Ocean Blue Ch. 06

If there was ever a man in denial, it was Philip Montard. Katherine, gritted her teeth to keep her anger at bay. She knew that he was falling in love, just as she was, but he was too damn stubborn to admit it. Well, if he wouldn't say those words for himself, she'd just have to drag it out of him. She crossed the room quickly, pushing Philip the rest of the way against the mattress, straddling his hips in one smooth motion as she glared down at his surprised green eyes.

She grabbed his wrists as he reached out for her, she wouldn't let him touch her again until he changed his mind. She held down his wrists with a strength that was impressive, considering her slender form. She stared down at him with those deep blue eyes, prying into his mind and soul. From her position across his hips, she could feel that her actions weren't in vain, gaining the perfect reaction from him as she leaned down and left her lips hovering slightly over his.

"This is the only way that I can talk to you and make you listen." She whispered to him, never taking her eyes off his. "You won't make me go to Bega..."

"Beauty, I..." Philip's interruption was cut off when Katherine pressed her lips softly to his, a groan of frustration escaping his lips as his hips bucked ever so slightly. He had never had a woman do this to him before, practically drive him crazy. He tried to pull his wrists from her grasp, but found that in some strange way, he couldn't do it. Maybe it was because he enjoyed this too much.

"No, Philip." She murmured as she pulled back from the kiss, pressing down harder on his straining wrists. "You won't make me go to Bega because you love me. I can see it in your eyes. The way that you move, the way that you look at me like you're studying a painting, everything about you tells me this. Admit it."

Philip stared at her, his heart racing as she said that. It was true, of course it was, but he couldn't bring himself to say those words to her. Somewhere between his heart and his brain the words were caught, like a lump strangling him. "Beauty, I can't..." He tried again, his eyes widened as she let out a growl of anger.

"Yes, you can!" She shouted down at him, her nails digging into his wrists. It was then that something inside of her broke and the calm mask that had been her face twisted into an ugly saddened mess. "Yes, you can." She whispered softer this time, shaking her head slightly as tears rolled down the bridge of her nose and dropped onto Philip's face. "You are the only person in the world that can. If you don't love me, then say it, because my heart cannot take this anymore."

Philip felt like someone was squeezing his heart tight in his chest as he watched those blue eyes slowly start to break, all of the sadness and desperation coming through suddenly. 'Jesus, this shouldn't be so hard,' he thought to himself as he watched her lower her forehead to rest against his chest, the grip on his wrists loosening as Katherine started to sob.

Without a word, Philip pulled himself from her grasp, grabbing her around the waist and turning quickly to pin her underneath him, watching the tears as they rolled down her cheeks from startled eyes. He didn't want her to hurt anymore, that much was apparent, but there was something else there behind that want to protect. He was in love with Katherine Moore the person, where he was once in love with the legend of the woman before him.

"Beauty." He said softly, his hands softly tracing the sides of her jaw as he stared down into her eyes. "You have to trust me." He said as he leaned his head down, placing a feather soft kiss to her lips. "No one will hurt you." He whispered, kissing away her tears as she slowly stopped trembling.

Had he just admitted that he felt something for her? Her mind was spinning at that thought. None of that seemed to matter at the moment, the entire world slipping away when he kissed her. She wasn't expecting the tight hug that he wrapped her in, like she was the thing that was saving him from being set adrift at sea. She held still as he lowered his head, pressing his ear again her breast bone and staying like that for a long moment.

Philip listened to the pace of her heart, reminding himself that she wasn't just an object, but a person. A person with a heart that would break if he tried to make her go away...just as his would, he was sure. He lifted his head from her chest, looking down once more when a glint of metal caught his eye. He simply smiled as he saw that she was still wearing the necklace that he'd given her.

He leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers as he ran his hands gently over her curves. If he had to promise her the world, he was going to make sure that she remembered that very moment. He obviously didn't have the words to do it, but he could certainly show her in other ways.

