Shy... Read online

“Yes to what?” He demanded.

  “I… I do have the papers.” She lied, hoping Bran would have prepared something like that for her.

  “I must see them.” Hinds loomed over her like a great bear.

  “I have them in safekeeping with my friend.” Bella kept her voice firm.

  “Who is that?” She could feel his fetid, rum soaked breath on her face.

  “Bran.”

  “Bran?” He moved away, scratching his thick dark hair. “Oh, yes… the steward’s lackey.”

  “Yes.” She replied, a sense of relief in her tone.

  “But why him?”

  “He’s my friend.” She replied with caution.

  “Have him bring me your papers in the morning, boy… along with you.” Hinds stepped toward the narrow door.

  “Where…” She peered at him warily.

  “He should know where my cabin is.” The large man remarked as he stepped out onto the stairway leading up. “And if you are a stowaway, boy… the two of you will be flogged.”

  “I… I understand.” She lowered her head. “Mr. Mate.”

  “And stay below until then, you won’t find me walking the deck all night to look after you… and there’s a storm brewing.”

  “Yes, Mr. Mate.” She looked up at him curiously. “But I must ask why this concern for my wellbeing?”

  “I don’t know, boy.” He replied, his grin making her heart race. “Perhaps I like you.”

  She sighed deeply as his heavy footfalls faded away. She didn’t know why she felt that way. Hinds was certainly a handsome man but she had met many handsome men before. There was something else about him that left her breathless, a reckless and wild quality that called out to her. She wanted to get closer to him, to feel his touch. Sensations stirred in her young body like never before and yet she knew she could not afford to let herself be discovered for who she was.

  0-0-0

  “Who are you?”

  “I… I am Bel… Belen, the new scrubbing boy.” The brunette pressed herself against the walls of the cellar as the fat man stared at her.

  “I hired no scrubbing boy.” The Steward growled. “Get out of my wine cellar.”

  “Master Steward Gillard.” A familiar voice rang out behind the fat man. “The Cap’n wants you above deck, sir.”

  “Bran, how did this one get in here?” Gillard the Master Steward rounded on Bran.

  “He’s my cousin, Belen, sir.” Bran grinned at the look of relief on Bella’s face. “I told you about him last week, when we were drinking in that tavern ashore. You agreed to hire him.”

  “I did? I plumb don’t remember…” Gillard stared at the stocky sailor. “We’ll talk about this once I see what the Cap’n wants. Stay here.”

  “Where were you, Bran?” Bella whispered as soon as the Steward was out of sight. “What are we going to do when he comes back?”

  “That’s the least of our worries now.” Bran nodded as he frantically gathered up some of the largest butchering knives in the kitchen.

  “What do you mean?” She grabbed at his arm. “What’s happening, Bran?”

  “The storm last night blew us many miles off course… into dangerous waters.”

  “What?”

  “Aye, a pirate ship has been sighted.” Bran exhaled deeply. “It’s all hands on deck.”

  “What am I going to do?” Bella stared at him in disbelief.

  “Best lock yourself in the wine cellar.” He nodded at the little room full of aging bottles behind her.

  “And you?” She reached out to touch his arm.

  “I have to get up there and fight.” He jerked his head upward.

  “You might get killed.” She stared at him in fear.

  “Yes, Milady… that is a possibility.” He shrugged, tearing his eyes away from her.

  “But…” She protested.

  “This is the life, Bella… the life out in the big bad world that you want to live.” He looked at her once more, with sad eyes. “Hide here, be safe… pirates can be very ruthless to women.”

  “What?” She shook her head vigorously. “B-but I can’t just…”

  Bran didn’t say anything further; he just gave her a solemn nod and ran up the stairs onto the deck. A horn echoed down from the deck, three sharp blasts followed by a longer one. She didn’t know what it meant but she could guess its intent. This was the first time in her life she was in danger of any kind. She had fallen off her pony once, and landed on the soft grass of the meadow in her father’s estate. Her mind raced. Now she realized why Hinds had asked her if she knew how to fight. The pirates, she had heard many tales of them, were merciless killers, looting and plundering out on the high seas. It was exciting to hear such things in the stories, but to actually live through one was a different matter entirely. Her hands shook as she reached for the cellar door. Caught in two minds whether to lock herself in or run up on deck and join the battle, she struggled with her conscience.

  Bran, who had risked everything for her was ready to fight to the death. A man she had never met before she ran away from home. And First Mate Ronan Hinds, rough and uncaring though he may seem, showed some concern for her, when he shouldn’t have bothered at all. He was there on deck too, risking his life as well. They were doing this for a ship full of wealth, a small fraction of the fortune she had been born into and had taken for granted all these years. She made up her mind, curling her slender fingers around the thick haft of a skewer and grasping a pot cover in the other hand, the young brunette steadily made her way up the stairway leading to the deck.

  The thundering report of something heavy crashing against the ship made her lose her footing as she clambered up onto the deck. Everywhere men were running around, yelling and screaming, their swords and blades held high and pistols going off.

