Drabble Series: 'An Execrable Business' (35/?)

[dwgm]

500 words today, theme: "Lost". Many thanks to my dear hereswith for beta reading, editing, and excellent suggestions.

Previous bits...

1. Tortuga 2. Happiness 3. Festive 4. Last Minute 5. Calm 6. Truth 7. Bargain 8. Spook 9. Down 10. Wounds 11. Moon 12. Monsters

13. Beauty 14. Name 15. History 16. Service 17. Advice 18. Captain 19. Awe 20. Cross 21. "You've made a big mistake" 22. Heroism 23. Gold 24. Echo

25. Greed 26. Advance 27. Challenge 28. Adventure 29. Sentence 30. Treasure 31. North 32. Coat 33. Good and Evil 34. Sickness and Health

And here's today's...

35. Lost


~ An Execrable Business, continued...


“Oh!” she whispered, a shiver running through her, the feeling so intense she couldn't think what to do. Well, no. She was supposed to protest. Accordingly, she drew her brows together as he took her finger from his mouth, the air chilling its dampness, his kiss briefly heating it again . She said sternly, “You are a dangerous man!” But even as she said it she could feel the corners of her mouth tilting up.

He looked at her impishly. “You knew that.”

“Yes.” She couldn’t help smiling, but she had to ask. “Are you going to ravish me?”

The impish look vanished, and he said, rather tartly, “No! Lord, Bill would cut out me liver. And if he didn’t your relatives would, when I get you home.”

“Oh,” she said again, and found that she was extremely disappointed.

“Provided these relatives exist," he went on. "You haven’t even told me your real name, Miss Smith.”

“It’s Carlisle,” she said, immediately.

“Of the Carlisles?”

“My grandmother is a cousin, so I am twice removed, but yes.”

He looked impressed. Or wary.

“That won’t make any difference, will it?” she asked, suddenly regretting her impulsive wish to be honest with him. “I mean…”

He smiled slowly. “You mean what?”

Her own smile returned, and she lifted her hand, her finger… and dared to run it feather light over his plump lower lip. “I’ve never felt anything like that,” she confessed, staring at his mouth.

He caught the finger, the hand, and held it warm in his own. He said, rather primly, “I should think not.”

A gurgle of laughter escaped her. “No, but will you not show me more?”

“Nell…”

She went on, quickly, lightly, though she would perish if he wouldn’t consent. “I daresay you have been with a great many women, handsome as you are, and a pirate besides, and you will know just how to go about it.”

He raised a brow, her flattery having missed the mark entirely. “Haven’t been with a great many virgins, however.”

There was no use in denial. Or was there? She considered.

But his eyes narrowed, and he bent close. “If you lie to me, there’ll be consequences.” And his lips brushed her cheek.

She shivered again. “Consequences?” She turned her face, her lips were nearly touching his. Nearly.

And then were. He was kissing her, slow and soft, tasting with a flick of tongue against her lower lip, breathing deep. And when she reached up once more, to caress his cheek, and his sparse, neat beard, and kissed back with equal care, she felt that shiver run though him, and his breath stuttered.

He broke it off, and stared. Silence reigned for one uncertain moment until, suddenly frightened that she'd ruined it, she whispered, "Did I do it wrong?"

He gave a kind of desperate laugh, and closed his eyes. Then opened them again. "Nell, you're going to be the death of me. But by God, I'll die a happy man."


TBC...

Comments

[stealmybike.livejournal.com]

Sigh... this was wonderful! Such a long awaited intimate moment between the pair and you were able to capture it wait such delicacy.

"Did I do it wrong?"

I love Nell in this, so eager to learn more but so afraid that she's disappointing him when she's really not.

Great work!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I know it's long-awaited for us, but they've really only known each other a couple of days. *g* But you're right, Nell is quite enthralled with CJS. ;)

Thank you for commenting! I'm so glad you're enjoying it.

[luvvycat.livejournal.com]

Oh, my! *melting again*

Simply lovely chapter, from start to finish! Just perfectly done!

Jack is so tender here, and Nell is so sweet, but eager and curious as well. Nice she has the capacity to surprise Jack. Seizing the moment, as it were, and perhaps Jack's heart as well ...

And was that "desperate laugh" the sound of Jack's resolve flying out the window? ;-)

Beautiful!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

And was that "desperate laugh" the sound of Jack's resolve flying out the window?

Not quite all of it, at least at this point.

So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for letting me know. :)

[p0wdermonkey.livejournal.com]

The day Captain Jack Sparrow *almost* resisted temptation?

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I don't really think he's trying too hard. ;)

[mary684.livejournal.com]

Wonderful prompt for this one!

I’ve never felt anything like that...but will you not show me more?
I love Nell and I almost...almost feel sorry for Jack. Be difficult for the most stalwart of men to resist. *wonders what Jack will do*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

*wonders what Jack will do*

We'll find out before long. :)

I'm so glad you like Nell, too! Thank you for commenting. More in the morning!

[mary684.livejournal.com]

As your morning is hours behind my morning, I was forced to come in here and re-read this. *smirk* Happily, it owes nothing to novelty -- just as seductive as yesterday's read-through, perhaps even more so as I could slow down enough to savor each moment. You spin a fine tale, geekmama, and I'm enjoying this one. You've a knack for making Nell savvy and innocently sweet all at the same time. It's a charming combination, as I'm sure Jack has/is discovering.

Thanks for this story. Seems pretty quiet around the fandom these days and this has become a much anticipated and welcome addition to my day.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! I was thinking we all needed some post-holiday cheering up, and I'm having a lot of fun writing this. It's been a long time since I wrote a long story like this, and it's fun to feel that fire of enthusiasm for writing again.

Thank you so much for all your wonderful comments. I really appreciate them!

[pearlseed.livejournal.com]

"kissed back with equal care, she felt that shiver run though him, and his breath stuttered." Woman Power--what a fabulous moment when you discover that be all you can be stuff!

Well, now--got a bit warm for our captain Jack--I adore that Nell is so straightforward, so I love this and I want more. Jack is so straightforward, though his thinkin' I feel is more along the lines of how close can I cut this before I'm liver-less. What a dance this might prove to be if Hector weren't lurking. Thanks for sweet kisses, what I thought for this afternoon.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

what a fabulous moment when you discover that be all you can be stuff!

Yes, that's a wonderful moment, for sure. I expect there will be more along those lines as the voyage progresses. ;)

his thinkin' I feel is more along the lines of how close can I cut this before I'm liver-less.

There's actually a reference to said liver in the next bit. *g* And Hector is lurking, true. It's not all a bed of roses.

So glad you're enjoying it, though! More tomorrow morning. :)

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

That was delightful! Nell, in her words & actions, is almost as unpredictable as Jack ^^ - and she's a truly WONDERFUL character. She's both smart and venturesome, but at the same time timid and wary.

This is getting more & more amazing. Thank you so much for updating every day, it's so much JOY to read!! :)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I'm thrilled you're enjoying this! It's a lot of fun to write, for sure! Thank you again for the lovely comments. More in the morning. :)

[mycoffeemuse.livejournal.com]

Been lurking since chapter 1. Wow. about time... :)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

LOL!! Nothing like UST, is there? Things should speed up a little from here on out. ;) Thank you for letting me know you've been lurking (and hopefully enjoying).

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

HA! I knew it!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

*g*