When Jack fell back into the sand Elizabeth sat and looked at him as
she continued to sip on her rum. He was quite crazy, she thought, but
crazy like a fox. His apparent madness kept everyone off balance and
not ready for his leaps of cunning. She grinned in spite of herself as
she remembered how he had saved her life from the bottom of the bay and
then threatened it to escape. She had been scared then but looking back
now, she didn't think he would have hurt her. Deep down he was a good man she told herself. He had helped Will rescue her.
"Oh Will," she whispered now. Was he still alive, and for how long? If he did get away from Barbosa, could he find her? Or would she spend the rest of her life, however short, on this island with this man? She looked at Jack again. He was smiling in his sleep. She couldn't help smiling at him. He really was quite endearing in a repugnant sort of way.
Her bottle was empty. She reached over Jack to get his. As she pulled it from his limp fingers his arms came around her and pulled her to him. "Another pint, would you love?" He was asleep and dreaming. She lay in his arms for a moment. He smelled of sea salt and fresh sweat. She breathed deeply of it. Parts of her tingled that only tingled before when she had seen Will shirtless in the blacksmith shop. Will! She pulled out of Jacks arms and say up. Tipping the bottle up she drained it.
Jack opened a groggy eye. He had been dreaming of a willing serving wench but something had awoken him. Elizabeth sat before him draining his bottle. When it was empty she looked at it in disgusted threw it aside. She looked through miserable. Miserable women were not his forte. He closed his eye and pretended to continue sleeping. She began to sob quietly. He sighed deeply and opened his eyes again.
Her face was in her hands. He sat up and she looked at him.
"Don't cry love, there's more rum," he slurred.
"I'm not crying about the rum," she stated drying her tears. She didn't want to cry in front of him. "I'm crying because of this stupid island and Barbosa and you and Will." with the mention of Will she began to cry again.
"Now love, don't worry about Will. He can take care of 'imself and Barbosa probably won't kill him."
"Probably?" she shouted.
"Now love that's not what I meant," Jack backpedaled. This is why he didn't do miserable. He wished he'd just gone back to sleep. What a novel idea, he thought and lay back into the sand. As he closed his eyes a foot found his ribs.
"Not what you ment! Well what did you mean?" she was standing over him now.
Jack sat up now rubbing his sore ribs. "simply ment that Barbosa would gain nothing by killing him and loose much. Will is a hell of a sword maker."
"I know," she sighed sinking into the sand, her anger spent and her head spinning. "What are we going to do Jack. How do we get off of this island? If Barbosa is going to keep Will then he'll not be able to rescue us. Father and the Commodore don't know where to look for us. We're gong to die on this island, she said hopelessly beginning to sob again.
Jack slid beside her and put an arm around her. She leaned into him and sobbed on his shoulder. He put his other arm around her and held her tight. Finally her sobs seised. She turned to look at him without getting out of his arms.
"How will we live Jack?"
"Do you see that rocky shallow over there?" he asked pointing off into the darkness with a wavering arm, "There is all manner of sea life to be had there. There are clams in the sand at the waterline. Now look at the trees. There are dates and coconuts up there. And there's the rum."
"What about water?"
"It rains. And when it doesn't, we have rum," he said looking into her eyes. How beautiful they were. And those lips. They were so close. He wondered if he could kiss them now. He pulled her closer and leaned to kiss her hut she turned her head. He covered his move by leaning on her to get up. "More rum," He said as he walked to the pile of bottles they had placed under a tree. There were only two full ones left.
"You haven't had enough?" she asked.
"Perhaps, but you haven't," he said with a playful smirk. She didn't argue when he handed her one of the bottles.
She took a long draw from the bottle and sat considering the fire for a while. Perhaps they could survive on this island. Jack had had several days before to explore it's resources. And the company could be worse.
