A Pirate’s Wife (26 page)

unwavering before the Pirate.

An overwhelming, disgusting stench came to her

when he breathed directly into her face.

'Your brother will come when I am good and ready.

First, I am going to play with you,' he said, grabbing her

breasts.

'A handful!' he said, looking at his men. It hurt and

she flinched. Anger filled her and she stood up straight,

looking him directly in the eye.

'You would like to kill me, wouldn't you,

sweetheart?' he said with a smirk of defiance.

Again, a roar broke loose, men slapping their knees

as they laughed.

'I am going to enjoy you. Let me have a look at

you.' With one swift movement, he ripped her bodice from

her, exposing her to all the hungry eyes. Lips smacked.

Disgust coiled within her belly, threatening to spill over her

lips but she swallowed, refusing to back down.

He brushed away her hair, cupping her breasts

again. Roberto fumed, clenching his fists and stepping

forward. Pierre held him back.

'Slow down, friend, your time will come,' he spoke

softly into his ear, holding him back at his shoulder.

The Falcon came closer, looking at her with pale

green eyes and investigating her skin as if she was under a

searchlight. She felt humiliated, exposed to every hungry

glare. The rough hands kneaded her and he leaned forward

to suckle a breast, biting the nub so that it stretched. She

flinched in pain, sniffing. He chuckled, the sound trembling

through her and she clenched her fists as he continued.

Suddenly he stopped and sniffed again, and then

hollered:

'I smell a man on her! You bloody bitch, you've had

sex!' Enraged, he slapped her and she fell to the ground.

Her cheek burned as she struggled up and stood in

defiance, looking at the pirate. He came closer again,

looking at her abdomen, and again he raged,

'She is with child!' He slapped her again so that she

fell on her backside.

'I will take the bitch!' a pirate called out.

'I don't mind. The bitch will not live long enough to

be a mummy,' another chuckled out with mockery. Again,

the air filled with laughter. This time it mingled with lust as

they looked at her, knowing one of them would have her.

Roberto shook as he heard the news and for a split

second a smile appeared before it was gone, keeping his

face still as his Rosa lay on the ground.

An instant later she stood up straight again. Her hair

fell forward and covered one breast. Her chin lifted and his

heart swelled with pride.
There are the thorns.
He had

missed them. Her body was rigid as she stared the Falcon

down. Her arms and bound hands drew protectively over

her abdomen, the place his child grew.

It will take more than that to break her,
he thought.

'Take her away!' The Falcon screamed, his eyes

flashing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Roberto

moving toward them, saying,

'What do you want me to do with the bitch?'

'You can have her!' the Falcon screamed. 'I wanted

a virgin. Why is it so hard to find a virgin in the world,

especially one that is supposed to be a lady?' he screamed.

'Thank you, Falcon,' Roberto replied, bowing

respectfully, grabbing her arm. She struggled against him

and he slapped her, and her eyes spat fire as he held her. He

did not even look at her.

'You pirate scum!' she hissed, but Roberto did not

flinch as pirates roared, calling her names.

Quickly he made way with Rosa-Lee behind him.

He moved her closer to him to cover her nakedness and

walked out of the circle. Pierre and Enrico were not very

far behind, hands on their swords as they watched every

move, every thick bush. They followed a small path leading

them up the hill and at a rocky dead end, turned right into a

wooden structure.

The rough wood structure was built in a huge

square, standing on a wooden deck mere inches from the

ground. Five steps led up to the veranda without any

railings around it. The roof was shingled with dark wood.

Two windows framed each side of the wooden door and on

both sides, closing with shutters, no glass in the panes. As

they stepped onto the wooden deck, it creaked underneath

their weight. Pierre and Enrico stepped aside as he opened

the door for her.

Roberto was quiet all the way to his hut. Her

imagined angry words resounding in his head after he had

slapped her. He had to do it. It was expected of him as the

son of the Falcon, but he was furious with himself for what

she had just been through. How would he face her?

When they were inside and the door closed, Roberto

stood with his back to her, closing his eyes. He was afraid

of what he could see in her eyes, the rejection of what just

happened. Instead, he heard her softly speak.

'We were about six months into our journey,

walking through the thick dense jungle of Africa, which

was a struggle in the scorching humid heat. My father had

to cut a path through it, the only one with enough strength

to do so. He was also hungry and very tired.' He could

barely hear her and imagined how she looked at him, but he

could not turn, only listen.

