What happens when you grow up

Chapter 5

Present day…

It wasn't until Tigerlily was halfway through getting redressed that she remembered the reason she had come to see James in the first place. He had a way of distracting her…

"We need to talk about Peter's initiation," she started, as she readjusted her skirt around her hips. "It's only a week away, and I want to make sure you're comfortable with your role."

"My role?" James repeated, sitting up on one elbow. He was still gloriously naked, and showing no intention of changing that.

"We talked about this, remember?" Tigerlily asked, reaching for her blouse. "Two days ago, at the waterfall…"

"Now, that's not fair," James replied, catching Tigerlily's wrist before she could snag her blouse. "All I remember from the waterfall was how unbelievably gorgeous you were, swimming naked in the lagoon." He sidled closer to her, kissing her wrist. "And how much you liked it when I..." He slipped her middle finger into his mouth, sucking insistently, and a pleasant wave of warmth washed over her. "And when I…"

He kissed her collarbone, flicking his tongue across her skin so lightly it felt like a raindrop. Tigerlily closed her eyes, settling back against the canvas, as a familiar ache started building up between her legs.

"And how you moaned when I…"

"James, we need to—" Tigerlily started, trying futilely to collect her thoughts. But then James reached her breast. He slid his tongue around her n****e, and a startled gasp of delight ripped from her lips. James pressed closer, sucking more of her breast into his mouth, while he began stroking her other n****e with a thumb. Her n*****s hardened, intensifying every stroke of sharp pleasure. She moaned helplessly as James nipped at her soft flesh, working her into a fever pitch of anxious desire. Thoughts of anything but him left her mind as she was overwhelmed with hot lust. Finally, she could take it no longer, and she pushed him over onto his back with almost frantic force, rolling on top of him and taking him inside of her. A bolt of unspeakable pleasure shot through her, which only built as she began rocking back and forth, settling him deeper and deeper inside of her. James clutched her desperately, his breath as erratic as hers. As the frenzied ache built within her, she was vaguely aware of James reaching his own completion and releasing inside of her. Then she was spiraling into her own sea of ecstasy, screaming his name over and over.

James lowered her down gently, still panting. As her mind cleared and the pleasure starting seeping away, she realized how pleasantly tired the whole encounter had left her.

James obviously felt the same way, starting to pull her close. "Sleep with me."

There was nothing Tigerlily wanted more, but she had to get those details nailed down for Peter's initiation. So she held up a hand. "In a minute. First, Peter's initiation."

"What is the big deal about this initiation, anyway?" James asked, rolling his eyes. "It's just a glorified obstacle course. He'll be fine."

Tigerlily frowned, hurt by his lack of concern. "This initiation will mark his transition from a child to a man. It is one of the most important events of his life—of any of my people's lives. It's a sacred tradition, handed down for millennia."

James realized his mistake quickly. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I didn't mean it like that," he apologized. "I realize this is a huge deal. It's just—this is Peter we're talking about. The boy wonder. The Chosen One who does no wrong. There's no way he could mess this up, so there's no need to worry about him."

"I know how skilled he is," Tigerlily agreed, "but he's still just a kid. And Crocodile Cove is extremely dangerous for anyone, even someone who can fly. He's confident, but he's not cautious. He can still be reckless. I think you should talk to him."

"Me?" James asked. "I don't have any words of wisdom to share. I've messed up nearly every single thing in life that's counted—everything except you," he added with a wink. "And even that was sketchy for a little bit."

Tigerlily felt herself start to smile again. "You sell yourself short," she replied. "Without you, we never would have defeated Blackbeard and saved my people. We all owe you a great debt. And Peter looks up to you like a father. He doesn't always listen to me, but I know he'll listen to you."

"Boy, I don't know," James said, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not sure about all this responsibility. I'm a charming rogue, you know… a vagabond led only by his sense of adventure and incurable wanderlust. One day, the sea will call, and I'll be gone."

Now it was Tigerlily who rolled her eyes. "And leave me behind?"

The humor instantly left James' voice as he took her hands in his. "Never," he said earnestly. "I'll never leave you behind." He face suddenly split into the grin that Tigerlily could never resist. "I'll just bring you with me."

Tigerlily couldn't help but laugh. "I can't leave here. I can't leave my people."

"You said yourself, Peter's going to take over soon," James answered. It was clear he had put quite a lot of thought into this. "And when he's leading, you won't have to. We can go anywhere… I can show you all the great sights: the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, the sss, Mount Everest. We can explore the world, no responsibilities, no worries, only us, together, forever."

That was a very tempting offer. "I would love that," Tigerlily admitted. "But not now. Not yet. Peter's not ready yet."

James let out a dramatic sigh. "You can't spend your whole life mothering him."

That feeling of hurt came back, tugging at Tigerlily's chest. "Please, let's not talk about this now," she pleaded. "Let's wait until after Peter's initiation. I want to spend every waking moment with you, honestly I do. But I am chief of my people, and I can't abandon my responsibilities."

"I know," James agreed with a grudging smile. "And I get it. It's even admirable. I'll do whatever you need for Peter's initiation."

"Oh, I knew you would!" Tigerlily cried, clasping her hands together in delight. "He will be so excited. Every initiation requires two representatives: a sender and a receiver. Traditionally, the mother sends the child out, and the father receives him after everything is completed. Well, I talked to Peter to ask him who he wanted to represent him, and he wanted me and you."

James looked surprised. "He wants me?"

"I told you, he looks up to you like a father," Tigerlily replied. "You're the only father figure he's ever had."

"Well, shucks," James muttered, and he sounded almost touched. "Didn't know I meant that much to the kid." He slung his arm around her shoulders. "There. We've settled that. Now will you sleep with me?"

"Yes," Tigerlily said, smiling. She leaned back into James, enjoying the familiar sense of love and security he always brought to her.

But long after James had drifted to sleep, Tigerlily was still awake. She hated to admit it to herself, but an uneasy sense of foreboding was growing inside of her. She knew James spurned responsible adult life; she knew he craved freedom and adventure. She only hoped he would grow to be the true father Peter really needed. She'd seen them together, how well they complemented each other and what a superb team they made. If James would only let Peter in, truly, like he'd done with her, she knew they could be a family. Surely, it would come… Surely, he just needed some more time…

Didn't he?