Beautiful Disaster (A Pirate Romance book, Historical Romance) (11 page)

Chapter 21

The first thing Johnny did when he felt the odd sensation was wrap his firm arms around Izzy’s waist and pull her close against him.  He wasn’t sure if this was some New World technology or whatnot, and he would be damned if he was going to let her get hurt in any way.  As blackness surrounded them, he felt Izzy go limp in his arms and he pushed his brow together, his deep chocolate eyes pooling with concern.  What had happen?  Why had she slipped into unconsciousness?  The falling only lasted a moment until the two hit something soft.  Johnny managed to shift his body so she landed on top of him, and he caught most of the brute force.  Luckily for him, what he landed on appeared to be some sort of queen-sized bed, with rich, wine-colored covers.

Johnny’s grip on the sleeping woman never wavered, but he cocked his head to the side, trying to take in everything he could without shifting around too much.  The first thing he caught sight of was a large, wooden desk that appeared to be nailed into the wooden floors.  A few papers sat on top of the flat surface, along with a globe of some sort.  When he cast his eyes downward, there were four different trunks, also nailed into the wooden floors that occupied various articles of clothing.  And finally, he caught sight of a window on the side of a wooden wall, a squared window with sunlight spilling into the room, painted against a clear, blue sky. 

Johnny concentrated for a long moment, staring up at the wooden ceiling.  Instead of looking for anything, he finally closed his eyes and simply listened and smelled.  He could hear the soft lulling of familiar waves ocean meshed with far-off calls that resembled sea gulls.  He smelled… freshness, salt.  He was in a boat of some kind.  He
had
to be.  On the ocean.  But
where
was he?  Somewhere in the new world, or…?

A soft whimper came out of Izzy’s slightly parted mouth, but when Johnny looked down to capture her face within his gaze, she looked nothing past peaceful.  Without conferring with Johnny’s control, a soft smile touched his lips.  He realized she was capable of making him happy without doing anything, really.  Just her being alive caused his heart to swell, and he didn’t understand why, but he didn’t feel that he needed to.  Speaking of which, he took his index and middle fingers and pressed them gently on the column of her throat so he could make sure she was alive and her breathing was steady.

It was.

A swell of relief surged through his body and he felt a sigh slip past his lips.  He shifted her body slightly so it wasn’t on him anymore.  However, her head was tucked just underneath his arm, and seemed to fit there almost perfectly.  Though Johnny was never one for cuddling, he felt a warm, comfortable sensation with her next to him like this.  Now what he needed to find out was where the bloody hell was he?

“The Caribbean,” a familiar, silky voice told him.

Now that Johnny could move more easily, his head snapped up and he caught sight of Willow standing in front of the dark oak doors.  Her lithe form leaned against the hard wood, and her blue eyes were staring into Johnny’s, studying him, as though trying to figure out if she had made the right decision.  “In the year seventeen eighteen.”

Johnny’s brow pushed up so high that if his hair wasn’t securely pushed back from his sharp face, they would have become lost behind his shaggy locks.  His mouth opened slightly, only enhancing the sharpness of his cheekbones, and his eyes widened slightly.  “Oh,” he finally managed to say.  “And she…?”  He wasn’t sure what he wanted to ask, but nodded at the sleeping woman before refocusing his gaze back on Willow.

“Though you are not sure what you I want to say, I do,” Willow said in her musical voice, her lips curling up in that knowing grin.  Johnny refrained from frowning at her words; he was left slightly disgruntled that she seemed to know him better than he knew himself.  As though she could read his mind, Willow’s smile deepened.  “I do not know you better than yourself, Johnny Clover.  But to answer your unspoken question, she will remain with you, just as you had remained with her.”

“She will not… leave me?” he asked her, trying not to sound desperate, but wanting to know the answer nonetheless.  “She will not vanish before my eyes?”

“Not unless she so chooses, my friend,” she told him, her eyes shining mischievously.  “Izzy is not being kept here, in your time, the same way you were kept in hers.”  She paused, tilting her head to the side so her long tresses pooled all around her, making her alabaster skin glow.  “It would have done me no good to take away what you truly love and then expect you to lead a fleet of pirates against the King’s Royal Navy.”

