Dashing Pirate Rescue

by holdingoutforapiratehero

CS Pirate/Princess AU. Fearsome pirate captain, Killian Jones though he had found a way to get them the biggest prize in all the lands when he finds out that there is a handsome reward out for the safe return of Princess Emma. But he got way more than he bargained for when rescuing her proves more complicated than he thought. Rated M.

20. Washing the Sins of Yesterday

AN- Just writing the word "20" is giving me the shakes. I can't believe this is happening right now. Just a heads up. The smut in this chapter is unreal. Like these characters cannot keep their fucking hands off each other. That is the muse's fault. It's a lot of gratuitous smut, not going to lie and I'm not even the least bit remorseful for it. Also this is well over 20,000 words long. It couldn't be helped. With that being said, this is the last chapter before the epilogue. Enjoy!

Dashing Pirate Rescue

Chapter Twenty

Killian swallowed hard at the weight of the words that left his mouth, an uncomfortable silence filling the room creating a deafening void in his sense of hearing. The dominant part of him wanted to face him like a man, but the fear of his answer prevented him from doing so.

He was incapable of moving, the confession still heavy on his lips rendering him immobile. There was a desperate clinging to him, an unyielding yearning to hear a response — anything to ease the anxiety rising inside his throat like a dreadful thirst.

"You want to do what?" David stood there in utter disbelief, his eyes bulging and his pulse shaking in his neck as he tried to register what he had just heard. It had to be a mistake. True love or not, this pirate wasn't the marrying kind.

"I—" Killian let out a shaky breath, trying to bury his almost crippling intrepidation. He had spent his life staring down death, fondling its temptation to bring about his demise, and yet he couldn't manage a simple phrase that every man was faced with at some point in their lives.

Killian rolled his head limply, taking in a deep breath before finally turning to face the man that held his fate in his hands. "I would like your permission to marry your daughter." He said directly, unflinching as the words left his mouth.

David released a sharp breath, a hint of humor in the puff of air his lungs relinquished. "No." He replied with hesitation. "You can't be serious." The king pressed his lips together, clenching and unclenching his jaw as he inspected the raddled pirate.

"Do I honestly strike you as a man who jests?" Killian retorted, his forehead creasing and his lips twitching in a slight snarl.

"You expect me to believe that you are going to give up everything and marry my daughter?" David presumed sternly, shaking his head.

"I didn't say that." Killian deflected the man's bitter assumption.

"I knew it." David hung his head and pursed his lips. "You're a pirate and you're always going to be a pirate, and pirates only care about one thing—"

"Enough!" Killian shouted, effectively cutting the man off from his violent tirade. "Enough with this damned anti-pirate discourse. I'm well aware of your discontent with my lifestyle, but I was hoping you could see past that and see how happy your daughter is. Why deny her that?" Killian spat, his brows knitting together in frustration.

"Yes, I'm a pirate. But I'm also a man and soon I'll be a father — a father to your grandchild." He continued, his accent getting thicker with every passing word. "But I also know what I want and I am certain that I want to spend the rest of my life with her. A life without her, isn't a life worth living. She makes me want to be better — better than what I am. I can't offer her much, but everything I have, including my body and my heart is hers." He declared, his ruggedly handsome face twisting in an almost pleading way.

"Listen mate, I didn't need to ask your permission. I don't need it, but for her sake, I wanted to do this the right way and do right by her by asking for your blessing. Now, are you going to give it or not?" Killian finally asked, waiting with baited breath for his response.

David blanched, the man's words striking a chord within him, but his resolve remained intact. "I've never doubted your love for her. You've more than proven yourself in that regard when you came to rescue her, and words cannot express how thankful I am for your intervention, despite my distaste for pirates." He explained, his head tilting up toward the ceiling as he toiled with the conflict boiling inside of him.

"But—" Killian prompted him to finish.

"I have severe reservations and I have to think about what is best for my kingdom. I won't have a pirate on the throne." David admitted, rubbing the palm of his hand down his face.

"Keep it. I don't want the title. In fact, I don't want any of this." Killian threw his arms up and looked around the room to illustrate his point.

"It isn't just about the title. You would be a reflection on this family and this kingdom." The king stated his rebuttal.

"So this is what's about then? Your reputation? Is that all you care about? Even as a pirate, I have more dignity than that." Killian countered, asserting his right to marry his daughter.

"Please, you thrive on your reputation. It instills fear in your enemies and loyalty in your crew. So do not dare to lecture me about reputation." David all but shouted, wrinkling his nose in offense.

"Well that might be. It has nothing to do with my wanting to marry Emma." He remarked.

"It has everything to do with it. You would be part of my family—" David told him, urging him to consider everything that came with marrying into a royal family.

"What if I don't want to be part of your family?" Killian suggested, trying to find a way around the man's concerns about soiling the family's good name.

"You marry her — you have to accept all the responsibilities that come with it, including the crown. Make no mistake about it, you would be a prince consort. That's the price." David decided, refusing to back down.

"And if I withdraw my claim and renounce the title? What then?" Killian thought aloud, tilting his head to the side and taking a few curious steps forward.

"You'd give it up. Even though it would be rightfully yours by marriage?" David bulked at the pirate's proposal.

Killian nodded his assurance, treading carefully to weigh his options before committing to anything he might regret later. "But Emma keeps hers and any child we have together reserves the right to claim the throne in the line of succession." He sighed, tacking on the condition to secure his child's future.

David shifted his stance wider and stroked his jaw in silent contemplation, considering the proposition. "You know that would mean that they would stay here with us. You would support them from afar? How is that supposed to work?"

"Like I said before, I'm a pirate. My home is on the sea. I won't abandon that part of me, but your daughter has come quite accustomed to the lifestyle—" Killian hinted with a clever glint in his eye.

"Just what are you suggesting?" He urged him to go on.

"I would like us to split our time between the castle and the ship. While here, I obey your laws and orders while Emma performs her duties as princess, and you get to spend time with your grandchild." Killian offered with a sly smile. "I believe they call it a compromise. I suppose you've heard of it before?"

David growled lowly at the comment and rubbed his fingers together as he deliberated the pros and cons of that particular outcome. "And your time on the ship?" David wondered, prompting a serious answer from it.

"Is better if you remain unaware. But we will not pose a threat to you or your kingdom. Perhaps even one day, we can even form a mutually beneficial partnership." Killian alluded toward a scenario that could be helpful.

"You expect me to allow you to continue sailing in open water as a pirate and turn a blind eye?" David asked pointedly, shock written clear across his face. "Do you take me for a fool? And with my daughter and my grandchild aboard? That's preposterous!" He shook his head in refusal, crossing his arms over his chest to stand his ground.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. I assure you, no harm shall come to them and you will remain ignorant of my dealings unless you require my services and I guarantee that one day you will." Killian promised him, leering with a devilish smirk.

"Not bloody likely." David scoffed.

"You have enemies everywhere, your majesty. To have a band of pirates in your corner could work to your advantage. You will have eyes and ears everywhere. We fly under the radar and we don't fall under your purview. We can basically carry out anything you desire without fear of repercussions. In a sense, no one would ever know." Killian enticed him, baiting him with the tempting offer.

David placed his fist underneath his chin, thinking the proposition through to the fullest extent before rendering his final judgement.

"You drive a hard bargain pirate. But I have to say I have severely underestimated your ability to broker such a deal. I'm actually impressed." He admired the man in earnest.

If there was one thing Killian was good at, it was earning respect from those he encountered with his stunning good looks, captivating blue eyes, or the unshakable confidence he exuded. He was a man of means, cunning and calculated, domineering and resilient. Nothing ever stopped Killian Jones from getting what he wanted.

"You ought to have more confidence in me. Your daughter is a good judge of character." Killian offered, cocking his head to the side in amusement with a faint astonished expression on his face, that the king would admit such a thing.

David found himself wondering if he would regret making this deal with the pirate but being pragmatic about the whole thing was a sure way to get into his good graces. "You know her far better than I do." He admitted with a drawn out smile.

"Nothing can take back the years I've missed with her and trying to come to terms with the fact that she isn't little anymore is difficult for me, and I don't think I will ever get used to it. To me, she will always be that little 12-year-old girl—" He smiled wistfully.

"I know practically nothing about the woman she is." He swallowed hard at the thought. "I would greatly appreciate an opportunity to get to know her — and meet my grandchild."

"Aye." Killian agreed. "She's bloody amazing, your daughter. Impossibly stubborn. Speaks her mind, I suppose she gets that from you—"

David had to smile at that and met the pirate's eyes to see the passion captured in the blues of his eyes as he spoke like a man possessed by love — the love he had for his daughter.

"She's as beautiful as her mother, your wife—" Killian continued, talking with his hands amorously as he described his love. "She is brilliant, quick witted, and captivating…" He sang her praises openly, aware of how it settled her father's mind.

"I meant what I said, pira—" David stopped and corrected himself. "Captain Jones."

"Killian will do." He insisted.

"Killian." David addressed him curtly. "I deserve to get to know her."

"I would love nothing more than to see that happen." Killian said. "I can't bring her back to the Jolly in her condition. We shall stay here until the child is born and she and the babe are well enough to travel."

"Thank you. I mean it." David expressed his gratitude. "You know, I never did properly thank you for rescuing her. You've given me my life back."

"I thought that was what the purse was for." Killian chuckled. "She's changed me in a way I never thought possible. So believe when I say she was the ultimate reward — one I never anticipated."

David dropped his smile and cleared his throat to shake off the easy conversation they had conjured between them before redirecting his concerns in order to close the deal. He took a few steps toward him with an assertive and stern demeanor — one meant to intimidate.

He came to stand before him, looking down upon the slightly smaller man with the hardened exterior teeming with strength and endurance.

"I don't want to know anything about your dealings outside this kingdom and should the line blur even the slightest, I will imprison you for piracy and make a spectacle of hanging every man who follows you. Is that understood?"

"Aye." Killian assured him, meeting the other man's warning with sheer delight.

"Now hurt my daughter or my grandchild, or put them in danger and I lose them. I will tear you limb from limb until nothing's left." David threatened the obstinate pirate.

"Sounds reasonable to me, mate." Killian gave him a thin smile, his blue eyes shining with something akin to respect for the man's violent flair. "Under different circumstances, you and I may have gotten along."

"It's a shame we'll never know, then." David replied to his comment dryly, spinning around and crossed to the other side of the room.

"Don't be too sure of that. I'll grow on you. I always do." Killian told him as if it were an opinion already committed to fact, his tone as dashing as his appearance. "Now that we've reached a mutual understanding — do we have an accord? Can I marry your daughter?"

"You'll make yourself scarce at all public events and outings, and carry out your duties as husband and father in private?" David asked for confirmation.

"No one will ever know I exist within the confines of this castle save the family and those in your employ." Killian reassured him. "And in exchange you have myself and my crew at the ready to dispose of any imposing threat to my family and your kingdom." He vowed with a firm nod.

"Six months here and six months at sea? What of holidays?" David inquired curiously, folding his arms behind his back as he paced forward.

"I can't guarantee we will make every single one but I will try my best to accommodate. I am a hell of a captain." Killian bragged, a smug grin plastered on his face for good measure.

"I'm going to hold you to that." David pointed toward him.

"So then we are in agreement?" Killian prompted him for a definitive answer.

"Let's not refer to this as an agreement. It's a partnership with caveats." David amended as he strode back over to the pirate.

"Whatever you would like to call it is fine by me." Killian conceded with mild aggravation, just anxious to get to the crux of this little spat. "Do I have permission to marry your daughter?"

"As long as you abide by the terms we set — yes." David finally concurred with a slight hesitation and strike to his ego. He extended his hand for the pirate to take and was met with a firm shake.

Killian let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging with relief as he withdrew his hand from the king's. "Should I start calling you Dad now?" He couldn't resist, an amused grin tugging at his lips at the annoyance evident in the other man's face.

"No. David will do." He said coldly. "Now, get out of here before I change my mind." David waved him off.

Moving toward the door, he paused in midstep, wincing at the reminder that there was something else he needed to do before leaving his office. Killian whirled around dramatically, a question on the tip of his tongue as he looked at the king. "One last matter to attend to. What of my crew?"

"What about them?" David shrugged, caring little as he moved toward his bar cart off to the corner of his office.

"Surely you desire to give them some sort of compensation?" Killian thought aloud. "They did save your life after all—"

"Captain Jones." David shook his head as he grabbed a half empty bottle of scotch and began unscrewing the lid. "I don't pay your men. You do." David poured a generous amount of the bottle's contents into a crystal tumbler.

