Everywhere he turned, he ran into a pirate.

Gareth walked down Main Street, glad it had been closed to through traffic, considering the number of children running all around. If he did not know better, he would have thought it was Halloween with all the costumes everyone was wearing, most of which were pirate outfits. Screams of “Arghhh” and “Ahoy, maties” were heard from every shopkeeper standing outside their store.

“Gareth!”

He turned and saw Jillian coming out of her coffee shop with a tall, iced drink in a plastic cup held out to him. She was dressed in a wench’s costume and he raised an eyebrow. “Has Grant seen you like that?”

Grinning, she laughed as she quipped, “Oh, don’t worry about me. This is tame compared to some, as you’ll find out. Here—have an iced coffee on the house.”

Accepting the proffered drink, he silently preferred a cold beer, but found the coffee to be refreshing. Nodding his thanks, he continued down the street. He noted all five officers of the BPD as well as some of the North Hampton County deputies on hand to patrol the town. Tourists flooded the streets, but the crowd appeared easy to manage. Waving to those he knew, warmth passed through him as he realized how many people he recognized, and who greeted him in return. Several of his fellow American Legion members stopped to chat and introduce their families.

Anxious to meet up with Katelyn, he hastened down the street. She had left early in the morning to help set up the Finn’s tent to sell beer at the Pirates Festival. Gareth had offered to come, but she insisted he wait until she was free for them to walk around and enjoy the festivities.

Crossing the street, he walked over the unused railroad tracks toward the town’s harbor, glancing at the many vendors’ tents along the way, where food, drinks, souvenirs, local artwork, and beach items were being sold. Spying a large crowd around the biggest tent, he recognized Brogan’s bark and Aiden’s laugh. Rounding the corner, he was easing toward the counter when he stopped in his tracks, his jaw dropping at the sight in front of him.

Katelyn, in full pirate wench regalia, her long, dark curls hanging down her back, was grinning at the crowd of men as they waited in line for their beer. Dressed in a scoop neck blouse and tight, lace-up corset showcasing an impressive cleavage, paired with a long skirt, she continued to check IDs as Gareth stood rooted to the spot. Fucking hell!

Two young men began pushing each other, jostling in the line, but before Gareth or her brothers could react, she reached down and grabbed a long, wooden sword from under the counter, swinging it above her head. “Maties, stand in line like good, little pirates, or I’ll carve you up and serve you to the fishes.” The crowd laughed and the pushing ceased.

Brogan groused, “If you weren’t wearin’ that fuckin’ costume, we wouldn’t have this problem!”

“Yes, and if I wasn’t wearing this fuckin’ costume, we wouldn’t be selling as much beer!” she retorted, hands on her hips as she glared at her brother.

“Yeah, well, maybe he’ll talk some sense into you!” Brogan growled back, nodding toward the edge of the crowd where Gareth was standing, his eyes narrowed on her.

“Hey, sailor!” she called out as soon as her eyes locked onto his. “You want to take a poor wench out on the town, now that her shift is over?” She rounded the counter and ran straight into his arms.

Capturing her plump, red lips, he fought to keep from pressing her too closely, knowing he was already in a losing battle with his cock reacting to the sight of her. Pulling back slightly, his gaze dropped to her cleavage and he scolded, “You’ve been in that costume all morning and didn’t tell me?”

Pushing back, she placed her hand on her hip and threw attitude, “And just what would you have done if I had told you?”

Grabbing her by her waist again, he crushed her to his chest. “I’d have ravished you before you left the house and then come out with you, so that I could have challenged any man who looked at you to a duel.” He paused, his brow crinkled, before amending, “Nope—that’s too civilized. I would have simply taken my sword to any man who dared to stare at your impressive…uh…assets.”

Hooting with laughter, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him once more. “Spoken like a true pirate!” She reached behind the counter and grabbed her purse and a shawl, which she wrapped around her shoulders, tying it in front.

As they made their way through the crowd, they stopped at the Methodist Church’s tent to buy fish and chip baskets, then over to the Elementary School’s tent to buy sodas. On their way over to the picnic area, Gareth stopped at the American Legion Auxiliary’s bake sale tent and added a bag of cookies to their bounty.

