VIII.

Billy swore under his breath, and struggled to sit up.

Meg shifted closer to him, and tried coaxing him to lie down."Billy, please-we can speak of this when you are feeling better. You need to rest."

He shook his head, managing to prop himself up against the rude headboard of the bed. "No. Not until I speak my mind." He reached for her, settling his warm hand on the soft skin at the base of her neck. "Margaret Rose, you are a kind, beautiful, brave woman...and you deserve a guardian who will give everything he has to defend and protect you." As his fingers traced the delicate curve of her collarbone, his voice hardened. "Nassau is a dangerous place, Meg. Where was Tobias Nelson when you were struggling to secure your shop in a nasty storm, and were hit in the head by a shutter? And where was he when a pirate came into your life and carried you off to his ship?"

Meg gave him a wry smile. "You hardly carried me off, Billy."

He growled in frustration, and pulled her closer, so close that she could feel her breasts yielding to the hard planes of his muscular chest. "That's not the point! The point is that you are the sort of woman that men can't get out of their mind..." He swallowed, his hand reaching up to cup her cheek. "The kind of woman that inhabits their dreams when they-"

Meg felt his forehead touch hers, and she closed her eyes, focusing on the sensations that were causing every nerve in her body to come alive. Billy's strong, solid form was triggering reactions in her body that were completely foreign to her. As she took in a breath, her lips a fraction from his skin, she could smell the fresh, clean scent of the ocean, mingled with hints of gunpowder and musk. In response, a curious warmth spread out from her lower belly, causing her to breathing to quicken.

"What I'm trying to say," he said, his voice hoarse, "Is that if I were to be charged with protecting you, things could…" His cheek brushed against hers for an instant, and she found the rough scrape of his stubble more sensual than she could have possibly imagined.

"Could what?" she whispered. Meg turned her head a fraction of an inch, desperate to once again feel the friction of his day's growth of beard again her own skin. Although it seemed as though time was standing still, she could dimly sense the steady beat of his heart penetrating through the thin bodice of her dress.

"Get complicated…" he muttered. His lips grazed the side of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. "Very complicated."

"Do they have to be?" Her voice was barely audible to her own ears.

Billy's mouth moved to her ear, his breath stirring the tendrils of hair that had escaped from the tidy coil at the nape of her neck. "I'd like to say no, but we both know I'd be lying." One hand slipped around the back of her neck, teasing her hair out of the confines of the knot. His fingers combed through the thick, glossy tresses that cascaded down her back.

"Billy-"

"I'm not the boy you knew, Meg." He buried his face in her hair, and rasped, "I've fought battles more vicious than most soldiers ever see. Violence, murder, chaos-it's part of my life now. I slit a man's throat yesterday, without a second thought. To be fair, he was the scum of the earth, and deserved what he had coming. But two years ago, I would have lain awake at night for a week, the taking of a life weighing down on my conscience. Now?" He shook his head. "It's nothing to me."

Tears stung Meg's eyes. "I don't believe it!" she said fiercely. "I won't accept that the essence of a good man-the core of his humanity-can be altered by actions that he has been forced into, by circumstances beyond your control. If had you had only had the chance to remain with the Royal Navy-with good, honest men as mentors, you would have risen-"

"If I had stayed on board that ship, I'd have been long since dead!" The vehemence in his voice took her aback, and she placed her hands on his chest, creating a space between them. Billy saw the uncertainty in her face, and his eyes softened. He took her face in her hands, his touch tender.

"Meg, it's hard for me to explain what it was like, and it will be difficult for you to understand-even though you are one of the most compassionate people I've ever met." He sighed. "Think of how you grew up, in a loving, nurturing environment. What was it that your father used to always say? I think it was the Moravian motto?"

She looked up at him, touched at his recollection. No matter, what he may think, the man I knew is not lost to me.

"In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, love."

He nodded, his face growing wistful. "I always liked that. And your family and mine-that was how we lived. But from the moment I was taken by that press gang, I lived in a world where liberty and love were foreign concepts. I'll spare you the details, but I wouldn't wish for my worst enemy to have to endure what I did at the hands of Captain Jennings and his officers. So while life with Flint is not Utopia, it's a far sight better than what I experienced in His Majesty's service."

"Which just serves to support my theory," she said, giving him a sweet smile. "You are still a good man, Billy Manderley."

"When you look at me that way," he murmured, lowering his mouth to hers, "I can almost believe it."

"Almost?" she inquired, drawing back a bit and arching an eyebrow at him. "What more do you need to be convinced?"

My God-I'm flirting with him.

His eyes met hers. "I'm sure I could think of something appropriate, given enough time. But for now, this will have to do."

As his lips brushed against hers, the door flew open, and Meg jumped back. A tall, muscular Asian man filled the doorway, a heavy chest in his hands. He coolly surveyed the scene, then gave Billy a bemused look. Setting the chest down, he unlatched it.

"The physician's things." He took up a position leaning against the wall, his arms crossed against his chest.

Meg glanced at him, then at Billy.

"That's Joji," Billy said, saluting at his shipmate. "He's a man of many talents-and few words."

Meg stood up. "Pleased to meet you, Joji. I'm Meg-an old friend of Billy's."

Joji inclined his head a fraction, his face remaining impassive.

Meg looked back to Billy, her expression confused.

The boatswain chuckled. "He said three words just now. That's his quota for the month. Nothing personal, eh Joji?"

The man's mouth curved up ever so slightly for an instant, and he nodded.

Meg smiled. "Well, thank you for bringing up this trunk. It looks quite heavy." Her face lit up as she lifted the lid, and gasped. "We're in luck! Thank heavens your former physician had the forethought to collect such a wide range of herbs."

Billy frowned, peering into the wooden box. "All I see is a bunch of musty dried plants."

For the first time since she had set foot on the Walrus, Meg laughed- a musical, joyous laugh that made Billy smile.

"Are you making fun of me?" he demanded, placing his hands on her waist and giving her a mock threatening glance.

"And what if I am? Are you going to punish me?"

Joji coughed, valiantly trying to maintain his composure, then burst into laughter as he headed for the door. "You're done for, Billy."

As he exited the cabin, Joji received a pointed glare from Billy. "That's seven words from you in the past three minutes. No need to set a record!"

Now Meg began to chuckle, and Billy's gaze swung back to her. "What's so funny?" he demanded.

"Nothing," she replied demurely. "Now sit down like a good boy, and let me tend to that wound."

He drew himself up to his full height, and took a step closer. "I should warn you that I have a very long memory."

Meg put her hands on her hips. "Good. You can thank me when your leg has healed well enough that no one will ever be able to tell that you were almost gutted open like a fish."

He grumbled under his breath, then sat down on the bed.

"Thank you. Now if you could lie down, that would be most helpful."

Billy shot a quick look at the door, and Meg slipped a finger under his chin, forcing his eyes up to meet hers. "I saw that."

He met her gaze levelly. "Before you touch me, I want to know exactly what you plan to do. In detail. I'm not someone who gives up control over his body lightly."

"I'm going to clean the wound with alcohol, then apply a poultice to help it heal."

Billy raised an eyebrow. "And you expect me to just drop my trousers?"

"Of course not. I'll help you." She kept a straight face for a few seconds, then burst into laughter.

In response, Billy stood up, towering over her her. Her laughter died away as he took her hand, guiding it to his belt. "Show me," he said hoarsely.

I have to admit that this chapter was quite fun to write. I hope you enjoyed it! If you have a moment, let me know what you thought. Until next time!

Sirenfish x