The Care & Feeding of Pirates

by Jennifer Ashley

  It hadn't. Diana had played a large part in the adventure, and Honoria had heard the full story from her.

  "I've always been proud of you, James."

  His brows shot up. "Have you?"

  "Well, of course."

  They stared at each other--two people certain they'd known all there was to know about each other, but now were not so sure.

  "I'm not proud of myself," James said. "If I'd been there for Paul, and his wife, they might be alive today."

  Honoria touched his hand, for the first time having a glimmer of understanding of what her grimfaced older brother had gone through. "You can't know that."

  James's eyes darkened. "Oh, I know it. But I'm learning to live with it."

  They fell silent again. The men around them shouted and joked, sailors happy the mission had ended without bloodshed. A longboat left the beach, half a dozen men leaping into it as it hit the waves.

  Honoria said softly, "I wonder what Paul would have thought about me marrying Christopher."

  "Marrying a pirate?" James stopped, softening his tone. "He'd have been glad you were happy."

  Honoria agreed. For all his teasing, Paul had been generous-hearted. "He would have been glad you found Diana," she said.

  "I think so."

  They fell into another awkward silence. The wind darted around them, stirring up sand where Diana laughed at the antics of her two children.

  James said, "Well, good-bye, then."

  Honoria gazed up at her brother's tanned face, his flyaway black hair, the green eyes that missed nothing. His wife loved him intensely, and Honoria, as a girl, had so admired him. Now they faced each other, feeling the distance that had grown between them over the years. Honoria sensed that James regretted their distance--she knew she did.

  But maybe now, with grief behind them and hope ahead of them, they could close that distance, be a family again. Diana and Christopher believed they could. She and James had married people who'd both been hurt so much and yet had remained strong and resolute. James and Honoria could learn from them.

  "James," she said, pain lacing her at the thought of saying good-bye.

  James opened his arms, and Honoria came into them for a tight, heartfelt embrace.

  "Thank you for saving Christopher," she said. "You could have let him die. You didn't."

  "I saw what it did to you when you thought him lost. I didn't want to watch you hurting. I want you to be happy, believe it or not." James released her and smiled his slow, rare smile. "Besides, if I'd let him die, you'd have never let me hear the end of it."

  "Certainly not." Her voice rang with conviction.

  James's smile widened. "I look forward to seeing you at home, Honoria." He bent, pressed a brief kiss to her cheek, then turned and walked away to his wife.

  Honoria's heart ached to see him go, but the parting held promise. She and her brother might finally have narrowed the chasm that separated them. It was something, and Honoria would make certain the chasm kept closing until it disappeared altogether.

  *** *** ***

  The Argonaut sailed away with James and Diana, their children, O'Malley, and a hold full of Mexican gold. Honoria shaded her eyes and watched from amidships of the Starcross as the Argonaut grew smaller and smaller against the horizon.

  Christopher steered his ship determinedly in the other direction. Manda stood next to him as he held the wheel, and Henderson leaned against the rail nearby, checking a timepiece, the morning sun glinting on his spectacles.

  Honoria's heart was full as the other ship disappeared. She'd nearly wept again when parting from Diana and the children, but she knew they'd all visit each other soon. There would be Christmases, birthdays, and long summer days, and any other occasion that gave Honoria an excuse to visit the Charleston house. One day, she and Christopher would bring children of their own with them. They'd be a family, as she, James, and Paul had been a family once upon a time.

  "Honoria," Christopher said, breaking her thoughts. "Stop daydreaming and take the wheel." He stood with one hand lightly on it, his stance impatient.

  Honoria heaved a sigh and made her way to the stern. When she reached the wheel, Christopher relinquished it without further word and strolled a little way down the deck with Manda.

  Honoria scowled at Christopher's fine and straight back, the bulk of his bandages still showing through his shirt. "I know why you are captain, Christopher."

  Christopher glanced at her over his shoulder, his gray eyes warm. "Because I was elected."

