by Merry Farmer
He finally noticed that she was looking at him with some hesitation now, and he realized belatedly that she was likely questioning herself and his lack of response. Most of the women he coupled with needed no reminder that they were desired, but to ease her fears, he grinned at her and gave her a wink.
Her eyes widened in surprise before she smiled hesitantly back at him, and then he removed his boots and shucked his breeches.
If she needed to be shown how much he desired her, then show her he would.
“Well, Penelope, what do you think?”
“Think?” she squeaked out.
“Now is your last chance. Make your choice.”
“I, um…” her face flushed crimson.
“Remember, Penelope, if you want me, you must beg.”
“Bastard.”
“I am, actually.”
She swallowed hard, closing her eyes for a moment.
“Please,” she whispered.
“Louder.”
“Please!”
He grinned.
Ramsay covered her with his body, but when she tilted her chin for his kiss, he shook his head, instead kissing, licking, and nipping his way down her neck, her collarbone, her breasts, her stomach, until he circled her hipbones. She bucked slightly against him, and, knowing what she wanted even if she didn’t, he brought his mouth to her and tasted her.
She nearly came off the bed in response, but he held her down, his hands nearly as wide as her hips as he palmed them. He could sense she was on the precipice, and when she finally came, she screamed his name out and he grinned in satisfaction before rearing up and plunging into her.
Now her moans stalled, turning into much more of a groan of pain rather than pleasure, and he paused, giving her a moment to become used to him. For all his reputation, he would much rather a woman enjoy her time with him than to leave their encounter disappointed.
Soon she squirmed beneath him and he began to move ever so slightly, attempting to determine how it affected her. When she responded with movements of her own, he finally allowed himself free rein to take her as he wanted, pumping into her with all of his pent-up desire and frustrations.
When he was finally sated, he rolled off her, closing his eyes in both satisfaction and fear that had been so long foreign to him.
For that had been the most satisfactory encounter of his entire life.
And now he wanted more.
Chapter 10
Penelope’s entire world had just shifted on its axis.
She stole a glance at the man who was now donning fresh clothing. Never had she seen such brilliant muscles. They stretched and pulled, so strong and sinewy, glinting in the light that filtered in through the window.
She had acted completely on instinct. As much as she had fumbled her escape from the enemy pirates, she had been propelled by the exhilaration of it. She could have been killed multiple times throughout the attack, but she had escaped death once more.
And then when Ramsay had stood there before her, so virile, so incredibly enticing, she had decided that she was going to live, no matter the consequences.
Although now that she was no longer in a desire-filled haze, those consequences began to filter through her mind.
She had given herself to a pirate captain. A man who would bring her nothing but trouble. Who had trapped her in this cabin for days. Who intended to do so for weeks more. Who had no qualms in killing men for an offense no greater than serving the wrong master.
She had fallen for her captor like an idiot.
“Is the ship damaged?” she asked, needing to fill the air, which currently held nothing more than the sounds of the whisk of his clothes, the clattering of his sword — the man seemed to have no shortage of weapons — as he laid it upon the table.
“It will be, some, though the men are likely already repairing it. I should be out there, assessing what needs to be done.”
He said it as though it was her fault that he remained in the cabin.
“It was your choice to be here with me,” she said, responding to the need to defend herself as she pulled the blanket tightly around her, shielding herself from his view.
She had never thought she would have allowed herself to be so exposed to a man, but the way he had looked at her evoked in her a sense of freedom.
“I know,” he said roughly, finally turning to look at her. Although he was now fully dressed and despite how annoyed she was with him that he wasn’t providing her with all of the soft words and comfort she knew she deserved, she couldn’t help the longing to want to see him without his clothing once more.
She was wanton. She couldn’t help herself.
“This shouldn’t have happened,” he said gruffly, staring at her, and she slowly nodded in return.
“No, it certainly should not have.”
She tilted her head as she looked at him. “But perhaps we could do it again?”
He laughed then. Not so much a laugh of hilarity, but one in which he was resigning himself to what they both knew was inevitable. For like it or not, they would be sharing the cabin for the remainder of the voyage across the sea.
“I suppose if nothing else, I shall enjoy sleeping in my bed again,” he said, but before she could offer an indignant cry, he was out the door and deaf to her protests.
Ramsay was surly with his crew as he reviewed the damage. The cannonball had hit the main deck, biting in through the side of the ship — luckily, high enough that it didn’t cause any water to find its way into the ship, but some rigging and masts needed repair.
He put the ship’s carpenter in charge and then joined the helmsman and sailing master, who stood at the helm of the ship.
“Are we still on course?” he asked, looking abaft to see that The Widow Maker was still trailing behind, though she seemed to be limping along.
