Captain Samantha Carter stood at the bow of her ship, spyglass in hand, barely seeming to notice the chill wind that whipped at her hair and coat-tails. The Bonny Lass lay ahead of him, her sails at full as she ran from her pursuer. At the rate the Star of the Ocean was gaining on the pirate ship, it would only take a few more hours before they were on top of their quarry. Sam's eyes turned upward, tracking the storm moving in on them. She could only pray the squall would hold off long enough for them to get her prey in the net. She'd been chasing Janet Fraiser and her crew for two years. More than once she'd been within sight, and each time, she'd somehow slipped away, escaping into the night or the fog. Once they'd even locked swords, fighting their way across the battlements of a military fortress while Fraiser's rescued her first mate from the dungeons below.

They'd fought with rage and fury, until Sam suddenly realized she'd been drawn away from the important battle when the Bonny Lass came around one edge of the point, her sails at full, the freed crewmembers laughing on deck. A rope was flung from an upper cross spar. Fraiser had caught it easily, leaving Sam to watch helplessly, knowing she probably couldn't reach the other woman in time to do anything but push her to her death on the stones below. Despite the outrage she felt over the pirate's illegal activities, and her frustration with being unable to stop the woman, she hadn't been able to go to that extreme. Wrapping the rope around her left arm, Fraiser had leapt, body flying free for a moment, before she dropped lightly to the deck. Waiting crewmembers had steadied her, then she'd looked back at Sam, throwing a jaunty wave before the Bonny Lass continued around the other end of the point.

Now, Carter was close again, only to find her victory dependent on the whims of the weather.

"What do you think the pirate's punishment will be when we catch her?" his first officer's voice broke in.

Sam glanced back at the soft features of her young first mate. "We haven't caught her yet," she growled, not wanting to think too much about the punishment the courts would most likely mete out for the pirate. She was a beautiful woman, one Carter found curiously intriguing, and she didn't like the idea of seeing that graceful neck stretched by a rope. Unfortunately, woman or not, she had no reason to believe the government would show any pirate mercy.

"You admire her, don't you?" her mate asked curiously.

Sam shrugged square shoulders. "She's a hell of a sailor," she said simply.

First Mate Daniel Jackson flashed an assessing gaze skyward. "She'd better be. If the storm strikes while she's at full sail, she could crack the mast."

"So could we," Sam pointed out worriedly, thinking it would fit her luck to wind up watching the other woman escaping merrily away one more time.

In the end, the storm didn't give them the needed time. Driving waves and slashing rain came down on their heads while they were still more than a mile back. The pirate ship quickly disappeared into the darkness of the squall, leaving the crew of the Star of the Ocean to fight for their ship and their lives. The mast didn't crack in the racing winds, but two of the mains'ls tore as they were being dropped, leaving huge rips that would require hours of repair once the weather cleared. They fought the storm through the afternoon and into the night until it blew itself out somewhere before midnight.

With repair crews working, and her third officer in charge, Sam retired to her cabin, intent on getting some rest before resuming the hunt in the morning.

She slept poorly and awoke before dawn, barely pausing to rinse her face before yanking on her uniform. She slid into the navy blue tailcoat and was about to tie the starched cravat when the call went up.

"SHIP OFF THE STARBOARD BOW!"

Sam rushed up on deck just as the sharp prow of the Bonny Lass broke from the cover of the predawn fog. Somewhere during the night, hunter and prey had traded places.

Within a few short minutes, boarding crews swarmed across the decks, clubbing, battering, and hammering their way through the crew of the Star of the Ocean. The already exhausted men surrendered or were quickly disarmed.

Even as her men gave up, Sam continued to fight, driving their attackers back with a vicious sword, but the enemy crew closed in on her, taking her down through overwhelming numbers. She quickly lost her sword and coat in the melee, then tore the right sleeve of her shirt nearly free before they got a good hold on her arms and slapped manacles on her wrists. Rough hands shoved her through the crowd into an open space on the deck. Sam stumbled on the water slick deck and had to struggle to keep from going down.

