Chapter 1
He looked up at the sky and sighed. Something was missing from his life - something had been missing ever since she had left.
He closed his eyes briefly in pain. He had loved her so much and yet had never gotten the chance to tell her his true feelings. They had shared a couple of kisses in the past and the meeting of their lips had made his heart sing.
A footfall behind him made him turn and he smiled at the newest addition to his crew. Bryn - a petite, pretty brunette - stood there, Dermott, the hawk, perched on her arm. Sinbad reached out and ruffled the bird's soft feathers.
"Hey you two," he said. "What are you guys doing up at this hour?"
"We couldn't sleep," Bryn replied. "Don't you feel it Sinbad? Something is going to happen soon. Something big."
He cocked his head to the side. She looked at his silky shoulder-length hair and found herself wanting to run her fingers through the dark strands. His face was cast in shadow but instinctively she knew what had been on his mind. Her. Maeve - the gorgeous Celtic sorceress that had been washed overboard.
Bryn had heard bits and pieces of the crew's life with Maeve - things that she had gathered from the two years that she had been with the crew. Maeve's name was hardly ever spoken and if it was, there descended such an air of unhappiness, that the topic was switched quickly.
She walked up beside him and rested her arms on the railing of the boat. She stared out at the glittering black water and said softly, "You can tell me about her, you know."
He turned to her, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Who?"
She laughed softly. "Don't beat around the bush Sinbad. Everybody knows that you have feelings for Maeve." She turned to face him. "We all know that she holds your heart."
He exhaled heavily and turned back to stare at the water. "After all this time - I would have sworn that my feelings for her would have faded - even slightly. But they haven't. And I'm afraid that I can't give myself to another woman." He turned to her, his eyes blazing with intensity. "I've been celibate ever since I met her, goddamn it!"
Bryn's mouth dropped open. That woman had to be a GODDESS! For someone to get a gorgeous, virile man like the sailor to commit themselves totally to them, took an unbelievable amount of something special.
She smiled sadly at what she would never have and patted his arm. "Keep hoping Sinbad. You'll find her someday."
With that, she walked off to bed.
*****************************************
Sinbad stood there after Bryn left, staring at the stars. He felt it too, this certainty that his life was going to change - and soon.
He smiled once to himself and went below deck.
********************************************
Her scent filled his senses. That light, fragrance that reminded him of vanilla. He once joked about how it made him feel like licking her to see if she tasted as good as she smelt.
She had punched him in the stomach.
He opened his eyes, his gaze coming to rest on the woman standing by the window. Her hair was longer than he remembered; now it fell almost to her hips. But it was the same rich, copper color that had so enchanted him when he had first met her.
"Maeve," it came out barely louder than a whisper but she heard. She spun around, her glorious amber eyes lighting up at the sight of him.
She walked to the bed and sat upon it. "Sinbad," she breathed. She raised a slender hand to touch his cheek. "It's really you." Then, she frowned. "Why are you here?"
"Where is here?" he asked in bewilderment.
"A place between worlds. Somewhere where I can practice my magic in peace," she told him. "What I DON'T understand is why you are here."
"I'm just as confused as you are. One moment I was asleep, and the next, here I am. Not that I have a problem with seeing you again....." His voice trailed off and he traced her lips with his finger.
She gasped softly and he leaned in, brushing her mouth with his. He felt her response almost instantly and he deepened the kiss, giving leeway to all of the feelings that he had kept pent up for the past years.
She wrapped her long, slim arms around his neck and he fell back on the bed, taking her with him. His hand found his way below the short, white dress that she had on, and discovering that she wore nothing underneath.
She moaned as his fingers found her and began caressing her most sensitive spot. Her hips moved in with the rhythm that he set and their tongues followed in the dance, dueling with each other.
She cried out as her climax overtook her and he kissed her deeply. Her eager hands pulled at his shirt and soon the garment was free and lying on the floor. She ran her hands along his smooth back, relishing the feel of the hot skin below her fingers.
His fingers fumbled with the tight black leather pants and he cursed himself for falling asleep in them. Finally he peeled them off and then pulled the dress off Maeve.
She looked up at him, his exquisite silver-blue eyes dark with desire. She knew that this man completed her - made her whole. Without him, her life was nothing and she was nothing.
His breath caught at the picture she made, the creamy skinned temptress, lying seductively amongst the white sheets, her long hair spread over the pillow. He bent down and placed a kiss upon her neck and moved lower.
She squirmed as he proceeded to pleasure her until she couldn't think, then he slipped inside of her, easily taking her virginity. Maeve barely flinched at the stretching sensation and then her instincts took over and she began to move with him.
They followed the rhythm until finally, they exploded as one, their cries mingling in the silent air. It was as if the world had stopped to give them that one moment....and maybe it had.
They fell asleep, arms clasped tightly around each other, smiles of contentment on their faces.
*********************************************
The sound of knocking rose Sinbad from his slumber. He opened his eyes groggily and reached for Maeve. He frowned as he noted that the space beside him was empty and he rubbed his hands over his face as he recalled the dream that he had last night. It seemed so real, so erotic.
Maeve, he thought and smiled. It was the first time in years that he could think of her and not feel pain. He closed his eyes and got up to answer the door, only to realize that he was stark naked.
"Whoa," he murmured, "That was SOME dream."
He pulled on a baggy pair of pants and opened the door. Doubar stood outside and he raised an eyebrow at Sinbad's disheveled appearance.
"Hard night?" he asked.
Sinbad groaned. "You have no idea."
