Part 13

Max walked swiftly into his chambers with the light bundle in his arms. Pure fury molested him and proved to be big enough to burn him inside out. Today's events troubled him deeply and struck a chord deep within which he chose not to dwell on. He had just been walking down to her cabin to check if everything was satisfactory when he heard a scream that stopped him cold. Then another that brought him out of his trance, and then another that he interpreted with shocking recognition and then another that sent him on winged feet to his prisoner's door.

What he saw there made him panic for a moment then anger won out and he started beating the pulp out of the molester. He sighed. The images still in his mind going on like a never ending play.

Liz stirred into his chest as he strode purposefully into his room and headed straight to the bed. Gently as he could he laid her on the covers. Immediately she started to shiver at the loss of heat and Max quickly moved to pull a blanket on top of her body. He sat there for a few minutes by her side, the darkness encompassing them as if to shield the harsh reality of the outside world. His eyes roamed over her body, searching for injuries, caressing....

Almost unconsciously his hand moved to smooth her hair from her face, feeling it's silkiness between his fingers. His knuckles brushed her soft cheek. Her eyes fluttered open and he jerked away, stiffening.
They stared at each other for a bit and Max couldn't help but noticed how the chocolaty depths drew him in, how the fear and panic that he witnessed a while ago faded into apprehension yet peace.

Liz's eyes darted around the darkness and she swallowed visibly as her gaze rested on him again. Her mouth opened and it came out in a shaky voice.
"T-thank you"

Max got up off the bed avoiding her expressive eyes and ignoring her gratitude. He moved to the bedside to light a lantern and bathe the room with light. It was as if they were back in reality now.

"I do not appreciate my crew touching what is mine" he replied harshly. He stood with his back to her. There was no answer and after a few moments he turned to see her sitting up, her eyes flashing in anger. He smiled an ugly smile.

"I prefer to keep the things that belong to me uncorrupted" he stressed the last word and the double meaning was not lost on both of them. Liz stiffened with shock and fury. She swallowed with difficulty.

"Y-you-you bastard" she managed and while she strove for a clear deadly voice, she was frustrated to hear her voice still shaky from her attack. His mocking smile told her he knew it too.

"Damn you" she sputtered and watched his smile harden. His eyes roved over her and came back to her face.

"I'm already damned" he replied then walked over to the chest at the foot of the bed, opened it and withdrew a long nightshirt. He unceremoniously threw it at her then nonchalantly walked to the decanter of brandy and started to pour himself a cup. His knuckles ached from the thrashing, his head kept ringing with distressed female screams and having that certain female on his bed was threading his control. He drained the cup.

Then he turned around to find Liz huddled on his bed, his nightshirt clutched protectively to her. He raised an eyebrow. An angry flush stole over her cheeks and her eyes lowered from his scrutiny. It occurred to him that she looked like a helpless child. It reluctantly allowed him to relent a bit.

"Dress yourself and sleep. It will do you good" he said gruffly.

"I am not going to wear your clothes and sleep in your bed" Liz spoke up defiantly. Irritation stirred him. If she wanted it that way then....He didn't even want to be gentle.

In a flash he was by her side, and Liz could only gasp in surprise. Max towered over her and swept a hand over her torn dress. Liz flinched. His eyes hardened at the movement. He trailed his fingers lightly down the silken material of her gown, his eyes following the path in speculation. Involuntarily, Liz's breathing began to quicken, with something that was not fear.

He slowly moved from her arm down to the side of her breast. She could not find her voice to protest. Down to her waist. Still no words burst forth. His hand spread upon her stomach, barely touching. Her breath caught in her throat.

Max caught a loose fabric and rubbed it between thumb and forefinger, slowly. His eyes worked the trail back up to her face. His expression inscrutable. Liz began to feel an uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. He stared hard at her for a moment. Studying her face and eyes, watching. Then, with a glance back down at the silk in his hand, looked back up.

"I do not see how you could wear stolen silks of an innocent lady but not agree to wear a nightshirt of a notorious pirate who is even giving you permission to" he remarked softly.

Liz felt like exhaling so she could inhale again and inhale at the same time. That resulted in a minor choking and a widening of eyes. Before she could control herself he was already off the bed and headed back to the chest. From within it he took out a fine dress, of deep yellow and smooth cotton, embroidered with delicate lace.

"Perhaps this will do more for the lady's taste" he remarked sarcastically and threw it to her. Liz inspected it and drew flashing eyes to him. Barely restraining herself she brushed the dress away disdainfully.

"I will not wear your whore's dress" she said acidly. Far from erupting with fury Max drew back his head and laughed.

"Ah my sweet, tis no whore's dress. My crew do have wives who do come to visit you know" he told her as if he was explaining to an ignorant child. That piece of news threw Liz off. Surprise left her bereft of speech. Wives? A pirate's crew had Families? It was impossible to even think. Especially when they were prepared to rape her. And she did not hesitate to tell the captain so. Max appeared to stiffen, his fists clenching, his eyes flashing like brown steel. It appeared his next words were tight and clipped.

"Hugh is new here and he has no wife. He has learned the first lesson upon my ship and the others will heed that lesson as well"

"That what is yours shall not be trifled with?" Liz asked bitterly. Max gave her a small smile.

