A/N: Thank you again for the kind words. They mean the world to me. I know I start every single chapter with thanking you, but it is so important to me as I feel so grateful to have you as readers. Thank you for reading my work. All I can say is that I hope you enjoy reading this story and that it gives you something. :-)
Additional note: All chapters from 9+ are uploaded in a faster pace.
The Reunion
Married
Chapter XII
"'Ey, love. What is going on?" Jack's worry flickers in his eyes. "Are ye alright, darlin'?"
She is almost out of breath. Her heart is pumping feverishly and she is inwardly throbbing.
"I'm sorry..," but is she really?
It is her way of apologizing for again pulling an act, but she finds no other path to travel down but this. And while she knows it is quite cocky of her to do this, perhaps wrong in some senses, she understands she must deny it within her that she knows how much she will enjoy it.
And it is not like she has not done this before.
Kissing him.
Even if kissing is an understatement of what is happening.
It happens quite forcefully of her. Grabbing the fabrics of his collar to pull him the last part to her. And to meet him by her lips, as if to let him feel her urge for him. She IS faking it. Any moan that escapes her lips, as she so over-dramatically plays her role of wife adoring her husband. Although she may have used this moment to savor up for what she never received those days ago late at night on the dining table.
Who is Jack to complain? He certainly does not.
If he was not in such a daze of her soft lips edging him the way she does, he would be smiling at her. In victory. But he knows too that her actions are all false, but again. He never backs down a true challenge of which he prefers to win.
This time, he will not.
But he finds himself too lost to savor any piece of this sensation that he enjoys it too much for what he is supposed to. He finally gets to touch her, to feel her. And those are moments his imagination wants to memorize.
He does not care with the slightest opinion in the world that this is all an act. Not if he can enjoy it like this.
Never letting an opportunity like this slip, he must pull her closer. His hands are rather desperate in her hair and he soon finds her moaning in their kiss.
Not just moaning. Those are genuine moans.
Those do not belong to Lady Angelica Teague.
But to Angelica Teach.
Oh dear.
He suddenly feels himself grow and heartbeats quicken. The warmth she at once fills him with is too deep for him to handle. Her very touch brings him shills and she awakens such a magnetic power within him, that makes him want nothing but to just have her, even for the shortest moment.
When he has to hold back a groan, and somewhere in the muffled background can hear the wives commenting on their happy marriage, he gets brought to the disappointment of Angelica letting go.
She is quick to adjust his tie and smoothly caresses his cheek. "Thank you."
Dear, 'Gelica please. 'Thank you'? No, thank YOU.
And then she leaves. With his back against all people, he must watch her figure leave with a wry grin. He has no idea what the ladies had told Angelica, but whatever it was, he would have loved to thank them.
The ladies are soon off after Angelica and Jack eventually gains some sense back into rejoining the group of men.
All stand frozen. Some with a mouth agape and Rothley, wearing that grin of victory as he raises his glass as if to salute Jack.
"One lucky bastard," he comments.
Jack still grins himself. It seems impossible to rub off that grin. "Hot tempered wife, you know."
"No, but I'd love to," a duke spills and get hit by another one in his stomach.
"You just got married!"
"So what?" he sighs hopelessly in defense. "It's not like I married that."
Rothley agrees too, a slight sigh coming from him. "My wife would never do that either. Claim yourself a fortunate man, Lord Teague. Perhaps I understand slightly better why you have no interest in the Mary-lady."
"Wasn't it Maria?" Montgomery comments.
"Mariana," a William du Charon corrects.
And all men laugh.
Pigs they were? Jack can answer that. Aye, they were. Even worse than him.
There is only one sole reason of why Jack attends this event. Naturally a party like this can sound fun, and truthfully be entertaining. Every few moments of a lifetime, moments like these were enjoyable. But the single one cause of him being in this ridiculously grand estate is to not only impress Baron Peter Rothley, but to deserve his trust. The sooner he manages getting this signature, the less time he has to spend playing house with Angelica.
Even he himself understands, that she is pushing his line tenderly yet forcefully, for each day that passes. He refuses stepping over but her tempting ways of discreetly selling it in, begin to cause storms in his mind. And he likes to not reach that level - ever. So furthermore, he simply needs to speed things up.
Furthermore, the less time he has to spend dressed up as a dessert.
Getting a bit dirty, salty air and some good old-fashioned piracy would have suited him well right now. How he misses it. If his crew had seen him right now they may have laughed. Hence, he himself would have laughed upon the sight of him.
