“Yup,” Bex replied. “We brought him here—”
“He says he’s from the past,” Izzy interrupted, her impatience getting the better of her. She threw an apologetic look at her friend before returning her brown eyes into Dani’s. “A pirate from the past. I mean, is that even possible, Dani?”
“Anything is possible, my dear,” Dani told her, a mysterious smile on her red lips. “Now, where are my manners? Come, come, girls! Come sit down.” The two young women followed the psychic into the living room, and Dani thrust her arms out to the couch, covered by a dark green blanket, offering them a seat. “Tea?” she asked as the three sat down.
“Yes, please!” Bex exclaimed, while Izzy smiled politely but shook her head.
Just as Dani handed Bex a teacup, Johnny entered, peeking his head around the doorframe. When his eyes found Izzy, he grinned, happy to be in the right place, and entered the house before shutting the door behind him.
“You must be our guest,” Dani said, watching him as he took a seat next to Izzy on the couch.
“You smell like smoke,” Izzy muttered, her nose scrunched up in disgust.
“That’s probably because I was smoking,” Johnny retorted, although he kept his eyes fixed firmly on the woman before him.
“Now,” Dani said, her eyes looking at Izzy. “You are here because you are not sure whether or not you can trust what this man says, that he really is a pirate from the eighteenth century. Am I correct?” Izzy said nothing, but nodded once. “Let me tell you, I can assure you that what he says is true.” Johnny smirked at this, feeling as though he won a battle, though neither girl paid him any mind at the moment. “Captain Johnny Clover is not of this world. He is searching for something he knows naught of, and yet…,” Dani smiled her mysterious smile once again. “Yet it is staring him in the face.” Her eyes then focused on the handsome pirate, and her mysterious smile slid into politeness. “He must have been sent here to pay some sort of karmic debt, and has probably hurt those who trusted him.”
“How does he go back?” Bex asked, tilting her head to the side slightly. “I mean, what does he have to do to return to his time?”
Dani smiled again. “This man obviously has a lot of faults,” she replied. “What man doesn’t? But if he—” She looked directly into Johnny’s dark orbs now. “—If you can find someone who loves you despite all your faults, and if you face that which you are running from, your debt will be cleared and you will return home.”
Johnny nodded, and the three guests stood. Bex pulled Dani into a tight hug and thanked her for the tea, while Johnny nodded once. He followed Bex out the door, but Izzy hung back, her eyes worried and unsure.
“Yes, Isabelle?” Dani asked, but her eyes revealed that she already knew what was troubling the young woman.
“I—” Izzy began, but shut her mouth. “What should I do with him, Dani?”
“Of course you must do as you wish, Isabelle,” Dani told her wisely, “but I suggest you keep in mind that he was sent to you for a reason.” She paused and then gently cupped Izzy’s cheek into her hand. “He will not harm you, if that is what worries you.”
Izzy stood there for a moment, pondering everything she just learned, and nodded finally. Dani smiled and dropped her hand from her face. At that moment, Johnny’s head popped back in the doorway, his dark eyes searching for Izzy. When they reached her, he arched a brow, trying to mask the concern that was pooling in his eyes with a quizzical look.
“Who knows?” Dani murmured before Izzy left her presence, making sure Johnny couldn’t overhear their conversation. “He may show you things you would never have imagined.”
7
Once Bex had dropped the two off at Izzy’s apartment, Izzy led Johnny back up into her small home, and after she had locked the door behind them both, she turned to study him. The pirate looked so out of place, it almost made Izzy smile out of sheer amusement. His clothes were dirty, with random places filled with earth, and was that dried blood? She blinked, trying not to look too odd giving him a once-over.
Johnny glanced over at the woman and saw that her eyes were watching him quite intently. He gave her a wicked smirk, and she rolled her eyes, sighing through her nose.
“Would you like to take a shower?” she asked finally, meeting her eyes with his. Johnny’s brow pushed up as he opened his mouth to speak, but Izzy quickly cut him off. “A shower is kind of like a bath, except the water comes from above and you’re standing up. It’s a lot faster to partake in than a bath.” The look of utter confusion etched out on Johnny’s chiseled face amused Izzy to no end, and she had to gently bite down on her bottom lip in hopes to contain a chuckle. “Here,” she said, waving him over to herself as she turned around. “I’ll show you.”
