They had a couple hours left, she could contain her OCDs for a bit longer. There was no need to be scared of what was happening between them, because she was leaving and probably never coming back. The thought comforted her, relaxed her enough to take a deep, fortifying breath. Running her fingers through her hair to give it a more flirty look, she squared her shoulders and went to meet him.
It was a ghost town above deck. Standing in shadow, she studied the empty stretch of ship, at the yards and yards of rope hanging everywhere, at the crates and barrels. In all the time she’d been here, she’d never really taken the opportunity to study his boat.
It was all wood, and iron. Or at least she thought it was, she had no clue what kind of metal was what, but it was black and looked like the stuff she’d seen in the movies. Old-fashioned looking lanterns swung overhead, casting flickering flame light along the deck. Actually the boat sort of reminded her of the ones she’d seen in old pirate movies.
But what was really weird to her, was that though she heard the men moving around, and even occasionally saw them, she had no clue where they went when they weren’t working the ship. The captain had literally made them all disappear. Apart from Monroe Smee she’d never even spoken to one.
“You have stolen the very breath from my body.”
Hook’s whiskey deep drawl made her jump, she twirled grabbing her thumping chest and did a sort of stutter laugh.
“You scared me.” Taking his proffered arm, she moved in next to him, enjoying the clean, male scent of his body. “Where is everybody?”
The ship creaked as it listed on the waters. “I’ve given them leave. I did not wish to share our time with a bunch of scallywags.”
Gazing out at the inky black sea, she couldn’t understand. There was no land as far as her eye could see. And she hadn’t heard anyone below deck when she’d made her way down the long hall. So where’d they go? “But, we’re on a ship in the middle of nowhere. Where exactly did you send them? I didn’t hear anyone below deck.”
His lips quirked and her pulse fluttered like a hummingbird’s wing in the back of her throat. He had such a nice mouth, especially when he using it to tug on her nipples. The wicked thought made her stomach curl and she had to fight the instinct to just tell him ‘screw it, take me back to the room.’
Walking her toward the wheel, he patted her hand. His skin was so warm, felt so good against her cool flesh.
“This ship is like a portal. With a mere command, I can move between realms, it can even hover over land. That part of your book is right. I have sailed through London’s maze, seen the wonder of the pyramids, and the majesty of the great wall.”
“You can travel to Earth?”
Stopping, he turned to her, pulling her hands to his chest. Brushing a curl of hair behind her ear with his hook, his black gaze mesmerized her, she could see the stars in them again. A shower of them, as if falling from the heavens.
“I’ve only to think where and what I’d like to see and it would be done. Tell me, little bird, where do you come from?”
She licked her lips as everything inside her quaked. “A little podunk place called Lebanon, Missouri. Ever heard of it?” Lifting a brow in challenge, she waited for his denial.
Instead, he nodded. “I’ve heard of it. The same place Huckleberry Finn hailed from? Missouri.”
Always surprised by him, which she shouldn’t be anymore, she chuckled. “Yes, he lived in Missouri. And just like Huck, I can’t wait to leave. But for some reason, I can never seem to leave.”
Leading her to a small table and chairs she hadn’t spotted before, he helped her to sit. “But you have left.” Taking the chair beside her, he pounded his palm on the table and suddenly two plates appeared and they were full of food.
His plate had a turkey leg, with roasted vegetables on the side and all of it dripping in a brown gravy. The smell of rosemary and sage made her mouth water and her stomach grumble, suddenly aware of just how hungry she was.
She hadn’t eaten much since being here. It was weird, because when she wasn’t around food, she didn’t miss it. But the second she saw it she felt half starved.
Her plate was different than his. On hers sat a large bed of steamed shrimp and small bowl of cocktail sauce.
“I did not know what you’d like, I hope I ordered well. If not, you simply have to think what you want and it will appear.”
“Oh no,” she shook her head, “I love shrimp. It’s my favorite. Good guess.”
Appearing shy for a moment, he grabbed his turkey leg. “Actually, it was Talia’s favorite too. I just hoped…” he let his thoughts dangle, as if unsure whether to speak about Talia to her.
But she wasn’t offended. Being with Hook, it was different. Unlike everyone else that kept wanting her to turn into Talia again, he was the only one who seemed content with who she was now. Shrugging, she picked one up by the tail.