Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

“Fuck its hot!” he said sliding gingerly into the water. Some trick of the rock muted the sound of the waterfall from here, it was a rushing sound still, but not as loud as it was from the lagoon.

“Mm I know, it’s wonderful,” she said dreamily, her body already visibly lax with the heat permeating her muscles.

He submerged his whole body and settled himself on the ledge, sprawling his legs out his shrunken cock waving about in the water. The heat sank into his muscles too, and he let go of the tension he’d been carrying unconsciously for days, no weeks. Even the stupendous fucks he had with her hadn’t released the tension that had sunk into his bones. Have I ever felt really relaxed? He’d lived his whole life on the edge of disaster, waiting for the next calamity to happen. He thought he craved the excitement, and perhaps he did, but right now this just felt like bliss.

He watched her floating round the pool, her breasts bobbing just below the surface of the water. That last fuck had been something else. He wouldn’t have thought it possible to top the two previous ones, but something in this one had reached deep inside him and made him feel something he’d never experienced before, he was still trying to figure out what it was.

There had been deep, ball-tingling pleasure, but that wasn’t it, or wasn’t only it. There was a quality of closeness and communing with another being he’d not experienced before.

When he’d said she was extraordinary, he’d meant it.

He watched her with hungry eyes. Her hair floated round her like filaments of gold. She had her beautiful turquoise eyes closed as she soaked up the pleasure of the moment, and it struck him that she was always like that. Deeply immersed in the moment of whatever was happening. Whether it was in the middle of a storm, threatening to toss them all into the sea, or in the throes of a stupendous fuck, or like now, completely relaxed. She is present, alive, vital! God, he craved that! Craved that fearless, immersive, lust for life. He had always thought himself to be someone who took life by the horns and devoured it, but compared to Callista he was a shrinking maiden too scared to dip his toe in the water in case something bit it off!

Well, no, perhaps not that bad, but he definitely had more reservations than she did, was more hesitant to throw himself at things than she was. Do I lack confidence?

No. It was more that his experience had taught him that there were things that even if you’re very good at surviving, and he was, extremely good at it, there were still things that only God and luck couldn’t save you from. So far, I’ve been lucky and maybe a little bit blessed.

He continued, watching her floating and allowed the heat to make him drowsy, he hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours, and they had been in the fight of their lives with a storm last night.

He opened his eyes when he felt her hands run up his thighs. Her touch made his cock lengthen.

“Want some help with that?” she said reaching for his stiffening cock.

He smiled lazily at her and let her take him in her hand and stroke gently but firmly. The tingling pleasure had him hard in moments, and she clambered onto his lap, straddling him and fed him inside herself. She was quite incredible, no need for foreplay with this woman, she was ready all the time. A young boy’s dream fuck.

She settled down on him with a satisfied moan, and he gripped her hips, holding her still on him while he kissed her. He hadn’t missed her slip-up revealing she’d done this here with someone else, he wondered who, and hoped it wasn’t Perez. He already hated the man, and he’d never met him. He didn’t want to ask her though. Maybe he’d ask Mick.

She pulled away from his kiss and said, “what’s wrong?”

He blinked and shook his head. “Just tired I think, sorry.”

She frowned. “You must’ve known I’ve had other lovers.” God, she’s direct! Can she read my bloody mind?

“Of course, so have I.” He was conscious of sounding a bit defensive.

She smiled wryly. “You’re allowed to, you’re a man. In fact, it’s expected.”

He swallowed, but the words burst out of him in spite of himself “Was it Perez?”

Her eyes widened. “Here? No.”

He pushed her off him, he’d gone soft at the implication of her words. “But ye’ve been with him.”

“I wouldn’t call it that.” she said her face closing down.

“What then?” the monster of jealousy had him in its grip and wouldn’t let go.

She turned away, moving across to the other side of the pool. Her voice wafted to him across the steamy water. “He seduced me when I was fifteen, to get back at my father.”

He closed his eyes as a pain in his chest caught his breath. He opened his eyes and launched himself across the space between them, pulling her back against him, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“I fancied myself in love with him. Papa warned me against him, but I wouldn’t listen, and I contrived to be alone with him. I thought he loved me. I was young and stupid. He used me to get back at my father.” Her voice was wooden, but he could hear the pain behind it. Her body remained stiff and unyielding in his arms.

“That’s a low act, no real man would use a girl to punish another man,” he murmured against her hair.

“I never knew until later, the cause of the enmity between them. Papa stole the woman Perez loved, my mother, away from him.” She paused and took a breath. “But she left us when I was five, ran away with a British naval officer who ‘rescued’ her from Papa.” The bitter note in her voice wasn’t lost on him. “Perez eventually found her, killed her for betraying him, and came after Papa.” She laughed and it wasn’t funny. “He found me instead and used me to, as he put it, ‘destroy your arrombado father’”.

