Chapter 22: The Morning After
He woke up but didn't open his eyes, trying to think of where he was and why he was rocking back and forth. And why a woman wearing rose perfume was next to him. He opened his eyes, and memory flooded back to him. She lay facing him, a few strands of hair falling over her face. She looked so peaceful and innocent. He smiled and pushed the hair as gently as he could away from her face. She sighed and snuggled closer to him, making him rather aware that she was still naked.
He lifted his head up onto his hand and winced at the ache in his head. Damn rum anyway. The pain faded as he stayed still, which he was perfectly willing to do as the scenery before him was absolutely breathtaking. When he had moved, the blanket had fallen back from her shoulder, revealing as well a single, perfect breast. He took his time in studying her, noticing where the tan abruptly ended and the milk white of skin that had never seen the light of the sun began.
As he drank in her beauty with his eyes, his free hand moved of its own will and lightly touched her shoulder, to make sure she was real. One touch wasn't enough, and he found himself trailing his fingers down her arm underneath the blanket. Reaching her wrist, he moved from her arm to her hip and traced her hip and upper thigh. He didn't wish to wake her, but a lightheadedness came over him as he touched her, and he found he could not stop.
His hand came back to her torso, softly tracing a path upwards between her breasts until it came to rest on her cheek. When his eyes followed the path his fingers had made, he found himself falling into deep blue eyes. He heard his heart pounding in his ears and saw her lips shape his name before he covered them with his own, quickly losing any will he may have had to break the spell he was under. Her hands pulled at the laces of his pants, which he shed as quickly as he could, growling slightly as the blanket got in his way.
Finally, his lips returned to the welcoming warmth and sweetness of hers as they once more rode the waves of passion that had consumed them the night before.
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"Would you quit staring at me?" she asked in exasperation some time later as she started getting dressed.
"Why?" he asked, pretending to be hurt.
"Because I don't like being gawked at!"
He laughed, making her sigh. "I don't believe this. You don't like being gawked at, but I seem to remember a certain deep blue dress that was more than a little revealing." She dressed as quickly as she could, doing her best to ignore the soreness between her legs.
"Well it wasn't by choice," she shot back.
"God, woman, don't you have a headache?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.
"No.should I?" she replied, puzzled.
"After all the rum we drank last night, I would say yes, you should."
"Well I don't. I take it you do?" she said, looking at him with a smile on her face.
"Come here, I'll do that," he said as she started trying to dig the tangles out of her hair, wishing she had thought to braid it. Obediently, she sat on the edge of the bed with her back to Will and let him brush out her hair. She readied herself for the pain in her scalp, and when it didn't come, she was shocked. "Elizabeth taught me how to do this without hurting," he said, seeming to read her mind.
"That's amazing," Arianne replied, while at the same time fighting back the sting of jealousy at the mention of his wife. God, his wife. What was she thinking? She had just helped him commit adultery! A memory nibbled at the edge of her thoughts, and she let it in. Hadn't he proposed to her last night? "Will?" she asked in a tiny voice.
"Yes?"
"Um.did you mean what you asked me last night?"
"When?"
"Er.before we.before we." She flushed with embarrassment and had the feeling he was amused.
"Yes, Arianne, I meant it," he said thoughtfully. She remained quiet, sensing that he wasn't finished yet. "I meant it, but perhaps that was not the proper time for that question. Do you mind if we put it on hold until it is the time for it?"
"Not at all.but are we going to have to stop doing-what we did?" she asked, feeling like a whore and yet hoping he wouldn't say yes.
"Do you want to stop?" he asked gently, laying the brush down and turning her to face him.
"N-no.not really. I-I like it."
He smiled gently at her, his eyes shining lovingly, as he wrapped her in his arms. She laid her head against his bare chest to hear his heart beating. "I like it too, love," he replied, the sound of his voice vibrating in her ear. "I don't want to stop either. But if at any time you wish to, we will, alright?"
She nodded against his chest, feeling her heart pound much faster than his in relief. She looked up at him and kissed his chin. "So, are you going to let me finish you hair?" he said, smiling down upon her. She sat up and resumed her former position, letting him brush and braid her hair in silence.
