Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

“Furness is in the brig,” were the first words out of Mick’s mouth when Callista set foot on the deck. Her heart sank, and she heard Connor’s indrawn breath behind her. The sun was resting on the horizon, throwing orange shadows across the deck and blazing a golden path over the water all the way to the horizon.

Mick, Chen and Juana were on the deck along with the evening shift, three men and two women from the crew.

She was still wearing the red dress Carlota had lent her, she would collect her other clothes tomorrow when they were dry. She hadn’t missed Connor’s hot, appreciative gaze throughout dinner, and it gave her a little girlish thrill that he liked her in a dress. But petticoats were the wrong attire for her role as captain, and she needed to be the captain of the Sea Devil again. She opened her mouth to issue an order and Connor cut across her.

“What did he do?”

“Threatened Chen.”

Callista looked to Chen who said calmly. “Insubordination, Captain, took three to subdue him and throw him in the brig.”

“I’ll go and have a word with him,” said Connor heading below before Callista could stop him. She debated calling him back and sudden weariness made her shrug.

“I’m going to sleep, Mick, wake me if you need.” She headed to her cabin, but before she reached it, she took a turn for the lower deck and sought out Ayo Adebayo.

She found him, preparing to bed down in his sleeping nook off the kitchen.

She stuck her head in and said round a huge yawn–fuck I’m tired! “I just wanted to let you know, there’s been a change of plan, we’re heading straight to the African Coast. Perez trip was delayed, with any luck we can catch him before he sets off for the middle passage.”

The man turned awkwardly in the small space, shuffling on his wooden leg. “That’s good news Captain, thank you for letting me know.”

She smiled tightly. “Least I can do. You, even more than I, have reason to want to see Perez brought down. We will get him Ayo! I can feel it!”

He took her hands and held them, squeezing gently. “Thank you Callista.” His dark eyes glistened with unshed tears.

She shook her head, her own throat tightening. This man and Mick had been her only friends there for a bit, she owed him a huge debt. She hugged him briefly and left him, heading back to her cabin.

She shut the door, leaning against it. She was exhausted. She stripped off the gown and laid it carefully in her locker. Carlota had said she could keep it. It was a pretty thing. Such a long time since she wore a dress. Connor had liked it. His eyes glowed molten blue with his admiration and something softer? Did she imagine that? Her heart skipped a beat at the notion Connor was softening towards her. Was he, or was she seeing things that weren’t there? She shrugged it off. It doesn’t matter because I’m not softening towardshim.

She dropped the lid on the gown, and with a groan, she crawled into bed and collapsed. She was sore and tired in a good way. Connor had delivered. Nothing had ever felt so wonderful as that man inside her. The sex is spectacularly good! Focus on that.

Another worry asserted itself. Feelings or no, he was going to get tiresomely possessive, she could tell. Men couldn’t have a woman and not want to own her. They would come to blows over that eventually. But for now... she rubbed her thighs together and squeezed, eliciting a little thrill.

Her jaw cracked with a sudden yawn. She was bone weary and had a lot to do tomorrow. She was happy though. We are going to get Perez. She smiled at the ceiling and closed her eyes, letting sleep take her.

Connor approachedthe bars of the brig, the light was poor down here in daylight, now the sun had all but gone down, he needed the lantern he was carrying to provide light. Furness was sitting with his back to the rear wall with his knees up, and his head resting on his crossed arms.

“Furness?”

The man’s head came up with a jerk, and he blinked in the lantern light, dim as it was. Bringing Connor into focus, he snarled, “what do you want?”

“To talk some sense into yer thick head man.” Connor sat on the visitor’s stool and set the lantern by his feet.

Furness made an indeterminate noise in his throat.

“I know what yer want, but yer not going to get it this way. Have ye no discipline? No patience man?”

“What are you on about Irish?”

“Ye have one bargaining chip if ye’ll use it sensibly.”

“What’s that?”

“Yer skills. They’re needed. They’ll have to let ye out tomorrow because ye’ll have to put the new mizzenmast up.”

“They found one, did they?” he said showing some faint interest.

“Aye a fine piece of timber it is too.”

“Hm.”

But if yer don’t behave yerself, ye’ll be back in here faster than the cat can lick its ear. Ye want to spend the rest of the trip to Africa in here?”

“Africa? I thought we were bound for Jamaica?” Fury exclaimed, startled.

“Change of plan. We can catch Perez on the Africa coast, before he sets sail for the middle passage.”

“Huh. And why would I care about that?”

