"It's such a beautiful morning," said Melissa as she and Roman walked arm and arm on the deck of his ship.

The sun was just starting to rise in the sky leaving stripes of pink and orange over the water as it reflected off the water. They had been out to sea for two sea nights now and Melissa knew no more about Roman than she had the night they got married.

Every night they had spent together, passionately in their bed Melissa saw Roman's secrets, she saw the scars on his chest and the scars on his broad back.

She just wanted to kiss every single one of them but not as much as she wanted to question how he got them. Their bodies similar to one another, scarred and damaged by their pasts.

Their souls both tortured and damaged by the lack of love they had received growing up. Roman had secrets she was sure of it but she never gained the strength to ask him where his scars came from.

Roman offered her bits and pieces of his life but not nearly enough for her to know him and fall in love with him. They were two strangers married to one another and spent long nights in their married bed together.

Melissa withheld her secrets from him, ashamed of the life her father forced her to live and the things he forced her to do. She was ashamed of the girl he had made her become, ashamed of the life she had led.

She was damaged, not a desirable wife to any man but for some reason Roman had seen past her damages and treated her well enough.

It went no further than that, Melissa knew she was incapable of being loved. She was what her father always raised her to be a simple business transaction to a notorious pirate.

She enjoyed her life at sea, she enjoyed her moments with Roman, the peace and tranquility of being at sea away from the chaos she lived in Spain with her father.

Being with Roman was a breath of fresh air and leaving her dreaded life behind her made her happier than she had ever been in her entire life. Melissa never knew the gentleness of a man until she met Roman. Roman had his moments of rough love making with his wife but he had his moments of tender passion whether it was holding her in his arms at night or bathing her the next morning after their night in their married bed.

He was never gentle with her inside their bed but he made up for it in other areas of their life like early morning walks on the deck of the ship watching the sunrise or late night dinners on the deck watching the sunset.

He cared for her in ways no other man had ever done.

"More peaceful than most, eh?" he asked with a smile.

"Most definitely," she said with a smile as they continued their walk.

"I never knew the sunrise could be so beautiful."

"You never experienced the sunrise before?"

"Never," she said. "Not until I met you."

"Living my life at sea I have witnessed many sunsets and sunrises. Watching the sun rise is one of the most peaceful moments of the day. It always gave me so much hope growing up. The start of a new day, forgetting the pain of yesterday, the sunrise always symbolized a new beginning for me; a new beginning to live my life differently, make today better than the last. Just as the sunset was a symbol to me of saying good bye to the pain and the sorrow I faced that day, forgetting everything I didn't do that I wished to do. Being on a ship one of the greatest moments is enjoying the sunrise and the sunset. There is nothing more beautiful in life," he said melting her heart. For a tough, notorious pirate known for his trickery, aggressive nature and known for murdering many he had a soft heart and had his tender moments. Melissa believed that he was more tender with her than he had been with others.

"For a man known of the notorious life you lead you have a beautiful heart and a beautiful way with words," she said with a smile as they stopped to overlook the sea and watch the sun rise into the sky.

"Melissa," he said softly as he took her hand into his. He played with her wedding ring as he looked into her mesmerizing blue eyes. He had never seen eyes as beautiful and mesmerizing.

"You are my wife. My job is to be dear to you and tender with you. I will be more lenient with you than anyone else I know. We share a married bed together and you will one day be the mother of my children. I can't be heartless and soulless with you. You deserve too much more than the black heart."

"I doubt that your heart is black, Captain," she said with a smile making him smile as she placed her hand over his heart.

She felt him shudder and his heart begin to race beneath her palm. As often and as many times as he had taken her to his bed; their bed he never allowed her to touch him anywhere other than his hair and occasionally on his back but never his chest. He shuddered at every soft and tender touch she gave him. He took her hand into his and pulled it away from his chest.

"I believe you have a beautiful heart," she said softly. "I think you're a beautiful man."

"There is nothing beautiful about me, Melissa," he said softly. "I'm a monster of a man. You're naïve to believe that there is any good in this heart of mine. You can look but you'll never find any. I'm a monster there is no good in me."

"I beg to differ," she said softly careful not to over step her boundaries and upset him.