"And what do you expect me to pay them with?" Killian lifted a confused brow, slightly taken aback by the king's response. "Magic beans?" He deadpanned.

David took a generous pull from the glass then set it back down on top of the bar cart before moving to a small console table where there was a small wooden box. "No. No beans required." David assured him as he turned the small key and pushed the box open.

Killian craned his neck toward the man with keen interest and watched as he produced a thick piece of parchment from the box.

David walked back over to him and handed him the parchment for him to take. "Go ahead, look it over." David nodded his insistence, impatience evident in his tone.

Looking down at the parchment, Killian was stunned at the itemized list of monetary values in the form of property, gold, jewels, horses — all wealth that her mere existence had accrued.

"Yes. Everything should be there and accounted for." David assured him, watching the range of emotions cross the other man's face as he reviewed the document.

"Is this what I think it is?" He asked, the words stumbling unevenly from his lips as he tried to decipher exactly what he was looking at. "This is—" Killian's eyes widened, trying to let what it contained register in his mind.

"You'll need to sign it once it's official of course or the contract is null and void." David explained, his eyes trained on the man's shaking hands as he gripped the parchment.

"I don't understand. I'm not a—"

"Station matters not. When you marry a princess you are given a pension in order to care for her." David clarified for the naive pirate captain.

"I can take care of her, you know." Killian stammered. "I do just fine without all this." He waved his hand above the page.

"Yes, because piracy pays so well." David rolled his eyes and exhaled sharply. "A princess' upkeep is far more than what you are able to provide for her. This should secure the rest."

Killian had to admit he made a fair point. Thinking back to how often he had ruined her clothing and how expensive it was to replace it, not to mention the initial procurement of the garments, he was rather inclined to agree with him.

"I'm sure this is far more than you will need to maintain her comfort. So, If you really meant what you said about not wanting to marry Emma for her money, then you will have no issue paying your men for their services with the wealth you gain from her dowry." David said.

"Of course, your child is entitled to an inheritance when it comes of age. It should all be in the contract there." He said nonchalantly. "If you need, you can have someone look it over for you or if you need some time to think about it then—" He told him quickly at the look of bewilderment on his face.

"No. No. That won't be necessary." Killian spluttered and then cleared his throat to regain his composure at the sight of more wealth than his crew could amass in a few years at sea. Even the gold bars and jewels they pilfered from the enemy ship hadn't been near the amount he saw before him.

"Excellent." David nodded. "Now, if there is nothing further for us to discuss. You are free to go." He said dismissively.

"Aye. Sir." Killian patted the parchment before lowering it at his side and starting off toward the door, the satin robe billowing out behind him as he moved.

His hand closed around the door, prepared to throw it open and retreat from the room when the sound of her father's voice brought him back.

"Killian?" David asked curiously. "One last thing—"

"Mhm?" Killian swirled around, chewing on his lower lip as he looked at the man, who wore a decidedly confused expression as he stared at the empty space in the middle of the room.

"Where's my desk?" David wondered, disillusioned by its absence.

"Bloody fuck."

Emma sat in her seat anxiously. She was unable to sit still, fidgeting in place as she prodded one of the egg yolks on her plate with a fork in the hopes of puncturing it to release the gooey yellow liquid.

"Emma, are you alright?" Snow asked, leaning toward her from her seat beside her. "You've hardly touched your food. Are you not hungry?" She probed her curiously.

"No." She answered softly, a little uneasy on her timid delivery.

At the sound of the side door creaking open, she jerked her head toward the source, holding her breath in the hopes of seeing Killian. She visibly shrunk into herself in disappointment at the sight of the kitchen staff coming to supply the men sitting across from her with more food.

Killian emerges back into the dining room, capturing the attention of everyone in the room. Emma comes bounding up to him and wraps him in her arms. He tucks her into his chest, his hand cradling the back of her head.

"You're worried about him." Snow noticed, folding her hands in her lap.

"I'm worried about both of them." Emma replied with a heavy sigh as she continued her assault on the innocent plate of eggs in front of her.

"Honey, they're both grown men. They can handle themselves." She assured her sweetly.

"That's what I'm worried about." She confessed, tugging her lower lip between her teeth as she dropped her fork on top of the plate making a fearsome clank as it hit the silver. With an exasperated sigh, she leaned back in her chair and trained her head toward the ceiling to calm her raging nerves.

"I've no objection to ending the king's life if he makes a move on the captain." One of the crewmen offered from across from her.

Tilting her head down, her eyes landed on the owner of the brazen remark to meet the threatening gaze of Bradley, the Jolly Roger's boatswain. She gave him an admonishing look, her eyes hardening into a thin line in a veiled warning.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, here." Snow tried to ease some of the growing tension at the table with a calm and amicable manner.

"Mom, they aren't saying that for effect. They honestly mean that. I wouldn't provoke them." Emma rolled her head toward her mother letting her get a sense for how dangerous the men surrounding the table were.

"Oh. Oh dear—" She opened and closed her mouth, slightly aghast with the knowledge that the rescue had been at the behest of their captain.

"These men volunteered their services to save us, some at the cost of their lives. They risked everything to come here out of loyalty for their captain." Emma was swift to remind her mother. "They will protect him with everything they have." She turned her head toward Madden, who gave her a definitive nod before chewing off a hardy bit of biscuit and chewing it loudly.

"Are you—" Snow pointed toward Madden, who gave her a sheepish smile, his mouth full. "Are you the one they call Madden?"

Madden swallowed, the yeast creating a lump in his throat. "Guilty, mam."

"As I understand it, you had a hand in rescuing my daughter when she was kidnapped. Is that correct?" Snow directed her question toward him, trying to change the subject.

"It was nothing milady." He replied humbly. "I was merely following my captain."

"Whatever the reason. I am grateful." She nodded respectfully toward him with a regal yet nurturing quality to her tone. "I don't know what I would do without her." She turned her attention back to her daughter and brushed her golden hair. "Her father and I are so glad to finally have her home, and after such an ordeal—"

"Mom—" Emma growned, flinching away from her touch awkwardly. "I think I need some air." She threw her napkin down on top of her plate and steadily rose from her chair.

"Wait, I'll go with you." Snow insisted, already in the process of lifting herself from her chair to join her.

"No." Emma said shortly. "I would just like some space." She told her without remorse, a heavy lump in her throat at having to break her mother's heart by her reluctance to accept her attention.

Snow's face fell in disappointment at the admission and slipped back into her seat with a hurt expression on her face. She listened mournfully at her daughter's retreating footsteps and sighed when she heard the door close.

"Don't worry your majesty." Madden turned toward the forlorn queen, offering his sympathy. "She's been through so much over such a short time. She barely knows you, and you barely know her. Just give her some time to come to terms with everything. She'll come around."

"Thank you." Snow gave him a thin yet courteous smile.

With her hands folded underneath her breast, she paced the hallway outside the dining room. Chewing on her bottom lip, she reflected on the events that had transpired over the last few hours and the whirlwind of emotions they spawned. Physical exhaustion aside, she was emotionally drained, and the agonizing wait she now found herself in wasn't helping in the slightest.

She walked a few steps forward and when she spun around there he was. She exhaled in relief at the sight of him striding down the corridor toward her.

"Lass? What are you doing—" He was barely able to get the question out when he felt her collapse in his arms. Stumbling backward, swaying slightly, he wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back to ease some of the inner turmoil he sensed within her.

"Are you alright?" He whispered into her hair only to have her nod into his neck. "Are you hurt?" He was immediately relieved when she shook her head. "Then what is it that has you vexxed?" He pulled her head away from him and took her face in the palms of his hands to look at her deeply, to read the conflict in her eyes.

"It's nothing." She assured him.

"No. It's not." He insisted. "You forget how easily I can read you, love." He reminded her, tracing her wrist with the backs of his knuckles in a gesture so gentle and tender it brought tears to her eyes. "So. Talk to me."

Leaning into his comforting touch, her eyes fluttered closed at the feel of the sharp bite of cold his rings making her shiver as they grazed her skin. Sighing longingly, she allowed the distinct feel of them gently tickling her arm wash over her.

"This is all just so—" She tried to articulate a response but could hardly find the words to match what she was feeling at that moment. "It's overwhelming." She pressed her head into his chest in palpable uncertainty as she inhaled the heady musk of sweat, violence, and the sea wafting off his skin.

"Aye. That it is." He agreed. "You know what I do when I am heavy with burden?" Killian looked down at her with a kind smile.

"What?" She trained her head up toward him to see his eyes shining with nothing but love and adoration for her.

He brushed her hair with his hand, patting down the ends that had managed to tangle themselves on top of her head. "I take it one day at a time." He told her reassuringly. "And hopefully this puts your mind at ease — your father and I have reached an understanding—"

"You what?" She bulked in disbelief. That's when she noticed the cut that was blooming to the surface of his cheek that hadn't been there before. The cut was still oozing the faintest amount of blood and was surrounded by an angry purple bruise. "Killian, what—" She reached up a tentative hand to touch it.

When her hand grazed the cut he winced and hissed. "Sorry. Still tender." He apologized, tapping his fingers against her hand.

"You've suffered a dislocated shoulder and broken ribs, and this is unmanageable?" She noted with an incredulous look in her eye.

"Your father has a good right hook." He mused with a mixture of annoyance and admiration on his breath.

She looked at him with wide eyes, batting her thick lashes in total bewilderment. "Why would he—" She shook her head as if trying to wrap her mind around it. "I mean I thought— but I didn't think he would actually—"

"Hey." He looked down at her trying to cut through the madness the knowledge has brought with it. "I assure you, I deserved it — if not more." He concluded honestly.

"You don't deserve anything but his gratitude." She supplied sweetly, stroking the cut marring his right cheek. "It looks like it might scar." She winced with a sharp inhale as her thumb caressed it.

"It really isn't a bother. I shall catalogue it with my others." He said with a wayward grin.

"Is that a jest?" Emma quirked a humorless brow.

"A sea-faring man doesn't jest about his scars." He responded with a very serious tone."I was merely making a point, love." Killian twined his fingers in her hair as he spoke. "Everything has been settled and that's all you need to know."

"I don't get any details?" She probed him for more information.

"I will tell you when the time is right. But right now, we should get you washed up and into bed. You look dreadfully tired, my love." He suggested, sweeping the pad of his thumb against her jaw. "How's about a warm bath?"

She hummed in approval, the tense muscles in her body whining in anticipation. "Sounds heavenly."

"Let's sail away, aye?" He wagged his eyebrows mischievously and bent down to sweep her into his strong and capable arms.

They arrived in front of the door to her chambers and Killian braced his shoulder against the door as he shifted her weight so he could open the door. They crossed over the threshold of her quarters, a giggle building in her throat at his insistence to carry her.

He spun her around joyously and then stopped to kick the door shut with his boot. He proceeded to walk them over to the large canopy bed and slowly lowered her on top of it.

Falling to the feather bed with a slight flop, her legs dangling off the edge, she sucked her lower lip between her teeth to conceal the moan that threatened to fall from her lips at the sight of him shucking the robe from his shoulders impatiently giving her a generous view of the ridges and planes of his chest.

He was on her in an instant, covering her with his body and tracing the column of her neck with his lips with a possessive groan. "I've been waiting for what seems like ages to have you all to myself." He murmured hotly into her skin, his warm breath ghosting over her skin causing her to shiver in anticipation.

His lips traced the shell of her ear as his hand slipped between them, sliding over her satin robe to feel the outline of her sensuous curves obscured from his view. "Tell me darling, are you wet for me?" He rasped into her ear as his hand slipped underneath her robe and inched toward the place she ached for his touch.

Caressing her inner thigh, he smirked into her skin as her breathing hitching in her throat, the temptation for his attention stoking a fever inside her that only he could sate. The moment his fingertips swept through her slick swollen lips, she keened, her entire body arching off the bed in distress.

"Please." She whined, her features betraying the torment of being empty inside, void of his body inside hers. "I need you. Gods Killian, I need you." She cried, her face creasing with a vast urgency as hot tears slid down her face. "It hurts, please. It hurts so much." She released a broken sob, shuffling on the bed to relieve the persistent throb between her legs.

The pained sound pierced straight through him, stirring something primal within him. "It's okay. I'll make it go away." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, his face wrinkling in pain with the strangled cries that left her lips.

He pulled himself to his feet, his fingers falling to his laces and furiously working them open.

She stretched on the bed impatiently, her eyes screwed shut as she rubbed her thighs together. Fingers clawed at the sheets helplessly, her body shifting itself to appease her body's grief at being deprived of its desire. Her restless movements caused the robe to glide up her legs and bunch at her hips to reveal her glistening sex.