“Pull yer head in man, knuckle under and behave and ye’ll have the chance to crew the slaver ship when we take it from Perez. There’s money to be made from that. Wouldn’t ye like to go home a rich man, something to show for being away so long?”

Furness chewed his cheek thoughtfully. “How much money?”

“Depends. There will be a base share for everyone, but bonuses will be earned by effort, how much each man contributes. Ye won’t contribute much stuck in here.”

“What happened to your plans to take the ship?”

“I already control the bit that matters, I’m the quartermaster. It’s me that decides what share a man gets of the booty. The captain will listen to my advice.”

“Will she now?” Furness’s lip curled and he spat. “She’s got your balls in a velvet baggy Irish! She’ll squeeze them till you’ve no juice left!”

Connor stiffened flushing slightly and hoped the dim light hid it from Furness’s contemptuous gaze.

“Ye’ve got it wrong Fury, boots on the other leg.”

“Huh! You think? You can’t fool me Irish, you’re so hot for her you’re panting.” he shook his head. “I don’t know how you stomach it, being ordered around by a bunch of females! It ain’t natural. That’s not how God made the order of things. Man commands the beasts of the field and the women! Not the other way around.”

“I’ll not argue theology with ye, Fury. Fact is, the women do command this ship and that’s not going to change no matter how much ye huff and puff about it! Accept it and figure out which side yer bread is buttered man. Do ye know how much a ship the size of the Esperanza is worth?”

Furness shook his head. Connor didn’t know either, but he was going to take a guess. “More than fifty thousand pounds.”

That got Fury’s attention. “That much?”

“Yeah. And that’s not including the prize money we’ll get for bringing her to heel and freeing the slaves.”

“Huh.” Fury chewed his cheek thoughtfully.

“Think about it man. Stay locked up or pull yer weight and win a reward ye’ve never dreamed of having.”

Connor stood up, figuring he’d sold it as well as he could. The man wasn’t stupid. By appealing to his self-interest Connor hoped he’d bought some cooperation for a time. He didn’t fool himself it would necessarily last. Fury was unstable and not to be trusted. If they were stuck with him, best to get him working with them than against them.

Heading to his cabin, he hesitated outside Callista’s door. Finally, he knocked softly, when there was no answer he tried the handle, and it opened. Peeking through the gap he saw her curled up on her side in her bunk, her hair spread over the pillow, visible in the soft glow of the lamp hanging on the wall above the bed. He was tempted to crawl in with her and hug her but decided against it. Closing the door softly he unlocked his own cabin, hung his lamp and stripping rapidly, fell into bed. He was asleep in moments.

They workedlike navies all day loading the ship with supplies. Callista announced the change of plans to the crew first thing (after briefing her executive in her cabin) and promised extra rations of grog and a fresh meal at the end of it to be served on the beach.

This largess was well-received, and everyone worked their tails off, including Furness, who seemed to have taken Connor’s words on board. The new mizzenmast was planed and sanded, oiled and sealed, before being raised into place; clamped, bolted and rigged. A cheer went up when Njinga dropped back to the deck and declared the mizzen fit for duty once more.

With bonfires lit on the beach as the sun went down, the crew were joined by the villagers lead by Carlos and his family. Food and drink flowed, music, dancing and singing followed as inevitably as night after the day. Connor was pressed into performing. Now they knew he could sing there was no escaping it. Not that he minded, he quite enjoyed singing and he’d never minded being the centre of attention either. He had often serenaded the girls in the brothel’s he frequented and the staff and patrons of the pubs he ate and drank in. He picked a saucy song for the crew, but his eyes were on Callista as he sang it.

The evening was fun, but the need to remain discreet, meant that he couldn’t sweep Callista up in his arms and dance with her as he longed to. He wished she was still wearing that red dress, but she was back to her piratical garb of breeches and jacket. He longed to make love to her in that dress, spirit her away into the trees, lift her skirts and...

His reverie was interrupted by a shout “Connor! Come and play skittles man!” and he was dragged into the game.

He drank, ate, danced, sang and played games with the crew, but his awareness was on her the whole the time as she moved among the crew, talking and laughing with them, making sure everyone got their fair share. She was a good captain. A good leader, she didn’t pretend to know everything, she consulted and made decisions based on good information, was decisive when it mattered and above all she was fair. His heart, felt full, just looking at her.

It was getting late when she came looking for him and dragged him over to a group a bit further down the beach away from the main revels. The group consisted of Mick, Chen, Coats and Carlos.