Soon it will be over. Soon. He just needs another great punch into this direction and head for the goal. At last he shall set sail back to Caribbean and live just as freely as he did before. He will sail his beloved Pearl and continue his legacy of building up his name. This is simply and just an obstacle in his life that he must overcome to succeed in doing so.
Returning to reality, he notices the men viewing him. Upon Rothley's knowing glance, Jack understands he still must be smiling like a complete idiot.
It upsets him as the man even dares to state. "What does your woman do to you, and what can she teach Anna?"
This is not a topic he likes to embark, thus snatching a servant nearby to have him hand out shots to all other men. And they all cheer, for something Jack just made up. Nothing particular, but these men are like Jack - masters at celebrating any tiny little detail of their lives. Thing is, as he admits, they are even better at doing that. Any sort of achievement shall be celebrated. Just alike his way of living. And these men tend to bring it to another level. Maybe teaching Jack a few advice on how to live.
When it all happens, so-called, turning of events, would be when he in fact decides to call it a night. Most people are too drunk, some have started their own scandalous rumors and some have cracked their reputation for all eternity. There are even a crying woman in a corner, some women trying to comfort her while her husband is angrily telling her off. Another man has heavily fallen asleep over a table and a few women make attempts of bringing their drunken hubbies home. Servants already try to clean up any mess they stumble upon, all the while making efforts into not disturbing the guests. Truly, the messier part of each event has begun and Jack has no need of living through that.
His idea is to find his wife.
Ehm.
Angelica.
And to go home.
Which, perhaps they would do.
But not just in those terms as he had imagined.
No.
Not at all.
Because when he finds her in this overly grand living room, she is in a couch, crowding with too many other women. Some half asleep while others gossip. Angelica is one of those who is awake. Even one of those with a big mouth. Seemingly to be too much devoted to a heated gossip conversation, she does not even notice his presence.
"Isn't that your husband?" one suddenly asks aloud.
It brings Angelica's gaze to travel to the sight of Jack, seeing him entering the room.
"It is," and she begins to search for all her stuff while remaining comfortably sunk into the grand couch. She will however pause her actions for the briefest moment as one of the wives will shout to Jack.
"Lord Teague! We speak of love."
Another drunken wife joins. "About looove," she repeats dreamily.
By now Jack has almost approached the group. Frankly he fights the urge of just pulling Angelica harshly up to him so they can escape these scratchy cats trying to tear anything they lay their paws on. He is quite tired and needs a night by now. Pulling an act like this certainly does bring the energy out of him. Surely for Angelica as well, as she hates pretending for too long.
"And so on, we are too eager to hear the moment when you knew you were in love with Angelica."
What are these? Five years old?
He understands it must be all due their drunken states and dramatic sides that somehow has been brought out.
He meets Angelica's frightened expression and she immediately begins to hurry her hunt of her stuff. She lifts on pillows and tries to gather everything from her clutch to her lipstick, ribbon, anything. It appears as if she cannot be fast enough though.
Ah, this will take a while, will it not, Angelica?
She gives him no room into not saying anything of this. And eventually he even considers, specifically as one of them goes. "Please, Lord Teague, we are too keen."
"Nonsense," debates Angelica while aiming for yet a kohl-liner she finds between two pillows. She does NOT want to hear this.
"You really want to know?" Jack opens up.
So when was this scenario of when he understood she never really would leave his mind?
When he in fact was ready to die for her?
When did he knock into the event of comprehending that there was someone who he cared for more than himself?
Did these moments ever occur in his life?
Did they ever pass?
And in that case, when did he understand they had?
Were they there in the first place?
Or did they never… go away at all?
"Must have been the moment I understood I wanted no more days without her," and he may as well speak the truth. Angelica has paused her search but now begins more feverishly to find whatever she is searching for. Firing up the women's sighs, Jack continues, also to find out his inner question if she so reacts to this like he does. "Her genuine eyes, how awful it may sound coming from a man like me. But so sincere, alluring, that I knew there would never be a thing I'd never do for her."
Ah, now Angelica does not even care what she searches for anymore. Instead she stands up, ready to leave with or without her things. She just has to get out of there before this goes too long. Is has gone too long already, but more would be unbearable.
It is apparent air has been knocked out of her, and her look is mixed from baffled to pure craving. Or it should truthfully be described as more of a sensation of weakness. Because weak, is precisely how she feels.
For him.
"Would you die for your wife?"
As if Angelica would be able to handle that truth?
As if Angelica would be able to control herself if she heard it?
As if Angelica would be able to hear it?
As if she would be able to stand against it.
And Jack's answer is too sincere.
