Sail My Oceans Read online

  Lucy stood up, turning her back to them to look out at the stars. Devon found himself staring at the small of her back, the curve of her ass, the way her vivid curls of red and yellow caressed her shoulders. He wanted to throw Julius out of the room, lock the door, then take her right there against that window, letting the stars be their only audience. He shifted, thankful his pants were loose enough that they covered any evidence of his thoughts.

  “If I turned course, it’d still take three days to get to Prodigus.” She looked at them over her shoulder. “What services can you offer me? I can’t use a couple of loaf-abouts, but my crew and I can always use men willing to put themselves to work. Can you make yourself useful?”

  Julius frowned. “If anyone has time to teach us, we can do our best but—”

  “We can fuck you.” Devon’s voice carried over Julius’, drowning him out. “You're a beautiful woman, and you’ve made it quite apparent you’d like to try us out. We won’t be much use to your crew. You know that, and so do we. By the time we learned to do more than just get in the way, we’d be at Prodigus. But we can warm your bed at night.”

  “Devon, I don’t think—” Julius’ protest was cut off with a raise of Lucy’s hand.

  “Deal.” Her voice was calm, unwavering. “But I get to choose who and when.”

  Chapter Three

  Julius followed Devon out of the captain’s room feeling numb with shock. He couldn’t believe Devon had proposed something like that. Oh sure, he’d been staring at her ass and imagining taking those pert breasts in his mouth the moment he set eyes on her. But he’d never expected anything to honestly come of it.

  No, he decided, it wasn’t Devon’s proposal that had him so shocked—it was the fact she’d accepted it. He would never have expected that. The idea of getting to have a roll with her was just too good to be true.

  And she chose me first!

  That really got him. He’d been certain that her acceptance of Devon’s offer meant she was only going to fuck him. Visions of spending the next three days roving this hulk of metal had danced somberly in his head. Until he’d heard her next words.

  “I get to choose who and when. I’ll set a course for Prodigus once Styx takes you to your new cabin. After dinner, I wish for Mr. Cartwright to visit so we can get to know each other better.” Lucy’s eyes had traveled over him like a starving beggar at a buffet, and his cock swelled so fast it almost left him dizzy with anticipation.

  She’d ushered them out not long afterward, instructing Styx that the situation had changed and they were striking a course for Prodigus. Styx nodded, then gestured for the men to follow him. Moments later the intercom system beeped on with Lucy’s voice announcing a ‘change in plans’ and informing the crew of the new destination. Julius felt extreme relief when he heard the announcement.

  They traversed on through hallways, up and down ladders, and across a deck covered in a hemispheric bubble until Julius knew he was lost. He began to worry that they were going to traverse this damn hulk of metal for hours. Relief filled Julius when Styx stopped in front of a metal door that looked like any of the others they had passed. “This is your lodging for now. My cabin is next door.” He pointed to the left. “I’m a light sleeper. Mess hall is straight down the way there. Mess is at seven, noon, and seven again. Even then, cook always keeps something out if you’re too busy to make it to mess.”

  He stepped back and eyed them for a moment before wrinkling his nose. “Showers and loos are across the hall.” He pointed at a larger door. “If I were you, I’d take a shower and get some decent clothes on, then head straight to mess. Don’t tarry or all of the good food will be gone.”

  Julius opened the door, glanced at the bunk beds and stepped in. “Where can we get clothes? We didn’t exactly get left in jail with our personal effects.”

  To his surprise, Styx chuckled. “I think I can manage to roust each of you a pair of clothes from the crew. Towels are in the bathing room. When you get out, there will be clothes on the bunks.”

  Julius headed straight to the bathing room, grateful for a chance to clean up, and the improvement in technology, even if it was still a little outdated. The jail had only offered a meager washing bowl, and a hole to piss in. Couple that with wearing the same clothes for three days in a row, and he found himself wondering why the captain made a deal with them at all. He highly doubted he would have taken the risk if the situations were reversed. Well, it didn’t matter. He was getting ready to wash up and, gods willing, maybe even shave.

