After laughing at her comment, I told her about my run-in with Gitana.
“I knew you had it in you, Charlie.” Mary pinched my cheek, then pointed at Sterling. “That’s a saucy piece of man meat you have over there. You’ve got to watch that shit like you’re smoking it in a boucan.”
Giggling, I turned to look at Sterling. She was right. His smile could tempt any woman’s passion and those enchanting green eyes could lure them in like prey. As if his rugged good looks were not enough, give a wench a minute of his vibrant personality and she’d be like butter in his hands.
While gawking over him in my mind, I noticed that a woman in a red and black dress had also set her gaze on him. Watching the interest spark in her pale green eyes, and observing the way she perfected her luscious auburn locks, I stood by as she made her way in his direction. The moment she drew near, I sloppily intercepted her path by jumping in front of her.
Startled by my brash gesture, she held her hand over her heart. “Oh deary, you scared me.”
The innocent look on her beautifully freckled face quickly changed to a sultry one as she rubbed down my arm, and purred through her French accent, “I haven’t seen you before. Perhaps we could get to know each other better later on.”
Quickly backing away from her, I gasped, “Oh, sink me...you think…I am not…”
Mary busted with laughter.
Pulling Mary near, I quietly informed the wench. “We are women, too.”
“Oh my. Well, I have seen a lot of crazy things since I’ve been here, but this is certainly a first.” Fumbling with the black lace on her corset, she chuckled, “My name is Josephine. I am new at this and…to tell you the truth, I don’t really like it.” She pointed towards Sterling. “I was on my way to see him because the other girls told me I’d have a better time with him.”
I acted aloof. “Oh? Why is that?”
Mary shook her head and lowered her face into her hand.
Josephine responded, “Well, for one, he is incredibly handsome, and fairly well kept, considering he’s a buccaneer. Plus, I hear he is nicer and somewhat respectful to his wenches.”
My mind flashed with a vision of Josephine loving on my man, which filled my heart with fiery jealousy as she continued, “Most of these ugly old dogs just treat us like senseless whores and sometimes they even get violent.”
Attempting to shield my shaken security, I stuttered my inquiry, “Why do you do this if you don’t like it?”
“The long story is fraught with tales of my own poor decisions. I certainly would have stayed home if I had known those choices would lead me here where I have to do these awful things to survive.” Josephine shrugged her bare shoulders.
Saddened by her predicament, I wanted to take her home with me like a lost puppy. But then I realized I didn’t have a home to take her to anyway.
Forcing a smile, Josephine stuttered, “Well if you don’t mind, I have an attractive patron to tend to for once.”
Blocking her movement, I firmly stated, “No. I am sorry but he is mine. And you might inform your friends to stay the hell away from him as well.”
Before I had a chance to read the expression on her pretty face, a haggard older man wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her away. The thought of that pretty young girl having to entertain that rancid old man made me want to vomit.
Mary shook her head. “You sure grabbed that rose bush with bare hands.”
“Oh, I know I did. I just wanted to know more about this crazy life Sterling leads. But what a sad story that was. All this time I thought these women were just sleazy harlots, but it seems to be a means of survival for some.”
Mary raised her eyebrow. “A woman only has so many choices in this world. As for me…I choose piracy!” She lifted her glass to cheer with me, but was so drunk she missed my mug.
Laughing at her missed aim, Mary mumbled, “How about us, Miss Charlie? I like how Kasey calls you that. I think it’s adorable. In fact, he is just adorable, isn’t he? Anyhow, who would have thought we’d turn out to be pirates on the high seas? Especially you, you pretty little rich girl.” Mary pinched my cheek like an old grandmother.
Though I was still unsure about our place on the ship, I figured I’d join in on her hopeful dramatics. We talked for a while about our future at sea, and while we drank we shared our ideas on how to spend the gold we would soon be plundering. As Mary was speaking, I watched her attention drift across the room. She stopped mid-sentence and her jaw dropped like an anchor while her pretty face twisted with rage. Throwing her mug on the ground, she charged across the barroom.
