Whatever Edward Kenway was expecting from this night it was not this.
Lazy waves roll into the bay, bringing with it the cool sea breeze. Pirates are loud and rowdy in the tavern, getting drunk and getting laid. Sometimes doing both at once.
Edward stumbles to the overly furnished brothel, a bit sauced. His main goal is to find a pretty lass to take to his bed and ravish for the night.
He enters the front room, the air thick with the scent of cheap perfumes, sweat, and sex, all things Edward has become accustomed too over the years.
He sits in an open chair just watching the women press themselves up against other men, greedily, their bosoms almost falling over the top of their, too tight corsets. His eyes look up the body of a young woman, following the line of her body across her rather large arse and breasts.
A woman slips into his lap, she's tall. Taller than most women. Her shoulder length brown hair guards her face as she seems to scan the room with her eyes.
When she sits in his lap the skirt of her dress rides up, showing her lacy underthings, much to his enjoyment. Her breasts are smaller, not like most all the other women who work here. Her corset almost keeps her in place more than displays her.
Her smell is even peculiar to him. More like sweat, which isn't uncommon, salt water, fresh fruits, and burning wood. A smell all too familiar.
She turns to him and it all clicks into place. The tall, lithe frame and that familiar smell. "Mary?" He asks, utterly thrown by her feminine appearance. Her lips are just as red as her dress and the light pink rouge on her cheeks stirs something in him.
She shushes him with a finger to his lips. "Just kiss me and act like you enjoy it." She ducks her head down as he tilts his up to meet her chapped lips with his own.
She knots her fingers in his sandy colored hair. He moans when she pulls it lightly, just hard enough for him to have to shift underneath her to try to keep her from noticing his tented trousers.
He parts her lips with his tongue, wanting to be closer to her as he pushes out the nagging thoughts in his head.
Mary Read, the most fearsome pirate he knows, who would probably rather drop dead than bed him, is dressed like a courtesan, pressing down into his lap, kissing him like she's dying and he's a glass of water.
She breaks the kiss abruptly, eyes darting over the room again. He attempts to open his mouth, with some smart comment or a plain 'what the hell' but she stops him, leaning down to his ear. "Keep your god damned gob shut, Kenway," she hisses. "My target is across the room right now. This is the first time I've even come close to him in weeks and if you fuck this up for me I'll make sure you regret it." She sits back, pressing their foreheads together, a content smile on her face and no one in the brothel would guess something is wrong.
She adjusts herself above him, opening her legs, straddling his waist. "Don't just sit there like a dead fish." Mary's sickeningly sweet smile, never fading but he can see how put on it is. She looks uncomfortable up close.
"What can I do?" he whispers. This woman, once again dressed up like something she's not, is his closest mate and the first woman he has truly ever feared.
"Just make it convincing, he's seen me watching him." She rocks her hips down against his, the friction going straight to his cock.
He puts his hands on her hips, his mouth kissing across her collar bone. He lets his hands slip over the lacy skirts that bunch up at her hips, slipping under them to find the silky satin material of her smalls. He dips his fingers almost close enough to touch her before pulling them away.
His kisses trail down her chest, over the top of her breast. Her skin that never sees the sun, soft under his lips.
She leans forward to his ear, dragging her tongue across the outer shell. "Lily is taking him up to one of the rooms now and I'm going to follow them up. Wait for me by the door."
There is no room for protest in her voice.
She moves off him, avoiding touching him as best she can, leaving him to wait. He watches her walk away, noticing the sway she forces into her walk and how she fidgets with the skirt, attempting to make it longer, but only succeeding in pulling it down further in the front.
Edward has thought about touching Mary as such before, much to his own disapproval. She's like an enigma to him. Something so close yet just out of reach. He's always been sure if he tried to pull her to him she'd make sure their was a blade in his ribs.
She's an assassin, trained in stealth. He looks up to her in a way. Her persistence, her drive, and her ability to draw people to her. Though she is all those things and more, she has a temper that scares the piss out of him. Her usual levelheadedness leaves her with only her anger in just a split second. Mary is a devil of a pirate.
And God is she beautiful. Not in the traditional sense, not like his Caroline, and not like the courtesans. No, she's a rough type of beauty. Wild and untamed and frankly, him seeing her like this doesn't feel natural. He prefers her in her trousers. In them she looks confident, commanding the attention of her crew but in the dress, though it does flatter her and allows Edward to see what he'd like, she looks pained.
Edward's intentions were to find a courtesan and take away the stress of the past few days but now the only woman he wants in his bed is Mary Read. If she'd have him.
