She wagged her finger. “You should have let Clara undress me, as Manuela insisted.”
“Ha, ha,” he replied with a wink. “Not a chance.”
Santiago thought it a great pity the magnificent church in which he’d been wed was fated to be shunned. But an inner voice gloated; he could, in future, boast of the historic importance of his wedding.
Ever the arrogant Spaniard, he chided himself.
What man wouldn’t boast of the elaborate nuptial ceremony?
He’d been impatient to confirm vows to Valentina he’d thought never to make to any woman. Sí to love, sí to respect, sí to protection, sí to fidelity. He was humbly content to dedicate himself wholeheartedly to her happiness.
The only regret was that his late mother wasn’t there to walk down the aisle with him and Emilio in the Spanish tradition. However, they’d agreed that sharing the momentous occasion with each other was a consolation.
Bringing his errant thoughts back to his delectable bride, he touched his fingertips to the drawstring pouch peeking out from her enticing cleavage. “Shall I begin with this?” he teased.
She stayed his hand and thrust out her chin. “Ha! You give me the thirteen arrha coins as a sign of your support, then take them away,” she retorted.
The seductive flash of amethyst eyes intensified the ache swelling at his groin. Being teased by an intoxicating woman was arousing. “The traditional coins are a mere trifle compared to what I plan to bestow upon you.”
“The treasure, you mean,” she taunted.
He took her hand and pressed it to his arousal. “I want to join my body to yours, to give the most intimate part of myself to you. This is the treasure we’ll share, Cariña.”
Her nostrils flared as she squeezed with just enough pressure to make his cock swell. “I want you, Santi,” she breathed.
He nuzzled her neck, then sucked the earlobe he’d hungered to taste for weeks.
The prospect of leading this innocent in the dance of love was humbling. The fiery passion he knew lay within her, just waiting for him to ignite—that was enough to make a man strut around the chamber, crowing like a rooster.
He’d been rock-hard since she’d startled into his arms when they emerged from the basilica to be greeted by a loud burst of celebratory firecrackers.
He’d managed to control himself during the banquet, politely handing out cigars to the two hundred male guests, his gaze all the while on Valentina presenting tiny vials of perfume to the ladies. His expression probably mirrored Emilio’s. His brother looked ready to pounce on Elena as she moved gracefully from table to table with her new sister-by-marriage.
It penetrated his erotic haze that Valentina was wriggling to be free of the gown. “Careful,” he warned, helping her lift the black silk over her head. “You’re going to tear it.”
“I don’t care,” she wailed.
His little Valentina was in a hurry to mate with him! The notion, and the sheer black camisa that clung to her perfect curves, undermined his resolve to go slowly, to be patient. He laughed as he shrugged out of his jacket and tore off his shirt. “I’ve never been a patient man,” he confessed, putting his hands on her hips and pulling her to him. “Especially when I want something badly.”
He peeled the lacy straps of the camisa off her shoulders. The flimsy garment slipped silently to the floor, baring his bride to his gaze.
A thousand words to describe her beauty galloped through his head. Statuesque, noble, dignified, perfect, a work of art…
Then she pierced him with her amethyst gaze, put her palms on his chest and murmured, “Plunder me, my pirate.”
“Mine,” was the only word that mattered as he cupped her breasts and lowered his head to suckle at her bounty.
Valentina preferred the naughty side of her that Santiago had unleashed like a genie out of a bottle. As far as society was concerned, she would enjoy being the paragon of virtue she’d been raised to be, the mother of well-behaved children. With Santi she would be wild, wanton, free. Valentina, Goddess of Sexual Pleasures.
He suckled her nipples to the point of driving her mad with want. “I love that,” she said in a husky voice she didn’t recognize, hoping he’d put his mouth on her secret place as he’d promised. She’d thought of little else since he’d whispered of the ecstasy awaiting her.
Breathing became difficult when he scooped her up, carried her to the bed and commanded, “Open your legs.”
She obeyed without question, eyes widening when he unfastened his trousers and eased them over his hips. She reached out greedy fingers to touch the thick lance that sprang forth, but he shook his head. “Patience,” he teased.
Dropping to his knees on the carpeted floor, he put his arms around her thighs, pulled her to the edge of the bed, and licked her womanhood.
“Santi,” she whispered, pulling free the ribbon that secured his queue. His hair fell around his face, silky on her thighs.
“Wait,” he rasped. “It gets better.”
She moaned when he suckled, then licked, then suckled again. The moans turned to strange mewling sounds she’d never made before when his tongue darted inside her body.
The ecstasy he’d promised was coming. She felt it in every fiber of her being, tasted it even. The sensations flooded her, turning her bones to liquid when he slid a finger inside, then out, in and out, all the while suckling, suckling.
The wave carried her higher. She closed her eyes and cried out, awed by the intensity of the euphoria sweeping over her.
It needed only…
Her eyes flew open when a hard, warm thickness penetrated slowly, filling her fuller than she’d ever imagined possible.
She stopped breathing when pain sliced into the pleasure.
His heart pounding, Santiago was glad of a chance to pause, to relish the incredibly prideful satisfaction of being the first to possess Valentina. “The pain will pass,” he reassured her, not certain he could hold still for long.
