Amanda found herself kept busy for the rest of the day. Every time she thought she was about to get a spare moment to go and see what Sirius was up to, someone had some job that needed doing. Sirius didn’t turn up for lunch either. Apparently he’d had his brought up to the wheelhouse but when she went up there to see, he was already gone. Then Pierre handed her the wheel.

“Hey can you hold this a sec?”

“What?” she asked in surprise.

“Just for a sec. I need to take a shit.”

She glanced around but there was no one else there. “Sure,” she replied as she hesitantly took the wheel.”

“It’s easy, just keep it straight,” Pierre told her as he moved quickly toward the door.

“Hey, aren’t you supposed to have a second man in here when…” she trailed off. Pierre had already left. She turned back to the wheel and peered out. Up ahead through grey drizzle she could just make out some blue patches in the sky. Maybe the weather would clear up later?

It did but not before Pierre came back and told her that they wanted her in the hold. Apparently the pegasus was kicking up a fuss. Probably the lack of exercise. She went to go see what she could do about it.

That ate up most of her afternoon. She managed to get them to let her take it out for a ride just as the rain cleared but it was without Sirius. Apparently he was doing some important number crunching with Shiv in the library and wasn’t to be disturbed.

Sirius wasn’t at dinner either, but Shiv was. He caught her in the hallway afterward. Sensing a serious discussion Amanda jumped in first.

In a hushed voice so the rest of the crew around the corner couldn’t hear she told him, “Look, I know you don’t like that I’m here but I’m not the one who’s screwed you six ways from Sunday. That Sirena Silver dumped you with multiple dangerous creatures with no warning and a useless handler who nobody here likes. Some of those creatures could have sunk this ship or killed your crew and I’ve done nothing but help. And I appreciate the hospitality I’ve received from you all, I do. I know you weren’t expecting to have me on board, but I don’t understand why you’d deliver her something that she has no right to when she’s given you nothing but trouble?”

Shiv was silent and he waited until he was sure she was done before he replied in similarly lowered voice, “No, you don’t understand. That’s just the thing. You have no idea. And this ain’t just about the pegasus. That captain is one of the best captains we’ve ever had. These men’s lives rely on him. Half the jobs we get are because he’s the one doing the talking and you’re here toying with him for nothing but a winged horse.”

Amanda blinked. Now she understood what Shiv was worried about. She shook her head. “I’m not trying to take him away from you.”

“No? I ain’t stupid girl, and neither are you. I see the way he looks at you. Don’t tell me you don’t.”

“So what? That doesn’t mean there’s anything going on between us.”

“I see the way you look at him too. Or is that just a ploy and once you’ve well and truly seduced that pony out of him you’ll what? Jump ship and fly back home? Leave us with a broken-hearted Captain? How effective do you think he’ll be then?”

She stared at Shiv with her mouth open.

He continued. “Or are you going to hang around? Become a sailor? Join the crew.”

She jutted out her chin. “Okay, let’s say you’re right, assume there is something between Sirius and I, and I’m not saying there is, but assuming there was, why not? Why couldn’t I join? Is your crew too good for me?”

It was Shiv’s turn to stare in surprise now. Perhaps he hadn’t actually expected her to consider staying on board as an option. Then he laughed. He laughed like it was the most hilarious thing in the world.

He laughed so hard Amanda felt some of her pride taking a hit.

He shook his head. “You think this life is easy? Are you having fun so far, on your little cruise, because that’s what this is. Right now, it’s new, it novel, but give it six months, a year. It won’t be a fun little adventure then. Some of our trips take months. Months with barely a foot set on land. Do you miss the grass yet? You will. Months among stinky, sweaty, smelly, foul-mouth sailors eating the same food every day in and out. And the longer you leave it the worse it will be for him when you eventually do leave.”

“Fun? I nearly died last night,” she reminded him with her hands on her hips.

“Yeah, welcome to just another day on the open ocean,” he replied offhandedly. Then, considering the conversation done he swept right on past her without waiting for her reply.

And Amanda was left in the hallway to think about grass.

She went for a walk up to the deck. She’d heard the sky was almost completely clear now, not a cloud in it, quite the contrast to earlier. She knew it would be dark out but it didn’t matter. She’d given up on looking for Sirius and she felt like she could use some fresh air.

