She considered Daniel carefully. “I daresay you’ve left enough things lying around to find something for him. You want me to put him in one of the good rooms?”
“Yes, Lelia. Daniel is to be treated with as much respect as you can manage, which I know is not a lot, but please try to make an effort.”
She grinned. “Come on then, Daniel, let me show to your room.” She turned to Edward. “Collins is here asking to settle the household account. I assumed you might want to check the overcharging scuttbucket’s adding-up skills.”
“I’m sure he’s learnt his lesson after last time, but it won’t hurt to deal with this in person.” He smiled at Daniel. “Please make yourself at home.”
Daniel followed Lelia out of the library, watching Edward disappear in the direction of the rear of the house.
“You’re a friend of Merric’s, are you?” she said, not turning to look at him.
His upbringing had meant he was used to servants being seen but not heard. Their very nature was meant to be unobtrusive, the antithesis of Lelia, but she was no ordinary housekeeper, and he thought better of doing anything to annoy her.
“I knew Edward a long time ago, back in England.”
“Edward?” She chortled to herself as they climbed the stairs. “There’s not many who call him that. You must be one of the rare ones he may bring home twice.”
“Madam, I do not like your tone. I am not here for his pleasure.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Perhaps. But fair warning, Merric is a fine man and good friend, and I will not stand for anyone causing him trouble.”
Daniel bit back the urge to point out that fine men weren’t pirates, as that was an argument he would not win. “I assure you, he is more likely to give me trouble than the other way around.”
“You may be right there. But in my experience, most things that resurface from the past should stay there.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t be here long.”
She stopped and looked him straight in the eye. “That remains to be seen. Captain Horton.”
“You know who I am?” Daniel was astonished.
“New travels fast in these parts, even faster when Captain Merric arrives and is friends with a naval officer. You’re to his usual tastes, and a face from home raises a lot of questions to my mind.”
“None of which are your business.”
“Merric’s happiness is my business.” She continued walking then opened a door a little farther down the corridor. “In you go. I defy you not to be comfortable in there.”
Without further ado she ambled away, leaving Daniel somewhat lost for words, but his ignominy deserted him when several able-bodied men came with buckets of warm water to fill a large bath in the corner of his bedroom. Not since leaving his father’s estate had he stayed in such luxury. He might have had feather pillows in his old rooms in Portsmouth, but the quality of these cotton sheets was beyond his naval pay or the small stipend his father gave him. The bed, too, was something to behold, a solid four-poster, set with expensive chiffon drapes that would dwarf his small room in England.
The water had been laced with fragrant oils, the smell intoxicating, filling the room with a heady aroma he never would’ve selected for himself, but he was very glad someone had taken the liberty. He stripped out of his clothes and padded over naked. A washcloth and bar of soap had been left on a stool alongside a large drying cloth. He hadn’t had a proper bath in such a long time. Stepping into the hot water, he let out a happy noise as he sank down. The bath was long enough that he could stretch out comfortably. He removed the leather thong from his hair and settled back, closing his eyes as he let the warmth and aroma soothe his busy mind.
“Now that is view I would like to see every day.”
Daniel’s eyes flew open, and he sat up, water sloshing over the side of the bath as Edward stood over him, grinning. He reached for the washcloth to try to regain some of his dignity. “What are you doing in here?” he demanded.
Edward held out his arm, over which a set of clean clothes was draped. “You asked for these. I did not wish to be a bad host so I thought I would bring these to you myself.”
“You can leave them on the bed and go.”
“It’s not like I’ve not seen you naked before.” Edward placed the clothes on the bed but made no sign to leave.
“You knew I was having a bath. You came in here deliberately.”
“Fortuitous timing.” Edward’s gaze raked up his body, stopping at the large scar on Daniel’s left thigh, and he frowned. “How did you get that?”
