The Grey Lady Ch 09

I realize that it has been some time since I brought you the story of Sabina/Samantha and Jake. But life has a funny way of changing your plans. Three years ago, my Mother had a catastrophic accident, and I suddenly became a caregiver. Time that I might have had for one thing or another became busy taking care of the woman that gave me life. I am so thankful that I still have her with me and consider it an honor to now look after her. I will continue to work on this story, but as this is not my profession nor my first calling, it may take another large chunk of time to write the next installment. I thank you for reading this story, and for your patience and understanding. Meanwhile, I hope that you enjoy Chapter 9 of The Grey Lady.

*****

The small piece of paper lay on top of his desk. It was surprising how such a small vague thing could still seem so ominous. The slightly yellowish scrap of parchment with a folded crease contained a few random markings, held no words and yet, the longer he stared at the paper, the surer he was of exactly what that little piece of paper was, and just what it might mean. And one look at Bilge told him that the first mate had come to the same conclusion. It was, after all, Bilge that had found it and brought it to his attention. The large man had dropped it on Jake's desk just minutes ago without a word but the First Mate's grim expression spoke volumes. Jake looked at it once more before glancing up at him.

"Where did you find it?"

"In Pegs' locker." Jake glanced at him in surprise before the first mate continued. "Since the Ramrod and Pete's murder, I've made an effort to keep my eyes open, looking for clues as to what was going on. I searched everywhere. There had to be something somewhere..." Bilge stood there; his large muscular arms crossed across his barrel chest as the afternoon sun coming through the porthole glinted off the first mate's earring. Jake knew the man well. The two of them had sailed together for nigh on six years. Hell, he trusted the man with his life and his ship. The man was a tough son of a bitch and could hold his own in any fight. And he was smart enough to think his way out of any situation. If the man suspected something was not right, then he would listen to what he said. And one look told him what he needed to know.

As for Pegs, the man was totally trustworthy too. He may look scary, and he may appear simple-minded to most, but Jake knew that even though the man did not speak much, Pegs was smart. Most times, Jake would not have to tell him what to do. The man was a natural sailor and many was the time he would start to call an order to find Pegs having already anticipated exactly what was needed. And despite his size, he was agile enough to climb to the top of the masthead to keep a lookout when needed. No! It could not be Pegs.

"Pegs? I don't believe it. Someone must be making him the scapegoat. He has never given us any problem. Anyone could have put it there."

"Sure. His locker, just like everyone else's, is right out in the open."

"Then keep an eye out. According to this, something is due to happen."

Bilge didn't look happy. The bald man gave a curt nod and headed on to his cabin. Though a bit smaller than Jake's, it did allow him a bit of privacy as was due his first mate status. There the man would catch a few hours sleep before heading back topside, though Jake suspected that the man would have just as hard a time not thinking of their problem as the Captain did.

Once alone, Jake contemplated his options. He trusted Pegs just as Bilge did. Someone had to be setting the guy up. Which meant that the possible traitor was aware of their suspicions. Jake finished writing in the ship's log before unlocking the desk and slipping the book in the drawer. He needed to discover the traitor before they reach Wexling. And Wexling was only a couple of days away.

He sat there looking at the scrap of paper before him. It was a crude map with general shapes of shorelines, islands, etc. Scattered across the paper were random markings - "X"s dotted the page. They might have appeared haphazard, but Jake easily recognized them. Though perhaps in not the exact spot, they were near enough for him to associate them as hits that the Grey Lady had made on this trip. But two other symbols worried him more. One was a circle and the other a triangle. Circles appeared in the three places where they had met the Admiral's ship. Even the most recent rendezvous with the Admiral was on there, so that meant that this map had been just recently stashed away in the locker. Someone was making note of all the comings and goings of the ship. Jake had not expected all this subterfuge when he started working for the Admiral though he should have known. That was his fault.

But there was only one triangle, and it appeared to be yet to come. Was it where they would be ambushed? A mutiny? An attack? It looked to be somewhere just before they reached Wexling. As it was now, they should arrive home the day after tomorrow. That meant that something could happen any time now.