It took mere moments to remove Katherine's clothing, a smile crossing Philip's face at the slight blush that crossed her cheeks. He could see her need to trust him deep in those blue eyes and his smile faded slightly as he leaned his forehead down to rest against hers, watching her expression change to confusion for a moment before a slight haze of pleasure took over as he gently traced the curve of a breast with his fingertips.

This feeling frightened Philip more than he cared to admit, like he was giving up a part of himself to the woman in front of him. Not that he minded in the least, but it meant that he would have to give something in return. Comfort was too little, he thought to himself as he cupped her small breast and gently feathered his thumb over the tip, watching as she gasped and pushed her breast against his hand. He could offer no less than love.

He watched as Katherine's eyes widened slightly, her entire body stilling beneath him as she slowly moved her hands to cup his cheeks. "Do you mean it, Philip?" She whispered softly, her hands snaking up into his hair, holding him gently.

He clenched his brow in confusion, his hands never pausing as he stroked along the length of her body, pausing at the fiery curls between her legs. It felt like someone had stolen all of the air in the cabin as he realized what he'd done. He hadn't just thought those words, but spoken them out loud. "I can't offer anything less." He murmured again, his heart being rewarded with a smile from Katherine as she groaned slightly when his fingers brushed against her slick flesh.

He teased her into a frenzy, his fingers playing and stroking until she twisted and turned on the bed. When he finally pulled himself out of his clothing and entered her, she was nearly out of her mind with need. He was gentle with her, loving, and those words were there on his lips when she finally came with a cry, fingers clenching in his hair.

"I love you, Katherine." She heard him murmur as she floated somewhere in the heavens. It was a short while later when she felt him pause in mid-stroke, groaning into the skin on her neck as he came in her, his heart pounding wildly. "I love you." He whispered again as her eyes struggled against exhaustion.

She'd heard the words and they weren't a dream. She gave him a lazy smile, her eyes finally closing as she felt him pull her close and hold her tightly to the solid wall of his chest. A soft kiss to her lips was the last thing that she knew before she passed into the world of dreams, feeling safe in the fact that her heart wouldn't be broken by the man that she loved.

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Philip gently kissed Katherine on the tip of the nose, watching her as she slept. She was so peaceful, like all of her worry just melted away. He traced a finger over the bridge of her nose, down over her lips and down her neck. He watched as the hand that lay curled near her face tensed for a second before she sighed and relaxed again. He had a decision to make and he wasn't terribly certain of the path that lay before him now. Before, she had been nothing but a bargaining chip, something to be traded, but now...now she was slowly becoming his life.

He placed another soft kiss on her forehead and slipped out of bed, looking out at the twilight sky as it turned purple and then slowly darkened to blue. He pulled on a pair of trousers and slipped on a shirt, not even bothering to tie it as he slipped into his boots and exited the cabin. The sea air was warm, the smell of salt heavy as a gentle wind blew. It was a perfect night.

Philip nodded good evening to the crew members that he passed as he made his way toward the wheel where Albert was charting the stars in the clear night sky. It was the first time they had been able to do this in a very long time.

"You and I have theengs to talk about." Albert said, not even looking up from his work as he heard Philip approach.

"And what would that be?" He asked as he dismissed the cabin boy and leaned against the railing to stare at his friend.

Albert made a few more notations on the paper and then set the quill pen down, turning his eyes towards Philip as he took a deep breath, wondering just how to broach the subject. "Bega has been spotted." He said, stabbing right to the point.

Philip masked his emotions, his face remaining impassive even though it felt like he'd been hit full force in the stomach. He casually looked at his fingernails, studying them in the lamplight from the lantern that Albert had strung up to write his charts. "How far away?"

"We passed a sheep no more than a few hours ago. Zhe captain said zhat Bega had been spotted a day away from here." Albert sighed and tried not to let his frustrations show through too much. He hated having Katherine here and putting her in that much danger. "News travels fast around here, you know zhat. Eet's only a matter of time before Bega meets zhat sheep and gets information. What do we do?" He asked, at a loss for what to do for the first time in his life.