  When he entered, he offered a prayer of thanks. In the far corner was what appeared to be a vanity dresser and bench. He let out a breath of relief when he recognized it as a shaving station. “Damn Devon, being sold to pirates is much better than jail!”

  Devon let out a shaky laugh as he began stripping his clothes off. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that we're actually going home.”

  Julius peeled his shirt off, tossing it in a nearby trashcan without a second thought. “What possessed you to propose a deal like that? What the hell were you thinking?”

  “I was thinking that I wanted to go home, and I knew sex was the only thing I could offer her. Besides, you act like it’s a bad thing. If you don’t want to fuck her, then I’ll gladly do it enough for both of us.” Devon grinned at him. “Does her aggressiveness frighten you that much?”

  Julius bristled at the insult, his fists clenching. “I’m looking forward to it! Just surprised that she accepted the deal. I thought for certain we were headed straight for Madari.”

  “Well, we don’t need to worry about that now,” Devon said as he kicked his boxers and pants off. He stepped in the shower stall, pressed a button to turn it on, and gave an audible groan. “The technology is a bit old in the bathrooms, but nothing beats a good hot shower.”

  Julius couldn’t have agreed more. The shower automatically turned itself off much too soon for their liking. But they got out, bearing in mind Styx’s warning about the good food disappearing. At Julius’ insistence, they stopped long enough to shave before heading to their rooms to get dressed.

  Clean clothes, in the form of black pants and a cotton buttoned down shirt, were indeed waiting on the bottom bunk. Julius dressed in a deep green shirt, while Devon pulled on a red one. Then they left in the hopes of finding some food still in the dining area.

  The mess hall was a nightmare. The entire crew filled the room, jostling and talking with each other. A few card games were in progress at tables in the corners. Julius found himself wondering what happened when people were caught cheating. He didn’t imagine the captain had much patience with brawls, or cheating for that matter. She seemed to run a tight ship. But that didn’t always stop men from being men.

  Julius and Devon gathered their trays of food as fast as they could and wolfed it down like starved men while standing against a wall, then made a quick retreat to their room. In the quiet and solitude of their cabin, Julius began pacing in a nervous circle. Devon, who was stretched out on the bottom bunk, watched him with interest.

  “Getting cold feet?”

  Julius paused in his pacing to flip Devon off. He resumed, paced a few more times, before flopping on the foot of Devon’s bed with a growl. “This wait is killing me.”

  They both froze as footsteps echoed in the hallway outside of their cabin door. When the steps receded, Julius let out a growl. “Now I know how a woman feels when I’m taking her out for a date.”

  Devon snorted. “Not quite. This isn’t a romance affair, you know. This is just a fuck-fest in the form of a mutual deal. Not that I mind. The point is you might as well relax. I’m sure someone will be here to get you. Unless, of course, the good Captain has changed her mind.”

  Footsteps sounded in the hall again, this time stopping at their door. When a knock sounded, Julius let out a sigh of relief. He opened it to reveal Chiron’s hulking form.

  “Captain wants to see whichever one of you is called Julius.”
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br />   “That would be me.” Julius gave Devon a parting wave over his shoulder. “Enjoy your solitude, my dear friend.”

  “Hey, Julius.” Devon sat up and grinned at him. “Try not to get us thrown back in the brig, okay?”

  Julius, scowling, slammed the door closed and followed Chiron.

  ****

  Lucy paced her bedroom feeling restless and unnerved, her hands clasped behind her back. She had tried to wait, to not appear too eager, but it had been so long. Well, in truth it had only been about six months, but still, that was too long in her book.

  She often thought of finding a man to come aboard her ship as her consort. She knew other captains had at least two or three partners they kept aboard their ships. Now granted, all the other captains were male, and had female companions. It was easier, in Lucy’s opinion, to find a female consort than a male. Lucy avoided the temptation to search for a man to be her consort on the fear a man would become attached and complicate things, or worse yet, fight for leadership of her ship.

