Inappropriate Pirates, Modern Love

"Good choice. I think you tabled an earlier discussion about boobs, large and...not so much."

"How about a demonstration instead of discussion? Let me show you my enthusiastic opinion of the whole quality versus quantity debate?"

Fingers held the ends of the halter top high now, no longer fastened behind her neck. "Wanna see?"

"See. Touch. Taste. Yes, please."

"Ooh. Taste. That is the kind of exploration that sets a young ship mate's belly all aflutter.". Her hands tugged both sides of the top down.

His groan was loud, guttural and entirely involuntary. A gut-level reaction to her dropping hands and the exposed vision. His hips also volunteered their own response, grinding upward into empty air.

"You like?"

He nodded, almost violently. "God, yes. I like. I like."

The halter top had hidden the tan lines her bikini and the noon sun had conspired to form on the first day he'd seen her. Each round, proud little mound centered a small triangle of creamy fair skin. There was no sign of the red burn now, the surrounding flesh a light tan now instead, but it still contrasted beautifully with her natural pale complexion.

Letting the dress drop to her waist she cupped each exposed breast again, eliciting another groan from him when two fingers conspired with two thumbs to tug at twin, perfect pink-brown nipples.

"Mmm. You're right, Captain. These are soft." She gave herself twin gentle squeezes. "And smooth."

Palms stroked synchronized circles. "And what was the other thing you said about my skin? Remind me. I can't remember."

"I'm pretty sure it was 'wonderful.'"

She pouted. "I'm pretty sure I heard 'the world's most wonderful.' Do you forget so soon?"

He pretended to consider. "'World's most,' huh? I think a wily captain might need to explore first hand before a final determination like that. Share that treasure, sailor."

"This sunken chest?"

"Sunken? Nay. Plump and firm, they look from here. Bring them closer, lass."

She raised one knee, the long front panel of the dress falling neatly, modestly between her thighs. Rather than straddling his waist, she paused.

"Oops. I almost forgot: permission to board, Cap'n?"

"Permission granted, gladly."

He couldn't help but squirm when she slid aboard his hips, one leg to either side, trapping his length between them. There was no hiding his excitement, even through the robe.

Her lips made a sudden 'O' of recognition, her own hips making a small undulation on him, like the motion of a skiff afloat on near-calm waters.

He attention went higher, to the offered treasure suspended above him. His hands rose, then hesitated in mid-air, inches away. He was nearly awed, simply staring, taking in their twin wonder.

"Captain?" She whispered it. "Permission granted."

Slim hands guided his thicker ones to their destination.

"Oh. My. God." He held them, hefting, squeezing gently, then began to roam and explore. The sight of his hands over the tan-lined triangles alone was enough to raise his pulse, quicken his breath.

"I think the captain likes them." She giggled. "You look like you're about to suffer from another bout of the drools."

He leered. "There's only one sure cure for that."

One hand stayed with half the treasure while the other slid behind her. He pulled her forward until his lips could reach one raised point.

"Uh!" It was her body's turn react involuntarily. "Oh!"

He tasted as promised and explored, with mouth, hands and abandon. Her hips showed they could match the motion of a smooth-gaited horse as well as a rocking skiff.

"Oh, my captain." It was a breathy whisper, her torso arching into his attention, her head tilting up back. Shortly after, a hard shudder passed through her, vibrations reaching him from her close-pressed kneeling legs as well as her upper body beneath his lips and hands. Then another.

As the shaking became continual she pulled away, panting. "Too much."

Pant. "Too good."

She dropped forward, evading his hands, her chest on his. Her tongue found his, renewing their own previous explorations. His hands had the entire expanse of her back available to them now and her lean, luscious flanks, while his thumbs returned time and again to trace, savor the soft curving outer side of each breast.

Her eyes glowed when she pushed herself back up, leaving his lips with a last tender nibble, teeth reluctant to let go.

"More exploration. Please." Her panting was louder now. "Touching and - Oh sweet god! - tasting. Yes! More tasting."

Rob needed no encouragement, but still relished it. Her hips rocked, ground on him until she dropped down for another deep,,lingering kiss.

Back up. "More."

One word was plenty. He focused on her nipples more than ever as her moans and motions gave him all the feedback he needed.

Then "Captain?"

She sounded close to frenzy, panic. "I'm close."

He released lips from a nipple only long enough to answer. "How close?"

"Really close. Just keep doing what - oh, yes! - that. But...."

"But what?"

"But..." She was pushing herself back out of his reach, rising up on her knees. "But what I want is this, you," - her hands found his shape through the robe - "Inside me."

It was by far his loudest groan, a sound more animal than human.

Strong slim hands tore the sides of his robe wide, exposing him. His hips lunged upwards into the grasping fingers that found him, guiding him toward her hot, hungry center. She hovered, so close, but tantalizing, just out of reach. Another wide, teeth-bared smile.

"Permission to come aboard, Cap'n?"

"Already granted." How did she keep him so off balance, seemingly at will?

"No. To. Come. Aboard. To - come, really fucking hard - aboard this long, stiff yard-arm, Captain."

The pumping fingers wrapped around him didn't help his limited capacity for complex thought or understanding. "Permission granted!"