Philip was silent for a long moment, thinking about all of the options that they had. Nothing could outrun the Ocean Blue. Lesser ships had been destroyed trying. He knew that with Katherine on board there was no way that they could bargain with Bega. That left one clear option. "Change our course." He said, looking at Albert with a hard determination in his eyes. "Bega would lose a day or two trying to figure out where we went. What can we reach in those few days?"

Albert racked his brain, quickly calculating where they were and what land they could get to in two days. "Possibly zhee coast of Africa. Maybe Italy, but I can't guarantee, Philippe."

"I'm not asking for a guarantee." Philip said, giving Albert a look that explained everything. "I want it done."

Albert took a deep breath and slowly released it, thinking over his options. He knew just how much Katherine meant to Philip, even before Philip ever knew himself. He knew that it was a very strong possibility that they change course suddenly, but now that they were faced with the daunting task, Albert wasn't sure of anything.

"I'll do my best, Philippe." He murmured, receiving a nod from his friend as he turned to head back towards his cabin as Albert gathered the crew to make the necessary changes.

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In the days following, everyone on the crew could notice the change taking over their captain. He wasn't sullen or angry anymore when it came to giving out orders. Instead, he was more like he use to be, the man that they'd all come to know in those first days when he'd taken control over the Interceptor.

Katherine turned out to be a very valuable tool, helping Albert to chart the stars, fixing things that went wrong on deck and not afraid to get her hands dirty in the least. Philip relished in the ability to watch her work, taking in everything that he could about her from the way that she bit her lower lip when frustrated to the way that she tugged on a loose piece of hair when she stared at the stars.

It was on the third day that the peaceful existence on the ship was completely shattered. Katherine was sitting on a small barrel, writing down co ordinance from Albert as he looked through a periscope for any familiar markings. From his calculations, they were within the coast of Italy, but it was a matter of getting their bearings. Anne, for the first time on the voyage, had gathered the courage to be seen on deck, staring over the railing at the water down below. Katherine paid her no attention as she worked, but she knew that Anne was lost for what to do. No one on this ship cared that she was a grand lady, to them, she was a spoiled brat. It had been amazing just how quiet she'd become in the nights after the storm.

Katherine looked up from the ledger that she was writing in, looking across the deck at Philip with a smile. He was shirtless, straining with the rest of the crew to hoist sails to catch the favorable wind that had begun blowing with the afternoon sun. She couldn't help but notice how his lean muscles moved in his back and arms, just how strong he appeared when he worked. It was a total contradiction to the man that she saw in the evenings.

Her attentions were rocked by the sound of a loud thud and she snapped her head back towards Albert. She looked in confusion at the wide-eyed fear on his face as the spyglass rolled around his feet, gently coming to a rest against the rail. He didn't even utter a word as he turned and started yelling for Philip. Katherine turned her attentions out towards sea, squinting in the bright light to try and see something.

"There's a ship." Anne said softly, startling Katherine slightly since she'd been silent this entire time.

"Where?" Katherine asked as she bent down and picked up the spyglass as the sounds of the deck behind them became louder as the crew was whipped into a frenzy.

"There." Anne said, pointing off to a tiny speck on the horizon. Katherine squinted her eyes to try and make it out, but it was almost unrecognizable on the blue waves.

She brought the spyglass to her eye, peering off into the distance as she focused on the dot on the horizon. The sight that she saw made her blood freeze in her veins and she struggled not to drop the glass just as Albert had done. She felt faint as all of her nightmares suddenly turned into reality in the space of a few seconds. The heavy metal spyglass fell from her boneless fingers as she swayed on her feet and slowly collapsed in a heap, the sounds of a scream meeting her ears before darkness surrounded her.

Philip was running up the steps when he heard Anne's scream, leaning next to Katherine as he tried to wake her. "How far away are they?" He called back to Albert, finally resorting to lifting Katherine in his arms and retreating towards his cabin.

"We can't out run zhem, Philippe, eef zhat ees what you are thinking." He said, hurrying after Philip as the crew was whipped into a frenzy. "She's just fainted." He murmured at the concerned look in Philip's eyes as he lay Katherine on the bunk.