“Love?” Johnny asked, genuinely confused as he pushed his brow together.  “I don’t love her, Willow.  Out of everyone I know, I would have thought
you
would have known that.”

“Don’t you?” she asked, curving a brow up.  “How silly of me.  Well, I don’t want to give you any unnecessary distractions.”  She raised her hand and pointed one long finger in Izzy’s direction, indicating that she was intent on sending Izzy back to where she rightly belonged.  “Since you have no claim over her, I will just send her back…”  She made a move to do something, but before Johnny could saw it, he wrapped his arm tightly around Izzy’s waist, as though he was unwilling to let her go.

“I like her,” Johnny finally allowed, turning his head back to look at Izzy.  Her navy blue dress still clung to her body, and though her hair was still pulled tightly into a bun, stray strands fell loose, framing her face.  What would happen if she was gone forever, trapped in a different time?  He didn’t like the concept one bit.  In the time he had known her, he had struck up a friendship with her, the first true one he had come to know.  And he wasn’t keen on allowing that to end just yet.  “Immensely.”

Willow curled up her lips once again, but pressed the matter no further.  He didn’t have to say he loved her to prove that he did; she could see it clearly written in his eyes, even if he could not.  “Very well,” she allowed, letting her arm fall gracefully down back to her side.

“Why am I here?” Johnny asked, arching a brow.  “I thought I was to learn some sort of lesson, and that someone was supposed to fall in love with me, despite my many, many faults.”  He offered her a disarming smile, but Willow was left unaffected, as usual.

“I cannot speak for her,” Willow said, though she made no indication that the woman in love with him was Izzy.  Johnny frowned at this thought.  It was probably Candace.  Rats.  “But I believe you misinterpreted the message I longed for you to have learned, Johnny Clover.  Without even realizing it, and with some help, however, it has managed to sink in.”  She paused for a moment, before her voice turned serious.  “I wanted to you to feel dependence upon somebody other than yourself.  That is how the majority of the pirates here, in this world, feel about you and what you are destined to do for your people.  They cannot win this war without your help, Johnny Clover.  Though I am sure you have not yet come to understand that, I know you realize how important Miss Isabelle is to you.”  She paused, fixating her gaze on the sleeping young woman.  “Though I did not give the option to you, know that if she truly wishes to leave your side and return back to her time, she will be able to, and there is no coming back.  Or going forward, in your case.”  Johnny gulped before pressing his lips together.  “For you to skirt your responsibility and disappoint those who depend on you was absolutely selfish.”  She took two bold steps forward, her face contorted in a scowl.  “I should take her away from you to make you feel what many have felt upon your rejection.”

“I will not let you,” Johnny growled, pushing his brow down as he met her with a challenging look.  It took a lot to upset the usually laidback pirate, but Willow always did know exactly what to say to rile him up.

“I figured as much,” Willow said, her face returning to normal as that knowing smile overtook her lips once again.  “Which is why I brought her with you.  If anything, she will be your inspiration to continue on with what you were meant for.”  She looked at the surroundings, pausing for a moment to take it in.  “This ship is yours, Johnny.  A willing crew awaits your presence for orders.  I cannot force you to do what you should, but if you wish to keep your” -  Willow smiled at the next word – “friend, then I highly suggest you listen to me.  You are to sail to the Atlantic Ocean, where you will be met with a fleet of your backup.  The War is stirring; it will start soon.  I can only wish you the best of luck.”

“If I go through with this,” Johnny said, casting a quick glance at Izzy, “can you guarantee me that she will not get hurt?”

“I cannot,” the mystic replied honestly.  “But I can guarantee you that if you go through with this, I will not take her away from you.  If you succeed in your task and claim victory over the Navy, you can do whatever you wish, and she can as well.”

“I’ve never felt this before,” he told her suddenly, as though he wasn’t sure what to make of his mixed and conflicted emotions.

