Chapter 4
He took a foreign fruit from the table and took his knife in hand. I followed his movements of peeling the fruit with his knife. Underneath the red and greenish skin, the fruit was bright yellow, juice streaming from his knife. He suddenly looked up.
'Do you enjoy mango, miss Gray?' I shrugged my shoulders.
'I have never tasted it, sir.'
He sliced pieces from the mango in a glass bowl, handing it to me.
'Thank you, sir.' He nodded once, eating a slice of mango himself, his eyes every now and then resting upon me.
I slowly tested the fruit and was amazed by the fresh and sweet taste it held.
'Quite the fruit, yes?' he asked me. I nodded. When I finished my mango and the Capitán emptied his glass, he suddenly stood.
'I must take the wheel, miss Gray. Time for you to retreat to my cabin and get a good night of sleep.' I followed his example.
'Where will you sleep, sir?' I then asked softly. It stopped him in his tracks. His gaze burnt mine as he answered.
'I will not sleep this night, miss Gray. You are to enjoy my bed all to yourself.' It were the last words spoken between us, before he guided me to his cabin and left to take the wheel. For me it was the beginning of a sleepless night.
It felt strange to even be allowed in a room aboard a ship. Especially the ship of El Matador del Mar. The man was so strict and dominant. He radiated power. It actually made me very nervous to be in his room even without him there, even having permission to be in here.
Just like he had mentioned, a bath with steaming water was placed inside the cabin. The steam proving me the water was indeed warm, made me eager to get in the tub.
I looked at his desk, where there were several papers, all in neat piles. There were books with Spanish titles. Apart from the beautiful bed and 2 bedside tables, there was a large closet in the room, and a bench by a large window, filled with red cushions.
Everything radiated sophistication. The dark wood gave it a mysterious look. Actually, the room was absolutely beautiful. Walking in further I saw there was a red robe placed on the bed, almost as deeply red as the sheets. Had he ordered for the bath and the robe? I could hardly imagine that this stern and determined man had ordered his men to fill me a bath and lay out the bathrobe on the bed. But on the other hand ... He had been very honest and good to me until now. Maybe strict, but not bad. I sighed and looked at the door for a moment. It couldn't be locked, but I almost bet my hand that the butcher of the sea would barge in when he knew I had a bath ready.
I slowly undressed and let down my hair. It was really nice to scrub all the dirt off me in the warm water. I washed myself more than once and my hair twice, before drying myself off and dressed in the red bathrobe.
The bath with the warm water had made me sleepier than I had already been, and I sat on the bed, running my hands on the soft fabric of the blankets. Actually, I couldn't imagine the big, hard man sleeping under the blood-red blankets. Maybe his hair messed up, his uniform off. I felt my mouth go dry and shook my head. What was I doing? I had to recover and regain my strength as soon as possible. This was a nightmare, a temporary situation that I now just had to deal with until we got to a port where I could leave. It was nothing more. I put my head on one of the pillows and pulled my legs up so that I was completely hidden under the bathrobe. The fact that I was now wearing nothing under the bathrobe didn't bother me. I was so, so tired...
Armando
I never minded working the night shift. My hands on the wheel, that was often the moment when I felt grounded. One with my ship and my job.
But tonight, this night, everything was different. The clear night sky and the stars that otherwise made me so calm couldn't calm my thoughts.
I didn't want to admit it, not even to myself, but it had everything to do with Miss Gray. The young woman was different from the women I had seen before. Of course, she was young, very young. But something in her gaze told me she'd been through a lot in her short life. Her story about her life in Port Royal wasn't clear enough to me, but we had time. All the time in the world. She would be mine every night, dining at my table. In some incomprehensible way, there was something about her that attracted me. More than other women did. Actually, more than I ever felt with anyone before.
Maybe it was her unusually gray eyes, her curls, or the way she was on her guard but didn't seem afraid of me. I wasn't sure yet, but she put a spell on me.
The hours at the helm were restless and dragged on until I was taken over by my first mate early the next morning.
Although I walked calmly and tried to clear my mind, I was looking forward to entering my cabin and seeing what Miss Gray was doing.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that the bath had been used and she was sleeping peacefully. She was dressed in the red robe but hadn't gotten under the covers.
