Five: A Woman's Touch

Seated in this woman's-Evelyn's-chamber, James felt no fear. He was still chained, but he did not think she posed a threat. If she'd wanted him dead, she'd have made it so already. Instead she sat him in a chair at a large wooden table and set some fruit, bread, and cold meat in front of him. She made a gesture for him to begin eating as she fixed herself a plate and brought out some liquor.

Norrington picked at the meat and bread, trying to ignore the hunger in his stomach. He did not really feel like eating, because he wanted answers as to why he was on this ship. But Evelyn did not seem like she wanted to talk right away, as she began to eat. She poured him a glass and he tentatively took a sip, tasting strong ale.

James did not like to drink much, it made him lose his wits easily, and he felt out of control after just a few drinks. He did not like the thought of not being alert in such a situation, but he was so parched and it did not appear that she was going to offer him any other choices.

Finally deciding to just eat, James devoured the meat and bread, gulping the cool ale down his dry throat. He was picking at some grapes when Evelyn finally decided to speak.

"So why were you doing the high dive from the battlements? I didn't think they had swimming competitions in Port Royal." She smirked at her own little joke.

"It's really none of your business." James said, trying to sound polite, but firm.

"Could it have something to do with no longer being Commodore? I don't have many correspondents that pass through Port Royal often, but news such as that travels fast. You're famous among us scoundrels you know."

James looked at her; she didn't seem like much of a scoundrel. Her skin was fair and unblemished, except by scars. Her hair was long, a light brown filled with golden highlights from the sun, and her curls were perfect. She may have grown up on the sea, but she'd had some education on land as well. It was clear by the way she talked. Her accent was faintly London, and he guessed she'd been educated somewhere there. But how, then, did she end up as a pirate?

Evelyn watched James study her. His brow creased and she felt she could almost hear him thinking. She puzzled him, she knew. He would be able to recognize a good education, having been educated himself.

"I'll answer your questions if you answer mine." She said simply.

Norrington thought a moment more. He was tired and he wanted nothing more than to nap on the large bed that resided in a corner of her chambers. But he highly doubted that was an option. Finally he nodded.

"I was attempting suicide, though clearly it was a weak and failed attempt."

Eve waited for him to say more, clearly not satisfied with his short answer.

"I suppose no longer being Commodore may have played a small part, but I gave that title up myself after…after I lost my love."

Something came over Eve's face just then, though James couldn't figure out what it was. The emotion disappeared as quickly as it had come and he disregarded it.

"Sounds like a good tale. How'd you lose her? Or should I say him? I've heard some men in the king's Navy fancy their own kind."

Norrington scowled, pushing away the memories of him as a young man in the Navy. Those were confusing times for him and he didn't need to be reminded of them now. "Turner stole her."

Eve's eyes widened. This was perfect. She could use Norrington's hatred for Will against them both. Excellent.

"I could sense the tension between the two of you."

"Yes. I've loved Elizabeth for so many years I've lost count. And one day some ruddy Captain Barbossa," James noted Eve's change in emotions again at the mention of Barbossa, "came and took her away and Will had to play the hero, with the help of that bastard Jack Sparrow. He made a fool of me, Sparrow, such a well-meaning idiot of a pirate, simply escape. And Will made things worse by winning Liz's heart."

"So you decided life wasn't worth living?" Eve didn't seem sympathetic.

"Yes. I couldn't stand to be around the two of them, watching her love another man while my heart broke. I gave up hunting pirates, I gave up sailing, I gave up on life."

"Pathetic."

James raised his brows.

"You really sound like you just needed a distraction. You should have hunted pirates with even more fervor, not that I'm saying I enjoy being hunted, but if you had thrown yourself into work, or even found another woman. Whores make great distractions."

James's face scrunched up and Eve couldn't help but laugh. "Simply a suggestion. I'm sure if you actually met more women, this Elizabeth would not seem so special. Had you had women before her?"

She watched his face and saw that there was someone, but someone he did not care to talk about. "I never had Elizabeth. Will took her before I got a chance."

Eve shrugged. She stood and began to clear the table, bringing the plates over to a table near the door where someone from her crew would take them and clean them off. James watched and all this talk of other women made him uncomfortable. He shifted in his chair.

"How about you? Do you know what it's like to love?" He asked boldly.

She turned to him, the smallest look of hurt on her face. She remained silent.

