Sweet Seas

by Scarlett Finn

Turning to the window, she fixated on the distant slither of blue ocean beneath the horizon. “Pirate,” she whispered.

  Sinking her hands into her pocket, she touched something rough and when she pulled it out she found her knot. The knot he’d tied for her. She’d meant to leave it for him, but he must have found it beneath his pillow and put it in her backpack with his hoodie before she’d moved it from his cabin to hers.

  Her captain. Her Swain… He’d been one step ahead. After existing with him for a month, she shouldn’t be surprised that he’d anticipated her needs before she knew she had them. But, the thing she needed more than anything else was him.

  Except, having him there to support her was one fantasy neither of them would ever be able to fulfill.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Sassi had been staying at Karen’s for three days. Stuart was still going on about her talking to Swain about his illegal plan. Sticking to her guns, Sassi didn’t doubt for a second that she was doing the right thing by refusing.

  Karen was at work and Stuart was out trying to find some while Sassi stayed in the apartment to bake. She’d gone around the coffeehouses and restaurants in the area trying her best to regain some ground with her business. So far, she’d only managed to secure a one-off deal with a coffeehouse who’d ordered some items as a test of her skills. No problem, she didn’t mind being tested, as long as she was being paid.

  A knock on the apartment door made her rush for the sink to wash her hands. She had just grabbed the towel when the knock came again. Sassi didn’t know any of Karen’s friends, but she’d guess that they should know she was at work.

  Opening the door, Sassi was ready to be polite in dismissing whoever was there. When she saw her captain on the threshold, as surprised as she was, she almost closed the door right in his face.

  “Waif,” he said. No words came out of her. What was he doing here? What would happen if Stuart came back to find him here? Her brother would open his big stupid mouth, that’s what would happen and he’d offend her captain. “This makes my life easier. I was looking for Karen, but…”

  “She’s at work,” she said. “I can give you the address.”

  If she could get rid of him quickly, there would be no chance of him and Stuart running into each other.

  But, when Sassi took a step back, intending to look for a pen, Swain grabbed her wrist. “I was looking for her because I was looking for you.” Dropping her gaze, she looked at his long fingers curled around her pale, sensitive flesh. “She was the only way I knew how to get in touch with you. I didn’t expect to find you in her apartment.”

  Flattered, but trying to keep herself on guard, Sassi dragged her attention up and cleared her throat. “You were looking for me?” But, her burgeoning internal glow only lasted a moment before her thinking switched back on. “Looking for me? Why were you looking for me?” Pulling her hand free of his grip, she edged back. “You shouldn’t be looking for me. We agreed that—”

  “I told the crew you were jumping ship and they didn’t take it well,” he said. “Guess they like your chow. So, if I don’t want a mutiny, I have to hire the cook they want… I need you on my crew.”

  That made her blink for a score of seconds. She couldn’t believe it. “A job? You came to offer me a job?” she asked and frowned. “I told you once we got home that was it. We’d be over.”

  “This isn’t about us,” he said, propping a hand on the doorframe to lean in. “From here on out, there is no us. You have my word. I’ll be your captain. Nothing else.”

  It would be so rude to laugh in his face, but if she was more relaxed, she might have done exactly that. “Nothing else?”

  “I’m happy to talk to him, if you need me to.”

  That brought her up short. Her head tilted. “Him?”

  “The guy waiting ashore for you.”

  Stuart? Oh, God, no! The men could never meet, not ever, because if they did, Stuart would start spouting his dumb plan. After that, Swain would probably hit him and hate her.

  “Talk to…? No! Absolutely not. No way. Not ever. You’re not talking to him. You’re not allowed to talk to him… not ever.”

  “Did you tell him about us?”

  Her mind was beginning to race. “No, I didn’t,” she said and tried to pull his arm down from the doorframe. “You have to go, Swain.” His arm was so strong, so thick and sure that she couldn’t budge it. Sassi could use some of that strength right now. She could use those arms, their comfort and security. And his mouth, and his berth, and his… Damn, these weren’t the thoughts she was meant to be indulging in. “Please, Captain, you have to get out of here. He could come back any minute.”

