3. Jonto #3
“You know I did.” She returned Jack’s smile with an eager one of her own. “And now, do I get to do the same to you?”
Jack grinned and brought the fingers of her free hand out from between her own legs.
“Well, my lovely lass, since we have other things we need to see to today, and since ya drove me nearly crazy with yer enthusiasm, I took care of things meself. But don’t ya worry.
There’ll be other times when these fingers,” she grasped Jonto’s hand and reverently kissed each one in turn, “and maybe that lovely tongue will be pleasuring me in all th’ most wicked ways. ”
Once Jonto caught her breath, Jack stood and extended a hand, which she accepted with a smile. Rising from the bed, Jonto moved around the room gathering her clothing.
Jack watched the gentle movement of Jonto’s breasts for a moment before shaking herself out of her reverie. “Now, let’s get dressed, and I’ll show ya how to stick whiskers to yer chin what won’t drop off in th’ first gale ya sail through, aye?”
And so began the most pleasurable five years of Jonto’s life, where Captain Jack Dubbin taught her more about a woman’s body than she’d ever in her wildest dreams thought possible.
It wasn’t a romance, in the strictest sense of the word.
Neither woman was in love, and neither wanted a committed relationship.
Their time together was hedonistic and, as promised, wicked in ways Jonto had never imagined.
But both women knew it would have to end one day, and they were fine with that.
And if the two captains spent more time in one or the other’s cabin than usual, no one cared.
Pirate ships were out to sea for months on end, and men having sex with other men was a normal and natural occurrence.
It was only right that their two captains should do the same, and once Jonto explained the circumstances to Nico, the big man did nothing more than grin when the terrible pirate captain, Jack Dubbin, came aboard for a game of cards in his captain’s cabin.
But the two women didn’t remain pirates that entire time.
The combined dual forces of Jonto’s fleet and Jack’s thirty-cannon galleon caught the attention of a little-known king from a small but picturesque kingdom fighting off a maritime invasion by a bigger, bullying monarchy.
Jonto had been offered a flag of truce by the flagship of the King’s fleet and once the other ship’s captain had come aboard the Jest, he let Jonto know that her presence had been requested by the King.
After taking precautions against treachery by arranging her ships in such a way as to present an undeniable threat to the little kingdom’s maritime fleet, Jonto found herself sitting at one end of a heavy, wooden table, looking at an apprehensive, restless ruler seated at the other end.
The man had a youthful appearance, enhanced by a head of curly blonde hair, the slightest wisps of a beard, and long, delicate lashes any woman would be proud to own.
Jonto had a good idea of what would be asked of her, and she’d had a long talk with Jack and Nico about what the King might request and what they should ask in return for the services of their combined fleets.
The King proposed precisely what they expected, and Jonto responded without hesitation. “Your Majesty, while we’re more than willing to help repel your enemies and are well-equipped to sink their entire fleet, I only ask a few boons in return.”
The King glanced around at his assembled counselors. Twelve men dressed in their courtly finest sat on either side of a heavy rectangular table. Twelve colorful, vibrantly decorated pennants representing each counselor’s familial crest hung behind their respective chairs.
Even Jonto was impressed by the one hanging on the wall behind the King.
The figure depicted a lion standing with all four feet on the ground while looking over one muscular shoulder.
The artist had given the beast a golden crown, accentuating a remarkably regal expression as it gazed out into the room, judging anyone who dared come near.
Jonto watched as the men silently communicated with their King.
Everyone was well aware that hiring Jonto and her fleet was an expensive undertaking worth more than they had in their coffers.
Trying not to show his apprehension, King Jaydon raised his brows, rested his elbows on the arms of his chair, and clasped shaking hands in front of his chest to steady them. “And just what might that boon entail?”
What he didn’t realize was that Jonto’s survival in the brutal life she lived on the sea had forced her to become adept at quickly reading subtle clues in a person’s body language and nervous mannerisms. Though the King tried to portray a calm, controlled exterior, dealing with the infamous pirate king had his knuckles going white in those stiffly clasped hands.
Oh, you’re desperate men, Jonto privately thought, and desperate men are quite easily manipulated into doing exactly as I demand.
She folded her hands on the table and leaned on her forearms. “You have a beautiful kingdom here. Verdant grasslands, enormous cliffs overlooking the sea, and forests full of game animals.” She got right to the point.
“What I’m asking is this. While Captain Dubbin and I aren’t ready to reef our sails and quit the sea, we’d both like to own land here in your Kingdom. ”
She had a habit of using her hands to illustrate her point, and without lifting her forearms from the table, she opened her hands and held her palms up to illustrate the logic of her words.
“I think you’ll agree that repelling this attack will be an expensive venture on your part, an undertaking we all know will be impossible without our help. ”