Devi's Paradise (24 page)

By the time she returned Awan was standing arguing with Riku. He looked angry enough to kill the shaman but didn’t dare, terrified of evoking the vengeance of the gods. A crowd had begun to gather, and Mahil was stirring them up, foretelling disaster.

Awan kept glaring at Romilly, but eventually calmed down, listening to the elders. ‘What’s he saying?’ Romilly asked Riku.

He brushed a bunch of twigs over her from head to foot. ‘This to drive away evil. He unhappy to lose you, but I say not to anger Captain Tertius or it be bad for tribe. You go… now… before he change his mind.’

‘I came here determined to swim in the sea,’ she said, grateful to the old man for soothing Awan’s wounded pride.

‘I tell warriors to take you there, then lead you to fortress.’

‘Thank you,’ Romilly said and, leaning forward, kissed him impulsively on the purple patterned cheek. Then she stretched on tiptoe and saluted Awan too, astonished to see tears in his dark eyes.

This odd episode was over and she knew she must get back, hoping that she’d not been missed already. It was early, a haze over the forest and she walked with Jessica, guarded on each side by the chattering, brightly hued men, their bodies painted with weird designs. They were naked and armed with spears, and she got used to seeing their cocks bobbing as they trotted along. Jessica kept her eyes fixed firmly ahead.

They soon reached a secluded bay and the men tactfully withdrew, leaving Romilly free to undress behind some large boulders. ‘Are you coming in, Wade?’ The gentle swell of the azure sea was tempting Romilly to hurry.

‘No, my lady, I’ll stand on the edge and hold your towel.’

‘You’re so stuffy. Have you no sense of adventure? It’s a glorious morning and this is a marvellous place. Look at the cliffs and the white sand, and the trees and shrubs and wild flowers.’

‘I’m not unaware of its charm. As for adventure, well, I’m not impressed with what you were up to last night with yon savage. A pirate was bad enough, but at least he is from France,’ Jessica returned smartly. Disapproval was written in every line of her face.

‘I don’t care what you say. I’m for a dip in the sea.’ Romilly was naked now, but she wrapped the towel around her and ran down the beach, aware of an exhilarating sense of freedom.

Jessica followed her to the edge and Romilly waded in, giving little shrieks as the wavelets tickled her ankles and, as she ventured further, reached her thighs and sent impudent fingers inching into her fork. She struck out and was soon swimming strongly, shouting back to Jessica. ‘It’s so nice. The water is warm, you really should join me, Wade.’

‘Don’t go too far, my lady!’

Romilly floated on her back, hair spread out around her head, her nipples crimped and pointing to the sky, her wet triangle of pubic floss darkened. She wanted to stay there forever, rocked by the sea. Her eyelids closed and she was filled with a sense of well-being. Then Jessica’s scream jerked her out of her reverie. They were no longer alone. A crowd of men came streaming across the sand and she recognised their leader.

He cupped his hands round his mouth and bellowed, ‘Come in, Lady Romilly. It is I, Lafette.’

It was the swaggering bully who had duelled with Armand in the
Kicking Donkey
. She bottomed it, but kept the water level above her breasts, facing him, pushing back her streaming hair. ‘Why are you here?’ she shouted, calmer now she could see that Jessica was unharmed.

‘I’ve come to rescue you from Tertius.’ Lafette approached, the waves washing over his black leather sea-boots. ‘Never fear, my lady, you are safe with me. Can I tempt you to leave the ocean, rising like Venus from the deep?’

Despite his pretty turn of phrase, Romilly suspected him of dark motives, but she had no alternative but to leave the screening water and walk naked towards the group of lecherously leering men.

‘I want my towel,’ she demanded, every inch the goddess he had mentioned.

He seized it from Jessica and waded in till the water reached the tops of his thighs. As he came closer Romilly was not blind to his flashing dark eyes and white teeth, his bold, gypsy looks and olive skin. He was a handsome, devil-may-care rapscallion, and she could feel her cheeks reddening at the blatant symbol of desire rising in his breeches that were rendered even tighter by being saturated. Dear God, she had just got rid of one ardent swain only to be confronted by another!

