It felt so natural, so right. Grabbing my behind he moved with me, beginning to push the tip of his shaft into my tunnel, then his eyes grew wide. He shifted me back to the side, rolling me away. “Lassie, we can’t.”
“Why not?” I whispered, terrified that I’d displeased him somehow.
“At least, not tonight,” he said gently. “You’ve had a chill and a fright, and we’ve explored enough for now.”
I nodded, trying not to feel rejected. At least he’d finally touched me in that way, which proved that he did indeed want me. That was a great relief. I’d never felt so drawn to a man before, and the thought of him not wanting me was horrific.
He must have seen the confusion in my eyes.
“Lassie,” he nearly growled, “Don’t you dare think I don’t want you. I’ve never desired a woman this much in my life. We just need to take some time. Can you trust me?”
I nodded. Then he kissed me until I was nearly dizzy before tucking us in to sleep.
~ Chapter 10 ~ The Captain ~
* Paperwork *
I was grateful to have O’Doule on board to take care of the paperwork and sums. Although I was fairly accurate at scheduling and keeping the accounts straight, it was an annoying task. It gave me a bit of a headache just to think about.
I enjoyed the planning, the plotting, and deciding on the routes. I seemed to have a knack for keeping large amounts of information in my mind at once so I could pick and choose the best routes for what we needed.
It was a great relief that this group of men agreed we should do less outright thieving, and more smuggling and trading. Since we certainly appeared like a scurvy band of pirates, local authorities in small towns wanted nothing to do with us.
This made it extremely simple for rum running, and quick shipments of slightly illegal supplies such as various pistols that would otherwise take far too long to procure through official channels.
We also happened to meet a few rigs who were running exotic spices up from the south. Just because they were undocumented didn't make them any less delicious. It was extremely lucrative. Since spices were only classified if people had heard of them, it also wasn't quite illegal, technically.
Once people had seen us travel by the port several times, they entrusted us to run regular goods from town to town as well. Loads of grain, seed and farming supplies, and hand-knit sweaters were not the most exciting cargo, but it was fair money.
Although we didn't want to get into the habit, we even ran a young man back to his hometown a few months ago, so that he would arrive in time for his sister's wedding.
I never told the boys I barely charged him for the passage, just the equivalent of regular room and board. O'Doule had given me that fatherly smile and nod at the time, understanding. Since we were passing through anyway, best that the young lad save his bits of silver to fetch his sister a nice gift.
It was still best that we avoided the authorities as much as possible. But since we weren't flying the black, and we did have legal cargo aboard, I was reasonably certain that we would pass inspection.
Still, with Teeth and Davy and their sharp eyes on watch as much as possible, we simply avoided all large ships. The Fortune's Favor was extremely fast and very maneuverable. This gave us the ability to blink out of sight quickly.
I would never have kept Flora with us if I thought she’d be in danger. A few years ago, when the outfit was quite dishonorable and often chased by men with bayonets, I would have dropped her off in the nearest town where we had some acquaintances to care for her.
Now, I was fairly certain that she was safe with us. If we were arrested, we would say she had simply purchased passage to a nearby port, and beg the authorities to take her there safely.
Which reminded me that I’d have to speak with Flora about learning how to act. All of the boys were able to turn into a character when need be. It was astounding how Davy could suddenly look like a boy small enough to be still in britches. Or McGee could instantly become the drunken uncle that we were all caring for on our way back from the pub.
Part of our shady life was learning how to get through awkward moments. I never planned to put Flora in that position, but I should attempt to prepare her in case the occasion cropped up.
I was glad that the wee lass was finally going to be able to visit another town. Long ago, I vaguely recalled how exciting it was the first time I explored an entirely new village. There was nothing terribly different, but every single thing was just a tiny bit new. Everything seemed fresh and more interesting.
It was extremely disappointing that I was unable to accompany Flora on her first little expedition, but I’d send Larry to watch over her. They seemed to get on quite well, and there was nobody I could trust her with more.
~ Chapter 11 ~ Flora ~
* Shopping in Parrinport *
That afternoon, while I attended to the pile of sewing projects, I found myself distracted. I stabbed my finger a few times with the needle as my mind wandered away, and I found myself unable to focus.
After that amazing night with the Captain, I felt closer to him than ever before. Yet I was confused as to why he wouldn’t take me completely. I didn’t know much about the ways of men. From what I had gleaned back in my village, it was all that most men wanted from women besides a good meal.
Years ago, my mother had awkwardly told me about “the snake in the cave”, and I’d listened with rapt attention.