What does arrombado mean?”

“Arsehole.”

“He is the arrombado!” He turned her in his arms, so he could see her face. He thought she might have been crying, but there were no tears, just a stony expression on her face. But the pain deep in her eyes, shot through his chest like a barb.

“Papa went after him, determined to get the Esperanza and destroy everything he has. Instead, he lost his life fighting him.” She swallowed and took a breath. “So, you see nothing is more important than destroying Perez.”

“I understand.”

“Good.” She spoke briskly. “And as for who it was here with me before.” She shrugged. “No one who matters.”

“I see.” He spoke carefully. His heart was pulsing in a dull thud. He felt pummelled by her pain and shut out by her coldness. It was a shield, but it was a good one. Callista Montmayne was more broken than he’d realised. Men had used and abused her all her life, he suspected even her father, for all she loved him fiercely, had shown her scant affection. Was there any warmth to be had from her? Or was she all cold, hard edges?

He swallowed, feeling sick as he recalled his own plans to seduce her into giving him control of the Sea Devil. He was as bad as every other man who had used and abused her, no wonder she was so shielded. She lived a hard life; she had no choice but to be tough.

A sudden surge of protectiveness rose up and engulfed him. It wasn’t something he felt all that often, he was a selfish bastard looking out for his own interests, because he’d had to be to survive. As she had…

It hit him how similar they were in that respect. Both hardened by their experiences, both wanting softness but too afraid to reach for it. Because the minute you showed your underbelly, you were vulnerable, and some unscrupulous bastard took advantage of you.

The desire to be her strength and her shield was so powerful it took his breath away. “I’ll kill him for ye,” he murmured pulling her against his chest.

“No, you won’t. No one is taking that away from me. I’ve earned my vengeance, and I’m going to get it.” Her voice was hard edged, her expression grim.

Then her cheeky grin came back, and his heart lifted at the sight of it. “But I appreciate the offer, Irish. I really do.”

“Ye’re incredible,” he murmured and kissed her, suddenly hungry for her again. He moved sideways onto the stone seat pulling her onto his lap and devoured her mouth. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and she squirmed on his lap, her flesh stroking over his rapidly rehardening cock. The warm water lapped about them as she moved and caught his cock with her entrance and forced him inside her with a hard downward thrust of her hips.

She gasped, flinging her head back and panted, moving on him with a swirl of her hips. Caught up in the surge of her passion and as willing as she to push away the darkness with the seductive pleasure their bodies shared, he wrapped an arm around her hips, moving her up and down his length, his hips surging up to meet her downward thrust. His other hand sought her bud of pleasure, and his tongue ran over her dewy skin, lapping at the water droplets that tasted metallic. He bit gently down on the join between her neck and shoulder and her gasp of pleasure encouraged him to move lower and find a nipple to suckle.

She was delicious, he was addicted to her taste, her scent, the feel of her body surrounding his. He moaned, his tongue running over her tight nipple, and he sucked hard, listening to her sounds of pleasure, heat blooming in his chest. He loved it when she made that noise, something between a whimper and a moan.

His heated skin prickled as his cock sought the deepest part of her, his arm pushing her down on him hard, while she squirmed and panted and moaned her pleasure, his finger swirling over her bud to bring her to her climax as rapidly as possible.

She flexed and gripped him inside and groaned loudly, her hands biting into his shoulders. “Son of a Sea God Irish, give me everything!” she panted. “Everything you’ve got!”

Everything? Alright. You asked for it woman! He lifted her, spun her and thrust back inside her from behind with a deep, satisfied growl.

“You want me to fuck you like a bitch?” he said hoarse with lust.

“Yes! Yes!”

Holding her hips while she balanced herself on the side of pool, he pummelled her with hard deep thrusts. God, she felt good. His skin goose bumped in the cool air as his arse flexed with every thrust of his hips. His teeth grazed her shoulder, and bit into her skin. His hand moved lower to finish her, stroking swiftly, lightly, as she liked it. He loved learning her body, which touches, strokes and kisses sent her over the edge.

She pushed back into him, arching her back, her flanks trembling and let out that keening wail that told him she was coming. He felt the pulses in her flesh, and she clenched on him with a groan that made his balls tingle and cock jerk, heat rose from his groin in a wave of scorching pleasure, and he lost all control, spilling his seed hard.

The strangled noise he made came from deep in his gut as he slumped forward on her back, his legs trembling and his knees threatening to give out. He staggered. “Fuck! That was so intense it hurt!” The muscles in his perineum spasmed painfully. He ached from his balls to his arsehole.

She laughed, holding him up with her arms extended, hands flat on the lip of the pool. “You’re heavy Irish!” she tipped him sideways, and he collapsed on to the seat with a splash of steaming water.

“Fuck!” He said again, easing his arse along the stone into a more comfortable position.

