Pirate's Treasure

by Capri Montgomery

  “What do you think of this?” He held up the bag with the star fish inside. “I guess he’s making his way to shore with the tide.”

  “That’s great, Nick. Don’t you think you should take a break now?” She leaned over the side of the raft and took the bag from Nick.

  “I think I might do one more.”

  “Nick, we’re going to refuel at the next port and then it’s on to one more island. We can pick up dive equipment and you can dive for longer then.”

  Andrew could tell Lindy was worried and wanted the professor to stop. It wasn’t safe. They didn’t have tanks and if something happened to the professor he was on his own. Andrew could swim, and he could hold his breath underwater maybe two minutes tops. He wasn’t risking his life to save a free-diving idiot.

  “You’ll join me if we pick up tanks?”

  “I’ll buy, but you know I don’t swim very well and I didn’t complete dive certification.”

  “Well,” the professor smiled. “I might be persuaded.”

  Andrew was ready to pursued him with a little harsh reality. Get in trouble down there and you’re on your own; but Lindy chimed in with the sweetest, “please” he had ever heard. A please that made Andrew go rock hard, and he was sure the professor wasn’t sitting too comfortable in his wet suit either.

  “Sure thing, Beautiful.”

  Andrew was reluctant to help the professor into the small raft. He wasn’t sure what happened to his maturity level. Suddenly his maturity level was plummeted to that of an adolescent school boy instead of a thirty-six year old man. The feeling was novice. He helped the professor into the small raft despite the strong urge not to.

  “Thanks, Buddy.”

  Andrew managed to get “you’re welcome,” out despite his clenched teeth. He wasn’t his damn buddy. In fact, he couldn’t stand him. It wasn’t just that the professor had known Lindy in a way no other man should have, it wasn’t even entirely the professor’s attempts to get Lindy back in his bed. There was just something about the professor that didn’t quite click. Even if the circumstances had been different, Andrew knew he still wouldn’t have liked him—or at least that’s what he told himself.

  “Unless you all want to go ashore we should head back.”

  “Back,” Lindy said.

  “Are you tired?” Nick rubbed her shoulder.

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you taking the medicine?”

  Lindy shook her head yes, quickly, before changing the subject. Andrew wondered what medicine Lindy was on, what her suspicious doctor’s appointment was about, and why the professor knew what was wrong with her when he didn’t. He was going to rectify the problem and satisfy his curiosity. Lindy was going to tell him what was wrong, but he needed to be careful how he approached the topic. Lindy was stubborn. If he attacked her with an abundance of demanding questions he wouldn’t get answers.

  Andrew watched Lindy as she washed the dishes. The professor had gone below and now was the perfect time to get answers. Slow and easy, he reminded himself.

  “Lindy,” he watched her carefully. He wanted, needed, to be aware of any subtle shift, any change in her posture. “We need to talk.”

  “I know,” she said in a tone that told him she had been expecting this conversation for hours, since the moment the professor mentioned medication.

  “It’s nothing serious. Let’s just leave it at that.”

  “Let’s not.” He didn’t mean to sound harsh or demanding, but he had. He waited for the gates of hell to be opened and for Lindy to kick him in, but she didn’t. Her response was unexpected, but welcomed.

  She shut the water off, turned slowly, wiped her hands on her jeans and said, “I’m anemic.” He vaguely knew what that meant. What he didn’t know his mind was already filling in.

  “Now don’t get any crazy notions. I’m iron deficient anemic which means I don’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to vital organs. I’m much better than I was a year ago. I just get tired fast, can’t seem to get enough sleep and can’t afford to lose any blood.”

  That sounded serious to him. Even her casual matter of fact tone hadn’t eased his fear. “What about this medication? Does it help?”

  “Slowly, but surely.”

  “Well that’s good.”

  “Not so good. It causes other problems—nausea to be exact. It never used to. I guess, maybe I need to cut the dosage or change brands. I’ll talk to my doctor about that when I see him again.”

  “When’s that?”

  “Three months.”