"You're wrong," he said softly as he turned her to face the sea as he stood behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

He leaned over and kissed her neck softly making her smile.

"I have something for you," he breathed against her neck.

"Is it something that's going to have me end up inside our bed?" she asked with a smile.

"Not this time but if that's where you'd like to be I can arrange that into my schedule today."

"You're far too busy to take me to your bed," she said,

"You have a ship to run. You can't take me to bed every time you feel the need."

"I have men to run the ship for me, if you have a need to be satisfied Melissa tell me and I will satisfy it."

"I'm all right for now," she said as the breeze blew through her thick blonde hair.

"What do you have for me?"

She turned around to face him as he removed his arms from around her waist. He reached down into his satchel.

He smiled as he pulled out a necklace.

"I seized this for you on my mission." He handed her a beautiful pearl necklace. "I thought that pearls would suit your beauty."

"Roman," she said with tears in her eyes as she admired the pearls she was holding.

She had never been given jewelry before and never owned anything so beautiful.

"They're beautiful."

"I thought my wife needed pearls around her neck to match her beautiful wedding ring," he said running his thumb over the amethyst and diamond crusted wedding ring. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," she said with a smile. "Thank-you," she said before she threw her arms around his neck to hug him with gratitude. Roman shuddered at her touch, let out a deep breath and wrapped his arms around her hugging her close.

"Thank-you," she said.

"You're welcome," he said,

"Would you like me to help you put them on?"

"Please," she said,

"No one has ever given me jewelry before or anything so beautiful."

"You're my wife, you'll be getting gifts often," he said with a smile as he put the pearls around her neck. She turned to face him,

"Beautiful they're perfect," he said looking into her blue eyes and for the first time he had felt something.

He wasn't sure what he was feeling but there was something running through him he had never felt before as he smiled at her and admired her beauty.

"Captain!" yelled Ambrose snapping Roman out of his thoughts and snapping him back into reality.

"They're coming!"

"Who's coming?" asked Roman.

"Rollins and his men, they are in route. They are planning an attack," he said catching his breath.

"Okay," said Roman,

"I need you to get the cannon ready and get all the men on board. We will be ready for them," he said without any fear in his voice.

"I'm going to escort Melissa back to our cabin," he said drawing his sword.

"We'll be ready," he said as he took Melissa by the arm.

"What's going on?" she asked nervously.

"Rollins and his men are coming for us," he said as he escorted her to their cabin.

"One of your enemies?"

"My worst enemy, I need you to be safe. You're going to stay in our bedchamber until I come to get you. Do NOT leave this cabin under any circumstance do you understand me?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I won't leave this bedchamber."

"I just want you to be safe," he said holding his sword. "It shouldn't take long. I will handle Rollins then I will handle you. Stay here," he demanded and she nodded at his command.

He walked out of the bedchamber leaving Melissa feeling nervous and scared. She didn't want him to go face his enemy.

She wanted him to stay with her but she knew he had a job to do. He was tender man but he could be callous and he could destroy anyone that stepped in his way.

Melissa took a seat on their bed and waited for him to come back.

Screams of men came quickly after Roman left, the hollers of an enemy rang out on the ship. Hollers of the enemy fired back, men screaming and cannons firing filled the air.

Melissa pulled the counterpane away from the bed and crawled beneath it covering herself, hiding from the noise and the chaos that took her back to her life in Spain.

She heard the men continue to yell, mainly she heard Roman and Ambrose barking orders to the others, she heard swords clashing together and men screaming out in piercing pain, the water splashing around the ship.

The ship was shaking from the power of the cannon. She heard footsteps outside of the bedchamber, men running through the halls.

She heard someone fumbling with the doorknob to the bedchamber. Holding her breathing and squeezing her eyes tightly together she gripped the counterpane as her breath began to escape her.

The fumbling continued before she heard the door unlock she heard the footsteps inside their bedchamber and thinking Roman had come to save her she removed the counterpane from over her head.

Startled she saw a man standing in the bedchamber with his back to her. He was shorter than Roman and his hair fell to his shoulders.

His hair was dark brown with blonde in it. He was going through the jewelry boxes on the dresser and tearing through the closets looking for something.

He smiled as he turned around and saw her watching him.

"Who are you?" she asked with a shaky voice gripping the counterpane.

