Chapter 6: You Can’t Run…
“’Mornin’, luv,” William said with a bright smile as he entered her room, tray in hand.
“’Morning,” Elizabeth said in a voice that was still slightly hoarse.
“Voice’s soundin’ better today,” he commented, setting the tray down in her lap.
“I sound like a toad,” she joked, smiling up at him through long lashes.
“Then the toads you’re familiar with must sing as sweetly as nightingales.” He looked away as he said it, but consciously let the more formal accent slip through this time.
Elizabeth flushed slightly and turned back to her tray, intent upon buttering her toast. “So, are you letting me leave my room today?” she demanded, changing the subject.
“Your throat—” he began.
“Is fine,” she cut him off.
He raised one eyebrow at the finger-shaped purple marks that still decorated her neck. “If it was fine,” he couldn’t help but tease, “you’d be attackin’ me as we speak.”
Elizabeth couldn’t help but smile at that. “Maybe I’m biding my time,” she countered, “waiting to lull you into a false sense of security.”
William let out a deep, rich chuckle, and she couldn’t help but blush. His smile was like honey to her soul…as was that passionate flare of anger his eyes sometimes got.
“In any case,” Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest, “I’m sick of being trapped in here all day!”
William sighed. “The last time you got out you knocked one ‘f my men unconscious an’ nearly got yourself killed,” he pointed out.
“And?” she demanded, one inquiring eyebrow raised.
“An’ I like to keep the chaos on my ship to a minimum,” he countered with a bemused smile.
Not even thinking what she was doing, she rose to her feet so that she was standing before him. “You would refuse me this?” she asked him softly, one handed reaching out to encircle his arm in a pleading gesture. Her eyes continued to look right up into his…
William gulped. He couldn’t possibly let her know just how wrapped around her finger she had him, but…she was just so close. Her warmth, her breath, those fiery hazel eyes…
“’f Anya’s with you to keep you out ‘f trouble,” he compromised.
She flashed him a radiant smile. “Knew there was a gentleman in there somewhere,” she teased lightly. Yet, strangely, even though he’d already agreed to her request, she had no desire to withdraw her hand. She could feel the strength in his arm beneath the silken shirt he wore, and a little tingle ran through her body in response to those lean muscles.
Still under her spell, William took a step closer so that their bodies were only inches apart. Elizabeth looked up at him with eyes that seemed unusually wide and innocent for a woman that seemed so confident at everything else. Her breath caught in her throat as his index finger came up under her chin, tilting her head upward so that her eyes were looking up into his, and her lips…
“William!” Xander’s voice called out from the next room. “You here?”
William hadn’t even realized he’d half-closed the distance between them until the shout startled him back into reality. “In here, mate!” he responded reluctantly.
Elizabeth’s eyelashes fluttered open from where she had unconsciously closed them, and she turned nervously over to the desk, fighting the flush of her cheeks and that strange weakness in her knees.
Xander appeared in the doorway a few seconds later. “The winds have changed,” he announced. “Are we headed back for Dead Man’s Island?”
William nodded. “Doesn’ seem like our attackers ‘ad any friends,” he agreed, following Xander out.
In a flash, Elizabeth was out right behind him.
“Oi!” he exclaimed in protest. “You—”
“You agreed I could come out,” she informed him, arms crossed over her chest in a no-nonsense manner. “And I want to now.”
William merely let out a weary sigh. “You seen that woman ‘f yours ‘round anywhere?” he asked Xander…
* * *
“…Xander informs me that it’s really quite nice,” Anya was commenting. “As long as the whole pirate thing doesn’t bother you. Personally, I just look forward to the fresh food, but…”
Elizabeth sat with her feet dangling over the edge of the deck, her arms folded over the rail as she looked out onto the blue expanse before her.
“Elizabeth?” Anya inquired after a minute when she noticed her friend wasn’t listening. “Elizabeth!”
“What?” Elizabeth turned to her in surprise, her reverie interrupted.
“You’re not hearing a word I’m saying, are you?” Anya demanded.
Elizabeth gave her an apologetic smile. “A lot on my mind,” she clarified.
“Ah,” Anya nodded wisely. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with six feet of sleek, lean manly muscle topped with a crown of white hair, now would it?” she asked with a knowing little smile.
Elizabeth made sputtering noises and gesticulated wildly in protest, but Anya quickly cut her off.
“He’s the only person you’ve seen since we were attacked,” she pointed out.
