Kitty yawned and stretched her limbs, wondering for a vague second why they ached so. She froze mid-yawn as the reason sped, alarums clanging, to the forefront of her consciousness. She was no longer a maiden. The continued dull throbbing between her legs was testament to that. She had lain with the Captain, and they were not even married. She inclined her neck slightly to look at him, snoring away, slumbering with one hand on his dagger, as was his habit. Was mutiny or murder such an ever-present danger? Kitty shivered at the thought. Was she at risk by association? What had she been thinking, in consenting to become his mistress? Not that he had exactly sought her consent. He had just presented her with his version of her future and expected her to go along with it. The presumptuous swine.
Indignation began to simmer in Kitty's bloodstream once more at the thought of what she had given away to this opportunistic blackguard. It was truly insupportable that he should expect her to just meekly fall into his bed whenever he felt one of those....male urges. She wondered how long it would be before they anchored. Surely she would be able to get away and make a new life in Spain or Italy. How hard could it be?
As she lay musing, eyes on the wooden ceiling, the Captain shifted beside her and threw an arm across her chest. She huffed and frowned at the strong forearm with its itchy covering of fine black hairs. Those rings might be worth something though.... When they docked in Barcelona or Genoa, they could set her up in her new life. She was smiling, head full of plans, when the Captain's eyes opened and his sensual mouth broadened into a lazy grin.
"Mmmm," he said, pulling her over against him. "I knew there was something worth waking early for." Kitty's face was buried in his rough dark hair, then her lips were swallowed up in a long and ravenous kiss. She told herself that she was tolerating this as a necessary evil; not allowing herself to accept the truth of the matter, which was that she felt physically compelled towards him.
"How are you feeling today, my lady?" he asked teasingly. "Have I put you out of commission?"
"I am sadly indisposed," pouted Kitty. "I doubt I can even get out of bed."
"How unfortunate," purred Captain Prince, running capable hands over Kitty's strained muscles, squeezing and massaging them gently. It felt good...but Kitty blocked out the positive element and instead snapped back at her lover.
"You are a barbarian, Sir, taking a maid's virginity without a shred of guilt of remorse. Fie upon you!"
"Oh dear," sighed the Captain. "We are to suffer the outraged lady of impeccable virtue act now are we?"
"That is exactly what it is -- an outrage that you have visited upon me!"
"Yes, Kitty, and the first of many," drawled the Captain. "The sooner you accept that you enjoyed last night just as much as I did, the easier your life aboard will be."
"I did not! It was...the worst night of my life!"
The Captain laughed out loud. "Your cries last night were not of distress, Kitty, unless I am very much mistaken."