Love's Abyss (St. John Series) (12 page)

“Well, now,” the evil voice said. “What do we have here?”

Kris slowly stood and went to draw her sword, but was met with a fist to her face. She went flying backwards, hit her head, and landed unconscious. Madison turned towards the figure.

“I think I’ll have my fun with you first, then her,” the filthy man replied as his hand went towards his trousers. Madison quickly drew her sword and pointed it at the man. “Ahhh, you want to have a little fun first? Okay.”

Madison battled with the man, trying to remember the moves her brothers taught her when she was a child.

“Is that all you can do? Hey, Josh! Come see what we’ve got to play with,” the smelly man yelled to an approaching figure.

Panic began to overtake Madison with the realization that she would not be able to fend off both men. She pulled the pistol out of her belt and pointed it at the approaching figure. “Stop!” she yelled.

Both men were taken aback by her boldness. A heinous smile crossed the first one’s mouth. “I like a woman with a little spunk. Makes it more exciting, if you know what I mean.”

“I mean it! Stop!” Madison roared back.

The second man slowed his pace but still kept advancing. “Come now, poppet, we just want to have a little fun with ya. We’ll show ya how a real man treats a lady.” He licked his dry cracked lips.

Madison’s fear overtook her. She pulled the trigger and watched as the bullet from her pistol hit the second man in the chest. He looked down in disbelief. “She shot me,” he groaned weakly and fell face forward.

“You little bitch. You just shot and killed Josh. Oh, you’re goin’ pay now, poppet,” he said. Madison pointed her sword back at the approaching man. “I’m goin’ to make you and that black-headed whore
pay,” he fumed and gestured his head in Kris’s direction.

Madison stepped between the toothless pirate and Kris, and pointed her sword at the man. “Not today,” she replied.

“You’re not that good with a sword, poppet.”

“No, but I am,” came Alex’s cold eerie voice from above. In one quick move he thrust his sword into the man’s throat and pulled it out. The man attempted to gasp for breath. Alex walked over and took his booted foot and pushed the man overboard. He turned towards Madison and grabbed her by her upper arms. “Are you all right?” She stood there in shock. He gave her a gentle shake. “Madison?”

“I’m . . . we’re fine,” she stuttered.

“Good.” He looked over at Kris and carefully picked her up. “Follow me.”

Madison nodded and followed without question. They proceeded hastily to his quarters. He gently laid Kris down on the loveseat and turned towards Madison. “Here, take this.” He handed her his pistol. “You know what to do. Don’t let anyone through this door but me.”

He hurried out. She ran to the door and immediately locked it, then looked down at the pistol she was holding. Her hands were shaking violently. She had never been so afraid in her life. Kris moaned and Madison hurried her way.

“Kris, are you all right?”

“I . . . I think so. My head just hurts. Where are we?” she questioned as she tried to sit up.

“In Alex’s quarters,” she informed her friend. “Don’t move, you’ve hit your head. Just lie there for a minute, until you adjust your bearings.”

Kris nodded her head.

It was nearly an hour before the women heard a knock on the door. Madison picked up the pistol and crept towards the entry. “Who is it?”

“Alex,” the familiar voice replied.

Madison sighed with relief and unlocked the door. Alex and Max entered. Max ran to Kris. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?’

“I’m fine, just a bump on the head,” she informed her husband.

Max assisted Kris up and headed towards the door. He stopped before Madison. There was softness to his dark eyes. “Thank you,” Max said to Madison. Madison smiled and nodded at the tall dark man before her. He took Kris and left the room.

“Are you okay?” Alex asked Madison.

“Yes. A little shaken up, but I’m fine. What about you?”

“Just a few scratches, but I’ll live,” he replied as he looked down at his arm. His shirt was torn, tattered, and blood-tinged from the battle. He looked back at her. She was a little more than shaken up, she was a nervous wreck. He could see her shaking. “I have some things to take care of up top. Are you sure you’re okay? I mean, you’ll be all right?”

She nodded her head up and down quickly. “Yes, I’ll be fine.”

