Enslaved By The Ocean (Criminals Of The Ocean #1) Read online

  I shake my head weakly. “I…”

  My voice cracks, and I realize how much I’ve been holding in. Damn Jess for getting it out of me. It’s those big green eyes and the gentle features on her face. She’s just that kind of person; she makes you want to curl up and cry, just so she’ll hug you. She’s kind of addictive. I let my body relax into hers just a little, and she rubs my shoulders gently, giving me a comforting feeling.

  “What’s happening? Come on, come into my room and talk to me, I have a few minutes.”

  I nod, and she leads me down the hall to her room. When we get in, I peer around. She has a small room like most of the guys, but hers is cleaner, and cozier. There’s a small bed, not quite a single size, in the corner and an old, wooden desk by the small rounded window. I walk over to the bed, and sit down. She has a faded pink comforter covering it, and I have the sudden urge to wrap myself in it.

  “Is it Hendrix?” she asks, sitting down beside me.

  “Last night…I got drunk and…God…”

  “What happened?” she asks, turning toward me and crossing her legs on the bed. I do the same until we’re facing each other.

  “Well, I took your advice and decided to join in and get to know the crew. I got a little drunk and Hendrix took me back to his room. We didn’t sleep together, but…”

  “But,” she urges, her big green eyes wide.

  “We…fooled around.”

  “Fooled around how?”

  My cheeks grow rosy, and I stare down at my hands. “I…oh God, I can’t say it.”

  “It’s nothing I haven’t heard or experienced on this ship, Indi.”

  “It was all hands…”

  Her eyes widen. “You got him off…with your hands?”

  “Kind of. And grinding. It was an extremely erotic moment, and then afterwards he turned and stormed out.”

  “You’re his captive,” she says gently. “He’s freaking out. Don’t give up, the fact he let you get close to him…”

  “It’s not like it’s hard,” I interrupt.

  Jess shakes her head. “It is hard, Indi. The only reason he fucks Senny is because he needs something out here. There’s no connection, and he sure as hell doesn’t care about her. She’s easy, it’s as simple as it gets.”

  “Do you suppose he thinks I’m easy, too?”

  She shakes her head. “No, he looks at you differently.”

  “How so?”

  She shrugs, tucking a long, thick lock of hair behind her ear. “He just does. He watches you, and his eyes seem to glaze over. He’s interested, there’s a spark for him. Don’t give up.”

  I cling to her words, because they give me a small moment of hope.

  “I saw him earlier, he refused to talk about it. There’s a storm coming, so I think his mind is elsewhere.”

  “Oh, I hope so.”

  I scrunch my brow in confusion. “You hope so?”

  “If there’s a storm, we get to dock on some pretty islands. We get a few days of swimming and peace before we have to get back on this ship. I crave those days.”

  “It does sound kind of nice, but I’m scared…”

  She reaches across and takes my hand. “Don’t be, Hendrix always gets us out before it starts.”

  “He said the island is a fair way away.”

  She smiles. “It’s okay, I promise.”

  I hear the howling of the wind outside, and I detach my fingers from Jess’s and wrap my arms around myself. I hope she’s right; I’m not a huge fan of thunder. It’s kind of like my weakness.

  “I should get back to work. Go through my drawers and find yourself a jacket so that you don’t get cold. The wind will be freezing.”

  “Thanks, Jess.”

  She smiles. “Anytime, I’m always here.”

  When she’s gone, I walk over to the window and watch the clouds rolling in.

  I hope she’s right about this storm.

  And Hendrix.

  The wind howls, and the ship rocks from side to side. I wrap my arms around myself, and my heart thumps wildly. I’m frightened. For the past two hours I’ve watched the storm near closer, I’ve watched the waves rise and crash against the side of the ship. I’ve watched the lightning hitting the water and making a sound so loud my ears are throbbing in pain. Eric is above deck now, and we’re all in the dining room, waiting for the ship to come close enough to the island.

  Jess is huddled up beside me, her hand firmly in mine. Eric has his arms around me, and he’s holding me tightly, so tightly I can hardly breathe. I’m not sure if that’s because it’s been over a week since we’ve touched, or if it’s because he’s scared. The other pirates even seem to have a level of concern on their faces. Some of them are pacing, some drinking, some chatting frantically amongst themselves. We’re all waiting on Hendrix, who has been in the navigation office now for twenty minutes with Drake, trying to get us closer.