He watched her as she stared into the fire. Will was a lucky man, or the commodore or who ever ended up with her once they were off of this God forsaken bit of sand. He had overstated the abundance of food to her. There was some, probably enough to keep one person alive for quite a while but two people were probably more than the island could bear. In the morning, when he was sober he would come up with a plan. But for now, he had other things to attend to.
He moved over beside her. She looked at him for a moment then leaned against his shoulder and let him put his arm around her.
They sat for a long time.
"Tell me what it's like being a pirate," she said dreamily at last.
He spoke quietly in her ear about the freedom of the sea and how good it felt the first time he was at the helm of the Pearl. How he had felt like the master of the seas. He spoke on about the treasure and the virtues of a good crew. She got a dreamy look in her eye and did not protest when as he spike he nuzzled her ear. Instead she presented her ear and neck to him by titling her head. Goosebumps rose on her creamy skin as he breathed on her neck and a moan escaped her lips when he kissed her below the earlobe. For once he stopped talking and the spell that seemed to be holding her was broken.
She looked at him. Her eyes were slightly glazed but he was sure she still had some of her faculties. He thought she did until she said to him in a low voice, "Kiss me Jack."
But never one to let even the tiniest bit of treasure slip through his fingers he took her in his arms and took her beautiful lips to his. She returned the kiss so hungrily that he was startled and pleased at the same time. Her hands explored his back. Her head swam. It wasn't the rum any longer that was clouding her mind. A small part of her was yelling at her to stop this and get away from this vile man but a larger part was wishing that he would ravish more than her mouth. Her rebellious hands pulled his shirt off. She took a moment to asses him. His sea tanned skin shown gold in the firelight and muscles from years of hard sea life showed under the skin. His perfect golden body was marred by several silver scars. She traced one on his side with her finger.
"Merchant ship Telling," he said without looking at it. Then as she traced across his left upper arm, "HMS Jabson," Right shoulder "Merchant ship Ocean Trader."
"It's hard being a pirate, "she slurred.
"The rewards make it worth it, "he murmured as she snuggled up to him again.
His skin was cool against the hot skin of her cheek. She closed her eyes.
She relaxed in his arms and sighed. He looked at her peaceful face. He sighed and laid her sleeping form down into the sand. He sat watching her for a while then got up and took a walk to soothe his 'nerves".
"Oh Will," she whispered now. Was he still alive, and for how long? If he did get away from Barbosa, could he find her? Or would she spend the rest of her life, however short, on this island with this man? She looked at Jack again. He was smiling in his sleep. She couldn't help smiling at him. He really was quite endearing in a repugnant sort of way.
Her bottle was empty. She reached over Jack to get his. As she pulled it from his limp fingers his arms came around her and pulled her to him. "Another pint, would you love?" He was asleep and dreaming. She lay in his arms for a moment. He smelled of sea salt and fresh sweat. She breathed deeply of it. Parts of her tingled that only tingled before when she had seen Will shirtless in the blacksmith shop. Will! She pulled out of Jacks arms and say up. Tipping the bottle up she drained it.
Jack opened a groggy eye. He had been dreaming of a willing serving wench but something had awoken him. Elizabeth sat before him draining his bottle. When it was empty she looked at it in disgusted threw it aside. She looked through miserable. Miserable women were not his forte. He closed his eye and pretended to continue sleeping. She began to sob quietly. He sighed deeply and opened his eyes again.
Her face was in her hands. He sat up and she looked at him.
"Don't cry love, there's more rum," he slurred.
"I'm not crying about the rum," she stated drying her tears. She didn't want to cry in front of him. "I'm crying because of this stupid island and Barbosa and you and Will." with the mention of Will she began to cry again.
"Now love, don't worry about Will. He can take care of 'imself and Barbosa probably won't kill him."
"Probably?" she shouted.
"Now love that's not what I meant," Jack backpedaled. This is why he didn't do miserable. He wished he'd just gone back to sleep. What a novel idea, he thought and lay back into the sand. As he closed his eyes a foot found his ribs.
