Hook was at the wheel as Emma made her way up onto the deck, and she actually had to stop a minute and regroup. She'd been careful to keep her distance from the pirate ever since they were thrown back together because she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him.
She took a deep a breath and mentally berated herself, because that was only part of it. The truth is, she didn't trust herself around him, and right now, he was as dangerous as he could possibly be.
The sun was starting to sink into the sea somewhere behind him, throwing burnished highlights into that amazing head of hair and setting his skin aglow. The wind was in his face and his eyes were on the sea and the breeze was lifting the edge of his shirt just enough to give her a tantalizing glimpse of that chest beneath it.
She knew better than to trust a man like that. He was a pirate, a complete scoundrel, only looking out for himself and his interests. He'd sell his own mother if he saw any profit in it. He'd say and do whatever he needed to in order to get what he wanted.
And weirdly enough, that's what made her trust him a little bit. Those kind of motives, she completely understood. Looking out for yourself was what she'd done her whole life. And unlike most men who wanted what he wanted out of her, he wasn't trying to insult her intelligence or buy her off with stupid gifts or bad flattery. He told her he wanted her, and he wasn't trying to wrap it up as anything other than what it was.
If he wasn't a damn pirate, she'd almost admire him a little. He had a beautiful ship and the freedom to go anywhere, reinvent himself any way he wanted to wherever he made port. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine how that would be.
It would be beautiful, that's what it would be.
She glanced up at him again, only to see that he'd finally noticed her, so she swung the satchel off her shoulder and stopped at the foot of the stairs to the wheel deck.
"Granny packed us some dinner, if you're hungry," She called up to him.
"I am indeed," He said, grinning at her as he tied off the wheel. "And since there's a dearth of available seating here on deck, might I suggest the table in the Captain's cabin?"
"Subtle." She gave him a smirk.
"Is that a 'yes'?"
"Hmmmph." She turned around, and his booted feet landed on the deck next to her a moment later.
"You know, there's something to be said for a woman who doesn't prattle on."
She kept walking, stopping in front of the staircase that led below. "Keep it down. Our guest is sleeping off a broken heart."
Hook gave Emma a startled look. "Over Triton?"
"No - her companion. Sounds like he ditched her once he sampled her charms."
"Ah...the erstwhile brother," He gave a little chuckle. "She's not a very good liar."
"No, she's pretty lousy," Emma agreed, following him down the ladder. He extended his hand, helping her down off the final step, then refused to let it go as he led her into the cabin. She pulled herself free, with a knowing look, opting to take the satchel of food over to the table. Hook shut the door behind them, and tried his hardest not to grin behind her back.
"She's a curious little thing," Hook said, remarking on their guest. "She's as naive as I've ever seen, but I also watched her hold off three dock rats with a cutlass that she wielded with extreme prejudice."
"I'd like to know what her agenda is," Emma said. "I'm still not convinced she can find my parents. Who knows if they're even alive? Cora could've killed them long ago."
Hook pulled out a chair for Emma, setting down a goblet at her end of the table and pouring a healthy portion of rum into it before seating himself and taking a drink from his flask.
"I've been thinking about that," Hook said, pushing a plate toward her end of the table. "If the rumors about your parents are true, Cora cursed them both so that they'd be unable to wake each other. I find that entirely possible. She's always been a vindictive sort. Having them eternally on display somewhere would appeal to her twisted sensibilities."
"It sounds like you know her well," Emma said, a little too nonchalantly. She unwrapped a square of linen, removing a couple of turkey legs and adding one to each of their plates, along with some fruit and a half a loaf of bread.
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Just who told you that I work for Cora? It isn't true, by the way, but I'm curious as to how you came by your information."
"It's not exactly a secret," Emma said with a shrug. "Cora targets somebody, decides she wants something they've got, she gets it, and they disappear. Sometimes you're involved."
"Very rarely. And only when it profits me."
Emma rolled her eyes, but didn't comment. Hook bit his lip, suddenly wishing they'd chosen something else to talk about. How did they get on this subject anyway?
They ate in silence for a time, and Hook had the sinking feeling he would be sleeping alone tonight. It was no less than he deserved. How did he let her turn the tables on him again? Ever since he'd met the girl, she'd thrown him completely off his stride. He tipped the flask up, taking a long, hearty drink.
"So," Emma said, wiping her mouth with her napkin. "Are we going to do this, or what?"
He set the flask down, his startled eyes flying to her face.
"Beg pardon?"
"You're going to be all over me until you finally satisfy your curiosity, so come on." She stood up, walking over toward the bed and pulling her shirt out of her breeches, where she'd had it tucked. She glanced back at Hook, who was looking at her with his mouth open.
"What?" She raised her eyebrows.
"I - " He closed his mouth. "I just - " He searched for the right words. He wasn't really sure why, but it bothered him that she felt like she had to do this, for some reason.
