A Treasured Love

Meeting Peter

Nina awoke to the sound of waves on the sand, and a drum beating. She looked around and she hadn't left captain Jadens cabin. So where was the music coming from? Was this sea madness? Then she remember Captain Jaden mentioning a party tonight. Had it already began?

She got out of the bed, laced the boots Jaden gave her, and stepped out of the door. There were drunken pirates all over the deck and more on the shore. With beers in hand every pirate traded their hand at swooning Nina. Nina paid them no attention. She desperately looked for the one person she knew, Jaden. As she scanned the crowd of men she ran into a well built pirate. He grinned a sweet grin at her and said, "You must be, Nina, the jewel."

"Y-yes." Nina answered hesitantly, "Why? Who wants to know?"

"I am Lieutenant Rayford," He bowed trying to look dignified. "Cap'ain be lookin' for ya. He been here waitin' for yer to wake up."

After processing with Rayford said Nina added, "And where might I find Captain Jaden?"

Rayford pointed to a mass table that had been placed on the shore to feed the crew. Jaden was sitting at the head of the table, with his feet on the top, and some rum in his hand. He seemed to be watching of his crew like a parent with too many kids. He was neither smiling, nor frowning at his crew's partying.

Nina climbed off the ship, worked her way to Jaden, and whispered, "Shouldn't your feet be on the ground, Captain?"

Nina burst into laughing as Jaden's chair tipped completely over and he landed on his back. His rum had poured out and splashed all over his face in the process. Jaden jumped up and asked, "Who do you think your laughing at?!" Nina knew he was being serious, but she couldn't stop laughing. He snarled and sat in a new chair he pulled up for himself. "I could kill you for laughing at me."

"I know. I know. But would you?" Nina asked as her laughing stopped and she sat at the table.

There was a long silence before Jaden said, "No." He changed the subject but asking Nina random questions. "How did you sleep?"

"Very good. Your bed is very comfortable."

"I'm glad you liked it." He smirked and added in a seductive tone, "Shall I show you how comfortable it really can be?"

"Sir- Captain Jaden," Nina leaned in with a playful smirk, "You're going to need more than a bad pick up line to take me to bed." She giggled as Jaden sat back in defeat. She took a glass of rum from the table and slouched for the first time in her life. She wasn't ready to put her feet on the table just yet, but she was trying to embrace the pirate within her.

"I see you're slouching. How.... naughty of you." Jaden added with an evil grin.

"Perhaps tonight is a good night for you to meet your roommate. As you now know, I have an all mens crew."

"I am ready when you are, captain." She gulped down her rum and slammed the glass on the table.