  "No, because you enjoy ordering everyone about." Honoria held the wheel with a light touch, remembering how Carew had taught her to keep it steady without gripping it. "Would you mind telling me where I am supposed to point the ship?"

  Christopher turned to his sister. "Manda?"

  Manda's dark gaze roamed the horizon, her black hair fighting the tail she'd pulled it into. "Thirty degrees south, southeast."

  Honoria moved the wheel. Mr. Carew had also taught her how to line up the bow to the compass points with precision.

  "St. Cyr?" Christopher glanced at his third-in-command, who was impassively watching two men hoist a sail up the forward jib.

  "It is correct, I think," St. Cyr answered.

  Honoria looked at Christopher in suspicion. "What is correct?"

  Christopher's handsome face remained serious, but his eyes twinkled. "The location of the Mexican gold."

  *****

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  "But . . ." Honoria frowned in confusion. "You gave the gold to James. I saw it in the caskets."

  "Yes. I did."

  "That gold was real, wasn't it? You couldn't have tricked him with a false stash. James would tumble to that too quickly."

  Christopher's lips curved into the smile of a devil who's gotten away with something. "Don't worry, my love, we gave your brother plenty of genuine gold from the Rosa Bonita. But the Rosa Bonita was a large ship."

  Manda was smirking, Colby grinning hugely. Mr. St. Cyr, stoic as usual, let nothing show on his face, but his eyes betrayed amusement.

  "Explain to me what you mean," Honoria said.

  Christopher rested one booted foot on a bench beside him. "Very well, my wife, I'll tell you a story. Once upon a time, I had three ships. The Saracen, commanded by me, one ship commanded by Manda, and one commanded by St. Cyr. We captured the Rosa Bonita, yes, but she was far too slow and conspicuous for us to sail ourselves. So we each filled our holds with as much gold as we could carry and sailed off in three different directions. Ardmore caught only me."

  Honoria stared at him, openmouthed. Behind her Henderson gave a slow laugh. "Good lord, Raine."

  "So there is more gold?" Honoria asked.

  "Plenty more where that came from. We just need to fetch it."

  "But . . ." Honoria spluttered, her worry rising. "My brother is no fool. He'll have thought of that. He'll follow us to the other stashes."

  Christopher's gaze drifted to the horizon over which the Argonaut had vanished. "No. I don't believe he will."

  "How can you know that? James is treacherous and tricky, and has the habit of turning up where he's not wanted. I should know."

  "He will not follow us, Honoria."

  Honoria opened her mouth to argue further, than snapped it closed. "You made another deal with him, didn't you, Christopher?"

  Christopher's eyes were warm and full of good humor. "Let's say that Ardmore and I understand each other, villain to villain."

  "Yes, Diana and I both agreed that you are a pair of villains," she said darkly.

  Honoria's face was warm from sun and temper, and her heart beat swiftly. It felt too good to be angry with Christopher, felt good to have him next to her, whole and strong. She wanted to storm and rage, if only for the joy of having him stand there and look at her like he did now. Christopher's gaze told her he loved her and thought her beautiful.

  "Honoria," he said, cutting through her diatribe. "I have a better idea. Leave your pos
t to Manda and go below."

  Honoria shook her head. "There is no sense in my going below, Captain. You need all the men you have above."

  Christopher's brows quirked. "That was not an order from the captain. That was an order from your husband. The husband you vowed to obey, remember?"

  "To obey only when he is reasonable."

  The sparkle deep in his eyes made her the slightest bit nervous. Honoria clutched the wheel and looked at him defiantly over it.

  "Manda," Christopher said in commanding tone. "Take the wheel." Then he came for Honoria.

  *** *** ***

  Christopher carried Honoria down to the cabin over his shoulder, letting her squeal and protest all she liked. He slammed the door and tossed her onto the bunk.