Killian grunted, tugging at the laces until his cock finally sprung free from its leather confines. Consumed by his compulsion to give her what she needed, he didn't even bother to shed the leather down his hips. Instead, he settled himself between her legs, gripping his cock firmly in his hand as he guided it to her slick opening.

Her mouth parted as she felt the rounded head slide of his cock between her folds, coating him in her arousal. Her head was swimming at the contact, her body crying out for more as she wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him inside her.

His hand slapped the mattress beside her for purchase, nearly unable to maintain his balance at the glorious feeling of her gripping him, her walls rippling around his cock and dragging him deeper inside her depths.

Taking a moment to collect himself, he took a couple deep breaths and pulled out of her only to surge forward with a howl at being rejoined with her. His cock rejoiced, the muscles in his chest flexing as he began to rock into her in shallow vigorous strokes.

She fucked back against him, meeting his every thrust as her head rolled from side to side. Each slide of him inside of her made her weep, the sensations he was inflicting upon her body rapturous and intoxicating. She whimpered upon every withdrawal of his hard flesh inside of her, each time leaving her burning and empty only to return with a thrust more insistent and determined than the last.

Grunting, he snapped his hips against hers, drawing himself inside of her and diligently pulling the pleasure from her body. His efforts were rewarded by a slew of undignified groans that further served to spur his movements against her.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from her — hypnotized by the look of sheer ecstasy she wore as she chased her craving. The sight left his mouth dry and his eyes dilated with raw unbridled lust. Her body was covered in a fine sheet of sweat as she thrashed on top of the bed in frustration.

Sensing her need, he quickly pushed the robe higher onto her body and brought his fingers to where they were joined. Deftly parting her lips, he found her hot and wanting, in desperate need of his contact. Smearing her arousal on his fingers, he brought them to her clit and worked the swollen bud over, pacing his movements with that of his cock filling her.

Her hips rose from the mattress, arching into his touch as she painted, straining as the pleasure began to build inside her. She was so close to the edge that she could practically taste her orgasm.

"Come on. Come on, love." He encouraged, rolling his hips strenuously as he continued to stimulate her clit with his fingers. "You are almost there. I can feel it — can feel you tightening around me. So fucking beautiful. Let me feel you come around me. Need to feel you, please." He all but pleaded, his face contorting in pleasure as his words provoked his own.

She could feel the heat rising in her body, the delicious stretch of him sliding inside of her accompanied by each stroke of his fingers on her sensitive flesh doing her in. Hyperventilating, she tried to scream but nothing would come out as the overwhelming pleasure seized her and she succumbed to its will.

Killian's movements faltered, his mouth whispering words of praise as he felt himself pulse inside of her. Triggered by watching her in the throes of her high and the feel of her walls wrapped snugly around him as she fell, he too came undone. His knees buckled underneath him and he slumped forward with a hoarse cry as he emptied himself inside of her, filling her deeply until nothing remained.

With a few sharp jerks, he released a long languid breath and collapsed on her bosom, careful to evenly disperse his weight so as to not crush her. He hummed softly as he felt her fingers carding through his hair, her nails gently raking his scalp.

"I don't think I will ever have my fill of you." He looked up at her serenely. "It's a pity about the sheets though." He observed the dirt and grime that had washed over the linens from their sweat soaked bodies.

"Mhm." He pressed his lips together and grunted as he withdrew from her sodden depths.

She whimpered at the loss, the emptiness she felt agonizing with his absence inside her — the only remaining part of him sliding down her thighs, acting as a reminder that he had been there.

His head darted to the bed, streaks of dirt lining the once pristine white sheets. "Bloody hell." He stroked his finger in the pool of sweat and grime. "My sincerest apologies to your chambermaid." He wrinkled his nose in distaste and wiped his soiled hand on his leather pants.

"Speaking of, shall I go procure a bath for us?" He suggested with a coy smile, keenly awaiting her response.

"Mhm." She wrapped her arms around him. "Yes." She pressed her forehead against his and whispered her answer on his lips.

"Then it shall be done." He resolved himself to get up from the bed. He stood before her, sliding his fingers through his hair to tame his messy locks then tucked himself back into his pants before loosely doing the laces and making himself semi-presentable.

"Take a moment to right yourself, love. We are expecting company." He told her as he finished lacing his leathers. He stepped back toward her until his knees hit the edge of the bed. Placing a palm on either side of her, he bent forward until his head was flush with hers.

Using her proximity to him, she grabbed the charms around his neck and dragged his mouth onto hers, fusing their lips together in a searing kiss. They parted on a gasp and she smiled against his lips. "Don't be too long."

"Mhm." He groaned, lost in the thrall of her hold. "Wouldn't dream of it. After all, it isn't like me to leave a woman wanting." He whispered on her kiss-bruise lips, a sensual longing in his voice as he sealed his promise. "I will be back before you know it." He nipped at her lower lip and wiggled his brows playfully before lifting himself back onto his feet.

She lifted herself into a sitting position on the bed at the sound of the door closing behind him. Grabbing a fist full of the sheets underneath her, she twisted them in her grasp then released them, patting the bed then getting up with a groan. Every muscle in her body was screaming at her for relief, including the ones that just got a pleasant workout.

She was still in a state of bliss when she padded off toward the adjoining bath. Pushing the hair off her face, she walked over to the vanity and settled herself in front of it. The large mirror hanging on the wall reflected her ruffled appearance.

She was startled by what she saw. Her entire person was in complete disarray. Beside the rosy color that filled her cheeks, which was to be expected given their previous activities, her long blonde curls were matted and knotted, her face covered in a fine sheen of sweat that glistened off her skin in the dim lamp light. But the most staggering thing of all was the dry streaks of blood on her face that clung to the edges and planes of her face and weaved its way into her hair.

Far too caught up in her lingering glances in the mirror, she barely even noticed Killian's approach until she felt his hands wrap around her waist. She hummed pleasantly, sinking into the firm press of him against her back as he gently rocked her against his chest.

Hands roamed her curves over the delicate satin robe that covered her body as his nose grazed her exposed neck, breathing in her scent. "Hello, love." He whispered into her skin, his smirk buried into her skin. "Did you miss me?"

Her eyes flashed to their reflection, the sight of him worshipping her making her draw a long breath. She smiled softly and turned around in his arms, her eyes locking on his communicating her longing and hunger for him. "Any second away from you is far too long." She breathed, taking his face in her hands and bringing his lips down onto hers.

She sighed into the kiss, her mouth molding to his to taste the rum on his lips, the spiciness on his tongue as it gently stroked inside her mouth. She moaned into his mouth as her hips hit the back of the vanity, caging her in between them.

He devoured her lips, his tongue plundering her mouth with ardor. Detaching her lips from his for a moment, his hands dropped to the backs of her thighs and he hoisted her up onto the vanity so that her legs dangled over the edge.

Resuming his kiss, he fused his mouth to hers. His arm wound around her lower back to hold her steady as his hand disappeared underneath her robe to caress her inner thigh. Growling impatiently into her mouth, he slanted his lips on hers while his fingers crept up her skin seeking out the heat between her legs.

"Killian." She gasped, tangling her fingers in the hair at the back of his head to angle her lips against his.

They were interrupted by a throat clear behind them. Killian's eyes flew open, following them toward the source to see her chambermaid standing in the doorway with a disapproving look on her face.

His lips trailed across hers, his eyes never leaving the maid as he gave Emma a few chaste kisses before disconnecting their lips.

Emma rested her hands on his shoulders, twisting herself toward the door and bowed her head in embarrassment. Digging her head into his chest, her cheeks flushing hotly, she felt his hand smooth her hair reassuringly.

"I apologize for disturbing you, but I'm here to fill the bath as requested." She announced, turning her head over her shoulder to briefly gesture to a few servants standing behind her with buckets of steaming water.

"Yes." He swiped his hand over his mouth to hide his amusement at the help finding them in a compromising position. "Of course." He raised his arm into the air in understanding. "We shall get out of your way. Come on, darling." He said, placing both hands at Emma's waist to lift her off the vanity.

They shuffled from the powder room, making ample space for the servants to fill the tub. Killian stood in front of Emma, his hands gently rubbing her shoulders as he oversaw their hustle.

When the servants finally filed out of their quarters, Killian halted the chambermaid from leaving, stilling her in her tracks. "If it isn't much of a bother, we could use some fresh linens." He titled his head to the canopy bed with a sheepish smile.

"Yes, sir." She replied, wasting no time striding over to the mattress to begin stripping the soiled sheets from the bed.

Alerting her with a tap on the shoulder, he looked down toward the woman standing in front of him and cocked his head toward the bathing quarters. She returned his suggestion with a nod of agreement and he slowly led her back into the powder room.

Emma stumbled into the room, listening to Killian shuffling behind her to close the door with a firm thud to keep them away from prying eyes. Turning her attention to the tub, she stared down into the water and breathed in the steam rising up from it.

Whirling around on his heel, he stepped toward her, his feet digging lightly into the fluffy carpet underneath him. He tilted his head slightly, observing the serene scene before him. Standing behind her, he pressed his chest into her back and swept the long curtain of her hair over her shoulder. Placing his head in the crook of her neck, he trailed kisses across her skin as his hands deftly untied the belt around her waist that obscured her from his view.

She curled her arm around his neck, sighing contentedly as the robe fell open and he snaked his hand inside to cup her breast. She arched into his touch, whining as his thumb gently caressed her nipple, letting it harden underneath it.

"I don't think you understand how much I want you — how much I crave you — yearn to be inside you." He etched his words of endearment into her skin. "You've never looked more beautiful rounded with my child — I've never wanted you more." He swallowed the desire building inside him, his ego swirling with a masculine pride as he gently caressed her belly.

Her breathing hitched, all sensibility departing her underneath his sexual allure. She backed into him, rubbing herself against his obvious erection for more contact.

"I don't think I can bear to be in the same room as you without the overwhelming urge to touch you and make you mine. It is impossible to control myself when I'm around you." He confessed hotly, his lips ghosting the shell of her ear.

"I don't think I'm going to be able to be naked without touching your lithe delectable body. This bath will be less than productive." He hissed sensually, tugging her earlobe between his teeth. Slipping his hands underneath her robe and gently removed it from her shoulders, a shuddering breath escaping her lips as she was exposed to the warm air prickling her skin.

"Hop into the bath and make yourself comfortable. I'll join you in a moment." He rasped before giving her a small encouraging shove forward. After pushing his own robe to the floor, his hands flew to work the laces of his trousers while he took in the tidalating view of her backside as she moved toward the tub.

"Bloody magnificent." He remarked, a low growl bubbling in his throat as he shoved his hands into the waistband of his bands and slowly shimmied the leather down his thighs and over his legs.

Leaning over the tub, her hands curled around the edge, she wiggled her hips teasingly to give him a taste of what was to come. His chest rose and fell rapidly, taking in the temptation he was causing within him as he released a primal growl.

She craned her neck toward him, watching him wallow in his unsated desire with a devious smirk and made a show of slipping a leg over the edge, the other following in quick succession. With both hands clasped around the edge of the tub, she slowly lowered herself into its warm embrace, moaning pleasantly at the soothing water lap at her skin.

"Temptress." He accused hoarsely, haunted by the phantom touch of her naked body against his and her baiting him with that knowledge. The leather pooled at his feet and he promptly kicked it to the side with an impatient grunt.

Emma sunk lower, obscuring her from view as he approached her with a predatory glint in his eye. That's how he found her — her wet hair fanning out around her, a lusty smile spread on her face hidden underneath the surface as the water sloshed around her bare breasts.

Squaring his shoulders, he let out a guttural groan at the sight before him, his cock jutting out proudly capturing her attention. "Is this what you want?" He guided her line of sight to where he lazily stroked himself in his fist.

She squirmed in the water, swallowing her eager moans as she clenched her legs tightly in anticipation. She nodded her head fervently as she quaked with need to once again be joined with him — to feel the welcoming stretch of him inside of her as her hospitable walls accommodated him.

Stilling his hand at the base of his throbbing cock, he curled his fingers toward himself, silently bidding her to rise from the water. Her eyes flashed toward him sumptuously, she slapped her wet hands against the edge of the tub and slowly drew herself to her feet to give him enough room.

Leaning forward until his face was nearly flush with hers, he wiggled his brow suggestively. "That's a good girl." He praised in a sinful tone as he helped himself into the tub and slid down into the water with a pleasant groan, the warm water doing wonders for his sore muscles.

She looked down at him from her shoulder, watching as he spread his legs giving her a generous look at the erect flesh bobbing against his abdomen, brushing against the trail of dark trailing lower. He wore a cocky grin as he shifted in the tub, water splashing against his limbs and staining the bath with diluted blood as it washed itself from his skin.