  Stuart might stroll back if he had lined himself up some future work or if he got bored looking. It was as likely that he’d find himself in a bar somewhere or drawn into some con with his old buddies. With Stuart it was just never possible to tell.

  “I’m not doing anything wrong,” Swain said, his scowl either rooted in anger or offence, maybe both. “I’m offering you a job, Sassi. You said you didn’t want to be stuck on land. I’m offering you the ocean, Waif. If you want it, it’s yours.” Her fingers slid away from his arm because the sincerity in his eyes made her heart open to bleed for what they could never have. “If you explain the payoff to him, he’ll understand why it could benefit you both.”

  If she went back out on the water with him, her decision wouldn’t have anything to do with money. “And, what’s the benefit for you, Captain?” she asked. “Why me?”

  “The crew want you,” he said.

  She could believe the guys being annoyed that she hadn’t told them she wasn’t sticking with them and she could understand them being disappointed at missing out on her baked treats. But, Swain would’ve dealt with those concerns. He wouldn’t be here unless he wanted to be, unless it was important to him too.

  Her body loosened and she gave up her panic. “Swain,” she whispered and took his hand from his side to pull him forward.

  He came inside and she pushed the door to close it behind him. Without pausing, Sassi backed herself to the wall, pulling him with her. Already she felt better, just being there between him and the wall.

  Resting a hand far above her head, he leaned in. “Waif?” he asked, his thumb brushing her jaw. “What’s wrong?”

  “Right now? In this exact minute?” she asked, sliding her hands up his torso to the back of his neck. “Absolutely nothing.”

  Pulling his mouth down to hers, she gave in to her fantasy. Her captain kept her safe. He cared for her and protected her. As long as his lips were pressed into hers, Sassi could be sure that nothing would hurt her.

  The need of her body made her arch into him and while his hands didn’t touch her, she rubbed herself against him. But, she wanted more, craved more.

  Instinct made her reach for the straps of her dress. Sliding them from her shoulders, it took a second for the fabric to hit the floor and about the same for her to unclasp her strapless bra to let it join the material at her feet.

  Swain kept on kissing her, giving her mouth all the attention it needed. When his lips skimmed over her jaw to her neck, she breathed out his name. This was them on dry land, after only being alone for a few seconds. How could he ever think that they could be professional at sea when they’d be alone out there for weeks at a time?

  Guiding his hand to her breast, she wanted him to take control. “Psyche,” he murmured and pulled back. “You can’t.”

  “I can,” she breathed, pulling open the buttons of his jeans. “Please, Captain.”

  Resting his forehead on hers, Swain cupped her face. “You said he could come back any minute.”

  Stretching to the side, she turned the lock on the front door, and slid on the chain. “We’ll have some notice.”

  Pulling back, Swain landed a glare on her. His quick judgement and abrupt anger made her blink. “Have you fucked him today?”

  Shock made her mouth open. “What?” she asked. Thread
s of clarity bound in a solid rope that made her shove at him. Swain didn’t know that the man on the docks was her brother. He assumed Sassi was sleeping with him. “You bastard, you think I’m a slut? No! There’s been no man since you! I’m not a whore! I’m not a cheater either! How the hell could you think that of me, Swain?” Pushing him again, she moved away from the wall, and shoved him toward the door. “Get out of here! Bastard! Get out and don’t dare come back!”

  His hand landed on her collarbone beneath her throat, and he thrust her back against the wall, pinning her in place while he explored her eyes. “No one since me?” She shook her head and didn’t care how pissed he was. She would match and raise him. His gaze travelled down her almost nude body. “Panties aren’t allowed during naked inspection.”

  His growled words came only a second before he seized the delicate lace at her hip and tore it from her body. Shit. Her captain knew how she loved his rough, overbearing behavior. Even when she wasn’t happy with him, he could arouse her. Sassi had barely had a pair of panties left by the time they returned from sea.