Her answering smile had the predictable effect on his hips, but he forced himself to go slowly, to enjoy the sublime heat of every thrust and every retreat as Valentina’s pulsating sheath gripped him, matching him stroke for stroke.
He growled when she closed her eyes. He sensed her release building again as his thrusts became more demanding, more urgent. “Look at me,” he rasped.
Their gazes locked.
He drowned in amethyst, pumping his seed as far inside his beautiful wife as he could. She keened her bliss as a wild gasp emerged from his throat. “Mi tesoro.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
BURIED TREASURE
Valentina came awake slowly. She’d never shared a bed with anyone, but it seemed perfectly natural to wake up lying on top of a male body. She hadn’t expected to sleep at all, but she and Santiago had succumbed to exhaustion after hours spent learning how to please each other.
However, she should stop drooling on his shoulder.
She tried to move, but a strong hand kept her firmly in place, then began stroking her arm. She relaxed into the blissful cocoon, letting her husband’s heat seep into her skin.
Eventually becoming restless, she crouched and nestled his maleness between her breasts.
He gathered her hair gently in his fist. “You tempt me, Querida,” he whispered. “I would like nothing more than to spend the day in bed with you, but de Funes and your father are hosting a luncheon in our honor.”
“Not until noon,” she murmured, trailing kisses down his belly as she crawled backwards, hungry for another taste of him.
“It’s already eleven o’clock.”
She rose up on her knees and stared at him. “What?”
He splayed his hands on her thighs and laughed, his brown eyes bright with mischief. “Now that’s a sight I want to wake up to every day.”
She looked down at his elegant fingers and realized she was completely naked, tousled hair hanging like a cloak around her shoulders, her rigid nipples pleasantly sore, the b
lotchy evidence of his lustful kisses all over her body. “I’m a wreck,” she wailed.
He sat up, put his arms around her waist and licked a nipple. “You are the most beautiful woman in the world, and you are mine.” He moved to reveal the bloodstains on the sheets. “Here is the evidence,” he crowed proudly.
She sobered. “You never asked me.”
He narrowed his eyes. “About what?”
“Maitland, and Montserrat. Nothing happened, but most men would have cast me aside.”
“I am not most men,” he replied. “I was reassured you didn’t behave like a woman who’d been ravished when you were rescued. In any case, it wouldn’t have made any difference to me—except I’d have been determined to banish the memory and show you the delights of sexual congress.”
She arched her back, her heart bursting with love. The proof of lost virginity was a source of pride. Her most private place throbbed for need of the lance standing proudly erect between her knees. She put her hands on his broad shoulders. “I can’t get enough of you,” she admitted. “What have you done to me?”
“Simply awakened the woman within, my love.” He winked. “The buried treasure.”
She lunged for a pillow, but he took hold of her wrists. “I’d love to tussle, but later, warrior princess. Now, a bath.”
Pouting, she slid off the bed, squealing when he smacked her bottom playfully. “Hurry, we don’t want to be late. People might gossip.”
Santiago followed his bride into the baño, amused by her confusion as she stared at the empty bathtub. “Don’t worry,” he assured her, hefting a large tripod cauldron. “The footmen brought the water up fifteen minutes ago.”
Eyes wide, she crossed her arms over her breasts. “They carried it through the chamber? While I was still asleep?”
He emptied the contents into the tub, smugly aware of her eyes on his backside. “I made sure they saw nothing.”
“But…”
He put down the kettle and pulled her arms away from her body. “From this day forth, Valentina, the only person you have to answer to is me, and I am in your thrall. You are the mistress of my heart.”
Her smile returned and she watched him pour another cauldron of hot water into the tub, then add cooler water, bit by bit, from a third ewer.
“Tell me when it’s the right temperature,” he said.
She bent over and twirled a finger in the water. “It’s perfect now.”
“Oh,” she exclaimed when he picked her up and stepped into the tub. She clung to his neck, laughing as he sat down with a splash.
He turned her so they faced each other, then gripped the sides and lay back, his knees and the clear evidence of his desire protruding out of the water. “Now, where’s the soap?” he asked.
The giddy grin disappeared. Lust smoldered in her eyes as she stared at his cock. He’d never felt so desired as a man.
She retrieved the soap, lathered up her hands and reached for him. He inhaled deeply, closed his eyes and surrendered to her loving touch.
It was difficult to remain composed during the luncheon hosted by the Governor. Valentina was certain the older guests who formed the majority must be aware of how the newly-weds had spent the morning. Especially if her face was as flushed as Elena’s.
Ambrosio and her father attempted humor in their polite speeches, but it was clear both men were finding it difficult to acknowledge their little girls were now married women.
The invited dignitaries responded with subdued applause and raised glasses of champagne at the appropriate moments.
Amusement danced in Santiago’s brown eyes.
Valentina leaned close to his ear. “It’s as though we are back in Madrid.”
“With the notable exception of your dueña,” he remarked softly.
Manuela did, indeed, look years younger. “I’ve never seen her smile so much.”
