by Swanz, Peppa
“Captain!” she scolded, giggling and turning to kiss his jaw. There was something so nice and natural-feeling about the action.
“You’ve been one busy little wench,” he murmured. “In all my years I’ve never met such a curious woman.”
“How can I not be?” she asked, taking a deep breath of the sea air. “All my life it’s been like my path was straight. School, university, job, death, not the worst life but...I don’t know I just felt empty. But now here I am in a whole new world.”
“A second chance at life,” he said nodding his understanding. “That is a fine gift indeed.”
“It is, and I don’t want to waste a second.”
They stood in silence for a time, listening to the sounds of the ship and the sea.
“Two hundred years. I can’t even imagine a world that far in the future.” His voice seemed far away. “Still no idea how you came to be here?”
“Zilch-o-rino." She sighed, then, with a laugh at his raised brow, clarified. “No, no idea. It’s such a strange coincidence though.”
“How so?”
“Well the last thing I remember before I woke up here is reading about you in my old pirate book. My grandfather gave it to me when I was fifteen and I’ve always kept it close.”
James stepped back and turned her around to face him. “I’m in a book?”
“Yeah, a few actually. James Bartholomew Butler, captain of the Fallen Angel. Blackened the waters of the British Isles, the Caribbean and the Adriatic—1759 to 1774.”
His expression changed suddenly and she knew that she’d made a mistake.
“1774?”
Eliza shook her head, “Nobody knows. There are no records of your death, just that you were no longer pirating.”
He gave her a lopsided grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Well that’s slightly less disturbing.”
“Well if it makes you feel any better, the women of my time are fascinated by pirates of this time, and you are one of the most popular.” She smoothed a finger over the tiny lines around his eyes that always crinkled when he smiled. “The pictures don’t do you justice.”
James moved closer, a sensual smile curling his lips and making her stomach flip. Cupping her waist with one hand he slowly slid his other up her arm and drew her closer. But just as he was about to say something a loud yell pulled them apart.
“Captain! There’s a ship, it looks like a fine one.”
James sprung into action. “Stay here,” he said sternly, giving her a look that demanded no argument.
“Yes Captain.” She took on a similar demeanour that she’d seen from his crew. “Should I go below?”
He grinned and she liked the approval in his eyes when he gave her shoulder a squeeze. “If you prefer Miss Jackman, but I thought considering your interest you’d like to see a spot of honest pirating.”
“Thank you, Captain.”
Too quick he snaked his arm around her waist. Pulling her against his broad chest, James swooped and took her lips in a kiss that made her knees weak and her head spin. It was meant to possess, to show ownership, marking his territory as no man had done before. When he pulled back she was breathless and his own breathing was harsh.
“Be careful,” Eliza whispered.
“Not if I can help it,” he returned, and with a parting wink he grabbed the railing and propelled himself over the helm, landing firmly on the deck below.
“To Stations!”
Before her eyes the ship seemed to explode with action. Captain Butler barking orders, another man repeating. Men were climbing rigging and grabbing weapons. Another took the wheel, barking out orders of his own as someone barked more at him. Through the chaos she could see James near the front of the ship, looking towards a shape on the horizon through a scope. He handed it back to the man at his side and turned to march across the deck.
“Right, men!” he barked, turning as he did. “You know how we work. Make it quick, make it clean, take what you can. Let’s give ’em some stories to take home to their lawfuls.”
They were closing in fast and Eliza jumped when James suddenly bellowed, “Hoist the Colours!” And it was echoed around the ship by the crew.
Ropes were pulled and more orders barked. Eliza watched, wide eyed as a large black flag was hoisted high. It depicted the shape of a white angel crossed by two large, red swords. Seeing it in the books was nothing compared to how it looked when flying high and lapping in the wind.
****
James grinned up at his flag. There was always a strong flow of pride that came with raising the colours of the Fallen Angel. He snuck a quick look at Eliza and felt something inside him swell at the look of awe on her face.