“Carlos has decided to come with us to get Perez and rescue his daughter Ana.” Connor felt a start from Mick and glanced over at the man. It was difficult to see in the shadows, they only had moonlight this far from the nearest bonfire, but he caught the roil of emotion from the older man even in the dark.

“Ana?” he asked.

“Aye, she went with Perez when he left,” said Carlos morosely. “My sweet baby and I let that cur take her.” He wiped his eyes. “I’ll never forgive myself if he’s hurt her.”

“You weren’t to know what he was Carlos,” said Callista, patting his arm. “Papa never told you about him, did he?”

“Not a word, querida. Not a word. I wish he had. I’d’ve spitted him on my rapier for daring to sniff round my girls’ skirts! Ana! Ana! My sweet baby!”

Connor gathered Carlos had imbibed a large quantity of alcohol and was a crying drunk. He wondered if he would still be coming with them in the morning.

He glanced over at Mick and noticed the man was clenching and unclenching his fists in agitation. He turned and paced away as if unable to stand still.

“You’ll be a welcome addition to the crew Carlos,” said Callista.

The others drifted off, and he found himself alone with her at last.

“If we disappear behind those trees, will anyone notice,” he asked.

She wasn’t looking at him, her eyes were on the revellers. “Possibly.”

“I’ve been dying to kiss ye,” he said.

She nodded. “Likewise.” Her response soothed the ache in his chest and fired the one in his breeches. “Wander off in the trees as if you’re looking for somewhere to piss, and I’ll follow in a few minutes. Hopefully no one will notice we’re both missing at the same time.”

He wandered casually to the tree line and disappeared among the trees. Away from the bonfires there was only starlight to illuminate the darkness, the moon was obscured by cloud, and he worried she wouldn’t be able to find him. But she joined him a few moments later, and he drew her into his arms and kissed her. A deep, delicious, savouring kiss.

“It’s been a long day, I’ve missed ye,” he said nuzzling her neck and soaking up the delectable scent and taste of her, Callista, roses and rum.

“Aye,” she sighed, clearly enjoying this treatment. She pressed closer against him.

“I wish ye’d worn that red dress, I’d give something to lift yer skirts and have ye now,” he admitted to his earlier fantasy.

She moaned. “Well, you can’t lift my skirts, but you can have me. We’d best strive to be quiet though, or we’ll be discovered. Come this way, there’s a spot...” she tugged his hand and led him through the trees. Did she know every lover’s place on this Island? How many damned men has she brought here?

He tried to shrug off the thoughts. He wanted to enjoy this, not be troubled by unaccustomed jealousy. She came to a stop. They were beneath the branches of a very large tree, its base was easily several feet across, and its branches cut out most of the light.

“It’s called the trysting tree,” she said. “There’s a seat cut into its trunk.” She moved towards the trunk and felt around in the dark. He kept a hold on her shoulder so as not lose her. “Here it is,” she said and shoved him down onto a seat carved into the trunk.

He pulled her down into his lap and kissed her, a hand cupping one of her lovely breasts. He just wanted to kiss her, hold her, nuzzle her. Her hair still smelled of the rose soap, he breathed her in, holding her close his hand massaging one breast and fingering the nipple through her shirt.

She wriggled her bottom in his lap, bumping his hardening cock with her hip, returning kiss for kiss, her hands getting inside his shirt, her breathing accelerating.

“God Irish I can’t get over how much I want you,” she murmured, nipping his ear with her teeth.

“Connor,” he said, capturing her face and kissing her, thoroughly, deeply, tenderly. The moon emerged from behind the clouds and shed silver light through the tree’s canopy overhead.

She leaned her head back against his arm, her eyes half closed. He stroked her cheek with his thumb. Running his fingers down her neck he undid the ties of her shirt and revealed her breasts. Cupping a breast, he bent his head and suckled the nipple, squeezing and massaging the full breast, a nice heft in his palm. His tongue ran over the roughness of her aureole and flicked her nipple. Her breath caught and she moaned softly. Her thighs squeezed together, and she tried to sit up, but he kept her half lying across his lap.

“Slow down,” he murmured, “enjoy it.”

“I am,” she protested. “I just want more.”

“I hope that’s not a bad pun?” he said with a laugh in his voice.

She groaned and punched his shoulder half-heartedly. “No, it was not!”

“Good, you will get all the Mor you want, just be patient.”

She giggled, “that is so bad I shouldn’t laugh at it.”