He patted the water invitingly and she slowly crouched into the water when he grabbed hold of her wrist to halt her. "No. Facing me." He corrected the behavior. Using their now laced fingers, he helped her to spin around, a careful arm out beside him to make sure she didn't fall.

She bent down into the tub, the water rippling out around them and the level rising as it moved to mold around their bodies. Placing a knee on either side of him, she wound her arms around his neck and lifted herself so that her pelvis brushed his eliciting a groan from his lips.

Taunting him, she grinding against his shaft, creating a delicious friction between them but still needed more to sate her impossible ache for him. "Please, need you inside me." She whined, rubbing herself against him for relief.

Leaning forward, taking his cock in his hand, he positioned himself underneath her, lining himself with her entrance and slowly coaxed himself inside her until their hips met.

She gasped at the welcomed intrusion and threw her head back as her hands dug into his shoulders for purchase. Twisting herself, she canted her hips against his, silently begging him to move.

Wrapping his hands around her backside, he slowly led himself out of her only to slam upward, sheathing himself in her molten heat. She wriggled against him, earning her another hard thrust. With another sharp thrust inside her, he scooted forward to angle his hips, his knees folding inward to place her in his lap.

He slanted his hips so she could take more of him inside her and he inhaled sharply at the sensation of her walls gripping him mercilessly. He nodded toward her in encouragement, his hands flying to her waist to guide her movements against him, setting a slow and deliberate pace.

She rocked against him, a mixture of obscenities and praise flowing freely from her lips as she took her fill of him. Her hips gliding against the water as he snapped his hips against hers making her damn near delirious.

He pressed himself into her, the torturous pleasure consuming him as he delighted in the sensuous way she bounced against him. His hands skimmed over her curves as she took her pleasure, fucking herself on his cock franticlly. "There you go, darling. Take what you need. You look bloody gorgeous." He groaned, watching as her rounded breasts moved wildly as she sank down on him.

The crimson water slapped against their heated skins, the movement creating sizable waves in the tub, which was unable to contain it. Water splashed onto the floor as it continued to cascade over the edge of the tub in the wake of their fevered motions.

She cried out, rolled her hips and grinded against him as the pressure began to build inside her, clawing against its battered cage for release. Questing for her pleasure, she perched herself until she was nearly above the surface of the water and tilted her hips to create delicious friction.

Panting hard, she bucked against him, her clit gliding against him as she impaled herself on his cock. She clawed at his neck, sobbing as she fucked herself against him in rapturous strokes.

His name fell repeatedly from her lips, a worshipful sound that accompanied his driving hips up into her. "Come for me. Please. Need to feel you come around me." He pleaded, his face twisting in pleasurable agony as he felt his release steadily rear its head. Grunting and gritting his teeth, he pushed up into her purposeful, each ravaging snap of his hips bringing her closer to her finish.

Emma screamed, falling forward against his chest as the pleasure wrecked her body, cresting and falling with each of his thrusts until he soon followed her.

Shaking violently, he lost himself inside her, spilling himself into her as he lazily grinded against her, letting her body milk him dry. He placed her head in his neck as she was overcome with aftershocks. Brushing her hair, he jerked once, twice and then sank back against the porcelain with a long drawn out sigh.

They stayed like that for a few moments, basking in being pressed up against one another as they recovered. "How are you doing, lass?" Killian asked, breaking the silence between them. Tilting his head down to look at her, he brushed the wet locks fused to her forehead so he could get a better look at her.

She let out a puff of air and sank into him in exhaustion.

"Let's get a moment's reprieve and do what we set out to do, aye?" He suggested, his breathing still staggered and uneven. Following her nod of agreement, he reached over with a grunt toward the stool where a metal pitcher, a cake of soap, two linen towels, and two cloths sat waiting for their use.

"Turn around for me, love. Let's get you washed up." He instructed, spinning his finger to demonstrate. Her muffled whine reverberated against his wet chest, but she submitted to his request and slowly rose up to give herself enough room to turn in his arms.

Killian lifted his arms and she placed herself back into the tub and leaned back against his chest. Taking the pitcher in his hand, he brought it down into the water and filled it to the top. "Lift your head for me, love." He directed softly, assisting her carefully to tip her head back.

He proceeded to slowly pour the contents of the pitcher over her head, brushing her hair to make sure it was thoroughly coated. He repeated the action, taking care to get every strand before setting it away from them and collecting the cake of floral-scented soap.

He rubbed it between his hands, lathering his fingers and collecting the suds on him until he was satisfied. Setting the bar of soap beside them into a metal tin, he worked his fingers through her hair, massaging the soap into her scalp that drew soft moans from her lips.

"You like that?" He asked, scrubbing her hair line with the bits of dried blood clinging to the place where her head met her roots. He was treated to a rapturous groan and he chuckled lightly at the sound as he maneuvered the soap to the ends of her hair.

Once finished, he collected the pitcher and submerged it into the water. "Tilt your head back for me." He requested, shielding her eyes with his hand before rinsing her hair.

With mouth opened wide, she pushed her wet hair back from her face as beads of water slid down her face. She blinked rapidly to remove the water from her eyes and rubbed her hands down her face.

Emma twisted herself, peeking at him from over her shoulder to see him lounging against the back of the tub, the pitcher floating in the water between them. "May I?" She batted her long lashes at him.

"You want to wash my hair?" He propped his head up against the ledge of the tub and shifted in the water.

She nodded and gave him a coy smile.

"If the lady insists." He consented, a cheeky smirk playing at his lips as he pushed off from the back of the tub and placed himself behind her. "It's going to be a grueling task. The blood has settled in." He warned.

Picking herself up, she maneuvered herself around so that she was facing him. She retrieved the pitcher and plunged it into the tub to fill it just as he had before. She crooked her finger inward, beckoning him to tilt his head forward so that she could pour the water over his head.

He gave her a wily grin but did as she bid. There was something submissive about the position he was in, but he allowed it. He gasped as the water spilled over his head, his hair forming a thick black curtain as the water beat against his scalp. Cupping his chin, he swiped the water from his stubble, vaguely noticing the streaks of red in the droplets rolling off the ends of his hair.

Grasping the edge of the tub, he whipped his hair back and slicked it back. He smiled smugly at the awestruck expression she wore, his eyes flashing passionately into hers.

Reaching for the bar of soap, she rolled her eyes at his antics and rolled the soap between her hands to coat it evenly. "Okay pirate. Let's wash your victims' blood out of your hair."

He gave a faint laugh at her colorful description and submitted himself to her service. He groaned at the feel of her fingernails raking against his scalp as she vigorously scrubbed.

She diligently scraped at the blood lining his face, meticulously removing the crimson streaks clinging to his beard. She grimaced at the bright red suds being pulled from his hair and wrinkled her nose in irritation at just how much there was to clean off of him. At one point she swore she detangled a piece of flesh embedded in a strand of his hair.

Sensing her distress, he trailed his eyes over her to confirm his suspicions. "Having difficulties, love?"

"I. Don't. Need. Help." She gritted her teeth resolutely as she picked bits of blood from his hair.

"I warned you. It might be a task best left to the professionals. It takes me days to wash this crud out of my hair."

"How can you stand it?" She grunted, scratching at his scalp.

"After a while you just accept it and stop caring." He replied nonchalantly. "Or you pay some poor unassuming wench to comb it out… which often leads to more pleasurable activities."

She bulked at him and turned her lips down, displeased by his statement.

"That was before you, love." He lifted himself further out of the water and wrapped his hands around her lower back. "Don't fret." He gave her a reassuring smile. "I belong to you now. Only you." He declared.

Emma mirrored his smile but let it slip quickly when she unceremoniously poured out the pitcher over his head in retribution.

His shoulders crested and fell rapidly as he panted harshly. Pushing his cheeks together, he gathered the water from his mouth and spat it out. "Well played, love. Well played."

She lifted a spiteful brow and stretched out to grab the clothes, tossing on at him. "Wash your face." She commanded gruffly.

"As you wish." He relented, twisting the cloth in his hand.

They spent the next several moments removing the dirt and grime from their faces and rinsed the soap from their skin leaving only their bodies left to wash. And judging from the way he leered seductively, he was well aware of that and planned to take full advantage of it.

"Might I be so bold to ask you to turn around for me so I can wash that glorious body of yours?" He cocked his head to the side, digging his teeth into his bottom lip expectantly.

She gulped and her cheeks heated in response. Her fingers slid against the slippery tub as she lifted herself and positioned herself with her back turned to him. After wringing out her hair and placed it against her shoulder as her spine flexed in the anticipation of his touch.

She shuttered, her eyes falling shut at the feel of the warm cloth gliding across her skin. Whimpering slightly, she pressed herself into the cloth, her muscles stretching to follow its journey down her back.

Holding her steady with a placed hand on her shoulder, he dipped the cloth into the water and squeezed, removing the excess moisture then led it back across her shoulder blades. He tentatively dabbed the linen into her spine, sweeping the sheen of soap that lingering on her skin.

He quickly finished with her back, impatient to lavish his attention to the other side of her body. Bunching the cloth in her hand, he slowly coaxed her backward to lay across his chest. Bending his head forward to see over her shoulder, he slowly began with her neck, tracing the column of it with the wet cloth with a painful slowness meant to build anticipation. He dragged it lower to the sound of her shallow breathing, the cloth rubbing small circles along her collarbone.

She whined and stretched her body, squirming against him for him to shift his attentions lower. Instead, he neglected her like a jealous lover when he wrapped his arm around her to hold her steady and continued to treat the same spot despite her body's desperate pleas.

After long moments of teasing, he finally sought out the tops of her creamy breasts, paying a considerable amount of devotion to the upper curves of her chest. He trailed the cloth over her rounded breasts, tracing the defined curvature of each. Letting her breathy sighs guide, he dabbed at her breasts eliciting a whine from her when he avoided her nipples altogether.

He was thorough, leaving no part of her skin untouched and unclean. He swiped the area underneath her breasts with the cloth, working his way back up to the underside of her breast.

She arched against him, her pelvis tilting up instinctually at the contact. The cloth followed the outline of each tender globe as he breathed into her hair. Everything was so sensitive, her nipples strained and cried out for him, her thighs clenching together in desire.

"Ah ah." He chided, his hand slipping underneath the water to spread her legs apart causing her to whimper in frustration. "Your pleasure belongs to me and right now I want you spread open for me."

He wriggled against her helplessly as he resumed its prior vigil at her breasts, the cloth grazing one swollen peak causing her to cry out. Bringing his lips together, he pushed out a long breath to silence her. He swirled the cloth in slow methodical circles against the swollen flesh, letting it harden and pucker further underneath him.

She fidgeted restless against him, grinding against his throbbing shaft as he gave her other breast the same worshipful treatment as its twin.

He carried out his exploration of her breasts and wiped the valley of her breasts, the cloth traveling lower down her body to carefully caress the swell of her stomach where his child resided. He stroked it gingerly, cherishing its existence as the cloth traversed the expanse of her belly.

The breath caught in her throat when she felt the touch of the cloth against her mound. "Please—" She whimpered as she twisted herself to guide his movements lower.

A predatory growl escaped his lips and his hand hooked itself underneath her knee and lifted it out of the water, placing her foot flat against the edge of the tub. He had positioned her with a slight bend in her knee, but the new angle had raised her pelvis tilted up and out of the water leaving her open and vulnerable to his advances.

She gasped as her cunt was exposed to the air, its unforgiving caress to her wet flesh making her shiver. She inhaled sharply as his hand teased her inner thighs, his touch questing and probing the sensitive skin to claim and conquer.

He rubbed small circles against her thighs, each movement bringing him closer to where she needed him most. The cloth skimmed her quivering lips and she sobbed as its cool temperature quelled some of the overbearing heat radiating from between her splayed thighs.

"Do you need washing here my love?" He asked her huskily, the clothing lingering at her folds.

"Yes." She breathed with a heavily weighted sigh. She trembled as the cloth brushed against her quivering sex. "Please. Killian, please—"

"You look bloody incredible like this — all spread open for me. What I wouldn't give to be on the other side, to look upon the vision of your cunt — to watch you drip from your thighs." He mused, rolling his hips against her teasingly as he parted her with the cloth and lightly petted her with it.

"Can you do something for me, love?" He nuzzled his nose into her hair, breathing in the smell of her freshly washed hair. "I'm going to need you to take your fingers and hold yourself open for me. Do you think you can do that?"

She nodded her head and whined. "Please, just touch me."