‘Give me the towel.’ She snatched it rudely, but he only laughed and picked her up like a stranded mermaid and splashed towards the shore.

She struggled to keep a part of the towel over her vital bits, but it kept slipping and sliding. The dozen men who had accompanied him hooted and guffawed, slapping him on the shoulder as he reached them. Romilly’s feet sank into sand, but with Jessica’s help was able to adjust her covering. The duenna had elbowed the men aside, giving them a tongue-lashing as she went to her mistress’s aid. They teased the straight-faced woman, rolling their eyes and grimacing, but she ignored them, severe as a teacher in a dame school.

There was stirring in the bushes and the leader of Awan’s warriors poked his head above them. He shouted at the pirates and waved his spear threateningly. His troop did the same, leaping up and down, shouting and brandishing their weapons, but a few random shots soon had them running, and it was doubtful if they would be back.

‘Don’t hurt them,’ Romilly pleaded. ‘They are kindly and have treated me with respect.’

‘Savages. They’d better not try anything with me.’ Lafette’s intentions were crystal clear. He couldn’t stop touching Romilly, even though she slapped his roving hands away. ‘I can’t wait to get you to my ship,’ he said. ‘I’ll treat you like a queen… my pirate queen.’

‘How dare you think of such a thing?’ she rounded on him briskly. ‘Are you not afraid of what Armand will do? Your life won’t be worth a groat if he gets his hands on you.’

Lafette pretended to stagger, overcome with fright. ‘Oh, that’s awesome! Can’t you see me shaking like an aspen?’ Then he sobered suddenly and grabbed her in his arms, his breath tainted with alcohol. ‘Shall I fuck you here on the sand, in front of my men and your maid? Or shall I make you wait till we reach my ship?’

‘Armand will find you. He’ll be sending a search party out to look for me.’

‘He is away chasing a Spanish treasure ship.’

‘Where did you hear this? It was not general information.’

‘Cat told me all about his plans. He’s been rogering her, or didn’t you know?’ he rejoined, his hands on her breasts, the towel thrust down.

His words stabbed through her like a butcher’s knife. Cat and Armand? It was as she had suspected. ‘You think I give a tinker’s cuss about that?’ she snapped, trying unsuccessfully to wriggle free of him.

‘She does, even if you don’t. She’s madly in love with him and financed my ship to come here during his absence and take you away so he would never find you, leaving the field clear for her.’

‘And you agreed? You bastard!’ Had he been more sensitive her tone would have turned him into a pillar of ice.

‘Not for her sake, but for my own. I’ve wanted you since the first moment I saw you. Now you are mine. I can keep you, sell you into slavery, give you to my crew… your fate will be in my hands.’ He hauled her into his arms, shouting to his men, ‘Back to the longboat, the
Stella Mare
and the open seas. We’ll celebrate the nuptials of Lady Romilly and myself. I’ll have Father John marry us. Will you do that, John?’ He addressed the largest, fattest, most heavily armed individual in the group.

‘Aye, aye, cap’n,’ he said. ‘If I can remember the service from my days as a vicar.’

‘It’s like learning to swim; you never forget,’ Lafette joked, happy swinging Romilly aloft and starting off along the beach to where a clump of rocks led into the next bay.

There lay a longboat in the charge of armed men and, not far out, rode a ship at anchor, a fine, sleek, warlike vessel with the carved figurehead of a striking women in blue – Stella, the star of the sea.

Lafette swung Romilly up and waded into the water, then dumped her into the bows while Father John did the same with a protesting Jessica. The men leapt in after them, laughing and shouting, pushing off, taking up the oars and rowing swiftly to where the vessel waited. Romilly sat shivering. Spray spewed up, wetting her thoroughly and stinging her eyes. The ship grew even larger, the steep sides looming over them. Father John helped Jessica climb the swaying ladder and Romilly’s numb hands clung to the wet harshness of the rope as she hauled herself painfully up, glad of Lafette’s arms about her and his lean body pressed to hers for support.

She was helped over the side, eager hands seizing her. Her nearly naked state inspired a cheer from the throats of Lafette’s hellions. He gave orders to set sail and then took her to his quarters in the stern. The ship wasn’t half as fine as the
Scorpion
, but then its commander wasn’t Armand, simply an opportunist who would do almost anything for gain.