He grinned and kissed her neck, nibbling the soft warm skin. Her natural scent was delicious, her skin slightly salty with sweat. They’d worked hard today, none harder than the captain.

He ran his hand down her belly and undid the buttons on her breeches. Pushing a hand down inside he speared her velvety soft, wet lips, and she arched her hips up into his touch with a soft moan. He found her mouth and continued to kiss her while stroking her gently. Cradling her upper body against him, he alternated his attention between her mouth and her nipples while his hand explored thoroughly inside her breeches, his fingers gliding and stroking while her hips arched and bucked, and she moaned.

“Please...” her breathy pleading ignited his cock and set a warmth blooming his chest. Yes! Callista begging was so erotic, so satisfying...

He pushed a finger inside her and she groaned, he added another one, the heel of his hand pressing on her bud, a third finger joined its companions, and she bucked, groaning louder. He returned to her mouth, kissing her deeper, more passionately as his fingers plundered her body, curling inside to drive her crazy, the way he knew it always drove women wild.

She groaned and bucked again, her flesh tightening on his fingers as he felt the pulsing of her release, she turned her face into his chest, clinging to him. He kissed her hair and held her close, smiling with satisfaction. Yes!

He stroked her again, very gently, exploring what she could tolerate. She moved a bit in response and a little breathy sigh encouraged him to keep going. He found her mouth and kissed her, pushing her slowly and inexorably toward the edge again. She went over quicker than he anticipated. Continuing to stroke her through it, he set her aflame again and again.

His cock throbbed insistently in his breeches, but he ignored it, determined just for once to give her a surfeit of orgasms. He’d not had the opportunity before. Their every encounter had been so hot and feverishly quick. Holding himself off from coming by sheer force of will, he continued his rapid soft strokes and let her use his hand for her satisfaction. She crested again, gasping and moaning.

“Connor-!”

“That’s it love,” he murmured panting, his heartbeat thudding wildly in his chest, sweat trickling down his back. “Again,” he pushed her towards another orgasm, and she cried out, her head falling forward onto his shoulder. “More?” he murmured.

She shook her head. “No, I–no!” she panted. “That was–”

He kissed her neck licking the saltiness off her skin and whispered, “good I hope?”

She laughed a choked exhausted sound. “Yes, incredible I’ve never–that’s never happened before.”

He smiled in satisfaction on the dark. “Good.” Mine. Yer mine Callista Montmayne.

He pulled her close against him and kissed her hair. She leaned against him, and he listened to her breathing.

She sighed and he liked the sound. “Are you happy on the ship Connor?”

“Aye I am,” he said, somewhat surprised to make the admission.

“You don’t miss London?”

“No, but I miss Garmon.”

“He’s the man who raised you?”

“Aye, halfway between a father and a brother.” He snorted. “He wasn’t one to show affection, but he’d have put his life on the line for me, I think, and I’d have done the same for him. But we didn’t talk about feelings.” He paused. “I’m guessing he’ll be upset at me disappearing. Wish I could have left him a note or something.”

“When we’re done with Perez, you can go home and see him.”

“I’d planned to,” he said.

“Did you?” she looked up at him, her eyes glittering in the dark.

He hesitated, so close to admitting he’d planned to take the ship from her. But he swallowed the impulse. He couldn’t assuage his guilt with confession, or he’d lose everything he’d gained. She’d not forgive him for it. And he was so close to having her full surrender.

Instead, he kissed her.

She squirmed on his lap and reminded him he still had a raging cockstand. “You’ve more to give Irish,” she said with that cheeky smile that made his heart leap.

“Aye, if yer up for it?” he asked his voice gone suddenly hoarse with lust.

She stroked his cheek. “Aye. I’ve planted a sponge, so you’ll not need to pull out.”

He groaned. “So, you planned this?” the moon had gone behind the clouds again, plunging them into darkness.

He felt her shrug. “I wasn’t sure we’d get the opportunity, but I wanted to be prepared.” She kissed his jaw, her breath warm on his skin, her hands stroking over his chest beneath his shirt.

“I need to fuck you,” he said urgently.

“Go ahead, I’m not stopping you,” she said kissing his neck.

“I need you, under me,” he said his voice cracking with pent-up desire. Suddenly he just couldn’t wait any longer.

She rose from his lap and taking off her jacket laid it on the seat, which was wide enough for them lie down. She removed her boots and breeches swiftly and lay down on the bench. Her skin was pale in the moonlight, a swirl of light and shade, the hollows beckoned mysteriously and his need for her rose higher.

