The Spiteful Vixen

by Erika Phillips

  Meanwhile, Olivia was trying to figure out what might be going through Juan’s mind. His face was unreadable, he looked like he might be mulling over something, but she couldn’t possibly imagine what he could be concerning himself about--after all, it wasn’t as if this was their first indiscretion. Strangely, she felt little guilt about their trysts. Why should she feel remorse about something that gave her such pleasure? And it seemed extraordinarily unjust that no one would blink an eye at his actions, yet hers should be under such scrutiny. Finally, when she could no longer stand it she blurted out, “What on earth is going through your mind? I can’t decipher your expression,” she huffed in frustration.

  He laughed, “If I was easy to read, I probably wouldn’t have lived very long.” He moved a stray piece of hair from her forehead and tucked it behind her ear. “I was trying to discern what I should do with you,” he stated without humor.

  “Well, I have a few ideas…” she said coyly moving closer to him on the bed.

  “Don’t misunderstand, I have no lack of intentions for the short term--it’s the long term...” he muttered, his jaw clenching in frustration.

  “Perhaps we should just focus on the present situation?” Olivia suggested with a smitten smile on her face.

  “Woman, you really are a vixen,” he said laughing and leaned in to kiss her again. She returned his kiss with a surmounting need. He rolled her from her side to her back and ran his hand up and down her side, skimming over her breast. She sighed into the kiss as he moved his hand down her side to her thigh. Even through the layers of fabric, she could feel his fiery touch. She wriggled beneath him, trying to position herself to be touched by him as many places as possible.

  He sat back up and began unlacing her gown and dismantling the layers to get to her body. She, in turn, slid his shirt over his head and attempted to unlace his breeches more successfully this time. Finally, Juan removed her chemise and gathered her in his arms and splayed her back on the bed. “You are a beautiful woman,” he whispered in his heady heavily-accented voice.

  Olivia smirked, “And you are a devilishly handsome rake,” she replied enjoying his strong arms encircling her body. He wrapped his arms around her buttocks and began to maneuver her into position. His fingers traced up her thigh and he readied her womanhood with skillfully placed fingers. Olivia swooned into his movements riding him with wanton desire.

  When he felt her wet with wanting, he shifted and moved his cock into her entrance. Olivia gasped with ecstasy as he slowly slid in and out of her. Juan felt her clench around his manhood with her impending release and drove harder into her. She cried out, “Oh my dear god!” as he spent his final thrust into her sweet embrace.

  His brow was dewy as he kissed her forehead and lay next to her in the large bed. Both were quiet for a few moments as their shattered breathing began to regain its usual pace.

  The silence was interrupted when she said almost to herself, “Well, at least I like the short-term plan for your intentions with me.” He had his arm draped over his eyes and she saw a brief smile below his outstretched arm.

  Chapter Eight

  Olivia awoke to the sight of a solid tanned chest finely dusted with dark hair. She was nestled in the crook of Juan’s arm, snuggled tightly against his broad chest. She enjoyed the gentle rise and fall as he breathed contentedly. She wanted to wriggle away and get freshened up, but every time she moved, his breathing hitched slightly and he pulled her against him more securely. She tried moving for the third time when she felt his chest resonate with laughter. He had one eye opened and was watching her squirm with mirth.

  “Well, you could have told me you were awake,” she said indignantly. “I was just trying to freshen up without waking you. You don’t have to be such a--a barbarian,” she finished resolutely.

  He pulled her in for a kiss and then released her. “I just couldn’t resist. My apologies,” he said with a flourish. She smugly glared as she hopped out of bed and tended to her needs.

  After they were both awake and dressed, they headed downstairs to a much more respectable looking establishment. Where, the night before, there had been couples in various states of sexual intimacy, there were now tables and chairs set up and several men eating breakfast. Olivia looked around in confusion marveling at the transformation of the space and ambiance.

  Juan pulled a chair out for her at a small table in the corner, near a window. She nodded in appreciation and sat down. Presently, some coffee and tea, as well as breakfast was brought to them. They spoke amicably as they nibbled at their food and sipped their beverages.