Elizabeth gave up with a sigh of resignation. “William is…not what I expected,” she admitted reluctantly.
Anya nodded. “He’s very nicely shaped,” she agreed, “and he’s very obviously interested in you.”
“He’s just been so…kind to me,” Elizabeth felt a need to justify herself. “The way he took care of me when I was injured, and the way he never angers at my attacks…” She smiled to herself. “Actually, I think he likes it when I attack him.”
“See?” Anya said triumphantly. “I told you that somewhere out there was a man weird enough to love you. Congratulations, and may you enjoy many orgasms together.”
Elizabeth’s face turned a deep crimson. “N-Not like that!” she insisted. “I-I just meant…”
Anya gave her an incredulous look. “You can’t tell me you’ve never even thought about it,” she accused. “Hell, I’ve thought about it, even though I already have Xander. Although,” she added to herself, “Xander was present in most of those fantasies as well… They’d make very good sandwich bread, don’t you think?”
“Now you’re just trying to make me blush,” Elizabeth accused good-naturedly. “And, as for…that,” she blushed anyway, “well, I haven’t thought about it…well, not really…”
“ ‘Not really’?” Anya repeated, one eyebrow raised curiously.
“It was just a dream!” Elizabeth insisted.
“Ooh, a dream?” Anya squealed in delight. “I want all the details!”
“It was nothing!” Elizabeth repeated. “I was just…”
“Yes?” Anya demanded excitedly.
“I was just in bed, and then…he was there, too,” Elizabeth admitted, embarrassed, “and then he started, um…” She looked around furtively before lowering her voice to a furtive whisper. “Kissing me…and then our clothes kind of vanished and he…”
“Oh, yeah,” Anya was breathing heavily at the lovely images in her mind. “Mmm…William…”
Elizabeth gave her arm a playful swat, and Anya batted back at her good-naturedly. “It was just a dream,” Elizabeth insisted before blushing once more. “Although, when I woke up…”
“And?”
“Oh god,” Elizabeth shook her head, not believing that she was admitting this. “I was…touching,” she said vaguely.
Anya blinked once. Twice.
“You know, down there,” Elizabeth whispered.
“Oh, wow,” Anya’s eyes widened. “You were really…?” she trailed off in disbelief. “While you were dreaming about…?”
Elizabeth nodded meekly.
“And you haven’t reenacted this fantasy, why?” Anya demanded.
Elizabeth’s expression turned flustered. “H-He’s a pirate!” she exclaimed in disbelief. “I couldn’t possibly…not with…I just can’t!” she finished lamely.
“Why not?” Anya asked, truly puzzled. “It’s obvious that you desire him, and if he desires you as well…”
“I do not desire him!” Elizabeth protested loudly enough that several of the men on the other side of deck looked over at them curiously. Elizabeth’s voice instantly dropped once more. “I could never desire…him!”
Anya just shook her head. “Ah, young love,” she said despairingly.
“I’m only three months your younger,” Elizabeth countered.
“Yeah, but when it comes to men, you might as well still be a child,” Anya countered. “Trust me on this – if you’re having dreams like that about him, then it means something. Have you really honestly not been tempted? You’ve never once noticed that if you just got a little closer…”
Elizabeth blushed as she recalled the position they had been in before Xander had interrupted that morning.
“And I’ve seen how much trouble you cause for him,” Anya added. “You’re practically screaming, ‘Tackle me back onto the deck, you gorgeous pirate, you!’”
“I am not!” Elizabeth protested.
“Oh, please,” Anya said with a teasing smile. “You just can’t wait for him to stick his massive hunk of man-meat straight into your—”
“Anya!” Elizabeth exclaimed, mortified.
“And, ooh!” Anya announced in delight when she found the means to bring her teasing up to a whole new level. “Here’s your hunk of burning pirate love now!”
William approached, shaking his head slightly. He had rather good hearing, but there was no way Anya had actually said what he thought she’d said. Although, given the mouth on that woman… He quickly decided that it was entirely wishful thinking on his part. After all, he’d given Elizabeth numerous hints that he was interested, and nothing had yet come of them.
“Would you like to put off the lesson for today?” he asked Anya.
Huh? Elizabeth was immediately on alert. Lesson?
“No, we can do it now,” Anya insisted, hastily rising to her feet. “Elizabeth can come watch.”
Elizabeth looked back and forth between the two of them, confused.
