The brisk, cool, sea air, brushed over her as she sat quietly perched above a crate on the far end of the ship. Her eyes looked forward staring out into the water. Her mind toyed with the images of what she did. Or was it a dream?

When she woke up her head felt heavy as if it held bricks. She would not wish that sort of discomfort on her worst enemy. She shook her head and paused with that thought.

.....Yes, she did!!! He sat below deck in a holding cell...

She briefly shut her eyes as the effects of her drinking still had a grip on her. When she sat up in bed, she looked over to the door to see Justin standing there. He stood with his arms crossed before his broad chest, leaning against it; observing her.

For a while, they stayed that way as she endured the slight thumping in her head. The moment she raised her fingers to her temple and moaned, he was sitting at her side. Then he tilted her chin up and gazed into her eyes.

"I take it you won't be binging anymore?" he held an amused look in his eyes.

All she could do is shake her head. The sudden images flooded her memory and her gaze lowered briefly to his lips before looking away. He urged her to go above deck for fresh air to calm and settle her stomach. Gladly, she accepted and bounded off the bed without a second glance towards him.

How could she face him?

She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth of the sun on her face. Every so often the slight tingle on her lips would bring back the image of what happened last night.

They kissed.

She was sure of it...

It felt...like nothing she has ever felt before. She slowly brushed her finger along her bottom lip. He was gentle.

She shivered with the warmth slowly crawling up to her cheeks as she reminisced in the sweetness of his kiss and caress. Shamefully she had to admit to herself that...she liked what she felt. And it was clearly so the moment his fingers intimately touched her breast. She was not that incoherent to not know what she was doing. Although, it was wrong....it felt right...And she reveled in the sensation he was causing her.

She felt at odds with her feelings about such a turn of events. From the moment of being captured and sort of rescued. She should not feel such things. Although his lips were tender and his fingers were soft, they still belonged to a man with a pirate's soul. He was still a ruthless rogue that committed acts of violence against others. At the snap of a finger, he could even...end her life.

She shivered with the thought and slowly brought her knees tighter to her chest and hugged herself.

She felt so conflicted. Many times she has sat and listened to Millicent weave intriguing tales of vicious pirates that did horrible things. From One-eyed Casper, Minault the horrible to that vile dog below deck, Cuthburt and The Black Scourge of the sea. Each one of them is no different from the rest.

So he should be no different...

No matter how tender those lips were...

Her heart fluttered.

She battled with her thoughts. Battled with how her body responded to his touch. It was all wrong.

Oh, Tempest you foolish girl! She breathed.

She tightened her eyes and lowered her head to rest on her arms. She never saw the tall figure standing in the distance watching her. She only felt his presence as he got closer and gently sat on the crate beside her.

She felt the crate move slightly, she lifted her head up to look to her side. He sat in silence beside her and looked out at the water.

She couldn't help but glance up at him, feeling butterflies in her stomach. That was the sensation she never felt before that puzzled and worried her most. That feeling of her stomach dropping at the sight of him. That roguish handsome face of his did things to her. He turned his gaze to hers and looked down at her. She bit her lip and looked away.

The soft sigh that escaped him had her looking his way. Tempest observed him with interest, curiously waiting for him to say something.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked.

Tempest lowered her head and shifted uneasily to lower her legs and sit upright. "A bit," she answered. "I don't feel ill anymore." she looked at him.

He grinned at her before looking away and staring at the water. "You had your fair share of rum, I feared I would find you worse for wear this morning. But you surprised me, little one," he chuckled.

Little one...

Was it a term of endearment? Or did he indeed find her little? Young? She pushed away the thought as he met her eyes.

"You won't do it again, I hope?" his stern gaze rested on her.

"No," she whispered and shook her head.

God forbid she did and committed another shameless act and ...kissed him..... again.

She swallowed hard at the thought as her face grew warm. Her eyes lowered briefly to his lips and the slight tingle on hers immediately sent a sensation through her. She looked away and began to fidget with the ends of her blouse.

A brief silence followed as they sat and looked out at the rolling water. Nothing but the sounds of the waves crashing into each other.

She looked at him for a while as he sat quietly for a few minutes, his breathtaking profile pensive in the sunlight. She finally broke the silence.

"How long do we have before we get to our destination?"

He turned to look at her.

"Not very long, I gather at the pace we are sailing and if we continue this course we will arrive at Tortuga in a day or two." he looked away. " Mayhap more," he shrugged his shoulder.

His answer did little at calming her ever-rising discomfort at being so long on this ship. So long on the water. With him...

"Is there someone that awaits you at Port?" he asked.

She looked at him. Puzzled with his question. "My...mother," she lowered her head. Saddened by the idea of what awaits her when she arrives. Was she waiting? She had been at sea for some time now. By now they should have word that the ship had been taken by pirates and sent to the bottom of the Atlantic. They must believe her dead by now.

She felt his finger gently brushed aside a lock of her hair. The gesture jolted her slightly but he did not stop as she looked at him and he tucked it behind her ear. "Just your mother?" he asked curiously with a smirk.

"Yes, who else should be expecting me?" she frowned quizically. The sudden smile that curved his lips made him look so handsome she noted.

"I don't know. Is it possible you have a betrothed awaiting you?" she looked up to his beautiful cerulean blue eyes and saw in them something that she could not read before he looked away.

"No," she paused. "I am supposed to be returning for the London season," she said sadly.

"Ah yes, The marriage market." he chuckled.

She remained silent. Yes, the marriage market.

'All it is, is just a fancy way to prance around the poor girl like a chess piece for her mother's ambitious social gain.' Her grandfather said. It saddened her to think that was her fate.

"You don't look too enthusiastic about it," he said looking down at her. "The idea of assisting balls and meeting a dashing young male should excite you."

"It..." she paused. "I...just," she swallowed hard at trying to explain it's not what she wants. What she wanted more than anything was to return home. To Jamaica.

"Or perhaps you don't want to," he offered gently.

Their eyes met, she could not answer him. "Have you taken a fancy to the sea then?" he chuckled. He was smiling at her as if the prospect intrigued him, and she shifted uneasily.

In all honesty, the idea did not bother her at all and that terrified her.

Lost in her thoughts she did not feel him shift beside her.

"You must be hungry," he said. "Come, let's go below. I will find something for you to eat," he whispered extending his hand.

She looked at them then raised her fingers and placed them in his. A sudden feeling of warmth flushed through her. The sensation of well-being and safety made her heart flutter.

The moment he helped her off the crate, the ship dipped lunging her forward into him. Suddenly they were face to face as his arms wrapped protectively around her waist while the other held onto the edge of the crate bracing her in place.

She could feel his heat. It sent a shivering feeling throughout her entire body. She inhaled his masculine scent as he pulled her closer. He lifted his finger to brush away a loose curl and tucked it behind her ear once more before lowering them to caress her cheek.

Her heart began pounding wildly in her chest as his gaze lowered to her lips and darkened. She stood rigid to the spot as his head lowered slightly ready to take the plunge and she was ready to relive the tide of desire he created with their first kiss.

The moment his lips were just mere inches from hers, the stirring of their breaths mingled with the warm sea air and that promise of innocent discovery, the shouts nearby pulled them apart.

Land ahoy!

******

Here we go landlubbers

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