She had wondered at how much she wanted him earlier, he equally wondered at the appetite that drove him to take her over and over. He’d not experienced anything like this before. It was intoxicating, exhilarating and a little terrifying. But the fear wasn’t strong enough to overcome the pull of her body. He wanted; no, he needed her. In a way he didn’t understand, and right now he didn’t care to think about.

He lowered himself on top of her, nestling into the cradle of her hips, she felt so right under him. With a grunt of satisfaction, he joined their bodies in a hard deep thrust. His lust surged, and he held her pinned under him while he drove himself into her. Mine! Callista yer Mine!

She pushed up into him her breathing picking up again. She panted in his ear. “God yes Irish, give it to me, give me your seed!”

Her words were a deeply erotic aphrodisiac to his already overheated blood. He pinned her hands with his, palm to palm and drove himself relentlessly into her. He wished he could see her face, but her words give me your seed, unleashed something deeply primitive inside him, and he kissed her hard and deep as he fucked her relentlessly.

He thought he wouldn’t last long because of the delayed lead up and his heightened state of arousal, but as had happened before, he found he was caught in a state of suspended pleasure between that moment of peaking and release. Each time he thought he was going to go over something held it back, and he dropped back a fraction.

He groaned in frustration and moved his hands to grab her hips and fucked harder. She pushed up into him, squirming in his grip.

“Connor!” her desperate plea, set something loose, and he came abruptly and hard. The pleasure exploding like a dam wall breaking and tossing him about like a small boat in a storm. His groans and grunts and convulsive shudders as he lost his seed in jerk after jerk of release, scraped his throat and wrenched his taught muscles. With the last of them, he collapsed on her panting, his heart thudding hard in his chest, his skin slicked with sweat. His limbs were heavy, his mind floating free and for a few minutes he was lost completely to a state of bliss he’d never felt so strongly before.

Finally coming back to himself, he moved his head and found her mouth. It was a tender kiss with every bit of his gratitude in it. Give me you seed! If she said that to him again when he’d had time to recover, he would explode he was sure of it. Never has a woman aroused me as much as this one. She is perfect.

Callista shifted under him.She was swollen, sticky, sore and deeply satisfied. So much pleasure! She had never achieved that with a man before Connor. Only alone. She sighed and stroked his back, his shirt was damp with his sweat, he’d earned his release, what a performance. As lovers went, he was definitely the best she’d ever had. He seemed to be addicted to her, and she had to admit the feeling was mutual.

It would burn itself out, but while it lasted, she would enjoy every moment of it. Her heart skipped at the notion of it ending, but she pushed away the niggle of alarm.

“We had better get back before we’re missed,” she murmured. They’d been out here longer than she intended. She had thought they would have one of their usual quickies and be done, but this had turned into a much longer encounter than she had expected.

“Aye,” his voice sounded raw. But he didn’t move off her. Instead, he kissed her, soft, tender, gentle. It touched something in her chest, and she melted a little. “Thankee,” he whispered. She wrapped her arms round him and swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. God, I must be tired.

He got off her and helped her to her feet. She groped around for her breeches and boots and dressed swiftly.

She turned towards him, and he cupped her face, drawing her into a kiss. “Thankyee,” he murmured again.

A warmth spread through her chest, and she let him draw her back into his lap.

“I’ve never had a lover as satisfying as ye,” he said softly against her hair.

She curled into him silently as his arms came round her, unable to respond because her throat had gone tight. A lick of panic surged through her. She wasn’t sure what this was, but it felt wonderful, and terrifying, she bargained with herself to allow it just a little bit longer.

After a few minutes the terror won out, and she sat up.

“We need to go back.”

He nodded, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d’ve stayed here with her all night if she’d let him.

She cleared her throat suddenly conscious of an awkwardness she hadn’t felt with him before.

“I’ll go first. You follow a bit later. Let’s hope we’ve not been missed.”

“Aye.” She turned away, and he reached out and hauled her back into his arms. “Cal-”

She reached up and stopped him with her fingers. “Don’t. It was perfect. Leave it.”

His lips compressed a moment, and then he nodded and kissed her, a gentle pressure of the lips. For a moment she teetered on deepening it, pulling him close and trying to recapture that magical moment of closeness. Then she pulled away and plunged off into the bush towards the beach. She heard him following her.

She emerged onto the beach and sauntered over to the nearest bonfire. She snared a cup of watered rum and drank deeply. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him join a different group. Hopefully their tryst had gone unnoticed.