  Honoria squirmed there like a bug on its back, her skirt tangled in her shapely legs. Her eyes, full of fury, sparkled with wild green light.

  "That was hardly dignified," she said, struggling to sit up. "What must the crew think?"

  "They think I am madly in love with you." Christopher pushed her back down into the quilts. "They don't blame me for celebrating the fact that I'm still alive."

  The reminder of his ordeal filled her eyes with flattering worry. "Christopher, I thought I'd lost you."

  Christopher stretched out beside her, gathering her into him and resting his hand on her very shapely hip. "I thought I'd lost me too." He kissed her hair. "Now that we're alone, tell me how you knew to find me in the pool. You couldn't have seen me fall."

  Honoria stopped squirming, which was a pity, because her backside had been rubbing against the front of his breeches most fetchingly.

  She looked up at him, her eyes luminescent in the cabin's shadows. "I dreamed of you. You stood in the pool and laughed at me for being so upset. And then you left me."

  He let his fingers drift across the curve of her waist as he thought about this. "Hmm."

  "Did you dream of me?" she asked. "Perhaps we met wherever we go when we have dreams."

  A smile tugged at his mouth. "The very practical Honoria believes that? I didn't dream of you. At least, not like that."

  "Like what then?"

  "I dreamed of you like I did when I was in Asia. I pictured your beautiful face." Christopher touched it. "Your extremely sensual body." He ran his hand from her soft breast to the curve of her hip. "Your lips." He brushed his finger across them. "I thought about how your eyes light up when you scold me. I knew I had to live to see you one more time, even if to hear you shout at me."

  Her eyes grew moist. "I thought I'd never see you again."

  Christopher pressed a kiss to the line of her hair. "But you found me in time. We Raines are hard to kill."

  As he'd hoped, Honoria's sad look lightened. "Raines are bloody arrogant too."

  "What language. You're turning into a pirate, my wife."

  "I most certainly am not."

  Christopher brushed light kisses to her eyelids, liking how her lashes tickled his lips. "The words I want to hear again are what you said to me when you dragged me from the pool. Let me see, what were they?"

  Honoria scowled, brows moving beneath his kisses. "You know perfectly well what I said."

  "I want to hear it again. I command it, as your captain and your husband."

  Honoria stared at the whitewashed boards above them for a long time, her eyes unmoving. Christopher waited. He had all the patience in the world, the slow match again. He could show her that.

  She drew in a breath. "I said I love you."

  Christopher bent closer. "What was that? I didn't quite hear."

  "Yes, you did." Honoria's fists clenched, her body rigid.

  Christopher turned her to face him. "You barely moved your lips. I want to hear it loud and clear, my wife."

  The fire in her eyes could have scorched the room. Honoria threw off his hand and sat up straight, nearly cracking her head on the beam.

  "I said, I love you, Christopher!" she shouted.

  "Ah, yes, that was it." Christopher traced her soft, round cheek. "I love you too, Honoria."

  "Damn your hide."

  "It's already been damned, love." Most of the skin had come off his hide in the tunnel and during the fall. Healing was painful.

  Honoria became instantly solicitous. "Are you all right? Do you need me to rewrap the bandages?"

  As much as he knew he'd enjoy that, Christopher shook his head and pulled her back against him. "I'm already feeling better. Just lie here with me a while."

  Honoria subsided, threading her fingers through his and pulling his arm around her waist. Bright sun on the water reflected on the low beams of the cabin. "Christopher?"

  "Mmm?" He breathed in the scent of her hair.

  "What are we going to do with all that gold?"

  Christopher chuckled. "I'll buy you a fancy house, a fancy carriage, and fancy dresses. You'll live like a princess."

  "I'm rather enjoying running about your ship in an old muslin gown."

  Christopher let his hand rest on her breast. Beneath her gown, she wore only a thin chemise to keep herself from showing too much. He liked her without stays, without binding, without anything to keep him out. "I'm enjoying it too," he said.

