A Lesson in Presumption

by Jennifer Connors

  “Did you think I would not be able to find you, Corliss?”

  A grin broke across her face. “No, Nathaniel, I figured you were smarter than that.”

  “Then why, perchance, did you decide to run in the first place.”

  “I told you I wouldn't go back to the brig without a fight. And you promised to kill me, but you didn't.”

  Now Ginny rose from her lounging position, kneeling as well. Although he was taller, their positions seemed more equal with her facing him. Never one to turn down a fight, Ginny held her ground like a Viking warrior waiting to pillage.

  “Will you fight me now, Corliss?”

  Ginny examined his features closely. His face was chiseled and strong. His shirt clung to his body from all the moisture and it made Ginny pant with desire. Once again, she wasn't going to wait until she got to know him better. She had every intention of seducing first, asking questions later.

  She wasn't the only one to notice. Nathaniel made a slow perusal of Corliss as she knelt before him. The breeches, which had been loose on her body before, clung to her thighs in a delightful invitation. The white shirt, wet from the swim and the waterfall, was plastered to her generous bosom. Nathaniel couldn't help but notice her dark nipples through the fabric. He was already painfully hard for her, a fact that could not be mistaken. When he saw Corliss's attention on that part of his body, he almost lost it like a schoolboy with his first crush.

  It wasn't Ginny's imagination... the air was charged somehow. They both watched each other, assessing each other. Her breathing became heavy and her eyelids lowered. She couldn't remember a time when she'd wanted a man more. Her nipples were sore against the wet fabric of her shirt. Heat, like a forest fire, generated from her middle, making her achy.

  She knew he felt it too. But would he succumb? He hated her, right? She'd killed his cousin, forcing him to take revenge. Any move on her part would be rejected, or would it? A strange half smile came across her face, just a moment before she jumped on him, pushing him onto his back, and straddling him.

  Staring down at his surprised face, Ginny put her hands on his shoulders and rubbed herself on his erection. His hands came up to move the curtain of wet hair from her face. Before she could protest, those same hands forced her head down, plastering his lips on hers.

  Ginny didn't hesitate to let him know just how much she wanted him, wanted this. Their tongues dueled, each vying for superiority. He tasted good, like a sweet wine. A passion exploded in both of them, though only Ginny knew why. He was her soulmate, he was the one she was meant to be with. She could only imagine what Nathaniel was thinking, though at that point, probably not much beyond his desire. The little head would be taking over, leaving the two of them lost in a sea of ecstasy.

  Ginny lifted her body up, in order to unbutton her shirt. For whatever reason, she needed to feel his hands on her body. It hadn't been like that with Jeremy. Northwood had been safe and comfortable. Webster was to be exciting, passionate and boundless. This was to be rockstar sex, uninhibited and shocking.

  Nathaniel saw her unbuttoning her shirt and for a split second, he considered stopping her. She must be using him to try to get out of her punishment, but his mind couldn't stop himself. She was staggeringly beautiful and willing. What more was there to think about? He'd wanted her since their duel on the ship. Now, he would take her and regret would never play a part in it. He had never believed she had killed Timmy, never had. It was his pride that kept her locked up. This wasn't about pride. It was about a delectable woman offering herself to him. He would be a fool not to partake.

  Reaching up, he pulled the shirt off her smooth shoulders, exposing her breasts to his touch. His hands caressed her first, followed quickly by his mouth, tongue and teeth. Until that moment, Nathaniel hadn't realized that he'd dreamed about these breasts. They were ideals of feminine perfection and he wanted to spend an unusually large amount of time with each one. Corliss had other ideas.

  Ginny liked that he paid so much attention to her breasts, but was ready for more. It took her a minute to remove her wet shirt, then she went to work on his. She would have to pull it up over his head, and for that, she would need his cooperation. Dragging him unwillingly away from his worship, he moved only long enough for her to tear the shirt off his body. With that complete, her hands moved up and down his muscular back. Dear God, would she ever get used to how perfect the men in romance novels were?

  At that thought, her mind began to wonder at things that would have to wait for another time. Quashing her errant, non-sexual thoughts, Ginny reached down between them and stroked his erection. With a grunt of pure, male satisfaction, Nathaniel flipped Corliss over and began to remove her wet pants. Thankfully, she had no boots on to keep the breeches from easily coming off her feet.

  When naked underneath him, he returned to his earlier exploration of every curve and nuance of Corliss's breasts. When he moved lower, Ginny had to stop him. As much as she wanted an earth shattering orgasm, she would never be comfortable with his lips on a part of her body that hadn't seen a bath in a while. Instead, she flipped him over on his back again, deciding that being on top was preferable to her anyway.

  Nathaniel looked confused, but when Corliss kissed him hard, he stopped thinking all together. There was no way to get his pants off all the way, and for her purposes, she didn't need them all the way off. Her only concern was getting a certain part of his anatomy out. When she was finally able to release him, Ginny promptly sat on top of him and worked him inside her. His intrusion was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. Every push and pull, she could feel him expanding her flesh, making her skin heat despite the coolness of their surroundings. Once fully embedded, Ginny was able to rock slowly back and forth, hitting her clit at just the right angle.

