Her Sea Captain

Chapter One: Finally Free

Julie Cook pushed through the immense crowd as the most popular ship of the decade docked. The breeze was whipping through her streaky blonde hair.

She was more than excited, because this was her opportunity to run from her home forever!

Her overbearing, overprotective parents had never understood her growing love for the Captain of this ship, Ryan Sabler.

She had admired him from afar, and only managed to meet him once. And, to sneak on his ship to be with him was the ultimate thrill for her.

She was so sick of society's standards and unfortunately her parents as well. By the time they figured that she had left the family estate, she would have been on the sea for at least a couple of hours. Boston's Harbor was filled with small merchant ships and large ones. And the largest, most popular ship of them all was the US Justice, also known as one of the most fastest running ships led by none other than Captain Sabler.

She had known long ago that America's stiff society and rules were never for her to follow. She couldn't imagine living in London!

With Julie's resolve hardened, she had moved swiftly through the crowd to sneak on the ship. Since most of the sailors were pulling down masts, and with the captain off the ship, she could sneak in and go below deck. She had clutched the small suitcase in her hands, and lifted her skirt. She wore a loose man's shirt, and tucked it into a dim-colored skirt with only one slip underneath it. She had no desire to have those many petticoats plus a breathtaking corset pulling her in unnecessarily.

Julie never understood why she had to pull in a stomach that wasn't even there. She was small enough for most people to not even notice. And she was sure Ryan would love her just the way she was.

Sure she only met Captain Sabler once, but that meeting was the day she had fallen in love with him. He had kissed her, discreetly of course, so she could avoid any more scandal to her parent's precious title. He had promised that he would come back for her...

And she had waited since she was eighteen, and seven years later she was ready to leave. He said he would come back, although Julie didn't think it would take seven years for him to do so.

Julie had slipped below, running into his cabin. She would hide there for a couple of days. She had studied his ship, and all its dimensions in the blueprint she had come across in one of his father's studies that time that Ryan came back.

He had a mini closet that stored all his belongings-and hers shortly. Once he realized that she was the surprise in his closet, they would do more than kiss. Excitement shot up her spine as the naughty thought crossed her mind.

She left her small suitcase in his closet, and turned around in the large cabin. The bed was a four-poster, with small bars running vertically through until it reached the other end of the post. The cabin was absolutely enchanting, Julie thought, thinking of the millions of ways to finally be with Ryan Sabler.

It was estimated that, Ryan would only be staying in Boston for a couple of days. He had to go back out to sea and sail to the Islands next.

Julie had never been outside of America before mainly because she refused to go to any balls outside of Boston. She barely went to the balls held in Boston mainly because she wa.ted to be alone and dream every night and day about Ryan Sabler... and the kiss he so passionately bestowed on her lips.

Thinking of him only made her shiver all over with anticipation.

It was finally happening, she would be with her long lost love and she would give him her all.

****

"Take it down a notch, please," Captain Richard McIver shouted over his seaman screaming and yelling. He had a pounding headache, and was ready to lie down in his cabin. It was time to leave the Islands, and get back to America where he had belonged. He was darn tired, and the exhaustion made his head ache even more.

"Aye, Captain," all seaman yelled.

The sailors, some new and some old, came aboard on his ship some renowned pirates ready to change and some young boys going towards the call of the sea, like Richard had done.

Although he was quite apprehensive about the pirates they had proven that they really wanted to go to the good side, and he-as their Captain-had to respect that.

Plus, Richard had to admit to himself that he was slightly drawn, as a young boy, to the allure of the dark side. He was a wild boy, and his parents knew that it would be good to enlist him in the Navy for it was the only measure of discipline they had thought of that would tame thier young boy for good.

And he had been disciplined and he couldn't thank his parents enough. But being on the water, for half his life, made him feel as if he could never leave. So, he had started to sail the high seas from a young boy yearning to be free to a grown man now reaching and enjoying his only measure of freedom.

He had walked to his cabin smiling to himself in spite of his headache. He believed that if he lied down, and took a good nap until the evening he would feel better. His men should be done readying the ship by the morning.

"A good night's rest would do us all good," he yelled to his crew as he walked below deck.

The crew hooted with laughter.

Once Richard opened his cabin, he had seen his four poster bed, lying in the middle of the large space beckoning him to take a load off.

Richard kicked the door closed, and loosened his belt and pants. He had pulled his open-neck silk-collared shirt out of his pants, and proceeded to take them off.

In minutes, he was crawling into his bed, resting his aching body for the voyage back.

When he had awakened, he had heard his men atop, crying, swords clashing, and guns firing.

He was under attack!?

He quickly pulled his clothes on not caring how he had looked, and had run out of the cabin with his pistil in hand.

Richard must've missed the laughter along with the clashing of swords and pistil shots. His crew men had held a party, many more men and women on his boat than before.

Unfortunately, Richard's headache had returned instantly, as he thought of the real possible danger on his ship.

"What is going on," he demanded.

Everyone stopped and looked at their captain.

"Sorry, Cap," Arthur Steele whistled, Richard's first mate. He had a woman sitting on top of his lap her head thrown back as Arthur was in the process of reaching down under her skirts.

Normally, Richard wouldn't care if his crew had a party before they embarked on a long voyage. Richard even admitted to having him a woman or two in his bed before he set sail, but for the first time he hated the fact that his crew was never discreet about it.

"Could you keep it down," he barked. Then a plump woman came to him latching herself onto his arm.

"Captain, don't you want a goodbye present before you go," she whispered, seductively.

Richard looked at her his headache increasing. He patted her arm, sympathetically. Normally, Richard would have taken her immediately to his cabin. But for some reason he was not in the mood to be rocked by the heavy-set woman.

"No," he said roughly.

She stepped back, as if she had been insulted in the worst way. "Why not," she demanded.

Richard only turned around, and headed back to his cabin.

With his headache returning ten-times worse than what it was earlier, he had crawled deep under his covers. Hopefully, he thought drowsily, that his headache would be soothed by the early morning.