He headed to the deck. He was up there for another hour or so leaving Madison to her thoughts. She kept replaying the scene over and over in her mind of the pistol firing and the man falling. She rubbed her arms and paced the floor. It was all over, but she still felt nervous.  There was a faint rapping at the door.

“Who is it?” she questioned.

“It’s me, Samuel. Kris would like to see you,” he replied through the door. Madison opened the door. “Follow me.”

Madison followed Samuel down the corridor to a small door at the end. “She’s in here,” he said. He turned to leave, but stopped quickly. “You might want to chat awhile. The Captain requested a bath.” Madison nodded. “Thank you . . . for what you did today, for both Kris and me. She’s been like a mother to me since . . . since my mother was murdered . . . and . . .”

Madison placed her hand softly on the boy’s shoulders. “I’m sorry to hear about the passing of your mother. I wish I could have met her.”

Samuel looked at her tearfully. “She would have liked you. But you just wait,” a darkness came over his eyes. “One day I’ll kill that bastard that harmed her. The Capt’n had his opportunity, promised me he would, but he didn’t.”

“Samuel?” Madison questioned with worry in her voice. It was not natural for a child to speak in such a way.

“Sorry, ma’am. I need to go,” he said and started down the hall.

“Who harmed your mother?” Madison asked.

“The Commodore,” was his short reply.

Madison’s head began swirling like an eddy in a flowing stream. Andrew? Andrew killed his mother? That can’t be true! Andrew wouldn’t harm a fly; he’s a gentleman after all.

Madison raised her fist and knocked on the door. “Come in,” she heard Kris reply. Madison entered the room.

“You wanted to see me, Kris?”

“Yes, I did,” Kris replied. She was sitting in a rocking chair in the corner. There was an oil lamp burning on the table beside her. Max was sitting beside Kris, a book in his hand.  Madison never pictured him as being the type to read.  “I wanted to personally thank you for what you did for me today. Samuel saw the whole thing and told me what you did.”

“It wasn’t anything, really,” Madison insisted. “You would have done the same for me.”

“Come, sit,” Kris said and patted the chair on the other side of the table. “I want to talk for a while and Max is engrossed in his book. Not much company you know,” she said with a smile and a wink towards her husband.

Sitting down in the hard chair beside Kris, her eyes scanned the room. It was a small, quaint little room, not nearly the size of the Captain’s, but it was as neat as a pin. There was a bed against the far wall, a small chest of drawers with a mirror mounted to the wall over it and a small wash basin sitting on top. There was a tiny wooden ship mounted to a small shelf above the table, such a peculiar place to see a child’s toy.

“It’s small, but it’s ours,” Kris replied studying Madison’s face.

“I didn’t say anything was wrong with it.”

“No, you didn’t. I just wanted to point out that little fact.” The women talked for about an hour concerning nothing of real importance, but it was a healing process for them. Max sat quietly listening to the conversation, pretending to read.

“I have a question, Kris. It may not be any of my business, but Samuel brought it up before I came in here.”

“What is it?” Kris asked.

“Well, he brought up his mother. I was . . . I was just wondering . . . what happened to her?”

Kris stared blankly at her friend. Max lowered his book and looked at Madison. “She has no idea about him,” Max stated matter-of-factly.

“Shush,” Kris told her husband. She turned her gaze back to Madison, took a collective sigh and told her the story. Madison sat in disbelief, her mouth hanging wide open.

“It’s not true! It can’t be true! Andrew would never be so cruel, so mean,” she insisted.

“Believe what you want, but that lying bastard . . . ,” Max began but his wife’s hand on his leg silenced him.

“It’s true,” Kris replied softly. “The Commodore raped and stabbed his mother, stole her necklace, and left her to die.”

“Necklace? What necklace?”

“It was a small cross—” Max started.

“With an opal backing?” Madison questioned, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

“Yes, you know of it?” Kris questioned.

“Yes,” Madison replied in a faint voice. “He gave it to me.”

“Where is it now?” Max asked.

“The Captain, he has it.”