Daniel moved his hand to cover the scar. It was just one of many he’d collected over the years at sea, but it was the most severe. “We boarded a ship in the English Channel looking for a certain individual who, it turned out, was not on board, and we’d been deliberately given false information. I was searching one of the lower decks when a Spaniard who’d been hiding came at me with his dagger raised. I was lucky—I didn’t lose too much blood, and the ship’s surgeon did an impressive job.”
“It must have hurt.”
“Yes, and the healing was diabolical. But the worse part was being inactive. I thought at one point I might be barred from sailing again, but I made a full recovery. Not even a limp, so I was allowed back to sea.”
“Life at sea is not the easy choice.”
Daniel reached over and grabbed the drying cloth, wrapping it around his waist as he climbed out of the bath. “But yet it is a life we have both chosen. Now if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to dry and get changed.”
“I’m not stopping you.”
“Edward. Get out.”
“I’m enjoying the view.”
“You’re going to wish you were a dead man if you don’t leave me be to get dressed. You are a menace.”
Edward laughed but sauntered to the door. “That’s not going to change. But I dare say you’ll love me anyway.”
Daniel knew Edward didn’t mean anything by it, but he found himself staring at the empty space Edward had left behind. When he’d been younger, what he’d felt for Edward had been all-encompassing. It had been a wrench when Edward’s father had sent him away under the premise of taking care of family interests, and devastating when he’d received news of Edward’s death. Now he and Edward were reunited, the old emotions were rising up from the place he’d buried them. Last night, the brief kiss had nearly broken him, but somehow he’d found the resolve to stop. It wasn’t because he didn’t want Edward, but he would be leaving soon, and whether Edward was alive or not they wouldn’t be together. Edward had made a life here—a life Daniel wasn’t part of. Maybe he could change that, find a way to come back to the Caribbean, but that would mean leaving the navy. He couldn’t believe he was contemplating the idea, not after a few days, but there would be nothing he could do immediately. The return trip between here and England took months, and the thought of Edward being with others during the time he would need to be away made his heart stutter. What right would he have to demand fidelity? He had no right to ask anything of Edward anymore.
Daniel shook away the thoughts, indulging in fantasies wouldn’t help anyone. His mind was already in a turmoil. He dried off quickly, the warm air doing as much of the work as the cloth, and inspected the clothes Edward had brought. Proper breeches rather than slops and a dark-blue coat were very welcome, but the white shirt was still loose and billowed like a sail around him. He was sure he looked ridiculous, but he didn’t have choice in the matter. He re-tied his hair and chose instead not to dwell on the idea and he headed downstairs to find Edward.
Chapter Eight
Edward was in the entrance hall when Daniel arrived, talking about supplies to a couple of the men from his ship and discussing when they would leave again. Daniel hung back, not wanting to interrupt, but Edward saw him, stopping in mid-sentence, his face distorting into an expression Daniel couldn’t decipher. “Sorry, I did not wish to disturb you.”
“Not at all. We
were finished.”
The two pirates left, seemingly unperturbed by their dismissal. Daniel wasn’t sure his senior crew would have been so easy to get rid of.
“Are you in fine fettle to see the island?” asked Edward.
“Definitely, I want to make the most of the opportunity to get a tour of Plesmaya from Captain Merric himself. I could probably dine out on the tale for months once I am back in Portsmouth.”
Edward’s smile faltered for a moment, but he quickly recovered. “Then come this way, have I a treat for you.”
He expected Edward to lead him to the town to explore the taverns, but instead they took a path behind his house, heading into the lush tropical flora that covered the centre of the island. “Where are we going?”
“I said I’d show you my favourite parts of the island. You must understand the need for peace every so often. Spending so much time at sea, all the bustle and being cramped together, makes me want to seek out special places to soak up some serenity.”
“I thought you’d want to show me every tavern in the town.”
“I’ll save that for another day.”