  “Do you think he’s okay?” I whisper to Jess.

  “He’s okay, he doesn’t come in usually, not until he’s got an answer, at least.”

  “I hope something hasn’t happ…”

  I’m cut off because GG yells out, “Here he is!”

  We turn, and see Hendrix come through the dining room door. He’s soaked and he’s shivering, likely from a mix of adrenalin and cold. He walks over to us all, and he quickly scans the room. His eyes fall on mine, and our gazes lock, before he lifts his head and announces our plans. “We’re close enough to get off, but it won’t be easy. Buddy up; we’re going off the left side. Take something each, a blanket, a bag, a tent, I don’t care, just take something. The ship is close enough for us to anchor, but we’re going to have to wade through some water. We have ten, maybe fifteen minutes before the storm hits the island, if we’re lucky. I’ve managed to get south of it, for the moment. GG, you’re taking the prisoner.”

  I feel Eric stiffen beside me. “I’ll take Indi, she knows me.”

  Hendrix spins to him, and the look on his face is that of pure rage. “You’re not in any position to argue with me, boy. The girl comes with me.”

  The girl.

  The girl.

  That burns. Why does it burn?

  “I’ll go with someone else, I’m not doing anything with you,” I say, my voice wavering.

  Hendrix storms over, leaning down and meeting my gaze. “We’ve danced this dance before, inocencia,” he murmurs. “It’s time for some new moves. We don’t have time for this. You’re coming with me because you’re safest with me. Your little hero over there will drown you in a split second.”

  He lifts his head, leaving me struggling for calm. “Move!”

  The pirates scatter. Drake takes Jess, GG takes Eric, and they all buddy off and rush out. Hendrix takes my arm, and he pulls me out of the dining room. We power down the halls, him dragging me and me concentrating on making my legs move in time. He stops by his room, grips a rolled up sleeping bag from under the bed, and throws it over his shoulder. Lightening crackles in the background, and I begin to tremble.

  “I’m afraid,” I cry suddenly, before I can stop it.

  Hendrix stops, and turns. Surprising me, he reaches down and grips my face. “You’re just fine with me, okay? Just do as I ask. You’ll be okay.”

  I nod, chewing on my bottom lip like a maniac. He turns and pulls me up on deck. As soon as we step out, the rain crashes down over us and soaks us to our cores. I am shivering in seconds, and dodging people as Hendrix drags me toward the exit. I can hear tree branches snapping as the wind whips through, and I know we’re right on the island. Hendrix pulls out a flashlight, and flicks it on. It’s obviously waterproof because it doesn’t flicker off.

  He leads us over to the side of the ship, and I can’t see anything. All I can do is listen. I hear waves crashing against the side of the ship, and it’s rocking angrily. Pirates are climbing down the ladder and wading through the water, and I’m almost sure I catch a glimpse of Eric. Hendrix wraps an arm around me, and before
I know what’s happening, he pulls us over the side of the ship. I try as best I can to keep up with him and follow his instructions, but it’s near on impossible.

  The wind is too strong.

  The waves are too deadly.

  We hit the water with a crash, and somehow Hendrix manages to keep his arm around me. I cling to him now. I no longer care about acting strong. I wrap my arms and legs around him. The water is beyond freezing, to a point that it burns my skin, like someone is sticking me with tiny little pins. The salt burns my eyes as the waves crash over our heads. We surface, and I’m coughing so violently I’m fairly sure I’m about to lose a lung.

  “Good girl,” he yells over the wind. “Hold onto me.”

  I do.

  I hold on as tightly as I can. He wades through the water, pulling against the waves. All I can think about is the fact that, any second, lightning could hit the water and kill us all. It’s like I’m counting down the minutes, my chest seizing with fear, only I don’t know if and when it’s going to happen. My tears mix with the salt, and my lungs burn from the amount of water I’ve inhaled. I’m so cold I’m shaking, and the wind is so loud I can hardly hear anything over it.

  “Nearly there, good girl,” Hendrix says into my ear, in a soothing tone.

