“Oh, no! Mutiny!” I shouted, as I fell before the onslaught of an army of small children waving an assortment of plastic swords.

I threw myself onto the deck and tossed a distraught hand over my face. “Mercy! I beg of you!”

Of course not much harm would be done with plastic swords, although I did have a few scars across my knuckles. “I’ve been defeated!” I exclaimed, scrambling to recover my sham of an accent. “Avast! Avast! I be but a poor pirate!”

Okay, maybe that was a little excessive.

Still, the children abated with a chorus of victorious cheers. I sat upright and groped around the deck for my hat. I firmly pressed it down on my head and smirked as the children went to terrorize Jennifer, my fellow pirate.

“You must pay a fortune for health insurance,” Adrian called, from the railing.

I snorted. “My good man, we pirates don’t need no health insurance! Just rum! And swords! And treasure!”

Adrian looked unamused. I bet he was a phenomenal poker player.

“I’m the pirate princess!” Angelica shouted, evidently this was her battle cry.

“Have mercy, pirate princess!” Jennifer yelled.

I laughed and stood, dusting off invisible dirt. “Has Angelica got everyone calling her the pirate princess now?” I asked.

Adrian shrugged as I joined him by the railing. “Aren’t you tactful? I know you just want to rub it in again that you had a good idea.”

“I’m just clarifying. I’m only allowed one good idea per day,” I said. “I wanted to make sure I was still meeting my quota.”

Adrian chuckled. “I may have bought some books for Angelica about pirate-women. I looked up Grace O’Malley, too, like you suggested. She was an interesting lady. Ballsy, too. Meeting with Queen Elizabeth herself? That’s pretty impressive.”

“She used to fly a green flag with a white seahorse,” I said. “Very feminine compared to the usual skull-and-crossbones although mind you, many pirates had different flags. Some of them very distinctive.”

“You really do know a lot about this pirate stuff,” Adrian said.

“Comes with the territory.”

“Hey, about yesterday,” Adrian said.

“I already told you not to worry about it. Really, it’s fine.”

“No, it isn’t,” Adrian said. “Look. take the apology. I never apologize.”

“I know.”

“You know?”

“You don’t seem like a man who apologizes much, that’s all. You were a jerk. We both know that. Why keep worrying about it? It’s not like there’s anything left to discuss.”

Adrian snorted. “Anyway, I feel like I ought to…make it up to you.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“Don’t turn me down until you’ve heard what I’m offering. If you were going into business, you’d have just hanged yourself.”

“I’m in piracy,” I said. “That’s kind of like business and I’m doing fine, Mr. Edgelord.”

“I noticed our next excursion is in Rosales, Florida.”

“And?”

“And one of the excursions is to a very fancy restaurant. You should come with me, and maybe at the end of the evening, we can engage in certain adult activities,” Adrian said, lowering his voice. “Would you like that?”

I shivered. “Is this like a date?” I asked.

“Mm. Maybe we’ll decide after we see how it goes. I just feel like, since I’m worth millions, I should…share the wealth. Angelica will be there and I’m sure she’d enjoy it more if you were there, too. You’re still a novelty, so she likes you. She’s tired of Joan and me.”

“Save me!” Jennifer screamed.

“My first mate’s falling to an army of kids,” I said. “I should help, but sure, that sounds fun. Is it…ah, formal dress?”

“Semi-formal,” Adrian replied. “But if you manage a button-up and denim, dark wash, not light wash, you should be fine.”

“Oh, good. I do have one button-up shirt.”

“Are you being facetious?”

“No. I’m entirely serious,” I replied. “Believe it or not, I don’t get out much.”

Adrian shook his head, looking bemused. “I don’t understand you,” he said. “Why not?”

“Why not?” I echoed.

“An attractive, young man like you. And you don’t go out when you aren’t here? You don’t have any college friends you go out with during your off-season?”

“Death has a way of isolating you,” I replied.