“The glow looks good on you, Johnny Clover,” she told him.  “Do not be afraid of something that can make you a good man.  And Miss Isabelle can make you a better man than what was ever expected of you.”  Without that, she opened the door and allowed her essence to be carried away by the cool sea breeze, disappearing right before Johnny’s eyes.

Chapter 22

He trailed his calloused fingertips down the base of her bare spine.  On their own accord, hairs stood erect, following the trail his fingers made.  She closed her eyes, arching her back ever so slightly in response to his touch.  He, himself, had never seen a more graceful back, and he couldn’t take his chocolate brown eyes away from it.  Before she realized what he was doing, he leaned towards her and placed a chaste kiss on the crook in her neck.  A breathy whimper slid out of her mouth and her head tilted back, giving him more access to her throat.

He didn’t take it for granted.  He wrapped strong arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him.  With skillful fingers, he removed any stray golden tendrils of hair and pushed it over her opposite shoulder so nothing could obstruct his mouth from claiming what was rightfully his.  And he wasted no time in doing so.  He opened his mouth slightly before placing another kiss in the same spot, this time more hungrily.  Her soft moans only encouraged him further, and his grip on her waist tightened possessively.

He dipped his head slightly to kiss her shoulder blade.  One of his hands released his hold on her only to trace her bare side up until it cupped her throat.  His long fingers caressed the soft skin as his lips claimed another part of her, this time on her shoulder.  She felt so soft, so petite in his arms, and he wanted nothing more than to take the rest of his days and make love to her over and over again.

Her eyes had been closed this whole time, only heightening the sensations his mouth and his hands had on her skin.  She had never been this aroused before, and that was precisely what he wanted.  He wanted to make her feel as though she was the only woman on the planet, at least to him, and bestow upon her every carnal pleasure she could possibly imagine.  He was said to be an amazing lover, and she couldn’t yet dispute such a claim when the mere sight of him caused a tremor to ripple through her body, a mere touch to send shivers down to the base of her spine.

His lips continued to leave hot kisses on her back while the hand claiming her throat shifted downwards.  Fingertips traced the smooth curve of her collarbone before sliding between the valley of her breasts.  Finally, he captured on of her breasts in his gentle grip, causing her to gasp.  Yet her back arched into his touch once again.  His fingers began to caress her nipple, which immediately responded by hardening in his warmth.  Her head leaned back further so it now rested on the base of his shoulder, giving him even better access to her throat.  He growled at such a sight before him before claiming her throat with his greedy mouth, never relenting his caresses on her breast.

She whimpered almost pitifully.  She didn’t understand how he could have such an effect on her body, but she knew she didn’t want it to stop.

“Johnny,” she said breathlessly, managing to open her eyes halfway to catch his darkened eyes with hers.  The sight of her brown eyes darkened caused a primal instinct to erupt inside of him.  “Make love to me.”

Izzy woke up with a start and a painful pulsating taking pain between her legs.  Her eyes snapped open, only to realize she was not at UCI at the graduation ball, but somewhere with wooden ceilings.  She managed to push herself in a sitting position, casting her eyes around the small room she was in.  It looked like some sort of cabin one would find in a boat, or something resembling that.

“I see you’re awake,” a familiar voice murmured from beside her.

Izzy turned her head and saw Johnny sitting beside her on a wooden chair.  Relief flooded through her system, but her cheeks were tinted red, remembering the dream she had about him.  Johnny immediately saw her reaction upon seeing him, and arched a confused brow.

“Is everything all right?” he asked her slowly, peering down at her.

“Yeah,” she managed to say, though her voice was somewhat hoarse.  She looked down at Johnny, and found that he had changed clothes into something comparable to what he had been wearing when she first met him.  This time, however, his clothing actually looked decent, clean, maybe even new.  A white tunic covered his upper body, but was cut low so it revealed a nice portion of a toned chest.  A green scarf was wrapped around his waist, and for pants, he was wearing a dark brown pair that came just below his knee.  On his feet was a pair of beige boots.  However, his hair was still pushed from his face, though there were a few stray locks that fell into his chiseled face.

