Chapter 9
In the months that had passed, Addy had grown increasingly fond, and rather irritated with the father and son duo that commanded the Pearl.
She stopped mid deck and looked out over the clear oceans, the faint lights and sandy shores of Tortuga littering the sea. The sun was slowly sinking; it's orange and pink tracks leaving no trace of the storms that so commonly found the area.
'I could get used to this life,' she thought suddenly. Addy had often dreamed as a child that her days of swashbuckling adventures would lead her to this life of the high seas. She turned, feeling eyes press into her shoulder blades.
The sun rimmed James, his hair blowing softly in the breeze that played across the waters.
"Findin' yourself alright?"
"Quite." She traced his silhouette in her mind, fantasizing about wild romance and the footloose and fancy-free life she wanted.
"Evening meal is ready, if you're hungry that is." James' wolfish grin tugged at her heart. "But, as I hear it, you haven't been eating hardly anything since you came on board,' he spoke as he turned away from her. He strode to the door leading to the lower decks and meal galley. Pausing at the door he said to her, "Not enough meat on your bones makes for slim pickings when it comes to a man in your bed. Most men like a bit of flesh to cozy up to. I'd suggest eating as many pastries as possible before you decide to marry. Makes bedroom unmentionables go much smoother." He smiled and left her there, her mouth hanging open, the wordless gasp cutting the still air.
Later, as she sat in her tiny bunk, Addy could feel the pain of the heroine in her current book. At their last stop, she had picked up this steamy romance novel about a fallen woman and a local highwayman, and had been devouring it ever since. Her nights filled with the wonder of this young, desperate girl, and Addy could feel herself likening their situations.
A knock startled her out of her reverie, and a dark-haired head poked in her door.
"Addy?" James' lilting voice carried through the tiny room. "There's something to see out here.
She set her book down, and in a single movement, scooped up her shawl and blew out her candle.
Following his up the narrow stairs was easy after months of practice, and she soon found herself staring in amazement at the sight before her. In the distance, someone in Tortuga had fireworks, and was shooting them off.
Colors exploded before her, and she clapped her hands in glee. Many of the sailors had stopped their work and watch duties to view the sight, and even the rather sleepy Captain had rolled out of bed long enough to witness such an event.
Addy's eyes gleamed as the thunderous booms shot skyward and dazzled her. But too soon, they were over, and the men set about their nightly tasks again. She turned to James, and leaned into his embrace, breathing in his scent.
He felt dashed of hotness against his shirt and lifted her face with one callused finger. "What's wrong then, love? Tears?"
"My...my parents used to take me to watch when I was little. I, I miss them so!" She tore herself from his grasp and rushed downstairs to her bunk.
He followed her and caught the door as it swung open gently with the rocking of the ship. He knelt by the bed, and stroked her hair, causing her to look up at him. "I'm sorry lass. We're doing everything we can. My father isn't helping much, is he?" His lopsided grin made her smile through the tears.
"No he's not," she replied, wiping the tears on her nightdress sleeve. "I must look a fright, what with my hair in shambles and me crying and carrying on and all..." A finger and an amused look silenced her.
"I think you look beautiful." James kissed her then, softly and tenderly, his lips barely caressing hers before the left and came back. It was hot and sweet and chaotic all at once.
She let her hands touch his chest, and he gripped her hard, his hands on her shoulders. The kiss deepened as he stood, his strength carrying her with him. She clung to him, her hands burying themselves in his cotton shirt. All thoughts of her parents fled when he let his hand drop from her shoulders to her breast, and the other caressed her throat.
He lay her down on the bed, and with a sweet tug, opened her nightdress' collared front, and began to kiss her throat.
She giggled nervously and whispered something in his ear. With a hearty groan, he hefted himself off of her and closed the bunk door...
She woke to sunlight and the sounds of gulls crying overhead. Sitting up quickly, Addy surveyed her location. Then, with an embarrassing flush creeping over her body, she remembered how she came to be in the crow's nest. After their bedroom trysting was done, she had suggested some fresh air, and all Addy and James ended up with was another cramped, but peaceably secret meeting spot. Not that the man who was supposed to be the lookout minded at all.
She tapped the shoulder of her bedfellow and kissed him awake. "Up up up sleepyhead!" she cried, and laughed as he mumbled and rolled over. He woke and gazed up at her.
"Woman, I shall throw you out of this crow's nest faster than my father drinks himself into oblivion." James' cultured words betrayed his education and she smiled, knowing he hated this.
He stood, his bare chest already red from the sun's blistering heat. She was startled though, by his severe look. "Jamey what's wrong?" Clutching the bed sheet to her nearly nude form, she stood alongside him.
"That," he said, pointing a long finger to a ship at shore. "It's another pirate's ship." He snaked around her and slithered down the mast. She scrambled for her nightdress and slowly followed him.
James burst into his father's study and woke the Captain with a cry. "Father! It's Hadrian's ship! It's in Tortuga!" Jack woke at this, and rushed out of the room, leaving a distressed James and a bewildered Addy.
"Jamey, who's Hadrian?" She softly touched his arm.
"He's the pirate who murdered my mother, and most likely is hunting my father. He wants us dead."
