"You don't really believe all those things he said, do you?" Julianne asked as she marched back down the road with Wade.
"Eh? Oh, no, no." Wade shook his head as they walked. "At least, not the way old Pepper remembers them. I certainly don’t believe there are ghosts haunting the beach or anything. Come on."
"So what is this island, Wade?" Julianne asked nervously. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to be scared. She wanted to have an adventure as much as the next person, but sailing around a haunted island? That wasn't something she was too keen on. She knew Nelson, Wade, and the crew were brave, but were they that brave?
Were they fierce enough to defeat ghosts?
"Probably just a scary-looking place that has a reputation for being much more dangerous than it actually is. I was worried there would be bands of islanders shooting at our ship, but it sounds like it's just spooky."
Julianne didn't say anything.
"Worried?" He asked, stopping. His eyes took her in, every inch of her, and she immediately felt tense under his gaze. He was just looking at her, just soaking her up.
Julianne nodded slightly, embarrassed to admit that she felt afraid. She had grown up in a quiet world, a normal world, a world of ordinary things. Now she was learning about dragons and monsters and ghosts. Now she was learning about treasure. Now she was learning about lust.
It was all a lot to take in.
"Don't fret, love," Wade murmured, wrapping his arms around Julianne. He pulled her close and planted a soft kiss on her head, quietly reminding her how much he cared for her. She soaked up the feeling, knowing it wouldn’t be forever. It was temporary, but she was beginning to crave it more than she ought to.
She breathed into him, instantly feeling calmer. What was it about his touch that immediately relaxed her? She had never felt this way about a man before. Ever. Wade ran his hands up and down her back, and she breathed in his scent while he held her. They didn’t have time for her to be afraid or nervous. They needed to get back to the ship, to get back on the sea. They needed to continue their journey, but the pirate was taking time to hold her.
After a minute, Wade seemed satisfied that she had calmed down. He gripped her hand and they continued on down the road. They still had supplies to buy and drinks to have before they returned to the ship. Wade guided her to the town tavern before they headed to the shops.
“I need a glass o’ ale before we do any shopping.”
“Yes,” Julianne nodded in agreement. She could do with a glass of beer. Her parents had never allowed her the pleasure. She was a good girl, they told her, and good girls do not consume alcohol.
But even good girls have their secrets.
As soon as they entered the dark tavern, Julianne was struck by the loud music and the louder patrons. Despite the fact that it was mid-afternoon, the small pub was packed to the brim with saloon girls and horny sailors.
"What is this place?" She asked quietly, looking around. Wade seemed surprised at her curiosity. She knew she looked eager, and she was. Oh, she’d been to Darnial and several other ports on the journey, but she hadn’t been inside a place like this before.
Here, people were living.
They were wild.
They were free.
The pub reminded her of the sea, of the freedom she felt sailing on the pirate ship.
It reminded her that life wasn’t always about propriety and proper behavior.
"Start with this," Wade said softly, handing her an overflowing mug of ale. Julianne sipped the drink slowly at first, then faster, chugging down the entire glass before Wade was even half done with his own.
"Well, blow me down," Wade muttered with a smirk. "You can drink."
Julianne nodded.
"I am Nelson's sister, after all," she told him. "Who do you think taught your sailor to hold his liquor?"
Wade motioned one of the tavern wenches to bring them more, which she did, and they continued drinking. As they enjoyed their ale, Julianne continued to look around at her surroundings. She and Wade sat in the corner. His hat was pulled low over his eyes, but she wasn't sure if it was so he wouldn't be recognized or if it was so the girls wouldn't bother him. There were certainly enough here. Julianne counted at least ten tavern girls. Maybe more.
She saw the way the other girls looked at Wade lustfully, with greed in their eyes. Julianne had no doubt that Wade was a well-wanted man in many ways. Many of the sailors laughed and drank with the tavern girls as they enjoyed the music. Many of the girls would sit on their laps or tables, flirting and touching the men. She saw coins pass hands as the men tipped their companions and the girls would place them down their corsets or in their stockings.
She wondered what it was like to be a tavern girl.
She wondered if it felt powerful, exciting.
She wondered if it felt incredible to have men wanting her, desiring her at every moment.
She wondered if she would ever be brave enough to try something like that.
**
Wade sat, observing the entire scene, quietly.
"Too wild for you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He knew Julianne had come from a quiet background. She wasn't really the type of girl to get worked up at a tavern, even one as fun as this. The beat of the music was loud and the entire room was happy. No fights were breaking out. Everyone was just having a good time, especially the boys. Every so often, a girl would grab a sailor and lead him off to one of the private rooms in back, but no one even batted an eye.
Everyone had needs, after all.
"Not too wild," Julianne said, sipping her ale. Wade wondered if she was beginning to feel tipsy. "It's just different than what I'm used to."
"And what are you used to?"
"You know," she said, finishing off the glass. "Things like this." She took a deep breath and winked at Wade, and he wondered what she was getting up to. She’d been quiet for a few minutes, silently thinking, and he wondered what she was considering.
Julianne stood, just then, and grabbed one of the wenches who was walking by. The girl turned in surprise when she felt Julianne's touch, but Julianne didn't seem to notice. Instead, she grabbed the wench's hair and pulled her in for a kiss. Their lips met and the wench seemed excited, not upset, at Julianne's touch.
Wade sucked in his breath.
He expected many things from Julianne, but this was not one of them.
Julianne glided her tongue over the girl's bottom lip, tasting her. Then she pulled away and began to nibble on her ear.
"What's your name, sweets?" Julianne asked.
"Dana," said the wench.
Her hands were on Julianne's body now, stroking her back, grabbing her hips, pulling her closer. Julianne moaned as she continued to nibble on Dana's ear, softly biting and licking her. Julianne whispered something into Dana's ear. Dana shot Wade a look before nodding, ever-so-slightly. Then they began kissing again. Wade wondered what Julianne had said. Something dirty. It had to be.
He leaned back, getting comfortable as he watched the two girls tasting each other. After a few minutes, a few of the other men noticed, too, and whistled their appreciation. Wade just looked on, feeling himself growing hard at the sight he was seeing.
Julianne's lips had never looked as beautiful as when they were gliding over Dana's. Her hands rested on either side of Dana's face, showcasing how much she was enjoying this. Dana was openly groping Julianne's breasts. Wade sighed, finishing his ale. He couldn't take much more of this. His cock was screaming for release. The only thing he wanted was to shove it into Julianne’s wet pussy until he came. He wanted to make her body ache the same way his was aching.
He got up and went behind her, pressing his cock against her ass while she continued kissing Dana.
"Love, if you're going to tease me all night, it's going to be a very long night, indeed."
"I'm not teasing," Julianne turned to him, suddenly, and kissed him, too. He could still taste Dana on her lips, could still suck the liquor off her tongue.
"This way," Dana broke into his thoughts. Her voice was quiet, but serious. She grabbed each of their hands and led them through a narrow door at the back of the tavern. Wade was silent as they made their way down a narrow hallway, trying not to bump into people who were kissing or touching back there. At the end of the hall was a door, which Dana pushed open.
They all went inside.