Chapter 3

Chapter Three - On the London Harbor, 1802

Captain Josey Thatcher exited the Crashing Waves Pub and Inn and breathed in the salty morning air. He had spent last night in not one, but two ladies' rooms, making them both very happy and sore. Of course, he had received immense pleasure from them both as well, but it was hard to get a big body like Josey's sore.

Josey Thatcher was about six and a half feet tall, maybe a little more, and he was buffer than a bull. His shirts were always either tight against his thickly muscled chest and arms, or he just walked around with no shirt. How could he when nothing fit him?

Josey casually walked by a food cart, and with no one realizing, stole an apple and a biscuit. He crammed the food into his thick, juicy-lipped mouth and went to a fountain to wash his face and get a cool drink. When he was done, he spotted his first mate, Mack Gallagher, talking with a busty, blonde woman.

She laughed at something he said as Josey approached them. The woman lost all sight of Mack when Josey came, instantly lost in the beauty of his upper body, which at the moment did not have a shirt enclosing it. Josey knew that just like every other woman, she wished his lower body was unclothed as well.

Josey smiled a sizzling and seductive smile and leaned in and whispered something in her ear. She giggled and winked at him before turning and heading back towards the shop she worked in. Josey gazed after her, admiring the roll of her hips.

"Oi!" Mack called, swatting Josey on the side of the head. Josey shrugged in response. "Don't you shrug at me! That was supposed to be my catch tonight!"

"Let's face it, Mack," Josey said in his husky, drawling voice, "you'll never get a catch as long as you stay with me." Mack wasn't bad-looking at all, with his dreamy blue eyes and adorably dimpled cheeks, but he didn't have Josey's body or enticing face. He had a child's beauty compared to Josey's meaty, manly handsomeness.

"Yeah, but I could try! Just cause you're captain, doesn't mean you get all the good ones." Mack muttered, his ego hurt.

"Cheer up, Mack! We're here for two more days. You'll find someone who wants you," Josey said and bellowed out a deep chuckle.

"Har, har, har." Mack imitated, still angry. Then he turned serious and asked, "Are you sure it's a good idea to stay for two more whole days? We're pirates, man. Thieves. What if one of us gets caught stealing a bite to eat, eh?"

"We'll be fine, Mack. Just today, tomorrow, and then the next day's morning, we'll be off to steal and deflower ladies from another town. We'll be fine," Josey repeated to Mack's uneasy expression. Mack sighed.

"Alright, I'll let the men know." Mack walked off to find Josey's crew of ten other men. Josey's stomach still grumbled, so he went off to find a more filling breakfast.

He found his opportunity at a little fish-n-chips stand on the pier. He hid behind a stack of shipping crates and watched as a husband and wife ran their business.

The husband was probably close to forty years of age, with graying hair and several bald spots. He was also very demanding and was constantly yelling at his wife. She was probably ten years younger than him, too old for Josey's usual taste, but he'd have to work with what he had. He waited for the husband to leave to unpack newly caught fish further down the pier, before emerging from behind his hiding spot and walking up to the cart.

The woman looked at Josey approaching, and it was as if her body was lit on fire. He was tall, tall, TALL, and so extremely buff. She noticed his pants were tight against his long, thick legs and his feet were hidden in black boots. Other than that, he was all skin. She was so happy his shirt was missing.

She blushed when he came up close to the cart and bent his head down so he was eye level with her. He had shoulder length golden hair and very dark, almost black, blue eyes. Her heart sped up.

"Hello, beautiful. What is your name?" He asked, in a deep, rumbling voice like thunder.

"L-Lavender" she answered, her voice quivering.

"Lavender. A pretty flower, but nothing compared to your elegant beauty." Josey said, but thought, Not true. Her face was puckered and her skin tone was uneven from standing in the sun all day, her eyes and hair color were dull. "My name is Jo."

"Jo..." The name rolled off her tongue and she smiled with longing. She quickly shook herself awake from an inappropriate and very erotic daydream and asked, "Did you want some fish-n-chips? It's cod."

"My favorite," 'Jo' said and smiled big, all white teeth glistening. She smiled back and quickly got a basket ready. She watched as Josey slowly ate his food, his beautiful mouth chewing it slowly, and almost seductively...

She blinked and looked at Josey, who had said something she hadn't heard.

"I said thank you," Josey repeated. "It was delicious." He smiled again. Then he slowly leaned in and kissed her cheek. It was only a small peck on her cheek, but she felt faint and woozy. She offered him another basket and he accepted.

After his third basket and a glass of beer, Josey sighed and looked at Lavender. He saw the husband walking back and knew he had to hurry.

"Thank you for such a filling meal," he leaned down so he was eye level with her. "You are such a sweet and beautiful woman, Lavender, and I just want to..."

Josey began leaning in very slowly and Lavender followed his lead. They were just millimeters apart when,

"Lavender! Come help and carry this fish!" He husband called. Lavender turned and shouted "Alright!" Over her shoulder. When she turned back around, Jo was gone and his three baskets of fish-n-chips and his beer were all unpaid for.

***

Josey let out a deep laugh when he was a block away from the fish cart. Never fails, he thought. Josey thought he could probably seduce himself out of jail if he wanted to.

Funny that Josey was thinking this exact thing as two men in guard uniforms grabbed him. Another man, tall, bald, and with a mustache stepped out and asked,

"Are you Captain Josey Thatcher?"

"Look, I was just hungry! I'll pay the fish lady!" Josey yelled. He really did not want to go to jail again. The man looked confused as his face crinkled up and his eyebrows came together.

"Well, I don't know about a fish lady, I just asked your name," the man responded. Josey felt confused himself, but agreed that his name was Josey Thatcher and he was captain of a pirate ship. The man grinned.

"Good. My name is Tobias Franklin, and I need you to come with me."

Josey was dragged, with difficulty, into a carriage and the doors were closed behind him. Tobias Franklin had taken a seat across from him.

"Are you a sheriff?" Josey asked as the carriage lurched forward.

"No, I'm a lawyer. And I need you to do something for me and for my friend," Tobias answered.

"What friend? What do you need me to do?" For the first time in a very long time, Josey felt uneasy and scared. Tobias grinned again.

"You'll see."

~