"Well, well, well, Captain Carter," Janet Fraiser's rich drawl rolled across her as she straightened. "We meet again."

Sam's eyes were drawn to the slender figure she'd put her life into pursuing. She was as beautiful as ever, auburn hair loose and dancing on the wind, dark eyes sparkling with life. Black pants and knee length black boots molded to her hips and hips, thighs, and calves, while a full sleeved black blouse played about her torso, giving tantalizing hints of the body beneath. "Captain Fraiser," Carter whispered huskily.

"Scourge of the Caribbean," she finished for Sam, a smile playing over full lips. "Poor Captain Carter," she teased, gesturing to the manacles that bound slender wrists together. "I suspect this isn't what you intended for this meeting."

Sam ducked her head in acknowledgment, and a dry smile touched her lips. "I had rather planned it another way," she admitted.

Janet laughed, the sound full and throaty. "I knew you wouldn't expect me to turn and attack."

Infuriated, Carter lunged against the hands holding her back. "You're nothing, but a thief," she growled.

Her captor grinned triumphantly. "Yes," she agreed and reached out to run a fingertip along the sharp cut of Sam's jaw. "And now I've stolen you."

Her men laughed in the background, but Sam ignored them as she glared at the pirate queen.

Fraiser waited a beat before adding, "And your ship."

"What about my crew?" Carter demanded hoarsely.

For the first time, she saw a hint of sympathy in the other woman's expression. "Don't worry, Captain. Your crew will be returned home ... if they wish. If not, they may sign onto one of my ships. Either way, they won't be harmed so long as they follow orders."

Sam nodded, and a muscle worked in her tensed jaw. "Thank you," she whispered the words as though they were torn from her throat.

Fraiser remained silent for a long moment, and Carter was painfully aware of her curious gaze. "Captain?" she spoke at last. "No pleas for your own future?"

Sam shrugged. "I suspect that decision has already been made," she said grimly, fully expecting her own end to come at the point of the pirate's sword.

Russet brows rose in a neat arch. "Indeed, it has, Captain." A smile touched full lips at the way Sam braced herself for the thrust of her blade. "Relax, Sam. I won't be making you walk the plank ... yet." She turned her gaze on the men holding Carter. "Remove her to my cabin," she ordered briskly, then hurried away, shouting orders to her crew as she moved among them.

Knowing she'd been beaten for the moment, Sam straightened her shoulders, shaking loose of the hands latched on her arms. Posture perfectly straight, she crossed the gangplank to the Bonny Lass under her own steam, ignoring the speculative gazes thrown her way by the watching pirate crew. The guards led her belowdecks and into the captain's cabin. She was surprised to find the walls lined in bookshelves while a myriad of scientific and navigational instruments crowded the room. Despite the danger of the situation, she craned her neck to get a better look at the eclectic collection, wishing she could spend some time studying the devices with her hands free.

"Fascinating, aren't they?" Fraiser's low voice reached her ears.

Sam's head snapped around, eyes widening as she spotted her adversary standing just inside the doorway. She hadn't heard the other woman enter, which shouldn't have been such a surprise. After all, a thief couldn't afford to announce herself too loudly.

She nodded to the waiting guards. "You may go now," she dismissed them.

One of the two young men seemed uncertain. "Captain, are you sure...I can...."

Fraiser shook her head as she unbuckled her sword and laid it aside on her desk. "I don't think that will be necessary." She pinned a black-dark gaze on Sam. "I'd like your word, Captain," she said quietly as she collapsed into a chair, leaning back to hook her feet over the edge of the desk, "that you won't try to escape, or harm me when my men leave."

Sam straightened her shoulders. "Since you hold my crew, I have little choice in the matter," she said in an effort to avoid making any promises.

