You know what goes here…

Tup, two more chapters today, mostly because I'm off on holiday for a week.  You should get another two chapters on 31/7 or 1/8.

Thanks to Hils and Linnie (enjoy your holiday Hilary and enjoy the peace Linnie) :)

…

 

Chapter seventeen:  'I'm neither a shrew, nor tamed.'

Jenny watched as the Strait narrowed, fearing there would not be enough room for The Black Pearl to sail through, but Jack guided her through carefully, using the sweeps rather than the sails, to steady their progress.  She looked out at the snow-capped mountains nearby, forgetting how beautiful snow could be.  'And cold,' Jenny grumbled, pulling her coat tighter around herself.

'Jenny pet, can you take th'watch from the nest, Jonas has taken ill.'

Jenny looked doubtfully up the rigging to the crows nest and forced a smile on her face, 'Of course Mr. Gibbs.'

'It will not be for long pet, just 'til afternoon watch.  Mind how you go.' 

Jenny fought to keep calm as she missed her footing yet again, and glanced up at the basket of the crows nest, sending up a prayer of thanks as it appeared closer than she anticipated.  She carefully climbed into the basket and took up watch position, trying to ignore the sick feeling in her stomach.

…

'Gibbs, set sail.  Th'channel ahead is wider than th'last one so we'll save th'men th'effort.'  Jack yielded the helm back to Paul Rochester and paced the deck.  'Woods, swing th'lead.'

'Aye, aye Cap'n.'  Daniel Woods fetched the depth rope and swung it with an expert arm, so that it ended vertically in the water.  He waited patiently until the lead hit the bottom of the Strait, then coiled the rope back onto the deck.  'Ten knots, Cap'n.'

'Good man.'  Jack smiled smugly to himself, things were going better than he'd anticipated and he hoped to reach the inlet before nightfall.  He looked up at Jenny in the crows nest, then unburdened himself of his sword and pistol and climbed the rigging towards her.  'Ello luv, nice view?'

She smiled as he climbed into the nest, glad of the company.  'A wonderful view, Jack.  I just wish it was not so damned cold!'

'It's been a long, long time since I saw snow,' he reminisced as he looked at the mountains in awe.  'Reminds me of England.  D'ya miss it?'

'England, or snow?'

'England.'

'Good Lord, no.  I doubt I'll ever set foot on a piece of English land again.'  Jenny shuddered involuntarily.

'Jamaica's a piece of English land….'

'You know what I mean.'  She rolled her eyes at Jack and bobbed her tongue out, sticking it back in as his mouth closed on hers.  'I'm supposed to be on watch Jack, you're distracting me.'

'Don't worry luv, I'll have a word wi'th Captain,' he laughed then snuggled against her, keeping look-out ahead.

…

They came upon the inlet just as the last light faded and Jack gave the order to drop anchor, feeling impatient to be so close to treasure but not able to seek it out for a few more hours.  He made his way to his cabin, smiling as he spied Jenny reading one of his books.

'Wotcha readin' luv?'  Jack eased off his boots and sank into his chair, uncorking a bottle of rum with his teeth.

'Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew.'  Jenny gave a narrow glance at Jack's snort of derision.  'And what, pray, is so funny Captain?'

'Nothin' luv, nothin' at all,' he smirked, his shoulders shaking gently with laughter.  'Just ironic when ya think about it, really.'

'Well, Captain Sparrow, I have news for you.  I'm neither a shrew, nor tamed.'  Jenny's eyes glinted dangerously over the top of the book.

'That so, Jenny Samuels?  Well, ya could've fooled me.'  Jack watched in amusement as she walked to the side cabin then sat back in the chair, closing his eyes with a sigh.  'Wha…..?  Jen!'  Jack warned as he felt the tip of a blade against his throat.

She moved back to allow him to stand, on her guard the whole time.

'So, this is the way ya want ter play it, eh?'  Jack drew his sword, a brash grin splitting his face as he ran his blade along Jenny's.  He leaped back in surprise as she swung around, sweeping her sword in a low arc then bringing it up fast.  Jack managed to parry her thrust with a counter-thrust, nodding with satisfaction when she had to leap back herself then he followed through with a slice, missing her shirt by a mere whisker.

'Jack!'

