An hour later, Daniel checked on Autumn as promised. She was finishing the book when he came in. She sat up as he sat down beside her. She looked at him. He cleared his throat.
"The captain talked to me a little bit ago," he said. "He told me that while you are on the ship, you are to do chores."
"Such as?" she asked.
"Whatever he tells you to do," he said.
She nodded. She laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm so scared, Daniel," she said. "I don't know how to act. I have read about men in this time. They are scary."
He slipped his arm around her waist. "You'll be fine," he said. "I will be by your side all day. My cabin is next to yours. I will protect you from harm."
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
She looked up, startled. Three men stood at the doorway. Daniel jumped up.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"To see the pretty lady," one of the men said. "We haven't seen one in over three years."
Autumn got up. She stood next to Daniel. The men looked at her hungrily. One of them started toward her. Daniel quickly shoved her behind him.
"Aw, come on, Daniel," a long haired man said. "Let us have a feel."
Autumn's eyes widened. She buried her face against Daniel's back. She could feel him shaking with anger.
"The only person allowed to touch her is me," Daniel said.
"And why is that?" the tallest man asked.
"She is my fiancee," Daniel said.
Autumn muffled her gasp. Her heart pounded.
The third man laughed. "Your fiancee?" he said. "Surely you are jesting. You have never touched a woman in your life."
"If she is your fiancee," the long haired man said, "then she wouldn't mind kissing you."
Daniel turned around. He looked at her. I am sorry, his eyes told her.She knew that he only told that lie to protect her. She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. He stood still for a moment in surprise before wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her back . He coaxed her lips to part. She parted them willingly. His tongue thrusted inside her mouth. She moaned and pressed closer to him. His arms tightened around her.
The men watching them cheered. She barely heard them. Finally satisfied that Daniel was telling the truth, they left. The door shut. He pulled away. She followed him, not wanting the kiss to end. He slid his mouth from hers. He nipped at her neck. She shivered. He buried his face against her neck.
"I am sorry," he said. "I did not mean to lie. But I did not want them to harm you. I did not think they would have me kiss you."
"You don't hear me complaining, do you?" she teased.
He looked at her. His mouth hung open in disbelief. She smiled and kissed him softly. She laid her head against his chest.
"That was my first kiss," she said.
"I do not believe that," he said. "The men from your time must be stupid."
"I'l take that as a compliment," she said.
"Good," he said. "I meant it as one."
She sighed. "I wish there were more men like you at my time," she said.
He kissed the top of her head. "I should tell the captain what happened," he said. "That might give you protection."
"My knight in shining armor," she joked.
"Hardly a knight," he said.
"You are to me," she said softly.
He reluctantly pulled away. She whimpered in protest. He put his finger to her lips, silencing her.
"I will be back, angel," he said.
"Hurry," she said.
He nodded. He went to the captain's cabin. Robert looked up. He had a bored look on his face.
"Yes, Daniel?" he said.
Daniel cleared his throat. He quickly explained the incident in Autumn's cabin with the three crew members.
"That was pure idiotic, man!" Robert said. "Do you really think that they will leave her alone just because you say she is your fiancee? It would have been better if you would have said that she was mine."
An image of Autumn in Robert's arms rose in Daniel's mind. Jealousy shot through him. He shoved the feeling aside. He didn't want to think about it.
"I can protect her, sir," Daniel said. "I will be by her side wherever she is. At night, I will be awake and have my door open in case someone enters her room. I will be able to hear her scream."
Robert sighed. He studied Daniel. He had to admit that Daniel had grown up a lot since he first stepped onto the ship. He thought Daniel could take care of the girl. "All right," he said. "But I will tell the men that if one of them touches her in any sexual way, you have the right to shoot them."
Daniel nodded. "Thank you, sir," he said.
He left Robert's cabin. He knocked on her door before entering She was on her bed, writing in her journal. He sat on the edge of the bed. She didn't bother to cover her journal. She felt that she could trust him with anything.
"What is that?" he asked.
"My journal," she said. "I write my private thoughts and feelings in it."
"I have something like that," he said.
"Maybe one day we can read each other's journals," she said shyly.
"You would trust me with your private thoughts?" he said in disbelief.
"Yeah," she said. "Why are you so surprised?"
He looked down at his lap. "I never had a friend," he said.
She took his hand. She looked at him in concern. "You have been lonely all your life," she said. It was a statement, not a question.
He nodded. "I had siblings," he said. "But I felt like I was alone in the world. I also felt worthless. Nothing I did ever pleased anybody."
She cupped his face. She looked in his eyes. "You please me," she said.
She pressed her lips to his. Her mouth moved against his slowly. He pulled her onto his lap. She put her hand on the opening of his tunic. His heart raced at the feel of her hand on his skin. He leaned her back against the pillows on the bed. His kiss became passionate.
He pulled away. She moaned in protest. He nipped at her neck. Breathing heavily, he buried his face against her shoulder.
"I am sorry, angel," he said. "This went further than it should have. I did not mean to scare you."