In the months that had passed, Addy had grown increasingly fond, and rather irritated with the father and son duo that commanded the Pearl.
She stopped mid deck and looked out over the clear oceans, the faint lights and sandy shores of Tortuga littering the sea. The sun was slowly sinking; it's orange and pink tracks leaving no trace of the storms that so commonly found the area.
'I could get used to this life,' she thought suddenly. Addy had often dreamed as a child that her days of swashbuckling adventures would lead her to this life of the high seas. She turned, feeling eyes press into her shoulder blades.
The sun rimmed James, his hair blowing softly in the breeze that played across the waters.
"Findin' yourself alright?"
"Quite." She traced his silhouette in her mind, fantasizing about wild romance and the footloose and fancy-free life she wanted.
"Evening meal is ready, if you're hungry that is." James' wolfish grin tugged at her heart. "But, as I hear it, you haven't been eating hardly anything since you came on board,' he spoke as he turned away from her. He strode to the door leading to the lower decks and meal galley. Pausing at the door he said to her, "Not enough meat on your bones makes for slim pickings when it comes to a man in your bed. Most men like a bit of flesh to cozy up to. I'd suggest eating as many pastries as possible before you decide to marry. Makes bedroom unmentionables go much smoother." He smiled and left her there, her mouth hanging open, the wordless gasp cutting the still air.
Later, as she sat in her tiny bunk, Addy could feel the pain of the heroine in her current book. At their last stop, she had picked up this steamy romance novel about a fallen woman and a local highwayman, and had been devouring it ever since. Her nights filled with the wonder of this young, desperate girl, and Addy could feel herself likening their situations.
A knock startled her out of her reverie, and a dark-haired head poked in her door.
"Addy?" James' lilting voice carried through the tiny room. "There's something to see out here.
She set her book down, and in a single movement, scooped up her shawl and blew out her candle.
Following his up the narrow stairs was easy after months of practice, and she soon found herself staring in amazement at the sight before her. In the distance, someone in Tortuga had fireworks, and was shooting them off.
Colors exploded before her, and she clapped her hands in glee. Many of the sailors had stopped their work and watch duties to view the sight, and even the rather sleepy Captain had rolled out of bed long enough to witness such an event.
Addy's eyes gleamed as the thunderous booms shot skyward and dazzled her. But too soon, they were over, and the men set about their nightly tasks again. She turned to James, and leaned into his embrace, breathing in his scent.
He felt dashed of hotness against his shirt and lifted her face with one callused finger. "What's wrong then, love? Tears?"
"My...my parents used to take me to watch when I was little. I, I miss them so!" She tore herself from his grasp and rushed downstairs to her bunk.
He followed her and caught the door as it swung open gently with the rocking of the ship. He knelt by the bed, and stroked her hair, causing her to look up at him. "I'm sorry lass. We're doing everything we can. My father isn't helping much, is he?" His lopsided grin made her smile through the tears.
"No he's not," she replied, wiping the tears on her nightdress sleeve. "I must look a fright, what with my hair in shambles and me crying and carrying on and all..." A finger and an amused look silenced her.
"I think you look beautiful." James kissed her then, softly and tenderly, his lips barely caressing hers before the left and came back. It was hot and sweet and chaotic all at once.
She let her hands touch his chest, and he gripped her hard, his hands on her shoulders. The kiss deepened as he stood, his strength carrying her with him. She clung to him, her hands burying themselves in his cotton shirt. All thoughts of her parents fled when he let his hand drop from her shoulders to her breast, and the other caressed her throat.
He lay her down on the bed, and with a sweet tug, opened her nightdress' collared front, and began to kiss her throat.
She giggled nervously and whispered something in his ear. With a hearty groan, he hefted himself off of her and closed the bunk door...
She woke to sunlight and the sounds of gulls crying overhead. Sitting up quickly, Addy surveyed her location. Then, with an embarrassing flush creeping over her body, she remembered how she came to be in the crow's nest. After their bedroom trysting was done, she had suggested some fresh air, and all Addy and James ended up with was another cramped, but peaceably secret meeting spot. Not that the man who was supposed to be the lookout minded at all.
She tapped the shoulder of her bedfellow and kissed him awake. "Up up up sleepyhead!" she cried, and laughed as he mumbled and rolled over. He woke and gazed up at her.
"Woman, I shall throw you out of this crow's nest faster than my father drinks himself into oblivion." James' cultured words betrayed his education and she smiled, knowing he hated this.
He stood, his bare chest already red from the sun's blistering heat. She was startled though, by his severe look. "Jamey what's wrong?" Clutching the bed sheet to her nearly nude form, she stood alongside him.
"That," he said, pointing a long finger to a ship at shore. "It's another pirate's ship." He snaked around her and slithered down the mast. She scrambled for her nightdress and slowly followed him.
James burst into his father's study and woke the Captain with a cry. "Father! It's Hadrian's ship! It's in Tortuga!" Jack woke at this, and rushed out of the room, leaving a distressed James and a bewildered Addy.
"Jamey, who's Hadrian?" She softly touched his arm.
"He's the pirate who murdered my mother, and most likely is hunting my father. He wants us dead."