Katelyn glanced dubiously at their lunch as they sat down and said, “If I eat all of this, then I’ll pop my corset!”

Eyeing her costume once more, Gareth shook his head. “If you think you’re about to pop, let me know so I can get you home first—then you can pop whatever you want!”

Throwing her head back in peals of laughter, she missed the stares of friends and family sitting around, all with smiles on their faces and shared pleased glances.

* * *

“So, tell me about the pirates in this area,” Gareth asked. “We didn’t learn too much about them growing up in West Virginia.”

Sitting on lawn chairs and blankets on the town’s beach, the large crowd waited for the fireworks show over the water to begin. Katelyn now draped a heavy cape over her shoulders to keep the chill night air at bay. She snuggled closer to him and he obliged by pulling her in tight. Most of their friends and families had staked a claim to a large section, smiling and waving at the others from town.

Katelyn, grinning at Gareth’s interest, said, “The pirates in the 17^th century found that this area was a natural hiding place for the growing colonies. Ships would enter the bay and be surprised by the pirates that would sail out, easily capturing them. The Barrier Islands on the other side of the Eastern Shore were perfect for keeping an eye on ships going up and down the Atlantic coast, and this area was perfect for their attacks on the bay.”

Twisting around to face him, she continued, “In fact, Blackbeard would hang out in the Baytown Harbor—though of course there wasn’t a Baytown back then—and scuttle many ships trying to get up the James River to Williamsburg, which was the capital at that time.”

Gareth chuckled, saying, “I had no idea you were such a trove of pirate knowledge.”

The others around began pitching in with their own pirate tales, the group filling the night with stories and laughter. He looked around, recognizing the townspeople, whether from friends, his business, or from the American Legion. Home…this is what it means to be home. The warmth of his thoughts slid over him and he leaned over, kissing Katelyn’s cheek as the cool breeze blew in.

“Supposedly, Blackbeard’s crew had developed such a taste for Madeira, a Spanish wine, that they attacked a ship right out here,” Jillian pointed to the harbor next to them, “and they only took all the wine before scuttling the ship.”

“Can you blame them?” Tori laughed. “I love Madeira!”

Aiden, plopping down on a blanket, added, “The first piracy happened in the mid-1600’s. Some Maryland plantation owner in the area sent one of his minions to capture a small boat owned by a Virginian. That sparked the next two hundred years of pirates on the bay.”

“Damn, brother,” Katelyn called out. “When did you get so smart?”

“Hey, I’m not just another pretty face!” Aiden quipped, as Brogan threw a wadded-up paper napkin at him, and the others laughed.

“I had no idea there was this much about real pirates,” Gareth admitted.

“Lots of them dealt with the colonists,” Zac threw out, tossing his beer can into the trash bag. “They’d steal from ships and sell the good to the colonists, who were just as glad to get non-taxed items. Kinda like another way to stick-it-to England.”

“I remember learning in school that real pirate life was not nearly as glamorous as the movies made it out to be. The vessels were dank and moldy, disease and injuries were prevalent and then, when they landed, they faced death,” Mitch added. “Plus, a lot of their time was boring…just lying in wait for a ship to come by. Not really planning too much, but waiting for the right opportunity.”

Mitch’s words rolled around in Gareth’s head, tickling an idea, but then the fireworks began and he was enraptured with Katelyn’s laughter as she clapped in glee. Realizing he had never seen this side of her, he smiled, tucking her in closer. The two shared a smile as they were wrapped up in the bright flashes over the bay, creating their own celebration, and missing the knowing smiles from the others in their group.

* * *

The soft light coming from the bathroom illuminated the bedroom, casting a glow on Katelyn standing in the middle of the floor, her shawl abandoned, leaving her in her enticing wench costume.

Gareth placed his hands on the elastic neckline and gently pulled the material off her shoulders, baring the pale skin below. Kissing her neck, he moved his lips down over her collarbone, sucking gently on her pulse-point, before moving lower.

Dropping her head back, she offered herself to him, relishing in the feel of his warm lips trailing over her body, tingles shooting through her. Holding onto his shoulders, she leaned back further, allowing him more access.

He slipped the soft, cotton blouse lower, her nipples dark against her pale breasts in the moonlight. His lips continued to follow his hands as he kissed a path until latching his lips over one nipple, sucking it deeply into his mouth.