****************************************
He looked up at the sky and sighed. Something was missing from his life - something had been missing ever since she had left.
He closed his eyes briefly in pain. He had loved her so much and yet had never gotten the chance to tell her his true feelings. They had shared a couple of kisses in the past and the meeting of their lips had made his heart sing.
A footfall behind him made him turn and he smiled at the newest addition to his crew. Bryn - a petite, pretty brunette - stood there, Dermott, the hawk, perched on her arm. Sinbad reached out and ruffled the bird's soft feathers.
"Hey you two," he said. "What are you guys doing up at this hour?"
"We couldn't sleep," Bryn replied. "Don't you feel it Sinbad? Something is going to happen soon. Something big."
He cocked his head to the side. She looked at his silky shoulder-length hair and found herself wanting to run her fingers through the dark strands. His face was cast in shadow but instinctively she knew what had been on his mind. Her. Maeve - the gorgeous Celtic sorceress that had been washed overboard.
Bryn had heard bits and pieces of the crew's life with Maeve - things that she had gathered from the two years that she had been with the crew. Maeve's name was hardly ever spoken and if it was, there descended such an air of unhappiness, that the topic was switched quickly.
She walked up beside him and rested her arms on the railing of the boat. She stared out at the glittering black water and said softly, "You can tell me about her, you know."
He turned to her, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Who?"
She laughed softly. "Don't beat around the bush Sinbad. Everybody knows that you have feelings for Maeve." She turned to face him. "We all know that she holds your heart."
He exhaled heavily and turned back to stare at the water. "After all this time - I would have sworn that my feelings for her would have faded - even slightly. But they haven't. And I'm afraid that I can't give myself to another woman." He turned to her, his eyes blazing with intensity. "I've been celibate ever since I met her, goddamn it!"
Bryn's mouth dropped open. That woman had to be a GODDESS! For someone to get a gorgeous, virile man like the sailor to commit themselves totally to them, took an unbelievable amount of something special.
She smiled sadly at what she would never have and patted his arm. "Keep hoping Sinbad. You'll find her someday."
With that, she walked off to bed.
*****************************************
Sinbad stood there after Bryn left, staring at the stars. He felt it too, this certainty that his life was going to change - and soon.
He smiled once to himself and went below deck.
********************************************
Her scent filled his senses. That light, fragrance that reminded him of vanilla. He once joked about how it made him feel like licking her to see if she tasted as good as she smelt.
She had punched him in the stomach.
He opened his eyes, his gaze coming to rest on the woman standing by the window. Her hair was longer than he remembered; now it fell almost to her hips. But it was the same rich, copper color that had so enchanted him when he had first met her.
"Maeve," it came out barely louder than a whisper but she heard. She spun around, her glorious amber eyes lighting up at the sight of him.
She walked to the bed and sat upon it. "Sinbad," she breathed. She raised a slender hand to touch his cheek. "It's really you." Then, she frowned. "Why are you here?"
"Where is here?" he asked in bewilderment.
"A place between worlds. Somewhere where I can practice my magic in peace," she told him. "What I DON'T understand is why you are here."
"I'm just as confused as you are. One moment I was asleep, and the next, here I am. Not that I have a problem with seeing you again....." His voice trailed off and he traced her lips with his finger.
She gasped softly and he leaned in, brushing her mouth with his. He felt her response almost instantly and he deepened the kiss, giving leeway to all of the feelings that he had kept pent up for the past years.
She wrapped her long, slim arms around his neck and he fell back on the bed, taking her with him. His hand found his way below the short, white dress that she had on, and discovering that she wore nothing underneath.
She moaned as his fingers found her and began caressing her most sensitive spot. Her hips moved in with the rhythm that he set and their tongues followed in the dance, dueling with each other.
She cried out as her climax overtook her and he kissed her deeply. Her eager hands pulled at his shirt and soon the garment was free and lying on the floor. She ran her hands along his smooth back, relishing the feel of the hot skin below her fingers.
His fingers fumbled with the tight black leather pants and he cursed himself for falling asleep in them. Finally he peeled them off and then pulled the dress off Maeve.
She looked up at him, his exquisite silver-blue eyes dark with desire. She knew that this man completed her - made her whole. Without him, her life was nothing and she was nothing.
His breath caught at the picture she made, the creamy skinned temptress, lying seductively amongst the white sheets, her long hair spread over the pillow. He bent down and placed a kiss upon her neck and moved lower.
She squirmed as he proceeded to pleasure her until she couldn't think, then he slipped inside of her, easily taking her virginity. Maeve barely flinched at the stretching sensation and then her instincts took over and she began to move with him.
They followed the rhythm until finally, they exploded as one, their cries mingling in the silent air. It was as if the world had stopped to give them that one moment....and maybe it had.
They fell asleep, arms clasped tightly around each other, smiles of contentment on their faces.
*********************************************
The sound of knocking rose Sinbad from his slumber. He opened his eyes groggily and reached for Maeve. He frowned as he noted that the space beside him was empty and he rubbed his hands over his face as he recalled the dream that he had last night. It seemed so real, so erotic.
Maeve, he thought and smiled. It was the first time in years that he could think of her and not feel pain. He closed his eyes and got up to answer the door, only to realize that he was stark naked.
"Whoa," he murmured, "That was SOME dream."
He pulled on a baggy pair of pants and opened the door. Doubar stood outside and he raised an eyebrow at Sinbad's disheveled appearance.
"Hard night?" he asked.
Sinbad groaned. "You have no idea."
****************************************