The air had a bite to it. Pierre had long since turned in for the night and Griff and another sailor had taken over. They gave her a friendly nod as she walked past. She waved back. Wanting a little more privacy she walked around the ship to the other end of the deck. There was a section at the rear that jutted up above the rest. It gave a nice view of where they had come from. It was up there that she climbed. It was up there that she finally found Sirius.

He was lying on the deck, on a thick looking blanket, and gazing up at the stars.

“You lied to me,” she told him playfully as she approached.

He rolled slightly on his side to look at her but he did not get up from his spot. “About what?” he asked.

“About the end to the story. There’s no cat. Just the boy left alone in the lighthouse forever doomed to listen to his family singing but unable to join them.”

He nodded and rolled back down. “My version’s better.”

She smiled. He said it with such confidence. And he was right. His version was better, happier. “Hey, I got to drive the ship today.”

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“What?!” This time he sat up properly and stared at her looking for the joke.

She smiled and then took a step closer to him. “Pierre had to take a shit.”

Sirius groaned and lay back down. Staring back up at the sky he exclaimed, “Bloody Hell!”

She laughed. Then she went quiet. She eyed the spot next to him. “Mind if I join you?”

He nodded at the area next to himself and then shifted himself over a little, even though there was plenty of room. “Be my guest.”

She lay down next to him and stared up at the sky. It was a good night and the stars were bright. “What are you doing out here?” she asked, even though she could guess. She’d seen the stars on his ceiling and all the books. “Navigating?” she teased, even though she could tell it was more to him than that.

She tilted her head slightly so she could see the side of his face. She watched as the corner of his mouth curled up in a smile. He was so close to her. She could almost reach out and touch him.

“Just looking at the sky. They’re so big but so far away you know and no matter where you are you can always see them.”

“Well, not always,” she replied. “They’re different in the northern hemisphere.”

“That’s true,” he agreed with a chuckle.

“Do you know all their names?” she asked.

“Not all of them.”

“What’s that one?” she asked pointing to the brightest one.

He chuckled again. “That’s Sirius. Canis Major.”

“Wait! Really?”

He laughed and turned his head to look at her. “You didn’t know that?”

She turned her head to face his. His emerald eyes shone like the stars up above. “No,” she laughed. “I mean, I knew it was one of them. I didn’t know it was that one.” She could feel his breath their faces we so close.

He rolled over more so his entire front was facing her and he stopped laughing. He just looked at her.

His look made her catch her breath. She rolled her own body sideways so they were both facing each other and in the process found herself even closer to him. Their lips were less than an inch from touching. She could feel the heat in her face and her heart beating almost like it wanted to run away and join a rock n roll band.

They stayed just like that until she could bear it no more and she pushed herself forward and kissed him. And he kissed her back. She reached out for him and felt his own arms grace hers.

He was so gentle but his touch sent electricity all through her body. Like a feather caressing a storm. Her hands found their way under his shirt where his skin was so warm. His fingers tickled her back. One of his hands wound it’s way under her body and placed itself on her lower back, then moved down until he was lightly cupping the top of one butt cheek. She ran her fingers over his face and through his beard, wanting to get to know every inch of him, and slowly so she could remember it later.

Eventually her fingers found their way down into his pants, and that was where he stopped her.

“Not out here,” he whispered as he gripped her hand only an inch above its intended destination.

At some point during their kissing he’d rolled onto his back and she’d been pulled half on top. He was so much bigger than her that she had no fear of squashing him. She looked down at him. “ Your cabin then?” she asked boldly.

He replied with nothing more than a smile and a glint in his eye.

He tugged her along swiftly by the hand, hesitating only when they reached the edge of the wheelhouse. He glanced at her. She smiled at him. He dropped her hand and then they both walked ever so casually around the front of the wheelhouse and down into the belly of the ship.

He grabbed her hand again the moment they were inside and out of sight. They resumed their quick pace toward his room.

They met no one on the way and the moment they were inside with the door closed he stopped and turned to face her, no longer in any rush.

For several moments he just looked at her and then he reached out and tugged her shirt up and over her head, just like he’d done the night before, only this time he didn’t look away. He stopped and stared at her breasts for so long that she had to undo her own bra. As she let it fall to the floor she heard him give a sharp intake of breath.