"Captain Rollins," he said with a soft smile as he made his way to the bed.

"If Roman finds you in here he will kill you," she warned.

"He will do nothing of the sort," he said with a soft chuckle.

"You must be the wife so the bastard did finally marry," he said with amusement.

"How did something so beautiful get stuck with something so horrible?"

"He's not horrible," she defended Roman.

"Oh? After everything he has done to men and women you can say he's not horrible? He has you brainwashed. Your husband is a horrible man. He has killed many and stolen from many. He has taken two great things dear from me," he said. "You surely can't condone his actions."

"I don't know what he's done but I know he's not a horrible man," she said as she watched his fingers start to unbutton his shirt.

"You need to leave," she said.

"We're going to have fun," he said with a devious smile as he removed his shirt exposing his shirt sleeves.

"I should take what he holds dear," he said as he moved closer to the bed, catching her face in his hands.

He stroked her cheek. "Take you from him, destroy you as he destroyed my wife to the point she killed herself. The memory of what he did to her tortured her every day of her life until she took her own life, she drank the poison."

"You're going to poison me?" asked Melissa as she swallowed.

"Not yet. I'd rather destroy you first," he said with a chuckle as he leaned down and kissed her lips softly, demanding entrance into her mouth by biting her lip.

Her lips parted and his tongue darted into her mouth, his hands on her breasts squeezing them, kneading at them as he kissed her.

He was pulled from her before she could process what was happening.

"ROLLINS!" said Roman holding him against the wall, his sword to his neck.

"You never learn do you? What will it take for you to learn to stay away?"

"Brother," said Rollins.

"You surely wouldn't kill your only brother," he said.

"You were never a brother to me," Roman said with anger in his voice.

"That is my wife," he warned.

"Do not cross her path again."

"Like you crossed my wife's path, took her to your bed, destroyed her to the point she killed herself."

"Your wife came to me. I did not go to her. Just like you will not come to my wife again, you come to her again I will make you swim with the fishes are we clear. I will spare you your life this time but come back to my wife again you won't be so lucky."

"I'll always be back, Roman," he warned.

"I will not stop till you're dead just like our father. This isn't over."

"Far from it, Rollins but if you're smart you'll stay away," he said with an anger and coldness Melissa had never heard before.

"Get out of here," he said, "before I change my mind."

Rollins wasted no time escaping their cabin and exiting their ship with the men that had survived the attack.

Melissa got out of their bed as Roman turned to lock the bedchamber door.

"Roman," she said touching his bicep.

He pulled away,

"Don't touch me, Wench." His words shocked her.

He was not the man she had known. He was turning into the cold-hearted pirate everyone had talked about.

Roman was fuming inside, his pulse racing, he was like a caged animal. He needed to take her. He needed to dominate her, make her remember she was his.

The thought of tying her up in their bed aroused him, his erection stirring in his breeches.

"Turn around," he demanded.

She did as he told her, he pulled her back to his front, grabbed onto her breasts, squeezing them.

"You're mine, Melissa. MINE," he said gruffly.

Melissa swallowed as she felt his arousal against the back of her thighs, his sweat against her back, his heart racing and his breathing heavy.

"Yours," she said catching her breath as he painfully gripped her breasts.

"You're going to remember that," he said with coldness in his voice.

"Get undressed; NOW!" he demanded.

She did as he demanded as he poured himself a glass of Brandy.

He was a caged animal needing to be released, needing to be inside of her, dominating her. He threw back the Brandy as he watched her undress. He poured himself another glass before throwing it back. He threw the glass against the wall shattering the glass.

A painful moan escaped him as he raked her naked body. His erection achingly hard in his breeches, wanting to be freed, her body was perfect. She was putting on some weight and developing the curves he desired.

Her breasts were plump and heavy.

"Get into the bed," he commanded.

She did as he told her. He sauntered over to her and watched as she laid down in their bed.

Another painful moan escaped him. He tore his shirt off as the buttons flew across the room. He pulled it off completely and made his to the edge of their bed.

"You're not allowed to touch me," he said.

"I don't want you to touch me. Give me your hands."

She did as he said and he took his shirt and tied it around her wrists and tied them to the bed post. She was beautiful laying there, naked and helpless.