  “Three months!” Three months seemed like a long time to be in pain. “I’ll take you back there as soon as we get back.” In fact, he was ready to turn the boat around.

  “I’m not seeing the specialist. I have to see my regular doctor and I’m on a schedule. It’ll keep until then.”

  “Stubborn,” he mumbled.

  “Well you wouldn’t like me if I caved to your every demand now would you?”

  Lindy giving in to his demands took on an entirely x-rated meaning. He wondered what kind of lover she was. Would she give as good as she got? Was she dominant or submissive? He wanted to know, to explore every inch of her body before finding his rightful place between her legs.

  The primal urge to claim her washed over him like a tidal wave. How had he resisted her for so long? Before, she was just a kid. Then, she had gone away to college. She hadn’t come back for breaks. Captain Morgan had gone to Florida to see her, but she had never once come back. Maybe that made it easy because he could still remember her sitting on deck with two ponytails gathered at the back of her head. Things changed when she came home. Her new shape hadn’t allowed him to see her as that scrawny kid. She came back with several missions and one of those missions had been to prove she wasn’t a kid. She had succeeded on all fronts. Lindy was a successful business woman, skilled marine biologist and one hell of a shipmate. He was in trouble from day one. The moment he took a look at the lean curves filling out her clothes he knew his penis had already jumped to attention. The constant reminder that this was Captain Morgan’s daughter was the only thing that held him back. Now, that reminder wasn’t helping. Every time he told himself, “She’s Captain Morgan’s daughter,” another part said, “Who gives a damn?”

  Andrew leaned in close to Lindy. He could smell the light scent of her soap. She smelled enticing. “Fine,” he said, although he wasn’t exactly sure what he was responding to.

  “Don’t sound so defeated. I really will be okay until I can see the doctor again.”

  “You wouldn’t lie to me; would you?”

  She looked him square in the eyes and said, “of course. But only about the unimportant things.”

  He laughed. “Remind me to ask you about that later.”

  “Do you feel that?” Lindy stood up. The water swooshed around the boat.

  “Yeah,” Andrew took his place at the helm while Lindy ran to grab the riffle.

  “It’s probably just marine life,” Nick said. Andrew was knee deep in disgust for the professor. If it weren’t for Lindy he would have left the professor at the last island.

  “We don’t ignore anything out here.” Lindy loaded the gun. “You should go below.”

  Andrew started the engine. He wasn’t going to take any chances. If they needed a fast getaway he wasn’t going to waste time starting the engine.

  “I’ll stay up here. I want to see the look on your faces when you find out you over reacted.”

  Andrew’s temper flared. “Take your—” Lights bathed them from both sides. “Shit,” he growled. They were in trouble, big trouble. He didn’t wait, he just acted. Speeding between both boats he took care not to expose himself to gunfire.

  “Get down!” Lindy yelled, but the professor just stood there. Andrew saw Lindy lunge toward the professor. Gun in hand; she managed to knock him down before a bullet knocked her down.

  Lindy clutched her arm.

  “Lindy!”

 
; “Oh God,” she moaned.

  He could see the blood seeping through her fingers. He couldn’t ascertain the extent of her injuries from where he stood, but he couldn’t stop the boat either. His heart pounded in his chest. “Lindy!”

  She reached for the rifle, pulled herself to a kneeling position, took aim and fired at the boat on their right. It was the closest and her shots were best served in her assault. She took out the shooter, and then their light and a few more men before both boats fell back.

  “I’ll call for help.” She scurried to the navigation room. It wasn’t long before she returned. “The radio took a hit. I can’t get us help. We’ll have to go back to the island.”

  “Even bigger problem, we won’t make it that far. We’re losing fuel, fast.” He noted her bravery before turning his attention to her injury. “You’re bleeding badly.”

  “Flesh wound.”

  “I don’t give a dam if it’s just a graze. Get the first aid kit. We need to fix it up.”

  “Later,” she snapped. “I need to prepare a survival kit. We’re not going to make it back to where we can get help and we can’t sit dead in the water. We’ll have to go back to the island we just left and—”

  “Are you crazy?”