“She’s happy for you. You are no longer her responsibility and she’s relieved I’ll take care of you.”
She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I like the sound of that.”
A polite cough from her father served as a reminder of decorum and she sat back properly in her chair, still aware of Santiago’s nearness despite the space between them.
She returned Elena’s bright-eyed grin from across the table. It was a shared recognition they had both graduated into a world of public correctness and private abandon.
She deliberately touched her knee to Santiago’s under the table, wickedly thankful.
Chapter Thirty-Five
PARTNERSHIP
Later that afternoon, Emilio and Santiago were glad to escape a salon full of cigar-smoking, tipsy worthies spouting ribald comments about the pitfalls of married life, and making less than subtle inferences about the absolute necessity of taking a mistress. They made the excuse that Santiago wanted to show off his ship to his little brother.
“Let’s pray we never turn into such boors,” Emilio declared as they made their way down the coast road.
Santiago shook his head. “We won’t. We’re our father’s sons, and Valentina is more than enough woman for me.”
Emilio nodded. “I would never put my relationship with Elena at risk.”
“We’re lucky men,” Santiago asserted, his heart at peace.
On board the Santa María, Emilio put a firm hand on Santiago’s shoulder as they stood together on the fore-deck. “Never thought I’d see this old girl again,” he said with a smile.
His brother’s presence aboard his ship confirmed for Santiago that the promise of an exciting and prosperous future and the happy years of the past had joined to make the circle complete. “Careful,” he admonished playfully, “you’ll hurt her feelings. She’s got years left in her yet.”
“Still some hurricane damage, I see,” Emilio remarked.
“Sí, but she weathered it a great deal better than the ship we were chasing.”
Emilio was the only person entrusted with the reasons for the pursuit of the shipwrecked British vessel. He braced both hands on the mainmast and looked up into the rigging. “I’ll warrant the Lively wasn’t made in the shipyards at Cádiz.” He narrowed his eyes. “Is that a drac on your pennant?”
The Santa María flew the colors of their homeland, but the pirate devil in Santiago had convinced him to keep the dragon as part of his personal pennant. “Just a reminder of another life,” he confessed.
“What do you say to having it on the company pennant?”
Too choked up to reply, Santiago embraced his brother.
When they broke apart, Emilio said, “Let’s go to my vessel and work out the details of our partnership.”
~~~
Valentina felt the bed sag under Santiago’s weight. She opened her eyes and turned to face him. “I meant to nap for just a few minutes after the last guests left, but I must have fallen asleep.”
He kissed her nose. “A nap before dinner sounds good. Emilio and I talked for hours.”
She snuggled into him, inhaling the smell of the sea on his clothing. “I’m glad you had a chance to spend time with him alone before he and Elena leave for Spain. I wish they were staying.”
He sifted his fingers through her hair. “They’ll be back from time to time, and we’ll make new friends and acquaintances once we find a house and get settled.”
“I thought you’d want to live aboard the Santa María,” she teased.
He hesitated before replying. “She’s going back to España.”
Her spirits fell. “You’re leaving me?”
“Never,” he assured her. “Christian will be in command. He’s to oversee the building of new ships in Cádiz, then accompany part of the more modern fleet back here. Emilio and I plan to build a shipping company that will dominate trade in the Spanish colonies. There is so much potential now the war is over. Cuba will serve as our base in the Caribbean.”
“What about the rest of your crew?”
“All good men, including Collins, by the wa
y, who will sail with Christian. It’s up to them whether they stay in Spain or return to the Americas.”
“If it was me, I would come back to the Americas,” she replied. “My heart is here.”
“Of course I am, Cariña,” he teased.
~~~
Santiago teased his wife, but in truth he was overjoyed she wanted to live in Cuba. “I have no desire to return to Spain,” he confessed. “The New World holds more promise for us.”
“And our children,” she added.
“Sí,” he replied, nibbling her earlobe.
He slipped into a doze, dreaming of Valentina round with his niño, giving thanks that he’d found a wife who gave freely of her bounty.
His marauding days were over.
HISTORICAL FOOTNOTES
NEW TERRITORY
My regular readers will recognize that this story is a departure from my usual time period and settings. I thoroughly enjoyed researching the 18th century era of conflict over the European colonies in the Americas. I confess to having not been aware that Florida once belonged to Spain, and that the British at one time occupied Havana, Cuba.
I’ve crammed many fascinating historical tidbits into the tale!
POLITICAL CORRECTNESS
I have used terms such as blacks, negro, mulatto and Chinaman in the way they would have been used at the time, and my intent was not to cast racial slurs. You can hopefully discern my personal feelings about racial inequality and colonial exploitation from the actions and attitudes of my hero and heroine.
PIRACY
You might be interested in this website about how pirates stalked and captured their prey.
https://www.pirateshowcancun.com/blog/famous-buccaneer-blaggards/how-pirates-captured-ships/
SPAIN
There has been regional conflict in Spain for hundreds of years. Even today, Catalonia is struggling to assert its independence, and the Basques have waged a sometimes violent campaign against the central government in Madrid.
The Marauder (Pirates of Britannia Book 11) Page 15