She eased herself down next to him, and he turned his head on a neck that felt too heavy to hold it up. “Did I hurt ye?”

“Just the right kind of pain,” she said with a sigh, leaning back. “We will have to get out soon or we’ll turn into prunes.” She held her hand up and inspected the fingertips. He looked at his own and noticed that they were starting to wrinkle.

She looked at him smiling. “This next bit is fun. We stand under the waterfall for a cold drenching then leap back into the lagoon and swim for the other side. You game?”

He groaned. “Really?”

“Yep, come on.” she dragged him to his feet and then hopped up on the ledge, water draining off her luscious body. Then she ran along the stone ledge and disappeared under the waterfall.

A shriek told him it was cold. Hauling himself out of the hot water, he strode along the rocky ledge, his wet feet slippery on the uneven rock. As he got closer, the water got louder and the cool spray enveloped his steaming skin, making it prickle. He took a deep breath to brace himself and ducked through the screen of water. He shuddered at the cold sluice of water on his heated skin.

He found her dancing about just inside the curtain of water clutching her arms with cold. “What took you so long? Come on.” she ran through the wall of water, and he heard her whoop and splash as she leaped into the lagoon. With a sigh he followed and cratered the water as he hit it sending a wave of water over her. She shrieked again with delight. “Race you to the bank,” she called over her shoulder, and she was off.

His competitive streak fired up, and he launched himself after her, kicking and stroking strongly.

She was quick and had a head start, but he was stronger and longer which meant he had greater reach and more kicking and stroking power. He caught her at the three-quarter mark and passed her to stagger out onto the sandy beech a body length in front.

She took losing in good part. “For a beginner that is impressive Irish, I must a be a good teacher.”

“Ye are,” he said shaking off the worst of the water and reaching for his shirt. The sun was beginning to lower in the sky and the light breeze to pick up, his skin goose bumped, his flesh cold now to touch, although he felt warm enough on the inside.

They dressed hurriedly, and she combed her hair with her fingers. “Carlos will have some dry clothes for us, come on I’m starving. His wife Carlota always puts on a good spread.” Setting out briskly they reached the settlement and the entrance to Carlos’ home in record time.

Carlos welcomed them in and took them upstairs where they were given clean, dry clothes and served pale-pink, sweet wine in enormous glass goblets and plied with an array of the best food Connor thought he had ever eaten.

Empanadas, burritos, dips, breads and cheeses, luscious fruit and a creamy dessert he had never tasted before. But he was distracted from the food by the sight of Callista in a red flounced dress, cut low across the bosom, with an old-fashioned fitted waist and full skirt. All his fantasies were true. She looked stunning in cherry red, and he couldn’t take his eyes of her.

An ache in his chest made him wish that he could reach for her and hold her, pull her into his lap and kiss and stroke her, make love to her slowly. They always seemed to be just fucking, quick, hard, intense. Pleasurable yes, but suddenly he wanted something more. Something softer and gentler. Kisses, tender kisses...

Carlota proved to be a short round woman with dark hair and dancing eyes. Carlos, it turned out had five daughters, four of which were still at home, only Ana having left. Even the house pets were female, a white fluffy cat and small lapdog, fed titbits from the table by the youngest daughter.

It was clear that Callista was used to being an honoured guest at their table and Connor was accepted as part of the hospitality they extended to her. He watched and listened and ate until he couldn’t take another bite.

After the meal, Carlos was easily persuaded to play cards and lost merrily to Callista. Connor declined to play, content to watch her accumulating wealth hand over fist and sip the light pink wine that was deceptively potent, smiling at her evident pleasure in fleecing Carlos.

The sun was sitting just above the horizon and the sky a brilliant orange when he said, “We had better go, the others will be looking for us.”

Callista gathered up her winnings, there were hugs all round and Carlos escorted them back to the beach. Where they found the other two couples sitting on the sand waiting for them.

A long sapling trunk, as thick as a man’s arm and stripped of its bark, lay at McTavish’s feet.

“You found one!” said Callista pleased.

McTavish rose and helped Jenni up. “Aye. That we did.” he glanced sideways at Jenni who avoided his gaze, her cheeks faintly flushed, but that might just be from the sun. Connor wondered what else they had been doing. Had McTavish finally gotten up the courage to tell her how he felt, and how had she reacted when he did?

Windy and Liang’s expedition seemed to have been likewise successful, judging from the bulging satchels they were both carrying.

“You will bring your boat tomorrow and load up your supplies,” said Carlos.

“We will, thank you,” Callista said offering him her hand and then her cheek.

He nodded, shook Connor’s hand and nodded to the others.

They shoved the boat back into the water, got the new mizzen mast on board and arranged themselves around it, pushed off and set to rowing back to the ship. Connor wondered what they would find when they got back on board. Had Furness behaved himself?