IX.
Meg, her heart pounding in her chest, suddenly felt as if all the blood in her body had rushed to her head. Her small hand rested at Billy's waist, held securely between his warm, calloused palm and the worn leather of his belt. As she tentatively slipped her fingers inside the buckle, he took in a deep, shuddering breath.
"This may not be such a good idea."
She gazed up at him, her grey eyes full of concern. "Are you quite alright?"
Closing his eyes, he gave her a brief nod.
"Here, I have a better idea." She dropped to her knees in front of him, finally teasing the leather strap out from the confines of its buckle. As his belt clattered to the floor, Billy glanced down at her, and made a strangled noise deep in his throat. He swayed for an instant, and she grasped hold of him by the waist.
"Billy, you must lie down. I insist."
After a moment, he spoke, his voice hoarse.
"Good idea." Averting his eyes, he lowered himself onto the bed.
Meg helped ease him back against the pillow, then said briskly, "Now, we just need to get your trousers off."
"No!" he blurted out, breaking into a sweat. "I just need a moment."
She gave him a reproachful look. "It serves no purpose for you to stall. The longer we wait to treat your injury, the more likely it is that infection will set in."
"I'm not stalling," muttered Billy, gritting his teeth.
Meg tried again. "Are you in pain?"
"Well, it's not exactly comfortable."
She looked at Billy, her expression earnest. "Is there anything I can do? Please, I want to help."
He gave a weak laugh. "Believe me, if I were any other man on this ship-well, except maybe for the one who has a thing for the dairy goat-you'd have already been pressed into service."
"Pressed into service?" she echoed, a puzzled expression on her face. When his meaning finally dawned on her, she flushed a deep scarlet, and took a renewed interest in sorting through the medical kit.
"You must think me rather dense," she said faintly.
"No. I just think that you have been inserted into a world that is completely foreign to you-a world far removed from the little manse in Kensington where you grew up. The men on this ship are from all walks of life and several different continents. They have seen and done it all."
He stopped and took in a breath, then spoke, choosing his words with care.
"You are a lovely young woman, Meg-intelligent, level-headed...but you have little experience of life outside the bounds of conventional society. While you are on this ship, as long as you are by my side, you are safe. But if for some reason we are separated-and I'll do everything I can to prevent that-you will have to keep you wits about you." He ran a hand over his eyes, which were heavy with fatigue. "On the positive side, the crew will assume I'm f-" he caught himself "-that we have been-erm, intimate."
She stared at him. "What?! Can't you tell them that's not the case?"
He shrugged. "I could, but they wouldn't believe me, so why try? Besides, it's to my advantage to have them think so. They'll think twice before they as much as look at you sideways."
She picked up a flask and opened it, wrinkling her nose as she smelled the potent fumes of cheap rum. Recalling the earlier scene with Flint, she hesitated, then asked, "What about Captain Flint? Surely he won't be intimidated."
He shook his head. "I'm not worried about Flint. It's not his style. When we're at sea, his sole focus is the hunt. Nothing else even registers in his brain. Besides, he has a woman on shore whom he seems quite loyal to-a widow named Miranda Barlow." Taking a deep breath, he murmured, "Look, if you turn around, I think I can manage to get my trousers off by myself."
"Very well." She stood up and tactfully faced away, listening to the bed creak as Billy muttered a string of unintelligible words which she could only surmise were curses. A few moments later, he muttered, "Done."
Turning, Meg saw him propped up on a pillow, his tanned face unnaturally pale. A worn brown blanket covered his waist, groin, and left thigh. Her eyes went directly to his right thigh. The wound was oozing some blood, but thankfully, there was no visible pus.
Suddenly aware she'd been holding her breath, Meg relaxed. She sat down on the edge of the bed, her fingers delicately probing the area around the gash.
"It's not as bad as I expected."
As she finished exploring near the edge of the wound and reached for the flask of rum, Billy tensed. Noticing, she said quietly, "I'm sorry. I'll try be as gentle as possible."
"Wait..before you do it, let me have a swig. It'll help with the pain."