I had no idea what she had seen, but I intended to follow right behind her. As soon as I took a step in that direction, Sterling grabbed me by the arm and pulled me along after her. Quickly catching up to her, he yanked her back by the collar with his free hand.
Turning around, she swatted at him and screamed, “Let go of me!”
Holding us both by the arms like children, he said to her, “Flynn told me to keep an eye on you and you aren’t running off until he gets back.”
Flapping and fluttering like a bird trying to escape her cage, Mary pointed towards the hall by the bar. “He is back! And I’m going to punch his fat face!”
Oh my. Faron Flynn was up against a wall kissing on a redhead wench while a brunette was whispering in his ear. I also wanted to punch his fat face.
Sterling hooted as he took in the sight.
I slapped at his arm. “That is not funny, you boorish hound.”
Ignoring my insult, he continued to hold Mary still.
Annoyed that he wouldn’t let her go to tend to her business, I attempted to shoo him off of her. While he was busy trying to tame us both, I wedged myself in between him and Mary, hindering his grip on her. As I had hoped, she was able to break free. I cheered her on as she charged at Faron.
Cursing under his breath, Sterling dragged me toward Mary. We caught up to her just in time to see her rip the redhead off of Faron’s chest. As the wench went flying back, Sterling let out a dramatically girlish shriek and hid his face as if he was afraid of her. “It’s Holly the Whore from Hell.”
Returning my attention to the fight, I saw Mary cock her fist back and crack the brunette across the jaw.
Sterling howled to cheer Mary on. Though I was also proud of her dead-on punch, I saw Holly the Whore from Hell running up to attack Mary as she fought with the brunette. There was no way I was going to leave Mary to fight them both on her own.
I intercepted Holly’s attack by shoving her in the other direction. The Whore from Hell charged back at me with her wild red hair fluttering like a flame. As she came near I punched her in the face. Her head jerked back from the blow. Strangely, I loved the way it felt.
Like a rabid cat, she clawed across my chest. I felt her nails dig in and tear my flesh. I punched her again, but this time she whacked the hat off of my head and grabbed enough of my hair to pull my head down. I couldn’t see anything around me. The sound of men cheering and roaring amidst the chaos surrounded me with the taunting threat of defeat.
I had to get an advantage. Focusing my anger, I concentrated my rage. She pulled me towards her. As my head crashed into her chest I saw my opportunity to strike. I delivered a barrage of upper cut punches to her jaw. My hits were hard enough that she let go of my hair. Once she released I pushed her away from me.
As I rebounded from my near defeat, I set sight on Faron Flynn pointing at himself with both hands. He was bragging about the way the women were fighting over him—which made me want to fight him as well.
Holly was cursing at me as she held her aching face. Sterling pulled me next to him and shouted at her, “Get back, wench. This shit’s over.”
Recognizing him, she started screaming, “Oh, it’s you! I hate you, Sterling Bentley. You awful rotten pirate dog!”
Standing in front of him with my fists up, I yelled at her to stay the hell back. Luckily, she did. As she stormed off, I saw Mary gr
ab her opponent by the hair and knee her in the face. Faron finally broke up their fight by throwing Mary over his shoulder. She cursed and insulted all the wenches in the bar as Faron carried her out the door. Sterling pulled me along behind them.
The night air was salty and thick, my chest was still heaving from the surge of rage, and I was sweating like a pig. While listening to Mary curse Faron for breaking up her fight, it suddenly dawned on me that Sterling had not interjected in my brawl. I was going to yell at him for not helping me, but when I heard Mary call Faron a dirty two timing scoundrel, I remembered the entire ruckus had been his fault. Pointing at Faron’s chest, I hollered, “How dare you kiss on those sleazy harlots when you have Mary. You’re a disgusting hog and you don’t even deserve her.”
Swatting my hand away from him, he yelled at Sterling, “Get your strumpet out of here, Bentley. I need two wenches attacking me like I need a hole in my head.”
Mary wailed, “I’ll put two holes in your big ugly head, you awful pig. Put me down, put me down!”
Holding me back from Faron, Sterling laughed, “They ran a mutiny on me, Captain. Like dolphins attacking a shark!”
