Under Her Brass Corset (10 page)

Jasper’s hand moved down again and rested on her hip. “Do you still love him?”

“Heavens no.” She laced her fingers between his and pulled his hand back to her breast, happy to have the chance to reassure him Randolph was firmly in her past. “I thought I did once. However, the longer I knew him, the greater my disenchantment became for that misguided infatuation. I know now I never loved Randolph. He was a convenience I outgrew.” If she wasn’t sure before, she was now. Her love for Jasper leaped over every warning in her head.

“He didn’t deserve you.”

“I agree. He had an idea of what kind of woman he wanted, but I didn’t fit the mold. He never made me feel as if it were me he wanted.”

“I want you, me beauty,” he murmured into her hair, nuzzling kisses through to her neck.

“I like you wanting me, Jasper.” She wanted him in every physical and emotional way possible.

He rubbed her arms, her side, then around to her belly. She tried to turn toward him, but he slipped his hand between her legs and lifted the top one. She held her leg up, feeling his erect cock sweep into place. Skillfully he penetrated her moist channel. He rocked against her, kissing and nipping her shoulder. She grasped the sheets as the tingling spiraled deeper.

“Oh God,” she whimpered into the pillow.

His groans escalated, matching hers beat for beat. Her orgasm came quick. His came when he withdrew and broke the connection with her. She tried not to dwell on her disappointment he’d pulled from her again.

“Shall we get in the bathing closet together?” He hugged her tight.

“Is there enough room to do more than stand?” She wiggled her way around to face him.

He grasped her bottom, his long fingers digging into her flesh with a firm grip. “If we stay close like this.”

“Then can we eat? I can’t believe you’re not hungry.”

As he got up, he wiped himself off with part of the sheet. His gaze still roving over her nudity, she nonchalantly pulled part of the sheet up. The end of intimacy brought unease. She used another corner of the bedding to clean away the fluids he had spilled on her. His casualness should have lessened her awkwardness. She wanted to feel empowered by their experience. All she got was a foolish feeling of being in over her head.

Jasper walked across the cabin, again as if being naked was normal. Not wanting to show him an ounce of insecurity, she tugged the sheets from the bed. She glanced over at him stooping down to start the machine that made the water flow through the pipes in the shower. Clothed or not, the man had an air of command about him. He displayed a mental strength as if he never lost control of any part of his life. Meanwhile, her facade of independence had been slowly crumbling away.

“Ready?” He sauntered back over to her.

Muscles rippling throughout his gorgeous body prevented her from looking away. She blindly chucked the soiled bedding to the corner on the floor. Later she’d get a clean set from where she’d seen them in a cabinet in the storage cabin.

Jasper took her hand and led her to the shower closet. He opened the door, and they both rushed inside the cubicle.

“Oh, it’s so cold,” she squealed, huddling to him for warmth.

“Give it a few seconds.” He turned a knob. “Takes some time for the heated water to work its way through the pipes from the boiler.”

“I’m going to freeze in here.” She looked up and water splashed her face.

“I have a cure for that.” His mouth came down on hers, wet and aggressive.

The temperature rose, from his hands roaming her body to the change in the water. They bathed and kissed, and kissed and bathed. Suds flowed down their skin as the cake of soap passed back and forth. She usually found washing a chore. With Jasper, the deed was an exhilarating experience.

“If I might take a guess, you’re never going let me get dressed again, are you?” she asked, enjoying the ticklish kisses circling her face.

“Good idea, don’t you think?” He backed her against the wall and kept her pinned with his body. He studied her for a long moment, his gaze darkening with lust, his hips shifting for alignment.

Water splashed his head and dripped from his brown hair. She touched his unshaven jaw, liking the rough and dangerous appearance. The unusualness of a man wearing an earring attracted her attention.

“What made you decide to wear this?” She fingered the small ring of gold.

“It’s just something I did.”

“But why?” She stuck the tip of her finger in the loop. “It doesn’t even look like a real earring. More like a makeshift one from—”

“Forget about why I wear the ring in my ear,” he snapped.

She stopped touching the piece of jewelry and looked away.

“Can we talk about it another time?” He cupped her face.