Jessica pleaded to be allowed to go with them, but she was hustled into a small cabin close to the main one that was Lafette’s. Once inside he closed the door firmly, kicked off his soggy boots and breeches and pulled Romilly down to his narrow bed, whipping the towel away. His shirt covered his cock, but it lifted the fabric as he feasted his eyes on her, examining her all over as if she was a rare piece of porcelain that had fallen into his greedy hands.

‘This is the first time I’ve had a real lady,’ he murmured. ‘Is your cunt different to that of ordinary women? Do you come, as they do?’

‘Please,’ Romilly was soaked and exhausted, ‘let me dry myself.’

‘I’ll do it for you.’ He produced a quality white towel and started to rub her hair. Such a gallant action surprised her, but the pirates were full of surprises, not entirely the debased beasts they were reputed to be.

He ran his hands over her mane of tangled locks. ‘Don’t look so angry with me. What I have done has been through love of you.’

‘Indeed!’ A handful of months ago Romilly might have believed him, green as grass and falling for flattery. Now she doubted every man who crossed her path. ‘Love? Lust more like.’

‘And don’t you lust, too? Or is a lady bereft of such base feelings?’

She faced him full on. ‘You have no idea what a “lady”, as you call me, wants.’

‘Then show me,’ he said, and his sensual lips glistened where his tongue had passed over them. She imagined them slurping at her clitoris and her slit was moist with more than just salt water. She could hear the sounds of feet and noises as the sailors got the ship under sail. Timbers creaked and winches squealed as the anchor was weighed. Lafette was taking her away from San Juliano and she had no idea of her destination. Would Armand rescue her? It would be best to keep Lafette sweet if she wanted to see her homeland again.

‘Where are we heading?’ she asked, making no protest as he lowered his head and nibbled her breasts, his erection pressing against her.

‘Tortuga, but on the far side where Tertius will never find us.’

He was well built but slighter than Armand, a man who would have turned heads among her friends in London, quite possibly passing himself off as a gentleman. She wondered what twist of fate had brought him to his present position as a freebooter.

So, he was taking her to Tortuga but not Cayona. Armand and Cat. Horrible visions of them together haunted Romilly. And she had been fool enough to consider harbouring gentle feelings towards him. She was bitterly humiliated and her list of grievances against Armand grew ever longer. It made Lafette an attractive proposition. Word was bound to spread that she was now his mistress. With any luck Armand would hear of it and be needled, at the very least.

She laid back and Lafette bent over her, showing his teeth in a wolfish grin. ‘You want me to force you? Is that it? So you can blame me and say I raped you?’

It was violence she needed to rouse her fully – the kind of treatment she had come to expect from Armand. She lashed out at him, putting up a fight, and Lafette entered into the game, swearing when she raked his face with her nails, then tethering her wrists together above her head. She jabbed him with her knee, narrowly missing his balls, and he smacked her hard across the thighs. He was rapidly losing his temper, scowling into her face, trying to kiss her while she snapped at him.

‘Goddamn, woman, you can’t win so give up trying!’ He lifted his shirt and showed his cock. It was thin but long and stiff. He kneed her legs apart and thrust into her slit.

Romilly wasn’t ready, nowhere near climax. He hadn’t touch her love-bud and she doubted that he even knew about it. In desperation, she avoided his attempt at penetration and started to rub herself. Their struggle had excited her and she wanted relief. Lafette was all male, sinewy, strong, a pirate leader, appealing to her wild side, but what use was he if ignorant of woman’s seat of sensation?

‘No, let me,’ he said, proving her wrong, and he positioned himself between her legs, facing her cleft. He subjected her to an amazing tongue-fuck, his hands reaching up and stimulating her nipples. Romilly strained towards his cunning lips and tongue, crying out as she reached her peak. He let her come, then withdrew and introduced his swarthy-skinned prick to her vulva… and thrust. She was beyond caring who was driving the engine, desperate to clasp a hard object inside her, convulsing round it in the final throes of an orgasm that left her breathless.