Shaken as I was, I couldn’t help but laugh at his analogy as he dragged me away.
With my vision still blinded by fury, I hardly paid any mind as to where he was taking me, but once he picked me up in his arms, the rumble of his laughter and the scent of his sandalwood helped my heart rate to subside. With a much calmer voice I asked, “Why didn’t you break up the fight?”
“You were defending your friend, and you did a damn good job of it. I saw no reason to hold you back, and honestly, I liked watching you be so tough.”
“Oh. Well that makes sense, I guess,” I reluctantly acceded.
There wasn’t much light in the darkened alley he carried me through, but seeing just enough of his handsome face, I playfully slapped him on the cheek. “You taught me well, Bentley. But don’t think I have forgotten. Who is that awful Holly woman, and why does she hate you so, while all the others seem to adore you?”
“Ah, some of them hate me and some of them love me.” He set me down and growled through his teeth, “But I only want you.”
Cornering me against the wall, he kissed me. As his tongue filled my mouth the liquid fire of his drunken lust quickly collided with the sensation of alcohol buzzing through my veins. Our bodies fused together like molten irons. Though the alley smelled like vomit and stagnant water, his heavenly aroma surrounded me and easily made me feel as if I were in the clouds.
Wrapping my arms around him, I pulled him closer. He wasn’t close enough. I wanted his skin. I needed to have his heat on me. Tearing open the front of his coat, I fumbled to untie his waistcoat.
With his mouth glued to mine he rumbled, “Just slice it open.”
Giggling, I finally untied it. Touching the warm skin of his chest, I felt his muscles flex. As I felt around his flat and hard abdomen, his kiss intensified. While biting at my lip, he put his rough hand on top of mine and moved it downward. Knowing what he wanted, I nervously followed his lead. Though his movement was smooth and fluid, mine was a flimsy and awkward fumble. First I felt his gun and then the hilt of his cutlass, but soon enough I found what he wanted me to have.
As my hand pressed against that warm hard piece of him, my body flinched with shock and my voice shrieked with surprise. He chuckled at my reaction. I was glad it was dark so he couldn’t see me blush. I wasn’t sure what to do, but he grabbed my hand to show me. As I rubbed on him, he breathed his ecstasy in my ear—kissing and sucking on my neck like he never had before. He was a tidal wave of passion and I wanted to keep him surging.
Wrapping his hands around my thighs, he picked me up. Setting me on the barrel, he shoved his hips between my legs. Once again I shrieked with foolish surprise. Thinking that he seemed unfamiliar in his animal like state of satisfaction, I wanted to look in his eyes. Grabbing his goatee, I lifted his face, but he bypassed my gaze and kissed all over my neck instead. Then he yanked at my shirt. I heard a tear in the fabric as he roughly reached inside to grab my breast. His hand was coarse, but his grip was soothing as he rubbed on me.
Moving his hand out of my shirt, he replaced it with his mouth. The feel of his forbidden kiss caressing my breasts was like a sinful river of warm water flooding across the uncharted plane of my inexperienced body. The torrid rapids of sensations rushed back up my neck. As he squeezed onto my hips to pull me closer to him, I saw him smile. His teeth were clenched between his lips and his saucy sideways smile was somewhat surly. It looked like he wanted to eat me alive.
My heart flashed with a heat of panic as he moved his hand up the inside of my thigh. I shied away from his gesture but he continued to pursue me. It crossed my mind to tell him no, but as he started rubbing between my legs, I was glad I didn’t resist. His hand worked its magic over me, affecting my entire body with his touch. My senses swirled with a flood of erotic sensations. As the electric buzz surged through my nerves I squeezed on to the collar of his coat and hummed his name. Perhaps I wouldn’t mind being a pirate slut if this was what it entailed.
Next thing I knew he was undoing my belt. The sound of the metal buckle coming apart awoke me from my drunken stupor. A clearing wafted through the salacious fog in my head. My mind replayed the memory of him asking me to marry him. He told me he wanted to have all of me, but he wanted to keep me forever…My eyes opened wide as I felt his hand slide inside my breeches. Grabbing his hand, I held it tight and breathed through the wetness of his kiss, “What are you doing, Sterling?”
