Disclaimer: Nope. Me no own, you no sue. If there was even the slightest possibility of owning Jack Sparrow, I'd be on the verge of doing snoopy dances right now.
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There wasn't even time to react.
"Wake up, ye lazy arse!" Anamaria bellowed as the door slammed open, banging against the wall and screeching to a halt.
Jack jumped, making a grab for Belle who had been peacefully slumbering on his chest. Her eyes refocused as she peered at the figure silhouetted in the doorway, her mouth dropping open.
Anamaria was staring wide-eyed, at a loss for words.
Jack let out a strangled curse as he hoisted the sheets up from their hips and yanked them close to Belle's chest, not wanting Anamaria or any of the crew to get a show.
Belle's cheeks burned as she peeked from behind Sparrow's back, where he had pushed her in his desperate attempt to protect her from the eye ogling. She had been humiliated a lot in her lifetime, but this was downright shameful. Here she was, naked in Sparrow's bed, and not only a minute ago had she been asleep on top of him. Even a fool would piece together what was going on.
The innocent virgin was virgin no more.
"Do you mind, Anamaria?!" Jack cried in exasperation, waving his arms wildly.
"I can't fuckin' believe it," Anamaria said with a shake of her head, still gaping in awe, "I just can't believe it."
Even Belle, having known Anamaria the least amount of time compared to the other crewmembers, knew that she was a major gossiper. News of this would be around the entire Pearl come noon. Even Jack wouldn't be able to stop it.
"Get OUT!" Jack hollered impatiently, "Do ye need directions? Out with you!"
"Fine, fine…" Anamaria grinned, "I'll let you two enjoy yourselves a lil' while longer." Then she actually had the nerve to peer over Jack's shoulder and shoot Belle a lewd wink before whistling cheerfully and strutting out, closing the door behind her.
"Jesus Christ…" Jack muttered, "Can't a man have his privacy?" He glanced past his shoulder and added, "Ye alright?"
"Of course," she replied quietly, "Right as rain."
"Good." He took her chin with his fingers and gave her a quick, rough kiss on the mouth before hopping out of bed and searching for his clothes.
She blushed instantly. Of course, the night before she had become acquainted with his anatomy, but seeing it in broad daylight made gazing at his nude profile seem wicked.
He had handsome feet. She almost giggled thinking that, but he did. They suited him, with those tan toes and sturdy ankles. His calves flexed and his thighs clenched as he leaned over to claim his rumpled shirt on the floor, meanwhile exposing his delightfully sculpted rear end for her viewing pleasure. As he straightened, she noticed that his beautiful back was ridden with scratches she hadn't seen before. Oh bullocks, she thought with a grin, she had made those marks. Now front wise...Jack was well endowed, no doubt about that. Belle felt herself flush a deeper shade of red as she caught herself staring at it. Her eyes ran up to his tanned chest, which was riddled with scars and memories. He had told her the stories of how he had gotten them as she had traced them with her fingers and her lips. His shoulders, how she loved where his shoulders and his lovely neck met at the throat…it was by far her most favorite place to kiss.
Jack Sparrow finished pulling up his trousers and yanking on his boots when he finally noticed her studying him. "What is it, luv?"
"Nothing." She smiled. Caught in the act!
He tugged on his hat over his unruly dreads before swaggering over to her and tracing an imaginary line along her bare shoulder. "How…are ye feelin'?" he asked hesitantly, as if he were uncomfortable asking her such a thing.
"What? What do you mean?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow, "I feel fine."
"I mean…" he let his gaze wander and she followed his brown eyes down to her lap.
"Oh…" she blushed again, "Just a little sore. I am fine, really."
Jack nodded before walking back towards the door. He paused, saying, "Ye can stay in here a while longer. Take your time. But when you do finally manage to come out…ignore the crew." And then he left.
Was that it? A request to ignore the gossip? So he did know the crew would have gotten full wind of it by now. And he seemed discomforted by the whole thing.
Belle glanced out the window and out at the open sea, at the glistening waves capturing the sunlight. It was like any other day on the Black Pearl. But it wasn't.
Things had changed.
Getting out of bed, she almost stumbled against the bedstand when the first real ache hit her abdomen full blast. Belle bit her lip before walking carefully over to the full-length mirror on the other side of Jack's cabin.
She let out a puff of breath and sent her jagged blonde locks out of her eyes to study her figure. Belle didn't look different. She thought if she ever made love to a man, she would look more mature, more wise, more confident.
Nope, same ol' Belle.
What ever happened? If the respectable women back at her home port knew she was partaking in such relations with a pirate, she would be an outcast. A whore. A miscreant. She would be a sinner. Anyone who touched her would get the vile filth of a woman gone astray.
But that was just it. She wasn't Miss Gilily anymore. Those days were over. She was Belle Blake, daughter of pirate Captain Blackstone Blake. Lover of pirate Captain Jack Sparrow.
Lovers. Belle knew that in her heart, if she hadn't felt something extraordinary for Jack, she would have never let him touch her. But something was there…and that same something scared her.
She had done the seducing until Jack was shaking with unspent lust and decided to turn the tables. Of course he had to…he was more experienced in those areas. Belle did know the nature of men and women, after all, she was an educated young woman, but it was more than education…it was primal instinct, something Jack was full of.