She glanced up at him and nodded. He more than confessed with his tone that the earring was special. She didn’t like not knowing about the one thing that rattled his usually unflustered manner.

Jasper leaned forward. He kissed her forehead, showering her with the warmth of apologetic affection. She tipped her head back and kissed him, smoothing over the bumpy spot in their relationship.

“Tell me what you want,” she whispered, running her hands over his shoulders.

“You know what I want.” He cocked his head to the side and grinned.

“There’s not much room.” She glanced around at the small space.

He gripped her buttocks, squeezing, massaging. “There are ways.” Locked between them, his cock crept up her belly.

“All right.” She smiled, excited by his penchant for sex. The next time she’d prepare herself with a sponge dipped in vinegar and inserted into her vagina. If not for the museum’s extensive collection of medical books on reproduction, along with Randolph’s handy knowledge that this was how prostitutes prevented themselves from getting pregnant, she would never know what a man’s orgasm felt like inside her.

Jasper pulled her legs up to his hips. His hands slid to her bottom and maneuvered her into position. He rocked back and then forward. His cock nudged the opening of her sex. Wet and slick inside, she accepted the length of him as he filled her with his hard warmth.

She held onto him, her arms around his back. He moved back and forth, withdrawing and then driving into her. The rhythm increased. She squeezed her legs against his lean hips, digging her heels into the muscled flesh of his ass. Every thrust of his massive cock stretched her wider. She had no complaints. She wanted all of him.

“Don’t stop,” she moaned against his mouth.

“Not yet I won’t.” His fierce kiss progressed from her lips to her neck.

“Jasper, please,” she begged as his muscles tensed beneath her fingertips. “Finish in me.”

“Like this?” He sounded surprised.

“Yes.” She held him tighter, yearning to feel his body shuddering upon discharge. Her breasts squishing against his firm chest made her nipples tingle.

“It’s not a good idea. There could be—”

“In me,” she demanded, and kissed him hard.

Then a loud boom reverberated in the chamber. Jasper pulled back, forcing her to drop her legs and stand. Their bodies separated.

“What was that?” She panted heavily from the orgasm still twitching her insides.

Jasper stuck his head out the door. He appeared to listen, just as she did. She looked at the pipes overhead, wondering what might come spurting out.

“Well?” she asked, impatient to learn whether she should worry or not.

“Get out and get dressed.” He abruptly left her in the bathing closet.

She felt alone and discarded. The water stopped falling, a sign Jasper had shut off his contraption. Irritated by whatever took her lover away, she shook off the chilling water from her skin and reached for the door handle.

Another rumble coincided with a shake and roll of the ship, jostling her about the cubicle.

“Is that gunfire?” She hurried out and caught a towel Jasper tossed to her while he pulled on his breeches. “Has Eric found us? Is he going to shoot us out of the sky?”

She wrapped the towel around her and took another from the shelf. Panic swelled inside her. She quickly bent over to rub her dripping hair. When she righted herself, Jasper was gone from the cabin. Another jolt of the ship made her hurry to put on clothing, any clothing, as she grabbed Jasper’s white shirt from the floor and slipped it over her head. She ran out of the cabin, but stopped before hurrying up the steps. If Eric had found them, she wanted to be prepared. She went to the storage cabin and found a skirt and knickers. The brass corset took time, but it was like armor and had saved her from a bullet once before. At last she got her boots on and laced them up. Then she rushed to join Jasper. Another loud rumble jostled her forward.

The heavenly paradise of blue skies and fluffy white clouds had disappeared in a dark shroud of imminent peril.

Jasper shut down the engine, cranked the manual levers and lowered the sails. His joints warned him of a storm. The wet smell of rain had hung in the air for over an hour. Unfortunately, the squall came at them quicker than he expected.

“We’re going to have to land. The lightning is dangerous enough. But there is also the wind resistance on the sails and the rain weighing down the ship. Fuel is already low for the steam engines and I’ve shut them off.”

“Is there something I can do to help?” Abigail crawled toward him, picking herself up from the deck.

“Crank that handle and lower the sail.” He pointed to the big-toothed wheel that spun the gears beneath it.