“I believe so,” his sailing master, Sailsman Jack, said. He was one of the few sailing masters aboard a pirate ship who had not been press-ganged, but who had joined willingly when he had seen how lucrative the position could be. “We’re slightly east of our route but tracking back to it. We are slowed down, however, Captain, by the captured ship. It may have been as fast as ours to begin with, but she sustained some damage from our guns, though the gunners tried not to cause any permanent damage.”
“Then we’ll meet her in Puerto Rico,” Ramsay decided. “We don’t need the ship right now. Send some of our crew who we can trust, as well as men who are skilled with their hands. They can help repair the ship and sail it.”
“There’s still a chance the original crew will mutiny,” Bastian said as he joined them, and Ramsay nodded. “I agree with you. But we’ll promise them an equal share. If we want to have a chance to catch Ortego, we have to sail ahead.”
“Very well,” Bastian said, and Ramsay was content in the knowledge that his quartermaster wanted to see Ortego’s demise — and capture his treasure — as much as he did. “All well with the woman?”
“She’s fine,” Ramsay said with a shrug, not wishing to discuss Penelope for a whole host of reasons.
“She’s happy in your cabin?”
“I should assume so.”
“No harm done by Morrissey’s men?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“She looks rather healthy, that’s for certain.”
“Yes, she — what?”
He followed Bastian’s gaze, frustration overcoming him when he saw Penelope emerge on the main deck. Most activity stopped as his crew began to stare at her, so unaccustomed they were for a woman to be aboard their ship. They had known she was there, of course — had voted to allow it — but most hadn’t had a good look at her.
It was one of the reasons Ramsay had insisted she stay within his cabin.
“My, she’s a looker, is she not?” Bastian asked, and Ramsay had to tamp down the raging jealousy that emerged at his words.
“I’m not sure about that,” he countered. “Not particularly good looking, th
ough not hard to look at either.”
“The gowns we bought her don’t exactly fit. This one’s a bit tight,” Bastian said, tilting his head to assess her. “Though I’m not sure I overly mind it.”
“That’s enough, Bastian,” Ramsay bit out before stalking across the deck toward Penelope. She was speaking with Joey, the one she knew, who was busy introducing her to some of the other pirates. In all that had occurred, Ramsay had completely forgotten to install a guard at her door following their return. He took her by the arm, whirling her about.
“What do you think you are doing?”
She looked up at him defiantly, her eyes flashing.
“Getting some air,” she said, her hands in fists at her side. “I refuse to spend the rest of this journey within your cabin. It is the worst sort of punishment. Anything that could happen to me could not be remarkably worse than that.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” he said gruffly, not wanting to picture the horrors that could occur. He trusted most of his men to be loyal to him, but with a woman like Penelope… perhaps they would be fine now, having so recently been on land, but when weeks went by and they were starved for female companionship, he wasn’t certain.
“Not to worry, Captain,” Joey said eagerly. “We’ll look out for her, won’t we, boys?”
They all nodded enthusiastically, and Ramsay’s ire at the “boys” grew. Not only were they defying orders, but he had no wish for anyone to be looking after her unless that person was him.
“Can I speak with you for a moment — alone?” he said to her, but she shook her head at him.
“Anything you have to say to me, you can say to me here,” she said, her eyes speaking volumes, and he had a feeling that this was punishment for his abrupt departure from the cabin.
“We will speak of this later,” he said, hoping his look accurately displayed his displeasure with her, but for now, he had to resign himself to the fact that she had bested him. Again.
“Very well,” she said with a smile, one of self-congratulation. “I look forward to it.”
Well, if that didn’t cause a bit of stirring in his loins. He sighed, rolled his eyes, and continued on his way.
The woman was a nuisance.
And a gift.
Penny waited for Ramsay with great anticipation that night. But as the sky, visible from the captain’s windows, grew ever darker, she began to wonder whether he was even coming. She knew he hadn’t been pleased with her venture on deck, but she had decided that if she didn’t make a stand now, she would be forever relegated to this prison.
Finally, the door slammed open, and he stamped his feet as he entered the cabin.
“In a foul mood, are we?” she asked brightly, hoping her words overcame her nerves.
“We are not in a foul mood,” he said. “I am not pleased that you went against my wishes. I thought I could trust you.”
“Why? Because we, ah, were together?”
He mumbled something that she couldn’t discern, and she smiled brightly.
“If I remained in the cabin, that would mean that I am still your prisoner, which I have no desire to be. I will come and go as I please, but I promise I will be careful.”
“I cannot look out for you every moment you are on this ship. I have many other things to see to.”
“Then if something happens to me, it is my own fault.”
“Truer words were never spoken.”
He advanced toward her now, and her heart skipped. For as much as he posed a menacing figure that she knew she should be expressly afraid of, she wanted nothing more than for him to rip the clothes from her body and take her once more.
She wondered if he would do so — and if he would ask permission or if he would simply take what he wanted.
She stood, needing to meet him as an equal partner and not someone to be conquered.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
He arched his scarred eyebrow.