Philip ran a hand over Katherine's cheek, feeling a stab of concern that didn't come from the fact that she had pass out. No, this was coming from the fact that the Ocean Blue had found them and was suddenly on the horizon.

"She can't be here when they board the ship." Philip said as Albert began to rummage through the desk for smelling salts.

"Philippe, what do you suggest we do with her?" He asked as he grabbed the small vial and popped the lid, waving it beneath her nose and watching as she groaned and tried to turn away from the smell. "Eet's not like we can put her in a boat and expect her to get safely to Italy." He pointed out, sighing in relief as Katherine's eyes opened, looking from him to Philip in confusion.

"My head hurts." She murmured as Philip helped her to sit up, sitting down beside her for support.

"Get the crew armed." Philip said, having made his final decision in the past few moments. "Tell them to act as if she was never on the ship. It's not something to joke about either. Bega wouldn't hesitate to kill us all if he thought we were lying." He said as a small whimper of fear came from Katherine at the mention of that name. He pulled her tighter to his side, letting her rest her head against his shoulder as his hand idly stroked her hair to calm her.

"Understood." Albert said, giving Katherine a reassuring smile as he moved quickly out of the cabin to inform the crew.

"Philip, this can't be happening." Katherine said, tears rolling down her cheeks as she pressed her face against his neck, smothering her sobs as she clung to him.

"Kit, it is and I'm sorry that it is, but we can't stop this." He murmured back, letting her cry as he tried to form a plan. He had to hide her somewhere on the ship. They were too far from land to row to shore. He cursed as he remember that he also had Anne to get to safety. "Beauty, look at me." He whispered as he took her face in his hands, gently stroking away her tears with his thumbs. "I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

Katherine sniffled, trying to get herself under control as she just nodded, trusting him completely. Philip leaned forward and press a kiss to her lips as the sound of men shouting outside gained his attention. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her over towards the closet, pushing her inside. She was shivering, shaking so hard that it looked as if she had a deep chill. Philip swore that he felt his heart break at the fearful look that was on her face as he reached out for the door.

Katherine shook with nerves and fright as Philip reached in and took her face between his hands, placing a reassuring kiss on her lips. Her blue eyes were wide with anxiety as he went to leave. "Beauty, please trust me." He murmured as he shut the door to the closet and bounded across the room to assess the situation. Katherine looked around the darkened space, listening to the sound from outside and praying that they wouldn't find her here.

The crew was quickly whipped into a fury, running back and forth across the deck as they readied themselves for the inevitable onslaught. Philip was on edge, shouting orders at everyone from his spot on deck, Albert watching everything calmly from his spot beside him.

"Maybe I was wrong? Maybe we could try and outrun zhem." Albert said simply, noting the look on Philip's face that said he'd already thought of and dismissed that idea.

"We have a faster ship, yes, but they have a more ruthless captain." As if to punctuate this point, the sound of gunfire sounded from the other ship. "And he's ordered them to fire on us."

Albert glanced at Philip with that, noting that he wasn't armed as usual. "And I see you won't."

"Never." He said, turning to look at his oldest friend, knowing that this might be the last time that they saw one another. "Because if we fight, we'd lose and if we lose..." He trailed off, leaving the words left unspoken.

"Eef we lose, you lose her." Albert finished for him, seeing the way that Philip ducked his head slightly and knew that he was right.

Philip slapped his friend on the shoulder and nodded, silently saying goodbye as he turned to go about his duties. He didn't get far before he noticed Anne standing at the railing, staring at the other ship. She was dangerously pale, her eyes wide with fright as if she had no idea what was going on.

"Anne?" He said softly, watching as she slowly turned her attention towards him. "You need to go hide." He said, keeping his voice low as she shook her head.

"They'd find me anyway." She said, her voice shaky with tears.

"They're not here for you." He tried to explain to her, but it was cut short by the high pitched squeal of wood scraping against wood. Snapping his eyes over towards the source of the sound, he saw that the other ship had caught up as crew members flooded onto the deck, many armed to the teeth for a fight that he certainly wasn't going to give them.