“Good,” Max replied.

“I think,” Madison stammered, her head spinning from what she had just been told, “I think I’m going to head back now. I need to sit, collect my thoughts.”

Max looked at her. From the moment he brought her aboard
The
Abyss
he didn’t care for her, just for the fact of whose company she was keeping. When he found out she was the Commodore’s fiancée, he cared for her even less. But now, looking at her, knowing she had no idea of who she was marrying, coupled with the fact of what she had done for his wife, he had a change of heart. “I’ll walk you back,” he said.

“Thank you, but that’s not necessary. Stay here with Kris, she needs you more.”

“No,” Kris replied. “Max will walk you back, for my piece of mind.”

Madison nodded reluctantly. The walk with Max was short. She turned towards Max, and looked at his clean shaven face. “Thank you,” she said to him. The thought of how much he looked like her father kept creeping back into her mind every time she looked at him. He nodded and took his leave.

Chapter Fourteen

Madison opened the door to the Captain’s quarters gently. Alex was standing next to the small liquor cabinet against the far wall. He was wearing only a pair of loose fitting trousers. She looked at him. His back was covered with numerous small cuts from the day’s battle.

He swiveled slowly. “You’re back.”

She smiled and nodded.

“Good, I have something for you,” he informed her as he strolled to the table and picked up a leather satchel.

Walking over, she took it out of his hands with a look of curiosity. She opened the leather case. A look of surprise crossed her face. Inside it was paper and a charcoal pencil. “Thank you,” she whispered, and she felt her heart flutter at his thoughtfulness.

He watched her intently, looking at the items in her hands. She was trembling. “Are you okay?”

She took a quick, deep breath. “I’m fine, still just a little rattled from all that’s happened today, I guess.”

He studied her for a moment and walked to the cabinet. He pulled out a bottle and handed it to her. She looked at him puzzled. “Drink it. It will help. Trust me.”

She put the bottle up to her lips and took a sip. The liquid burned on the way down. At first she thought she would cough up the horrid liquid, but suddenly she produced a series of gut wrenching gasps.  “How do you drink this horrid stuff?”

He lifted the bottle in her hand back towards her lips. “Drink some more.”

She did as he asked, this time it wasn’t as bad. She took several more drinks and felt her nerves begin to steady. “Thank you, I needed that,” she admitted. She studied his wounds. A look of concern came over her face. “You really should put something on those.”

“What do you suggest?”

She looked around the room, then at the bottle in her hand. Picking up his tattered shirt, she ripped off a piece, wadded up the white cloth, placed it over the mouth of the bottle and tipped it, covering the fabric in the rum. “Come here,” she said. He walked over to her. She dabbed the rum coated cloth on his open wounds. “This should help.”

Alex could feel the sting of the rum on the wounds on his back but said nothing. She placed her hand on his shoulder and eased to his front. She doctored the cuts on his chest, delicately running her finger over each one. He looked down at her. The pinkish cast of the setting sun illumined her silhouette. The faint flicker of the oil lamp behind him danced across her face. He gently placed his hand on top of hers. “You better stop,” he said in a husky voice.

The innocent expression on her face let him know she had no idea of how her touch was affecting him. The softness of her caress and the intoxicating smell of her hair were too much for him to handle. Her mouth was full and her bottom lip was sticking out as if in a pout. Their gazes locked. He lowered his head slowly to hers. It began as a slow gentle kiss, followed by several others. Her arms wound around his neck as she returned the kiss. His strong arms pulled her body closer to his as the kiss became deeper, more passionate.

Her hands climbed to the nape of his neck, pulling him closer to her. She had no idea why she had done that, but the feel of his kisses on her lips excited her. Realizing what she was doing, she put her hands on his chest and weakly pushed back. “Stop,” she whispered. “It’s . . . it’s . . .” she tried to say improper or not right, but the words would not form in her mouth. She relished the way his kisses made her feel, the way his body felt pressing against hers.

“It’s what?” he whispered in her ear as he deliberately took the lobe in his mouth.