“I asked William to give me fencing lessons,” Anya explained, keeping the sly smile that was threatening to spread across her face hidden.
“Why not Xander?” Elizabeth asked a bit more waspishly than she’d intended. It’s not an unreasonable question, her mind tried to rationalize it after the fact. After all, Xander’s HER man. William’s mi—Augh! Where did THAT thought come from?
Aha, jealousy! Anya thought. Stage one of the plan complete…
“I tried it,” she answered Elizabeth, “but it didn’t work.” She took the arm William offered her, just as Elizabeth brushed the other one away to march beside her (previously) trusted friend. “You see, we just always ended up having sex.”
Elizabeth and William both managed to blush at Anya’s characteristic bluntness.
She just went right on talking without paying them any mind, however. “After all, you sometimes get up really close, and if you have romantic feelings for that person…” She shrugged. “Well, it’s almost impossible to resist…”
Elizabeth’s mind suddenly filled with images of her and William, breathing heavily from the fight, pressed up close together…and inexplicably their clothes were vanishing in her head once again. Bad mind! She gave herself a few mental slaps upside the head. Bad!
Stage two complete: lust… “Actually,” Anya said as innocently as she could manage, “maybe William should give you a quick lesson, too. After all, you were looking a bit shabby during that last attack…”
“ ‘Shabby’?!” Elizabeth exclaimed, her eyes narrowing.
William tried to keep his face from flushing. He’d never viewed physical combat in the sensual way Anya had described it, but now that she had put the thoughts in his head, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to teach Elizabeth anything without at least trying…
Stage three complete: the challenge… Anya thought in delight when Elizabeth fell directly into her trap.
“By the end of the day,” Elizabeth insisted, “I’ll be fighting in circles around you!” She turned to William. “You’re teaching me,” she informed him in a manner that he just couldn’t argue with.
“You first,” he agreed, gesturing into the empty storage room they used for tournaments of this sort.
And, Elizabeth thought gleefully, I’ll finally manage to prove to Anya beyond a shadow of a doubt that I do NOT want that…pirate!
Ah, Elizabeth, say good-bye to your virginity, was Anya’s bemused thought…
* * *
Less than an hour later, Anya didn’t even exist. She didn’t mind, though; it was too much fun to watch the blond pair when they got wrapped up in their own little world. Plus, Xander had come in shortly before, and was currently providing her with a warm and comfy backrest.
Oblivious to their amused audience, Elizabeth and William were exchanging a quick series of parries…with the soft bound reeds that were used for practice purposes. William’s skill far exceeded Elizabeth’s, of course, and he’d taken to teasing her lightly when she’d refused to just obey the drill instructions he’d given her.
A couple swift swats to her padded behind and the stealthy theft of one of her hair ribbons, and Elizabeth had gotten that enraged flush in her cheeks he so admired and had started charging him with a fury so wild that even he had to struggle to evade it.
He ducked and rolled to the side with a little chuckle, just barely avoiding the swat she was so intent on giving him. She turned on him with a little delighted smile of her own before moving to strike once more.
He parried her first few blows with ease, and she stomped her foot on the ground in annoyance.
“Maybe you’d like to go back to this drills, luv?” he teased lightly, gracefully evading yet another swipe of her mock-blade.
“Laugh now,” she countered, her eyes narrowed, “but when I get you—Ooh!”
The exclamation had been in response to the crafty little feint he’d pulled before deftly catching the wrist that held her reeds, pushing it to the side and bringing her body flush up against his in her process. His grip dropped to her waist, holding her close and…
She let out a heady little gasp at the feel of the body that held her. She had been in his arms before, of course – in fact, far too often for it to be coincidence, her mind pointed out – but it still shocked her every time just how good he felt against her.
However, Elizabeth Summers was never one to back down from a battle.
“Gotcha,” William whispered softly, his eyes transfixed by the soft, full curves of her lips.
“Actually,” she said with a wry smile, “I believe I’ve got you.” The end of her reed jabbed into his back.
His eyes widened in surprise. “Back-stabber,” he accused fondly.
“Right up between the ribs,” she said in triumph. “I believe you told me that’s the most effective place to strike.”
A smile lit up his face. “Looks like you got me, luv,” he agreed before putting a melodramatic hand to his forehead. “You’ve slain me, ‘Lizabeth,” he cried out in mock-pain before falling back onto the floor, his arm around her waist holding her tight and pulling her with him.