He removed the cloth, dropped it into the water with a wet plop and dragged her fingers between her legs. "Do you want to show me how beautifully you touch yourself?" He suggested with a low sensual growl. "I've got you. Let me gaze upon you as you fuck yourself."

She whimpered at his words and took two fingers to hold herself open. Sucking her lower lip between her teeth, she led her hand to the apex of her thighs and pressed her fingers against her clit. She jerked in his hold as her fingers brushed the swollen flesh, rubbing it in slow circles, applying the barest amount of pressure to it.

"Ah. Just like that." He moaned, compelled by the obscene sight of her fucking herself for him. "Gods, that is so good. You're so good." He murmured, unable to take his eyes off of her as she pleasured herself.

She whined as she increased her sloppy movements against herself, her touch not enough to send her over the edge and a poor substitute for his. "Killian—"

"Do you still ache for me?" He wondered, a cocky smirk splitting his face at seeing her struggle without him. "It's not enough, is it? I told you when I had you that you would be ruined — your body responding to no touch save my own." He reminded her.

"Keep yourself like that but grasp the edge of the tub." He instructed, smiling to himself when she did just that. "That's a good girl." He praised her as he drew his fingers over her pussy.

"Let's see how wet you are for me—" He probed her entrance, sliding a single finger inside her sopping quim to find her hot and ready for him. "Always so prepared for me." He observed, rewarding her body's submission by plunging his finger inside her.

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, her head falling back against his shoulder as he steadily pumped his finger inside her, building a steady rhythm. Every slip and slide of his fingers inside her was torturous, a deliciously agonizing burn and stretch.

His finger pressed into her with deliberate fluid strokes, his ring pricking her sensitive heated skin upon each thrust, the metal twisting and turning along with his finger. "Do you want another inside that tight little cunny of yours?" He purred into her ear. "Tell me you desire more and I shall give it to you."

"More. Please. Ah— more." She pleaded in near panic, bucking against the constant contact and waiting to feel another one of his thick digits to sheath its way into her. If not for her firm grip on the edge of the tub, she would have slipped as his middle finger slid into her to work in tandem with the other.

Her pulse quickened, a frenzy beginning to consume her as she slanted her hips to meet his movements inside her. The faint red tint in the water rippled and splashed as she pursued her high. Rolling her hips, she wordlessly encouraged him to curl his fingers inside her.

She sighed when he relented, her tight walls welcoming the needed change in angle. Droplets rolled off her skin to mingle with the sheen of sweat glistening off her skin, a mewl of pleasure falling from her lips as he began to repeatedly stroke his fingers in a particularly sensitive part inside her.

Hooked fingers sensually greeted flesh with a steady pulse that had her jerking helplessly. Her hand gilded against the wet porelin, her hips arching into his feverish touch as she panted restlessly.

"Come on. Let me hear you." He beckoned her pleasure with a sensual moan.

Emma sobbed, the pressure unbearable right before it snapped. "Killian!" His name flew from her lips in a broken scream, her body submitting its pleasure to him to which he heedlessly accepted.

His mouth parted in wonderment, possessed at witnessing the intimate point of her total submission. Utterly wrecked and rapturous as she fucked herself against his fingers, she took everything he offered to her without thought. He felt her hips stutter, her breathing descelating as his pace thawed and stilled once her body had finally had its fill.

Shuttering, she slowly removed her foot from its perch on the side of the tub and lowered it creating subtle waves in the water as it was once again submerged. By the time she caught her breath, the water was reaching a frigid temperature.

"Let's finish washing up, aye?" He gently tapped her collarbone where he held her and gave her a helping push with his body so that he could finish up and get her out of the bath. He coaxed her to the other side of the tub, rubbing her shoulder soothingly as he pressed hot kisses into her spine.

Holding her knees into her chest, she rocked against his pleasant touch and rubbed her chin against her unoccupied shoulder. "Mmm. That feels good." She hummed.

"Mmm. I don't want to be separated from you but I really must tend to my own cleanliness." He told her, his voice forlorn and miserable at the thought.

"What if you didn't have to be?" She smiled wickedly, twisting herself around to face him, the declining water level sloshing around her. "Need some help getting to the areas that are impossible to reach?" She charmed him with her suggestive tone.

"What have I done to deserve such an attentive and desirable woman?" He wondered, pushing himself backward until he hit the back of the tub.

She smiled to herself, letting her lips capture it into her skin. Raising to her knees, she was able to turn back around to face him. Plopping back down into the tub, she searched the water until her hand closed around the cloth. Bearing down on her jaw, she twisted the cloth to release the water and then began to work the soap into it.

Killian waited expectantly for her, lounging back against the tub with his arms spread and his legs parted invitingly. His cock twitched in impatience, a deep smolder boring into hers as she settled herself between his legs. "Well, hello there, love." The deep timbre of his sensual voice drew her into him.

Her eyes darted to his chest, his muscles flexing with every breath he took, to assess the blood mated into the thick hair stretching across his chest. Looking lower, she noticed the black and blue patches on his skin from where he had been wounded storming the castle to get to her.

They had been previously hidden under bandages soaked with blood, hiding them from view so she wasn't aware of their extent. Taking a tentative hand, she slowly traced the outline of the bruises marring his lower ribs.

He hissed and winced, gritting his teeth as her fingers brushed against the tender skin.

"Does it still hurt?" She asked softly.

"It looks a hell of a lot worse than it feels." He assured her. "I've had much worse." He affirmed with a long exasperated breath.

"And here?" She wondered, stroking his shoulder gently with the cloth only to render the same response.

"You asked me once about the scars on my back." He reminded her, licking his dry lips.

She nodded in confirmation, his words sparking a curious glint in her deep green eyes.

"When I was a young lad—" He swallowed hard at the memory. "I had quite the temper on me. Liam had always managed to keep me in check, but one day I lashed out and did something quite foolish, and I was whipped within an inch of my life for it."

She tensed in horror and sympathy for him, her features dropping as she inhaled and refused to let go until he finished.

"A horrid punishment for a boy of 12, I'm aware." He understood. "But nothing I've endured since has come close to the pain I felt that day." He gave her a thin smile to calm her uneasiness at his retelling of the past.

"It was long ago, love. No need to fret over it." He covered her hand with his and gently rubbed her knuckles with his thumb.

Sniffling, she sucked back the tears that threatened to fall and met his hardened blue stare. "Can I?" She requested breathlessly.

His eyes closed and he took a shaky breath before nodding his permission. Without preamble, he shoved himself out of the water, trembling slightly as he met the bitter cold in the air then sat back down to bear the scars littering his back.

Seeing them and acknowledging that they were there was one thing, but knowing how they came to be there was another thing entirely different. She swallowed the gasp in her throat, not wanting to cause him any unnecessary discomfort.

Bringing herself forward, she narrowed her gaze to his back, her eyes roaming over each individual scar. She stretched her arm out to swipe the cloth against his back eliciting a hiss from him as she wiped down his achy muscles.

She slipped the damp cloth across his broad shoulders, washing away the sins he bore. They flexed under her timid touch as she brushed over the curves and planes of his rugged flesh — each muscle brimming with kinetic strength and power, just waiting to be utilized.

She slowly scrubbed down his back, taking care to avoid the sharp creases of his flayed flesh. Her fingertips skimmed up his wet skin, her lips ghosting over her path. She placed her palm against his lower back as she delicately washed it then trailed it back over his shoulder blades where several jagged criss-cross scars covered his back.

Drawing in a shaky breath, she traced the outline of the first one, imagining the insurmountable pain that the whip had inflicted against him to cause such a deep impression in his skin. She finished by bringing her lips down to the healed cut to place a reverent kiss upon the wound.

She repeated the process, taking her time to cherish each one and revel in the openness that accompanied it. For so long she had waited for him to open up at her and she felt as if with each scar she got one step closer to him.

Once finished, she wrapped her arms around his waist, collapsing against him. "Thank you." She whispered into his back. "All I've wanted from the moment I met you was to know you." She let an errant tear slide down her cheek as he caressed her hand. "I love you."

"Aye. And I as well." He offered. "Would you like to hear more about my beginnings? Would that make you happy?" He asked in a low whisper, wanting to make her content for the rest of his days and knowing he would go to great lengths to do it.

She nodded her head against him and he smiled softly in response. The water splashed as he stood and turned back around to face her so that she could tend to the front side of his body. Bringing a shaky palm to his chest, she swiped the cloth over his pectoral muscles.

He chuckled softly at her cautionary touch and captured her wrist to still her motions against him. She looked at him with innocent confusion and he smiled at the expression. "You won't hurt me." He reassured her. "But you are going to need to apply a little more pressure than that if you want to get the blood out of my hair." He told her earnestly, gesturing toward her with his chin to ask for permission to aid her.

She gaped as he guided her hand across his curls, rubbing harsh circles that created red suds in their wake.

He led her lower, tracing over the defined grooves at his abdomen and gave it the same treatment. Taking her wrist, he brought their joined hands to wipe down the corded muscles in his sides, running the cloth over it.

Their eyes never left one another's, each movement requiring only the use of their hands. Her lower lip quivered under his intense gaze as their hands wandered over the muscles in his upper arms, following each bulging vein down to his wrist then repeated the action with the other.

The water underneath them swayed slightly, lapping at their skin as she keenly rinsed the soap from his body. She relished in his groans as the tension melted away from his body, washing away with the blood and grime he had earned when he relinquished himself to his violent inclinations.

Once the last vestiges of his actions slipped from his skin, he wrapped his arms around her, their wet chests sliding against one another. His palms skimmed over her upper back, holding her closely against him as he brushed his lips over hers so she could taste his desire for her.

Emma sighed into his mouth, her lips molding to match every slant and curve of his as he kissed her deeply, passionately, reverently. She met his kiss with the same intensity and veracity of his, the pass and press of his lips sealing his love for her. The severity of his kiss caused her to quake in his arms, her mouth capturing the warmth of his breath with each sweep of his lips.

She whined when he detached his lips from hers, her hand caressing his jaw as she tucked her forehead into his chin.

"Why don't you say we take this to the bedroom?" He suggested, cupping the back of her head and nuzzling into her hair. When she nodded, he placed a lingering kiss to her head then removed himself from the tub, droplets of water sliding down his naked body as he stood before her.

He shook out his hair, ruffling it with his fingers to remove the water clinging to it before leaning over to grab the towel laid out for him on the stool off to the side. Holding onto it, he swung his leg over the side until his feet hit the floor.

He cocked a curious eyebrow as he began rubbing himself down and looked down to see the puddle he stood in. He frowned as he worked the towel over the back of his neck. "Bloody hell." He cursed, speeding up the process of drying himself so he could get them out of the powder room as quickly as possible.

After throwing the towel to the nearest dry spot, he pushed his hair out of his face and extended his arms out to help her out of the tub. Pressing his lips together at the sight of her shivering, the water dripping from the ends of her hair, he grabbed the other towel and placed it securely around her.

She tugged it closely to her body as he used the edges to pat her down as best he could. Lastly, he clasped her hair and squeezed to release some of the water burrowed in her long blonde tresses. She gave him a sheepish smile of gratitude, which he reciprocated.

An arm wrapped itself around her waist while he hooked the other underneath her legs to lift her into his arms and cradle her to his chest. With slow movements, he stepped across the flooded tile as she pressed her face into the nest of curls covering his chest.

With some slight difficulty, he was able to maneuver them to the bedroom and abandon the mess they had made in exchange for the warmth of the bed. He walked the distance that separated them from the bed and slowly lowered her upon it, letting her sink into the embrace of the freshly laundered bedding.

The towel fell from her body, exposing her to his lusty stare, his desire for her reflected in the captivating blues of his eyes as he climbed on the bed and crawled toward her. Holding himself over her, he settled himself between her splayed thighs. His eyes roamed over every inch of her body, mapping out every curve and line and committing it to memory.

She released a breathy sigh when his fingertips grazed her wet skin and glided over the path each drop of moisture left behind from the bath. Her eyes slammed shut, giving herself over to his slow seduction of her body.

She shivered as he leaned down further, the cold metal of the chain he wore around his neck pooling between her breasts. She could feel his sodden skin pressing into hers, embracing her body in its warmth as his explorative fingers trailed over her sensitive flesh. The bitter bite of his rings set her body on fire and she twisted and lurched into the sensation.

A gasp slipped from her mouth as he brushed the pad of his thumb against her nipple. He swiped his fingertip over it, eliciting a stream of lascivious moans from her. But it wasn't enough — could never be enough. Her body craved him, and was possessed by a pleasure only he could give her.

"Please—" She whined, lifting herself up into his touch in search of more.