"Not what you ment! Well what did you mean?" she was standing over him now.
Jack sat up now rubbing his sore ribs. "simply ment that Barbosa would gain nothing by killing him and loose much. Will is a hell of a sword maker."
"I know," she sighed sinking into the sand, her anger spent and her head spinning. "What are we going to do Jack. How do we get off of this island? If Barbosa is going to keep Will then he'll not be able to rescue us. Father and the Commodore don't know where to look for us. We're gong to die on this island, she said hopelessly beginning to sob again.
Jack slid beside her and put an arm around her. She leaned into him and sobbed on his shoulder. He put his other arm around her and held her tight. Finally her sobs seised. She turned to look at him without getting out of his arms.
"How will we live Jack?"
"Do you see that rocky shallow over there?" he asked pointing off into the darkness with a wavering arm, "There is all manner of sea life to be had there. There are clams in the sand at the waterline. Now look at the trees. There are dates and coconuts up there. And there's the rum."
"What about water?"
"It rains. And when it doesn't, we have rum," he said looking into her eyes. How beautiful they were. And those lips. They were so close. He wondered if he could kiss them now. He pulled her closer and leaned to kiss her hut she turned her head. He covered his move by leaning on her to get up. "More rum," He said as he walked to the pile of bottles they had placed under a tree. There were only two full ones left.
"You haven't had enough?" she asked.
"Perhaps, but you haven't," he said with a playful smirk. She didn't argue when he handed her one of the bottles.
She took a long draw from the bottle and sat considering the fire for a while. Perhaps they could survive on this island. Jack had had several days before to explore it's resources. And the company could be worse.
He watched her as she stared into the fire. Will was a lucky man, or the commodore or who ever ended up with her once they were off of this God forsaken bit of sand. He had overstated the abundance of food to her. There was some, probably enough to keep one person alive for quite a while but two people were probably more than the island could bear. In the morning, when he was sober he would come up with a plan. But for now, he had other things to attend to.
He moved over beside her. She looked at him for a moment then leaned against his shoulder and let him put his arm around her.
They sat for a long time.
"Tell me what it's like being a pirate," she said dreamily at last.
He spoke quietly in her ear about the freedom of the sea and how good it felt the first time he was at the helm of the Pearl. How he had felt like the master of the seas. He spoke on about the treasure and the virtues of a good crew. She got a dreamy look in her eye and did not protest when as he spike he nuzzled her ear. Instead she presented her ear and neck to him by titling her head. Goosebumps rose on her creamy skin as he breathed on her neck and a moan escaped her lips when he kissed her below the earlobe. For once he stopped talking and the spell that seemed to be holding her was broken.
She looked at him. Her eyes were slightly glazed but he was sure she still had some of her faculties. He thought she did until she said to him in a low voice, "Kiss me Jack."
But never one to let even the tiniest bit of treasure slip through his fingers he took her in his arms and took her beautiful lips to his. She returned the kiss so hungrily that he was startled and pleased at the same time. Her hands explored his back. Her head swam. It wasn't the rum any longer that was clouding her mind. A small part of her was yelling at her to stop this and get away from this vile man but a larger part was wishing that he would ravish more than her mouth. Her rebellious hands pulled his shirt off. She took a moment to asses him. His sea tanned skin shown gold in the firelight and muscles from years of hard sea life showed under the skin. His perfect golden body was marred by several silver scars. She traced one on his side with her finger.
"Merchant ship Telling," he said without looking at it. Then as she traced across his left upper arm, "HMS Jabson," Right shoulder "Merchant ship Ocean Trader."
"It's hard being a pirate, "she slurred.
"The rewards make it worth it, "he murmured as she snuggled up to him again.
His skin was cool against the hot skin of her cheek. She closed her eyes.
She relaxed in his arms and sighed. He looked at her peaceful face. He sighed and laid her sleeping form down into the sand. He sat watching her for a while then got up and took a walk to soothe his 'nerves".