Jake slipped the piece of paper beneath the ship's log and locked both up in the drawer. Until the ship reached Wexling, things would be a bit on edge. Frayed tempers would be possible as the men more than likely would pick up that something was going on. They may be pirates but they were not stupid. People had a tendency to associate buccaneers with stupidity, which was an error that usually would result in the pirate coming out on top.

As he headed topside, his eyes now looked at each man intently as he worked. Who could be trusted? And just who could not? Some of these men he had worked with for several years. Others had joined only for this trip. Because of the very nature of this work, a certain amount of trust was necessary. After all, you depended upon your crew to have your back and get you home safely. Yet now, Jake felt that until the identity of the turncoat was revealed, there was only a handful of people that he could completely trust. And though they were for the most part pirates, despite the code of honor among them, they still could be a bloodthirsty group. Whereas before he might have worked beside each man with guarded ease, now there was more caution in all he did. Each man's movements were now under closer scrutiny.

He would be glad to get home. A break would be nice. Spending more time with Samantha would be a welcome too.

*****

"Weer gittin' close ta 'ome." Samantha could tell that Toby was looking forward to reaching Wexling. The nearer they got, the harder it was for the young lad to concentrate on his studies. Frequently, in the middle of reading aloud, he would say something that would remind him of his home and suddenly, he would grow excited as he brought up yet one more thing that Samantha could look forward to seeing once they reached Wexling.

"Where do you live there?'

"Ah lives wif Capt'n Jake. 'e 'as a room fer me at 'is 'ouse."

"Really? Will you tell me about his house?"

"It's big. Real big. An' it's purty an' wite an' there are survints. An' Samady is the cook an' she cooks reel gud. She makes these lill' breadletts that ar' so gud. An'..." Like most young boys, food seemed to be uppermost in Toby's thoughts. Samantha smiled.

"Does anyone else live there?"

"Well, yew will." Sam nodded. "An' Samady and Bofert, 'e's the butter."

"It's called 'butler', not 'butter'." Sam couldn't help but laugh at the young man as he grinned sheepishly. "Well, that's good. Now I know that you can continue your studies."

Toby's frowned at her words. The young man was silent for a moment as he contemplated a way around this new problem. It was obvious that he had expected to return to his carefree days of no classes and no homework. Samantha tried encouraging him.

"You do want to eventually be a captain of a ship, just like Captain Jake, right? Well, that requires being able to read and write - reading maps and charts and such. And writing in your log book. Being able to count and divide numbers so that you can pay your men. Right?"

"But I thought that ther wood be a break. Yew wants ta 'ave sum fun, don't yew?" The young boy frowned a bit, trying to tempt her.

Smiling, she replied, "We'll see. Maybe not as many classes as here on the ship." Toby nodded, a bit disappointed but accepting her words and, with a sigh, they continued on with the lesson.

Every day it was obvious that they were heading south as the winds seemed to blow a bit warmer and the sun seemed a bit brighter. She had noticed that her skin that was bared to the sun had acquired a soft golden glow. Arms and hands, as well as her face, now showed evidence of such exposure, and there was also a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose as well as her arms. During the lessons that she and Toby took from Willie, they would spend an hour or so in the sun. Plus, there were other times when she would stand along the railing topside watching the sea in the afternoon sun or scan the horizon as the sun dipped towards the edge of the earth. All of this was just enough to lead to the light tan that she now sported.

Surprisingly, she seemed to have an aptitude for knives. Willie, though not very talkative, told her enough to let her know that he was impressed with the speed which she picked up some of the techniques that he had taught. And while at first the other men had watched and laughed as her throws ineffectively hit the target handle first or clattered noisily onto the deck, they soon enough lost interest and returned to their work. Most of them had not noticed when she started to improve, which was fine with her. She preferred to not be the center of attention.