Elizabeth laughed and squealed as they fell to the floor together, her body landing right atop his. “William?” she prodded him after he hadn’t moved for a few seconds, his eyes still closed in fake death.
He opened one mischievous eye to look at her. “Can’t talk, pet,” he informed her. “Dead.”
She giggled and rested one hand against the smooth plane of his chest. “Your heart’s still beating,” she pointed out.
“No, ‘m sure ‘m dead,” he insisted. “After all, how else can I ‘xplain the angel above me?”
Elizabeth’s cheeks reddened. “This ‘angel’ wields sharp, pointy objects,” she reminded him, propping herself up on one arm, her other hand still pressed against the rapid beating of his heart. She looked down at him, admiring the strong lines of his face as curtained by her long blond hair.
“My kind ‘f angel then…” he said softly, a lazy, contented smile crossing his face.
Elizabeth’s lips suddenly felt dry, and she unconsciously licked them. William’s eyes followed the motion of her tongue hungrily, his own mouth drying out in response. Elizabeth’s gaze flicked down to his lips in turn, and slowly she leaned in closer until their warm breaths met.
“I thought you said you didn’t desire me,” she whispered softly, coyly.
“No,” he countered, “I said ’s never a smart idea to take an unwillin’ woman to bed, ’specially one who’s so prone to stabbin’. ‘ve got no hesitation when it comes to a willin’ one…” His hands trailed up her back, pulling her closer and…
So beautiful… Elizabeth’s mind hummed in pleasure. Does it really matter what he is?
And then she realized in horror what she’d just thought, leaping back from his body just as their lips brushed.
“’Lizabeth?” He still lay back on the floor, flushed, confused, aching for the touch that had just evaded him.
“Oh my god…” Elizabeth brought one hand up to her mouth at what she’d nearly done, at how far she’d drifted from the lady that had been dragged kicking and screaming aboard. What was wrong with her that she would actually consider…? And with a pirate?!
“G-Get away from me!” she exclaimed, frightened, when he rose to his feet.
“’Lizabeth…” he held out one hand to her.
And she bolted.
Xander and Anya separated from where they’d been enjoying each other’s lips in surprise as Elizabeth dashed right past them and out the door. A beat, and then William was right after her.
“What the…?” Xander began.
“We have to follow them!” Anya quickly demanded, grabbing his wrist and dragging him along with her.
Elizabeth picked up a fourth pursuer in her mad dash up the stairs. “What on…?” Giles echoed Xander’s previous sentiments when Elizabeth, William, Anya, and Xander all dashed by him in quick succession. With a weary sigh and a glance to the heavens, he chased after them.
“’Lizabeth!” William exclaimed once they were on deck and had no place else to go. “What’s wrong, luv? Why ‘re you—”
“Stay back!” she insisted, wide-eyed, back against the railing. “Y-You won’t have me!”
The spectacle caught the attention of half the crew, and soon a crowd had formed.
“Easy now, pet,” William held out his hands in a soothing gesture. “’m not gonna hurt you.” He took a cautious step toward her.
“Don’t come any closer!” she insisted, gripping the railing behind her so hard that her knuckles turned white.
“’S all right,” he insisted with a disarming smile, taking yet another step toward her.
The worst thing was that she so wanted to believe him. The soothing timber of his voice, the affection in his eyes, even the way he moved – it was all screaming to her, trying to draw her to him, body, mind, and…
“Get. Back!” she repeated, brushing the softer emotions aside. In an instant, she was over the railing, the thin strip of wood right at the edge of the deck the only thing keeping her from plunging into the ocean below. “I’ll jump,” she insisted.
“She can’t swim!” Anya cried out in horror from the assembled crowd.
William instantly froze in place, not daring to risk that she was bluffing.
“I-I need to get off this ship,” she insisted, tears in her eyes. “Now…before…” she trailed off. “It’s not right,” she pleaded to William with tears in her eyes. “I can’t be… I can’t feel… Not with you. It’s wrong!”
“What on earth is she talking about?” Giles came up behind Xander and Anya.
“I have no clue,” Xander shook his head.
Anya merely frowned, trying to figure out what had driven her friend to this sudden flight of theatrics.
“Luv…” William began cautiously.
“Don’t call me that!” she insisted.
“All right, ‘Lizabeth,” he agreed. “Now, you really don’ wanna take a dive. So why don’ you jus’ take my hand an’—”
“Please, don’t,” her voice sounded weaker than before. “This is hard enough already…”
“’Lizabeth, what’s wrong, luv?” William persisted. “Can’t you jus’ get away from the edge so we can talk?” He hazarded another step.