"I thought you said if I answered your questions, you'd answer mine."

She grinned. "I lied."

James scowled. "Why do you have me here then?"

"Well, being the generous woman that I am, I figured I'd offer you a meal. I'm not so heartless as to save you and then let you starve." She chuckled softly, a nice sound, and she came over to Norrington with the keys in hand again. "If you promise to behave, I'll unchain you."

"I can make no such promise." James refused to give in so easily.

Eve shook her head. "Really James, it would be quite useless. Even if you were to overpower me, you've got my crew to deal with, and nowhere to go. We're at sea, and I doubt anyone is coming to rescue you. Think anyone even realizes you're gone yet?"

He scowled. "Why did you save me after I fell?"

She knelt at his feet to unlock his chains even though he had not agreed to behave. "Curiosity." She grinned.

He stood and stretched, doing an odd sort of jig to fully get circulation in his legs going again. He felt lightheaded from the ale and had to sit again.

Eve poured herself some more to drink and filled his cup as well. "Drink up." She mumbled into her cup.

Norrington didn't want to, but he was still so thirsty. He downed what was in his cup and felt an odd sort of cheeriness within him. He was sitting in a room with a beautiful young woman, and at the moment, he really had no troubles. All his troubles were left behind in Port Royal and maybe he should consider some sort of distraction to keep his mind off Elizabeth.

Eve was at his side again, brushing against him as she bent to unlock the chains at his wrists. His mind felt confused, dizzy, drugged. His thoughts were slow and lazy and the accidental touch of her skin on his aroused him.

It had been so long since he had felt the touch of a woman. His hand had been his only companion for so many years, and seldom that even. His mind drifted back to his first and only encounter with a female.

Her name had been Trista, and she was a pretty blonde little thing. They'd been lovers for a brief time after his confusing feelings during his first years in the Navy. They'd been lovers in secret mostly, he not having the desire to marry, and she already being engaged. That first night they made love they were both clumsy with passion and James remembered himself being somewhat disappointed.

He pulled himself from those distant memories, his mind still foggy, and found Eve on his lap, her lips on his. He hadn't even realized when they'd starting kissing and he thought he should protest, but somehow his body was not in the mood to obey his mind. Actually his body was quite pleased with the current situation, Eve straddling him in the chair as she was.

One of Eve's hands was in his hair, and the other moved down his chest, unbuttoning his cold, damp shirt with ease. James was hesitant to move, the gentleman in him still wanting to take control, but when Eve began palming his erection his gentlemanly side suddenly disappeared. He threw himself into the moment, Eve's words about needing a distraction echoing in a far corner of his mind.

One of Eve's soft hands was roaming his chest and she continued to kiss him more passionately than he'd ever been kissed before. He let his hands slide up her back, and the found the laces on her corset. He fumbled with the string until she removed her hand from his chest and helped him. Once untied, he hastily removed the garment and tossed it aside.

Shutting down his thoughts he simply went with what his body told him to do. Suddenly he no longer felt weak and weary, but strong and passionate. In one swift movement he picked up Eve and carried her to the bed, laying her on her back, without once breaking their kiss. He ripped open her blouse, buttons flying every which way, and was pleased to feel her moan into his mouth.

Breaking the kiss he moved his lips to her neck and then down to her breasts, biting, sucking, grabbing. Every moan that escaped her lips brought him more pleasure. Her hands moved from his back to his trousers and quickly unlaced them. James unlaced her own trousers and once removed he thrust himself inside her without thought.

The pleasure he felt was immense. It had been so long, years, and he'd forgotten the pleasures women held. Eve and James moaned simultaneously as they picked up a rhythm. Faster and faster they moved together, moaning and panting, kissing, biting, sucking. Eve's nails clawed marks in his back as James continued to kiss anything he could get his lips on.

Soon, too soon in James's opinion, he felt himself ready for climax. He mumbled something that sounded like "I'm ready" between kisses and Eve nodded and gasped, which he took to mean she was close too. Feeling he could hold it back no longer he came with a grunt, and felt Eve come a few seconds later. Exhausted and sweaty, he fell next to her in the bed, and they drifted off to sleep.

Before James succumbed completely to slumber he wondered why he had waited so long for Elizabeth when there were women like Eve out there willing to do such things with him.

Yes, he thought lazily, a distraction was just what I needed.