Bowing his head forward, he lined his mouth up with one straining bud and flicked his tongue out to meet it. His eyes flew to her face, watching the torturous pleasure she received from his tongue. He swirled it around teasingly, creating a light sheen of moisture that proclaimed his ownership. He palmed the other, caressing the rounded flesh as he latched onto her nipple. Pressing it between his lips, he suckled, creating a delicious pressure that went straight to her core.

He moaned around her hungerly, his tongue lapping at her straining nipple, feeling it pucker in his mouth. The sound reverberated straight through her and she whined, her fingers raking against his scalp as he tasted her skin.

She mewled encouragingly, the sound only serving to spur him on. He released her with a wet pop, marking the path his tongue took with his lips as he shifted over to her other breast. Replacing his hand with his mouth, he gave it the same treatment while his unoccupied hand took up vigil on the other.

He surrendered her breast, lowering his head to lead his lips lower down her body, dropping open mouthed kisses like a trail of breadcrumbs he could use to find his way back to her.

She squirmed underneath him at the feel of his stubble scraping hotly against her hip while his fingers danced just above her mound. The torture he was inflicting upon her was excruciating, teasing her with his breath and his fingers, inching ever so closely to where needed his attention only to withdraw.

Frustration consumed her, the ceaseless cries of torment falling from her lips echoing the desires that fell on deaf ears. It was like predator stalking prey, every tantalizing thought that had ever passed through his mind coming to fruition.

Taking hold of her hips, he stroked his fingers in a lazy pattern across her thighs that followed with his lips biting, licking, and sucking to claim what was rightfully his. She was restless above him, her head tossing from side to side in annoyance at the painfully emptiness he bore on her.

His hand pressed her down into the bed to keep her still while his teeth raked her skin, branding his existence into her thigh. She let out a contented sigh when his mouth left her thigh only to have him recreate his artful attention to the other.

"Killian, please." She pleaded, pulling at his hair to urge him to discontinue his endeavor.

He smirked against her skin, his lips melting into her thigh. "Tell me what you need, darling." He rasped, letting his warm breath coat her skin. "Do you need my mouth on your greedy cunt or do you want me to fill you with my cock?"

Emma sobbed helplessly, trembling and tilting her pelvis up toward him.

He shook his head, abandoning the scorching heat between her thighs to slither up her body to gaze upon the agony crossing her face. A depraved smile washed over his lips as he reveled in her addiction for him and marveled at her impulse to keen against him heedlessly.

"That wasn't an answer, love." He told her, his voice taking on a deprecating tone. "Shall I repeat the question?" He slipped his hand down her body and teased her entrance with his finger, barely entering her despite her desperate pleas and the buck of her hips into his touch.

He could feel her desire for him pooled between her thighs and he groaned at the feeling of her arousal coating his probing finger, urging him to draw it inside her. He wasn't sure how long he could last like this, the agonizing pulse of his cock causing his resolve to falter.

He was beginning to crumble under the irresistible cant of her hips and the temptation falling from her lips. He knew he had to have her, needed to seek out the her swollen sex and slake his impossilbe hunger.

Cursed by her allure — a habit he never wanted to rid himself of — he gave in to her heady pleas and removed his finger with the intent of replacing it with something far more filling. Turning on his side, he took himself in hand and guided himself to her quivering lips, burying himself inside her in a single thrust.

The gasped in unison at the feeling of once again being joined, his throbbing flesh stretching her to the brim and making her feel deliciously full.

He was entranced by the vision of ecstasy before him, her mouth parted wide as her body received him and the delicate flush in her cheeks spawned by her desire. "Bloody gorgeous." He admired, unable to tear his eyes away from her as she cried out for relief underneath him.

He groaned at the sensation of her body wrapped around him, pulling him further into her depths. Her walls clenched around him and he had to swallow the string of obscenities that threatened to break loose from his lips.

He gave a gentle pump of his hips drawing a strangled moan from her lips and repeated the action to usher the same response. His body collided with hers as he dropped his head into her neck, trapping his lips in the embrace of her slick skin as he began to rock his hips slowly against her.

His hand curled around her hip, guiding her movements against him as he fucked her with deep penetrating strokes. He burrowed his way inside her, nestling snugly in her tight wet heat with each defining and purposeful snap of his hips.

She hummed and writhed underneath him, his warm breath tickling her skin as he whispered endearments into her neck. She met each thrust with equal fervor, rocking back and forth against him eagerly.

He drove his forward, angling his hips with the purpose of extracting every ounce of pleasure from her body. He restricted his movements inside her despite her protests, choosing to lose himself in the way her silky skin brushed against him and cherish the way her body accepted him every time he sank himself inside her.

She panted breathlessly, arching into the shape of his body as her fingertips dug into the rough planes of his shoulders. She could feel every enticing drag of him inside her relentless, the friction he created with his body filling the void in her own. She shuttered and cried out as her lips closed around the hollow of her neck and pulled the sensitive flesh between his teeth to embed his mark into her skin.

His tongue darted out to soothe over the outline of his teeth before parting from her neck. He surged forward, pumping himself inside her as he snaked his hand between where they were joined to brush her clit.

"Open your eyes for me, lass." He urged as he rocked forward, working his fingers over her to the pace of his thrusts. "I want to watch as you come around me." He murmured softly, beckoning her to open her eyes to see the hazy tint of pleasure in her green eyes. "Let me feel you. Come with me."

His heated words were her ultimate demise, stripping her of her senses as the pleasure coiled in her belly and her sex tightened around him. Her body seized as she shattered around him, consumed by his provocation.

He watched enraptured as her pleasure wrecked her body, her orgasm washing over her as he reached the pinnacle of his pleasure. Her body dragged him down, her walls spasming and convulsing around him, milking his body and divesting it of its release.

Replete of his pleasure, he rolled his hips lazily against hers, slowly bringing her down from her until the tremors that rocked her body finally diminished. He stilled inside her as she slumped back against the mattress, breathing heavily in exhaustion.

He smiled down at her with endearing tenderness and adoration as he captured her face in his hand and gently stroked her drying hair.

She conjured a soft smile and released a weary breath, her eyes dropping slightly in her tired state.

He brought his lips down onto hers, sealing his mouth to hers to pour out his love for her. He broke the kiss and grunted against her cheek as he retreated from the safety and warmth of her sex.

She gasped upon his exit, her body mourning the loss of his as he settled himself on the bed beside her.

He collected her in his arms, embracing her and bringing her down against his chest. He smiled softly as she nuzzled into the thick thatch of dark curls expanding his chest and rubbed soothing circles along her spine. "Rest now, love. I will be right here when you wake." He whispered gently as she relaxed her shoulders and drifted off to sleep in the comfort of his arms.

Emma grimaced as the bed dipped beside her with newly acquired weight. Groaning, she blinked rapidly to the dim lighting in the room and turned onto her side to see Killian leaning against the headboard with a plate sitting in his lap.

"Mhm. What's this?" She rubbed her eyes, sliding higher on the bed to match his comfortable position beside her. She brushed her wild hair to little avail and pulled the duvet around her as she settled in next to him.

"Sustenance." He wiggled his eyebrows, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as he picked a grape from its fine and held it up to her lips.

Tucking her hair over her shoulder, she leaned forward and parted her lips to accept the grape. She bit down into it, the juices exploding on her tongue and she moaned appreciatively before starting to chew.

"Mmm." She cupped her mouth while enjoying the taste. "When did you do all this?" She asked as she chewed, noticing the leather encasing his legs and the haphazard laces at his hips.

"I thought we might need a bit of a reprieve before embarking on more pleasurable activities." He popped a grape into his mouth with a suggestive smirk.

"You are just full of surprises, aren't you?" She plucked another grape and placed it between her lips. "You know we could have just gone to the dining room for a proper meal—"

Killian wrinkled his face in displeasure at the comment, confused as to why anyone would want to dine with the royals, especially them given what they had been up to all day. "Not bloody likely." He dismissed the suggestion altogether, finding it gruesomely offensive.

"I plan to keep in this bed naked so I can have you all to myself." He said with a faint growl. "You, my dear, are not leaving here." He flashed her a devious grin and held a strawberry to her lips.

"Is that so?" She chased the ripe fruit, nipping at it playful until at last it met her mouth.

"Indubitably." He answered provocatively as he sucked the juices off his thumb. "At least until my insatiable desire for you can be tempered, but I doubt it ever will."

She rolled her eyes and finished the berry between her fingers before leaning over his lap to inspect the spread he had selected for them. It contained the usual; cured meats, bread and jam, cheeses, and fruit. It wasn't a meal but it would be enough to tide them over until they could have a proper meal.

Grabbing a piece of bread off the plate, she put it between her teeth and took a generous bite. "Mhm. What time is it?" She asked between bites.

"Late I'm afraid. Everyone has already retired for the evening." He replied, eating casually from the plate that he balanced in his lap.

"And the crew?" She wondered, gulping down the piece of bread in her mouth and clapping the crumbs from her palms.

"Mhm." He chewed the piece of meat in his mouth before providing a response.

Emma slid toward him until she was pressed against him and tucked herself into his side.

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her so that she could lean against him and pick from the platter. The duvet had slipped lower, revealing her rounded breasts and pert rosy nipples that puckered at the slight chill in the air.

"Your mother and father were very generous and set them up in accommodations while they recuperate." He replied, laying down with his legs curled at his ankles as he gently brushed her bare shoulder.

"Why do I feel like you had a hand in that?" She looked up from the tray and gave him a suspicious look.

"You wound me love. I assure you, they did it of their own volition." He said defensively. "However, I may have alluded to the fact that they could use some compensation for their dashing rescue."

"Was that what you talked about with my father?" She supposed, seizing and coveting a piece of cured meat greedily from the plate.

"It might have been mentioned." He nodded dubiously. Killian stretched his body toward the edge of the bed to collect the water goblet he had set on the table nearby. He brought it to his lips and took a long sip before offering it over to her.

Placing it between her lips, he guided the water to dribble down her throat, and once her thirst was quenched he returned it to the table and resumed eating. "If you must know. The king — your father." He amended. "He wanted to know what my intentions were."

"And what exactly did you tell him?" She asked ambiguously, pulling a piece of melon from the tray to devour.

"I made it clear that we were together." He answered, leaving out the most important part but he could already sense she wasn't buying it.

"Is that really all?" She wanted to know, tearing a piece of bread in half and pulled it between her teeth.

"I also told him that I plan to be with you and raise our child together." He affirmed with a straightlaced nod.

"No." She shook her head. "That isn't all. What are you not telling me?" She all but demanded.

"There may have been talk about where we were planning to live." He offered with a tilt of his head. "I made it quite apparent that I was not going to give up my life on the sea. The sea is my home and it is a home I would like to share with you." He admitted in earnest.

"Suffice to say, he wasn't too keen on the idea and it took some convincing but he is allowing us to split our time between here and the Jolly Roger." He told her, much to her astonishment. "I wanted to confer with you but I knew you wouldn't be opposed to the idea considering your prior confinement."

"You seem very confident that I would want to raise our children on a pirate ship without consulting with me first." She called him out on his assumption.

"Excuse me?" He nearly choked on the food in his mouth and he had to pound his chest to get it to go down his throat. "Did you just say children? As in more than one?"

"It might happen." She reasoned with a slight shrug. "With your considerable libido—" She accused.

"Mine? You'd do best to not discredit yours—" He fired back. "Besides, what is wrong with being raised on a ship? I was raised on a ship. It builds strength and character." He asserted while she blinked at him idly. "No child of mine is going to be raised as a pompous arse."

"And I agree with you." She nodded in support.

"You do?" He asked in complete bewilderment.

"I think it is a great idea." She encouraged. "I mean I have my reservations about putting my child in danger, but if I know its father, that won't be an issue. He always protects those he loves." She smiled softly, her hand falling to her belly.

"So, splitting our time—?"

"Yes." She nodded in agreement, enjoying the way he beamed in excitement at her. "I don't want myself or my child to be confined within these walls. I spent so much of my life doing that. I don't want that for anyone, especially my own child. And— I know the sea is in your blood, I refuse to take that away from you." She explained her reasoning.

"Gods, I love you." He revered her, kissing the top of her head. "And you as well." He placed his hand on top of hers to give their unborn child the endearment. He held it briefly and gently squeezed it before tearing himself away to pick at the food on the plate to revitalize his energy.

"You know—" She opened her mouth to speak when she felt a faint flutter underneath her hand. She stopped mid-thought, her eyes widening in surprise as she pressed her hand into her belly to confirm her suspicions.

"Love? What is it?" He wondered, his voice deepening with his concern.

