Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

AUGUST 23RD, 1666

A week passed in the calmness of the island. Repairs on both ships were well underway, with Logan and John supervising. Knowing that Logan had it well in hand, Rowan was able to relax into his time with Yves, even if he did feel a little guilty about pushing all the work onto his first mate.

Yves kept him busy both in and out of the bedroom. Rowan's back was perpetually slightly sore, but Yves cared for him well, and he didn't really mind.

Yves woke him early one morning with a kiss on the temple. Rowan shifted, wiping a dribble of drool from his chin.

"It's time to wake up." Yves's voice was still husky from sleep. And despite himself, Rowan felt the ever present attraction kindle in his gut. He groaned and felt Yves's long fingers run through his hair.

"We have something important to do today."

Rowan opened his eyes blearily to see Yves leaning over him, ebony hair falling over his eyes.

"Can I kiss you?" Yves asked. He'd asked every morning. Maybe it was his way of apologizing for the scare he'd given Rowan that first morning on the island, not that it prevented him from being rough with Rowan the rest of the time.

He moved his hand from Rowan's hair, brushing the pad of his thumb over Rowan's lower lip. Rowan sighed contentedly and raised his chin up to meet Yves's lips. Yves's fingers moved down to rub at the edge of Rowan's ear.

Rowan's cock twitched. But he was still sated from the night before. Yves knew how to please him more than any partner he'd had before.

Yves ended the kiss with a quick swipe of his tongue over Rowan's lip.

"So what is it?" Rowan asked when he caught his breath.

Yves smiled. His perfectly white teeth gleamed in the soft light from the window.

"There is someone very important I want you to meet today."

They dressed quickly and simply in trousers and loose linen shirts. When Rowan went to buckle his cutlass to his side as usual, Yves stopped him.

"There's no need for that today."

Rowan raised an eyebrow. He left his sword on the bed but still kept the knife on his belt.

They left the mansion through the back, made their way through the overgrown gardens, and began walking down a well groomed path. Yves looked especially handsome today. His hair gleamed beneath the dappled light that shone through the canopy. His crisp white shirt had lace at the collar and cuffs and was tucked into a pair of tight mulberry colored trousers. The ever present ruby glinted in his ear.

Rowan felt almost ugly beside the Demon's beauty, like a barnacle clinging to the hull of a royal ship.

They walked down the path for a time, hand in hand. Nephele flew overhead, eventually diving into the trees to hunt. Yves and Rowan left the fields behind, turning down a side path that led in a direction Rowan hadn't ventured before.

"Where are we going?" he asked, thinking of his abandoned cutlass back in the mansion. It wasn't that he thought Yves would harm him. It was just in the nature of a pirate to always be waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Almost there."

Up ahead, the trees parted, and they emerged into a sunny clearing. A quaint white cottage reminiscent of those along the main street was surrounded by a small garden full of a profusion of pink and white roses spilling over a low, white picket fence.

As they approached the gate, a woman's voice hummed a scattered tune over the white noise of the insects and distant waves. A beautiful woman knelt among the flowers, pruning a particularly lush rosebush. She wore a simple white dress and a wide-brimmed straw hat with a pink ribbon that matched the shade of the roses exactly. An abundance of onyx curls tumbled over her shoulders.

At the sound of Yves opening the gate, the woman looked up, a wide grin spreading across her gorgeous face. Yves made his way quickly down the path as the woman stood to meet him, flinging her arms around his neck in a fierce hug.

Rowan stopped at the gate, unable to make his feet cross the threshold. For an awful moment, he thought the woman must be Yves's wife. And that not only had Rowan begun an affair with the most notorious pirate on the seas, but a married one at that. Rowan might be a murderous pirate himself, but adultery was a moral line he would never willingly cross.

He tried to swallow around the lump in his throat as Yves picked the woman up and spun her around, then planted a kiss on her cheek.

When they both turned to look at Rowan, relief flooded through him. No wonder he had thought her so beautiful—she and Yves bore a striking resemblance to each other.

Yves tilted his head questioningly.

"Come in, Rowan. Meet my sister, Ana."

Ana smiled brightly, and Rowan stepped over the threshold. She held out her hand to shake, but Rowan decided to take a page from her brother's book. He took her hand and bowed over it, pressing a gallant kiss to her fingers.