Johnny nodded once, albeit skeptically, and followed Izzy down the short hallway until they reached a small room. Johnny immediately recognized it as bathing quarters. There was a lavatory adjacent to a sink, and a few feet away from that was a bathtub. Johnny’s eyes looked up, frowning as he noticed an odd sort of silver thing sticking out from the wall. He was about to ask what that was when Izzy bent over slightly, turning the water on. For a very brief second, Johnny was distracted by Izzy and her very nice…rear view, so to speak. However, when he heard water start to plunge out of one drain, his eyes went wide. To fill a tub back in his time, he had to have gallons of heated water brought to the tub and poured inside it. This…this was very different, very fascinating…very convenient.
“Do you like it hot?” Izzy asked, glancing behind herself to find a very entranced Johnny staring at the water coming from the tub.
“Excuse me?” he asked, not exactly comprehending the question.
Izzy blushed, realizing the question probably wasn’t the best thing to ask him knowing where his thoughts usually were most of the time. “The water,” she explained. “Do you like it hot, cold, warm…?”
“I prefer it to be hot,” Johnny said, “but not too hot.”
Izzy smiled at him. “Me too,” she murmured, and then turned around, adjusting the dials until the perfect temperate water came out. When she finished (and this particular part Johnny could still not believe), she pulled up a circular-shaped knob, causing the water to stop falling from one entrance and to start falling from the silver thing in beads, much like the rain. This time, Johnny’s mouth dropped open, completely baffled. “This is a shower,” she explained, standing up. “There’s soap, shampoo, and conditioner—I don’t know if you use any of those—anyways, I’d be happy to wash your clothes for you, so…”
Johnny, understanding her insinuation, immediately removed his tunic and handed it to her. Izzy took it, not quite expecting him to be so enthusiastic to strip for her, but then remembered just who it was doing the stripping. “Hold it!” she said, placing up her hand in a “stop” fashion just as Johnny’s long fingers slid into the waist of his pants, ready to pull them off. “I’m going to exit the room now,” she stated, feeling a bit awkward, her eyes captivated by the toned chest that was currently staring at her. Dark hair was sprinkled lightly throughout his it, masking as well as enhancing some scars, cuts, and even what appeared to be a couple of bullet holes. His torso was very built but not bulky, and incredibly…was there another word for toned?
“Right,” she managed to breathe, forcing her eyes to look into Johnny’s. He had that arrogant smirk on his face, as though he knew what kind of effect he was having on her. “So I’ll leave you. There are towels, and once you…once you get in the shower, I’ll collect your clothes and…well, I’ll give you some stuff to wear. Right.” She clutched the shirt to her chest, reminding herself not to look back at his body and made her exit.
Izzy walked over to the laundry basket currently placed in her room, and dropped the piece of cloth into it. She plopped on the edge of her bed and ran her fingers through the locks of her hair, her face red with embarrassment. She let out a frustrated sigh. A man literally from another world was in her bathroom, ta
king a shower, and she had no clue why he was there, why he was sent to her. He seemed friendly enough, but she barely knew him, and all the drama with Zach was still prevalent on her mind, so she was incredibly stressed. It really didn’t help much that he was ridiculously good-looking, and that he knew it too. Maybe it was she who had to pay a karmic debt, and had to be some mystical babysitter. But the fact that he was a pirate was pretty cool.
The young woman stood, deciding that she had waited long enough to sneak back into the restroom and grab the rest of Johnny’s clothing. As she opened the door as silently as she could, she prayed that he wasn’t waiting around for her, completely naked. She also chose to ignore the small part of her that hoped for the same thing. However, it would appear Johnny was indeed in the shower, so Izzy grabbed his clothes and set down an old, white wife beater and sweatpants. Both articles of clothing belonged to Zach, but it wasn’t like he was around to wear them, so she didn’t feel too guilty for letting Johnny borrow them.
