Once Upon a Pirate Anthology

by Merry Farmer

  “Aye!” the men said and one stepped forward and removed his hat, bowing as regally as any nobleman she had ever known, but when he looked back at her, his toothless grin made her smile. The delight in his eyes was contagious, so when he put out his hand, Ruby laughed and took it, allowing him to drag her into the middle of the room. The music started up once more and the men began to whoop and clap their hands when the old pirate who held her hand began to dance like a fool.

  Tilting her head back to laugh, Ruby kicked off her boots and started to move her bare feet, dancing like she used to years ago on her papa’s ship. The men clapped and hollered as she took the center of the room, kicking her feet up and spinning around, feeling her hair whirl around behind her. One man shoved a mug of ale into her hand and she took it gladly, stopping just long enough to gulp it down in one breath before putting it out for more. A man with a reddish-orange beard tilted his mug against hers, giving Ruby the rest of his drink and she nodded in thanks, drinking it down and wiping the froth from her upper lip before going back to her dance.

  Ruby wasn’t certain if the room spun because of the ale or her feet, but it did not matter. She was having more fun than she could ever remember and the men laughed and sang, encouraging her to continue. But when a growl filled the room and the music abruptly stopped, Ruby looked over her shoulder just in time to see Callum storming toward her, shirtless with wet hair dripping on his shoulders, perhaps from having just bathed, eyes ablaze with rage.

  He reached out and grabbed her arm, dragging her toward him before she could even steady herself. As her body crashed into his, she gasped and struggled, hearing the men in the background whispering to each other before speaking out. “Och, come now, Capt’n! She was just having a wee bit of fun!”

  “Aye! Let the lass stay!”

  Callum looked at her, his olive eyes boring into hers with some unspoken warning before he hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack of grain, her head dangling near his backside. “I will deal with ye men on the morrow!” Callum shouted as he stormed out of the sleeping quarters with Ruby pummeling his bare, sculpted back with her fists and yelling curses she was certain he heard, yet ignored.

  “Put me down, you bastard, curse you!” she yelled, smacking his arse with her hand and realizing it was as hard as stone when her palms began to sting. “You are a brute!”

  “And ye are a poor listener!” he shouted, stomping up the stairs, onto the deck and over to his cabin door. With one hard kick, the door swung inward and he deftly lifted her off his shoulder, tossing her onto the bed.

  “I listen just fine! I was alone for hours!” Trying to jump off the bed, Ruby grunted with frustration when he pushed her back down onto his mattress and bore down on her. His dark hair hung around his face and only then did she notice the muscular ridges of his chest covered with a light dusting of dark hair. Breath quickening, she was suddenly acutely aware that Callum was pressing his weight down onto her, pinning her arms over her head.

  “I was looking for you,” she whispered, having no more desire to shout.

  “It did not appear that way. Ye were looking for the attention of every other man aboard this ship. That is how it appeared,” he said gruffly.

  Widening her eyes, Ruby looked at his chest, so close to hers, then back to his eyes. “That is not at all true. I was simply enjoying the music as I did when I was a young girl aboard my papa’s ship. You sound jealous,” she added breathlessly, knowing he was not, but wishing he was for some unknown reason.

  “Jealousy is not an emotion I am capable of feeling, lass.”

  “What are you capable of feeling?” she asked, truly wanting to learn more about this hard man. He was a gentle-born man, yes, yet no gentleman pirate. Had he ever loved a woman? Had a close family? Friends?

  “Lust. I feel lust.” When he abruptly pushed off her, she felt her insides flutter and her heart leap as he stood up straight and walked away. His chest glowed in the dim lantern light and the shadows on his face made him look ominous and dangerous. With his breeches hanging low on his hips, she could see the muscles that narrowed down below his waist, a small trail of dark hairs leading to the part of him she had felt only the night before as she sat on his lap.

  “Lust… for me?” His change in mood confused her. He went from angry to defeated in the blink of an eye.

