The Heart Of A Pirate

Chapter 23: Secrets Untold

Enjoy! 

For the first time since she'd been taken from the Governor's house, Sang woke alone. She stretched, her body feeling different somehow this morning. The fog of sleep lifted and with the recollection of the evening's events. She was thankful that no one was here to see her face flame in embarrassment. What must Victor think of her? She'd not just welcomed his advances, she'd taken without thought to his needs or desires. He was so gentle, and caring. A part of her felt like he'd seared himself across her skin, even as North had, though in a less visible way. She thought about that as she slipped on one of the tailored skirts Gabriel has gotten for her to wear around the ship. Victor had been so gentle, every kiss and caress light, even when he'd had his fingers inside her. North had been like a fiery, passionate blaze burning through her core. Yet, she felt as though they'd both marked her in some way as theirs.

She slipped on a white linen shirt, debating whether or not to tie up the neck properly; She always felt like she was choking when she did. It wouldn't last long anyway, the moment Luke saw it tied up, he'd undo it in a sneaky moment when she wasn't looking. That thought made her grin. Her beautiful, playful Luke. His kiss had been so much like himself, playful and sneaky. It amazed her how different they all were, how different her reactions to them were and yet, very much the same.

Picking up the ivory handled brush that had been a gift from Gabriel before they left Port O' Palm, she ran it through her hair. She'd always wondered if she was normal, or if perhaps she was one of those unusual people who simply didn't care about sex. She'd certainly never felt any desire toward the men she encountered in the past. Even seeing the antics of the other servants in the hallways of the servants quarters hadn't done more than make her wonder why they enjoyed it. These pirates, these men, though, they'd awoken her passion and she wasn't about to box it up again. If she hadn't clearly seen the guilt in Gabriel's eyes after he'd kissed her, she would never have held back.

On a gasp, the brush fell from her fingers. What - What had she just been thinking? Had she just thrown all propriety away? Did she - did she even care? She hadn't realized how much she'd changed since they'd taken her. Perhaps it wasn't a bad thing. She picked the brush up, placing it on the nearby trunk that held her clothes. She certainly was happier here than she'd ever been. She'd be even happier if she could figure out why the Captain had pulled away from her. When they'd been trapped together, she knew, without doubt, that he'd been moments from taking her. She also knew that she'd been moments from giving herself to him willingly. If Kota hadn't interrupted would things be different now? Would she even now be in the Captain's bed, in his arms? Would she ever have kissed the others? That thought saddened her, she didn't want to think about not being with them, not kissing them or any of the other things she'd done with them. Yet, she badly wanted to feel the Captain's kiss again. Zach had said he was reserved, that he'd been hurt before. She wondered if she could find out his story somehow. Her door creaked and she looked over, surprised to see Max nosing his way into the room with something, a book, clutched carefully in his mouth. He'd been spending a lot of time with Kota lately, it appeared they'd bonded on a very deep level. She didn't mind but she missed him on occasion.

He padded over and set the book on the bed next to her, then gave her hand a lick, tail wagging furiously. Sang laughed, picking up the book. She turned it over in her hands, looking for a title but finding none. It was a simple thin volume, bound in a buttery soft, dark grey leather. she opened the cover, finding neat, precise handwriting.

I may never know what truly happened and the thought kills me.

It was a diary! She searched, unsuccessfully, for a date or any indication of the age of the book. She bit her bottom lip and looked at Max apprehensively. Should she read it? What if if belonged to one of the crew, although she didn't think they'd be so careless as to leave something like this lying around if it held secrets. That first line had intriqued her though and she wanted to read more. Max wasn't any help. He simply gave her a doggie grin with his tongue lolling out of his mouth and his tail thumping happily. She sighed and rubbed his head, then stood.