  The cave ceiling was tall enough that she didn't have to worry about bumping her head. Which was a good thing, because at the moment, Ginny wasn't worried about much. Everything flew from her mind, except what she needed to do to orgasm. She cared little for his enjoyment. His existence at that moment served only to meet her pleasure. If she rubbed his chest, it was because she liked the feel of his hair on her over-sensitive fingertips. If he played with her nipples, it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with her. Her mind couldn't even grasp how sickeningly selfish she was, because after the few days spent in the dark, Ginny was ready for a little “me” time.

  Rocking steadily back and forth, her orgasm began to strengthen. Closing her eyes, using only a few senses, Ginny was shaken when it finally hit. Squeezing her thighs tightly against him, Ginny threw her head back and screamed. She kept coming, wave after wave of her inner walls spasming. When she finally began to come off her high, Ginny fell forward and laid her head on his chest. She was still panting from the exertion, paying little attention to the man underneath her.

  Nathaniel had never felt anything like it. When Corliss orgasmed, it shook his entire body, from his head to his toes. Like an unpracticed boy, he came immediately, with no hope of holding out longer. Her body had milked it from him, leaving him sad for it to be over. If there was one thing he was sure about, it was that Corliss would not spend another night in the brig. Every night, from here on out, would be spent in his bed, hopefully achieving that epic completion again.

  Nathaniel was the first to speak. “Well, that was unexpected.”

  He noticed that Corliss was shaking. Worried that he had somehow hurt her, he asked, “Corliss, what is it?”

  Looking up, he saw that she had been laughing. “Unexpected? Well said, Webster, well said.”

  A smile came across his face. Nathaniel couldn't remember the last time he'd genuinely smiled. He wore so many masks. He showed one face to his crew, another to his trusted friends, and still another to the women he bedded. But this woman, still attached to him from their encounter, was different. He suddenly wanted to peel away the layers and learn everything about her.

  “Can you not call me Nathaniel?” He hated
the sound of his voice. He sounded tame, soft. But, for the life of him, he couldn't remember what this extraordinary woman had done to make him so mad.

  “Thank you, Nathaniel. Although you probably think me a whore, I just couldn't hold out any longer.”

  “A whore?” he queried. “No, not a whore.” His hand began to caress the wet hair stuck to her face, revealing her full gaze to him. Before he could stop himself, he had her flipped on her back and was kissing her. His hands explored her body, at the same time his mouth moved down her neck.

  Ginny was enjoying his attention when the first unselfish thought came across her mind. “Oh, God, you didn't finish? I'm sorry... I just assumed...”

  Now it was Nathaniel's turn to laugh. “As much as I would like to say that I could have held out longer, I assure you that I was complete.” Nathaniel went back to what he was doing.

  “God, you're ripped,” Ginny murmured as she went about exploring his body as well.

  “Hmmm?” he asked, having decided to set up shop at her breasts and forgo the rest of the delectable plate in front of him.

  “It couldn't have been terribly good for you the first time, Nathaniel. I can feel that you're already hard again.”

  Stopping a moment, he looked down on himself. “What can I say, Corliss? I have never wanted a woman as much as I want you.”

  Just as he would have gone back to what he'd been doing, they heard a shout. There was no mistaking it. They were about to be found, Corliss naked as the day she'd been born and Nathaniel so damn near naked he might as well be. Nathaniel pulled away and began to redress, a cue for Corliss to do the same. Pulling away, she grabbed her clothing, made nearly impossible to put on from the wet.

  Both emerged from behind the waterfall as a few of the Victory crew walked up to the entrance of the cave. Led by Gideon, who had a fierce scowl on his face, the men stopped and stared at the pair. Ginny didn't think they could possibly be able to tell what had been going on inside the cave, but judging by the looks on each man's face, they had their suspicions. A deep blush rose up Ginny's neck, all the way to her hairline. She could only imagine the comments that would be coming her way.

  “Are you well, Corliss?” Gideon asked, voice full of concern like the older brother he'd decided to become to her.

  “I'm fine, Gideon. I believe Nathaniel and I have come to an understanding.”

  At this, several snickers broke out among the crew, which only made Ginny blush darker. She wasn't a prude, obviously, but she hated to think that they knew exactly what had happened. Intimacy should be shared with very few people. And for Ginny, that meant between her, the gentleman involved, and maybe her girlfriends. To think that the guy might talk about it with his friends, it didn't bear thinking about.

  Nathaniel quashed the insubordination. “Return to the ship. Gideon, stay behind for a moment.”

  As the other men trailed off, Nathaniel asked, “Are we prepared to leave?”

  “Aye, Captain. We were ready yesterday.”

  Eyeing his friend carefully, he nodded. Nathaniel was now in an uncomfortable position. He knew that Gideon cared for Corliss, and he had no idea how he might take to the idea of her sharing his bed. It mattered little in the end, though he didn't like the idea of losing the big guy's friendship.