“I want you, Charlie.” He dived back in to kiss my neck.
Entirely enticed by the way he rumbled his desire for me, it crossed my mind to forget about his promise. But as he attempted to return his hand into my breeches, I remembered Mary telling me I didn’t have to be anything special for him to want sex from me. Then my mind replayed her mention about not settling as a cabin whore. Thinking of the way Faron was kissing on those sluts while Mary was in the same room reminded me how much I wanted the commitment she encouraged me to pursue.
Pulling Sterling’s hand out of my breeches, I held his hands in mine and looked in his eyes. He was unbelievably handsome, and I was awestruck by his desire for me, but I wanted more than his lust. I loved him so and would give him all I had to offer, but only if he was willing to commit to me. Refusing to be anything less than his one and only, I said, “Right here in this dirty alley? I thought you weren’t going to take anymore of me until you married me.”
His hand tensed into a fist. He looked up at the sky. Not a word fell from his lips, but my mind filled with plenty enough words for the both of us. Among the spiraling hurricane of emotions overtaking my senses, the first thing that spewed out of my mouth was, “After all we have been through, you think I am only fit to be your alley girl?”
His breath was heavy and his chest was heaving as he lowered his face into his hand. He huffed with confusion. “What? No…I don’t want…I just…”
His lack of assurance irritated me. Pushing him away from me, I hopped off the barrel. “You have been evading me for days, you have never once mentioned your proposal of marriage to me, and now you expect to have me at your drunken leisure as if I’m some kind of pirate whore?”
Throwing his arms out to his sides, he grunted, “Why the hell would you say that, Charlie?”
“Tell me otherwise, Sterling. Tell me you hadn’t planned on forsaking your promise to me.”
Stopping in his tracks, he nervously grabbed at his coat and then his hair as he stuttered, “I wouldn’t…I was…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence. As much as I wanted to be wrong, I was right, and the painful truth shattered my heart with irrevocable wreckage. The rancid smell of the alley intensified around me and the wretched surroundings of the god-awful town suddenly became clear. As I fastened the clasps on my stolen coat to cover my torn shirt I snapped, “See! You would have. You would abandon all of your so stated
respect for me for a night of dirty whore sex behind a tavern. You are a filthy rotten pirate, Sterling Bentley.”
I hoped my words stabbed him like a dagger. If he had a heart to feel with, I wanted him to hurt like I did. Tightening his jaw, he attempted to tame his breath, but didn’t say a word.
In my drunken torrent of heartbreak I wasn’t taking silence for an answer. “So what? What is it? Is this all you ever wanted? Why would you even bother to waste your time on an inexperienced guppy like me when you could have someone who could live up to your immoral desires? In fact, why don’t you go back in there and shove your threatening bulge at one of those unbridled sluts and leave me the hell alone!”
Losing control over whatever composure he was attempting to keep, he charged at me. I almost regretted upsetting him as he stopped before me, and shouted, “That I could! I could have any one of those sleazy harlots in there. Instead I’m out here letting you yank me around with your indecisive taunts.” Raising his arm with a fist that turned out to be a pointing finger, he shook it like a tyrant. “You’ve been rubbing and kissing on me like a tantalizing tease, stoking the fire like a willing woman, and now you’re going to berate me about morals? This is bullshit, Charlie.”
“Bullshit like your pirate promises?” I questioned with haste, but my heart flooded with fear as a dark expression washed over his face. I had never seen him so angry. He seemed to be more composed when I saw him stabbing men in battle.
Stepping closer, he rumbled, “You’re no angel yourself, sweetheart. You’re a hellfire temptress and bloody well as much of a pirate as I am.”
He was right. I was wearing clothing pilfered from the helpless, I was drunk off of rum that was bought with my father’s plundered money, and I had just gotten in an awful bar fight with a prostitute. Since I met this man, I had killed, I had lied, and I had acted in terrible methods of treason. Clouded by the lustful delusion that I thought was love, I had become a filthy rotten pirate.
Tarnished Persuasion (Justified Treason, Book 2): Endless Horizon Pirate Stories Page 11