  “Aye, for ye!” Turning mid-step, Callum ran a hand through his hair and growled. “What is it about ye, lass? Thoughts of ye have consumed my mind since yesterday when I arrived. Are ye a witch? The fae? Have ye put a spell on me? I cannae decide whether to shake ye or kiss ye at any given moment!”

  Sitting up on the bed, Ruby smoothed her hair and tapped the mattress with her fingers as she observed the man pacing across the room. How could a man so strong, handsome, and feral believe himself bewitched by a woman? If anything, he was the one who had put a spell on her. She had not stopped thinking of him, or that kiss, or the feel of his hands on her for a single second since the night before. They had only met a day ago and yet she was so drawn to him, like their souls were woven from the same cut of cloth. Though he angered her earlier, she knew he understood her and had risked much to deliver her to London.

  Standing up slowly, Ruby walked over to him and touched his arm from behind. He spun around and looked down at her. “Kiss me.”

  “What?” he asked, shaking his head and narrowing his eyes.

  “You said you do not know whether to shake me or kiss me. I am telling you that you should kiss me.”

  Scoffing, Callum turned away and stared at the shelf on the wall where he kept his charts, maps, and pistol at the ready. “That is the last thing I should do, lass.”

  “I disagree,” she said, standing her ground and coming up behind him once more, wanting more than anything to feel his lips on hers once more.

  “Dinnae make this harder than it needs to be. Ye are on yer way to London to marry the Vice Admiral. Ye would do well to remember that.”

  This time, Ruby scoffed and turned away. “Remember? I remember every second of every day. I have only a few days left before I must marry a man I do not like, let alone love. There is something about him I do not trust.”

  “Ye shouldnae trust him, Ruby. He is not worthy of it.”

  “What does that mean?” Turning back toward him, she noticed he was still facing the wall, but she refused to be avoided. “Callum, look at me.”

  Turning slowly, he did as she asked, but the look of disgust on his face made her shrink back. “You know something about him, don’t you?” Ruby questioned. “Tell me.”

  “It is not my place to tell ye anything. Ye must marry him, regardless of what I ken. But, aye. I have had… business with him in the past.”

  “Business?” Ruby pursed her lips and cocked her head in confusion. What sort of business would a Scottish pirate have with an English Vice Admiral?

  “Ye need to get some sleep. We have an early morning and I cannae trust ye to stay put if left alone.” Callum kicked off his boots and sat on the edge of the bed.

  “Wha- what are you doing?” Ruby asked, crossing her arms.

  “I am getting into my bed. What are ye doing?” Callum replied, laying down and pulling the sheet over his body.

  “Where am I to sleep?”

  “I dinnae ken, but ye should have thought of that before ye broke the one rule I gave ye… again. I cannae have ye dancing in breeches around my drunken men.”

  “I am used to dealing with the crew. I grew up on a ship, lest you forget.”

  Sitting up in the bed, Callum looked at her and narrowed his green eyes. “Ye arenae used to my men and they arenae used to bonnie lassies dancing in breeches.” Rolling away from her, Callum faced the wall and closed his eyes.

  Ruby huffed in frustration and rolled her eyes. He called her bonnie, yet he refused to kiss her again. She did not care if she was on her way to London to be married. She was not married yet, and as far as she was concerned her freedoms did not end u
ntil that day, and even after, she would fight for every ounce of free choice she could get.

  If Callum wanted to be stubborn, she could be even more so. There was no way she was sleeping on the floor. Callum appeared to already be asleep, his breathing rhythmic as his back rose and fell with subtle motion. Ruby undid her borrowed breeches and slipped into the other side of the bed as carefully as possible, not wanting to wake the man up. She had had enough arguing for the day and simply wished to sleep. In truth, she wished for much more than that, but for now, sleep was better than staring at the wall or ceiling for another few hours. Untying the string on the top of her tunic, Ruby laid down and rolled away from Callum so their backs faced one another.

  He was a frustrating man, for certain. Yet, she could not get the memory of his touch out of her head, nor the feel of him. Being so close to him made her body tingle with sensations she wished to avoid. She wished to avoid Callum altogether at this point, but as long as they both stayed in this position throughout the night, she could at least awaken early and sneak out of the bed before he ever even knew she was there.