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"What do you think is happening back in Port Royal, Will?" she asked as they stood on deck. He started, swearing she had been reading his thoughts.
"I don't know, Arianne, love. I hope we get back soon," he replied, noting her shiver even though the sun was shining and it was rather hot. "He will not hurt you again. I won't let him, darling." She was looking away from him. He took her chin in hand and turned her back to face him and saw she had tears in her eyes. "I promised to protect you, remember?" She nodded. "Then trust me. Please."
"Alright," she replied, "I trust you."
He smiled down at her and she smiled back sincerely. He leaned down and kissed her lips lightly. "You had probably better return the rum we didn't drink to Jack. You know it's his favorite."
"No," she said, a coy look coming to her face, "I think I'll keep it until the next time I need to get you drunk to learn something." She winked and jogged off, presumably to find Jack. He laughed and watched her with pleasure.
********************************
Hearing a voice filled with happiness calling his name, Jack turned and watched Arianne come jogging up to him at the wheel of the ship, noting the sparkle of her blue eyes. Just seeing her so happy put him in a good mood. "I take it you had a good night, then?" he said slyly as she reached him. His grin widened as she blushed. "Good, he'll keep his life then!"
The smile disappeared from her face in an instant and he wondered what he had said wrong. "Jack," she started, "when will we be returning to Port Royal?"
"Ah," he said, revelation dawning on him. "At the next port we'll reprovision and be heading back to Port Royal. It should only take a week or so."
She smiled and thanked him, but the worry didn't leave her eyes as she walked away to climb the crow's nest for her shift. He sighed. He was worried too, but tried not to think about it as there was nothing he could do until he got there. He smiled as he remembered his main reason for returning to the city, however. Suddenly he broke into the rousing chorus of "A Pirate's Life for Me," joined by most of the crew shortly into it.
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Ahhh, they're going to return to Port Royal! What will happen? Will Amos have his way? Will Will be able to keep his promise to Arianne? Will Jack finally get his lady love? Find out! In the next chapter(s) of Arianne!
He woke up but didn't open his eyes, trying to think of where he was and why he was rocking back and forth. And why a woman wearing rose perfume was next to him. He opened his eyes, and memory flooded back to him. She lay facing him, a few strands of hair falling over her face. She looked so peaceful and innocent. He smiled and pushed the hair as gently as he could away from her face. She sighed and snuggled closer to him, making him rather aware that she was still naked.
He lifted his head up onto his hand and winced at the ache in his head. Damn rum anyway. The pain faded as he stayed still, which he was perfectly willing to do as the scenery before him was absolutely breathtaking. When he had moved, the blanket had fallen back from her shoulder, revealing as well a single, perfect breast. He took his time in studying her, noticing where the tan abruptly ended and the milk white of skin that had never seen the light of the sun began.
As he drank in her beauty with his eyes, his free hand moved of its own will and lightly touched her shoulder, to make sure she was real. One touch wasn't enough, and he found himself trailing his fingers down her arm underneath the blanket. Reaching her wrist, he moved from her arm to her hip and traced her hip and upper thigh. He didn't wish to wake her, but a lightheadedness came over him as he touched her, and he found he could not stop.
His hand came back to her torso, softly tracing a path upwards between her breasts until it came to rest on her cheek. When his eyes followed the path his fingers had made, he found himself falling into deep blue eyes. He heard his heart pounding in his ears and saw her lips shape his name before he covered them with his own, quickly losing any will he may have had to break the spell he was under. Her hands pulled at the laces of his pants, which he shed as quickly as he could, growling slightly as the blanket got in his way.
Finally, his lips returned to the welcoming warmth and sweetness of hers as they once more rode the waves of passion that had consumed them the night before.
********************************
"Would you quit staring at me?" she asked in exasperation some time later as she started getting dressed.
"Why?" he asked, pretending to be hurt.
"Because I don't like being gawked at!"
He laughed, making her sigh. "I don't believe this. You don't like being gawked at, but I seem to remember a certain deep blue dress that was more than a little revealing." She dressed as quickly as she could, doing her best to ignore the soreness between her legs.