She gulped and looked down at the water beneath her. She was scared, so scared. But she just couldn’t give up. She couldn’t let… This ship was doing things to her, dammit! And she had to fight it!
“Oh, god!” Anya exclaimed, slapping her face when she realized what this was about.
“I beg your pardon!” Giles felt obliged to point out his priest’s outfit.
Anya gave him an apologetic shrug before turning back to the matter at hand. “If this is about the pirate thing,” she called out to Elizabeth, “I am so going to give you a good whipping!”
Elizabeth’s eyes left William’s for the first time, and she turned her attention to Anya. “But, my father…” she insisted.
“Is an idiot,” Anya rolled her eyes and stepped forward, now that she knew what this was about.
All the men just watched, completely confused.
“It’s not just him!” Elizabeth protested. “Even I know that…” she trailed off abruptly.
“Yeah, well I’ve known my fair share of ‘gentlemen’,” Anya batted one hand in the air dismissively, “and, from what I’ve seen, pirates are far better behaved.”
“It’s wrong,” Elizabeth insisted vehemently.
Anya sighed in annoyance before noticing that William had taken the opportunity to get a few steps closer to Elizabeth during the distraction she’d provided. “Father Giles?” Anya turned to the priest in hopes of prolonging her little previously-unintentional diversion.
“Um, yes?” Giles fiddled with his glasses, a bit agitated and confused by the current state of affairs.
“Is the devil in me?” she demanded.
Giles frowned at that. “Um…not that I know of. Why do you ask?” he said, still slightly baffled by the question.
“Then can you please inform Elizabeth that if I’m not evil for sleeping with a pirate, then she’s not either?” Anya demanded as direct as always.
“What?” Giles sputtered in disbelief.
“What?” Xander turned a shocked glance to the blond pair.
“What?” William looked at Elizabeth with hopeful, disbelieving eyes.
“Anya!” Elizabeth exclaimed, too annoyed to worry about being embarrassed. And then she realized just how close William’s ‘what?’ had been. She started in surprise just as he dashed forward and caught her arm. “Hey!” she protested half-heartedly when he hauled her up and over onto the safe side of the railing.
“Gotcha,” he said softly, his words stirring the hair on the crown of her head as he held her close.
“I-I can’t…” she whispered softly, whimpering slightly when the feel of his strong, warm arms around her faded her resistance to nothing. “I can’t let myself fall in love with you,” she breathed raggedly against his shoulder. “What kind of person would…?”
“Hush, kitten,” he murmured into her hair, his embrace turning tender now that the danger had passed. “’S not so bad…”
She couldn’t do anything but nod in agreement, her own arms slowly slipping around his back to hold him as well.
“Love you, too,” he whispered somewhat raggedly.
She pulled back slightly to look at him in surprise. “You’re a very strange man,” she informed him with a shy little smile.
“Mmm-hmm,” he murmured, leaning slowly forward and resting his forehead against hers. “No stranger’n you, luv.”
She let out an annoyed/amused sigh. “A normal man would’ve kissed me by now,” she decided before tilting her head to the side and reaching up to brush her lips lightly against his.
In an instant all his lassitude vanished, as if he had just been waiting for her to make the first move, and his lips crashed into hers with passionate and needy intensity.
She moaned against his lips, allowing her tongue to come out and duel with hers as they pulled each other closer together. And Elizabeth’s last thoughts were, Anya never said it would be as good as fighting. Hell, BETTER than fighting…
* * *
Cheers and catcalls rose from the crowd as their captain and the woman who so obviously loved him met in a passionate kiss.
At the back of the crowd, however, one man’s eyes narrowed.
“Woah!” Forrest exclaimed, eyes wide. “Who would’ve thought…?”
Riley angrily caught his shoulder and spun him roughly, so that the two of them were face-to-face. “She was mine,” he hissed angrily. “I had her first!”
“Hey, calm down,” Graham lay a calming hand on Riley’s shoulder. “Forrest didn’t do anything…”
“No,” Riley agreed, apologetically letting his friend go. His gaze returned to the pair that was still kissing in the middle of the deck. “He’s the one who keeps robbing me of what’s mine!” he hissed before stalking away angrily.
A nervous glance, and then Graham and Forrest followed after him…