Adrian nodded. “Yes, I suppose it does,” he admitted.

“And I’ve never been very social anyway,” I said. “I’m just…out-of-place, unless I’m acting.”

“Why do you think you feel that way?”

“I guess I just feel a bit unaccomplished. I haven’t achieved anything. I mean, I’ve enjoyed what I’ve done, but I feel like I haven’t done anything really extraordinary. If that makes sense.”

“No, it does,” Adrian replied. “I felt like that before I won my Pulitzer.”

I laughed. “I don’t mean I need to shoot that high. Anyway, I need to get back to my first mate before they make her walk the plank.”

“You never know,” Adrian said, with a shrug.

“Me hearties, me hearties!” I exclaimed, as I sauntered away from the railing. “Surely, we can come to some kind of compromise! There’s no need to beat up me poor mate here!”

The sea of children parted, and I offered Jennifer a hand to help her up. Her blue eyes gleamed with mischief, and I forced my face into an expression of mock-fear. “You wouldn’t,” I said.

“I think we oughta compromise by attacking you! Lock ‘im up!”

“No!” I shouted.

I darted away as Jennifer riled up the army of children. “No, hold on now!” I declared. “Come on! I, uh, gave you candy earlier! Chocolate gold coins!”

“Bribery!” Jennifer shouted. “You monster!”

I gasped. “How dare ye? You’re the briber, not me!”

I backed away, prepared to break off into a very dramatic and slow run at a moment’s notice.

“Make him walk the plank!” one of the children shouted.

“Well, I think that’s goin’ a bit far,” Jennifer said, clearly struggling to hide her laughter.

“But I can’t swim!” I lied.

“You’re a pirate!” Angelica exclaimed. “What do you mean you can’t swim?”

“I’m, uh, afraid of sharks!”

“Get ‘im!” Jennifer ordered.

I broke into a run, as thirty-plus children gave chase.

A hawkish looking woman, with wild, brown curls, opens the door. She puts a hand over her mouth and emits a the most ear-shattering scream imaginable. “Hansel!” she shrieks, throwing her arms around Jóhannes.

“Elisabeth,” Jóhannes says warmly, returning her hug as best as he can.

“Oh, look at you!” Elisabeth whispers, holding him at an arm’s length.

Elisabeth’s head darts around Jóhannes’s shoulder. “Who is this?” she asks.

“Clarisa,” Jóhannes says. “My best friend.”

Hawkish? Was Adrian’s omega hawkish? It made her sound war-like. I wondered if she was actually an alpha like Adrian was. That must’ve made for an interesting childhood. Alphas were particularly aggressive in their adolescence, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to get into fights, especially if there were a lot of them in a small space. I made a note of it and another note reminding myself to ask Adrian why he chose the character names the way he did. Maybe I was getting just the tiniest bit better at this picking up clues and on deeper meanings, and even the smallest bit of improvement was enough encouragement for me.

I wondered idly how Adrian would feel about reenacting one of his sex scenes. He’d promised me something after dinner anyway. How did I feel about that, though? Getting make-up sex. Still, how would Adrian feel about doing something from his book? Heat flooded my face and neck and I shivered just at the thought of it. Fuck. I wondered if he would be up for the sex before dinner?

Only one way to find out. I grabbed my phone and texted the question. Meanwhile, I danced on my feet. Just the thought of sex was enough to make me half-hard, and God, I might actually go into heat again. Where was that scene? I flipped through the pages of Abandon All Hope, looking for it.

He replied, and I practically dove for my phone. You’re needy, the message read.

I want to reenact that scene.

What scene?

I couldn’t find the scene. The bath scene, I replied.

Oh. You bad boy.

I groaned. Is that a yes?

Adrian sent back an emoji of a devil.

Nice selfie, I replied.

Haha. Here’s the problem. That sex scene is technically impossible.

What?

I hate to disappoint you, but tea tree oil doesn’t work that way.

Damn him. I scowled at my phone.

