More scowling.“I never meant–”
I hopped downfrom the tabletop which I sat on, patted his shoulder, and said,“Have a good night, Captain,” before heading over to the crew. Icould hear his clunky boots stomping up the stairs as I sidled upnext to Finn who’d broken away from his new buddy.
“I neversaw the captain get in such tizzy since the likes of ye cameaboard,” he told me.
“Really?So, he’s not always that moody?”
“Aye, hebe on the quiet side, usually,” I watched him slug back a nearlyfull mug of ale before continuing. “Broody and the like, but neverso angry.”
I moaned.Great, I made the mentally unstable pirate angry. My mission wasgoing to be harder than I imagined. How could I possibly get what Iwanted, to convince Henry to change his mind, without giving himwhat he desired? It didn’t matter that, deep down, I wanted it,too. I found myself more and more attracted to Devil Eyes, and partof me wondered if I could avoid it much longer.
Just then, aslightly tipsy Gus came sauntering over toward us with a pitcher inhand. He topped up my mug and raised the pitcher in the air. “ToDianna!” he yelled, and I couldn’t hide the surprise on my face ifI wanted to. “For we shall never be hungry so long as we have thewench.”
I opened mymouth to protest but stopped myself. It was the closest thing tokindness he’d shown me since I showed up and, even though he wasdrunk, I’d take it.
With my mugraised in the air, I shouted, “Here, here!”
Then men allcame to a halt, an awkward hum buzzing in the air around us, butthey soon broke out into a cheer and the fun resumed.
Finn tousledmy hair as if I were a child. “Yer one of us now, lassie.”
Just days ago,that thought would have worried me. That the crew would take me onas one of their own, with no chance of escaping. But right then, atthe moment, surrounded by a bunch of merry men singing songs, awarm fire burning and endless pitchers of strong ale… I feltsomething I hadn’t felt since I was a child.
I felt athome.
The nightcontinued for hours. I felt dizzy from being passed around as adance partner, song after song. My legs were like jelly and asticky sweat stuck to my skin. I lost count of how many mugs ofbeer I drank, but I knew it was nowhere near that of what Finn andGus consumed. We drank, we sang, and we danced until we could nomore. Eventually, the locals went home, and members of our crew hadretreated to their rooms. I climbed the large, creaky woodenstaircase to the room Finn and I shared, eager to crash before Igot sick. I fiddled with the old iron handle and pushed the heavydoor open, but was startled to find a large, naked Scotsman passedout in our bed with his long arm cradling a local man.
Crap. Guess Iwouldn’t be sleeping there tonight. I gently closed the door,careful not to wake them, and snuck back downstairs. There was anice seated bench in the bay window of the lobby, and I curled upthere for the night. My head spun once I laid down but, beforelong, I’d passed out.
My boozy brainslept and wandered dreams of vivid colors. But it didn’t take longfor it to settle on a fantasy of Henry. He laid my naked body downon a sandy beach as the warm sun shined down on us. He smiled andhovered above me, his gorgeous blonde hair blowing in the oceanbreeze.
I ran my handsdown his broad and chiseled body, but the sensation of touch wasn’tthere. It was like my hand went right through him.
“Henry,”I whispered through a slight moan.
“Shhh,”he replied, but his mouth never moved. As if the sound was comingfrom somewhere else. “Dianna…”
My sluggishbrain fought to find the sound. I swam to the surface of myconscience, and my eyes opened to find the dark lobby of thetavern. Two hands slid under my body and my heart sprang to lifewhen I realized who it was.
“Henry,”I breathed.
His mouthpressed to my ear and goosebumps scoured my body. “I told you notto call me that.” He continued to hoist my body into his shirtlessarms. “What are you doing down here? Let me bring you to yourbed.”
I shook myheavy head. “Can’t. Finn has company.”
He stopped,seemingly unsure of what to do. “Oh, very well, then.”
I didn’t wanthim to put me down, I didn’t want him to go. My body took on a mindof its own and I reached up to touch his face, pulling it towardme. He hesitated, slightly, but I knew he’d give in. His mouth camewithin a hair of mine and hovered around the outside of it, ournoses caressed, and a deep guttural growl erupted from his body.Henry’s arms tightened their grip around me and he fled upstairs tohis room.
It was similarto the one I meant to share with Finn; quaint, dimly lit bycandlelight, and held a bed covered in patchwork quilts. The pirateset me down and turned to close the door where he remained,hesitating to turn around. I didn’t want him to think about it toomuch, I just wanted us to give in to the attraction we felt for oneanother, just for one night. No one had to know, and we couldforget about it in the morning when the sun came up and the veil ofmoonlight and strong ale lifted.
I watched ashis naked back moved with deep breaths and I stepped closer,running my trembling hand over its smooth skin. My very touch madehis body stiffen and he stood straight before turning to meet me. Ididn’t think I’d ever get used to his sheer size, almost a foottaller than my own five and a half feet, and his wide shouldersthat could wrap themselves around my body and make medisappear.
Henry watchedme with blazing intensity, his black eyes unblinking, as I removedmy clothes and let them pool around my feet. His breathingquickened, and he grabbed my neck,