  Something warm and soft nestled against his thighs and his hand rested on something else entirely. Moving his other hand slowly downward, he felt the unmistakable curves and smooth skin of a woman’s backside pressed against his groin. Opening his eyes with a start, Callum saw blonde curls spread across the pillow before him and the sleek bare shoulder of a small woman. Lifting his head to look over her body, Callum groaned when reality crashed down on him. Not only was Ruby Berry pressed dangerously close to his body, but her tunic had slipped down during the night and his arm was wrapped beneath her body, his hand cradling one of her exposed breasts. Her pink, erect nipples stood proudly for his gazing pleasure and he felt himself immediately grow hard, thankful he was still wearing his breeches, even if they were hanging low on his hips.

  Realizing his other hand rested on her bare hip, Callum froze and laid his head back on the pillow, wondering how he ended up in such a position, and more importantly, how he was going to get out of it… not that he wanted to. He would much rather roll over on top of her, spread her legs and bury his face between her thighs. By the devil, the woman was not even wearing breeches. It would be so simple… and yet his life would become so much more complicated. She was not his to possess and yet somehow, he knew that being with Ruby would be a life altering experience, one that would change his very existence. And, not just because her father would kill him.

  When she began to stir, Callum attempted to pull his arm from beneath her, but that only made her eyes flutter awake. Her blue irises focused on his face when she looked over her shoulder. “Callum?”

  “Aye.” His voice was raspy and not with sleep. She was disheveled with rosy cheeks and sweeping lashes, her hair messed up from the night, and yet she looked more beautiful than ever, and it had nothing to do with her lovely breasts still rising and falling before his eyes with her every breath.

  When she began to become aware of her surroundings, Ruby looked down and noticed her exposed breasts, his arm trapped beneath her and his hand still grazing her nipple. “Oh, my,” she breathed, but did not try to move away.

  “I—” For the first time in as long as he could remember, Callum was at a loss for words. “I woke up like… this.” He wiggled his fingers to try to emphasize his point, but when he brushed against her nipple again, she inhaled sharply and stared him in the eye.

  “Oh. And your other hand is…”

  Callum moved his free hand off her backside where he forgot he had left it while trying to move his trapped hand. Ruby arched and rolled onto her back to help free his arm, but all that did was bring her breasts closer to his face. His hand tingled from lack of circulation and his cock strained from far too much circulation. By the devil, was she trying to seduce him? It was bloody working.

  Ruby slowly pulled her tunic back up her shoulders and covered her breasts, much to Callum’s simultaneous disappointment and relief. “Ye came into the bed I see.”

  “Yes. After you fell asleep. I do not think I had many choices. However, I did not expect to awaken like that.”

  “Nor I,” he grumbled, running his hands through his hair and feeling more tension in his loins than he ever had in his life. She was this untouchable woman, yet he had touched her once. It had been no more than a kiss, yet it had been more powerful than any encounter he had ever had with a woman in his life. “I had intended on sleeping in my first mate’s quarters until I found ye dancing in the middle of all my men.”

  Ruby rolled her eyes and turned toward him. “Do not start on that again, Callum. I already explained it to you, and you said I could make my own decisions. I decided to dance.” She shrugged and he noticed her gaze roam down his chest before returning to his eyes again.

  Nodding, Callum looked at her. “Ye are right, lass. I did make ye that promise. And I left ye in here alone all day. I apologize.”

  “I chose to stay in here all day, Callum. But today…” Ruby sat up in the bed and moved toward the edge with her back facing him, stretching her arms up high in the air. “I choose to stay on deck. I vow to stay by your side, if you do not tire of my company.”