It was also nice that the men seemed to have accepted her as one of the crew, in a way. For the most part, they left her alone knowing that she belonged to the Captain. Usually, the men watched their language in her presence, but still she managed to overhear some rather salty discussions between the crew. And some of it involved her and their desires as to what they would enjoy doing to her, which made her glad that she was the Captain's woman.

Meanwhile, life had settled down to an easy predictability for Sam. Her days were spent teaching Toby, learning to handle a weapon, mending torn clothes that various crew members had asked Toby to give to her, watching the workings of the ship and cleaning the cabin. And her nights were spent with Jake. However, there was something that bothered her. Though her past had so far remained a mystery, she felt certain that her life before the Grey Lady had been a normal life, one with higher morals than she had led here on the ship. A life where sex between a man and a woman did not occur until there was marriage. But here she was, sleeping with a man. Nightly having sex with a man not her husband. And, if she were quite truthful with herself, enjoying the sex with Jake. A lot. She understood that things happen, and that though at first this had all against her will, now it had become her life. Jake had become her life. And he had assured her that she belonged to him, belonged with him. Still, there was nothing to stop him from dropping her at the next port should he find some other woman to catch his attention. The thought of that scared her. She loved him.

She paused for a moment mulling that thought over in her head. Love. Yes, she loved him. And that worried her, for love was never a word that she heard from his lips. Ownership? Yes. Love? No. A man like Jake was not easily tied down. He was a man used to fighting and drinking and... She almost used the word whoring, but then that would make her a whore. The Captain's Whore. The Captain's Bedwarmer. Neither label was a good one, however truthful it was.

Still, she loved him. Finally saying those words to herself made things feel definite. Final.

She was totally unaware of the dark forces brewing just below the surface which was probably for the best. There was nothing that she could have done about it anyway.

*****

Jake gathered the dishes, their evening meal finished. As he had in the past, he placed the tray outside the cabin, then turned to face his evening's pleasure. She stood before him, her back turned to allow him access to those blasted buttons. All day long he had thought of her and her soft golden skin that had been kissed by the sun, with its few pale freckles that were scattered across her arms and face. Only he was allowed to see the treasure - the skin still shielded from the daylight's rays, soft and creamy white, smooth and pale.

He crossed to her, pulling her long blonde hair, straight and fine, to one side to allow him access to her slender neck. His lips nibbled the graceful column inhaling her musky perfume of desire. She tasted of sweet and salt together. Her sigh was soft as his hands began to slowly lift the hem of her dress. Without actually seeing, he knew the slender legs being revealed by his wayward fingers. With steady intent, he bunched the fabric up until his hands found that which he sought. He was always amazed at how soft she was, like finest Asian silk. His hands caressed her thighs searching for her gem. When he found it he cupped her heat, and heard her sudden intake of breath.

Fingers that now well knew their way teased her clit. He could feel that hidden nub that under his attention peeked from its hood and he knew that she would once again be his for the night. Holding her against him, his face was buried in her hair as the smell of the sea and her unique scent filled his nostrils. With a groan, his hands played in the wetness between her legs.

"You delay the inevitable." Her voice was soft and breathy yet teasing. She had become more confident of herself since her arrival on the ship; surer of herself and her place in his life. Whereas during her first days on board, she had been almost afraid to speak much less tease or talk back to Jake. Now, she did not hesitate when she spoke to him. This woman that shared his cabin seemed more at ease, and he found that he like that.

"Those blasted buttons." He mumbled against her neck, nipping where the slender column met her shoulders. She was intoxicating and he felt himself growing drunk on his Samantha - his other Grey Lady.

"Come now. Look at it this way. There is a prize when you accomplish your goal." Her voice coaxed him as her back momentarily pressed firmly against his chest. The warmth of her body pressed to him was exciting. He continued to tease her as he spoke.

"Oh, so you consider yourself the prize?"

"Well, am I not right?"

"Oh yes, most definitely!"

He heard her laugh, a light, tinkling sound, and his cock twitched in anticipation. She leaned forward slightly as his fingers began their nightly ritual of attempting to undress her. Though he had improved somewhat, the tiny things still caused him trouble but he held his tongue. Each button reluctantly released its hold on its buttonhole to show him just a bit more of her skin. He couldn't resist it and his lips kissed each inch of her spine revealed by his persistence, until at last the dress was peeled from her body and slid to pool at her feet.