"A pleasure."

"Oh? Who is this?" Ana said when Rowan released her hand.

Yves's mouth twisted ruefully. "This is Captain Rowan of the Siren Song . Also known as the Ghost Hawk."

Ana's dark brown eyes widened, flicking from Rowan's face to Yves's and back again. She seemed much more shocked by this news than she should have been considering her own brother was a far more infamous pirate than he .

Then she smiled knowingly.

"Of course. I've heard so much about you, Captain. It's wonderful to finally meet you."

She'd heard about him? It was wonderful to finally meet him? Yves's sister was either exceedingly polite or she hadn't heard of all the awful things he'd done.

But then again, her brother was the Deep Water Demon, scourge of the seas. And she lived on an island that's sole purpose was to house pirates. So maybe she was used to it.

There was a beat of silence before Ana said, "Well, come in! I'll put on some tea, or maybe you'd prefer lemonade?" She didn't wait for their answer but bustled back toward the house, retrieving her basket and gardening shears on the way.

"You look a bit shaken up," Yves commented as they followed her.

Rowan glanced up at him. "I thought you had a secret wife for a second there and was plotting ways to take my revenge on you."

"A secret wife? How scandalous."

As if the Demon didn't live on scandal and secrets.

"I mean, you do have a secret island."

"Touché."

The interior of the cottage was cozy and flooded with sunlight, furnished with what Rowan knew were the latest styles in Talvan high society. He raised an eyebrow at Yves as Ana swept ahead of them into the kitchen.

"The woman practically raised me. She deserves nice things." But there was no affection in Yves's deep voice; he stated this as if it was merely a fact. "Besides, I bought all of this fair and square." Rowan's skeptical eyebrow climbed higher. "With stolen money of course," Yves finished with a wolfish smile.

Ana breezed back into the sitting room, ushering them to sit on the hand-carved, velvet-upholstered sofa and placing a tray of lemonade on the low table. She settled on an adjacent wingback chair. Yves slung his arm across the back of the sofa behind Rowan and crossed his long legs elegantly.

Ana chatted easily with Rowan and her brother without touching on the obvious awkward questions about why Rowan was here. And why Yves's arm was practically around his shoulders. Despite her bubbliness, Rowan could sense a shrewd undercurrent beneath. They passed the warm afternoon with cool drinks and pleasant conversation.

When Yves stepped away to refill Rowan's drink, Rowan turned to Ana.

"So, you said you'd heard a lot about me. Surely it can't have been some of the legends I've heard, or you wouldn't have let me into your lovely home so easily."

Ana smiled at him warmly.

"Rest assured I have heard those stories. I can't very well turn you away when they say awful things about my own brother. And I assure you, he's much worse than the legends. He…" She seemed to think better of what she was about to say and sipped her drink instead. When she looked back up, there was a glint of mirth in her eye. "Besides, Yves talks about you all the time."

Rowan's mouth dropped open in shock. Yves, the Deep Water Demon, had talked about him?

"What did he—" But Yves reentered the room, cutting off Rowan's question.

"I assume you're staying the night?" Ana asked some time later over dinner. "It's getting late."

"Of course." Yves leaned back in his chair, looking lazy and sated by both the meal and his sister's company. There was something a bit off about their relationship, and Rowan couldn't quite put his finger on it. Outwardly, Yves seemed the doting brother. Yet when Rowan looked closely, his smiles and words seemed distant, almost as if Yves's affection for his sister was simply familial duty. Yet if Ana noticed this, which Rowan had no doubt she did, she chose to ignore it.

Ana's eyes flicked to Rowan.

"And…should I make up the sofa?" she asked slowly, finally acknowledging the question she had likely been dying to ask for hours.

Rowan held his breath, wondering whether Yves would acknowledge the true nature of their relationship to his sister.

"No need," Yves said easily.

"Right." Ana flashed Rowan a dazzling smile that, on Yves' s face, would have set his heart pounding. She stood and dropped a motherly kiss on the part of Yves's hair, then retreated to her bedroom, closing the door behind her. Yves gathered up the plates and brought them to the kitchen to wash.