The path into the forest was well-trod enough that they had no trouble navigating the trees and vines. Daniel loved the lush undergrowth of the islands, the smell of damp moss mingled with the fragrance of exotic flowers, and the warmth, although borderline oppressive, wrapped him in a humid blanket like nothing else on Earth. The gradient sloped upwards, the forest getting thicker and the sun beginning to set. Ahead of them, he heard the sound of running water.
“I see why you chose to live here, there’s nothing like this back in England.”
“I fell in love with the spot when I was exploring the grounds after I won the house in a game of cards. Mind you, the house was not much more than a shell when I got it, but it was worth repairing for the view and location. It’s my home. I don’t know if I could live back in England again.”
Daniel envied Edward; he didn’t have a home as such. His ship was gone, he’d given up his rooms in Portsmouth, but they’d been little more than a place to sleep. And although he knew he would be welcomed by his father, his childhood home wasn’t somewhere he wished to remain for long. He could understand why Edward had settled here, his wealth affording him a comfortable home in a beautiful location. “I find it hard to settle anywhere. Seems pointless when I will be off to sea for long periods.”
“I used to feel the same. But when I decided to make a home, I fully embraced the idea. Don’t get me wrong, I love being at sea, love the thrill of coursing through the waves with the sails full and the endless horizon, but returning home makes it all even better.”
“Must be nice. I can’t say I can call anywhere home.”
Edward looked thoughtful. “Do you know the islands, not just the seas around them?”
“Yes, but I’ve spent most of my time on Jamaica.”
“Still a beautiful place.”
“But not like this.”
Edward hummed softly. “There’s nowhere quite like this.”
Daniel almost fell over his feet at the sight in front of him. He knew these islands were beautiful, had seen things he would never have imagined before leaving England, but now he was staring at a little piece of paradise. He was drawn towards the blue-green pool. A cascade of water pouring over moss-covered rocks caused a gentle haze to spread across the surface. “Oh my Lord.”
“My favourite place—it’s easy enough to believe that no other man has set eyes upon it. Few venture up here, content to stay close the pleasures offered in the town.”
“Then they are idiots of the first order.”
“Come on!”
Before Daniel could stop him, Edward had grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the water. He managed to dig his heels in to stop Edward tumbling them both into the pool. “Are you mad?”
“What? The water is warm and wonderful.” Edward tugged him forwards.
Edward was a menace. In reality, Daniel knew it would not take too much persuasion to get him into the water, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to make it easy for Edward. “We are fully clothed.”
“That can be rectified.” Edward pulled off his boots, hopping inelegantly, almost losing his balance, but he managed to remain upright.
Daniel swallowed thickly as Edward stripped away the layers. His legs were strong and muscular, and his bare shoulders broad. He was down to his linen drawers, and Daniel had to admit the years had been kind to Edward, skin sun-kissed and inviting, and Daniel had to stop himself from reaching out.
Edward cast a seductive smirk over his shoulder and waded into the pool towards the waterfall. “You coming?”
“I… er….”
“You won’t get this in England.”
Oh, how true that was, and it was not just the pool but the man in it. He had spent his life obeying orders, doing his duty, and maybe he should allow himself this small thing. His mind made up, Daniel stripped and followed Edward into the water. If he’d known he would spend his afternoon in a tropical pool, he would not have bothered with taking a bath. Edward was nearly at the falls, and Daniel took a moment to admire the view. Edward had always been attractive—he’d had a physical presence that made men and women gravitate towards him.
Edward reached the falls, the water cascading over his body. Daniel felt silly still standing barely up to his knees in the shallows, wearing his drawers. There was only one thing for it. He ploughed in, swimming out to the rock and clambering up the slippery surface to join Edward under the waterfall. The impact of the water across his shoulders was magical. The muscles in his back gave up their tension, and he moaned happily as he let nature massage his torso.
Even with roar of the falls he could hear Edward’s delighted laugh as he let the water pummel his neck, pasting his long hair to the sides of his face. Edward launched himself into the pool with a whoop of delight, followed by a glorious splash. Edward resurface and grinned, filling Daniel with a deep pang of longing.