  "It was kind of you to reconcile with James."

  "He's my brother-in-law now, unfortunately. Best to keep harmony within the family, don't you think?"

  Honoria turned her head and smiled an intoxicating smile that took his breath away. "Thank you, Christopher. I so love Diana, I would hate to never see her again. I will put up with James for her."

  "You love your reprobate brother, don't you?"

  "I do, I suppose, underneath it all. James is simply not very good at showing affection. Neither am I, I think."

  Christopher's warm feelings of love began to mix with darker feelings of wanting. "You're just fine at showing affection. At least to me."

  She stared at him as though she'd never realized how loving she could be. "It is worth it," she said.

  "Hmm? What is?"

  "Loving." Honoria let her fingers drift inside his shirt, tracing the outlines of the dragon. "I was so afraid of losing you again that I feared letting myself fall in love with you all the way. I thought that if I held back, I wouldn't hurt so much when you were gone again. But then--you were taken away from me."

  Christopher touched her cheek, needing to be gentle with her right now. "I'm here, love. I made sure I came back to you. I'll always come back to you."

  "When I thought you might be buried in that mountain forever, I realized that I already loved you so much I'd never be able to stop the hurt. But I was glad too--glad I'd had the chance to know you this time, to love you. And I realized that I can't worry about what pain might come--I have to hold on to what I have--now--and love you as hard as I can. Then, if you are taken away from me again, I'll know I had the best of my life with you. Loving you, not fighting it."

  Christopher tugged her down to him, burying himself in her healing warmth. "I wasted so much time without you," he said. "So much time pretending I didn't need you, and then so much time trying to find you again. Thank you for coming with me."

  A little of her defiance peeked through. "I believe you compromised me and didn't leave me much choice, Captain Raine."

  "No," Christopher said seriously. "Templeton would have married you regardless, and you'd have returned to Charleston, with me finally out of your life. You made the choice."

  Honoria regarded him without blinking, her eyes full of love and hope. "I know," she said. "I'm glad I did."

  The words went straight to Christopher's heart.

  As Honoria continued to study him, her gaze took on a faraway look, and a smile tugged the corners of her mouth.

  Christopher began to smile back. He'd been filled up with love for so many years for her, but he'd barely known her. He'd remembered her first as a sweet, enticing girl, then as a loving, beautiful woman.

  On this voyage, Christopher had learned that Honoria was bot
h these women and more. She was sensual, funny, aggravating, haughty, pleasing, caring, proud, and beautiful. She was Christopher's wife in all senses of the word, and he loved her.

  The look she fixed on him now made his blood hot. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

  Wordlessly, Honoria pushed Christopher onto his back and touched the buttons of his breeches.

  "Vixen," he said.

  Her smile widened. She popped open the first button and then the next. His arousal tumbled from the opening, confined too long.

  Honoria caught it in her hand. Dark sensations trickled through Christopher's body and made his heart beat hard and fast.

  She teased him, oh she teased him. For the better part of an hour, Honoria teased him with her fingers, her lips, her tongue. Christopher lay back, an invalid, and let her have her way with him.

  Just when he thought he could stand it no longer, Honoria slid her leg over his hips and lowered herself down onto him. He slid right inside, finding her slippery and inviting.

  Honoria's green eyes opened wide, starry in the afternoon stillness. She gasped, her frenzy beginning to take her. "I love you so much, Christopher."

  "I love you, my wife," he said, meaning every word.

  "I want you too." She closed her eyes, shutting them tight. "Please, Christopher. I love you. I want to be with you forever."

  "I love you too," Christopher said. "Forever, love. I wouldn't have it any other way." Then he gathered her to him and finished it.

  *****

  Epilogue

  They found the Mexican gold right where Manda and St. Cyr had hidden it. They loaded it up, and sailed off to seek out the rest.

  They found that too, and divided the spoils. Each man--and woman--got an equal share, and Christopher, because he was the captain, got two.