Cutlass Anne

Cutlass Anne - Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

I rejoined the rest of the crew on deck and finished taking the cargo below. I avoided the furious man and the mystery door. The longer I was on board; however, the more curious I became. Perhaps this is how all merchant ships worked. Maybe they were doing something less than savory in the hold. But what could be going on down there?

"Stop thinking about that door."

"Huh?" I looked up into Flynn's disapproving glare.

"Bear told me that you were trying to open the door downstairs," he said.

"I just thought it was another part of the cargo area," I mumbled, trying to avoid his eyes.

"It's not. That area is off-limits to crew."

"Okay."

I grabbed another sack and took it down below. We continued at a steady pace until everything was finished. Most of the other men sat at the tables and got drunk. I headed back up to my small quarters to remove the soggy clothes and get sleep. I saw that the little bed was already made up and an extra change of clothes was folded nicely on the pillow. It piqued my interest how friendly and helpful Flynn was being.

I began to remove my clothing, the binding around my breasts, and let my hair down when the door creaked. I spun around in shocked horror and glared when I saw him standing there. He closed the door and stared at me. I gripped my wet clothes to my body. I was so cold. His brows together, and I couldn't tell if he was mad, surprised, or a bit of both.

"Flynn," my voice shook as I said his name.

His lips pursed together, forming a narrow line, and he closed his eyes slowly.

"Please let me explain."

Flynn ran his hands through his hair and shook his head at me. He walked toward me without saying a word. I tried to back up as much as I could, but there was nowhere to go. I had to face him. He stood mere inches from me and was breathing heavily.

He punched the wall beside my head and yelled. "I knew it!"

"How?"

"You have breasts and long hair. Your little disguise may have fooled everyone else, but not me."

I bit my lip and looked down. "Are you going to tell the captain?"

"I should," he grumbled.

I looked up in confusion. "You're not?"

"No. Obviously something is wrong that made you pose as a boy and join a merchant crew, Miss Crowley."

I bit my lip and stared at the man in confusion. How does he know?

"Yes, I know who you are."

"How?" I asked.

"I'd be a bad first mate if I didn't know who my crew was."

"But . . ." I started but stopped when I saw his hands moving toward my face.

He brushed a few stray, wet strands of hair out of my face. His rough hands were so warm against my cold skin. His hardened, gaze melted away, replaced with pity.

"Is that why you're being so nice to me?" I inquired.

He nodded. "I wasn't about to let a girl go to bed cold and wet."

"I don't understand why you want to help," I said.

I held the clothing to my wet body as we stood there for a few long moments. I had never been so naked in front of a man before. Flynn stared into my eyes as though he were exploring my very soul. His eyes were the color of the ocean, his face tanned from the sun. His skin looked worn and rough from many hard days of work. He was the complete opposite of what a woman of my upbringing should want. But some deep carnal need inside of me was aroused. I wanted to know what a man like Flynn would be like. Would his lips be salty like the sea? Would his entire body be rough like his calloused hands? I could feel my cheeks burning at every new question and thought.

"I know your parents are not dead, at least not your father."

My lip curled in disgust when he mentioned my father.

"Ah, something happened with Daddy, eh?"

I nodded. I did not want to say anything. I knew my voice would deceive me and reveal how sad, scared, and tormented I was.

"And your sister, Jane, she really is missing?" he continued.

"She was taken by Captain John Jacks," I cried.

"The pirate?"

"Yes."

"And you want to find her?"

"Yes."

"Do you know where she is?" he asked.

"No. They took her and left. I don't even know where to start looking," I said, sitting on the bed and covering my bosom.

"I'll help you."

"Why?"

"Like I told you, I lost my little brother."

"Thank you, Flynn."

"Just don't lie to me again," he smiled meekly.

He paused near the door and looked back at me. His gaze kept me hypnotized so that I didn't even realize he'd crossed the room and placed his hand on the small of my back. My breath quickened, and my heart began to pound. He pulled me in tightly against his body and continued to gaze into my eyes. My mouth parted slightly, but for the first time in my life I was left speechless. Before I knew it his lips were on mine. It was such a deep, urgent, intense kiss. I didn't know what to do when his tongue invaded my mouth. He held onto my waist as I wrapped my arms around his neck, letting the only cloth barrier between us fall to the floor. What bit of modesty I had was gone. He pulled away from me and left the room as quickly as he had appeared.

My body shook, a bit from the cold but mainly from Flynn. I was shocked at how he acted. Could he really be that nice simply because his brother went missing? Or was there something else there? I pulled my dry, warm clothes on and curled up under the blanket. I listened to the rain hit the small window and the waves lap at the sides of the ship. The swaying quickly relaxed me. I lay there lost in my thoughts.

If Flynn figured out who I was in one day, how long would it take the rest of the crew? What if Captain Henry already knew? Will Flynn tell him if he doesn't know? Will they toss me overboard?

I touched the cheek he had brushed his hand against earlier. He was stirring up feelings that he should not have. I could not be distracted from my quest. I had to stay focused. I was afraid of what would happen if he betrayed me. I slowly slipped into a restless sleep. My dreams were pervaded by the different ways I might be killed.