Chapter 20

H ER MOANS FILLED HIS ears while her plump breasts filled his hands. She was slick against his cock, riding him. He was harder than granite. Than any diamond he'd held in his hand before. And that panting in his ear was driving him wild. In a way that only she could. He had never felt so desperate to please, so desperate to be pleased.

This pleasure he sought with her was life.

Writhing, he bucked up into her, his cock seeking her warmth.

Nothing.

His eyes flew open. Damn it. That was a dream?

He swiped his face that was dripping with sweat. God, he had never been so hung up on a woman before. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to lay claim to his marital rights. After all, they already knew each other in that way. What would it mean for them to do it again?

He knew what it meant. It would mean everything. Because somehow he knew that if he took her again, it wouldn't be the last time. Not even close. It would be the last time he ever contemplated being with someone else. She would be it for him. Hell, they were married. She should be it for him. Why go through all the fuss of finding a woman and marrying her when he had already snagged—ahem, been snagged—by a woman? And not just any woman, a woman who knew how to hold her own, charm the masses, and seek adventure.

Only now was he conscious of the fact that he had allowed the full idea of her to creep into his mind and settle there. But what place did she have in his life? None.

Sluggishly, he pushed himself up to lean against the headboard. His skull was pounding. Like something was desperate to get out of there. And damn it all, he recalled this sensation again as if he were having deja vu.

As fast as he could, which wasn't fast at all, he flopped out of bed and made for the deck. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

This was the last time that Agatha would have the upperhand on him, damn it.

Not a moment before or a split second after his feet hit the deck, he thrust his finger out at her looking all nonchalantly over the water.

"You drugged me!" He yelled. And he rarely yelled. Sauntering over to her, he pressed his face right into her space. Not quite touching her face, but certainly breathing her air.

"Hardly."

"Twice!" He stepped back, yelling again.

"That's neither here nor there."

"It's everywhere that matters. Inside of me." Jabbing his finger against his chest, he glared at her.

In response, Agatha waved her hand in the air as if shooing away a fly. Well, he was not a fly to be shooed.

"I can't believe you would do this to me. Twice."

"It's my life, Jude. And I will live it how I need to so that at the end of it, I can say I did everything I wanted to do. "

"What about me?"

"What about you?" She raised her voice now. This was no longer the prim and proper tone of a lady. This was borderline shrew.

And he really didn't want to lose any ground to her, but he took a half step back. Maybe this hadn't been his wisest decision—to confront her in front of everyone.

"This is my life."

"Yes. I know. You're the captain. So you've mentioned, oh, I don't know…several dozen times." A few snickers from the crew peppered the air.

"And—"

"And I'm not finished." She jabbed her finger in his chest. But she was the braver of the two because she allowed her finger to actually make contact with him. "This is my life. And I'm going to Folkestone to get married."

"Married? What the devil are you talking about?"

"Amalie has been so kind as to notify me of an arranged marriage that was practically made for me."

His eyes darted around looking for some kind of corroboration to her story. He found Amalie nodding her agreement. Damn his last job aboard this ship was going to be the death of him.

"Made for you? I was made—" he stopped. What was he going to say? Damn it, he didn't care. He opened his mouth and growled the words anyway. "I was made for you."

"Ha!" She turned her head and twisted her lips. "You made your choice. You don't want me, so I'll go to someone who does."

Wait. His heart tripped over guilt in his chest. Guilt? That and panic. Yes, his heart was a frantic herd of elephants trampling over thick roots that shouldn't be there .

And this was not how the conversation between them was supposed to go. She was supposed to be groveling to him. Begging for his forgiveness. Pleading with him to stay married. He was supposed to be the one who acquiesced—because really, wasn't that the truth hovering below the surface of his heart?

He wanted her. Her commanding him. Her driving him. Her taking the life she wanted and entwining it with his dreams. He wanted her wiley ways that made him wild. He wanted her on this ship with him.

"You said the marriage meant nothing to you." She blurted out, interrupting his thoughts.

"I didn't say it meant nothing to me." He scratched his jaw and mumbled (for no known reason), "I said it wasn't legal."

"Well, now we won't have to worry about it at all. I'm getting what I want. Adventure. Experience."

"So you'll take it with whoever you can?" The hurt was hard to hide.

"If I have to."

And he could see the fiery determination in her eyes. That was the last straw. She was going to be his, no matter how long it took to convince her. She wasn't bringing that fire to anyone but him.