  “And where shall we be off to, Captain?”

  Gideon was no fool, as Nathaniel well knew. But in truth, he didn't know where they would be going. His plan had been to drop Corliss off on St. Lucia. After their interlude in the cave, he didn't know what to do with her. Bring her back to Hispaniola? Not likely. He wasn't about to let her go back to Northwood, though it seemed unlikely the man would return any time soon. That meant only one thing. Corliss would have to join his crew. As what? He had no idea, but she wasn't leaving.

  “I think we should troll for some plump pigeons. What think you?”

  A smile came across Gideon's face. “I think I know where to find some fine Spanish booty, Captain. Should I prepare a cabin for Corliss?”

  Both men turned and looked at the woman in question. Ginny regarded each in turn and waited to hear the answer. She didn't particularly care, since judging by the conversation and Gideon's reaction to it, she wasn't going back to the brig.

  “No. She will share mine.” Without waiting for an acknowledgement, Nathaniel turned and headed to the shore. Gideon hadn't taken his eyes from her face.

  When Nathaniel was far enough ahead, he asked in a quiet voice, “Is that what you want, Corliss?”

  Smiling, she said, “Don't worry about me, Gideon. I think this is how it's supposed to be. I can't explain it, but maybe we were meant to come together, you know?”

  Returning her smile as he led her back to the path toward the shoreline, he answered, “Webster can be a hard man sometimes, but he is also a good man. He treats his crew well and asks for nothing he is unwilling to do himself. You could do worse.”

  “I did do worse.”

  “Aye. I always thought that if he were to find the right woman, he would give up his wandering ways. Mayhap you are that woman?”

  Lifting an eyebrow, she said, “Maybe. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.”

  Both of them laughed and saw Nathaniel turn around and stare at them. His expression was guarded. Ginny thought that he could just wonder what they were up to, since she had no intention of enlightening him. Gideon would prove to be a good friend, one that would walk through hell for his friends. The quick wave of homesickness hit her again, as she thought of Lisa back home. But this time, it was gone in an instant, as if she were just getting used to her situation.

  “Well, if you are to be a member of the crew, I best find you a job fitting your status.”

  “My status? And what would that be?”

  He only smiled in response as the two boarded the long boat back to the Victory Sound.

  ********

  Ginny stood silent in the captain's cabin, looking around and comparing. It was neat, just like Jeremy's, but instead of the straight lines of someone who suffers a mild case of OCD, Nathaniel's cabin had a touch of messiness. It was because of the slight disorder that Ginny felt more at home.

  After returning to the ship, Nathaniel ushered Ginny into his cabin immediately, then left her behind. She stood where he'd left her, with a lot of different things going through her mind. She was on board a pirate ship, though Nathaniel might take exception to that term. Or maybe not. It wasn't as though she knew anything about him, other than he had a smoking hot body and was capable of giving her an equally smoking hot orgasm. Was this really a good way to start a relationship?

  Shaking her head, Ginny sat on one of the chairs by his desk. Hadn't she decided that she wasn't going to “think” this time. Was it so bad for her to just enjoy the experience, without being mired in “falling in love?” No, it wasn't so bad and she was damn well going to just go with the flow.

  Chuckling to herself, she couldn't count how many times she'd said just that in her past adventures. The one time in particular that came to mind was when she was contemplating having extramarital sex with Miles. Even now she could remember him taking off his clothing in her room at her sister-in-law's house. But fate had kept her from going down that path. Would fate intervene before she did something particularly stupid this time around?

  Caught up in so many thoughts, Ginny didn't hear the door open. It wasn't until someone cleared his throat that Ginny even turned to look toward the door. The doctor, Spencer, stood there looking at her with concern. Shaking her head to dislodge all the unnecessarily heavy thoughts, she smiled and waved him into the room.

  “Hi, Spencer. What can I do for you?” she asked, forcing a cheerfulness she didn't feel.

  “I wanted to make sure you were alright. Gideon said that they had retrieved you. No one hurt you?” His question made her smile again. No matter who a person was, it always felt good when someone was concerned for one's welfare.

  “No, I wasn't hurt. The captain and I
have come to an... understanding,” she finished lamely, suddenly a little embarrassed by her behavior.

  Waving his hand around the room, he said, “If this is not what you wish, I will speak to the captain on your behalf.”

  A strange feeling came over Ginny as she stared at the man across from her. He was handsome, although a bit skinny. He looked as though he'd suffered a long illness, but was on the mend. His green eyes were the color of the meadows in Scotland, vibrant and alive. He needed a shave and a haircut, but seemed capable of fighting for her honor. Unfortunately, Ginny didn't want anyone fighting for her. She wanted that privilege for herself.

  “Thank you, Spencer. I'm fine.”

  She sensed he'd wanted to say something more, but held it back. It was important that he let her find her own way, even if she couldn't explain it to him. What man in the 1700's would understand a woman needing to make her own way in the world. At this time, women either worked menial jobs or married. Neither of which Ginny had any interest in.