Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen- Day Four at Sea, the Afternoon

"What is your favorite time of day?" Dianna asked Josey, running her fingers through his hair as he lay his head on her lap. They were still lying in her bed naked, not having left the bed at all last night or even this morning to eat breakfast, and had been talking for the last half hour. They had started off with the simpler questions, like their favorite colors and pastimes, learning more about each other as the seconds ticked by. Now, they were asking more creative questions.

"Right now," Josey replied sleepily, holding her tightly as she played with his golden hair. They were both tired after all their love making, but they couldn't fall asleep. They were just too engrossed with each other to even think of losing consciousness.

Dianna giggled and said, "I like sunset. The sky is always so pretty, with all the different colors and shades. It's still light, but there's a hint of darkness, too. It's interesting."

"Just like you. You're obviously a happy, kind, sincere person, like the light. But you have a mysterious, dark side too." Josey said, lifting his head slightly to look into her eyes. Dianna winked at him.

"I suppose everyone has a dark side, no matter how kind they seem." Josey chuckled quietly and lay back down.

"Alright, what's your least favorite article of clothing?" Josey asked, continuing their question game.

"Corsets for sure. No matter how sensual you can make them seem, I can never breathe in those damned things." Dianna replied.

Josey laughed and said, "I don't like shirts. Their as confining to a man as corsets are to a woman I suppose."

"On you, I don't like shirts either." Dianna whispered mischievously.

"And there is that dark side again!" Josey said, sitting up to kiss her. She giggled before their lips touched, and then they kissed a slow, sweet kiss.

"Alright," Dianna whispered, pulling away. "What's your favorite object in the whole world?"

"You," Josey replied.

"Besides me! And I am not an object, sir, I am a lady." Dianna responded, smiling.

"I know you are," Josey whispered and growled with desire at the same time, making a line of kisses down her stomach and down towards her womanhood.

"Josey! I'm serious!" Dianna giggled and pushed him away. Josey stopped kissing her and looked up into her eyes, also laughing.

"Alright then, my ship." He finally replied. Dianna lay back and considered, then responded.

"My poetry books at home."

"Ah, Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." Josey quoted, his voice taking on a poetic, dreamy tone almost like he was serenading Dianna. She sat upright excitedly.

"You know Shakespeare?" She asked, recognizing the romantic line from one of William Shakespeare's plays.

"When I lived with my mum in the whorehouse, I didn't get much of an education at all. No schooling, or tutors. A lot of the men that came in to buy a woman for the night, including my mum, were poets and writers who needed a distraction while they couldn't think of what to write. Sometimes after they had their fill of my mother, they would see me hanging around and they would show me some of their writings, or a book of poetry by Shakespeare or some other famous writer. It's how I learned to read." Josey told her.

"That's sad in a way," Dianna replied quietly.

"Not really. It was a way for me to escape reality and to forget about things for a while."

"That's how I think of poetry, too." Dianna said. They lay quietly in each other's arms for awhile, reflecting. Then, Josey sighed and spoke.

"Alright, love," Josey said, pulling away slightly, "Aren't you hungry?"

"Just a little," Dianna admitted.

"Then we should probably get dressed and head downstairs. Come on, the men will be wondering." Josey said. Normally, neither of them would've minded the men knowing about them, but they had decided to keep Dianna's virginal reputation intact. They would be a secret for now, but only for a little while.

Dianna pulled her hair up on top of her head and held it there as Josey put her corset on her. He began to knot the strings behind her back, kissing her between her shoulder blades every so often. Dianna giggled and told him to stop, but he kept kissing her, sending warm shivers up her spine. She could feel her desire for him rise inside her again as he finished tying the corset. She turned to face him and was greeted with a hot kiss on her lips. Josey pulled her close as they got tangled up with each other. Josey had never kissed a woman and felt the way he did with Dianna. Kissing her was almost as good as making love to her; every time their lips touched, he felt lightning bolts zinging through his body, electrifying and energizing him.

After a few more feverish kisses, Dianna pulled away. "If we keep doing that, we'll never leave." She whispered into his ear, their faces and bodies still only millimeters apart.

"I change my mind then. I don't want to leave," Josey replied, leaning in for another kiss.

"Naughty!" Dianna called him, pushing him away before he could get his kiss, and laughing. She got off of the bed and began to pull her underskirts on. Josey pulled his trousers on and sat on the edge of the bed to pull his boots on. "I can't wait to see father. And to tell him about us."

Josey looked up at Dianna as she said this, suddenly becoming nervous. "Do you think he'll accept us?"

"Of course! Father loves me and he'll understand when I tell him I love you. Besides, you saved his daughter. That already guarantees that he will love you, too." Dianna said, smiling at him. She was about to grab a gown from her bag to throw on, when there was a knock on the door. Josey quickly hid under the bed, and Dianna scrambled to get into the bed. She threw the blankets on top of her and lay back quickly as the door opened.

"Morning, Dianna. Are you not feeling well? You haven't been down to breakfast nor lunch," Mack said as he stuck his head in from behind the door.

"Just a bit tired and groggy. But I'm fine, so you can go," Dianna told him, trying to sound convincing.

"Oh, good. Have you seen Josey by the way?"

"Not since last night at dinner. Why?" Dianna asked, her heart pounding as she begged God that Mack would leave soon.

"I was just going to tell him that the storm cleared up. The ocean looks fantastic! In fact, if we start sailing now, we can get you home by tomorrow afternoon!" Mack told her happily.

"Oh, that's great!" Dianna said, meaning it.

"I know! You'll be able to see your father again! And your fiancée!" With that, Mack left the room, closing the door behind him. Josey slowly got out from under the bed. He and Dianna looked at each other, suddenly not so happy.

Finally going home would mean Dianna marrying Arnold. Finally going home might mean the end of the best time of Dianna's life: being with Josey.

They had only been in love for a day, and already it was doomed, as if they were in one of Shakespeare's plays.

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