She really was something else. Even wearing men’s britches and shirt with a hat covering her braided hair, she was brilliant, breathtaking, and it was all he could do to stand his ground and not run up to her. But there was no time and with a final look he turned on his heel and strode across the deck gripping the rail as the ship drew in beside the other.
They were close enough now to hear the passengers’ fearful screams.
“Pirates!”
“Get the women below deck!”
“Ready the cannons!”
“I want to see the pirates.”
“No! Go with your mother below.”
“It’s the Fallen Angel, we’ll never reach England alive.”
James grabbed a rope, pulled himself up onto the railing and bellowed, “Ladies and Gentlemen, greetings from James Bartholomew Butler, captain of the pirate ship, Fallen Angel.” He heard more screams of fear and the boisterous laughter of his men. He gave Carter a nod and saw from the corner of his eye that Francis was instructing Eliza to hold on tight.
“On my call!” Carter yelled to the line of men holding boarding hooks. “Easy boys…” He watched closely, judging the distance expertly, then shouted, “Throw!” The men threw the hooks to the other ship and pulled hard to secure them. He slapped the closest sailor on the back. “And pull her in men. Get her to ye like a salty wench at Christmas.”
James smiled at the wording and the outraged screams that came from the passengers on the other ship. “Ready your weapons!” he yelled, getting a tighter hold on the rope and standing strong against the impact of his Angel hitting the other ship.
He tightened his fist against looking back at the wench again and instead bellowed his instructions to his men and flung himself over the side onto the other ship’s deck.
James stood back as his men did what they did best and the air filled with wicked laughter, screams of fear, and the sounds of fists hitting flesh as his men gained control of the ship quickly. It was almost embarrassing how easy it was, these so called sailors sang of their strength and manliness but when push came to shove they always fell when it came to a real fight.
He waited for the screams and sobs to hush down, his men had taken the strongest males and prettiest woman hostage, knives to their dainty throats, evil guffaws in their innocent ears. They were frozen in their fear and it was time for him to make his move.
His heavy footsteps echoed on the deck and sliced through the silence. He noticed an uncommonly pretty young woman standing unheld, but flicking fearful looks at the pirate holding a man of the same age. Her beau? Probably. And he couldn’t resist. He gave a low gallant bow, his gaze never leaving her wide brown eyes all the while a wide, roguish grin curling his lips. A pretty blush stained her cheeks and he heard the man growl when she lowered her gaze and brought it back with a shy smile of her own.
She had a spark that he knew would drive her husband-to-be to distraction, and she probably wasn’t even aware of the sweet offer she was making. He wondered what she would look like with blue eyes, and he had the feeling that she would be so tempting if her hair was red...Blast!
He shook himself and silently cursed the wench he knew was watching him from the Angel. He resisted the urge to turn and look, but couldn’t resist a sinful wink at the virgin, chuckling when she
inhaled sharply and blushed even more deeply.
“Now that we are introduced,” he spoke striding to the centre of the circle his men had created. Knives to throats, loved ones watching fearfully. “I wish to assure you that we mean you no harm.”
“Well obviously!” One man sneered sardonically then grunted when the pirate, Hamilton, punched him, knocking the man unconscious.
James grinned at the shocked cries. “Correction,” he spoke louder letting his eyes flash dangerously. “We mean no harm as long as you do as you are told. Hand over your shiny things and we will gladly leave you with enough food and water to…” But he was cut short as with a sudden flash of red the deck erupted with the sound of marching feet and red coats and they were surrounded by thirty officers armed with shiny new pistols.
Bloody hell!
He swore inwardly and cursed his stupidity. He had heard of such ships, sent out looking wealthy but were in fact a trap to capture the last remaining pirates not sailing under the order of the East India Company.
Blast it all! He had avoided them up till now and had congratulated himself on his cleverness several times.
The sound of slow deliberate footsteps made him shut his eyes. It’s not him, for the love of all that is holy it can’t be…
“Captain Butler, we meet again.” The smooth, masculine voice almost purred behind him and James swore again.