  “The pirates have boarded.” Someone yelled from above.

  Bella had never seen such a state of confusion before. Her head was spinning, she couldn’t tell a sailor from a pirate. A large man bore down on her; he looked even more disgusting than the three sailors who were bullying her the day before. He had to be a pirate she concluded, hurriedly stepping backward. The man chased her down, his broad blade swinging in an arc for her head. She closed her eyes and held up the skewer and the pot cover, fearing for the worst. Instead of pain, she felt a splash of something warm and sticky on her shirt and arm, and a coppery scent wafted to her nostrils.

  She opened her eyes to the grisly sight of her attacker lying in a pool of rich, red blood, some of it staining her shirt and arm. She fell faint and staggered backward.

  “Look alive, young fool.” A familiar deep voice roared above her.

  She looked up to catch a glimpse of First Mate Hinds swinging himself up on a rope, bloody sword in hand. He had saved her yet again. Nausea overcame her and her knees began to knock against one another. She had to get below decks and back onto the wine cellar. Bran was right; this was no place for the likes of her. All around her the sound of swords clashing, cannons and pistols booming and the screams of men dying and wounded filled her beating heart with dread.

  Bella turned swiftly, the motion making her lose her footing. A large hand grabbed her by the shirt collar and effortlessly lifted her up. She felt a deep chill run down her spine as the most menacing pair of eyes she had ever seen glared into hers. Her hat had fallen off, revealing her cascading raven black hair. Her green eyes were moist with tears and she bit her full red lip. The soot on her face did nothing to hide her beauty from this beast.

  “What’s a fine thing like you doing in a place like this?” The man growled, spitting into her face.

  She couldn’t suppress a whimper. He drew her closer, taking a whiff of her hair.

  “Aye, tremble, wench.” The huge man said in a low rumble. “They all do in the presence of Captain Brushbeard, the king of pirates.”

  “And did Brushbeard gain his notoriety beating up defenseless scrubbing boys, old man?” Hinds dropped down suddenly before them,
waving his sword in the air.

  “This is no boy, fool.” The pirate captain snarled softly. “And like this ship, she is mine.”

  “You have no claim on this ship and on any of its men.” Hinds circled the brooding pirate. “Not even on any of our pretty little scrubbing boys.”

  “Away with you, sailor.” Brushbeard waved his massive arm disdainfully, “Your ship is as good as taken.”

  “As is yours, fool.” Hinds snarled, pointing at the pirate ship as its sails went up in flames.

  “What?” The pirate captain roared. “Not my Opal.”

  “And now it’s your turn.” The First Mate drew out his dagger and ran the keen edge against his own sword, making sparks fly.

  Bella felt her heart beating faster than it had ever before. The pounding in her temples made it hard to focus on the two huge men fighting before her. She couldn’t discern one from the other in the chaos all around. Her knees and elbows trembled and she picked up a fallen pistol, but she dared not to use it, lest she hit the wrong man.

  The loud clangor of their swords rose above the din all around. Both men were almost equal, but Hinds had youth on his side. The pirate captain was wheezing heavily and his movements were getting more sluggish. Bella pressed herself against the wall; no one else was there in that part of the deck. The fighting was going on closer to the leeward side where the pirate ship had come crashing side by side.

  A loud groan from Brushbeard made her look back at the fight. Hinds had his sword up to the hilt into the man’s belly and slashed his dagger across the pirate captain’s throat. The huge outlaw slumped down, clutching at his slayer as he died. The First Mate kicked the dying man away and slumped back on the deck rail. A loud pistol shot made him jerk up. A pirate came crashing down from the rigging above him, hitting the deck very dead.

  Bella stood stock still, her eyes wide open and her knuckles white. The pistol in her hands was smoking and she shook like a leaf. Her knees gave in and she dropped the pistol.

  “You saved my life, lad… or is it lass.” Hinds panted, staring at her intensely.

  “As you did mine.” She almost whispered.

  “Let’s get you below deck, little one.” The First Mate looked around the chaos on deck. “This is no place for a woman, let alone one like you.”

  She didn’t say anything, letting him place his hand on her back and guide her down toward the captain’s quarters. The fighting above deck grew fainter as they stumbled along the dark corridor to the captain’s cabin.

  Once inside, he quickly locked the door and unplugged a small cask of rum, taking a few quick gulps. She watched him drink. He looked like an avenging angel, a force of nature and she felt drawn to him more than ever. The beating of her heart and the tumult in her belly was unlike anything she had ever known.

  “Here, bo… wench.” Hinds held out the cask to her. “Drink.”

  “I… but…” She looked uncertain.

  “Drink.” He insisted. “Lord knows you need it.”

  She accepted the cask and raised it to her lips, sipping slowly. The richness of the liquid felt good and she took a few deep swigs before handing it back to him. He stared at her intensely, rubbing his rugged jaw.

  “Yes, I… am a stowaway.” She confessed, looking down at her feet.

  “Hardly matters now.” He replied. “You’re here and I’m glad that you’re no boy.”