He felt, as well as heard, her moan as it vibrated deep in her chest. Bringing her head forward, she clutched him tighter as his lips alternated their magic between her breasts.

“I’ve never been ravaged before,” she said.

His hand moved to her belted corset and he mumbled, “How the hell can I ravage you if I can’t figure out how to get the outfit off?”

She giggled as her fingers deftly untied the laces, allowing the wide material cinching her waist to fall to the floor. “I think a real pirate would have just ripped it off,” she said, “but I’m glad you didn’t. It’s my only wench costume and I’ll need it next year.”

Hooking his thumbs in the elastic waist of the skirt, he easily slid it over her hips, discovering the blouse went to the floor as well. “The skirt was over a dress?” he mumbled against her breasts, as his kisses continued and he pushed the material to the floor as well.

“It’s a chemise,” she explained, gasping as his lips dropped lower. “Kinda like a blouse and a slip all in one—mmmmm.”

With a swift movement, Gareth scooped her up into his arms, depositing her gently onto the bed. He jerked his long-sleeve t-shirt over his head, dropping in into the pile on the floor. Making fast work of removing his pants, he soon loomed over her as he crawled onto the bed, straddling her thighs.

His hands skimmed her legs as he bent to continue the kisses from earlier, this time beginning with her tummy and moving upward over her breasts until latching onto her lips once more. He moved his knees to nudge her legs apart and she willingly allowed him access as she raised her feet against his ass.

His fingers dipped to her slick folds finding her ready for him. Unable to keep the grin from his face, she looked up at him questioningly.

“You’re ready for me,” he stated simply.

“For you? I’ve been ready since you first told me you wished we’d stayed home today so you could have your way with me!”

Lifting his eyebrows, he said, “You’ve been wet for me all day?”

Nodding, she replied, “Didn’t you notice me squirming earlier?”

“I thought you just couldn’t get comfortable on the beach blanket.”

Giggling, she said, “Well, that’s true, but it wasn’t due to the sand. It was because just seeing the way your eyes traveled over me made me hot…and wet…and ready!”

“Remind me to always ravish you with my eyes,” he muttered against her lips, as he plunged his tongue into her mouth. His fingers sunk into her waiting sex, mimicking the action of his tongue, both used to drive Katelyn wild.

She welcomed the heaviness of his body over hers, the weight warm and comforting. Shifting her legs apart further as he settled between her thighs, her body tingled in anticipation and she lifted her hips slightly as she pressed her core against him.

Plunging his swollen erection deep inside, her groans filled the night. Leaning her head up, she nipped his shoulder with her teeth, hearing his groans added to hers. Her core felt the friction as he reached places she was sure had never been breached before. His pelvis rubbed against her clit, the pressure building as she clung to his back, her fingernails digging into the thick muscles.

Gareth pushed up on his elbows as he watched her face at the exact moment her orgasm rocked her body and she bit her bottom lip, her eyes pinned on him. Heat crept from her stomach upward, a blush turning her cheeks rosy.

As she cried out his name, he roared through his orgasm, continuing to thrust until every drop was spent. Falling to the side, he engulfed her in his embrace, his body pressed close as their heartbeats slowed together.

Once rational thought returned, he stared down at her naked beauty, displayed in the moonlight, shaking his head ever so slightly. She leaned up on her elbows, her brow knitted.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Never thought I’d get so lucky,” he confessed. Seeing her still confused expression, he said, “If I think back hard enough I can remember the love between my parents, but after Dad died, things went all to hell. I never really thought much about love after that.”

She reached her hand up, cupping his jaw, running her fingers delicately over the rough stubble of his beard, keeping silent as he continued to speak.

“I spent so much time when I first came to Baytown just hoping to get the business up and running, that I never thought about dating. And I sure as hell never thought I had a chance with you.”

“Me? Why not?”

“Because you’re beautiful…smart…funny. You’re one of the Baytown Girls, someone everyone knows. And I’m just an outsider—”

“I noticed you right away,” she blurted, halting his words. “I saw you in the bar on one of the first days you were in town.” Blushing, she continued, “I never thought I could feel this way.”

“And here we are,” he muttered against her lips.

“And here we are,” she repeated, relishing his kiss.