“You can’t enjoy the water from up there.”
Daniel ignored the voice of common sense that told him it would be terrible idea and stepped off the rock into the water. He kicked out to reach the surface, emerging to see Edward floating on his back as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Daniel envied him. He knew Edward had his own problems—being captain of the Opal did not come without its difficulties—but he seemed to be able to push them away and not dwell on them.
The water was divine. He’d swam in the sea from time to time, but this was nothing like that. No salt or waves, only the sounds of the forest with the birds singing and the waterfall. He floated over to the side, leaning against a rock for support and able to put his feet on the bed of pool. Edward swimming leisurely from side to side was a wonderful sight to behold. Daniel was glad his lower half was hidden beneath the surface as there would be no mistaking his ardour. His life didn’t afford much opportunity to indulge his carnal needs, not that he had many. But Edward had awoken something inside he thought had died.
He closed his eyes for a moment, soaking up the peace and tranquillity, cracking open an eye when he realised Edward was coming to join him.
“You look happy. I don’t think I’ve seen you so at rest,” Edward said, stopping in front of Daniel.
“The place is magical. Thank you for showing it me.”
Edward’s gaze lingered on Daniel’s lips. “My pleasure.” He stepped closer. “This is my special place—I don’t share it with others.”
“You shared it with me.” Daniel licked his lips, unsure how to decode the expression on Edward’s face.
“There is nothing I would not share with you.”
Edward pressed closer, pinning Daniel to the rock. The slight slope meant they were at the same height. If he was going to stop this, he would have to do it now, and despite all the potential heartache, he couldn’t bring himself to say no. Edward leant in and kissed him, and he returned the kiss, moaning softly as Edward
repositioned himself so his knee slid between Daniel’s thighs. Edward capitalized on the moan, deepening the kiss. Daniel couldn’t remember the last time he had been kissed, let alone in such a fashion that made his head swim with intoxication. He brought his arms up and wrapped them around Edward’s shoulders, the press of wet skin against skin exhilarating, his body thrumming with delight. Edward broke the kiss. He nuzzled into the crook of Daniel’s neck, sucking gently at the skin.
Daniel moved his head to give Edward better access and yelped as Edward changed position. Grabbing his arse with two firm hands he moved to stand between Daniel’s thighs, pressing his unmistakable hardness against Daniel’s own aching cock. To be treated as something to be desired was so alien to him. Logically Daniel knew he wasn’t unattractive, but he’d made himself as inapproachable as possible, put up walls to prevent people getting close. Only Edward had persevered to get past them.
He gasped as he realised Edward’s intention and the drawstring of his drawers was loosened.
“You have haunted my dreams for fifteen years,” murmured Edward. “I have never been able to forget you.”
Edward’s large hand slipped into Daniel’s drawers, pushing them down, and he wrapped his fingers around Daniel’s cock. The few brief encounters over the years hadn’t prepared him for this, they hadn’t set him alight with a passion that was almost blinding. Edward slowly stroked him, building the intensity with every movement. The setting sun bathed Edward in a golden half-light, the water glistening across his skin like exquisite diamonds. Blood rushing through Daniel’s ears drowned out the noise of the falls and birdsong overhead, and the heavy pollen of the tropical flowers added to his light-headedness. He whined as Edward removed his hand, but a moment later it was back but also grasping his own cock, so they were pressed intimately together.
Overawed, he clung to Edward, his fingers tangling in his Edward’s long wet hair, desperate for an anchor while trying to catch his breath. Daniel dropped his head onto Edward’s shoulder, Edward working his cock with perfect grip and pressure. When they were younger, Edward had been able to make his body sing; Edward had been more experienced than Daniel then and was even more so now. Daniel shuddered as his excitement began to radiate from his belly. He curled his toes into the soft mud as the pleasure built, crying out with a strangulated gasp as he came, barely lucid enough to realize Edward was breathing like a bull, his own release following seconds later.
Captain Merric Page 7