“What do you want me to do?”
She reached out a hand, tracing the scar with her finger, touched that he would consider to ask her, though she knew she would enjoy being with him regardless.
“Take me again,” she said, her words just above a whisper.
He paused for a moment before he let out a noise that could be described only as a growl, picking her up once more — oh, she loved how he did that — and tossing her onto the bed as though she weighed nothing.
This time he dispensed with most of the pleasantries, although he took a bit more care with her gown. He was the one who had purchased her clothing, so she supposed he was ensuring that he didn’t completely ruin his investment.
This time she was ready for him, and when she cried out as he entered her, it was not due to any pain, but pleasure of the highest order. Penny had never known that anything could be quite so wonderful, and she nearly shed a tear when she found her fulfillment again.
For she knew, deep within, that it would never be like this with any other man. She could scour the world, but nowhere else would she ever find anyone like Captain Ramsay.
So she would just have to enjoy this while she could until the day came when he left her wherever it was he chose.
There was no other option.
Chapter 11
Life, on a pirate ship, was far from anything Penny would have ever expected.
While Ramsay was not happy with the fact that she now roamed the ship at will, he also didn’t contain her in the cabin any longer.
He told her that he had only been trying to protect her and that if she fell overboard or was attacked by one of the men, it was her problem to deal with.
His tone had been nonchalant, but she was touched as she knew he secretly worried for her, far more than he likely should or would ever admit. But she wasn’t going to comment on it.
For she was enjoying their time together far too much. Penny spent most of her time in the sun around Joey or some of the other younger pirates, but nights were all Ramsay. He spoke no words of tenderness, but Penny wanted to think that the way he treated her spoke all she needed to hear. She tended to romanticize things, but if it made this voyage more enjoyable, then so be it.
She was surprised, however, to find that most of what she had envisioned about pirates was not entirely true. They were far tidier than the crew aboard her uncle’s merchant ship. She never saw them gamble, and they seemed to spend most of their time seeing to their duties aboard the ship, cleaning their weaponry, or practicing their battle skills. They had a curfew that they all adhered to, and they respected one another, even voting on most decisions.
In short, they were nothing like the feared pirates she had been told about. Had she not witnessed a battle, she would have even questioned whether they were pirates at all.
One night a few weeks into the journey, she lay in bed, staring at the wooden planks overhead, and mentioned such thought to Ramsay.
“Pirates are nothing like what people think,” he muttered, turning back around toward her when she spoke. He refused to hold her after their lovemaking, though at times he would make conversation with her, though he was never the first to speak. “We are looked at in the same regard as common criminals. I suppose I cannot argue that, for we are criminals. But we are more than that. We are men who are interested in freedom above all else.”
“Why steal?” Penny asked, needing to know more about who he was, what had brought him here. “Could you not be more of a privateer? A merchant?”
He snorted. “And do what? Work for someone else? Be constantly swindled, paid only when someone feels like it? I think not.”
“How did you become a pirate?” she asked, and he finally turned to look at her. For a moment, she saw his eyes glaze over as though he was allowing some emotion in, but he quickly turned away.
“How do most become pirates?” he asked with a shrug. “I was press-ganged.”
“You were forced into it?” she asked, shocked.
“I was yo
ung,” he said. “A boy of twelve. I had no family, as my mother couldn’t afford to feed me and left me on my own at ten. I never knew my father. No siblings. So I welcomed the life. Captain Culley took a liking to me, said I was hard working. Took me under his wing, taught me the way of this life.”
“So you’ve never known anything else,” she murmured, yearning to reach out and trace her finger along his cheek, but knowing that he would recoil if she did. She had no idea why. He welcomed her touch when it was leading to their coupling, but afterward, it was as though she disgusted him.
“Nor do I want to,” he retorted.
“I can see why,” she said with a sigh. “I’ve enjoyed my time here, on The Raven’s Wing.”
He grunted. “It’s been a smooth ride so far. Just the odd mild storm that has barely shaken us.”
“I’ve been in storms before,” she said, not wanting him to think she was a coward. “Never a battle, however.”
“You’ve been lucky.”
“I believe I am attuned for this life.”
She could sense him rolling his eyes at her before she could see him.
“’Tis not one for women.”
“Yet here I am.”
“It’s in our articles. Women are not allowed aboard. And if the crew knew—”
“What?”
“You have not told anyone of our… time together, have you?”
“Of course not!” she exclaimed. How could he even think such a thing? It was not as though she and the pirates she had befriended were sitting around in overstuffed chairs, having tea in a parlor.
“Good,” he said gruffly. “They can never know.”
“Well, I believe they assume—"
“Assuming is fine. But if they know for certain that we are together, if they think that I might even have taken you against your will, then I could be executed.”
“What!” Penny was flabbergasted. “But you’re the captain!”
“Doesn’t matter. We vote here. It’s our way of things.”
“Interesting.”