He was staring so hard that she self-consciously covered her belly with her arms. Her boobs were her best asset, her belly not so much. But he gently took her hands and then pulled them up to his mouth to kiss.

“No, you’re beautiful.”

She laughed softly, certain he was just being nice.

“I’m sorry, I’m staring.” His gaze found her face again. “You are though you know? Beautiful.” He dropped her hands to shake off his jacket which he threw over a nearby chair. His eyes never left hers.

He picked up her hands again and took a step back toward the bed but he didn’t pull her.

She took a step toward him.

He hesitated. “You err, you want the bottom or the top?”

Never in her life had anyone ever been quite so polite, especially not during this kind of situation. And the last time she had heard that question it had been at summer camp and about an entirely different type of bedding arrangement. She had to try hard not to laugh, certain that it was definitely not the appropriate response. Her smile did widen though and she eyed his chest as he pulled off his shirt and threw that aside. Dark hair covered it in a sort of T shape. A narrow line pointed down. She reached out and ran her hands through it and up.

“Oh, I don’t mind.” Then with a grin and a seductive glance up to meet his eyes, she side stepped away from the bed and then pushed him back onto it. He gave no resistance as she undid his pants, tugged everything down to the floor and then climbed on top.

Once there, however he grabbed her by the hips, lifted them both up with ease and rotated until they were in a more centered part of the bed. The sudden movement and the ease at which he did it startled her and sent her stomach a flutter.

Once he was comfortable she leaned forward and got lost in another kiss. Her red hair fell like a curtain about his face.

She felt him shift beneath her and bring himself upward, slowly, carefully, and ever so gently until the tip of him was just touching her.

This time she was the one who stopped him. She pulled back out of the kiss and raised butt up just an inch so she was out of his reach.

“Uh, condoms?” she inquired.

He blinked. Then realisation crossed his face, immediately followed by a look on concern.

His expression made her laugh. “Don’t tell me you don’t have a single one anywhere on this entire ship?”

His look turned thoughtful.

She bit her lip. “Well, I suppose it doesn’t really matt-”

She was cut off as with the ease with which one might move a feather, he picked her up and laid her gently on the bed beside himself. Then he sat up and made for his chest of drawers. “Hang on,” he told her.

She watched as he filtered through the contents of one drawer and then another. His position gave her a lovely view of his nicely toned bare arse but as her gaze worked it’s way up her thoughts turned from pleasure to curiosity.

Long white lines, criss-crossed his entire back. Faint scars, several years old, drawn on like a web that had been spun out of steel. Where they whip marks? Strikes from a sword? The former seemed more likely. She’d seen poorly treated horses that had marks like that. Owned by those who thought the lashings would get them to submit. She’d seen a glimpse of the edge of some of them before but she hadn’t imagined there would be quite so many. How had he gotten them?

Finally he turned triumphant, large smile plastered across his face as he held up a condom. His expression faded as he noticed the look on her face.

She quickly corrected the impression she was giving him.

He glanced at the condom in his hand with a thoughtful frown. “It might be a few years old,” he told her.

She shook her head and flashed him a smile. “I’m sure it’s fine.” Then her smiled faded. “You have more though right?”

He nodded confidently. “Somewhere.”

“Well, then, what are you waiting for?” She lay back, stretching herself out, not that she could stretch out that far being as short as she was but hey you did the best with what you had. She gave him her best come hither look.

He didn’t move. He just stood there with a satisfied smile on his face as his eyes took in every inch.

Impatiently she wiggled her hips. “Oh, come on then.”

He chuckled and climbed up on the bed.

Just as he was getting into position slowly above her she scrambled to the side and out from under him.

He gave her a confused look.

She replied confidently, “I’m on top though.”

He laughed. He turned sideways so he was sat on the bed looking at her and he replied teasingly, “I thought you didn’t mind?”

“Well I’ve decided now.” She poked the tip of her tongue out at him and smiled.

He cocked an eyebrow and started to move into lying position when she had a sudden impulse to grab one of the pillows and hit him with it.

She got him in the shoulder.

He looked at her in surprise, smile still stuck on his face.

She giggled.

He put an end to her giggles but grabbing her, kissing her, and then pulling her smoothly back on top.