  “Nick…”

  “No. We have to get away from here.”

  “We’re not going to make it,” Andrew snapped. “Lindy, get the kit. I’ll bandage your arm and then you can prepare three bags. Change your clothes too. Layers,” he said. “Take only what’s important.”

  “I know. First aid kit, survival kit with waterproof matches, flare, beacon and water.”

  “Right.” He nodded. “But your arm first.” It would help if the professor could do something other than stand still like a statue. He would have told him to grab a pack and get started, but he didn’t trust the professor to tie his shoelaces let alone pack a survival kit.

  Lindy was a different story. He knew she could handle the basics, but her skill under pressure was impressive. Never before had she faced pirates. She had heard the stories from crew aboard her father’s ships, but she hadn’t experienced the reality, not until tonight.

  When Lindy returned with the first aid kit Andrew had her take the helm before he bandaged her arm.

  “Thanks.”

  He could see the tears welling in her eyes.

  “I’ll go get ready.”

  “Fifteen minutes,” he warned. It didn’t leave much time, especially with her arm. He had no doubt she could do it.

  Lindy surfaced in a pair of long, olive green pants and black tank top with a cream button down shirt draped over her good arm. She had the three backpacks too.

  “You’re bleeding through your bandage. We need to change it.”

  “Later. We need to hit the ground running. Changing my bandage now will only slow us down.”

  He knew she was right so he didn’t argue. Instead, he headed straight for the beach. The North Star was going to need a lot of work after this. When he made it back he could worry about the repercussions of running the boat up on shore. Right now his main concern was keeping Lindy safe and alive.

  “I packed a change of clothes for both of you in your bags. It’ll have to do.” She handed the professor a hunter green pack, shouldered the black pack and held on to Andrew’s beige pack.

  “Mine is heavy.” The professor complained.

  “They’re all heavy. I put four twenty-four ounce bottles of water in each pack. Your pack is the lightest.”

  “Lightest?” He snapped.

  “You have water, a change of clothes and a few granola bars. We,” she said sounding more aggravated than before, “have survival kits, first aid kits, flashlights, bullets, weapons and canned food. But if you would prefer to switch.” She hadn’t dropped her own bag. Andrew figured it was because she already knew the answer. The professor would make due with his own bag.

  Lindy’s packing skills were more impressive than he imagined. “Brace yourselves,” he warned seconds before running the boat into a sand bank.

  When he came to a halt they all jarred forward a little. There was no time to waste. “Let’s go!” Fortunately he didn’t have to say it twice. They wouldn’t have much time to find shelter. The pirates probably wouldn’t follow them at night, but they would follow. It was dangerous to travel at night, but they didn’t have a choice. They needed to get a few hours in before they could stop. He needed to see to Lindy’s arm. The last thing they needed was for infection to set in. It didn’t help that not bandaging her arm again now meant they’d risk tracking blood all over the place. Lindy was careful, but there were just some things beyond her control. That’s when he remembered her condition. Losing blood was something she could afford.

  Chapter Six

  Lindy sat silent by the small fire while Andrew finished bandaging her arm. It hurt—a lot, but complaining wasn’t going to help. She was well aware that Andrew thought she was some new-age Wonder Woman, but the truth was she was terrified. This misadventure was her fault in some fashion. She had wanted to shake things up with Andrew. She had planned the getaway. She had endangered two men, one that she loved and one that she greatly respected.

  If anything happened to Nick she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. He was out there as a favor to her; actually he had his own agenda, but that didn’t negate the fact that he had come out at her request.

  “This isn’t your fault,” Andrew secured the bandage in place.

  “It’s not your fault either. Nick—”

  “He’s not my responsibility, you are.”

  “And he’s mine,” she said slightly angered by being labeled a responsibility. “Neither of you would be out here if it weren’t for me.” She knew Andrew could take care of himself. He knew the sea, the land and the laws of survival, but Nick didn’t. That didn’t change the fact that if anything happened to Andrew it would be hell trying to live with herself. “I can’t lose—”

  “Him?”