  Taking a moment to look over her room, she made sure everything was in its place and presentable. Red gauze hung from her four poster bed in the corner which was piled high with golden pillows on red silk sheets. She was such a sucker for silk.

  A table sat near some bay windows that allowed her to watch the night sky while she ate. Lucy Verr made rare appearances in the crew’s dining hall. She preferred the silent company of the stars with her meals. On the floor were miscellaneous rugs. There was no theme to the patterns or colors. She had a habit of adding one to her collection when she saw something she liked. It was far better than the cold metal floors that ran throughout the ship. Besides, the soft rugs under her bare feet made her feel soft and feminine. That was hard to achieve when she had a certain reputation to uphold.

  On the opposite side of the room from her bed was a desk. Lucy used this to access her personal computer without going to the office next door. Here she could check messages from contacts who had potential deals, or do a little bit of private surfing.

  A knock sounded on the door and she almost let out a sigh of relief. Finally, they were here. He was here. Lucy Verr could feel herself getting wet already, the liquid heat pooling against her silk panties. Trying to maintain her aloof disposition, or at least the illusion of it, she strode across the room and flung the door wide.

  At first she worried that the man had backed out. Only Chiron stood in her doorway. Before she could ask where Julius was, Chiron stepped to the side.

  He cleans up nicely!

  Lucy Verr beckoned him in without a word, knowing Chiron didn’t need any verbal orders. The men of her ship trusted her decisions. Most had come aboard when she was a teen, while she was still learning the ropes with her dad’s guidance. These men knew and loved her, had watched her grow up. Above all, they also respected her and knew that, like anyone, she had needs.

  Julius walked into the room, his admiration for her quarters visible. When she shut the door behind him, she turned in time to see his shoulders jerk. Lucy stifled a small smile. So the poor man was nervous. Well she could remedy that. Lucy hadn’t planned on letting him do much of the decision making anyway.

  She walked around him like a predator stalking its prey, her boots clicking on the floor despite the rugs. She was still wearing the black jeans and crimson corset from earlier. She unlaced the top a bit while facing him so that it showed off a generous amount of her breasts. Lucy Verr watched as his gaze slid from her face to her chest, and stayed there.

  “Do you want to taste them?” Her words were a throaty purr.

  Julius swallowed and nodded. “What color are your panties?” His voice was filled with need, and Lucy was pleased to see a bulge rapidly forming in the front of his jeans.

  “If you get on your knees, you can find out for yourself.” She felt a thrill go through her as she said it. Lucy wondered, for a moment, if he’d actually go down on his knees. She loved dominating men, but didn’t know Julius well enough to know if he liked to be dominated. Under normal circumstances it wouldn’t matter to her what her partner’s preference was, but she had to remind herself that Julius wasn’t a slave any longer. Technically, he was a business associate. That meant a certain level of give and take, regardless of how much Lucy desired otherwise.

  Julius stepped forward, closing the distance between them. His arms wrapped around her waist as he traced a line of fire with his tongue across the side of one of her breasts. It was exquisite. She found herself wrapping her arms around his neck, her breathing punctuated by small moans of pleasure.

  His hands left her waist, moving to unlace the rest of her corset. Julius pushed the fabric aside with an impatient tug, exposing her breasts. Before she could say anything, his fingertips were dancing up the small of her back and unfastening the bodice. The clasps slid apart, and cool air prickled along her skin as he slid the garment down her arms and let it fall to the floor, leaving her breasts completely exposed to his hungry gaze.

  His tongue flicked her nipple, eliciting a gasp from her. “More,” she demanded. “Take it in your mouth. I want to feel you suck it.”

  “As you wish, mistress.” Julius’ voice rumbled against her skin, causing her nipples to perk so hard it was almost painful.

  He went down on his knees, his head now comfortable at the height of her nipples. She felt his mouth close on her breast, his tongue swirling around her nipple, and wrapped her fingers in his hair. Oh, but it felt amazing, like a molten fire was consuming her breast and sending tendrils of flame to her core. No sex toy could give her this sensation, no matter how much she let her imagination run wild. Julius pulled away from her breast, but before she could protest, he placed the other one in his mouth, giving it the same warm greeting.