A giggle bubbled up to Rowan's lips. He'd never imagined the fearsome Demon in a situation so domestic.

Yves flashed him a smile.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing," Rowan gasped, getting his giggles under control. He stood to help Yves clean and dry the few dishes. When they were done, Yves led him out into the garden.

They sat on a wooden bench at the center of the garden, moonlight silvering the fragrant blooms all around them. Fireflies blinked in the dark air, and the chirring of frogs hummed in the distance.

Yves settled his arm around Rowan's shoulders, staving off the slight chill of the night. He leaned close, nuzzling the side of Rowan's neck and kissing the soft skin there.

Rowan cleared his throat. "So…"

"Hmm?" Yves kissed his neck again, breath hot on his throat.

"You told her about me."

Yves sat up straight immediately. Rowan could barely see his expression in the dark, but he thought Yves might be blushing.

"Why? What could you possibly have told her about me before we met?"

Yves's arm tightened around Rowan's shoulders. "Do you really want to know?" His tone was forbidding, but Rowan could tell it was an act. He was embarrassed by something, and Rowan desperately wanted to know what.

"Tell me." Now it was Rowan who leaned close, lips ghosting across Yves's sharp jaw. His hand moved up Yves's thigh. Yves shuddered beneath his touch.

"I…" For the first time Yves was flustered. "I may have told her everything about you."

"But not just the legends," Rowan said.

"No, not just the legends. I told her how much I hated you. How I longed to wring your neck and sink that little ship of yours to the bottom of the sea. I was…" He hissed as Rowan's teeth caught his earlobe. "I was jealous of your success."

Rowan pulled back slightly .

" You were jealous of me ? But you're more successful than me by far."

"Maybe it wasn't so much jealousy as rivalry."

"So we really were rivals!" Rowan laughed.

Yves tilted his head, ruby glinting in his earlobe.

"Yes. We were." Rowan didn't miss the fact that they both referred to their rivalry as the past. What they were now, he didn't quite know.

"And you hated me." Rowan's hands went to the buttons at the collar of Yves's shirt.

"I did."

"Show me how much you hate me." Rowan's mouth was back at Yves's throat, his fingers unbuttoning Yves's collar and trailing beneath the edge of the fabric.

Yves gripped his shoulders, relishing the feel for just a moment before pushing him away to examine him with dark, brooding eyes. A firefly landed on Yves's shoulder, blinking lazily and lighting up the side of his face.

Yves licked his lips.

"What is it you want, Rowan?"

Rowan wasn't used to having the upper hand when it came to Yves. It both thrilled and unsettled him. He rubbed the pad of his thumb over the hollow of Yves's throat.

He didn't know the answer, so he kissed him. Yves made a small sound of surprise in his throat when their lips met. The firefly buzzed away, and Rowan pressed his advantage, tugging the hem of Yves's shirt out of his waistband and slipping his hand beneath. Yves's skin was heated as he caressed it.

"Mmm," Yves moaned. He pulled Rowan tight against his chest and tilted his head to deepen the kiss. Rowan's fingers hooked beneath the waistband of Yves's trousers. Yves pulled away just a little, their noses brushing.

"Darling…not here. It's my sister's house."

So the Demon did feel shame. Rowan huffed.

"Let's go back then," Rowan said. He hadn't meant to seduce him, but now they were both turned on. His cock was already hard, pressing uncomfortably against his trousers.

Yves's tongue poked the inside of his own cheek.

"You want to trek back through the woods in the dark just to have my cock inside you?"

"Well when you put it like that…" Rowan shifted in his seat, but it only served to increase the friction on his cock. He pressed another desperate kiss to Yves's mouth.

Yves seemed to reach a decision. He reached out to palm Rowan's cock over his trousers.

"You really want me?" he murmured.

"Yes," Rowan breathed. He didn't know when the power dynamic of the situation had shifted back to its usual balance, but he found he didn't care.

Yves's eyes flicked to the darkened windows of the cottage, half hidden by the profusion of flowers.

His fingers moved fast, releasing Rowan's needy cock from his trousers. He knelt on the gravel path and pulled Rowan to the edge of the bench. His tongue swirled around the tip of Rowan's cock, lapping up the small beads of precum. Rowan moaned softly, leaning his head against the back of the bench.