Schooling his expression into that of cool disinterest, James turned and inclined his head in a mock bow. “Lord Brooks, a pleasure as always,” he said dryly. “You do realize that shooting us will mean the death of these fine people as well, I hope.”
The two stared each other down, green eyes glaring into icy blue. Brooks hadn’t changed much, his long white hair was tied loosely with a black ribbon and his uniform was immaculate and of a more expensive cut and cloth then his men. But James was not fooled for a moment. The man looked almost fragile in his finery and smooth alabaster skin, but there was nothing fragile about Kingsley Franklin Brooks. James knew full well that underneath laid a truly cold and dangerous man.
A slow cold smile split over Brooks face, his eyes flashing with something close to amusement. “Well, then it seems we have come to an impasse captain Butler. What to do, what to do…” He slowly paced the deck, in mock concentration that made James’ blood run cold. “I suppose,” he said, his gaze firmly on James, lips curling. “If you and your fine blackguards were to back down and hand yourselves over peacefully, we won’t need to shoot through these innocent people in order to clean our seas of your filth.”
James swallowed hard. The careless tone the officer used while referring to killing innocent people made James shiver. The pirate was far from an innocent, had taken lives and committed enough sins to set his place in hell firm. But he had never taken murder lightly, and had never stooped to women and children as this man did.
“You son of a bitch,” James spoke through gritted teeth. His men, still holding their captives firmly, knives to throats, all watched him, waiting for his word. Hand themselves over peacefully or allow innocent people to die? Either way they were done for.
“I shall tell her you said that, James,” Brooks drawled. “As I remember she was always so fond of you, I fear this will hurt her sensitive emotions.”
“This is low,” James growled. “Even for you, Kingsley. You call yourself a naval officer, protecting the seas. And yet you are willing to shoot innocent women and children to get to me.”
Brooks laughed, hard and deep his laughter seemed foreign to such a slim body. “Bait is bait, are the worms we impale on our hooks any more or less innocent?”
There was an outraged cry from the passengers and the woman who had blushed under his gaze earlier marched through the crowd. “Lord Brooks, how can you speak so? We were not aware that we were to be bait and how dare you compare us to the filthy worms you fishermen use.” She raised her chin as she spoke, and James did not miss the way she looked down her nose at Brooks when she made her fisherman remark, an obvious slight against the Lord’s penniless grandfather.
No matter how far you rise or how many nobles you have under your belt, one blemish would always bring you back down.
Brooks’ reaction was fast. James had no time to stop it. Brooks slapped the woman to the ground with the back of his hand. A loud CLAP echoed across the deck and her cry made James reach for his pistol. But all at once another sound made the crew, officers and passengers look to Brooks again. A gun was cocked and aimed straight at his head and a curvy, redheaded woman stood at his side, gun pressed firmly against his temple.
Eliza!
James thought he had never been so happy to see anyone in his life. In that moment she was the most incredible woman he had ever beheld. That angry flash of blue eyes, lush lips, and wild red hair—his Ellie, his dream, his salvation. Blast, he wished that everyone would just bugger off so he could touch her again right now.
She glared around at the officers, who seemed entranced by the woman, then growled dangerously. “Drop the shit, or you’ll be picking Blondie-Bear’s brains out of your hair for a week.”
The officers looked suitably scared, but more confused as they looked from one to the other then back at Lord Brooks. His own eyes were flashing with rage as he tried to turn his head to see her. “What the…” But he never finished as she shoved the pistol harder against his head and dug her fingernails into his arm. “Do as the lady says,” he muttered.
One officer looked at the other and shrugged and James let out a laugh. “If I may, Gentlemen, I believe that the lady is requesting that you drop your pistols and stand back, lest she shoot your commander through the head.”
A joint, “Oh! Oh…” Went up through the officers and quite a few sighs of relief could be heard as their pistols were dropped to the ground.