"For a time my sweet little thief" he replied softly. Her fists clenched and she jutted her chin out but brooked no argument. He gave a small chuckle. "Smart woman" he remarked in that same soft voice. Liz said nothing. She knew her position. Her sacrifice. Follow the leader and be discharged. It was her only option, other than a death by a sword or a watery grave. She would not die at that vile pirate's hands and she would live to see her family again. At that thought she could not help wondering what her parents were doing now. She could well imagine her mother's distress and worry, her father's wrath and concern and.....her betrothed...Liz started. She would not think of him now. She did not want to add to her already distressing thoughts.

Reluctantly Liz picked the dress back up to inspect more closely. It appeared decent enough and she did need to get out of her own gown. The tears did nothing to allow her to forget the past event and she wished to dispose of it as quickly as she could.

Liz was very conscious of the captain that stood a few feet away watching her. Slowly she looked up.

"Shall you give me privacy sir?" she asked stiffly. He lifted a brow

"Tis my chamber lady" he answered in kind. Liz bridled.

"I expected much of the likes of you" she retorted, aiming to sting him. Max only smiled sneeringly.

"My you do know how to act the lady my sweet thief. Is there no end to your talents" he remarked sardonically. Liz choked on her protests and reined in her temper. She only stared. Finally sighing with exasperation he put a hand on his hip and cocked his head to the side.

"And how do you propose to get out of that multi-buttoned dress on your own?" he asked pointedly and Liz was forced grudgingly to admit, to herself of course, that she would indeed have a very difficult time undressing.

"I thought so" he replied in her stead and started moving towards her. Liz immediately backed away.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked startled, finally finding her voice.

"I am going to help you undress" he answered simply and in flash his hands were on her shoulders and he was twisting her around so her back faced him. Liz immediately began to struggle, trying to release herself from him hold.

His hands tightened considerably on her shoulders, digging into her soft flesh. Liz winced and she stopped. Hot air stirred the back of her neck, traveling up behind her ear. Hot breath licked the hair there.

"Better" he whispered. An involuntary shiver passed through her body. Her breath caught and then erupted in quick short ones. A few seconds passed and the only movement in the room was her stirring hair, the only sound his breathing. Suddenly Liz jumped slightly. Max's tongue had snaked out and lightly licked her lobe. The wetness delightfully cooling against the air. No words were uttered. The hands on her shoulders started moving lightly. Treading. One hand moved to her slender neck molding it in his clasp then up to her hair, entangling his fingers in the rich silky curtain, savoring its touch.

His other hand leisurely skimmed from one shoulder to the other, slowly kneading the muscles, releasing the tension. Liz unconsciously arched her neck in pleasure. Suddenly it abandoned the massaging and traced a path down to the top button of her dress. Before Liz could even register the sudden change of course the first button was popped open.

She gasped and opened her mouth to protest once again but was once again interrupted in a most shocking way. On the soft flesh that was revealed to the eye Max bent his head and placed a light kiss on the inviting flesh. Suddenly Liz found it very hard to breathe and that held breathe, surprisingly, was not held in apprehension, but in anticipation.

Button after button. Kiss after kiss. One more button to go. By then Max was on his knees, his lips on the small of her back, his hands spread across her waist. Instead of following the same procedure, his hands moved up and around to her back, sliding beneath the open folds of her dress. At the same time his mouth enveloped the button and he wrenched at it with his teeth, sending it flying across the room and bouncing to the floor. Immediately after that Max rose to his feet, keeping his mouth locked on her spine,trailing his tongue back up to the base of her neck. A low moan escaped her lips.

His hands still within the folds he slowly slid them up, revealing the whole of her back, up and over her shoulders, and stopped. At this moment they were in a world of their own. A world of pleasure. Max's hands tightened convulsively. A silent battle raging within him.

Abruptly he released her, wrenching them both back into reality. Liz watched with wide eyes as he briskly walked to the door. Twisting the knob, he turned for a moment to regard her with dark expressionless eyes.

"Sleep well" was all that was said before he was out the door. Liz waited. The bolt sounded and she released a shuddering breath. Not daring to examine what had happened she mechanically undressed and put on the yellow gown.

Just as she was tying the ends the bolt opened. Liz looked expectedly at the door. It burst open, but not by whom she thought, and, to her utter disbelief, hoped.
Maria ran in and crushed her to herself. Liz found it hard to breathe for a few seconds before she was put down and eyes critically up and down. The frown between Maria's features faded and relief was evident on her face.

"Oh Liz! oh you're alright, thank god because I was terribly worried. You won't believe it but the blood drained from my face when I heard, from my Michael of course although he was reluctant to share but you know I do have my tricks, I'll teach them to you sometime, anyway when I heard what happened to you and I just came as soon as I could. Are you sure you're alright? You're awfully pale. Anything happen? Do you need anything?" by the end of that Liz was looking bemused and Maria was breathing lungfuls of air.

"Do you always talk so fast?" Liz asked.

"Always" Maria replied.

Max walked up to deck, breathing in the night air, letting the cool breeze lay a damper on the heat inside. Slowly he strolled to the rail and leisurely observe the beautiful vastness. It never failed to raise admiration and awe from him. The sea was the best part of his work. All the treasures in the world could not compare to such beauty- he stopped abruptly as a certain picture entered his head.

"Evenin' captain" Michael approached his friend and looked out to the horizon.

"A beautiful evening it is Michael" Max replied. He looked up to the starlit sky.

"What be your predictions tonight fine sailor?" he asked. Michael looked contemplative for a moment. Then appeared to decide on an answer.

"Smooth sailing ahead captain"

Max smiled then looked grim. "I can't help but feel there will be a few storms raging ahead" he remarked.