  He’s soothing me.

  Oh, God. He’s soothing me.

  When I feel the sand beneath us, I drop my feet only to put my foot down on something sharp. I cry out, lifting it back up. A burning pain shoots up my leg, and my foot begins to throb.

  “Shit, did you cut yourself?”

  “Yes,” I cry.

  “Just keep your legs around me, don’t put them down Indigo.”

  I lift my legs back up around his waist, and he continues fighting the wind and the rain until we’re finally on the sand. He doesn’t stop. He runs up toward the trees, the flashlight in one hand, the other hand hooked around me. I don’t know why he still has the sleeping bag over his shoulder; it’s no doubt soaked. He weaves through the trees, and I hear the sound of voices ahead.

  “We have a cover, boss, a cave,” someone calls.

  “Thank fuck,” he yells. “Is everyone here? Shout out your names.”

  One by one, they all call their names. When I hear Eric’s, my entire body goes weak. I can hear the crunching of boots, and I can see a faint light ahead. Every now and then I catch a glimpse of a face when Hendrix flashes his light. There’s still a few running towards the cave.

  “I need a shirt, something to tie her foot. She cut it,” Hendrix orders.

  “Here.”

  A moment later, a shirt is thrust toward us from the darkness. Hendrix catches it, and then shines the flashlight toward the dull light coming from the distance. He runs toward it just as the first crack of lightning hits the tree behind us. I scream, and he moves quicker, until he basically slides us into the small cave. As soon as the rain stops pounding against my skin, the shivering becomes violent. Hendrix lowers us down against the wall of the cave until we’re both on the ground. I can hear the rustling and frantic chatting around us, but I can’t focus on it, I’m shaking so hard.

  “You’re fuckin’ freezing,” Hendrix murmurs, shifting me until I’m tucked into his side.

  “We’ve got blankets, Cap.”

  “I got one,” he says.

  “It’s s…s…soaked,” I rasp.

  “Waterproof cover,” he says, placing the flashlight down, dropping the sleeping bag off his shoulder and then reaching for the shirt.

  I hear a tearing sound, and then he shines the torch on my foot. I see blood as soon as it flashes across my skin, and I turn my eyes away quickly.

  “Deep gash,” he says, turning my foot from side to side.

  I don’t say anything; I just sit, shivering, as he ties the torn strand of shirt around my foot. When he’s done, he shines the torch around the crew. “Everyone got something warm?”

  They all mutter a “yeah.”

  “Get some sleep; this will be a long one.”

  He grips me and all our things, and slides us right to the far left corner where it’s quieter. The wind is howling outside, and the rain is hammering down so hard I can hear the droplets against the stones. The thunder crackles through the sky, and I can hear the faint sounds of the crewmembers trying to talk over it.

  “Shirt off,” Hendrix says suddenly.

  “What?” I rasp.

  “You need to get those clothes off, trust me. You won’t dry in here, and you’ll freeze.”

  “But…”

  “Just do as you’re fucking told,” he barks.

  I quickly grip my shirt and pull it over my head, and then I discard my soaked jeans. Hendrix rips his shirt off, and shuffles out of his jeans, too, before opening the sleeping bag and rolling it out. He gets in, unzips it, and opens it up for me.

  “Y…y…you want me to get in there…with you?”

  “Survival. Trust me, I’m not happy about it either, but it works.”

  My teeth clatter together as I hesitate.

  “Don’t play with me, Indi, just get in.”

  “Do it, Indi,” I hear Jess say from the darkness. “Please.”

  “Indi,” Eric pleads. “Don’t.”

  “Oh for fuck’s sakes,” Hendrix grumbles, reaching out, gripping my arm and pulling me down.

  I go easily. It’s hard not to when you’re so cold. He pulls me into his side and then throws the blanket over us. I stiffen for the longest moment, unable to feel anything but his cool body against mine, but that soon begins to turn warm and my shivering stops. Exhaustion washes over me, and I drop my head into his arm, smelling the seawater on his skin.

  “Not such a stupid idea now, is it?” he murmurs.

  “No,” I whisper.

  His fingers slide up my back, where he begins to rub my skin.

  “Is your foot hurting?”

  I concentrate for a moment on the ache in my foot; it’s not too bad. “It’s dealable.”