She comes down the stairs with a large smile on her face, and a bag over her shoulder. He offers her his arm, which she mockingly takes, rolling her eyes at him.
"Where too, miss Read?" he teases.
"Oh toss, Kenway," she groans. "I just need to change before someone we know sees me like this."
"My cabin then," he offers. "Where did you come by such womanly things by the way?"
"When I told Lily of my predicament she offered to help me. In about twenty minutes she'll go back to the room and scream." She sounds pleased with herself.
"You trusted her enough to tell her about you?"
"You go to the whores to relax and let go. Why wouldn't I do the same?"
He's a bit shocked, but he knows he shouldn't be. If Mary lives the life of a man she deserves all the spoils of it.
"Fair point. I didn't know you liked women. What is it about them?" He smirks devilishly at her, but feels a bit of worry when she smirks back.
"Are you afraid I don't like men, Kenway?"
He climbs up the side of the Jackdaw and reaches his hand down to Mary, as she begrudgingly takes it and pulls herself up onto the deck beside him.
"Not afraid-"
"Edward," one of his crew calls over.
They send panicked looks at one another before Mary plants her lips on his and backs him up to his cabin.
Whatever the crewman was going to say dies on his lips, as he returns back to his mates down the deck, knowing better than to mess with Captain Kenway when he's found himself a woman to bed.
Edward opens his door and pulls Mary inside, shutting the door behind them and pushing her back against it. He presses tight to her, not wanting her to leave just yet.
She places her hands on his shoulders and shoves, pushing him off her. She's pissed. "What the ever living fuck, mate!" she shouts, prepared to beat the shit out of his handsome face. She scolds herself for finding him as attractive as she does.
"You started this." His heart is racing, the sound of his rampant heartbeat fills his ears. "Jaysus, you know you're sexy as hell, right? You could have walked up to any man in that brothel, why me?"
"Because I can trust you. Besides, you're not the ugliest man I've ever kissed." She nudges his arm playfully, slightly embarrassed by his words but not allowing herself to give him that satisfaction.
"More like the most handsome. And I like the satin panties. Nice touch." He throws a wink at her, watching her scowl.
"They're riding up my arse."
"They're lucky then."
"Say something smart like that again and I'll-"
"You'll what?" he asks, feeling brave, stepping up to her and wrapping an arm around her slim waist.
Her brown eyes trail from his chest to his face as she looks him over, her eyes finally meeting his. Her thin lips turn up into a smirk that looks shitty but lights a fire in Edward. "I'll have you tied to your chair, naked, so your crew can find you in the morn."
"I always knew you wanted to see me naked."
"I think it's the other way around mate."
"You know you have the nicest arse in the West Indies? Not soft like most women's."
"Cheap compliments will get you nowhere with me."
She looks beautiful to him. Her hair cast over her shoulders like it almost never is. Her hands don't move to touch him though, staying at her sides, almost waiting for him to make a move.
Edward laughs at himself, which catches, Mary's attention. "I remember I once got drunk-"
"Shocking," Mary teases.
"I know," he brushes it off, running his hand over her side. "It was the night after you told me you were Mary. I sat in my ship just thinking about you until I passed out and I dreamt about you-"
She cringes and stops me with her words. "I don't want to hear about your disgusting dreams of fucking me." Though her words carry a disgusted tone, her body stays pressed to his, as they stay eye to eye. "What did I do, Kenway? Plead for you? Tell you how handsome you are?" She laughs, Edward will bet bitterly.
"Not even close," he says with a smirk. "You teased me, making fun of me for finding you attractive, much like you're doing now. But I did dream of what you'd look like without your trousers."
"Pervert," she huffs. "I've never had to wonder."
"And I'm the pervert. It's not my fault, I thought you were a man."
"I don't know another man who would want to see that."
There has been times he's changed in front of her without thinking because she was just another man to him at the time. An awkwardly attractive man but a man all the same.
"But now I know you were looking." He smirks burying his head in her neck.
"Only at your tattoos. Some are nice but with others I'd like to know if you were in your right mind when you got them."
"I was too drunk to remember most of them," he laughs, his hot breath against her neck. "You've got a nice one don't you? How much makeup did it take to cover it?"
"A lot."
He stands a little straighter, licking his thumb like a cat and brings it to just below her collar bone. He rubs it off gently, her dark tattoo appearing beneath his rough fingers. "When did you get it done?"
"When I was in the Navy."
"You were a navy man?"
"There are a lot of things you don't know about me Kenway."
"But I want to know them."
"In due time. Right now I don't feel like talking about myself much." Something in her tone makes it sound like she's propositioning him.
