pirate’s life? Cariño , this is too hard.”
“I can strengthen up. Just this afternoon, one of your crew told me he could teach me how to throw a knife. Little can upset me, and most importantly, as a pirate, you have no one telling you what to do, do you?” She knew she was prattling, but the short bit of time she’d spent with the crew had her eager to learn more.
This time he did laugh. “Sweet, innocent little Elise. Do not worry. You will not become a pirate, and I will see what I can do to keep you from marring this man, yet keep you from ruin as well.”
“How will you do that?”
“I have my ways. Now hush, my sweet. Sleep,” he directed, and tucked her head back to his shoulder.
Elise’s mind swirled with questions of how he could help, but she kept silent for now. He stroked her back again and she sighed, wondering if maybe he planned to make her his pirate queen? In minutes, she drifted off to sleep, images of her next to his side at the helm, fanning the way to her dreams.
* * * *
Raphael didn’t sleep well that night. He played Elise’s situation over and over in his head, trying to find a way to help her. The easiest option he could envision, he fought against. He could ask her to marry him. But the thought of marriage made him cringe. True, he enjoyed being with Elise and he had no doubt in his mind she’d bring him years of surprise and enjoyment, but marriage? He’d never given it much thought, and to hear her tell it, she wanted nothing of it either.
Eventually, the circling in his mind exhausted him and he fell into a dreamless sleep. His last thoughts were that he still had at least three days before they made port at Carolina. He had three more days to bring her untold, forbidden pleasures, and that much time to come up with a plan to give her a happy life, yet still be able to have his revenge.
* * * *
“Captain!”
An urgent shout came rudely through the door.
“Captain? Come quick. There’s a schooner bearing down on us, coming up fast.”
Raphael shot awake, instantly aware he was in Elise’s bed, her warm body pressed tight to his. His cock was hard, his body primed to take her again, and he vowed to kill Bilge, the man who’d woke him up.
“Hmm?” Elise murmured, turning in his arms.
“ Lo siento . I’m sorry.” He climbed out of bed and pulled on his breeches. “Stay here. I’ll be back shortly.”
He paused at the door and his chest grew tight at the sight of his woman in bed, all sleepy and well loved.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure yet, but go back to sleep. You’ll need it for when I return.”
He left her then, as much as he didn’t want to, to find and throttle the rotter who’d awoken him.
“Reddy,” he shouted as he made his way on deck. “Where’s that ass, Bilge?”
“Not now, Raph,” Reddy said, coming fast from the port side. He handed Raphael the spyglass. “I think the ship is from the governor. She’s flying Carolina colors.”
“ Maldito. What is going on?”
Reddy shrugged. “What do you want us to do? It’s coming up too aggressive for my likes.”
“Mine too,” Raphael agreed, eyeing the approaching ship. “Ready the cannons, but wait to see what she does. If she is from the governor, we have his niece onboard. He wouldn’t fire on us for that reason alone.”
“I hope not,” Reddy said under his breath.
Raphael had to silently agree.
When the ship came within easy sight, it fired a cannon shot to the left of Angel’s Light. Water splashed and Raphael cursed. “What idiota is leading that ship?”
“What do we do, Captain?”
“Wait. I’ll not be the one to start this war. If she fires again, then we’ll blast her out of the water.” His words were said in a whisper, but the news traveled like fire across the deck. Soon every hand was eager and ready, for it had been a long time since the Angel’s Light had engaged in a fight.
No more cannons fired, much to Raphael’s
“I can strengthen up. Just this afternoon, one of your crew told me he could teach me how to throw a knife. Little can upset me, and most importantly, as a pirate, you have no one telling you what to do, do you?” She knew she was prattling, but the short bit of time she’d spent with the crew had her eager to learn more.
This time he did laugh. “Sweet, innocent little Elise. Do not worry. You will not become a pirate, and I will see what I can do to keep you from marring this man, yet keep you from ruin as well.”
“How will you do that?”
“I have my ways. Now hush, my sweet. Sleep,” he directed, and tucked her head back to his shoulder.
Elise’s mind swirled with questions of how he could help, but she kept silent for now. He stroked her back again and she sighed, wondering if maybe he planned to make her his pirate queen? In minutes, she drifted off to sleep, images of her next to his side at the helm, fanning the way to her dreams.
* * * *
Raphael didn’t sleep well that night. He played Elise’s situation over and over in his head, trying to find a way to help her. The easiest option he could envision, he fought against. He could ask her to marry him. But the thought of marriage made him cringe. True, he enjoyed being with Elise and he had no doubt in his mind she’d bring him years of surprise and enjoyment, but marriage? He’d never given it much thought, and to hear her tell it, she wanted nothing of it either.
Eventually, the circling in his mind exhausted him and he fell into a dreamless sleep. His last thoughts were that he still had at least three days before they made port at Carolina. He had three more days to bring her untold, forbidden pleasures, and that much time to come up with a plan to give her a happy life, yet still be able to have his revenge.
* * * *
“Captain!”
An urgent shout came rudely through the door.
“Captain? Come quick. There’s a schooner bearing down on us, coming up fast.”
Raphael shot awake, instantly aware he was in Elise’s bed, her warm body pressed tight to his. His cock was hard, his body primed to take her again, and he vowed to kill Bilge, the man who’d woke him up.
“Hmm?” Elise murmured, turning in his arms.
“ Lo siento . I’m sorry.” He climbed out of bed and pulled on his breeches. “Stay here. I’ll be back shortly.”
He paused at the door and his chest grew tight at the sight of his woman in bed, all sleepy and well loved.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure yet, but go back to sleep. You’ll need it for when I return.”
He left her then, as much as he didn’t want to, to find and throttle the rotter who’d awoken him.
“Reddy,” he shouted as he made his way on deck. “Where’s that ass, Bilge?”
“Not now, Raph,” Reddy said, coming fast from the port side. He handed Raphael the spyglass. “I think the ship is from the governor. She’s flying Carolina colors.”
“ Maldito. What is going on?”
Reddy shrugged. “What do you want us to do? It’s coming up too aggressive for my likes.”
“Mine too,” Raphael agreed, eyeing the approaching ship. “Ready the cannons, but wait to see what she does. If she is from the governor, we have his niece onboard. He wouldn’t fire on us for that reason alone.”
“I hope not,” Reddy said under his breath.
Raphael had to silently agree.
When the ship came within easy sight, it fired a cannon shot to the left of Angel’s Light. Water splashed and Raphael cursed. “What idiota is leading that ship?”
“What do we do, Captain?”
“Wait. I’ll not be the one to start this war. If she fires again, then we’ll blast her out of the water.” His words were said in a whisper, but the news traveled like fire across the deck. Soon every hand was eager and ready, for it had been a long time since the Angel’s Light had engaged in a fight.
No more cannons fired, much to Raphael’s
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