Cutlass Anne

Cutlass Anne - Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-one

"Before you ruin me, tell me where she is." I attempted to hide my fear.

"What?"

"Where is she?" I asked, the feeling of defeat seeping in.

"Who?" he asked.

"My sister. Where is she?"

"Port Royal. You didn't think I would be fool enough to keep a kidnapped governor's daughter on my ship do you?"

"And what am I?" I screeched, swinging wildly at him.

He grasped my wrists, preventing me from making contact and pulled me into him. "You ran away," he whispered in my ear.

"What do you intend to do with me?" I tried not to sound entirely terrified.

John Jacks leaned in close to me again, smelling my hair and letting his lips trail down the side of my face to my ear. "That depends."

I felt the heat of his body on my own. I couldn't help but smell him; he no longer stunk like a pub. He smelled of soap and sea salt. It was an intoxicating smell. "On what?"

I closed my eyes as his lips brushed the hollow of my neck.

"I'll start by undoing your bodice. I can only imagine the delectable view you would provide. I may even taste a bit. Just a little at first. Once they are fully exposed, I suppose it would only make sense to cup both of your delicious breasts with my hands. Once you're fully aroused, I'll rid you of the rest of that dress. After that, well, I'll do things you have only read about."

My cheeks burned and my eyes went wide. "You intend to ravish me."

Captain John Jacks looked pleased by my reaction. Men had never spoken to me the way this daring man had. I was used to them making inappropriate suggestions at balls as they twirled me around, or after I had tea with their wives or mothers, but none had been as blunt as he. It terrified me, yet somewhere inside it stirred me. I wanted to know what it felt like to have those things done to me. I could not help myself. I looked him up and down like he was a delicious pastry. My eyes paused halfway down. His pants seemed to have grown tight in the groin region.

What a vulgar man!

"I believe, Miss Crowley, that you may be having very unladylike thoughts." His hands traced down my face and neck. He paused at the neckline of the gown, trailing his finger along the lace. He pulled it down and cupped my bare breast with one of his hands.

I could feel myself becoming aroused. My breast rose and fell with each breath I took.

"I do not have unladylike thoughts," I told him, trying to pull away from his grasp.

He simply tightened his grip and pressed his protruding member into my warm lady bits. "I can see why Flynn likes you so much. You are a feisty one."

"If you know he feels for me, why continue with this?"

"My son has fanciful thoughts. We're in a sort of competition. Whatever he wants I take. Whatever I want . . . well, he usually doesn't want."

"That includes women?"

"Oh most definitely, my delicate little rose."

He reached down and began lifting my skirt again. His rough, calloused hands rubbed against the delicate skin of my inner thigh. As he leaned in to kiss me I turned my head, and he got a mouth full of hair. He simply chuckled and let his hands continue their venture north. As he was about to let his hand become familiar with my lady bits, a massive crash resounded throughout the entire ship.

"Damn," he muttered, closing his eyes. He let his hand fall from the warmth between my legs. "Don't you go anywhere."

Once he released my hands, I struck out and caught his cheek. He stared at me with a mixture of curiosity and excitement in his eyes. He chuckled lightly.

"This is not a funny situation," I snapped at the man.

"Miss Crowley, I am trying to keep my patience with you. I really would not want to turn you over to my crew or toss you to the sharks. So it is your choice, either stay here in my own quarters as my guest, or I take away that fine gown and give you to the crew as you came into this world."

My cheeks once again began to burn. I had never been so insulted in all my life. "You surely do not mean you would send me to those ruffians in the nude!"

"I most certainly do." John Jacks smiled at me wickedly.

"You are a horrendous man!" I shouted, bending down for one of the books that lay in a heap at my feet.

"Don't you dare throw that." He pulled the door shut behind him.

I heard the click of a lock and hurled the book in his general direction for good measure. Men ran past the door at an alarming rate.

"Hey! Someone let me out! Open this door immediately!" I screamed while pounding on it.

Imagine my surprise when someone actually unlocked the door. I threw my weight against it, knocking the man on the other side over.

"Anne?"

"Christopher? What on Earth are you doing?" I asked, peering around the corner of the door.

"Trying to save you, but I see you need no help."

"How are you going to do that? I'm sure we are out to sea by now."

"We are, but there is a ship following us. Have you heard of The Gilded Lady?"

Relief rushed into my body. Flynn did not forget and abandon me. Christopher grabbed my hand and led me through the chaos that had ensued on deck. There was splintered wood everywhere, and two of the three masts were down. It looked like the ship had been attacked. I lollygagged behind, staring at the mess, while Christopher tried dragging me to the stern of the ship where the rowboat was.

"What happened here?" I looked around in amazement.

"Um, the masts fell over."

"Yeah, I see that, but how?"

He just looked at me with a devilish smile. "I needed a distraction."

"You have to come with me, Christopher." I grabbed his hand.

"I can't." He yanked it back, preparing to send me hurtling toward the icy water below.

"John Jacks and his crew will know it was you that did all of this and released me. You cannot possibly stay here. Please come with me, Christopher."

"It will ruin everything I've worked for, Anne."

"Is this little battle that your generals are waging worth your life? Please come with me."

"Anne, I can't."

"Do not be a martyr! You are worth more to the colonies alive than you are dead."

He looked around at the ensuing chaos for a long moment. He hung his head and sighed heavily before getting in the rowboat with me. He lowered us to the raging sea below without a word. My heart beat with the intensity of a herd of horses stampeding through an open field. I was so sure that one of the pirates would notice us. Once we slammed into the churning water below, Christopher rowed us as fast as his arms would go toward The Gilded Lady. He stood and waved, trying to get their attention. The man in the crow's nest shouted something toward the helm. I could not get a glance of Flynn, but a Jacobs's ladder was thrown over the side for us.

Finally safe.