  “Try and get some sleep. This storm ain’t going anywhere for tonight, and we usually have a solid day’s work to tidy up the ship.”

  I nod into his shoulder, and close my eyes. As I begin to drift off, I begin sliding my fingers over the hard, warm muscles on his stomach. I don’t realize I’m doing it; it’s just a semi-conscious movement. My eyelids feel heavy, but my fingers keep moving, sliding up and down, around and around. It’s only when Hendrix makes a throaty sound that I blink a few times, and realize my fingers are off in their own little world. I instantly stop them, and heat rises up in my cheeks. Shit.

  “Don’t stop,” he whispers, so quietly I can barely hear him.

  I start up the gentle stroking again, over and over, around and around, until I can feel him panting beside me, his body tight and firm. He’s enjoying it, and when I shift and feel the throb between my legs, I realize I am, too. I roll slightly, and I feel his fingers splay out over my belly. Oh, God. Are we doing this? In the pouring rain, in a cave full of pirates? I bite my lip, knowing I should stop him, but also knowing I can’t.

  His fingers slide down lower, finding my panties. I hold my breath, and keep moving my fingers over his hard stomach. When he slides his fingers inside, I stiffen all over and bite my lip even harder to avoid crying out. He reaches down between my legs, parting my folds with his fingers before finding my clit. Oh. God. His thumb makes big, firm circles around the aching nub as his forefinger edges lower, finding my entrance that is already damp for him. Oh shit, I should be stopping this. I should be, but…

  Oh, God.

  He slides a finger inside me.

  I stiffen all over, and his other hand grips my head, turning my face so it’s pressed against his chest. He holds me there, making sure I don’t scream and let the entire cave know he’s got his finger deep inside me. He slides it out, before plunging it back in. My back arches, and my legs begin to quake. It takes every ounce of willpower inside of me not to scream. I’m biting my lip so hard I can taste blood, but
I don’t care. God, I don’t care.

  His thumb makes bigger circles, and, like a desperate, horny teenager, I plunge my hand into his boxers to find his erect cock. He stiffens, and sucks in a deep breath, but no noise escapes his throat. He begins fucking me harder with his fingers, circling my clit faster and faster. I match the pace with his cock. My hand works up and down frantically, desperately, wanting so much more. I’m on the edge, ready to go over. My entire body fills with warmth, and I can’t hold back a second longer.

  I turn my head, and release my lip before biting down onto the flesh on his chest. I come so hard my body jerks, and my teeth draw blood. I feel him stiffen, make a hissing sound, and then he’s coming too, hot spurts of semen filling my palm. His body is rigid, mine is convulsing, yet we’re both utterly silent. I release his chest, and slowly exhale a shaky breath as I slide my hand from his boxers. I find a stray corner of the blanket, and I wipe his release away.

  He slides his hands from my panties, and I hear him suck my arousal off. I want to whimper and roll, straddling him and fucking him so damned hard that both of us pass out, but I know I can’t. I just can’t. I have to do this right. I have to know he wants me. We both lay in silence, and I resume my position of lying against his chest, listening to his heart slowly stop thudding and I know…I just know…

  What started out as a way of escape has just become something more to me.

  Something so much more.

  How the hell am I supposed to keep playing a game when I no longer care for the rules?

  Hoist the colors!

  I wake in the morning, and I feel a hard hot body pressing against mine. My entire body begins to tingle with the knowledge of Hendrix’s presence. My stomach does a little somersault. I let my mind go back to what went on last night, and my cheeks flush. We got frisky in the sleeping bag, like two teenagers. Like it was forbidden and we weren’t supposed to be doing it. Perhaps we weren’t. That’s why it feels like this. So wrong, so right, a mixture of emotion that blends in the oddest way.

  I move gently, and Hendrix’s arm slips off my stomach. He was holding me. Like I matter. I don’t matter; we both know that. So why is he here protecting me? Is it purely because he wants to make this deal, and he doesn’t want it to go bad if something happens to me, or is it because he cares more than he’s letting on? Are my seductions actually working? Or is it a connection that was going to happen, no matter how things went down? I’ve felt a spark since the moment I laid eyes on him. Does he feel it, too?