"There's no chance in hell you're getting off of this ship without me."

"I really don't think that's your call—"

It took only two steps and then his mouth crashed down on hers.

Gasps. Belted laughter. And none-too-quietly spoken claims of foreknowledge filled the air.

When he pulled his face away, he said, "You're already my wife. You vowed in front of God and witnesses to obey me. "

A whoop filled the air, and Jude turned to face the crew with his arm wrapped around Agatha's waist.

"This is my wife. We married in France." He pulled her closer, enjoying the feel of her body pressed up against him.

"She's not going anywhere."

***

"How do you see this working?" Agatha smiled to herself as she lay tucked into Jude's side in his bed. Her plan had worked. He was hers. Now they just needed to sort through the logistics.

"You want experiences." He breathed into her neck. "I'll be the one to give them all to you."

"Really? All of them? Anything I want?"

"Anything." He kissed her neck, making her giggle.

"And where will we live?"

"On my ship."

"A privateer ship. How exciting!"

"Well, my darling, sorry to disappoint you. But after we drop off Princess Amalie—"

"In Folkestone."

"Yes, in Folkestone. We're making honest men out of this crew. We'll be a cargo ship."

"Oh!" Agatha rubbed her hands on his chest. "That sounds thrilling."

"Not as thrilling as taking you again."

He rolled over and pressed his cock against her leg. "Do you think you can take me again, Siren?"

"I think I can take you as many times as you're willing to give me. "

"That's what I want to hear." He nibbled on her ear as his hands roamed down her body.

Kneading her breasts. He pinched her nippled and she let out a gasp. Warmth pooled between her legs. He had already been inside her twice since his declaration that they were married, but her body wanted him again.

"I can never have enough of you, Aggie."

"Give me everything you have."

"I'd do nothing less, my love."

His teeth scraped along her neck and her body trembled. She could feel him notched at her entrance.

"Are you ready for me?"

She bit her bottom lip and nodded. Anticipating his entry, her nipples pebbled, and her chest slowly rose off the bed.

"Mmm…you want me to take these in my mouth?"

"Please," she panted.

His hand gripped her breast and he sucked on her. At the same time, she felt his thick, hard cock enter her body. She could herself drawing him in and then clenching around him.

"God, I love how you hold onto me."

"I love holding onto you."

With that, he flipped them over, staying inside of her, so that she was on top.

"Use me, Aggie. Bounce on my cock. Let me see your breasts dance for me. Let me watch you take your pleasure on my thick, hungry cock."

"Uh…Jude," she moaned, already losing her words. She pushed up on his shaft and slowly sunk down, gliding her nub against him.

"Pinch your nipples for me, love."

Her body obeyed him and she mewled in pleasure .

"That's right," he arched his hips up as she bounced on his cock. "Take it." He grunted. "Take it, Aggie."

His thickness was stuffed inside of her, and she could feel the ripples of pleasure coming to take her. "Yes, Jude. Yes!"

Wave after wave splashed over her as she ground herself against him. She could feel the telling jerk of his cock and then she collapsed on his chest.

Their breaths mingled together as he drew lazy circles on her back.

After a few minutes, she found her breath, so Agatha asked him more of the questions that were lingering in her mind. "Are you saying we'll still travel the world?"

"For as long as you like. Doing whatever you like."

"You know I'll be writing about these experiences."

"I had a hunch, given the number of stories you've told my crew."

"And I will get them published one day."

"Or I'll print them for you."

"You would?" She turned to him, cheeks flushed. "But you don't even know if they're any good."

"Darling, knowing you the way I do, your stories would be nothing short of incredible. You're the most amazing woman I know. Nothing in this world will stop you from living your dreams. You inspire me to live mine. I love you, Aggie."

Softly, she pressed a kiss to his jaw. "Thank you, Jude. I love you, too." Her heart flooded with emotion, her soul was saturated.

"And we'll distribute them around the world, wherever we feel like it."

"Even where people don't speak English?"

"Even there. They can translate them."

"Oh my, how exciting."

"It'll be an adventure. "

"Our lifelong adventure."

"Mmmm…that indeed."

"I can't wait, Jude."

"Agatha," he murmured in her ear, "Our future holds so many unopened treasures. Let's go find them together."

And she knew, this was the greatest experience she could ever have. Love.