“Me?” She wiped the water from her face, giving him a look of worry. “I was barely able to turn the smaller one. I don’t think I’m strong enough.”

“Sure you are.” He looked over the side to see their distance from landing.

He hurried to the wheel and turned the rudder, steering them into the erratic winds, hoping one current of air kept them up instead of plunging into the sea. When the ship tipped too far forward, crates and barrels fell. Abigail tumbled to the deck as well.

“Grab a rope and tie it to your waist,” he called down to her.

She managed to snag a loose line, but instead of tying it to herself, she went back to lowering the sail. The ship rocked up, throwing her back, and he lost sight of her against the bulkhead under him.

“Abigail?” He worked at hitching a rope to the wheel to keep it turned. “Abigail, can you hear me?”

He got no response. No cry. No whimper. Nothing. His feet barely touched a rung of the ladder as he slid on the palms of his hands down the wet railing going from quarterdeck to main deck.

“I’m all right.” She crawled out into the open, the rope circled and knotted at her waist over the brass corset.

“Wait there and I’ll finish lowering the sail. We’ll land soon. It will be rough so hold on to whatever you can.” He fought the harsh spray of rain in his face as he made his way to the crank handle.

A piece of canvas from the battle-ravaged sail flapped overhead. He grabbed the handle and spun it fast, bringing it down. Then the canvas caught in the teeth of a gear, stopping him from lowering it all the way.

“I could use some help.” He tugged at the sail to free the cogwheel. “Abigail?” He looked over at her.

“I’m coming.” She staggered forward, but the wind tossed the ship from side to side, making her approach difficult.

“Don’t take off the rope,” he ordered, seeing her fling it over her head.

“I can’t get anywhere tied to the ship,” she complained.

He shook his head and went back to the mechanism. Before she got to him, he had it free. Their descent was quick. They hit the water hard. It jarred him, and he tightened his hold on a loose line. He let go when Abigail let out a shrill scream.

Abigail scolded herself for not listening to Jasper. He knew best when it came to his ship. She tried to hold the rope, but the thick hemp burned her palms as it slipped from her grip. She flew across the deck, her feet barely under her. She lunged for another rope, but it was just out of her reach. In the backdrop of the howling wind, she heard Jasper’s shout. She didn’t understand it, only that he sounded alarmed.

When she tumbled to the side, she tried to sit. Only the ship’s severe slant kept her upright. Then it tipped the opposite direction and she careened into the other bulkhead. The rail hit her midsection and she inhaled sharply on impact. It pitched farther and threw her overboard.

The rush of the waves splashed her in the face. She choked on the water surging into her lungs. As she thrashed her arms to swim, the weight of the brass corset dragged her down. She fought to resurface and felt something heavy clobber her in the head.

“A rope,” she gasped, winding her arm around the loop.

The lightning flashed again in unison with the thunder.

“Hold on,” Jasper yelled.

She struggled to get the loop over her head. The violent waves continuously knocked her about against the ship’s hull. Coughing uncontrollably, she worried her dead weight would be too much for him to pull all the way back up.

The hacking cough spewed water from her mouth and she held tight to the rope with both hands. Jasper’s strength won out over her weight, even though she wore the brass corset. She inched up the side of the ship, every so often turning and banging against it as she swung. While it wasn’t the best circumstance to be in, she was thankful it was not Jasper who had gone overboard. She never would have been able to pull him up.

“Take my hands,” he called.

She looked up and reached for him, surprised he wasn’t holding the rope. Too tired, and anxious to be safe, she didn’t question him.

“That’s a girl.” His strong fingers wrapped around hers.

He pulled until he got her high enough that she could swing an arm around his neck.

“I got you.” His warm breath fanned her face.

The rain continued to spray them as the wind wailed. They fell to the deck. Over Jasper’s shoulder, she saw her rescue rope hooked to pulleys. Interesting as it was, the mechanics of the rope hoist could wait.

“Abigail, are you all right?” His hands framed her face. “What were you thinking, untying that rope from yourself?”

His kisses spotted her face, washing away the remnants of the fear she’d die.

“Shouldn’t you be doing something with the ship?” she asked.

“Good idea.” He got up, helped her and pulled her along with him to the quarterdeck.

