“More?My God, man, how long is this going to take?”As pleasant as the experience was, the procedure was taking longer than I’d anticipated.
He smiled at me sedately, holding the earthenware bowl and lathering up the shaving brush again.
“If you want something done properly, you don’t rush the process.”
I rolled my eyes.“Fuck, if that isn’t your entire philosophy.About everything.”
“You do know me well.”
I did, in fact.There was nothing he liked better than taking his time with me when we were intimate, making me wait and wait and wait for my release, whilst he took his own pleasure, often multiple times over.However, since for some reason I enjoyed being debased and used, we were a good match.
He lathered my face again and finished the shave.Afterwards, he cleaned me up and applied a soothing balm that smelled of camphor oil.
“There you are, my love.You look much better, and I won’t have to worry about the tickling when you see fit to swallow my…what do you call it—”
As if he didn’t know.
“—truncheon.”He flashed a smug grin as he removed the towel from below my neck.“Up you get.”
I sat up and touched my fingertips to my razored chin and cheeks as the captain handed me a looking glass.I took the carved handle and examined his work, turning from side to side to see the result.
“Oh, hell, I look right swank.Feels so soft.Thank you,” I said, passing the mirror back to him.“Shall I give up doing the job myself?”
“Perhaps not, but please do use my razor and accessories.”
“Well, I’ll have to, won’t I?Since you threw mine over the rail.”
“I’ll not have you using less-than-pristine implements on that pretty face.You are mine now, Simon Bartholomew White, and shall convey yourself appropriately.”
“Aye, aye, Captain.With pleasure.”
He leaned in and kissed me with a lazy, possessive air that thrilled me to my bones.
***
Ittookaboutnineweeks for theArrowto get us near the coast of the Americas.We’d been blessed with decent winds, very few storms, and generally fine weather.My nightmares kept up their occasional torment, and I was hoping that soon I’d have absolved myself of any remaining guilt for the incident at Cayonne, and would be free of them.
“Hillier said we should be in sight of land in a day or two, although with the skies as they are at the moment, we won’t have a chance at spotting the shoreline.”
Dinesh was out of bed and already putting on his clothes.I sat up, leaning back on one hand, blinking in the daylight.
“Ain’t we gonna lounge a bit?”I asked, trying to look alluring in my sleep-dishevelled state.“Now that I’m able to maintain such a well-shaved face?”
I ran the tip of my finger along my smooth chin, where I’d put his fancy razor and lotion to good use on a regular basis.
He grinned as he fastened his trousers and pulled on his boots.Then he walked over and sat on the bed beside me, touching my cheek with loving affection.
“You’ve done a good job at keeping yourself presentable.Considering how slow your beard is to grow, well, it’s still a weekly commitment, is it not?”He narrowed his eyes at me.“You didn’t lie to me about your years, did you?”
I snorted.“Aye, yes, I’m actually twelve, didn’t you notice?What the fuck, Dinesh?That ain’t so nice.I’m as manly as you.”
He raised his eyebrows, and I glared at him.
“Fuck you, the situation is due to my hair being red, I expect.Red-haired people don’t grow as much body hair.Or so I’ve been told.”
“By whom?”
I grinned.“Several of my previous lovers, in fact.So there.”