"It's okay," She said with a shrug. "I'm curious about you, too. So let's get it over with."
He got up from the table slowly, walking to her with caution. He wouldn't put it past her to lay him low again and have this all be part of some elaborate ruse to put him in his place. He was about to question her motives openly when she pulled the shirt over her head and all thought fled his mind.
Damn.
He'd known she had good breasts, having felt them against him before, but they really were something to behold. Not overly large, but beautifully round and firm. And her skin was flushed a lovely color, glowing in the candlelight. She started unbuttoning her breeches, and his hand shot out, stopping her.
"No," He said huskily. "Let me."
She gave a shrug. "Suit yourself. It'll go faster if you let me do it."
He gave her a crooked grin. "You underestimate me, love. I'm a determined man." He had the buttons free with just a few twists of his fingers, and he stopped her again as she reached for her waistband.
"What's your rush?" He asked. "We've got all night."
She reached for his shirt, starting to tug and pull it off of him as she replied. "I don't do 'all night.'" She had his shirt over his head in a heartbeat, and her hands slid down, unfastening his breeches.
"Emma." He grabbed her hand again, bringing it up to his lips and kissing her fingers softly. "Slow down, love." He tugged her hand, pulling her into him, reveling in the feel of her softness against him. Emma was no less affected. The hair on his chest was rubbing against the sensitive skin of her breasts, making her feel sensations all over her upper body. His arm was warm and hard around her lower back, and she felt her hand curving around his neck almost against her own volition, her fingers sliding up to play and toy with his hair.
Oh, he was dangerous, all right. She'd been right about him from the start. She started to feel a sense of panic, but his mouth came down on hers and the feel of his lips took the thoughts from her mind. He kissed her with slow, tantalizing skill, starting out with soft, sucking kisses that escalated as he pulled her in tighter and deepened the kiss, and his hand caressed and squeezed and made her push into him harder.
She let out a moan as his tongue slid and rubbed against hers, and it jolted her back to reality. All he had to do was kiss her, and she started losing control. She pulled away and then she grabbed him hard by the shoulders and fell backward, pulling him down on top of her on the bed.
Hook let out a startled laugh. "Careful, love. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you very nearly got a hook in your back." He carefully rolled to the side, lifting her off his arm so that he could detach his hook and cuff and set it aside.
"Now then," He said with a smile. "Where were we?" He reached out his hand, sliding it across her stomach, and Emma's muscles tightened in reaction. She eyed him warily.
"Hold on, I'll just get these off." She shimmied out of her breeches, kicking them and her shoes down and off the bed. Then she laid back down, and started to pull him atop her again. Hook refused to be budged.
"Just a moment, love. I'm enjoying the view." He brought his hand back into play, trailing his fingers across the tops of her breasts, circling and stroking and making her breath come in short gasps as he did so.
"So beautiful..." His voice was soft and his eyes were following his hand. A frown creased her forehead, and she reached out her own hand, cupping him through his breeches and causing his eyes to widen in reaction.
"You're talking too much," She complained. Then she yanked his pants down and pulled them off his legs, along with his boots. He laid back on the bed, looking at her with a confused sort of excitement. He was thrilled that she wanted him so badly, but generally, he liked to feel like he at least contributed to that level of eagerness. He'd barely touched the girl.
She pushed him onto his back and came down over him, straddling his hips. He reached up to pull her down so that he could kiss her some more, but she leaned back away from him, lifting herself up slightly. Then she fit him to her and he felt himself enveloped by her heat.
She started moving, and the sight of her with her head thrown back and the feel of her hair as it teased his thighs combined with the pace she was setting meant this was going to be over all too soon, and Hook wasn't about to let that happen.
He pushed himself up, then wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her down on him tighter and deeper. His mouth found hers and traced her lips with the edge of his tongue, biting and sucking her lower lip into his mouth as he pushed himself into her in a slow, sensuous rhythm.
The corner of his mouth lifted as he felt the shiver that ran through her, and he heard her breathing quicken. His eyes met hers and she was clearly taken aback - obviously, she had some notion that she was going to be in control here, but this was one area in which Hook refused to give any quarter.
He rolled over, pinning her into the mattress, kissing her with long, drugging kisses, his hand moving across her breast and waist, sliding down to her hip, his thumb rubbing circles on her inner thigh as he braced himself on his elbow for better leverage.
The rhythm of his hips escalated as he heard her moan, and he felt her nails digging into the skin of his upper arms and shoulders. She arched into him as he buried his face in her neck, pushing into her harder, deeper, pulling a startled sound from her as her legs reflexively wrapping around him.