Yves worked his fingers around the base of Rowan's cock, then locked his lips around the velvety tip and slowly inched down over the shaft.

"Yves," Rowan gasped, trying to be quiet so as not to wake Ana, but Yves was making it very difficult. Yves hollowed his cheeks and bobbed his head faster. Pleasure built as Yves's throat flexed around his cock. His hips twitched, and he threaded his fingers through Yves's lush hair.

Rowan wouldn't last at this rate. A knot of heat already coiled tight in his belly. Yves looked up at him, black eyes wide and almost innocent as he took Rowan apart with his mouth. His lips met Rowan's pubic bone, long tongue snaking around the side of his shaft even as Rowan's cock was lodged deep in his throat.

Gods, that mouth was magic, and those eyes…

Rowan's fingers tightened in Yves's hair, and his hips bucked up involuntarily, chasing more friction. Chasing release.

Yves's teeth scraped lightly at Rowan's skin in warning. He shivered, and with another flick of Yves's tongue, the coil snapped, and Rowan came, hot cum rushing down Yves's throat.

"Ah…" He released his grip on Yves's hair, petting the silky tresses as Yves withdrew .

Yves settled next to Rowan again, rebuttoning Rowan's trousers and pressing a kiss to his sweat-slicked brow.

But Rowan wasn't done, not until he'd driven Yves as crazy as him. He leaned over to suck at Yves's neck, starting to unbutton his pants and slip to his knees. His head was still muddled by his recent release, and all he wanted was his mouth around Yves's hard length.

"Stop."

For a second Rowan thought they'd been caught. Yves's long fingers gripped his wrist, stopping his movements.

But they remained alone in the garden.

"Let me…" He tried to move again but Yves's fingers tightened on his wrist.

"Why won't you let me suck your dick?" Rowan asked, frustrated.

"I just…can't," Yves said quietly.

The residual fuzzy pleasure fled. Rowan sat up.

"I'm sorry."

"No." Yves shook his head, changing his grip to hold Rowan's hand gently. "It's not you."

"What…" Rowan hesitated, redirecting. "Will you tell me why?"

Yves bit his lip. They were still so close, only a breath away from another kiss. He could see the calculation running behind Yves's eyes. Rowan waited. Not moving. Not pushing.

"I…" Yves sighed and pressed a kiss to Rowan's lips as if gathering courage, the salty taste of Rowan's cum still on his tongue. When he pulled back, he seemed more resolved. "Something bad happened to me when I was younger." He swallowed nervously, glancing down at their clasped hands.

"You don't have to tell me," Rowan murmured. He'd enjoyed having the upper hand earlier, but seeing Yves vulnerable now was unnerving.

"Ana and I became orphans very young," Yves finally said. "She's only older than me by four years, and she did her best to provide for us and keep me safe, but we were on the streets most nights."

Rowan smoothed Yves's hair back from his face, lending silent support.

"She did whatever she could, even if it put her in danger. And when I was a kid, I wanted to help her out so she wouldn't have to work so hard. I got a job as a kitchen boy in a fancy house. But I was young and naive and…" He cleared his throat, leaning into Rowan's soothing hands. But after a moment a feral gleam crept into his eye. "Ana saved me. I had my revenge eventually, and now I can be the one who protects my sister." He took a deep breath. "Because of all that it's…hard for me to relinquish control."

Rowan nodded. If you were the one giving pleasure, you were in control of the situation. If you were receiving pleasure, it was easier to fall apart. After meeting Yves, Rowan knew that very well.

"I'm sorry." Rowan squeezed his hand reassuringly. The frogs continued to chirr under the trees around them, and the fireflies had congregated in the leaves and thorns of the rose bushes. "Tell me what's off limits for you."

"I don't bottom, and I don't get head. That's it."

Rowan nodded. He wanted to hug Yves, but he felt almost like the beautiful man before him had turned to spun glass.

"Let's go to sleep," Yves murmured.

The matter was closed. Rowan let Yves lead him back into the house to his bedroom. The island breeze ruffled white curtains at the open window as they slowly stripped the clothes from each other's bodies. Yves pulled him into his arms under the covers, and he fell asleep with his head cradled against Rowan's chest.