"Always."
Almost running the last part to Jack, Angelica grabs his hand to pull him with her. She just has to get out of there. And it seems as if her steps cannot bring her any faster.
"Goodnight, ladies," she shoots over her shoulder and disappears with Jack down a hallway.
He is still smiling comfortably, happy the night finally is over. Her firm grip around his wrist is very tight and steady. It appears as if she in fact is more eager to return home that he is.
Or so he would believe.
Because the night is far from over.
It was only getting started.
Pulling his wrist, her motion is almost desperate as to how forcefully she has him after her.
"Angelica?" Jack needs to ask. "Love?" Is everything alright with her?
He tugs his wrist gently to have her turn around but is at once pushed up against a wall as result. It is as if he popped a bubble, and turned on a magnetic in how close she possibly can be against him. With her body pushing him against the wall, he can feel the softness of her breasts pushing against him by her close proximity.
How hungrily she can kiss him. Devouring his lips and lovingly yet steadily cup his head to closeness of hers.
How she can tease him into the point of explosion. With the pushing of grinding against his body.
He has yet not been with her, in that way, for years.
But he surely knows precisely what she can do to him. He knows the feeling of being with her and he knows what pure ecstasy she can bring him to. With every moan swallowed by her, he understands she must grasp the weakening tremble in him she causes.
By kissing him, she does nothing but to remind him exactly of what is underneath all those fabrics. He knows precisely what she can give him. He knows exactly what she will give him. And maybe the knowledge of what is coming is what almost drives him over the edge already. He is at the tipping point and urges for her more than he ever has.
Because even if he so acted on the words inside that room, she knows just as much as he does, that those words cannot be anything but true.
And it takes about a second before he has shift their positions into pinning her against the wall. Possessively he lifts her from the ground and presses harder against her to keep her in place.
"Jack, I..," she breathes and tries to regain some sanity but surrenders. "Need you."
For this moment he pauses and looks directly into her so often challenging eyes, but now they are also darkened.
Now it is him pulling her, hurriedly, desperately, out to the carriage. After helping her inside, he manages directing the servant of the ride home, before he can close the door behind him. Barely locked, she has him down on the seat to straddle him, feverishly unbuttoning his coat, his shirt, unbuckling his belt. Anything to get anything off him.
"Ang..," he swallows the words as her hands roams his chest and she grinds harder against his groin.
Purring moan escaping her once feeling his hardened area, only brings him to further inner explosion. His things must be shaking a bit. All over again, she is driving him up the wall and he finds himself helpless to whatever she does to him.
Body living its own terms because of her, and urge growing with each moment she hands him.
Her mouth against his, softly yet so desperately. This desperation reaches the best of Jack, as he firmly rips the fabrics of her dress into two pieces. The cracking sound brings her nothing but a smirk.
For two people often teasing each other, who had shared tender soft intimate moments, they both understand this is not one of those times.
Each touch is filled with desperation, aggressive movements and possessive kisses as they try to dominate the other one.
But that, he will wipe away from her. He lifts her up and pushes her against a corner, one of his legs up the seat to stabilize her as she urges him to meet her.
And he does.
Oh he certainly does.
With every motion, every thrust, everything grows more desperate. The clenching, the moaning, the sweat. The closeness.
The want from one another.
The need from one another.
His hands, buried in her hip, to her waist, to hold on to her bottom. And her yanked spine with fingers clenching into his neck.
It may not be possible to have her more than he has right now. Yet he only feels his desire for her to grow. It grows so deep that he he comprehends that these triggering sensations cause his whole body to almost shake. It is like a fire that only craves more. More Angelica, more of her.
He cannot get enough.
And by the many groans of pleasure escaping her, that he tries to swallow with his devouring kissing, he can tell she longs for him just as much.
Trying as much as he can to hold back, her hungrier make-out does not make it the slightest easier for him. And no matter how much he does not want to, he fights with everything he has to stutter. To warn her. "Ang… elica, I need to -."
"No!"
And she hugs him tighter, caging him with her legs to refuse him of letting go. And he drives her over her edge, having her whole body squirming rhythmically against his as she whimpers in pleasure. It is will all the strength she has that she forms the words.
"You are my husband."
Oh, dear.
He continues to hold back but needs to savor one more with her when he understands that he cannot.
Because his own knees finally weaken and he grabs a steadier hold of her as he tries to catch his own breath, while feeling the wave through him. Knocking any air left in him, out.
Whatever damage they might just have done.
They surely did it to the fullest.
A/N: Things are just getting staaaarted. Oh well, what did you think? :)