  His fingers trailed up her thighs, played with her waistband, came forward to find the button and zipper. Lucy felt the give at her waist as he unlatched her pants. When he started to tug on them, she gave his shoulders a gentle push backward.

  “I want your shirt off. Fair is fair.” She let her fingers run down his chest before circling them under his arms and tugging upward.

  Julius nodded, letting her pull him up. Slowly, as his gaze locked with hers, he unbuttoned his shirt. Lucy watched, almost hypnotized, as he revealed his chest through the parting cloth. Julius tossed his shirt to the side and stood there, letting her drink in the sight of him. He was toned, but not overly muscular. His firm body was smooth and slick, devoid of any chest hair. His nipples were tight, dark beacons on his pecs.

  Deciding to have her own fun, Lucy leaned forward and let her tongue slide across his nipple and up to his collar bone. Julius groaned under her touch, his fists tightening at his sides. Feeling catty, she pulled her head back and dragged her nails, with deliberate pressure, down his chest, stopping at his waist. She looked at the red trails with satisfaction and proceeded to lick each and every scratch, starting from his waist and ending just above his nipples.

  “Take your pants and shoes off. I want to see you naked.” Lucy’s voice rang with authority.

  “Yes, my lady.” To her satisfaction, Julius kicked his shoes off without hesitation.

  When he began to pull his pants down, she found her gaze riveted on his crotch. He didn’t cock tease her, didn’t give her a show like he had with his shirt. Instead he let them drop to his ankles, then stepped out of them. Lucy stared at him with disappointment. His legs were sexy enough, but what she wanted to see was still tucked safely away in the boxers he wore. She could see his need, but none of the details she craved.

  “Get those off.” She pointed at the offending piece of clothing with disdain.

  Julius shook his head, a playful smile crossing his features. “You aren’t playing fair, my lady. You still have pants and boots on. Our clothing ratio is hardly equal.”

  Lucy crossed her arms, staring at him with a raised eyebrow. She wasn’t about to let her own words be used against her. “I don’t care what you perceive as fair,
Julius. I want you naked, now.”

  He closed the distance between them again, his hands going to her hips. She expected him to begin trying to yank her pants off, but instead Julius leaned his head down and caught her mouth in a kiss. He smelled delicious, she decided, the spicy scent of his after shave teasing her nose. His fingers dug into her hips, drawing her closer to him. She could feel his hard length between them, pressed against her stomach.

  Julius slid his hands to her ass and, in a fluid movement, lifted Lucy up. Surprised, she automatically wrapped her legs around his waist and tightened her arms around his neck. With confident strides, he carried her to the bed.

  She considered protesting, but his body pressed against hers like this just felt too good. When he laid her on the bed and moved on top of her, she lifted her hips, grinding against him. He pulled away and, with a flick of the wrist, unzipped her boot and pulled it off. She started to rise up, intending to stop him. Julius pushed on her chest with gentle authority, laying her back on the mattress again. Within moments her other boot was off and thudding on the floor.

  “How can I see what color your panties are if your jeans are on?” he asked in a seductive tone.

  Lucy felt her pussy tighten in anticipation. She smiled at him, arching her hips to make it easier for her pants to be pulled off. “You did go down on your knees for me,” she admitted. “So I guess you earned that at least.”

  He smiled devilishly at her as he caught her waistband and began working it down her hips. “And what can I do to earn more?”

  She waited until her pants were off, revealing white panties that clung to her body and did little to cover the spill of golden and red curls. “You have to be very good with your tongue.”

  He knelt beside the bed, his fingers gripping the strings across her waist and slowly, ever so slowly, began to pull them down her body. Once he had them down to her knees, he leaned forward and began kissing her inner thigh. As he moved down, so did the panties. Julius’ lips felt like a hot brand of pleasure against her skin. When he kissed the side of Lucy’s ankle, she let out a soft moan, surprised that it felt so good.