  Running his calloused hand over her body, her breasts and her abdomen, he let the heel come to a stop just above her clit. With his fierce, narrow eyes on hers, he curled his middle finger to slide it into her slow.

  Sassi exhaled. Her eyes closed. “Swain…” Oh, he felt good, and as always, knew just how to torment her with his gradual pace. With his skillful fingers, he teased her to climax, watching her every second, and leaving her boneless against the wall. Struggling to lift her arms, she managed to fumble for him to pull him down to her level for another kiss. “I could never be at sea with my captain and not submit to him.”

  Her arm sagged to let her hand slide down his body. She’d just touched the cotton of his underwear when he withdrew.

  Grabbing her wrists, he forced them to the wall by her face. “We have to keep our hands off each other. I gave you my word I wouldn’t touch you.”

  Naked, panting and still quaking from the aftershocks of orgasm, Sassi couldn’t be asked to even consider being professional with this man she was addicted to. “You’re my captain,” she said, clinging on to the security that gave her.

  “No,” he said and let his hands fall away from her wrists. “Fuck, you’re right, Waif… How the fuck can I keep my distance from you? I’ve had you in my bed too often to leave you alone on board. I thought I could do it. I thought since you had another guy that it… that we would be able to restrain ourselves.”

  The sexual pull between them was too great to ignore. The spark of attraction had been there from the first minute they’d met in the dark on that dock, even if neither of them had realized it at first.

  But, now they knew it was there, and what it was like to enjoy each other, it would be impossible to resist temptation.

  “I’m not good at restraining myself,” she said and tried to reach for him again.

  But, he walked away from her hand and went to the door to unlock it. “I’m sorry I came here, Sass. I shouldn’t have interrupted your life,” he said, frustration and anger bleeding from him. “We should’ve left it alone.” Opening the door, he stepped into the hallway, then glanced back at her. “Move on. It ended the day we docked, just like you said. This never happened.”

  She was going to object, but he didn’t give her the chance because he turned and marched off down the corridor.

  Her captain had just fulfilled a fantasy she’d never let herself have. Thinking that he might come back for her was dangerous because hope could make her hesitate.

  Closing the apartment door, she knew it was unhelpful to wish that he’d stayed with her. Just like Karen kept Stuart’s thoughts straight, Swain cleared her mind. Sassi wanted to chase after him, to put her hand in his and ask him to take her out to the ocean and to keep her there safe forever.

  But, that was a fantasy. Reality was her future with Dario. She’d never feel the touch of her captain again.

  TWENTY-THREE

  The next day, after her brother and Karen were out, Sassi donned Swain’s hoodie and made the trip to the coffeehouse to drop off her baked goods and pick up her check.

  It was only a couple of hundred dollars profit, but it was progress.

  Though Sassi was going on old information. She’d been so set on hitting the thirty grand target that she kept trying to ignore the huge debt they’d have to cover beyond that.

  Striding down the sidewalk, Sassi decided to start calling around the businesses she’d contacted over the last few days in hopes that someone wanted to put in an order. Doing something was better than doing nothing and Stuart wouldn’t let her get in touch with Dario.

  As it turned out, she wasn’t the only one growing impatient. A car pulled up to the curb ten feet in front of her. Sassi didn’t think much about the vehicle until all four doors opened at once and four men stepped out.

  She slowed when she recognized the men from the warehouse where Dario had set the deadline. For a second, she thought about running, but what would be the point? Dario wouldn’t take that well and she didn’t want him paranoid or jumping the gun.

  Sassi stopped and tucked her hands into the front pocket of her hoodie, curling her fingers around her lover’s knot for solace as she steeled herself.

  “Hey, boys, what a coincidence,” she said as the men got to her.

  The lead guy grabbed her arm. “Boss wants to see you.”