"I think—" She shook her head in disbelief, waiting intently to feel another stirring from within her. "Yes. It is." She smiled brightly, taking his hand and bringing it down to her belly so he could feel it too. "I can feel it."

"I'm aware." He gave her an uneasy smile, wanting to bask in her enjoyment at the discovery but unable to fully take part in the newness of it.

"Wait? You knew—"

"Aye. I felt it the other evening." He affirmed, slowly moving his hand away in preparation for her chastisement.

"And you didn't tell me?" She let out an exasperated breath and flung her arms out beside her.

"You have to understand, I didn't want to build an attachment. It would have made it that much harder to leave." He explained, despite her admonishing stare. "I was scared, love."

"And you aren't anymore?" She asked, trepidation washing over her in the moment of silence that lapsed between her question and his response.

"No. The moment I thought I had lost you for good was the moment I stopped denying my feelings for you. When I swore that I wouldn't leave you, I meant it. And while I am frightened out of my wits, I want to be the best father I can be for the babe." He vowed earnestly.

Her face softened and her breath caught in her throat at his words. "You mean that?" She asked timidly.

He opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it, opting for something more definitive with which to prove his devotion to her. Swallowing, he brought his hand down to the pendent resting just above her breasts and held it in his hand, staring down into the portrait adorning the frame with a wistful smile.

"I can't recall all the times I teased you about this infernal thing." He chuckled breathlessly at the memory. "Turns out I was the bloke in here all along. Fate is odd that way — always revealing itself in the most unpredictable ways—"

"I think that's why they call it fate." She interrupted him from his reverie.

"I barely recognize the chap here. He was an ignorant fool. Unwise to the world around him. Sometimes I wish I could have warned him—" He thought back to the man he used to be as he stroked the outline of the locket.

"I quite like him." She admired, rubbing his wrist. "He's handsome and quite regal looking. He's my true love and I love every part of him."

"I remember when I stood for this portrait. I thought it was rather unsensible at the time. It is quite costly to have one made, but Liam insisted that once we moved up in the ranks that we have one done." He recalled, sighing heavily at the mention of his brother. "I was 21 at the time. So you would have been—" He wrecked his brain as he did the mental math.

"12—" She answered for him, beating him to the punch, the meaning behind the acknowledgement weighing itself upon her. "It makes sense. This picture would have to be as old as you were when it was given to me. I just didn't think—"

"Fate." He exhaled with a slight laugh. "I've been with you every day since you were placed in that tower watching over you." He remarked in utter disbelief. "It is rather poetic, don't you think? Your dashing rescuer turns out to be your true love?" He tested the foreign words on his lips, unable to say the words aloud until now.

"I tried to tell you, but I—" She stopped herself from finishing the sentence in fear that she would offend him.

"Wasn't expecting a devilishly handsome pirate?" He finished for her with a smirk.

"Well, yes." She deadpanned. "You spend seven years with the assumption that you are going to be rescued by your true love. It was the only thing that kept me going most days and to be rescued by you, I thought that it had been wrong. That maybe, I had been tricked. I wouldn't have put it past her." She recalled, thinking back to the day they met.

It almost seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had happened since then.

"I'm still trying to adjust to the knowledge that breaking the curse depended on my impregnating you." His eyes darted toward her expanding stomach. "Am I to understand the babe has magic?"

"That's what it seems like. Regina said she needed an infant from the royal bloodline born of true love." Emma told him.

"Not even born and it's already a handful." Killian grinned sheepishly as he scratched behind his ear. He let out a deep wistful sigh and twisted himself to meet her penetrating gaze as his hand collapsed hers. "I love you Emma, and I will love this child because it was made out of love."

Tears formed in her eyes, her lips quivering as she leaned in to press them into his with all of the love she could muster.

Killian's face wrinkled painfully under the intensity and emotion she poured into her kiss. He crushed his lips into hers, his hand snaking around to cup her face as he urged her to move his mouth against his.

She wept into his mouth, her salty tears collecting on his lips and sliding onto his tongue as he slated his lips over hers in all-encompassing passion. He could taste her overwhelming love for him on his lips as they swept over hers.

They panted as they rested their lips just a hair's breadth away from one another, letting their warm breath caress their kiss-bruised lips. "Are you still hungry?" He whispered his question about the long-forgotten plate of food.

"Yes. But not for food." She moaned, shifting against him in impatience.

"Bloody hell." He stretched his mouth, the leather brushing against his legs as he tilted his hips to give her a teasing thrust. "Thank the bloody Gods." Killian praised, savagely kicking the abandoned silver tray off the bed with a clatter as he covered her body with his.

Killian laid in bed, an arm splayed across his lower chest while the other folded behind his head to prop himself up. Emma slept soundly beside him, curled into her side, her arm cradling the subtle swell of her stomach protectively as she rested.

He had managed to get a few hours of sleep in before waking with a start, his vivid dreams pulling him from his slumber and preventing him from falling back into a restful sleep. There had been something nagging at him for the last couple of hours and he hadn't been able to take his mind off of it in the few instances of reprieve from their activities.

Staring up at the ceiling, his eyes settled on mapping out the grooves in the ceiling, memorizing each nook and crevice to sate his racing thoughts to no avail. Laying in bed wasn't doing anything to abate the anxious feelings building inside of him.

With a soft grunt, he pulled the covers off and swung his legs over the edge of the bed, letting his feet rest on the floor as he contemplated his next actions. He was reluctant to leave her, well aware how sensitive she was to his absence but this was just something that wasn't going to sort itself out on its own.

Looking over his shoulder he could see the gentle rise and fall of her shoulders as she slept, her soft breathing filling the room. His heart swelled at the sight, unable to contain the feeling of being remarkably full for what seemed like the first time in his pathetic existence. It brought a smile to his face followed by a sigh of longing.

Sweeping his legs back over the mattress, he inched closer to her until his body melted into the shape of curves. He gazed upon her sleeping form, breathing her in before dropping a kiss into her hair. His hands traveled down her body with a feather light touch, the duvet covering her riding down until it pooled at her hips.

His hand settled over her belly, caressing it gently, the movement eliciting a faint sigh of contentment from her lips. He lingered there for a moment, basking in the presence of the unborn child they had made together that rested inside her. Wiggling lower on the bed, he leaned over her and pressed a single kiss to her belly before tearing himself from them.

Rolling until he reached the edge of the bed, he picked himself up from the bed. His hand curled around the wooden bedpost, using it to twist himself before crossing in front of the bed where his leather pants sat balled on the floor.

Bending down, he collected them and gave them a quiet wave to remove the creases in the leather. Grasping the waistband, he placed his feet into the openings and shucked them on with a slight jump to assure that the leather fit tightly against his limbs.

He placed his head against his shoulder to catch a glimpse of the sleeping woman in bed, blissfully unaware of his impending departure as he threaded the laces at his hips. Ringed fingers pushed and pulled the leather laces until the leather hung low around his hips. The material did little to conceal the trail of dark hair disappearing underneath the waistband and revealed the sharp deep-v at his hips.

He made his way over to the chair where the chambermaid had left a selection of clothing for him, at the insistence of the king no doubt. Her father would most likely prefer him to be dressed appropriately while traversing the castle rather than having him expose each rigid muscle in his chest while he walked about.

Pushing his arms through the crisp white cotton shirt, he tugged it over his head and righted it so that it settled limply across his chest. The deep opening suited him, allowing his chest to breathe while giving passerbys a generous view of his chest hair.

He fixed the collar around his neck and noticed the other garment laying on the chair. It was a deep charcoal colored linen trench coat. He huffed at the sight of it but gathered it from the chair and threw it over his shoulders before tucking his arms into the sleeves. The last thing he did was grab his boots, holding them in his hands before slipping quietly out of the room.

After stopping in the hall to pull on his boots, he began to walk aimlessly through the castle, admiring the moonlight filtering in through the windows and the flickering lanterns that lit his way. His footsteps were anxious and nervous, his boots dragging against the stone flooring. He would take a few steps before stopping and patting his pocket where his mother's ring resided just to make sure it was still there as if it would disappear.

His capricious strides took him in the direction of a balcony overlooking the grounds, its large glass doors open wide with a figure standing pensively at the railing. He walked toward the shadow with keen interest, slipping through the doors until he was met with the familiar man staring out into the distance.

"You were the last person I expected to find here." Killian said as he reached the railing to stand by his quartermaster.

"I would say the same for you." Madden countered, tilting his head toward him. "Can't sleep either?" He noticed with a slight grin. "Or did you just tire from fucking?" He teased, his crass words doing nothing to help him.

Killian shot the man a berating look, unamused by the crude comment.

"You do look well satisfied." He observed with a shrug, noting the subtle tint in his cheeks and ruffled hair. "I manage she is just as sated?" He wondered with a teasing smirk.

"You're a right git, you know that." Killian accused with a pointed stare and a clenched jaw.

"I'm aware, but I thought that's what you admire most about me. Well, that, and my comitancy with a sword." He was quick to remind him of his precision and aim. "But that aside, I can't help but notice you look vexxed. Finding happily ever after boring already?"

"No. Quite the opposite actually." Killian sighed heavily as he reached into his pocket to retrieve the silver ring and the gleaming petite oval-shaped red jewel nestled in its center and flanked by two small rounded diamonds.

Madden's eyes widened as Killian showed him the ring, his mouth opening and closing in contemplation and surprise as he inspected it. "It's a beautiful piece of jewelry." Was all he managed to get out in his state of shock.

"It was my mother's and I want to give it to Emma when I ask her to marry me." Killian told him with a loaded sigh.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Madden asked him, not being able to help the conflict in his captain's eyes. "I know you love her, and you did look rather comfortable on that throne, but are you willing to give up everything to be with her? I can't imagine you in this life and you made that quite apparent." He recalled, urging him to think rationally before acting. "Have you really thought this through?"

"I have." Killian nodded in certainty. "I want to make this woman my wife with my entire being. I want to do right by her and our child." He glanced down at the ring in his hand, swallowing hard.

"Then I don't see what the problem is—" Madden flung his arms in exasperation.

"My entire life I never imagined that I would be with someone. Let alone, someone like her. I'm afraid of fucking it up. And what's more, I'm bloody frightened of asking her. What if she says 'no?'" Killian's face dropped in apprehension.

"You know, I never thought I would see the day when the great fearless Captain Jones would be undone by a woman and the prospect of sharing his life with someone." He shook his head with mirth. "Killian, you need to stop believing you aren't worthy of happiness. You have earned the right to be happy. You've spent your entire life alone. It is time you do something for yourself rather than concerning yourself with everyone else." He imparted his opinion with a calm and collected demeanor, letting him seek out the truth in his words.

"Emma strikes me as the reasonable type. She adores you. I know that it doesn't make it any easier but you two belong together. She isn't going to decline your proposal. So just relax and speak from the heart and the fear will just — melt away." He continued his words of advice. "And by the Gods, get down on one knee and do it proper." He tacked on for good measure.

Killian let out a light hearted laugh and shook his head. "When did you get so wise?"

"Somewhere between you holding a pistol to your head about to blow your brains out and right the hell now." He stated vaguely with a soft chuckle.

"You are bloody impossible and as annoying as they come." Killian rolled his eyes before casting them out at the peaceful night sky letting the lapse of silence wash over him. "I need you to do something for me—"

"As long as I don't have to whore myself out to do your bidding — I would do anything for your sorry arse." Madden wiped his mouth with his hand to stifle the amused laughter building in his throat.

"And with that I am questioning my decision." Killian replied in slight irritation. "No. I want to marry Emma on the deck of the Jolly Roger — underneath the stars overlooking the moon reflecting on the water—"

"Well, that sounds rather poetic." He wrinkled his nose at the romantic sentiment. "I don't understand where I come in. It sounds like you have everything handled and I'm not qualified to bake a cake—"

"Would you stop being an unbearable arse for one second. You are making this far harder than it has to be." Killian said in agitation, waving his palm in the air to shush him. "If you are quite finished, I wanted to ask you if you would officiate."

"No, Killian. I can't. I'm not a—" He rejected the proposal vehemently, grossly unaware of the implications of what he was asking him to do.

"Exactly." Killian agreed.

"What are you implying here?" Madden demanded. "Surely there is someone else far more suitable to take over—"

"There is no one else. I am entrusting the Jolly Roger over to you, co-captain." Killian arched his brows, a charming smirk splitting his face.

"Co-captain?" Madden blanched at the proposition. "Do you mean you still intend to—?"

"Aye. The Jolly has been my home for a third of my life and I'm not willing to give that up entirely." Killian replied.

"And they are just going to let you do that? What about your title?" Madden fired question after question toward him.

Killian tilted his head with a judicious look in his eye.