Her knees grew weak. She could feel that strange sensation again, like the one from last night, a slow tingle between her legs. She placed her hand on his head. Her emerald eyes had grown dark and seemed to smolder in the heat of the moment. She looked into his blue eyes and couldn’t help herself—she kissed him passionately.

His mind told him to stop. This was not right. He reminded himself of who she was, but his body said otherwise. He wanted her—all of her. The ferocity of her kisses made him grow hard. He wrapped his strong arms around her dainty figure. He gently raised her up in his arms like something precious and valuable, his lips never leaving hers. Walking slowly over to the bed, he sat her down. Sliding her long auburn hair to one side, he kissed her long slender neck. His fingers pulled back the fabric of her white shirt to reveal her plump, youthful breasts. He placed his hand over one, cupping it in his palm, and gently caressed the nipple.

The sensation between her legs increased. She didn’t understand what was happening to her. Everything she had ever been taught told her this was wrong, but she didn’t want him to stop. She loved the way he made her feel.

He raised his head and looked at her. She was so beautiful.  He knew he should stop. She was an innocent pawn in the game he was playing with McClain, but her beauty and the feel of her body made him want her. “I should stop now, before we both do something we’ll regret tomorrow,” he told her.

She looked with desire at him, her lips slightly parted, breathing shallow and fast. She liked the way his hands felt on her. She liked the way her body felt and longed for it to continue. She couldn’t help herself.  This was the most overpowering feeling she had ever experienced.  There was a fury in her that insisted that they continue. She placed her hand on his and said, “Please,” unsure of why, but needing more.

Her one whispered plea was all the invitation he needed. He took his hands and pulled the shirt off her body. He gently caressed her breasts with both hands. He watched her nipples grow hard. His hands made their way down to her brown trousers. He knelt down in front of her, caressing her skin as he unbuttoned each button. He slipped his strong fingers around the top of them and methodically pulled them off.

She watched him, not knowing what was coming next, but not wanting it to stop. She could feel the cool air of the cabin wrap around her, making her nipples become harder. She wiggled her hips, the strange sensation she was experiencing urged her move. The compulsion heightened the intensity. She placed her teeth over her bottom lip to keep from moaning with the pleasure of his touch.

He picked up one of her long, toned legs and kissed its calf, slowly moving higher and higher. His lips lingered on her inner thigh and made their way around to her right hip and up to her abdomen. He placed his large hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her onto her back on the bed. He placed one hand on each side of her and kissed her body again. His mouth opened slightly, his tongue darted out and he licked upwards towards her breasts. When he reached them, he took her pink nipple and placed it into his mouth and suckled, feeling it become harder in his mouth. He gently, delicately gave the other one the same attention as the first.

Madison was breathing heavily now. Her body was ablaze with sensation from head to toe. She had never experienced this feeling before, but she didn’t want it to stop. She watched him, his mouth on her breasts and the feeling increased, with each movement of his mouth. A small moan left her.

He stopped and slowly stood up. Their eyes locked, hers begging him not to stop. She saw his hands move to the buttons of his trousers. She saw the outline of him and was curious as to what lay behind the material. He unbuttoned each button quickly. His trousers fell to the floor. Her eyes grew wide; she had never seen a man naked before. A small gasp escaped her mouth as she looked at his manhood, standing erect. Her eyes traveled the length of his well-sculpted body, memorizing every muscle, every aspect of his magnificent hard body. Her eyes traveled back to his manhood, wondering what would happen next.

He gently picked her up, placed her body on the rest of the way onto the bed, and climbed on top of her, propping himself above her on his elbows. Her eyes were dark with passion. He should stop, he thought to himself, before it’s too late, but what she did next shocked him, making him think she wasn’t an innocent, that she was familiar with what happened between a man and a woman. Her long delicate fingers traveled the length of this chest, caressing each muscle.