He was the captain, but both knew who was in charge right now.

No hesitation. She aimed him upwards and dropped herself down on him, eyes and lips opening wide at the sensation. Hips rotated, rose, dropped again, grinding ever downward. Wordless sounds escaped them both, uncontrolled, while their eyes stayed locked together as she rode him.

Then her head went back, almost violent, with a sharp, loud, prolonged cry. He lost any restraint left to him, his body giving him no warning as he joined her, emptying himself in one pulsing wave after another.

She collapsed on top of him, both their bodies now slick with sweat. It took long minutes, it seemed, for panting breaths to slow. Soft kisses, gentle and unhurried now, were punctuated by nuzzling samplings of each others throats, necks, and more piquant scents their frenzied passions had released.

Content, drained, Rob felt himself drifting toward asleep, a dream wrapped in his arms

"Captain?" Her voice suggested she shared close to the same state.

"Hmm?" He cleared his throat. "Yes, my mate?"

"Mmm. I got a promotion. From Matey to Mate. I like that." He was rewarded by a series of kisses along the line of his jaw and her body pressed even closer to his side.

"Weren't you going to tell me something?"

Kiss. "Oh yah. I think the fireworks started early this year."

The next days were a blur. A blur he would never forget. Sex? Yes. In the bedroom, the kitchen, on the floor and in the pool. At different points, both of them donned a certain plumed purple hat. The pool also provided an opportunity for more noonday sun, which gave Rob the chance to apply that aloe lotion, quite thoroughly.

But there was also so much more. Questions, insights, sharing secrets and concerns both. He was challenged, confronted and offered open, honest conversation, easy camaraderie. She fascinated, impressed him more and more. They both knew and accepted that each had a home, and responsibilities, thousands of miles apart. For the moment. They both also knew that could be overcome, and would change.

Rob's type of work was in demand everywhere people needed things built and fixed by honest, competent hands.

JB's training was demanding, but successful Ninja Warriors had built gyms around the country and the world.

It was the morning of their last day, for now, when she had snuggled in close, pressing a now-familiar soft kiss on one shoulder. The grout had been sealed the day before and Rob had dragged out updating the agent on the downstairs 'water damage repairs' as long as he could. The unit was set to be rented for the next month starting the day after tomorrow.

"You know what I love about you?"

He twisted in bed to face her. "You said 'love.' I heard it."

"Okay. I take it back. Not love. 'What I adore about you' then. We've been making puns and jokes about pirates and sex for several days now."

"True, even before the sex. 'Coming aboard the yard-arm' was a good one. My personal favorite."

"Only because I called it your big, thick, oversized yard-arm."

"You did not."

"I wouldn't have been wrong if I did."

"Good enough."

"What I was going to say, though, is that I'm impressed that you managed so many witty lines, without settling for the obvious low hanging fruit and referencing my admittedly exquisite, highly desirable 'booty.'"

"Thanks for noticing my restraint. I avoided 'that she blows' too. But I must protest your description. You booty is exquisite, yes. And highly, intensely desirable and distracting. But I will battle to the death, dueling the finest swordsmen the British Navy can muster, even without my trusty brown pants, rather than allow that marvelous booty of yours, firm, round, lifted and perfect, to ever be referred to as 'low-hanging.'"

Another kiss, this one on his grinning lips. "I adored you before. Now it really is love."

That afternoon, before she headed to the airport and he pointed north for the long drive home, they finally visited an old friend: their very own ship, resurrected for a young pirate and future ninja, then abandoned to the elements for a second time.

The sight was bittersweet. The rope ladders were gone, the mast down, cabin and hull all more deteriorated than they'd hoped. Neither ventured to climb aboard, choosing to stand in silence, hand in hand. The climbing tower and monkey bars were dismantled too, probably for safety reasons.

He felt a squeeze on his fingers before she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I was thinking."

"Yeah? You're good at that." It was true. She impressed him in many ways, but her agile mind was as attractive as anything about her. Even that booty.

"I was thinking about that unanimous vote for captain. And how sad it was to have a ship with only the one mate."

"First mate."

"First and only."

"Only mate I need."

"I like the way you say that. 'Only mate I need' indeed."

He recognized a seriousness in her tone, guiding her in front of him to see her face. "So what were you thinking, my one and only mate?"

He couldn't read this expression. "I was thinking about well, uh, mating, for lack of a more appropriate word. And how nice it might be to - someday mind you, and not any day soon by any means - to have a whole bunch of little pirates running around."

"Really?" He was surprised how much the suggestion thrilled him.

"Really. But mainly just so there'd be more voters in the next captaincy election."

He choked, caught by her again.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist." They laughed together.

"You said 'a whole bunch.' Are you sure about that?"

"Well, maybe just a couple." She conceded.

"I like that idea.Very much."

"Really?" She beamed.

"Really really." He kissed her forehead. "Though 'running around' doesn't sound quite accurate. Not knowing their beautiful talented mother like I do. More likely 'jumping, swinging, climbing, diving, and generally scrambling around' is more likely."

"You do know me, don't you?"

"To know you is to love you."

Long arms wrapped around his chest. "My Cap'n."

The End, For Us

A Beginning, Perhaps, For Them