  “Course he does, I’m an easy woman to miss,” she said, letting herself be tugged along and stuffed into the car.

  There were five days left until the deadline. Sassi couldn’t figure out what this was about. But, didn’t like that she recognized the warehouse she was driven to. The industrial area wasn’t as busy as it used to be, so this place was good for quiet meetings. Before their initial meeting, Sassi hadn’t been suspicious of the location because it wasn’t too far from town. But, now it seemed more sinister. She wondered how a meeting would play out if Dario didn’t get what he wanted.

  The men stopped the car right by the metal side door. The guys got out the front to open the back doors and the men flanking her in the back got out too. One of them kept hold of her arm like they were worried she might run off, but Sassi didn’t know where they were worried about her going.

  Worst came to worst, there was a channel of water that led to the ocean nearby, but there were no vessels around here. Making a run for civilization would probably get her shot even though it was less than a quarter mile to the street.

  “You don’t have to pull,” she said to the men who were tugging an arm each.

  But, they didn’t stop yanking at her. Ignoring her, they took her inside to the empty concrete office space with its once-half-glazed wall and there she found Dario and three other men.

  “Mi amor,” Dario said and opened his arms. His men hurried her forward, boosting her body toward Dario so she fell into him. Dario took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her and nuzzle her hair. “You smell like the ocean.”

  No, she didn’t. Everything around town smelled a bit like the sea because they were so close to it. But, Sassi had lived on the ocean, out there surrounded by the deep blue, and the potent scent was intoxicating in its purity.

  Swain, he smelled like the ocean. Her captain had it running through his veins. Sassi hadn’t spent her life as immersed in it as he had.

  As soon as she could wriggle out of Dario’s arms, she did. “What’s going on?” she asked. “I still have five days. Why drag me here now?”

  “I missed you.”

  Yeah, right, like she believed that. “You could’ve waited five days,” she said, sneering at him. “You’re a busy guy, right? In fact, don’t you have some bar downtown where you do all your business?”

  She didn’t think that he owned it, though he probably swanned around the place like he did. Stuart had said something once about Dario having a financial stake in it, but she didn’t know how much of one.

  “It’s a place you’ll get t
o know well when we’re married,” he said, picking up her hand to kiss the back of it.

  Sassi was struggling not to pull away, not to grab her hand back or slap him across the face. She didn’t want to be near this man and definitely didn’t want his lips on her. But, there were seven other men in the room, she’d be an idiot to provoke them now.

  A brief notion of how this would play if her crew was here made her smile. These eight guys wouldn’t stand a chance if Swain and his men stood up to them. But, her feelings of triumph were short-lived and ended in a shudder when she actually pictured the reality of that moment. Sassi didn’t ever want her captain in Dario’s presence. Her crew was about honor and Dario’s men would fight dirty.

  Her crew was never far from her mind. But, she forced herself to stop thinking about them to focus on her current predicament. Readjusting her thoughts, she considered what she was supposed to know, and more importantly, what she wasn’t supposed to know, before she responded.

  “I have five days left,” she said.

  Dario had never mentioned her father’s other debts. Stuart was sure that Dario was close enough to the money-lending community that he would know about the other creditors waiting in the wings. But, if this was a game, she couldn’t let him know that she knew his strategy.

  “I know,” Dario said, putting an arm around her to turn her around and walk her toward the internal wall. It still had its rusty metal frame, but the panes of glass that used to hang in them were long gone from neglect and vandalism. “I’m just checking to make sure we’re all on course.”

  Dario always had a smug edge to his voice, but it really irked her that he was playing her. He wanted her to fail. He knew she would. Hiding from her that her father had other creditors meant that he could slap her down later when she didn’t expect it.

  If Sassi hadn’t known the truth, her fantasy would’ve played out. She’d have paid him his money and spat in his face. Dario was probably betting on that. He wanted her to be cocky so he could lord his superiority over her after he cut her knees out from under her. Men like him were scum; the type who wanted to humiliate women rather than empower them.