"Well it wasn't by choice," she shot back.
"God, woman, don't you have a headache?" he asked, abruptly changing the subject.
"No.should I?" she replied, puzzled.
"After all the rum we drank last night, I would say yes, you should."
"Well I don't. I take it you do?" she said, looking at him with a smile on her face.
"Come here, I'll do that," he said as she started trying to dig the tangles out of her hair, wishing she had thought to braid it. Obediently, she sat on the edge of the bed with her back to Will and let him brush out her hair. She readied herself for the pain in her scalp, and when it didn't come, she was shocked. "Elizabeth taught me how to do this without hurting," he said, seeming to read her mind.
"That's amazing," Arianne replied, while at the same time fighting back the sting of jealousy at the mention of his wife. God, his wife. What was she thinking? She had just helped him commit adultery! A memory nibbled at the edge of her thoughts, and she let it in. Hadn't he proposed to her last night? "Will?" she asked in a tiny voice.
"Yes?"
"Um.did you mean what you asked me last night?"
"When?"
"Er.before we.before we." She flushed with embarrassment and had the feeling he was amused.
"Yes, Arianne, I meant it," he said thoughtfully. She remained quiet, sensing that he wasn't finished yet. "I meant it, but perhaps that was not the proper time for that question. Do you mind if we put it on hold until it is the time for it?"
"Not at all.but are we going to have to stop doing-what we did?" she asked, feeling like a whore and yet hoping he wouldn't say yes.
"Do you want to stop?" he asked gently, laying the brush down and turning her to face him.
"N-no.not really. I-I like it."
He smiled gently at her, his eyes shining lovingly, as he wrapped her in his arms. She laid her head against his bare chest to hear his heart beating. "I like it too, love," he replied, the sound of his voice vibrating in her ear. "I don't want to stop either. But if at any time you wish to, we will, alright?"
She nodded against his chest, feeling her heart pound much faster than his in relief. She looked up at him and kissed his chin. "So, are you going to let me finish you hair?" he said, smiling down upon her. She sat up and resumed her former position, letting him brush and braid her hair in silence.
********************************
"What do you think is happening back in Port Royal, Will?" she asked as they stood on deck. He started, swearing she had been reading his thoughts.
"I don't know, Arianne, love. I hope we get back soon," he replied, noting her shiver even though the sun was shining and it was rather hot. "He will not hurt you again. I won't let him, darling." She was looking away from him. He took her chin in hand and turned her back to face him and saw she had tears in her eyes. "I promised to protect you, remember?" She nodded. "Then trust me. Please."
"Alright," she replied, "I trust you."
He smiled down at her and she smiled back sincerely. He leaned down and kissed her lips lightly. "You had probably better return the rum we didn't drink to Jack. You know it's his favorite."
"No," she said, a coy look coming to her face, "I think I'll keep it until the next time I need to get you drunk to learn something." She winked and jogged off, presumably to find Jack. He laughed and watched her with pleasure.
********************************
Hearing a voice filled with happiness calling his name, Jack turned and watched Arianne come jogging up to him at the wheel of the ship, noting the sparkle of her blue eyes. Just seeing her so happy put him in a good mood. "I take it you had a good night, then?" he said slyly as she reached him. His grin widened as she blushed. "Good, he'll keep his life then!"
The smile disappeared from her face in an instant and he wondered what he had said wrong. "Jack," she started, "when will we be returning to Port Royal?"
"Ah," he said, revelation dawning on him. "At the next port we'll reprovision and be heading back to Port Royal. It should only take a week or so."
She smiled and thanked him, but the worry didn't leave her eyes as she walked away to climb the crow's nest for her shift. He sighed. He was worried too, but tried not to think about it as there was nothing he could do until he got there. He smiled as he remembered his main reason for returning to the city, however. Suddenly he broke into the rousing chorus of "A Pirate's Life for Me," joined by most of the crew shortly into it.
************************************************************************
Ahhh, they're going to return to Port Royal! What will happen? Will Amos have his way? Will Will be able to keep his promise to Arianne? Will Jack finally get his lady love? Find out! In the next chapter(s) of Arianne!