She didn’t know why she was tracing his body with her fingers, she just wanted to. She was curious about his body. Her hand traveled downward. She needed to know what it was, what it felt like. She lightly, cautiously allowed her fingers to explore his manhood. She took one finger and gradually started at the head, making her way down to where it joined his body, and then traveled back up again. She could feel it grow larger and harder. She lightly wrapped her fingers around him, not realizing how her touch was affecting him

His eyes closed as she caressed him, slowly moving her hand up and down, exploring every inch of his manhood, making him want to be inside her even more. He gently grabbed her hand and placed it above her head. “You little minx,” he whispered. They kissed again. His tongue entered her mouth, jutting in and out, meeting only resistance when hers began to do the same.

He slid her legs apart with his knees, the desire to be inside of her overwhelming. She could feel his hardness on her, rubbing against her, and liked it. His manhood slowly entered her. He allowed only the head to go in, just slightly. Her body yearned with delight.

He observed her reaction. The pleasure exposed on her face was an open invitation to continue. She was so moist, so wet, and ready for him. He thrust his manhood inside of her, and in that instance he knew he was mistaken about her. She was a virgin. Her sharp gasp and the feel of her maidenhood made him stop.

“I . . . I . . . ,” she began

“Shhh,” he whispered and gently moved inside her again. “Let it pass. Don’t think . . . feel. Just feel,” he instructed her in a whisper.

She nodded and did as he asked. She could feel him move tenderly inside her, going deeper with each gentle move. The feeling that was taken away by the sharp pain quickly returned. Her body moved in unison with his, meeting him with each thrust. She could feel her body become wetter and her movements increased.

The feel of her moving with him excited him even more. The touch of her body was intoxicating. He thrust himself deeper, faster inside her body. He could feel her wetness on him. He watched as she arched her back and a loan moan exited her mouth.

“Please,” she panted.

“Please what?”

“I . . . I don’t know,” she replied and a soft moan escaped her lips. The feeling of him moving inside her was overwhelming. Never had she experienced such pleasure, she didn’t want it to stop.  “Oh,” she whispered, panting. “Oh, oh, oh!”

He knew what was coming. Her fingers dug into his back. He felt her grow wetter and tighten around him as she climaxed. Her pleasure excited him to the extent that her climax was met with his. He heard her cry out his name in ecstasy and he exploded deep inside her.

They both lay quietly for a moment, breathing hard, saying nothing. The methodical tic of the clock and the occasional creak of the ship echoed throughout the room. He gently kissed her lips and lay down beside her on his side. He watched as chill bumps crossed her body and pulled the quilt that was folded at the foot of the bed over them. He wanted to say something to her, but words left him. He didn’t know what to say. A virgin was new to him.

She lay there looking at the ceiling, still embracing the feel of what had happened. She felt him pull the quilt over her body and she timidly looked his way. The reality of what happened entered her head. She was so ashamed of herself. This was what was to happen on a honeymoon
after
you’re married, not before. The words of what Miss Ruby said repeated in her head—“A dreadful act, not to be enjoyed.” How could you not enjoy that?

“What is it?” he asked her.

“Nothing,” she replied. “No. I don’t know. I . . . we . . . I shouldn’t have. I’m so ashamed.”

“No, it’s not your fault, I should have had more control,” he replied as she shamefully looked away. He took his finger and turned her head back to face him. Her eyes were closed. “Open your eyes, Madison. Look at me.” She peered at him. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. I should be the one ashamed. I took advantage of you. I didn’t know you were . . . were a virgin. If I had, I wouldn’t have gone this far with you.”

For the first time in her life she was speechless. What would her mother say or worse yet her father? She felt like a lost child, alone in this world.

He could see the turmoil in her eyes. He gently kissed her forehead, lay on his back and pulled her to his chest. He wrapped one long arm around her dainty body and placed his chin on her head. He took a long deep breath. “Rest now. We’ve both had an eventful day. What transpired tonight can be thought about in the morning.” He felt her head look up at him. “It won’t happen again, I promise,” he told her.

A timid smile crossed her lips as she laid her head on his chest.
But what if I want it to?
She heard the clock strike eight times. She drifted off to sleep listening to the slow rhythmic beat of his heart.