You didn’t turn yourself on, did you?

No. I answered, just to spite him.

I rocked my hips, which provided absolutely no relief. I groaned and dropped my forehead against the cold tile of the counter. This wasn’t fair.

Fine. Can you come over anyway?

If not, I was going to have to take care of this. We had two hours until we docked, and there was no way I was going to wait that long.

Three knocks. I practically dove for the door. Adrian smirked at me and gave a lascivious lick to my cheek. “Well,” he said. “I see you’re very ready for this. You smell ready.”

I felt like the teasing should’ve offended me, but instead, my cock ached. I longed even more for his touch. Without preamble, his hands cupped my ass. He pulled himself against me and lowered his mouth to my shoulder. I shivered at the heat of his breath. Warmth curled in my belly as he rubbed himself against my stomach. I felt him hardening beneath the thin fabric of his swimming trunks and I breathed in the scent of saltwater and his spicy-smelling body wash.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” I breathed, “For writing sex scenes that your readers can’t act out. You tease.”

“Tease?”

Adrian grasped my wrists as I reached for his trunks. “Oh, I’ll show you teasing,” he growled. “You don’t even know the meaning of the word, you dirty boy.”

I drew a shuddering breath. “I don’t like the sound of that,” I said.

“Too bad.”

He steered me to the bedroom. Once there, he grabbed a pillow with one hand and threw it on the floor. “For you,” he said.

I didn’t have to be a brilliant, Pulitzer-winning journalist and novelist to know what he wanted. I dropped to my knees on the pillow and gazed at him as he moved closer. His hands twisted in my hair. My throat went dry and my pulse quickened. “You realize I’ll make this very rough, don’t you?” he asked, his voice holding a delightful yet dangerous softness.

“Yes,” I said.

“But the payoff will be worth it for you,” he stated. “Right?”

I nodded eagerly.

“No hands,” he added.

I’d never done it without my hands before, but I would certainly do my best if that’s what he wanted. I rocked my hips, trying vainly once more to get some relief. “Problem?” Adrian asked.

“You always want to take too long.”

“It’s not my fault that your lance is…”

“Oh, my God. If you’re about to make a pun on my name, please…”

“Do you lance a lot?”

I cringed. Adrian slowly reached for his swimming trunks. He was already hard. “Am I allowed to touch you?” I asked.

Adrian stepped out of his trunks. “No,” he said. “Actually…do you have a scarf or something?”

“Funnily enough, I didn’t think to bring one on a Caribbean cruise.”

Adrian sauntered away. He had a very nice ass that I felt no shame staring at. “I suppose I’m not allowed to touch myself,” I said, as he poked through my clothes.

“Absolutely not,” he replied. “Do you have anything? Electrical tape? Rope?”

I shook my head. Adrian hummed and paced around my room. After some digging around, he produced a scarf that I legitimately didn’t remember I even had. “Sorry,” I said.

“You will be,” he replied. “Hands behind your back.”

I crossed my wrists behind my back and waited while he tied them together. I tested the scarf, more out of curiosity than out of any real desire to free myself. “Wait. Do you have condoms?” Adrian asked. “I’m out.”

I arched an eyebrow. Condoms came in packs of three. Who else was he having sex with? Admittedly, we’d never set any boundaries about having sex with other people, and I didn’t have any real reason to expect any. Still, I would’ve been flattered if it’d only been me.

“By my nightstand.”

Adrian walked over and sorted through my things. “For heaven’s sake,” Adrian said. “You have more batteries in this drawer than a freaking electrical store!”

“Well, you can’t just dump them anywhere. It’s bad for the environment.”

Adrian shook his head, even as he tore open a condom packet and rolled it on his length. “Are you any good at this?” he asked.

“My other partners never complained.”

Then, Adrian stood before me. He guided the tip of his cock to my lips, which I parted obediently. His hands fisted in my hair, as he eased himself in. I teased his tip with my tongue and slowly worked my way as far up his shaft as I could, then back down. “Hey, Lance? I’m really going for it. Just so you know.”