She handed the flask to him, and watched as he took two large gulps.
Passing it back to her, he closed his eyes, curling his right hand into a fist. "I'm ready. Do what you have to do."
xxxx
As the sun rose over the lush plantation a few miles from Nassau, Tobias Nelson rose from the bed. Going to the window, he threw back the shutters, allowing the cool sea breeze to fill the room. The woman still lying in the tangled sheets shifted, her brown skin glowing in the morning sunlight. She blinked, then smiled appreciatively at the sight of his lean, muscular body.
"You spoil me with the view, Tobias. I must admit that it is quite pleasant to wake up to the sight of your arse silhouetted against that deep blue sky."
He turned, a smirk spreading across his chiseled features. "And here I thought you were attracted to my business acumen."
She sat up, her curly dark hair tumbling over her full breasts. "Make no mistake, I am first and foremost a businesswoman. But that does not mean that I cannot enjoy the other benefits that often accompany the best kind of partnerships."
He slid back into bed, rolling on top of her. "And here I had you pegged as a woman who prefers to enjoy feminine delights in the bedroom."
When she raised a dark, perfectly groomed eyebrow in response, he chuckled, taking one of her nipples in between his thumb and forefinger. Teasing the nub of flesh into a firm peak, he watched her face intently as two fingers of his other hand slid up along her inner thigh, exploring the soft heat of her core . She gave a small gasp, arching her back.
He bent to her neck, nipping at the soft flesh. "Yes, I've seen you exchanging heated glances with that she-devil sidekick of Rackham's."
Her small hand, always surprisingly strong, slipped to his groin to encircle him. He groaned as she began to pleasure him, expertly adjusting the pressure and speed of her movements.
Eyes slanted up at him, she gave him the seductive, earthy smile that she knew he found almost irresistible. "What can I say? I have gotten where I have in life by making pleasure my business, and vice versa. I am many things to many people, Mr. Nelson...and my support could make or break your plans for Nassau."
He drew back to give her a narrow glance. "I don't give a damn who you fuck, Max. You can spread your legs for the whole Caribbean if you want. The fact is, you need me..and deep down, you know that I satisfy you in a way that ginger bitch never can. So do not play games with me."
"I do not waste my time with games," she murmured, running her fingers through his thick blond hair. "I believe that actions speak for themselves. So if you think you can show me an ecstasy I have never known, I invite you to do so."
Hazel eyes fixed on her, Tobias moved her hand aside. An instant later, he pushed into her body, finding his release within a half dozen thrusts.
Rolling off her with a grunt, he closed his eyes, slowing his ragged breathing. Max threw him a look of disgust.
And he thinks he knows how to please a woman.
Sitting up, she swung her feet over the side of the bed. Dressing with the speed she had learned as a young prostitute, Max turned to face him, her dark eyes regarding him calmly. "I advise you to proceed with care, Mr. Nelson. I am infinitely more useful to you as an ally than as an enemy. I may have begun my life in Nassau as a whore, but I now hold more power than you can possibly imagine. Do not think for a second that you are my master, for I am a slave to no one."
With that, she left, her footsteps echoing on the marble floor.
xxx
As Meg prepared to cleanse the wound with the rum, she could see the tension in Billy's body.
This is not the first time this has happened. He knows how painful this will be.
When the alcohol made contact with the gash, Billy stifled a groan. However, other than stiffening his back slightly, he remained still.
After she had swabbed the area with a clean cloth, she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "That's the worst of it. Now I'm going to prepare a poultice of herbs. Once that's on your leg, we're done."
As she ground the herbs with a worn mortar and pestle, Billy appeared to be lost in thought. Finally, he turned his head to face her. "So I can be back on deck by tomorrow?"
She gave him a sideways glance."You certainly have the ability to do so, but I wouldn't advise it. You must allow that leg time to heal properly."
"I can't just lie here in bed," he muttered, his hands plucking at the blanket. "My presence is needed. The man who serves as my boatswain's mate is still new to the job..he hasn't earned the respect of the men yet."