  Juan was still struggling with what his next move should be, he couldn’t return this compromised woman to her father and expect a ransom. Olivia noticed his clouded countenance and was just about to inquire as to his thoughts when she saw a familiar face through the window. She gasped. It was George Wainwright, her father’s business associate! Juan followed her gaze and shot her a questioning look. Just then, George turned and went stark white as he saw Olivia from the street. George’s expression changed from confusion to happiness and a wide smile spread across his face.

  Olivia sprung up, “Excuse me, please. Stay here,” she quickly added as she jerked up from the table and went out the front door to circumvent George meeting Juan.

  When George saw her come out the front door, he moved towards her and grabbed her hands in his. “Oh thank goodness, Miss Clairmond. We thought you had perished!” he sounded very relieved she had not.

  “No, I was able to get away and ended up here,” she waved her arm around the street, unsure of how much information she should divulge.

  “Your father will be so relieved and, I must say, I am thrilled as well. We can now reconvene with our original plan,” he said almost under his breath.

  “Whatever are you speaking of?” she asked, perplexed by his statement.

  “Surely, you knew of your father’s intentions?” he asked, looking her over with a baffled expression. When she gave him no sign of understanding, he continued, “When I inherited my family’s estate here in Jamaica, your father was planning to announce our betrothal. After we were married and settled here, he and I were going to join our business endeavors and have a handle over the majority of sugarcane in the Caribbean.”

  When George finished speaking, Olivia just blinked as she tried to process this information. Had her father intended to marry her off to George all along? Was she to be sent to England to bide time until his business dealings were in place? Was there no danger of her being married off to a stranger and stuck in stuffy old England? Was marrying George a more promising fate?

  She was running through these scenarios in her head when George spoke again, “Miss Clairmond, I am so grateful that you were not mistreated and managed to get away from those filthy pirates! We have been looking for you. I cannot wait to send word to your father,” George paused a moment and eyed her beauty, “I would be honored if you would allow me to accompany you back to Barbados to be reunited with your father, and to make our plans official, of course.” He extended his hand to her.

  Olivia examined what she knew of George Wainwright. She looked at the sallow complexion and thinning hairline standing in front of her. Moreover, she appraised his character which had never proved to be anything but arrogant and stuffy. In those few brief seconds she tried to envision her life with Mr. Wainwright and came up with nothing but disappointment and ennui. Here was her chance to finally escape from Juan “Corazón Oscuro” Larios, and she wanted nothing more than to stay with him.

  She was just trying to figure out her next move when Juan came out of the doorway where he had heard their entire conversation.

  “Are you ready to go, my darling?” he asked, extending a hand to her. “Who might this be?” he asked nodding towards George with an attempted indifference.

  “Oh. Yes, my dear,” she said looking at Juan with large grateful eyes. “This is Mr. George Wainwright, he is a business associate of my father’s.”<
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  Juan extended his hand to shake George’s, who pulled back in disgust. “Who is this man? What on earth have you been up to, Miss Clairmond?” he asked, looking vexed.

  Olivia had no idea how to respond. What answer could possibly suffice? A state of panic was escalating until she caught the subtle nod of encouragement from Juan. She then gave George a small smile and proudly stated, “This is my husband, Juan Larios.”

  Juan smirked as George wrinkled his nose with repugnance, “But, he isn’t even English. He doesn’t look to be a gentleman at all.” George tilted his head back to look up to Juan’s large stature and charcoal-smudged eyes, and sneered, “I would be willing to wager you’re not even married. I shall find the truth. I don’t know why you’re toying with me, Miss Clairmond, but I recommend you accompany me...now.” George was still looking Juan up and down in disgust.

  Olivia took a step back from George and Juan stepped in front of her between them. “I am sorry, but my wife will not be going anywhere with you,” he stated in a low threatening growl.

  George analyzed Juan size once more before sniveling, “We shall see about that!” With that, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the crowds on the street.