"Wha- what are you doing to me?" She gasped out, and then a moment later, her head tipped back and a moan tore from her throat as she peaked hard, her back bowing into him. He kept his strokes short but strong, circling his hips to pull every bit of pleasure out of her body before he took his own, losing himself in her heat with a long, guttural groan.
For a while, their mingled breathing was the only sound. He finally pulled himself together enough to roll himself off her. He reached across, intending to pull her closer, but suddenly, Emma was in motion. She was off the bed, gathering her clothes and pulling them on as he pushed himself into a sitting position.
"Where the devil are you going?" He asked, still smiling. "I'm certainly not kicking you out of my bed after that."
Emma wouldn't even look at him as she pulled on her boots. "We're done here. And we've got a long day tomorrow."
Hook looked at her in pure confusion. What had he done to set her off? She'd completely closed down on him.
"I'm far from done, love. And if you give me a few minutes to recover, we can do it all over again." He raised his brows, patting the bed next to him in clear invitation.
She gave a short, jerky shake of her head, still not meeting his eyes.
"I have to go." Then she strode to the door, wrenching it open and all but running through it, pulling it shut behind her. Hook fell back onto the bed, running his hand over his face. What the devil? Mere moments ago, she was warm and oh-so-responsive in his arms and now...what?
His mind replayed every touch, every kiss, every sensation. Good God, she'd felt so right. And he knew it had been good for her as well - not that he'd ever left a woman wanting, mind you - but she'd left gouges in his shoulders that he'd be feeling with pride for a few days at the very least.
His eyes flew open in amazement. What are you doing to me? She'd asked, and she had been serious. For all her bravado and forward ways, she had clearly never felt a woman's pleasure before. How was that even possible? Her body was made for it. How could anyone touch her and not know that?
He reached for his clothing, dressing slowly as he tried to get his thoughts together. He finally gave up trying to make sense of anything. He did his best thinking at the wheel, anyway. He reached for his flask off the table, taking a good, long swallow before he climbed the stairs to the deck.
To his complete surprise, Emma was sitting on the railing with one hand holding onto the ropes, looking out over the ocean. The wind took her hair, sending it billowing behind her, and the moonlight on her face gave her skin an almost other-worldly glow. She looked untouchable now, as if a mere mortal like himself would never be able to dream of her, much less have her.
He approached her cautiously, leaning his hip against the rail next to her.
"I thought you were turning in."
She finally met his eyes. "It's my first time on a ship. I didn't want to miss any of it." She looked away again, back out to sea.
"The moon is fairly full tonight. It makes the water look like liquid silver." He added. "There's an island I like to go to sometimes with a cove that's completely hidden from view. The sand is pure white, and in the moonlight it practically glows. And the water is warm as bathwater. It's a lovely place for a moonlight swim."
She looked at him with undisguised envy. "You must see a lot of amazing places."
He smiled. "I do. I really do." His eyes went out over the water and he took in a deep breath of the fresh sea air. "It's a life like no other, living on the sea. I could never give it up, not for anything."
Emma glanced over at him. "I would imagine it would take a lot to give that up."
"The sea is any sailor's first love," He said with a smile.
She looked uncomfortable. "Well, at least you've got one. That's more than some people get in a lifetime." She looked away, and her face made it clear that she hadn't meant for that to come out.
"I should probably get below. We've got a beanstalk to climb tomorrow." She stood up, using her fingers to comb her hair off her face.
Hook's hand reached out, closing around hers and pulling her closer.
"Emma...look, I'm sorry if I did anything that...well, I'm just sorry. For whatever made you leave."
She shook her head. "It wasn't you, Hook. I just - it was just me, okay? I don't stay all night. I told you that."
"Well, then, I'm sorry for that," He said, gently lifting her chin with his fingers so that he could look her in the eyes. "Because you are most certainly worth staying the whole night with."
They looked at each other and neither was able to look away. He stepped in slowly, his fingers splaying across the side of her face as he lowered his lips toward hers. Emma felt herself leaning in - and then she took a deep breath, and stepped back.
"That was a one-time thing," She said, nodding her head to reaffirm her words. "Curiosity's been satisfied. Goodnight, Hook." She walked so quickly, she was practically running, and then she disappeared down the stairs.
He stared after her, stroking his beard for entirely too long. Curiosity satisfied, indeed. Well, his was far from sated. In fact, he wanted her more now. He wanted her all night.
And he'd wager all the gold in his possession that she wanted that, too, even if she'd never admit it to herself.
###
Emma made her way silently into the crew cabin, settling herself into the bunk across from Meriel and letting out a loud sigh that seemed to echo across the room.
She shifted in the bed restlessly, then rolled over, punching her pillow down. Finally, she flopped onto her back and heaved another sigh.
"Dammit," She whispered. "What the hell is he doing to me?" She flipped on her side, facing the wall, and pulled to covers up over her head with a huffing sound.
And in the bunk across from her, Meriel smiled.