She knew he had had tons of women, but there she felt something different in the way he handled her. He hadn't been playful. He knew it was her first, and he slowly took her, making her writhe and whisper his name with such emotion that it frightened her. He enjoyed her, making sure she enjoyed him in return.
Belle ran her hands down her abdomen and made a face at her reflection, sticking out her tongue. Yes…she hadn't changed, all right.
She got dressed slowly and ran a hand through her tousled hair before making her way into the sunlight. Hopefully the crew wouldn't notice the slight limp she had recently attained.
The hollering and chatter of the crew died down a bit as she gazed around. Bugger it all, they noticed it all right…those knowing smirks told her everything. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack at the helm conversing coordinates with Gibbs. Grabbing a mop and pail, Belle chose to ignore the stares she felt being drilled into her back. Sighing, she realized it was going to be a long day.
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Night had fallen and the exhausted Belle took her seat at the dining table, watching the crew as they partook in their own discussions and jokes. Trays stacked with food were slowly being carried to the table, and she had to duck in order for the men place them down around the dripping wax candles and stained plates. Belle had no doubt that some of the conversations were about her…it had been like that the whole damn day. No one would talk to her, not even Gibbs, the man that had always treated her with kindness and compassion. It was as if she had a disease she couldn't rid herself of.
"Men!" Jack called as he gallantly took the naturally vacant seat next to Belle, "And women," he added with a glare after Anamaria pegged him with a roll, "I want to see this food gone! I don't want any rotten food in me bilges, savvy? Now eat!"
Belle took her fair portion of meat, vegetables, and biscuits and began mashing them onto her plate. After a couple minutes, she realized she hadn't even eaten a single bite…she just played with her food mindlessly as she watched Jack grinning and talking with the boys. She was content doing that until, of course, someone had to bring up a topic that involved her.
"So, Captain, I heard ye had a lil' roll in the hay with our Miss Blake here," Linus spoke up with a sly smile, "Was it nice?"
"Aw, ye should have seen it, son!" Anamaria informed him with a bark of laughter, "I walk in on them cuddling like rabbits! Sickening, that's what it was!"
"That's not all they did like rabbits, I wager," Gerald pointed out before taking a bite of his chicken leg.
Meanwhile, Belle had her face in her hands. Jack was glaring at all of them playfully before saying, "Now now…don't upset the lass, aye? This isn't appropriate dinner conversation."
She glanced up incredulously, asking, "And how would you know what is appropriate, Jack?"
The table guffawed, waiting for his retort.
He grinned down at her, replying, "There's a fine line between appropriate and not appropriate. And what we did last night would be classified as a bit o' both."
Her mouth dropped and the crew nodded in acknowledgment.
"Why don't you just share it with the whole world, why don't you?" she muttered.
"If I could, me darling, I would…I would climb up to the highest mountaintop and proclaim how beautiful ye look when you're on the brink of…"
"Shhhhh!" she hissed as Mr. Cotton raised his eyebrows and actually turned a bit pink himself.
"Poor gel, still trying to salvage her innocence when Jack done stole it right from under her nose," Anamaria mused, "Tis a pity, that's what it is."
"Indeed," Belle said as she picked up her wine glass, shooting a glare towards Jack, "A pity."
"No regrets, luv," he winked, and instantly she felt his leg purposefully rub against hers underneath the table.
Belle was so startled, she dropped her wine glass, sending the red contents cascading into Jack's lap.
"Oh dammit!" he cursed and jumped up from his chair. The crew cheered hysterically.
"It was an accident!" she said hastily, "I'm sorry!"
"I bet you are, you lil' vixen!" he shot back with an evil stare, looking at his soaked trousers. He turned on his heel and staggered out of the galley.
"Jack, wait!" she called impatiently, dislodging herself from her seat and rushing after him.
"Ye just want to help him out of his pants!" Anamaria hollered.
"BUGGER OFF!" Belle shouted back before scurrying up the stairs. She had reached his cabin just as Jack began going through his trunk, looking for a new pair of trousers as she said, "You know it was an accident, Jack."
"I know that, and it's Captain Jack Sparrow, luv," he answered with an impish smile.
"Just Jack," she corrected sternly.
He stole a curious glance at her before continuing his search for new pants. "You didn't even eat your food."
"I'm not hungry," she shrugged, leaning against the door, "I was having way too much fun dousing you with alcohol anyway."
"Guess I should give ye some kind o' warning before I try to touch ye underneath tables, aye?"
"I suppose." There was an awkward silence and Jack stood up, shuffling his feet uncomfortably. "Well…" Belle said with a nod, "I think I'm going to go to retire early tonight. Have to prepare for a brand new day, hmm? Good night, Jack." She placed her hand on the doorknob and he cleared his throat.
"What are ye doing, Belle?"
"Going to my quarters, why?"
Jack grinned, fiddled with a trinket in his hair, and replied, "Silly gel. You are standin' in your quarters."
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Woo, it's getting late! Aw, so Belle thought it was a one night deal and then hit the road! Now she's Jack's main squeeze. His sunshine on a rainy day. The sprinkles on his ice cream cone. His…I've ran out of metaphors. If Jack said that to me, I'd have a hot flash and then faint. Seriously.
Thank you all for reviewing! Do it again, do it again!