"Mine, Melissa," he said climbing into bed with her, he straddled her.

She gasped feeling his erection through his breeches on her belly. He took her nipples into his fingers and rolled them around.

"When I get done with you today, Melissa you will not think of any other man. You will not desire another man to touch you but me. You will not be aroused by any other man. You will not dream of taking residence in another man's bed. No other man will arouse you like I do and you will crave me. You will need me and want me only me. You'll know you're mine; ONLY mine," he said as he rolled her nipples between his fingers as she moaned out in pleasure.

He leaned down and kissed her hard.

Trails of hard kisses traveled from her neck down to her shoulders. Roman's teeth clenching into her flesh, marking her followed by a soft kiss the whole way down her body.

His full lips dominated her body and his teeth marked her all over her body. He spread her legs roughly. He placed hard kisses on her inner thighs and his teeth bit into her flesh causing her to cry out in pleasured pain.

His fingers rubbed over her clit and over her sex. Her breath deepened.

"You're so wet and ready, Melissa. You are craving me already. This is just the beginning. Only I will be able to do this to you. Only I will be able to make you feel this way. You'll be begging me for sex, begging me for my cock," he said as he slid two fingers into her sex.

She moaned out and arched her back. She was greedy, ready to take him. He stopped himself. She desperately bucked her hips just to feel him move inside her.

"So greedy, Melissa," he said with a smile.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice raspy. "Tell me what do you want?"

"You," she breathed.

He let out a soft chuckle teasing her with his fingers, sliding them in and out of her sex, his thumb rubbing her clit.

She needed him inside of her. She wanted him inside of her.

"Your cock," she said.

"I need you to fuck me," she begged as he continued teasing her with his fingers.

"Roman," she cried and begged. "Please."

He watched her blue eyes with his grey eyes as he continued to tease her. He hit every sensitive spot of her sex.

She couldn't control it anymore as her body began to shiver. Her legs shaking as an orgasm ripped through her, a painful moan and cry of pleasure escaped her as she reached her point of pleasure she needed more.

She needed him.

"Roman, fuck me please," she said,

"Please I need you."

Her words were music to his ears. Her pleas and her cries to be pleasured tore through him.

The animal he was caging was ready to take her, ready to pleasure her and dominate her.

He pulled his fingers out of her and stood up. He pulled his shirt sleeves off exposing his large chest and the circled scars on his chest. He pulled his breeches down exposing his thick and full erection.

It curved up to his navel and the tip was glistening with pre-cum. He spread her legs wider, took his cock and placed it between her sex, teasing her, rubbing it over her clit, rubbing it over her sex. She begged and pleaded for him to take her.

He continued to tease her before he thrusted deep inside of her. She swallowed him whole as he sank deep inside of her.

"You're so greedy, Melissa," he said filling her with his cock. He began his movements, rough and hard thrusts into her, she took him deeper each time. He slammed into her time and time again, thrusting deep making her scream out in pleasure.

His grunts and groans inaudible to her screaming, his thick cock hitting every sensitive spot of her sex, she pulled against the restraints wanting to touch him, wanting to dig her nails into his back, his body covered hers as he continued his thrusts, his lips on her neck and shoulders as he moved.

The pleasure tore through her and she came like a tidal wave, crying out in pleasure as tears streamed from her eyes in pleasure.

Roman was unfazed by her orgasm and continued his rough movements pushing her into another one and another one shortly after. Melissa was weak and tired but Roman kept at her.

Tearing through her, thrusting into her, filling her deep and keeping her full. His own pleasure tore through him, he couldn't hold back any longer, his body shuddered and his teeth sunk into the flesh of her shoulder as he came, filling her with his seed in a release so powerful his semen slicked her thighs as it seeped from her sex.

His body stilled over hers as he filled her full of his seed. His breathing heavy on her neck and his heart racing. She wanted to touch him, run her hands through his hair but she was still restrained.

He pulled out of her as more of his semen soaked the sheets of their bed. He walked into the bathroom and cleaned himself up.

He said not a word to Melissa as he dressed in front of her.

"Roman," she said with exhaustion but he was so cold to her.

He didn't answer her. He left her tied to their bed as he walked out of the bedchamber.

"ROMAN!" she called after him but he was gone.