She attempted to retrieve the gown to hang it as was her nightly habit, but this time he wouldn't allow it. "Not tonight, my dear." And with that he swept her up in his arms and stepped over the frock lying in a heap on the floor, holding her firmly against him. Her warmth excited him. Carrying her to the bunk, he slowly slid her down until her feet rested lightly on the wooden floor. She usually would climb on the bunk to wait for him. But he wanted something different and he refused to release her as she stood with her back pressed against his body, his hand resting on her heat.

"I want you to do exactly as I say." He whispered in her ear and he felt her shiver as his hand slipped around to caress her back. One hand slowly pressed on the warm skin, bending her over the bed. As the bunk was a bit lower, he kept pressing until her buttocks presented themselves to him. Strong hands ran over those firm white globes, parting them to view her tight rosebud. Not necessarily his destination for tonight but... A smile flitted across his lips.

His hand slid further down along her crevasse, nimble fingers finding that wet slit again as he continued to tease her from this different angle. He was rewarded with a little shiver and suspected that though she was a bit apprehensive, he thrilled knowing that she now trusted him and that he alone was the one to initiate her in the various ways to enjoy each other.

Just touching the small of her back caused a ripple of reaction in her and he tried to calm her down.

"I'm not going to hurt you, just show you a new way of finding pleasure. If anything hurts or is uncomfortable, just let me know." She nodded and he looked at those firm pale globes. He gave a slap and the resounding noise seemed loud for the small room. She squeaked in surprise but was then quiet and he attributed the noise to surprise rather than pain. A faint red handprint showed up on her butt cheek and he rubbed it before slapping the other one. She started again though this time she made no noise as he once again rubbed the cheek that revealed a faint red handprint.

As he rubbed, his hand drifted towards the cleft between the two fleshy cheeks, his fingers dipping down into that dark crack. His digits slowly skimmed past her little rosebud and she clenched as if to deny him entrance. He smiled at her action. And yet, his fingers continued to drift lower until he reached her very wet pussy. His smile widened as he slid a finger inside her and heard her intake of breath as her internal muscles gripped his digit.

With teasing fingers, Jake bent over her, moving her long blonde hair to the side to kiss the back of her neck. She shivered. Slowly his lips traveled down her spine, her skin soft and sweet and he paused teasing her long enough to continue to quickly undress, removing his clothes between each kiss. His cock ached for his Moon Goddess, his Grey Lady. Soft moans came from Samantha and he pressed his nude body up along her back, his body hugging hers while his eager cock slid between her legs to rub against her wet slit, her desire coating it as he continued to tease.

The room was filled with her sighs, soft and satisfied as his hands slid between her legs again. One hand held his cock while the other searched and found her needy opening. With sure movements, he slid his erection in and her moist tunnel gripped him. A groan left his lips as a feeling he had come home washed over him. His hands caressed her hips, her hipbones providing handles for him to begin to slowly pump, causing his balls to slap against her clit. Each plunge led him deeper into her warmth, her wetness coating his member. After a minute, he noticed that Samantha began to meet his thrusts, her hips moving back to him as apparently all of her hesitations about this were no more.

"You are my Moon Goddess." His voice was a deep husky whisper, full of passion. With a sure hand, his fingers slid up her body, following her curves until reaching her breast. Strong fingers found the swell and eagerly played with the rosy nipple hardening there.

The sounds she made told him that despite her initial trepidation, Samantha was finding pleasure in this. A smile played on his lips. "I have much to show you." With a seductive whisper in her ear, he looked at the pale back before him, her spine like a road that he ached to travel along over and over. Brown hands, strong and tanned by the sun and the sea followed that ribbon that led him down her back. He could feel her velvet glove begin to grip his cock tighter and knew that she was soon to climax. So that he could cum with her, he began to pick up speed.