Page 18 of A Flash of Golden Fire

“Perhaps you shall.”

“But…when will you know?”

“Hmm. Well, perhaps tomorrow. Or the next day.” He gazed down at me with blithe curiosity. “You’ll wait for me to decide, won’t you?”

I wanted to say no, I wouldn’t fucking wait for him. What kind of a mad fellow did he take me for? He could go fuck himself.

But what I said was “Yes.”

*

Ibarely lasted two more days as I waited on tenterhooks with my needs rising again. He hadn’t technically told me to keep my hands off myself, but I did—out of some misguided need to prove myself or prove I could obey. I tried to focus on the animals, and that did help, but they were hardly a distraction from my lustful thoughts of the captain.

Finally, I’d had enough.

The animals were my only solace. Perhaps they could be my salvation.

I glanced around to make sure nobody was nearby, then casually undid the knot in Lilith’s tie down.

“Oh, Lilith, look. Your rope’s come undone. You’re free.”

She didn’t move.

“Lilith. Don’t you want to run up on deck and cause mayhem?”

She grunted and chewed on the frayed end of the unbound rope.

“For fuck’s sake.”

I looked around again, then slapped her on her flank—not too hard, but enough to get her moving. She bleated with indignation and took off for the stairs to the deck.

I gave her a bit of a head start and then went after her.

“Oh, Lilith, you stupid bloody goat!” I grouched, so nobody would know I’d set her loose. “Not again!”

As I ran up the steps, curses and cries came from on deck from crew who’d been startled by Lilith’s mad dash for freedom.

“Sorry, sorry. Pardon me. Excuse me,” I said, dodging bodies as I chased her. As I ran, supposedly with steadfast intent, I tried to glean where the captain was. I hoped he would spot me.

“Mr White!”

The familiar voice and stern tone assaulted me with waves of delight and welcome alarm. I didn’t care how mad he was, he’d seen and acknowledged me. Hopefully, he’d recall our conversation in the moonlight.

I stopped dead, leaving the goat to careen past the yardarm, and turned toward him. The rays of the sun made a kind of a halo around him as I squinted and brought my hand up to shield my eyes.

“Yes, Captain?” I asked, hearing the first strains of “Amazing Grace” play in my head.

“Get that blasted goat, put her away, and come to my rooms. We need to discuss containment, and how to manage errant beasts.”

As he spoke those words, he gazed at me in a way that left no question as to which errant beast he was referring. A thrill passed through me and my cock filled. Again.

“Yes, Captain,” I said, with plenty of false humility. Inwardly, I was jubilant. My plan had worked.

“Duncan, grab that bloody goat! Take her downstairs and tie her up, for fuck’s sake. I need to teach White how to do a proper knot.”

“Aye, Captain.”

I made my way downstairs. Boone was outside Captain Martin’s rooms, as usual.