"You have it up, didn't you?" Madden guessed, treating his captain to a skeptical look. "That doesn't sound like you — giving up a lifetime of riches to waste away trying to do the same with more complicated means."

"There are some things that are more valuable than riches — my family. I swore allegiance to that family. I'm not going to turn my back on that." Killian asserted resolutely. "I've made a deal with the king to operate covertly. However, I did vow a certain allegiance to him. I swore that if needs be, we can take out any enemies that threaten the kingdom. No one would ever know of our ties."

"Killian—" Madden shot him an uncertain expression.

"It isn't a contract. We aren't under the thumb of the crown. We will receive no order other than to carry out any threats. Any threat to this kingdom is a direct threat to my family." Killian told him and Madden accepted his explanation.

"So you thought of everything, have you?" Madden reached around for the flask tucked in the back of his pants and handed it over to Killian. "To calm your nerves." He offered and Killian nodded his gratitude.

"I am a hell of a captain." Killian grinned smugly, gesturing to him with the flask before taking a generous sip, letting the rum flood his mouth.

"I've taken that you discussed payment with the king?" Madden assumed.

"In a manner of speaking." Killian said, returning the ring to his pocket before digging in the other. He pulled out the folded piece of parchment and handed it over to his new co-captain to review.

Madden's eyes went wide as he scanned the itemized list with the expected values of each one while Killian took a few more pulls from the flask. "Killian, is this?" He gave him a bewildered expression, daunted by the words before him.

"It is Emma's dowry." He confirmed, pulling the flask from his lips. "And you said that the rescue endeavor would have no payoff."

"I yield. I yield." Madden submitted to him. "This is far more than—"

"Don't get greedy now. Everyone will be paid handsomely and money will be sent out to the next of kin of the fallen. I will see to it." Killian assured him, raising the flask. "And of course, your new position ensures you a hefty sum of any profit we take." He reminded him acutely.

"I don't think I will ever get used to that." Madden chuckled softly. "If I am officially your equal, does this mean you'll stop yelling at me?"

"Absolutely fucking not." Killian replied without the barest hint of hesitation.

"Well I can't have it all." Madden shook his head in exasperation. "But I suppose you can—"

"All and then some." He cocked his head to the side and gestured to him with his flask to bask in his success.

Emma whined, uncomfortably shifting on the bed to find an agreeable position. Groaning, she flipped onto her side expecting to find a warm body next to her only to encounter cold sheets. Her eyes flashed open, blinking rapidly to take in the empty space on the bed beside her.

She stretched out, curling her fist into the sheets and bringing her head down. Burying her face in the sheets, she breathed in deeply, collecting the scent of the salty brine of the sea, his heady masculine musk, and the spice of rum that stirred something primal within her. It was distinct and satisfying but it did absolutely nothing to replace the empty ache that he had left behind in the wake of his withdrawal from their bed chamber.

Turning, she glanced out toward the window, able to make out the early dawn brimming in the sky with its deep dark blues and purples through the gossamer curtains that covered the canopy bed. Tossing the blankets off her, she swung her legs over the bed and parted the curtains to search for him.

She padded off to the powder room finding it empty and returned to the bedroom only to notice that his clothing was missing. She bit her lip and began to panic, trying to reason with herself before thinking the worst. There was probably a rational explanation to why he wasn't there. The last time he had left it was to get food—

She scurried about the room, pulling a dressing gown from the chest of drawers and threw it over her shoulders to fall just above her ankles. There was a slight chill in the early morning hours and set out to find something to pull over the translucent gown. Pushing open the wardrobe, she slid the cascade of tulle and lace before stumbling upon the long velvet forest green duster he had provided for her — a garment she had hardly gotten use out of.

She plucked it from the hanger and shoved her arms through the openings, letting it hang open. Upon closing the wardrobe with a thud, she strode over to the door and flung it open with a single destination in mind.

She shuffled down the corridor, the long trench flowing out behind her as she walked with purpose and determination. Reaching the dining room, she pried open the doors to find her parents settled at the table.

"Emma." Snow announced her appearance drawing the attention of her husband.

Emma pushed the hair from her face with a tight lipped smile and wrapped herself in the coat to hide the outline of her naked body that was exposed under the barely-there material of her shift. "Mother." Emma acknowledged with wide-eyes, their presence unexpected given the time of day. "What are you both doing—"

"We adjourned for the evening quite early given the excitement over the last few hours. We slept as long as we could but there is still a lot to be done. The castle is in a complete state of disarray." Snow explained, rambling on as David shook his head and sipped his cup of tea before setting it down on the saucer in front of him.

"Dear, it is too early for this talk. Don't overwhelm her." He reminded her.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Snow asked softly, noticing the panic crossing her daughter's face.

"I can't find Killian. I'm worried that he might have—" She stammered, hugging the coat to her body.

"Nonsense sweetheart. He's taking a walk in the gardens." Snow could barely finish speaking when she saw her daughter spin around and scamper out into the hallway without as much as a word.

"That was odd." Snow placed her hand on her chest. "Do you know what that was about?" She turned to her husband.

"Not a clue, dear." David smiled to himself as he took another sip of his tea.

"You know something." She perceived, staring at him with a displeased expression.

"No idea what you're talking about." He played ignorance and settled himself to glance over the bits of parchment in front of him leaving his wife to sulk and pout beside him.

Emma headed toward the glass doors leading out to the castle grounds and slipped through them with ease to stumble out into the courtyard. The sound of running water from the fountain pierced her ears as her head darted from side to side to find any motion in the hedges lining the gardens but there was none to be found.

Frantic at this point, she folded her arms across her chest, holding the coat to her body to shield herself from the breeze that caressed her body and whipped her long blonde hair in the wind. She stepped barefoot on the cobblestone until her feet met the soft damp grass below, her toes sinking into the wet earth as she walked through the hedge maze.

She couldn't see past the ridge leading out into the gardens, the well-groomed shrubs with their blossoming pink and white buds perched on their branches that obscured her view. Thick fog bathed her surroundings, contrasting against the light from the sun that was beginning to rise overhead. The sky was a cascade of vibrant oranges and purples marked by the fading darkness that lingered from the twilight.

The chill pricked her skin as she weaved her way through the hedge maze, a labyrinth of pink and white heraldic roses that were in fresh bloom announcing the beginnings of spring. From her vantage point she could make out the faint light creeping through the tree line just beyond the edge of the maze and followed it through to the large opening that led out into a sprawling field.

Peering out into the distance, she noticed a figure approaching, the body emerging from the morning fog and striding through the dew clinginging to the blades of grass that whipped in the gentle breeze.

As they got closer, she noticed the familiar gate with which they walked, the broad shoulders, and the dark hair flying in the wind. "Killian." She breathed in relief, picking up her skirt and starting off toward him, her long trench billowing out behind her.

Killian propped his head up at the sound of advancing footsteps to see Emma sprinting toward him. "Emma?" He lifted a confused brow, picking up his pace to meet her.

When she finally reached him, she collapsed into his chest with a deep sigh, burrowing herself in his warmth.

A bewildered expression crossed his face and he wrapped his arms around her taking in the way she shivered against him. "Lass, what the devil are you doing out here? You are going to catch your death out here in nothing but your shift." He rubbed her shoulders, creating friction with which to warm her body.

"I needed to find you." She murmured softly into his exposed chest. "I thought you might have—" She tried to get the words out, shaking her head at having feared the worst.

"Emma—" He breathed sincerely, taking her face in his hands to lift her from his chest to gaze upon her face. His deep blue eyes met her greens to see the tears brimming in her eyes. His expression softened and he swallowed the painful lump in his throat at the sight of her distress.

Moisture pricked his eyes as a tear slid down her cheek, his thumb immediately seeking it out to swipe it away. "After all we've been through, you still question my love and devotion for you?" He gently lifted her head to see her wind-swept face and she could witness the honesty in his eyes and the truth with which he spoke for herself.

"Don't think for a second that you don't mean anything to me because you mean everything to me." He whispered, brushing an arrant hair from her face with his hand and holding it in place to prevent anything from obstructing his view of her. "You are my entire reason for living and I don't want to waste a single moment without you."

Her eyes closed, her body trembling as his hands slipped from her face to take her hand in his. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she whimpered softly as he dropped to one knee in front of her. She let out a short chuckle at the sight, sniffling as she smiled.

His hand was shaking in hers as he bent forward to place a chaste kiss to her knuckles. Lifting his head back, he looked upon her face from his position with a reverence so overwhelming she thought she would fall.

She watched as he tore his eyes from hers momentarily to shove his hand in his pocket. Emma faltered where she stood, inhaling as her hand clamped over her mouth to stifle her rapid breathing at the sight of the familiar ring he held between his fingers.

"Emma Nolan—" Her breath caught in her throat at the sound of her full name falling from his lips. "You woke me from the dead. Before you walked into my life, I was a husk of a man with no purpose or drive save his own selfishness." He voiced in earnest, his voice breaking as he beared himself to her — without barriers — without walls — without forethought, just instinct.

"But, you came along and forced your way into my heart and now I feel like I can finally breathe again." He whispered his confession into the wind, letting it carry itself to her. "All this time of being unaware of what I was searching for — everything I've been through was so that I could find my way to you."

She gasped, crying and trembling as he revealed the words she longed to hear from him. Everything melted away — their surroundings blurring around them to focus on this moment.

"Fate brought us together and made me whole — you've made me whole." He let out a shaky breath as he let the ring hover over her fingertip. "We found each other under impossible circumstances and now that we are together, I will never let you go." He vowed as he slid the ring securely onto her finger — a perfect fit as if it had always been intended for her.

"Emma Nolan—" He pronounced her name, the agonizing longing and overwhelming adoration tenderly captured in his eyes as he closed her hand around his. "Will you marry me?" He posed the question, the words flowing from his quivering lips like a promise rather than a question.

She dropped her hand to reveal her gentle tearful smile and nodded. "Yes." She breathed, sniffling softly. "Yes." She sobbed joyously as he breathed out a sigh of relief.

He released a faint whimper and sucked back the tears threatening to fall from his crumbling facade. Gathering himself to his feet, he took her face in his hands. "I love you." He whispered against her lips.

"I love you." She let out breathlessly before connecting their lips, her hand covering his and stroking it gently as she sank into his passionate kiss. She followed his mouth, caressing his lips to catch his contented sighs.

He kissed her with fervor, each brush of his lips on hers fueled with unquestionable desire and undeniable affection for the woman who had just agreed to be his wife — his wife. He swallowed her soft whimpers, his unoccupied hand tangling in the hair at the back of her head to angle her mouth on his.

She offered herself up to him in complete surrender, pouring everything she had into the claim of his kiss. His lips sealed themselves to hers acting as a silent vow to always remain hers. Her face twisted in pain by the overwhelming passion in which he kissed her.

They parted with a reluctant sigh, their foreheads pressed together as they steadied their breathing. She could feel his endearing smile ghosting her lips, which she returned instinctually. Her head slipped from his, releasing a gentle laugh that radiated across her tear-streaked face.

Emma's hand caressed his jaw, staring deeply into his cherishing eyes. "What happens next?"

He locked his eyes on her, his blue depths shining with unshed tears as a promising smirk spread across his face. "Whatever we want." He said, the words lingering on his tongue as he leaned forward to press his lips against hers, consumed in the touch of her lips painted in the view of the rising sun behind them that bathed them in its warm light.

AN- That's it. That was the last chapter. A lengthy one at that. I still have the epilogue to write but I want to thank you all for coming along with me on this journey. I hope I gave you a satisfying ending. I appreciate all of the kind words, encouragement, and support I have received writing this. I am so lucky to have you guys. I've been so attached to this story and this universe of characters I've created. Part of me is reluctant to let it go. So I'm debating doing a collection of outtakes because there is so much passing time between some chapters that would allow for it in a way that would compliment the fic. I don't know when I'm going to start that but I will be doing that as the mood strikes. Also look forward to the epilogue. I knew I told you I was going to do a wedding chapter but I just don't have it in me. I'm not a smuff writer and I am far from satisfied with the fourth smut scene in this chapter, but I am fucking exhausted of scrolling through 50 pages of content. With that aside, you are still getting the wedding as part of the epilogue so you won't go without that bit. It just won't be a significant part of it.

Please let me know what you thought of this endless chapter that I slaved away over for the past week. Love you guys! XOXOXOXO -Cat

P.S. I want to let everyone know that the official soundtrack/playlist for this fic was created on Spotify under the name "Dashing Pirate Rescue," so check that out if you need to bask in the feels of this fic. This is what I wrote this fic to and hopefully you guys like it.