DOGS. Legacy Saga II

56

A tight group of pirates waited for Castillano on deck, staring at him from their weather-beaten faces. He held their eyes without any sign of fear. He looked up at the bridge and nodded at Morris, who watched him from up there, arms folded and not a trace of a smile.

Maxó pushed pirates out of his way to go stand right before Castillano.

"This way, blockhead," he grunted, and spun around.

Castillano followed in silence, wondering whether he should worry because nobody was asking him to drop his weapons. Until he noticed they were heading for the cabin. Maxó knocked, opened the door and motioned for him to walk in. Castillano tried not to look in much of a hurry to do so.

There was no lights on in the cabin, lit only by the glow of the stern lamp coming in through the open window. He waited near the door, as his eyes adapted to the shadows.

Marina came out of the dark and circled the table. She reached him in three quick steps, and before he could even say hello, she grabbed his face and kissed him. His knees shook when he felt the wet, cool lips against his.

He forgot everything. The pirates armed to the teeth behind the door. His ship and his crew waiting for his return. Don Carlos, Trujillo and the name of his grandparents. He could only hold her in his arms and kiss her back, like he'd dreamed more times than he could count —especially at that moment.

Marina threw her arms around his neck and stuck to his body, leaving his lips only for a heartbeat in order to breathe before kissing him again. Emotions overwhelmed her, and soon sensations clouded her thoughts. She didn't care about anything else. She didn't want anything else. She only wanted to feel Castillano's arms holding her to his pumping chest. And those kisses she'd fought so hard to forget, and his body that longed for her as much as she longed for him.

Castillano didn't even blink when she unbuckled his sheath and dropped his sword to the floor. But he did remember the notion of surprise when she untied his stole and started unbuttoning his shirt. But as soon as he parted from her lips, she sought him out again. Well, there'd be time to be surprised. Or not. He couldn't care less. Especially when she threw her head back, offering him that slender swan neck. Even though his desire grew urgent, he forced himself to respect the limits Marina used to set back in Campeche.

Then she stepped back and rested a hand on his chest to keep him where he stood. Castillano's eyes moved all over her in awe as he breathed heavily. And Marina saw him gape when she undid her sash in no hurry. A muffled interjection escaped his lips as she untied her breeches and let them fall to her ankles. She stepped out of them and kicked them to a corner, to stand before him wearing nothing but her light summer shirt.

The lamp's glow behind her outlined her body for Castillano, as he couldn't stop asking God and every saint to not wake up in the New Lion. He wished so badly this was truly happening. But if it wasn't but another dream, he didn't want to wake ever again.

Until he decided that it didn't matter whether it was a dream. It was time to do something more than standing there like an idiot. So he took her in his arms again and kissed her. His hands ran down Marina's back and found themselves in complete freedom to travel over her. So one of them pulled her collar down and the other pulled the bottoms of her shirt up her back, bringing her against his hips.

Once more, he would've make that moment last for days, weeks, years, but Marina's growing agitation and her firm body in his hands were just too much. He lifted her in his arms, and when she threw hers around his neck again, he held her legs around his own waist. He tried a step, and another, still kissing her. His foot felt the leg of the table and he sat Marina on top of it. He was forced to part from her lips to help her out of her shirt. He would've wanted to get a little break to see her like he'd dreamed her so many times, but she held him again, her legs still around his waist.

Castillano untied his trousers and bent forward, guiding her to lie back on the table. Feeling her groin made him shiver from head to toes. Marina's knees pressed his sides, pushing him closer to her. Overwhelmed by desire and disbelief, he pressed between her legs. And stopped right away.

Not only had he seen the grimace she'd hurried to hide, but he'd also felt her tight flesh around him.

He moved up a little to look down at her, the velvet skin shaping that splendid body, the ruby lips wet in his kiss, the coal-black eyes devouring him. He felt his own eyes welling, unexpected tears blurring that breathtaking sight of her. He tried to say something, but Marina rested a finger across his lips.

"Keep your mouth busy, Castillano," she whispered. "Words have never been your thing."

Castillano nodded, chuckling.

And he did as his child told him to. He took his shirt off and kissed her again. The emotion filling his chest allowed him to keep from rushing again. His hips moved softly, slowly, giving her body the time to accept his intrusion without unnecessary pain.

And then he remained still for a long moment, holding her against his chest, his face sank in the raven locks spread over the table. And she held him back, as still as he, while their bodies finally met.

Castillano rocked with care and gentleness, oblivious to his own pleasure to tend to what Marina needed from him. And her panting breath was a caress on his skin, and her fingers digging in her back guided him.

He bent an arm for her to rest her head and met her eyes always clear, always honest. The black eyes of his child, who didn't need a single word to tell him that she loved him now like back then, and the English boy was nobody to her. Because there she was, offering her the most valued gift a woman had to give to a man, surrendering to him wholly.

Marina felt like choking in a swirl of emotions. It wasn't only the desire, nor the fire Castillano had started in her womb, nor the thin air in her lungs, nor his breath on her skin. It was the way he'd stopped before hurting her, not needing even a word of warning from her, and the way he held himself back for her sake. His gentle moves and his sweet kisses. And above all, the tenderness and awe in his eyes like the sea, that wouldn't get enough of her sight. He made her feel loved and wanted, longed for. He made her feel the most valuable and frail thing in the world. Not the whole world, which meant nothing for her, but his world, the only one that mattered.

She ran her fingers through his golden mane once again and brought him down to kiss him. She needed to close her eyes and focus on breathing, on asking her heart not to burst up in flames. A throbbing prick of something like pain awoke inside of her. But unlike pain, her body asked for more.

Castillano raised his head again, because feeling her tremble in his arms, against his hips, wasn't enough. The long eyelashes didn't come up from his child's blushing cheeks as her breathing grew heavier and quicker. And he was able to watch her reach the highest peak. And he kept watching her as he pushed her softly beyond. And he let her drag him along.

They melted in a tight embrace, refusing to bring an end to such an intimate moment of union.

Until Marina brought her legs down from his waist, and loosened her arms around his shoulders. Only then he left her body, and lingered gazing down at her, still trying to convince himself he wasn't dreaming.

He tried to speak again, but she rested her finger against his lips once more. He saw something like a sad shadow clouding her eyes for a heartbeat, but it was plain to see he wasn't allowed to ask. And for one damned time, he intended to do what she asked him to. He stepped back, taking her hands to help her sit up.

She let out a muffled grunt, and shook her head when Castillano's face reflected alarm. All of a sudden he overflowed care and attention. And coming from such a man like him, it felt sweet to an almost funny extent.

Castillano tied up his trousers and leaned to pick his shirt up. When he straightened up, she was hearing her own shirt back and he swallowed a sigh, deprived of the sight of her body.

While he labored with the many buttons, and tying up her black stole around his collar, Marina stepped down from the table carefully. She felt only a slight discomfort in her belly.

Castillano was surprised to see her bring him the thin golden chain with the pearl ring, that the scarred pirate had taken from him three days earlier. He lowered his head for her to hang it from his neck and met her eyes. She rested her hand on his cheek and kissed him one last time. A long, deep kiss that tasted like a world of promises. Then she glanced at the door. Castillano frowned, puzzled. She forced a tight smile to nod. And he had no choice but nod too, spin around and leave without a word.