"Give me a reason why we shouldn't do this," Edward finds himself whispering, hiking up her skirts.
"I can give you a whole list of reasons. You refuse to listen to me. If anyone finds us, they'll know I'm a woman. The men will think us queer. Your head is thicker than an unripe coconut. You don't bathe enough-"
"Aye I get it," he says hushing her.
"But you're one of the prettiest men I've ever met and you still respect me. Even when I attempt to wear clothes like a woman and end up looking... wrong."
"Not wrong, just not like you. Personally I'd like you more without any clothes." He smirks at her, watching her scoff and bring her red lips to his ear.
"Tonight," she whispers, pausing before she continues, all the cockiness of James Kidd in her voice. "I wouldn't mind."
She kisses him, hard, making him dizzy with the sweet feeling of her tongue on his. He lifts one of his legs up a little to rub between her thighs, his arms snaking behind her back to pull at the ties of her dress.
She pushes him abruptly, letting him fall to his arse. He looks surprised at the action, even more so when she straddles his waist, placing her hands on his chest, perched up like a grand bird.
"Jaysus, Mary," he pants as she rocks her hips down on him, feeling the warmth of her through the thin material of his trousers.
Her hands go to the belts across his chest making quick work of them. He sits up and lifts his arms to aid her in the removal of his robes. He's never wanted a woman more than he wants her.
She leans down holding herself above his chest, meeting his lips with hers. He can't help but to continue tugging at the ties of her dress, pulling the material away from her chest to let it hang around her waist.
She stops him from opening her corset, moving down him a bit to untie his trousers, but he grabs her hands.
"I'm half naked but you seem to have preserved your modesty," he says slyly.
"You're mine tonight, Kenway. I want to see my prize before I commit to anything."
"You're worried I can't satisfy you?" he laughs. "Neither of us are getting any sleep until I'm sure you want to make this a regular event."
"That so?" she asks, rhetorically. Her hands finish the ties as he lift his hips so she can pull the trousers down just enough so that his cock can lift, proudly, up to lay on his abdomen.
He kicks them off the rest of the way as she kisses at his neck marking him as hers and only hers. She just sits up and yanks at the laces of her corset pulling it off without a care of tearing it.
His hands goes to her breasts, small and firm, just the size of his palm and as she moves, the muscle underneath tightens and makes them do wonderful things. He pulls her to his chest and rolls, pinning her down.
"Get off me," she growls, not yet fighting him but thinking it over.
"Don't worry," he soothes running his hand over the crease of her hip. "I have a feeling you'll enjoy this."
She nods, letting him kiss her neck, moving down her body to her breast. He kisses the soft skin around her nipple before taking it into his mouth, flicking his tongue against it.
His kisses travel down her navel and around her belly button to where the patch of skin has one hair lead to another.
He grabs the silky material and the crumbled dress, pulling it off her legs to leave her naked as the day she was born.
She groans involuntarily when he skips over her mound and goes to her inner thigh. He sucks hard, knowing it will leave behind a dark purple bruise that she'll see for days to come.
He goes to the other leg fully intending to leave a matching mark but as soon as his lips touch her, her hands are in his hair. "Kenway I can't wait any longer." Her voice is deep and throaty filled with need.
He laughs, his hot breath over her snatch. "I seem to be doing something right. You're dripping."
"I won't beg." Her hand leaves his head to touch herself but he grabs her wrist and kisses her palm before pushing it out of the way.
"Though I'd love to hear it, I'd rather hear you moan for me." He brings his mouth to her in a long drag of his tongue.
She lets out a gasp, letting him do what he pleases between her legs. Her back arches as his tongue drags against her overly sensitive clit, tearing a groan from her throat.
She props herself up on her elbows, watching him. His hands pushing her legs further apart, no doubt he'll leave fingerprints on her skin that she'll look back on and hopefully not regret.
He's intoxicated by her smell and her taste. The thought of it being Mary Read's legs that he's between all the more enticing and when he looks up, seeing her looking down at him with that glossy pleased look in her eyes, he's never wanted a woman more.
He dips his tongue in her and she moans, a sound so sweet to his ears, her mouth falling open to a crack to let the sound escape. One of his hands leave her hips so he can insert a finger in her, making her hips buck involuntarily to take him deeper.
He lets out a chuckle using his tongue to pay special attention to her clit. He pulls his finger out on one of his strokes and adds another, starting a scissoring motion.
"Ah, fuck," Mary curses, her core tightening, close to orgasm as the movement goes on and on, touching all the right places.