Fifteen minutes later, Izzy had taken her dirty laundry to the apartment complex’s laundromat, placed the dirty clothes in the washing machine, and headed back upstairs before plopping on the couch. Soon after, Izzy heard the water stop and after a moment, Johnny emerged. She forced herself to stare straight ahead at the blank television set, not at him, but the corner of her eyes wouldn’t listen. He looked like a Greek god, glistening as he stood there. His locks of hair molded to his face, and the clothes fit him well—too well, to be precise. Zach wasn’t as big as Johnny, so the clothes, while comfortable, were a bit tight. Not that she minded….
Wait, what?
She shook her head.
“That was…interesting,” Johnny said, walking around the couch before taking a seat next to Izzy. “I feel incredibly refreshed.”
“You smell a lot better, too,” Izzy teased. Johnny turned his head and gave her a dry look. “Anyways,” she continued, glancing away from him and clearing her throat. “So I guess you’ll be staying with me for a while. There’s a spare room that Zach insisted we have—though I have no idea why—where you can stay,” she continued. “But just so you know, there are some ground rules.” She looked at him seriously, and he perked his brow, urging her to continue. “First and foremost, no smoking inside. You can go out on the porch, but if you do, don’t litter, okay? It’s bad for the environment.” Upon hearing this, Johnny’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Secondly, no bringing random girls here to…do stuff with. And you’re going to have to find some way to help me pay the rent. I’ll see if I can get you a job somewhere….” Johnny watched her intently as she tried to think of anything else. Izzy was rather cute when she was flustered. Finally, she tilted her head to the side slightly. “I think that’s it,” she murmured, snuggling back into the cushy couch. “Do you have any questions?”
Johnny pursed his lips for a moment, thinking. Finally, he shook his head and gave Izzy one of his most disarming smiles. “Actually, darling,” he said, “I suppose I should thank you. It really does mean a great deal that you’re doing this for me. I really do appreciate it.”
The sincerity of his words took Izzy by surprise, and for a moment, she said nothing. “Oh,” she mumbled. “It’s really no problem….” There was a moment of silence between the two, but oddly enough, it wasn’t awkward in any way. “You know,” she said with a sly smile. “I’ve always wanted to be a pirate. Even when I was really young.”
“Really?” Johnny asked, genuinely interested. Izzy grinned, biting her bottom lip, and nodded. “You know, piracy is more than just pillaging and plundering. It’s actually very dangerous. This…movie that I watched, it really only romanticizes it.”
“If it’s so dangerous,” Izzy began, “why do you do it?”
“Well, darling,” Johnny said, a knowing, small smile tugging his right corner lip up, “if your freedom isn’t worth dying for, what is?”
8
The next morning, Izzy woke up earlier than normal. Today she would have to go back to school. Luckily for her, she only had one class today—Sociology of Sex and Gender—and it only lasted two hours. Monday and Wednesdays were her primary work nights. She would go to class, do any unfinished homework, relax, maybe hang out with Bex if her schedule allowed, before heading into the Skull and Crossbones, a bar a couple of blocks from her apartment. It was in the shower when she realized that upon returning to school and therefore to work, she would encounter Zach. Just the thought of him caused her chest to tighten quite painfully, and she frowned, pushing out her bottom lip. Well, it wasn’t like she was going to give up her job just because her ex-boyfriend worked there. She had to be grown up, mature; she was twenty-two, after all. Sighing, she proceeded to wash and condition her hair as she let her thoughts wander. She’d also have to see if Brian, her manager, would give Johnny a job.
Brian was a good guy, and he seemed to really enjoy Izzy’s company. Plus, she was damn good at her job, and always managed to rake in the most tips any night she waitressed, so with her word backing up Johnny, she might actually get the pirate a job. Now if only she could make sure he served the drinks rather than consumed them….
Izzy stepped out of the shower and dried her hair to the best of her abilities with a towel before throwing on a pair of jeans and T-shirt. Once she emerged from the bathroom fresh and clean, she slipped on her flip-flops and grabbed her carrier bag, double-checking to make sure all of the necessary books and pages were securely tucked away. With that, she grabbed her keys and headed over to the guest bedroom Johnny was currently occupying. The door was slightly ajar, and much like the previous morning, she studied him for a bit.