“Who the devil are you?” Brooks grunted, stiffening as Eliza shoved her pistol harder against his temple, now making his head tip to the side.
“Oh, how rude of me,” James said, humor restored. He felt his stomach flip when she threw him a roguish grin, worthy of Davy Jones himself. “Lord Brooks, may I introduce a very good friend and temporary member of my crew, Wild Red Ellie.”
“She’s from the future,” Francis pitched in from where he held a well dressed man in spectacles.
“Really?” The bespectacled man said, turning slightly to look at Eliza. “How fascinating!”
“Very,” James said, grinning at Eliza.
“Ah, Jam...I mean Captain Butler,” Eliza spoke up again. “Time is ticking and I can hear this guy’s misogynist brain clicking over so maybe you should finish up the transaction so we can be on our way.” Then as an afterthought she said to Brooks, “Oh, and it’s very nice to make your acquaintance, Lord Brooks.”
“Charmed,” he returned dryly.
Chapter 6
Her head hit the hard wood of the door hard enough to make her mind blur, but only for a second. James hot, hard body shoved her harder, sandwiching her between him and the door. He growled, deep and rumbling against her mouth and she whimpered with need. Her body flamed hotter as his large hands held hers firmly above her head and she wrapped one leg around his hip to grind her pulsing heat against his trapped hardness.
“Fuck, Ellie, you’re incredible.” His breath gushed against her cheek and his hot mouth made a wet trail across her face and down her throat. “Never met a wench like you.” He freed one of his hands and deftly tore open her shirt. “Never wanted a woman, the way I want you.” He dragged his thumb over her nipple then, cupping her breast, tenderly, dropped his mouth to lav the pinkish nib with his rough tongue.
Eliza moaned as he gave the other breast the same attention. “Oh James, I was so scared.” Her voice cracked and she strained against the hand holding hers captive. “Thought you were going to die...Who was that man...Thought he was supposed to fight for the good guys...James!” She cried out when he tore open her pants and let them drop.
“He does—Used to,�
�� he rasped as he gripped her thighs and lifted her, moaning when she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Maybe never—We served in the navy together as lads—Always a cruel bastard...Ooh…” His eyes shut tight as he released his cock and with a long, guttural moan slid his thick length home. “God’s teeth, that feels so good, Ellie.”
It was a tight fit. She felt torn in two. Nothing had ever felt so good. She laughed breathlessly and tightened her inner muscles around him. “I feel like such a bad girl—Never done anything like that before. Is this how you feel all the time?”
He grinned, eyes twinkling mischievously as he slowly pulled out till only the tip of his cock remained. “Aye.” He lifted to slide back into her with a groan. “And you know the best part?”
She felt him release her hands to cup her bottom more firmly. Winding her arms around his neck she held on for dear life. He drew out then inch by inch pushed back in, letting her feel every vein and ridge of his engorged cock. At last she remembered that he had asked her a question. She shook her head and whimpered impatiently.
“The best part,” he rasped and pulled almost all the way out again and held himself completely still at her entrance. “Is—This…” the last word was hissed out as his fingers dug bruisingly into her bottom and he thrust hard and fast back inside.
“James!”
Eliza shuddered and felt her cries escaping her throat but all she could hear was him. His grunting moans filled her head just as his thick cock slammed again and again into her soaking pussy. His legs were strong, unrelenting, pounding his cock deeper till she felt impaled on his rock hard length.
She had never felt anything so hard, so thick, no man had ever made her feel such wanton abandon. She was in heaven and so was her pirate lover.
Her head dropped to his shoulder, her hands gripped his flexing arms as she felt and heard him draw closer to his climax. His head fell back and she could feel his abs and shoulders tightening and flexing with every plunge of his thick cock into her quivering cunt. It was all she could do to just hold on for dear life and feel. Feel his cock stretching her so perfectly, feel his whole body straining towards that one part of his body that was pumping desperately inside hers.