"Well, this will give him the chance to step up and prove his mettle," she said briskly. "Surely it was the same for you when you first assumed your post."
"Not really," said Billy, his voice flat. "I earned the post by killing my predecessor."
A chill went down her spine. Her hands froze for an instant, and she had to force herself to resume the rhythmic scraping of the pestle against the mortar. "I suppose no one dared question your authority then."
"We had a new lad who'd joined the deck crew...just turned 16. He'd been part of the crew of a merchant ship we took as a prize. Despite his youth, he fought bravely against us. When flint offered the merchant crew a chance to join us, he was pleased when Jeremy's hand shot up. Not so pleased was Tanner, the boatswain. He was a vindictive man, and Jeremy had hurt his pride by wounding him with his dagger."
"He made life difficult for the boy?"
Billy snorted. "He made it hell. I went to Gates, our quartermaster. He said he'd keep an eye on things, but that it was Tanner's way. He'd eventually find a new target and move on. After some time, it seemed like that was actually happening, but then I'd catch Tanner looking at Jeremy with the most malevolent gleam in his eye." A shadow passed across his face. "And when he spoke up to support Jeremy's request to join the vanguard, I knew he was up to something."
"The vanguard?"
"First men over the side when we board a ship. They take the brunt of the initial assault, and most of the casualties." He smiled wryly. "Not for the faint of heart."
"You're part of it?"
He nodded. "Me, Joji, and about 20 others-typically the biggest, strongest men. At 16, Jeremy was tall for his age. He hadn't a lot of meat on his bones at that point, but he was wiry and strong... and quick as lightning with a dagger. On his first go, I told him to stay close to me, and he did. But in the chaos, we were separated, and Tanner took advantage of the situation."
Meg made a rough poultice out of a square of clean bandage. "Did he-" she stopped, afraid to ask.
"Kill him? No, but he would have. I saw him circle behind Jeremy as the lad fought an older man. They were in the aft section of the ship, separated a bit from the rest of the battle. When I saw that bastard raise his dagger, I moved faster than I ever have in my life. An instant before he plunged his blade into the boy's back, I drove mine into his. He was dead before he hit the ground."
She placed the poultice on the wound, then carefully wrapped a bandage around his thigh. As her fingers brushed against his skin, she could almost sense the power leashed within the taut muscles that lay underneath.
Meg willed herself to concentrate on the task at hand, not daring to look up. "You did what you had to do to save an innocent life."
"In that case, yes." He stared at the ceiling, his eyes pensive. The muscles in his thigh contracted, the golden hair on his leg rippling with the motion.
"Would you like something for the pain?" Meg asked.
He shook his head. "I don't want to be drugged. I've been there, and the dreams aren't pleasant. Just a little more rum, please."
A shout went up from outside, and the sound of running feet was heard outside the cabin. A distant boom sounded, and the ship all of a sudden banked sharply to the right.
"Billy, what's happening?" As another boom sounded, closer this time, her throat tightened.
His face was grim. "We've engaged someone." He was reaching for his trousers when the door flew open after a frenzied knock.
A tall, thin youth, his ginger hair closely cropped like Billy's, stood in the doorway, gasping for breath.. "Beggin' your pardon, Billy-but the Cap'n needs you on deck-now. It's the HMS Portsmouth."
"Shit." Billy swung his legs to the side of the bed. Meg quickly averted her eyes as Jeremy went to the boatswain's side, helping him get his trousers and boots on in a matter of moments.
She fought the urge to try to persuade him to stay, knowing it would be useless. He was already moving towards the door, waving off Jeremy's offer of assistance.
"Meg, bolt the door," he said brusquely. "Do not, under any circumstances, come out until I bid you to do so."
She tried to ignore the panic threatening to choke her, struggling to keep her voice even as she spoke."And if the ship is hit? Or you are injured again?"
His eyes met hers, a fierce determination in them that she had never seen before. "I'll come back for you. No matter what."
A longer chapter this time. I'd love to hear any comments-they make my day!