She went with him everywhere, helping tie down loose sails, and battening down errant items. Eventually the storm subsided as quickly as it had started. They’d either sailed out of its path or it had moved in a new direction.

“Well, that should take care of us for a while.” He untied the rope from her waist.

“I’d gotten so used to it I forgot I was still tethered to the ship.” She turned her back to him. “Would you mind unbuckling me?”

The heaviness of the brass disappeared quickly. Her wet clothing plastered her body. She wanted to be dry. Jasper stopped her from leaving to go change. His hands slid down her arms and up to her neck.

“You’re shivering.” He surrounded her in his embrace.

She leaned back against him, enjoying the moment.

“I’m all wet,” she said, as if that explained any of what she was feeling.

“Then we should get you out of this.” His fingers felt unusually warm brushing her skin with each flick of a button.

She set aside her ongoing struggle with trusting where the captain’s intentions lay in regard to her treasure. His eager capabilities in satisfying her sexual hunger had nothing to do with the rest of their situation.

Jasper found himself holding his breath. He had no modesty when it came to nakedness. On the other hand, his experiences taught him most women weren’t as open. Yet there they were on the deck of his ship, in little to no clothing.

Abigail slid his breeches down his legs, stopping at his knees. Then she knelt and finished taking the garment to the deck. He stepped out, right foot, left foot. His cock jolted at the brush of her wet hair when she turned her head and leaned back on her heels.

He didn’t say anything, feeling talk might disrupt her tantalizing inspection. Her fingers brushed his thighs, circling upward to his hips as if she debated what she’d do next. Then she touched his erection. An inaudible moan made him open his mouth. Only a hiss of air rushed out.

“Everything about you is strong,” she murmured, her fingertips instantly petting his stiff shaft.

He swallowed hard, concentrating on something other than the way Abigail’s soft caresses aroused him. His gaze stopped on the small sail billowing out in the wind. The storm dying down around them let the canvas go slack and snap out again.

Abigail pulled on his sheath, rolling his flesh down and letting it spring back. The quickening of his heart, the beat of his pulse, the pounding urgency of his blood rushed to swell his balls.

The sun now shone brightly and had dissipated the humidity in the air. Abigail’s scent wrapped around him. Her mouth did the same to his bone-hard erection. The delicate silken glide of her lips spread over the head and her whole mouth captured his attention away from the sail. She took his breath away. Acutely aware he didn’t know the extent of her experience, he looked down. She bobbed her head several times, taking more and more of him in with each stroke. Farther and farther, she swallowed his cock into the constricting muscles of her throat.

He wove his fingers into her chestnut locks and held the strands back so he had a better view of her succulent lips massaging his shaft. Her actions continued to stimulate every nerve, every fiber of his being. The unrelenting sucking and releasing drove him crazy. Her fingers held tight at the base of his cock, and he felt her thumb press into his scrotum. She pumped her mouth back and forth. The crowning action was a twirl of her tongue hitting the sensitive spot below the flange of his penis. His thighs trembled and a harsh moan escaped him as he neared discharge.

Then she released him. She rose, slithering up his front, her warm body melding with his.

“In me,” she murmured, kissing his chest, his neck, his jaw. “I want you to finish in me, Jasper.”

“I—I can’t. You could get pregnant,” he said, feeling trapped by honor. Making a baby with her wasn’t right unless there was a commitment.

She nibbled at his bottom lip, taunting him. “It’s all right, Jasper. I’ve taken care of that not happening.”

At her mercy he didn’t question how. He grasped her buttocks to lift her onto his erection. He squeezed and kneaded her soft flesh.

“Are you sure?” he asked, shuddering when her insides contracted.

“Yes,” she hummed, and kissed his shoulder and up along his neck.

He slid his hand down the back of her leg and lifted it, driving himself deeper into her.

“Oh my.” Abigail suddenly gasped with an almost strange alarm.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever had a woman react with such—” He stopped talking the second she pulled free from him and pointed past him.

He turned to see what she was pointing at. His jaw unhinged and his mouth dropped open. The sight of danger dispelled all his thoughts of the missed opportunity with the so willing beauty next to him.