The Ruthless Captain

Chapter 3

The sun woke me up first. Through the little circular window on the wall, a steady stream of blinding sunlight seeped through and lit up the whole room. It must have been nearly noon. Sighing into the softness of the bed and easing my body closer to the hard one wrapped encasing me, I almost smiled from the safety and comfort I felt with his arm around my waist.

Almost. 

"I see that you're awake." His breathy whisper came into my ear. 

Caught off guard, I blinked my eyes a couple of times to realize all the events from yesterday was not a dream and in fact it was real. I was going to be stuck here under his watchful eye for the time being. Until I find an escape route. 

I didn't reply but only tried to ease forward in the bed. His arm only pulled me tighter, dragging me back so that my back remained pressed against his chest. 

"I trust you had a good night's rest." Thomas smiled, nuzzling his nose into the crane of my neck and was surprised when I didn't fight him. "Because this night have been the best night since I sailed."

"I had an excellent night, thank you." I replied coldly. "If it wasn't for your obnoxious snoring or the heat radiating off of your body, it might have been better. That and if I wasn't being kept here against my will."

He only chuckled lightly at my comment before breathing in deeply. "You smell absolutely heavenly. Like wild roses mixed with the light breeze of the ocean."

I bit back my retort and blushed. Nobody has ever said anything that nice or...intimate to me before. I was always the one people merely glanced at. It was always my sister Abigail who attracted the men. They were always falling head over heels in love with her on the streets, in church or even during our tutoring sessions with the boys from the next estate. They would always ask her out for walks or for tea, never even glancing up at me. And when they did, they only bothered to ask me when Abigail would be free for a walk. Not even Charlie made me feel this way before. In fact, if Abigail hadn't been married to a wealthy duke from Ireland, I was sure Charlie would have asked for her hand.

His thumb circling on my soft stomach drew me out of my day dream and back into our room in the ship. Outside, the waves were crashing against the boat causing it to rise and fall. Thomas brushed back a strand of hair behind my head causing my heart to flutter wildly at his touch.  The fluttering inside my chest was something I never experienced. It was an unknown action from my body and that scared me. Surely, I couldn't be attracted to this man. He was an sinister man who takes from the unfortunate. A man who stripped me of my rights and freedom. A man who beginning to press his lips along the back of my neck. 

"Stop that." I tried to move away but the arm around my waist only stopped me again. "It's improper to share a bed with a man who I am not married to and it's improper for kissing when we've only just met!" 

"I thought we could skip the tedious parts and move on to the rather...interesting ones?" Thomas suggested, sucking now on my throat. 

"I told you before." I mustered all the anger within me to stop him from his tantalizing kisses. My head swam from the delicious feeling growing deep inside my stomach. A warmth spreading between my thighs. "I will not be bullied into bedding with a man. A man I do not know!" 

"A man you do not know." He repeated playfully, his lips now off my throat. "Are you telling me that in order for me to...kiss you like this..." Thomas lowered his lips on my cheeks, missing my open mouth. "Or like this..." This time he hit the corner. "And maybe like this..." I moaned when I felt his lips press against mine, devouring me whole and leaving me shaking from the release of pure pleasure. My heart soared in my chest and fell when his lips pulled away slowly. This man was more dangerous than I ever imagined. "If you know more about me?" He finished, his breathing measured and calm.