He pulls back his hand and lifts his head, the pissed look on Mary's face, priceless.
"I'll go find Lily right now I swear to-" Edward pushes three fingers into her, her eyes blown wide, her mouth falling open. "-God!"
She peaks, her core clenching, her back arching. Waves of hypnotic pleasure washing over her that pulses in time with her rapid heartbeat.
He pulls out his fingers, cleaning them in his mouth then leans down to lap up the traces of her orgasm.
She sits up and kisses him, tasting herself on his soft lips and tongue as she presses him down to the floor. Her hips meet up with his, the side of his cock parting her. He moans, the pressure and the warmth of her, the feeling of her touching him.
She grabs him, sitting up, allowing Edward to get the full view of her body over his. His hands ghosts over her tight stomach, not a sign of the pudginess that is found around the naval of most women. She's not very feminine but not masculine either, treading the line between the two.
She lines herself up and sinks down, not worried about his size like most women he's been with are, only concerned in their pleasure. They both let out audible sounds of pleasure, moaning together, the grip on Mary's hips tightens.
She keeps her hands on his chest, propping herself up. She feels him inside of her, tight, stretching her comfortably as he moves in and out.
"Mary," he says softly.
"Aye?" The word comes out raspy, breathlessly. She doesn't stop her rapid movement, lifting her hips up and dropping back down on him.
"You're beautiful."
She scowls and continues to fuck him against the floor, looking beautiful is the last of her worries.
"Even sexier when you're pissed," he groans, his hands snaking around her back to lean her forward against his chest.
He kisses her, hard, bending his knees and placing his feet on the floor to give him leverage to thrust up into her.
Their tongues twist against one another's. Mary's hands go to Edwards hair, pulling out the tie, running her tapered fingers through his golden locks.
She's always liked it, the color of the sand and his eyes, lord his eyes, are the blue of the ocean waves that lap up against the shore.
The slight stubble on his chin scratches her softly. She prefers him with it.
Edward's hands hold her hips and run down her plump arse to her strong thighs. If Edward knows one thing about the mysterious James Kidd it's that for such a young boy he can really fill out a pair of trousers.
Mary tightens herself around him, her breathing harsh against his ear.
"Fuck," Edward groans, overwhelmed by her entire being. He reaches his hand between them and places it on her clit, circling it.
Mary buries her head in his neck, biting down to stifle her moans of pleasure into his smooth skin.
His motion becomes more rampant, less controlled, jerking up into her as she rolls her hips down with every quick stroke. She lets out a whispered scream as she's tipped over the edge.
She doesn't get to enjoy it yet as Edward starts to stutter. "Mary... I'm, I'm going to-"
She rolls off of him onto the cold, hard floor, her hand lazily going to his cock, pumping hard. Edward turns his head to kiss her, their tongues meeting in a complicated dance and he losses himself. Moaning into her mouth as the pressure becomes too great and he takes her hand off him.
She breaks their kiss, bringing her fingers to her mouth, sucking on them. She dries her hand on a discarded pair of trousers and curls up to his chest.
He holds her tightly, playing his fingers across her smooth back. "I'm not done with you yet," she mumbles, sleepily against his chest. "As soon as you get back up we'll have another go."
"Wouldn't expect anything else."
The sun peaks through the portholes signaling morning, not that the two who have occupied the Captain's Cabin of the Jackdaw have gotten much sleep or are even worried about leaving.
Mary lays beside Edward in his hammock, sweat covering their skin dripping off them like they spent the whole night running through Havana. Though they do feel like it with all the time they spent on the floor... and the walls... and his desk, and, very carefully, in his hammock.
"Can you just join my crew and spend every night with me?" Edward asks, smiling widely at her.
She rolls her eyes but the smile that touches her lips stays. "As good as that sounds, I can't just leave Anne. She may love Rackham but I still don't trust him."
"Come on. Forget sailing with him and be my left hand. We'll find the observatory and we'll be rich as kings." His fingers trace her tattoo, his fascination with it having grown throughout the night.
"I don't want to argue with you right now," she says lazily, reaching to the end of the hammock and pulling up a blanket. "I have another few days before we set off and I'd like to spend the rest of this one right here."
"I'm not complaining." He places a finger beneath her chin tilting it up so he can kiss her sweetly.
He breaks their kiss, looking deep into her dark brown eyes and he finally knows what that nagging feeling is. "I love you," he whispers, the words more true than he thought they would be.
"I..." Mary's heart pounds in her chest, fear racing through her as she asks herself if she could really mean it if she said it back. The look of pure joy in his eyes helps her see it. She loves this man. "I love you too."