'You started it luv.  If ya can't handle a fight, ya shouldn't start one, savvy?'  He lunged forward, looking in astonishment as Jenny disappeared from in front of him, then spun on his heels as he sensed her behind him.  'Nice trick luv, very good.  Ya just gotta be quicker wi'th execution after ya get up, savvy?'

She felt pleased that her roll on the floor had almost worked.  Next time, she'd get him.  She forced him back on his heels, enjoying the sparring match as much as he was, but still determined to win this particular duel.  Jenny cursed under her breath as her shirt flopped open then smiled to herself and shrugged it from her shoulders after launching a hard assault on Jack.  Her slip strained across her chest, for she had filled out in the time she had been on board The Pearl and the slip was getting rather tight.  She smiled jubilantly as Jack became distracted by the movement of her breasts under the slip and used this to her advantage, parrying his sword away from her and grabbing a knife that had been lying on the table, holding it to his throat.

'Tamed am I?' she whispered huskily then kissed him hard, dropping her sword but keeping hold of the knife.  She had come to know Jack too well to let her guard drop completely.

'All right Jenny Wren, I yield.'  He grinned at her pleased that she was playing dirty instinctively now.  All his thoughts were lost however, by the wonderful feeling of her hand unlacing his breeches and slipping inside, cupping him as she backed up to the bunk, finally discarding the dagger as well.

…

'So, who was Sancho Lopez?'  Jenny absently stroked Jack's chest, her fingers tracing the lines of his scars and tattoos.

'He was a Spanish captain who turned renegade and sailed his own ship away from th'Spaniards.  He must have stashed th'swag here fer some reason an' never got chance ter come back for it.'

'You hope…'

'No-one's heard o'him fer nigh on twenty years luv but th'legend of his treasure continues ter this day.  Th'treasure's there, I'll stake me life on it.'

'What will you do with the treasure?'

'Divide it out between th'crew then spend it.'  Jack grinned, his grin being somewhat tempered upon remembering that he would not be able to spend any of the loot on whores.

'How do you divide it?'  She propped herself up on an elbow, looking into his dark, unfathomable eyes.'

'Well luv, me, as th'Captain gets four shares of th'loot.  Gibbs, being me second in command gets three shares, an' so it goes down t'the lowest powder monkey, who gets a share.  You can have three shares luv.'

'What?  You're giving me shares?'  She looked in disbelief at him, while he laughed at her.

'Of course I'm giving you shares, ya daft wench.  Yer th'one who worked out where were had ter go.  Besides which, yer me woman.  Wouldn't be right fer you not ter have shares.'

'Oh.'  Jenny lay back down again, her head spinning at the thought of being rich.  'I could do whatever I wanted then.  I would not be beholden to anybody.'  A shiver of excitement ran through Jenny's body and she started to understand the lure of a pirates life.  'Hold your horses,' a more temperate voice reasoned.  'You haven't actually found any treasure yet.'  'Jack…?' she began, hesitantly.  'What if there is no treasure?  Won't the crew be angry?'

'Aye, they'll be disappointed but they also know that's the way it goes sometimes.  We could come all th'way down here and go back empty handed then come across a galleon that's laden with treasure.  That's our life luv… unexpected.'

'Why do you sail all this way on the off-chance?'

'Freedom, Jen.  Yes I'm a pirate, an' yes, I luv treasure.  But what I value more than anythin' is me freedom.  That's why m'ship is so important to me, she is freedom.'

'So, if you had to choose…?'

'Yup, freedom every time luv.  All th'riches in th'world are no good if ya don't have th'freedom ter enjoy 'em, savvy?'

She nodded then lay her head on his chest, her fingers resuming their caressing of his body, going lower until they reached his belly button and the dark line of hair trailing down to his groin.  'But what use is freedom if you don't have the means to enjoy it?'

Jack sighed good naturedly.  'Are ya seducin' me or inquisitin' me?'

'Both.'

'I'd prefer it if ya concentrated on th'former.'

'And if I want to concentrate on the latter?'  She moved her hand away from his stomach, a teasing smile playing on her lips.

'Yer can question me any time woman,' he growled, rolling over on top of her and catching her hands with his, pulling them above her head.

'But I might not be in the mood another time…'

'I'm in th'mood fer seducin'… so seduce.'

'Very well.  If you insist,' she laughed, bringing her leg between Jack's and rubbing her thigh against his erection.  'Better?'

'Oh much, much better…' he murmured huskily, losing himself in a searing kiss.

…