Maybe she thought she wasn't allowed? I shook my head for a moment, then watched her breathe calmly and seem so angelically like sleeping on my enormous bed.
My hands were itching to touch her. Did her skin feel as soft as it looked? I reached out but clenched it into a fist before I could touch her. She was so young, untouched and pure probably, I had to control myself. She had been through a terrible experience, kidnapped and taken by pirates. She had to feel safe here. There could be no reason to fear me other than perhaps she already did.
I decided not to touch her, not even put her under the covers, until she shivered in her sleep. She was cold. I looked at her for a moment, almost happy with this excuse to touch her. Throwing back the covers and taking her into my arms, I felt how light she felt, so delicately. She only stirred a little. She smelled delicious, sweet and fresh. I placed her under the covers and kissed her very lightly on her forehead before putting the covers over her and stepping away from the bed.
I watched her for a few minutes. Keeping my distance would be tough. Painful even. But that was what it took to keep a distance between her and me. She had no idea what she was doing to me. I felt things that I had not felt in years. I saw her continue sleeping peacefully, her face looked even younger in her sleep.
No, I could only keep my distance. I would learn her story. Maybe getting to know her, but otherwise I wouldn't let her get closer. I couldn't. It would be dangerous and not only for her.
I left the cabin and needed some time to cool down, to clear my mind before I would change my mind and be going back to that bed and the woman now sleeping in it.
Olivia
Sometimes I slept so soundly that I didn't even know where I was or what day of the week it was. I was only off on Sundays, and even those I worked sometimes. Everything to have enough money so that I could continue to live in my little room.
But when I awoke in the captain's bed, I didn't even know what century it was. I knew I had fallen asleep on the blankets, but now I was under the warm, thick blankets. Still, no one was with me in the cabin. Was the captain the one who put me to bed? Why didn't I remember any of this? A soft touch to my forehead was all I remembered, but even that was so hazy. What had I been dreaming about?
I sat up and examined the cabin, which was now shrouded in daylight. I forced myself to get up, although the bed was so wonderfully soft and warm that I would have liked to lie in it for hours more. But I had no idea where the captain was or when he would return.
I walked to the couch by the window and looked outside. Wherever I looked, the waves were everywhere. Water all around. No land. No clouds. Blue sky and blue water were everything there was to be seen. I shivered for a moment, thinking about the ship where I had previously been captured. I was allowed to pinch myself that I was here now.
Although the captain did not seem so happy with my presence, I was not hungry, and I was safe. Comfortable even. I pulled my legs on the bench and only then saw that my clothes were gone. I felt cold, unsure where my clothes had gone. Did the person who put me to bed took them? And what should I wear now?
The thought of having to leave this cabin in just the bathrobe made me nervous. The captain wouldn't approve of that. Would he?
It was then that there was a firm knock on the door. Without a moment's hesitation, the door was opened, and the captain walked in. I saw his eyes found me immediately. Behind him someone else walked in, holding fabrics in his hands. When he placed them on the bed and gave me a short nod, I saw that they were dresses, not fabrics. Very beautiful dresses.
'I hope you slept well, Miss Gray?' I felt my mouth go dry when I was spoken to by him. He didn't scare me so much, but he was very nervous. He was so stately and tall. He always managed to give himself just the right attitude. I nodded and forced myself to speak.
'I did, thank you.'
His eyes gave no indication of how he felt or what he thought. His mouth was a sharp line until I saw the corner of his mouth move. The movement was minimal, but it was there.
'I took the liberty to let your clothes be washed, while finding these dresses in the hold for you to use during your stay here.' I looked at the dresses and was amazed. This was more than nice.
'Thank you very much, that's very thoughtful.' He tilted his head slightly but didn't speak.
His impeccable suit, complete with shiny buckles and hair tied tightly together, completed his austere look. I bit my lip.
'I wish I could give back. Something useful. I can clean or cook, mend clothes ...' A sharp movement of his head silenced me.
I am sailing on behalf of the Spanish king. He wants me to get innocent people to safety. Nothing more and nothing less. For now, I would like to use my cabin, the cabin next door has been cleared for you. You will find some paper and pens there. Everything in there is for you to use. Stay there until I come to get you for our dinner.
So, our favorite Capitán is back! But why has he decided to keep his guard up so high? And what is she making him feel? Stay tuned and please review!
