lower half, she wasn’t going to let go. If she could just squeeze through the crates, he’d have a hard time reaching her then.

  She let out another yell when he stopped pulling and pinched her exposed cheek hard. She let go with one hand to slap his away. It was enough for him to gain leverage and yank her completely out from behind the crates.

  He dragged her up the gun deck.

  “Mind your eyes.” Caspin warned Steppe as they passed.

  Elanor tried to break free again struggling the whole way. Derek’s vise grip was iron clad up the stairs and to the door. Then without preamble he shoved her through the open door, slamming it behind her.

  This time it locked.

  * * *

  In the late hours of the night Derek came to the cabin.

  Purposely, he’d stay away from there so she had time to fall asleep or gain back her sense of reason. She was hell bent on proving he couldn’t command her and twice he’d shown her he could. Though the victor, he was sure he wouldn’t be gaining the reward he wanted. He‘d finished cleaning himself up from the wild look he’d taken the last fear years. His face now lighter of the beard and hair cropped to his neck.

  He hadn’t really noticed but she had. Derek didn’t know how to show her that this was the right thing to do, that they belonged together. He’d wouldn’t say so, he did still have his pride, but he’d shaved and cut his hair for her. Anything to remind her.

  When first entering his quarters, he felt a prick of surprise when he didn’t spot her on the bed. Did she use her magic after all? Had she slipped out the door?

  But further entering the room, he spotted her curled on the window seat.

  He sighed in relief.

  He honestly didn’t have any energy to go running around after her again. He tried to be quiet when taking off his boots. A smile teased at the corners of his mouth spotting the boots that she’d worn were tossed lop sided in the corner. He could still see her high tailing it down the deck in front of him. Her pert little ass peaking out then disappearing like a naughty game of hide and seek. She would not like that he’d enjoyed their little chase, oh but he had.

  It wasn’t as though she’d been able to go far; they were on a ship after all. But what had gone through his mind, had been her naked in front of his men. He would have had to beat them senseless for looking at her, killed them for touching her. Though her putting the vest on had been resourceful on her part, it was erotic to look at.

  Looking down
at her, he saw a serene angelic calmness in her face but the rest of her the devilish erotic creature. If she knew how sexy she looked, he doubted she’d be lying as she was right now. On her back, the vest lay open revealing the sweet valley of her breasts, the rounded shape of them exaggerated by the push of the material. He wanted to touch her. Explore the skin he hadn’t forgotten the feel of. But he doubted he’d gain her favor that way. He eased his hands under her back, lifting her gently off the seat. She didn’t stir even when he set her down onto his bed.

  It had been a long day for them both.

  He wore no vest himself tonight, the warmth of the climate allowing him such a luxury. After shedding his knee breeches, he curled next to her. Derek knew she resented him for what he’d done, making the deal with the actual pirate. But he’d make her come around to his way of thinking. There was no going back now. Her Father’s ship long gone, its crew sold no doubt in the Barbary’s market, leaving them all to think Elanor had been as well. They could start their own lives. He just had to think of a way to reach her.

  There shouldn’t be anything stopping them. She lay so close to him. Tempting. So damn tempting. He gave into the yearning that pulled at his gut. A slow brush of his lips against hers. He’d meant to just give a kiss and turn over but she sighed so sweetly.

  Another gentle press of his lips against her warm sweet as honey mouth. This time she started to wake and lifted her head off the pillow to seek out his lips to deepen the kiss. His elbows rested down on either side of her shoulders, leaning over further into the softness beneath him. The velvet warmth swirled at the tip of his tongue as it explored. A current of familiarity and passion flowed freely between them. It became so intense that he pulled his head back though he didn’t want to. A question never getting a chance to be asked when she opened her eyes and came fully awake. Something that looked like accusation and guilt mingled in the expression that surfaced on her face bathing in the moonlight. Derek sighed heavily. He had given into his need to touch her and the uncomfortable arousal he’d now deal with; his own problem.