  When Ruby got out of the bed, Callum caught a peak of her lovely round, bare arse just before she turned away and wrapped a sheet around her body. Dear God, he was going to die if all the blood kept rushing downward. “I willnae tire of ye, lass.” He did his best to sound unaffected. He was certain she did not intend for him to see her breasts or her arse and did not wish to embarrass her, but never had he fought so fiercely against taking a woman in his arms. She was an unusual woman. Still a maiden, yet so bloody sensual, Ruby did not seem unnerved by having awoken with his hand on her breast. She had chosen to share his bed yet waited for him to fall asleep before doing so. She was not attempting to seduce him, he decided, but that made her allure even more potent. She was not the sort of woman he was used to. She had goals, dreams, intelligence, beauty, wit, and with a fire running through her veins, and he was the moth attracted to her flame.

  “We shall see about that,” she giggled, running her fingers through her messy curls. “I can be a bit much; I am aware of it.”

  Climbing out of the bed, Callum bent over and picked up his tunic, slipping it over his head and feeling her burning gaze on him. The tension in the room was thicker than the fog on a freezing Atlantic morning in winter, and he felt the pulse of desire flowing between him and Ruby. They could both act unaffected by the events of the morning, but their relationship had shifted beyond casual, if it could ever have been considered as much. From the moment he set eyes on her, he felt his world shift, but now, he was permanently off kilter every time she came near.

  “Then, we shall see.” Callum tightened his breeches, tied his hair back into a queue, and slipped on his boots. “I will leave ye to get dressed. My men will be waiting for me.” Suddenly feeling the need to flee before he took her in his arms and delivered on the kiss she had asked for the night before, Callum cleared his throat and stepped out of the cabin.

  The sun was just creeping over the horizon to the east and he inhaled, ready to take on a new day on the water, smelling adventure in the air and feeling a tightening in his chest… or maybe he was just feeling a cursed clenching in his heart. What had she done to him? More women than he could even count or remember had shared his bed, and yet, this one woman had consumed his thoughts in just the two days that he had known her.

  Since the day his father was killed in a pirate hunt led by that bastard Stanhope, Callum had remained closed to the world of the living. He had inherited his father’s titles and lands, but loyalty to a church or any individual got a man nowhere in this changing world. One day Scotland prevailed, the next day England. One day Catholics ruled, the next day Protestants. From a young age, Callum understood that the only loyalty that was required was to himself and his men, who not only depended on him, but also aided him in his desire to avoid the stale existence of a noble
-born Scottsman in an unstable world. Here on the rocking ocean waves, he was just a man living in the moment, there one day and gone the next, never having attachments beyond the rails of his ship. Then Ruby Berry appeared in his life and he knew that as always, she would be no more than a whisper on the wind, a face from his past that he would likely forget soon enough.

  But for now, her face was all he saw. The rays of the sun glittered gold like the fine-spun strands of her hair. It’s blazing reflection sparkled red, like the plump flesh of her lips, off the water that could never be as blue as her eyes. Shaking his head and cursing himself a fool, Callum stomped up to the helm and shouted at his men, already hard at work.

  “We should reach our destination by the morrow, men!” The crew shouted, knowing that any trip between Cornwall and London would be an easy enough one if the weather did not fight back, and always happy to find a harbor town where ale and women could be found. “We have one more night aboard ship before we deliver Miss Berry and I expect ye all to be on yer best behavior with the lass, unlike last night.”

  The crew went silent, not certain if a punishment was awaiting them and in truth, he should force more hours of labor on them for the night, perhaps make them scrub the decks or empty the chamber pots all night rather than eat. Yet, he knew firsthand how enchanting the lass was. She commanded a room full of men, had them eating out of the palm of her hand. He felt the same way and decided he should not punish them for being enchanted by an enchantress.

  “So, I expect ye all to work hard, for tomorrow we shall celebrate another safe journey before heading home.”

  “Scotland!” one man yelled and Callum smiled.

  “Aye! The land of Scots, whiskey, bonnie lassies, and haggis!” His men laughed and went back to their duties while he turned back to the sea, slightly saddened to realize his time with Ruby was so short-lived and coming to an end, yet knowing it was for the best. Whatever he was feeling for the woman was nothing more than infatuation and as soon as she was out of his sight, he could continue his life and surely forget about her existence. How hard could it be to forget a woman he has only known for three days?