  Olivia stood staring at nothing for a moment. Then murmured, “What on earth are we going to do now?”

  There was a long pause, and then Juan replied resolutely, “Get married.” He knew he meant it before the words left his lips. Olivia was the woman for him.

  Olivia stared at him for a moment dumbfounded. “What?!” she finally retorted. “Now is not the time to jest with me, I am in no mood,” she responded, sounding tired.

  “I was not jesting,” he retorted, “and I know better than to jest about marriage vows,” he gave a half-crooked smile. Then he began speaking more to himself than to Olivia as he made plans, “I am acquainted with a man who can wed us today and falsify the date on the papers,” Juan began pacing as his mind ran through all the details that would need to be addressed. “I will just need a little time to get back to my ship and gather some coin.”

  Juan dragged her along the shops and then turned to Olivia and noticed the look of shock on her beautiful face. He smiled, and pulled her into his arms, “Olivia Clairmond all will be well. You will be my wife and never want for anything,” he then looked down at her dewy eyes, “I promise I will take care of you and protect you till my dying breath.” He gave her a gentle, chaste kiss. “Now, take this,” and he thrust a coin purse into her hand. “I will introduce you to Abigail, she can help you with your gown and necessities.”

  Olivia stared at the coin purse without emotion, she was definitely in a state of shock and was just starting to come back to herself. She shook her head, “I can’t take this, it’s all you have,” she said modestly.

  To this, Juan bellowed with laughter. “My darling, if you just pretend that’s the truth we will be set for life.”

  She gave him a perplexed look and he ushered her into a shop. “Abigail?” he called out before the door even shut behind them.

  “Yes?” a pretty woman with strawberry blonde hair, peered out from behind the counter. “Corazón Oscuro!” she said with a sultry, deep voice as she came around from behind the wooden slab.

  He kissed her cheeks in greeting, to which Olivia felt a twinge of jealousy. Then, he began speaking very quickly in Spanish, only allowing Olivia to access a few words: dress, wife, and help. Abigail nodded and glanced over at Olivia with a raised eyebrow. Olivia then thought she heard, “Baby?”

  Immediately, Juan laughed and shook his head, and then came back over to Olivia, grabbed her hand and presented her to Abigail. “This is Olivia Clairmond, she is to be my wife,” he gazed at her with a sense of pride. “And this is Abigail Hanten, an old friend.”

  The women curtsied to each other and Abigail instinctively started analyzing Olivia’s shape, coloring, stature, all the things that would be required to find her the perfect trousseau. “Leave it all to me,” Abigail said with confidence. “How long before you return?” she asked Juan.

  “I have some details to attend to,” he kissed Olivia and patted Abigail on the cheek. “Abbie, can you get her to the cove near the harbor by sunset?” Abigail nodded. Juan turned back to Olivia, “I leave you in good hands, my dear, I shall see you at our ceremony.” Then, he was out the door and Olivia was left with the beautiful stranger.

  Abigail was the first to break the silence, “So, my dear, how did you and the captain first make an acquaintance?” she asked while busily moving around the shop gathering odds and ends.

  Olivia paused for a moment, unsure of how much she should offer, “Um, well, it’s a rather lengthy story…”

  “Oh, my dear,” Abigail replied laughing, “I met Oscuro when he ransacked my husband’s business shipment. There’s nothing you can tell that will shock me!”

  “Ah, yes, well, in that case, I met him after he plundered my father’s ship,” Olivia started off. She spent the next several hours finding herself enjoying Abigail’s company immensely. The women shared stories of misfortune and upbringing, Abigail was interested in Olivia’s desire to escape her arranged marriage.

  “You know, Oscuro killed my husband,” Abigail added quietly. When she saw Olivia’s look of horror, she quickly added, “Oh, no, it wasn’t like that. My husband was a terrible man, cruel. I was married off to him by my family back in England. He was a drinking man and when he was drunk, he was violent--and he was always drunk.