I made a muffled, affirmative noise, and he rammed himself in. I groaned and lifted my hips as my own cock protested at being neglected. Out and back in. My eyes watered, but it didn’t hurt. It was just intense. I felt suddenly hypersensitive to everything from his cock in my mouth to my bound hands. I tried to spread my thighs far enough to rub my cock on the pillow and gain some relief, but Adrian held me tightly in place.

I arched my back as he plunged his cock in again. I swirled my tongue around it, doing my best, but I felt inelegant and sloppy. He leaned forward suddenly and let his hot breath puff against my neck. “Come on,” he said. “You can do better than that.”

Could I? I teased his tip again but lost all focus as he pounded in. I dug my nails into my hands. It wasn’t his cock in my mouth that was driving me crazy; it was that he wasn’t doing enough for me. I desperately needed relief, and I knew the orgasm would be great once we were done. But now, right this second, I was an aroused mess, humping the air and excited at the taste of the strawberry-flavored latex. Finally and blissfully, he pulled out.

“On the bed,” he growled.

I obliged, wriggling on to the bed as best as I could with my hands still tied behind my back. The cold lube still came as a shock, although I should’ve expected it. I bucked my hips against the edge of the mattress, finally getting some tiny measure of relief. Adrian hooked his ankles around mine and coaxed my legs further apart. Then, he inserted a finger. He was rougher than last time and I edged back, taking him in. He stretched my walls carefully, but as quickly as he could.

I took a shuddering breath. My legs shook with the force of his thrusts. It wasn’t enough. Even as he put in a second finger, it still wasn’t enough. I whined, urging him deeper. The inside of my thighs were slick with lube, and the chemical scent of it drifted through the air. “God, I need you inside me,” I said.

“I know you do,” he replied.

His cock was so close to my entrance, and then suddenly, he was in. I groaned and tried to shift back further, but it was hard with my hands still behind my back. I couldn’t grab anything. I couldn’t pull myself further up. I couldn’t do anything except remain bent over the edge of my bed, while he hammered into me. But it was absolutely wonderful. My cock was forced across the sheets with every thrust, and while it dulled the ache, it increased the tension, building a needy sensation that tingled somewhere in my stomach and all the way down to my thighs.

Abruptly Adrian halted, and with his cock still inside me, he leaned across my back. “I’m going to knot inside you,” he growled.

“Oh, fuck,” I said.

He increased his rhythm, and suddenly I felt a sense of fullness, my walls stretched as far as they’d go. I whined and ground my hips into the sheets. Adrian let me. He actually slowed slightly, and I had the sense he was watching me squirm. Watching me try to orgasm without his help. “Please,” I said. “Please, come on.”

The air was thick with the heady smell of sweat and sex, and he plunged into me. I arched my back and forced his knot deeper inside me, while I climbed inexorably closer to my own orgasm. I felt the moment he came. Adrian’s entire body shuddered, and seconds later I came, too.

I remained panting on the bed as he eased himself out. Adrian put a hand around my wrists and pulled me upwards, my back against his chest and stomach as I gasped for breath. The sweat was slick between us. “Do you know what I like about having sex with you?” Adrian asked as he untied my wrists.

“I don’t know.”

“How you flush when it happens,” Adrian said, drawing a finger across my cheekbone. “The way the color rises beneath your skin.”

“That sounds vaguely serial killer-esque.”

With a growl, he pushed me back onto the bed, firmly but not ungently. “I should’ve gagged you,” he said. “Or maybe I didn’t fuck your mouth enough.”

I rolled onto my back and sat on the edge of the bed, watching as he pulled on his shorts. Adrian, fully clothed, crossed his arms and considered me for a moment. He put his thumb against my lower lip and made a line straight down to my throat. “You’ll have fun tonight,” Adrian said, his voice and face soft. “I’ll make sure of it.”