The pirate looked much more comfortable on the bed than he did slumped up against her door. He actually looked quite cute, if she was being honest with herself. Though the shadows masked him somewhat, she could tell that his lips were slightly ajar, and his perfectly pointed nose breathed in and out, creating a very soft snore. She hadn’t exactly told him she would be gone for a few hours, and was still unsure if she could trust him to stay out of trouble. At that moment, her cell phone rang, and Izzy quickly stepped away from the room in hopes that she wouldn’t wake him up.
“Izzy?” Bex asked, once Izzy had answered the ringing device. “Hey, so I just realized something. With all this crazy Johnny Straight-Teeth drama going on, we haven’t had a good girls’ night out to get over Zach and stuff.”
“You know I just can’t get over Zach in two, three days,” Izzy said, though a touch smile crawled onto her lips. Count on Bex to always cheer her up when Izzy herself didn’t realize how down she was.
“Yes, well, alcohol and dancing can help you forget about that asshole, however temporarily,” she concluded, as though the argument was finished and wouldn’t be further discussed. “Anyways, when is Zach coming over to pick up his shit?”
“Crap!” Izzy exclaimed, suddenly realizing why she had felt that something had been amiss. “Bex, I need a huge favor. I may have completely forgotten that I had class today—I know, stupid—and I can’t be here to give him his stuff. I mean, Johnny’s here and everything, but I don’t want Zach to get the wrong idea. Do you think…?”
Bex sighed, tilting her head down slightly so her red hair pooled around her, much like a fiery lion’s mane. “Don’t I always, Iz?” Bex asked, a tiny smirk touching her lips. “Yes, I’ll come over in about fifteen minutes. But you owe me. This weekend, you, I, Tina, and Sarah are all going dancing.”
Izzy knew she was trapped. “Oh fine,” she said, but she was content nonetheless. “Hey, I gotta go, though. I’ll leave the bolt unlocked so it’ll be easy for you to unlock the door. And try and get here soon. I don’t want Johnny waking up to an empty house.”
“You know, for someone who couldn’t care less about this pirate hunk, you sure sound worried about him,” Bex teased.
“Goodbye, Bex,” Izzy murmured with a warning tone, and before Bex could respond, she hung up her phone, turned it on silent, and after catching one
last glimpse of said pirate hunk, she headed out the door and to school.
Johnny awoke shortly thereafter. He usually woke up early back when he was in his time, reveling in the sunrise that always met him on the horizon of the ocean. When he got up, his eyes ceremoniously looked out the window. The sun, much to his dismay, was already up. He had missed the sunrise. His stomach rumbled along with that thought, and he peered down at it. Apparently, he was also hungry.
Johnny walked out of his room and into the living room, his dark eyes glancing around. The boxes from the previous day were still scattered about, and he frowned, knowing who they belonged to. He wasn’t exactly sure as to why, but he suddenly became slightly overprotective of the woman who had given him so much in such a short amount of time. Johnny couldn’t exactly say that he was the best candidate to promote monogamy, but though it wasn’t something he wanted for himself, it was hard to see someone he genuinely liked get hurt. Isabelle—Izzy—would pretend that nothing was wrong, that everything was fine and dandy, but his eyes were sharper than they appeared, and there were times he could see the hurt and betrayal written in her brown orbs. Maybe when he returned, he wouldn’t be so shallow when it came to the women he would bed….
The thought was a new one, and he frowned at it, not quite sure where it came from, exactly. However, the fact remained: he didn’t like that Izzy was the one who had been hurt by this bloke Zachary, or whatever they called him. His name didn’t matter.
It was such an odd feeling, actually caring about the well-being of somebody other than himself. He could admit it; usually he was a selfish bastard and came and left with the tide. He didn’t really like having a big ship, for a big ship required a big crew. If he couldn’t handle the ship by himself then normally he wouldn’t commit to it. Johnny only liked to care about himself, which was why he wasn’t in any sort of relationship, didn’t have many friends, and really had no one he could rely on. It was why he chose to run away after Willow told him of what would become of him, why he outright refused the position she had said he would inherit whether he liked it or not. And yet, here he was, completely dependent on a woman in this new, scary, and yet fascinating world. However, what struck him the most was that he didn’t necessarily mind it very much.
To Believe a Buccaneer: A Scandalous Adventure at Seas Series Page 4