Johnny studied the woman in front of him for a moment, catching an odd glint in her eyes, along with her fading red cheeks.  There was some unreadable glint in her darkened eyes; it should be familiar to him, but for whatever reason, he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.  His eyes trailed down to her long neck, graceful shoulders, and her body that was still encased in the beautiful dress.  If only she could wear that number for the time being, but then again, he would undoubtedly be distracted when he knew he had to focus, getting this ship to Tortuga.  And there would be no way in hell she would wear the dress in Tortuga.  Not if she wanted to stay safe.

“You should get changed into something more comfortable, darling,” Johnny suggested softly, perking his brow as his eyes met hers once more.  A new blush caressed Izzy’s cheeks only because after such a dream, the words could be misconstrued.  Johnny noticed this, and paused, but after a moment, said nothing about his observations.  “There are two chests here, filled with clothing for you.”

Izzy pushed her brow together, but swung her legs over the side of the bed to stand.  “Where are we?” she asked, her eyes searching the inside of the room once again.  She recognized absolutely nothing in here, not familiar in the slightest with this environment.

“A ship,” Johnny replied simply before gesturing at the two chests that belonged to her.  Izzy knelt down when she reached them and proceeded to go through the different style of clothing.  “In the eighteenth century,” the pirate added.

Izzy’s eyes snapped into Johnny’s.  “
What
?” she asked, nearly falling over herself at the surprise.  “Why?  How did we get here?”

Johnny began to caress his fingers together, a habit he did when he was nervous.  “Well,” he began, trying to keep his voice as casual as it could be.  “The lesson I was to have learned in your time, I learned.”

“Obviously,” Izzy said as she tried to control her patience.  “But
why
am
I
here?”

Johnny shrugged, not keen on telling her the real reason she was here.  She was his muse, inspiration to do what he was supposed to do.  Of course, Izzy wouldn’t understand what a necessity she was; in fact, she might make him out to be selfish for bringing her along.  Which he absolutely was not.

“I’m not exactly sure, love,” he finally told her.  “Maybe you should ask the Fates, hmm?”

Izzy sighed, sitting down on the hard wood floor.  Sadness pooled into her eyes as she stared at the open chest in front of her, though it was clear to Johnny she was not seeing the object before her.

“Are you all right?” he asked warily, mentally bracing himself for what might come.

“I just wish,” she murmured, finally looking up at him.  “I just wish I could have had a chance to say goodbye.”  She paused for a moment, searching through both trunks before grabbing some pants and a tunic to change into, and then pushed herself into a standing position.  “I mean, I understand why it wouldn’t have mattered to you if you could say goodbye or not; you didn’t have friends here, didn’t have anyone you really cared about.  But I did, and I just…”

Johnny came to stand beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to him.  “You have me here, darling,” he told her, coiling his fingers around her shoulder.  “And you are someone I truly care about.  I can promise that while you are with me, I will protect me to my fullest capabilities.  You have my word.”

Izzy smiled at the sincerity in his words.  “I guess,” she murmured before looking at him.  “Yeah, I’m glad you’re with me.  I don’t know what I would do if they sent me here alone.”

“You get to be a pirate,” Johnny pointed out with a teasing grin.

“But you said piracy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Izzy murmured, arching a brow.  Johnny gave her a blank stare, not quite understanding her words.  Izzy chuckled, before biting her bottom lip.  “And I will be the fiercest pirate in the Spanish Main!” she exclaimed.

Johnny tried to contain an amused smile.  “As you say.”

Izzy suddenly realized just how close the two of them were, which only caused flashes of her dream to scatter throughout her mind.  She quickly weaseled out of his grasp before spinning around and facing him.  “Right,” she said, her cheeks red once again.  Johnny idly wondered just what she was thinking about to cause her to flush so much.  “I have to get changed which means you have to leave.”

“Are you sure you won’t be needing help?” Johnny asked, pressing his brows up.

“Out!” Izzy exclaimed, causing Johnny’s face to fall.

“Oh all right,” he said, heading for the door.  “You are absolutely no fun, my dear.”

Izzy hid a smile as she watched him exit the cabin.  As long as she smiled, she wouldn’t be crying.