Damned by Bec Botefuhr

five.”
    He looks hurt and then nods. “She picked my sister, left me. End of story.”
    “Oh Jax.”
    It makes sense now, why he refuses to fall in love, why he doesn’t trust women. His own mother left him on a ship as a little boy, alone, and no doubt frightened. She left his father, who Jax knew she adored, no wonder he had no faith in love.
    “Don’t. Don’t do that oh Jax crap. It’s life; I dealt with it.”
    “At five?”
    “I had no choice. It was my life, and I loved it.”
    “And you never missed your ma?”
    “Of course I did, but my father and the crew took care of me. I was where I belonged.”
    “And when did you become Captain?”
    “I was eighteen. My father went out to battle and never came back, after a year we knew he was dead and so I became Captain. I had to earn the trust and respect of my crew; it wasn’t easy.”
    “Didn’t they accept you?”
    “They did, but it’s hard to take orders from somebody younger than you.”
    “Are you really the youngest on your crew?”
    “A few are younger; most are older.”
    “Why did you choose to stay out and be a pirate after all these years and not just go and live as a normal man?”
    “What do you think I am doing right now?”
    “You said it was temporary.”
    “It is,” His green eyes meet mine, and I shiver. “I will go back out soon, I have things to finish.”
    “Don’t you become bored, living life on a ship?”
    “We don’t just float around kid, we fight, we kill, we search for treasures.”
    “Fight? Who?”
    “There is another two bands of pirates out there, one is my enemy. I have battled him for years. He has something I want; I have something he wants. Eventually, the fight will come forth, and we will battle it out. One will die.”
    I whimper and sound somewhat like a wounded puppy. “You could die?”
    “I could die every day I am out there.”
    I look down, feeling pain rush through my chest at the thought. He takes my chin into his hand and raises my face. “I am a pirate, it is risky.”
    I nod, swallowing repeatedly to stop myself from crying.
    “Now, don’t look like that…” He mutters, pressing a small kiss to my lips.
    “I can’t help it.”
    It begins to rain lightly, I hadn’t even noticed the clouds rolling in. I look up, then back at Jax and know at that moment, I wanted only one thing.
    “Jax…I want you.” I whisper.
    He tilts his head. “What here?”
    “Here.”
    I press my body against his and he pushes his lips onto mine. Hot sizzling emotions tear through me; his kiss is desperate, hungry and he tastes so damn good I would have happily died right there. He groans and presses my body further into his, dragging his lips down over my jaw and neck. I take hold of his shirt, yanking at it in a poor attempt at getting it off. He lets me go, slides it off then pulls me back towards him. His skin is hot; I press my hands to his chest, feeling his muscles move beneath them.
    “God, you’re so gorgeous.” I moan, trailing kisses over his shoulders.
    He makes a feral sound, then yanks my shirt up and over my head. Slowly, he reaches around and unhooks my bra, tossing it on the ground. My skin touches his, and the contact makes me shiver. He lowers his hands to my shorts and yanks them down; I step out of them just as he runs his fingers along the inside of my panties. I press myself closer to him. Suddenly, he lifts me and slams me against the closest wall. Managing to hold me, he lowers himself so my legs are around his shoulders and his head is directly between my legs. Oh god.
    “Jax…please….” I whimper.
    I can feel his hot breath on my flesh. He taunts me with a long, slow lick and I moan, throwing my head back. I tangle my fingers into his hair, yanking him closer. Another lick, then another, until I am gasping and begging. Fire erupts through my veins, jolting my body back to life and causing an orgasm to tear through me. When he finally stops, and I am still dazed from his