  “The night Oscuro attacked our ship, Hugo, that was my husband, had been especially keen on roughing me up. Oscuro interrupted Hugo and asked if he was more worried about his ship or his woman. When Hugo said that he was more worried about his ship, Oscuro told him that he chose incorrectly and ran him through.

  “We had a three week voyage to the Caribbean and during that time Oscuro, eh...cared for me,” Abigail looked a little wistful.

  Olivia’s face flushed, “I completely understand,” she said quietly, as the feelings of jealousy began to stir.

  “No, sweetie...you don’t have to worry. Yes, I was in love with him...he is the most unexpectedly decent man. But he never looked at me the way he looks at you. The irony isn’t lost on me-- the pirate saved me from my husband and got me set up with my own business.” Abigail added, “You’re a very lucky woman,” she finished with a small bittersweet smile.

  After a moment of silence while Abigail finished pinning Olivia’s gown, Olivia spoke, “May I ask you something?”

  “Anything,” Abigail responded with a warm smile.

  “Why do you call him ‘Corazón Oscuro’?” Olivia asked, turning to face Abigail.

  She thought for a moment then said, “I think it’s easier for me to think of him as an idea. ‘Dark Heart’ is not something I can ever have. If I thought of him as Juan Nicholas Larios, he would just be a man who didn’t return my love, not a legend that I was able to call a friend,” she shook off the smile and then said, “Enough of that, now, let’s get you ready for your wedding.”

  Olivia looked down at the layers of gathered lace and tulle and knew this was the most gorgeous gown she would ever own. “Thank you, Abigail.”

  ********

  Just before sunset Abigail and Olivia arrived at the cove near Port Royal, overlooking the harbor. Juan was already there with a man Olivia had never seen before. Juan had been speaking quietly to the man, but immediately stopped when he saw Olivia. She looked breathtaking. In the dying light he could just make out that her gown was a light blue; he could only imagine how spectacular it would look in the light with her sapphire eyes. It draped off her petite shoulders with a lacey ruffle, showcasing her exquisite decolletage. There were dramatic gathers of tulle and lace at every curve and it complemented her tiny waist with the perfect note. Olivia’s dark hair was gathered in curls and piled on her head, gentle tendrils caressing her face.

  Juan had known that Olivia was beautiful, but did not know that she could be heart-stoppingly stunning. He w
as rendered speechless and the magistrate stepped forward and cleared his throat. “Shall we begin?” he asked the couple tentatively.

  “Yes,” Juan responded without hesitation.

  The magistrate began speaking, but neither Juan nor Olivia heard a word he said as they were so consumed with their own thoughts. Olivia was thinking about how this was the best way, the only way, out of all her predicaments. Juan was focused on the fact that from the moment he had asked her to marry him, he knew he had found his match. He was still bewildered by this realization, but was so at peace with it that it frightened him.

  The ceremony was short and simple, and before either could believe it, Juan was being told to kiss his bride. He did not need to be instructed twice. His lip twitched in a half-smile and then he took a step forward and gave Olivia a chaste kiss.

  When Juan took a step back, Abigail came over to him, “See, now was that so hard?”

  “Not at all,” he said, his eyes never leaving Olivia.

  “Oscuro, I never thought I’d see that day that you were so far gone, but I’m happy for you...both,” she said, turning towards Olivia as well. “Where will you be spending your wedding night, on shore or at sea?” Abigail asked with a twinkle in her eye.

  Juan looked to Olivia, who gave a slight nod towards the ship. Juan broke into a full crooked smile, “It looks like my wife would like to get back to the vessel,” he said, with a laugh. “Probably a good idea, none of the men will be aboard until the day after tomorrow. And I believe we would like some privacy.”

  Olivia blushed, “That does sound lovely.” She smiled and broke from the smoldering eyes of her husband. Then turning to Abigail she said, “It really has been wonderful meeting you--you were truly a godsend today. Thank you,” Olivia finished and offered her hand. Abigail gave a bittersweet smile. She held both of Olivia’s hands in hers and then pulled her in for an embrace.