  She looked in his eyes.

  “What are we supposed to do now?” Nick yelled. “We can’t just sit here.”

  Lindy replied to Andrew without hesitation. “I don’t want anything to happen to either of you.”

  “You’re worried about me?”

  “I am.”

  “Don’t be. I’ll be fine. We’ll all be fine.”

  “Lindy!”

  “Nick, stop yelling. Get some rest before we need to move on. It’s going to be all right.” It probably wouldn’t. They were severely out numbered with no help within minutes away on the way. It was obvious Nick wasn’t going to be much help and Andrew couldn’t do it on his own. She had to help. Despite her fear she couldn’t become a burden.

  “You should sleep too.”

  Lindy sighed. “No. I’ll keep first watch.”

  “Lindy—”

  “You’ll be of greater use if you’re not exhausted come morning. We need you.” She paused briefly. “I need you. Put the fire out and get some sleep.”

  She could see the defeat in his eyes. Her point was valid and he knew it. After giving her the speech about being vigilant and waking him up at the slightest disturbance, he smothered the fire and came back to her side. The moon light filtered through the trees and her eyes slowly adjusted to the change.

  He placed his hand on the back of her neck. “How about a good night kiss,” he said as he pulled her close. Softly he caressed her lips with his lips. She had been waiting for this kiss most of her life and it surpassed every fantasy. Electrifying was the only way to describe the sensations jolting through her body at light speed. His tongue danced seductively with hers as she leaned in for more of those positively charged kisses. His mouth was warm, inviting and he tasted like cinnamon from the oatmeal raisin granola bars they ate for dinner. She moaned softly as he increased his assault on her lips. He responded in kind before abruptly pulling away.

  It couldn’t be legal for any man to kiss like that. She had fantasized often about how i
t would feel to kiss Andrew, but the reality was much more potent than she ever imagined it to be. Why had he kissed her? Why had he stopped? God, she hoped he planned to follow up that kiss with more because it wouldn’t be fair if this was a one kiss deal. Her body ached for him, longed for him more than it ever had before. This was not good. They were waist deep in trouble. Nick was only a few feet away and yet all she could think about was feeling Andrew inside of her.

  She tried to concentrate on keeping watch, but her mind relentlessly tortured her with memories of their kiss. Andrew hadn’t caressed her breasts or let his hands roam free over her body. He had simply held her to him and let his lips seduce her beyond control. She was in heaven; she was in hell. She needed release; something she wasn’t going to get.

  Lindy placed her hand on Andrew’s arm. “Your shift,” she mumbled. Andrew sat up quickly, as if he hadn’t been asleep at all. He scooted closer to her. “Get some rest. We leave as soon as it starts to get light.”

  “Okay.” She turned on her side with her back to Andrew. What she wouldn’t give to be in his arms. Sleeping on the ground wasn’t comfortable. She would bet that sleeping on Andrew would be. His leg draped softly over her leg, hips cradling her body as she lay with her head on his naked chest. Good lord what was she doing to herself. She was wet and on fire. A low moan escaped her lips.

  “Shh…” He stroked her back as if he knew what she was feeling and was promising her eventual release. “In due time, Lindy. In due time.” His voice was low and sensual as his fingers trailed a soft line down her spine. If he wanted her to sleep then he shouldn’t have aroused her so. Her body showed no sign of settling down.

  Andrew sat beside Lindy. She was his, she always had been. He was either too stupid or too cowardly to claim her. He planned to rectify that mistake. Judging from the way she welcomed his tongue into her mouth he knew he wasn’t too late. At least he hoped he wasn’t. In need of sex didn’t necessarily equate to wanting a long-term relationship. There was more than just sex, there had to be more. She had loved him once. She told him so. Yeah, she told him and he laughed in her face. Maybe this was revenge. Maybe she planned to make him want her, to make him say as much so that she could return the favor—laugh in his face and then run off with the professor. Lindy wasn’t that kind of woman—at least he didn’t think she was. But she was a woman and he couldn’t forget the old saying about a woman scorned.