Piracy

27. In Love with Him

Harry didn't want me anymore.

That was the only explanation I could come up with. Why wouldn't he hold me while we slept? I needed him close to me and I couldn't understand what was going through his mind. With the moments that passed, I felt more and more sure that he was going to say no to me.

I watched him as he undressed. He pulled a nightshirt on over his muscular torso, and I was overwhelmed with yearning to be close to him again.

"Harry," I said quietly.

"Hmm?" He asked, attending to the buttons on his nightshirt. I could tell he was deliberately not looking me.

"I'm sorry...for everything," I said, my voice squeaking.

He looked up at me with a complicated mix of emotions in his eyes. He didn't say anything. He just waited for me to continue.

"Are you...." I couldn't come up with the right words to say. I bit my lip, hoping against hope that I was wrong. "Are you done with me? I mean, I know I've hurt you, but I didn't mean anything I said. I was stupid and now I've caused you so much trouble. I can imagine you're tired of wasting your time-"

"Wren," he interrupted. His face was still unreadable. I dreaded the words that he would say as he sat next to me on his bed. His long fingers stroked my cheek. "I will never be done with you."

Relief flooded through me. I couldn't remember the last time I smiled, but this one bubbled up from inside me and came out as a little laugh. 

A look of deep sorrow crossed his face. He continued speaking. "I thought you were done with me. You told me that I didn't deserve your love."

I choked on the memory, trying not to cry anymore. Since I'd come aboard this ship, I'd cried enough to last a lifetime. But that didn't stop the tears of remorse from slipping down my face. "I'm sorry," I said, shaking my head. "That was a terrible thing for me to say." Then I remembered the things I wanted to tell him if I ever escaped from Madera. I took his face in my hands and said, "You are not a coward at all. You're the bravest man I've ever met. And you're strong and you have such a noble heart. And that, Captain Styles, is the truth."

I pulled him slowly towards me and pressed my lips against his. He felt divine, exactly like I'd died and gone to heaven. I pressed firmly against him, lightly exploring with my tongue. I drew in a deep breath and pushed more into the kiss. I began to push him back onto the bed, but the pain in my ribs prevented me. 

"Ow," I whined, holding my side.

"There, now," Harry said with a lopsided grin. "There will be plenty of time for that once you're fully healed. For now, you must rest." 

He laid me down against the pillow and ran his fingers through my hair. He looked down and closed his eyes for a moment. When he looked back at me, a tear glistened in his eye. "When you said you were leaving, I wanted to die. But when you were taken-" He stopped, struggling to maintain his composure. "But when you were taken, all I could think about was getting you back. I didn't care how much you had hurt me. I vowed that I would never let anything or anyone harm you again. I wanted so much-" He stopped and gritted his teeth to keep his own tears from falling. "I wanted so much to protect you. I couldn't stand the thought you being kidnapped...abused. I promised to treat you like a queen if I could get you back. If only you would stay with me."

His trembling lip and his eyes squeezed tight told me that he was done speaking. He didn't say he loved me, but it was more than enough to hear the words he said.

"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered. "I could never leave you. I was selfish to demand your love. You deserve to be loved, and I love you." I watched his eyes as hope came alive in them. I finished by saying, "Even if you aren't able to love me in return."

"Wren," he said gently, taking a deep breath to refresh his emotions. "I do love you."

I stared at him in wonder. "Really?"

"Really," he said, using his thumb to wipe away the moisture from my cheek. "I love you, Wren." He managed a smile, despite the glistening in his eyes. 

Harry carefully pulled me to sit up against his chest and enclosed me in his arms. He was cautious, not wanting to put any undue pressure on my fragile body, but his embrace still felt like heaven. I kissed his ear, his hair, his neck, so deeply grateful that we'd found each other. We held each other for a long time, basking in our newly confessed love.

Slowly, he pulled away and pressed his lips against mine. My heart soared, remembering this exquisite feeling. He held still for a few moments and then he began to caress my lips with his. I slowly moved in response, savoring every taste, every nuance. The pounding in my chest was almost too much. I moaned just a little into his mouth, which he opened more. It didn't matter that the rest of my body was battered and bruised; all I knew in the moment was the bliss of kissing my beloved Harry.

After extinguishing the lamp, he climbed in bed next to me and drew the blankets over us. Then he wrapped his arms around me in a warm and safe cocoon. We were asleep in no time.

Unfortunately, we didn't stay asleep very long. I began to dream about Madera and his hideous face and his terrible anger. I remembered him tearing off my clothing and trying to force himself on me. The dreams were distorted, eerie, and even more frightening than the ordeal had been in real life, which was hard to believe - I couldn't ever imagine being more terrified than when I was under Madera's tyranny. Not knowing what I was doing, I began to thrash about in the bed, and I didn't realize it until Harry told me, after I'd awakened, screaming for Madera to get away from me.

"Shhh," Harry soothed. His voice was like a balm, covering everything that still hurt. "I'm here, love. I'll keep you safe."

I could only catch glimpses of his face in the pale moonlight. I remembered seeing him in this bed alone that first night, horrified at his pleasuring himself. And now I craved his closeness because nothing made me feel more safe than sleeping in his arms.

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Frustrated because my collage maker was removed by my anti-virus protection (after months of using it) saying it contained spyware or something like that. So I had to find a new one. I haven't found one with similar qualities to the one I'd been using. So that's why the chapter collage looks different. :(

I'm so glad you're all enjoying this book! I'm having a ball writing it! Thanks for sticking with me - love you all! *kisses*