  “Oh.” A flash of fear crossed her face.

  “Have no fear… I take no woman against her will.” He laughed. “I am glad that my fondness for you before, when you posed as a man, was unfounded.”

  She joined his laughter, a tad nervously. “I am glad too, Mr. Mate.”

  “Lord knows the heat of battle still rises in me.” He said with a deep sigh. “It is good to take a woman after a fight… to calm things down. And here I am, hot after victory and a beautiful woman at my mercy.”

  “Were I a willing woman, would you take me now while your comrades still fight for their lives?” She asked, looking right at the handsome man, her need to have him suddenly intensifying.

  “The battle is nearly done; the pirate raid has been quelled.” He replied, breathing easier. “We have won many battles at sea… we, the men of the Garamond.”

  “I am fortunate indeed to have chosen this ship then.”

  “Fortune favors the brave.” He laughed sardonically. “Tell me why you have run away from home… you look like some rich lord’s delicate flower alright.”

  “Delicate, am I?” She gave him a smile.

  “Yes, very.” He nodded, eyeing her curves. “Have you been with a man before?”

  “That’s a rude thing to ask a lady.” She turned up her nose.

  “So you’re a lady when it suits your convenience.” He leaned closer, taking a whiff of her wet hair. “Damn, I would bed you right now were I a lesser man.”

  “I am no lesser a woman, and yet I would love to be bedded by you… right now.”

  “I have heard that ladies of high birth secretly crave for the attentions of real men.” He said, tracing a finger along the coarse fabric of her shirt.

  “Are you a real man, Mr. Mate?” She asked, biting her lip seductively.

  “Come to my arms and I will prove it to you.” He snarled, pulling away from her. “This battle lust is making me lose my senses.”

  “Yes, I strangely feel the same way too.” She confessed, a shiver running all through her. “I feel desires in me that I have only heard of or read about.”

  “Enough talk.” Hinds walked over to the captain’s bed. “Get over here, wench… be you willing to let me take you.”

  “I don’t know what has come over me…” She walked up to him, her body almost pressing against his. “I am willing, Mr. Mate… more than perhaps even you.”

  “Hush.” He whispered hoarsely and grabbed her by the hips, lifting her in his muscular arms.

  She threw her arms around his thick neck and met his kiss halfway. His coarse mouth hungrily ravaged her full red lips. Tongues danced and fought alike, tasting each other’s arousal. Bella’s breath came in short gasps. She had kissed a boy before, on her sixteenth year, but had never felt this kind of intensity. It was as if a hunger had suddenly enveloped all her senses and the only way to satiate it was to get ravaged by this handsome and uncouth sailor.

  She ran her hands over the rough muscularity of his arms and torso, weathered by years of a hard life at sea. Overcome by a powerful lust for him, she tore away his clothes with as much urgency as he did hers. Naked and completely at his mercy, Bella reached down to grasp at his rising manhood. She had never done so before, but was well informed and intended to use that knowledge to the fullest.

  Hinds suddenly pushed her away from him and threw her on the large bed. She fell back gasping and panting, spreading out her young nubile body for his eyes to feast on.

  “Yes, yes… let me look at you.” He said thickly. “A woman so fine and exquisite a man like me can rarely have… this is a day that I will long remember.”

  “As will I.” She replied hoarsely, her lustful eyes trailing down his towering naked body.

  In the dim light of the captain’s cabin, she could discern the wide shoulders that flared out, holding between them a thick neck. His chest was deep and covered in dark hair, tapering down to a narrow, yet tight waist. Limbs of dense corded muscle made her pulse rise and then she dared to rest her searching eyes onto the cannon that thrust out from between his massive legs. She took a sharp breath and felt a shiver run down her back. He smirked and twitched his erection wildly for her heightened pleasure.

  “I see that you approve.” He grinned boyishly, making her swoon ever more. “As do I… you are unlike any woman I have ever taken… you are an angel on earth.”

  “As you said, lover… enough talk.” She arched her back, pushing her full breasts at him and spread her legs wide. “Come, take me.”

  “Milady.” He whispered slowly and slid over the bed, running his
hands along the smoothness of her velvet thighs.

  His touch was electrifying to her senses. She stiffened and moaned, reaching out to grasp at him as he lowered his face to her quivering pussy. He smiled, drinking into the heightened scent of her arousal. His lips brushed her lightly and she almost screamed. He flicked out his tongue, darting it between her sensitive lips. She gasped and grabbed at his head, her nails digging into the thick dark hair. She couldn’t hold back as he explored her arousal with his probing tongue. Whimpering uncontrollably, she experienced her first orgasm with a man’s face between her legs.

  Bella’s young body shuddered with each intense wave of pleasure, she grasped at the sheets, writhing in ecstasy. Sensations never felt before streaked through her, bringing every nerve in her to life. His rough coarse hands reached for her soft breasts, iron hard fingers teased her erect nipples as she thrust her hips up, grinding her pulsing pussy against his eager face. Everything she had heard of and even read paled in comparison to the pleasure she felt rippling through her.