'My mother's feet were completely giving out, as

skin fell from them, leaving them a raw, bloody mess. She

tried to hide it, never cried. But when my father saw it, he

was furious with her and could not believe the damage

caused to them. He bandaged them with strips of his shirt

under much protest from her. The sneering remarks some

had made held them apart and she did not want him to be in

more trouble. Father continued with the nursing of her feet

and she was grateful in the end. The captain was furious,

cursing him, but he ministered to her wounds and carried us

both without complaint.' He heard a smile in her voice and

he blinked as moisture settled in his eyelids.

'A savage tribe helped my father to get food. We

thought the chief was a good man. But he indicated to my

father that he wanted payment for the food and then looked

at the women: my mother, my half-sister, and two slave

women. Father removed all their clothing to show the chief

that they were too skinny after the lack of food during that

time. Father had to point out my mother and my half-

sister's bony shoulders and hips to the man, only covered

with skin. Cisco compared them to the chief's own wives,

over weight and huge.

'The chief did not like skinny women and dismissed

them, to great relief of the remaining group, me included.

He wanted big, chubby women and showed off his own

women standing behind him. The two slave girls still had

enough on their bones to win his approval and they agreed

without any struggle to stay behind. To them, it did not

matter where they were. As long as they had food, they

were satisfied. By then they were used to being abused and

given away to whoever owned them. The two women did

not even put up a fight.'

She was quiet for a few minutes, as tears ran down

her face, her cheeks swollen and sensitive, but bravely she

continued, and he swallowed at the tears that ran down his

face.

'First you married me and then you branded me so

that he could smell you on me. The past week making love

to me, you branded me so hard that at times it hurt, but you

saved me, didn't you?' He turned around, tears rolling down

his cheeks, and she walked into his open embrace, looking

at him with trust and love.

He did not deserve her.

'I said I would trust you, no matter what.' And she

comforted him, his head on her shoulder.

'I am so sorry that you had to go through that, but

that was the only way that I could protect you. You were so

brave, my Rosa.' His touch on her cheek stung after the

slaps. With both his hands, he cupped her face and kissed

her, his breath warm against her skin. Then, jerking his

head up, he asked curiously,

'Are you with child?'

'Yes I am. The doctor confirmed it two days ago,

and I wanted to surprise you.'

He lifted her in the air, twirling her around, laughter

in his voice.

'I am going to be a father!'

'Yes you are, my love,' she laughed, her cheeks still

hurting. He put her down and with a warm hand enclosed

her stomach in wonderment, removing the restraints and

the rest of her clothing, kneeling in front of her.

'Your mama is the most gorgeous and the bravest

woman you will ever know, little one,' he whispered into

her tummy, his lips brushing against her skin as his hands

held her hips.

She knelt down in front of him with love pure and

unstrained, eyes dark with desire.

'Make love to me,' she whispered.

'How can I refuse that request?' He brought her

closer, their lips locked in tenderness.

'I love you, my Rosa.' He crushed her body against

his, demanding her mouth. With hunger he devoured her.

She removed his clothing, struggling to get to the bed.

When they finally did manage to get there, he

became tender in his love. Whispering tender words in her

ear, on her stomach, the vibrancy of every word causing her

to arch into him. She demanded his attention, but he

continued with the slow torture until she pleaded for him to

end the sweet torture. He just ignored her and continued at

his own pace, deliberate in every lingering touch.

19

It took him awhile to sleep again, with his pregnant

wife in his arms, just holding her as if his life depended on

it. Kissing her softly, he smiled when she sighed in his

arms, deep in sleep, cuddling into him, her body draped

over him.

The strength and bravery she showed the previous

day; then the understanding she showed for his actions,

made him feel like a real man. She trusted him. His chest

swelled under her head, her hair fanning over his body,

covering them like a blanket.

He knew he could have a future with her and his

child growing inside of her. It was the greatest gift he had

ever received, unconditional love for a rough pirate feared

by many.

She was worth it. To fight for their future was worth

everything.

Thinking of the story she had told, he had admit that

he respected Cisco Almaida as a man and as a father.

Clearly Rosa-Lee had great admiration for him, as all her

stories always involved him. He would have to thank the

man once he took her back, for he had prepared her for him

without knowing him. He smiled as she stretched her body

against him. Her hand moved over him in a caress and his

body reacted to the soft, gentle touch. He rolled her on her

back and made love to her in the sweetest way. The soft

womanly smile he received let him grin with pleasure,

knowing that she enjoyed as much as he enjoyed giving it.

During the night they both woke simultaneously.