Janet folded her hands together on her midsection, peering at her prisoner with careful consideration. "Nonetheless, I want your word."

Carter glared at her captor, but gave way. "You have it," she hissed.

"Go on," she ordered her men with an indicative tilt of the head.

Sam never looked away from the relaxed figure cut by the woman in the chair, but she was well aware of the instant the door clicked shut behind the two crewmen. She was bigger, stronger, and  heavier than the other woman. Even manacled she had a good chance of taking her down. She took a half step forward.

"If," the sharp timbre of Fraiser's voice pulled the royal naval captain up short, "you're thinking of going back on your word, I should warn you. Any such misbehavior on your part will reflect badly on your crew."

"Damn you," Sam's voice was little more than a low rumble in her chest.

Janet dropped her feet to the floor and stood. Despite the situation, Sam couldn't help but appreciate her cool grace. She moved to stand before her captive, studying her with a careful eye.

Somewhere during the melee, Carter had received a shallow cut across the midsection, and the pirate brushed her fingers lightly over the small wound. "This must hurt."

Sam snorted disgustedly. "That's the least of my problems."

Fraiser trailed her fingers up Sam's chest and over the outer curve of her bicep as she paced around her. "You have a point," she agreed, "and I have a problem."

"You have a problem?" Sam repeated and flashed a doubtful look at the other woman.

Her response was an enigmatic smile. "Indeed, I do," the pirate confirmed as she turned away.

As Sam silently watched, she crossed to the bed, sinking down on the edge to peel off the soft leather boots that hugged the shapely length of her calves. She looked up after a moment. "You see," she began carefully. "The Bonny Lass needs to put in to her home port for a refit. There's no place to drop you on our way, and you're too good a captain not to figure out where it is when we get there."

Sam sighed softly. "And your solution?" she questioned grimly, fully expecting the worst.

Janet peeled off her second boot and dropped it to the floor with a solid thump. "I don't have one at the moment," she admitted blandly. She ducked her head again and peeled off her socks, tossing them aside as well. When she looked up again, a quirky sense of humor lit her eyes. "You could join my crew."

"No," Sam dismissed instantly.

"I rather suspected you'd say that," the pirate captain allowed. She pushed to her feet, stretching her bare toes. Finally, she braced her hands on her hips and ran an assessing gaze over Sam's lean figure, pacing around her with steady, measured steps.

It took all of Sam's willpower to stare steadfastly ahead and not follow her progress.

Her footfalls were perfectly silent, so Sam couldn't track her movements by sound. She jumped when warm hands, surprisingly soft despite the rough life the pirate led, landed on her shoulders. The smaller woman leaned forward and Sam felt her chin brush against her back, while her warm breath ruffled the hair at the nape of her neck. "I guess I'll just have to find a way to keep you in my cabin, and too busy to look out any windows until we break anchor." A richly suggestive note threaded through her voice. Her fingers spread along the breadth of Carter's shoulders, testing the subtle strength hidden beneath her shirt and vest.

Dark blonde brows rose. This time, Sam did glance back. Fraiser was enough shorter that she could only make out the tips of her fingers and the top of her downbent head. As she watched, a slender hand disappeared from view and she felt curious fingers dance down the tapered width of her back. Janet pressed her thumbs into the slight indentation of muscle at Sam's hip line.

"Why do I get the feeling you're proposing something," the naval captain asked at last, her voice little more than a croak.

"Give the woman a cigar," Janet whispered near her ear. She let her hands drop lower, shaping them to the curve of Sam's hips.

"You really must be desperate if you're down to forcing women into your bed," Carter sneered as she fought the treacherous heat burning in her veins. There had been something dangerously passionate about the game they'd played from the very beginning, but she had no intention of allowing it to become anything more than it already was.

"Force?" Fraiser drawled, her tone politely disbelieving. She stepped around in front of her prisoner, folding her arms loosely over her chest, a lazy grin curving her lips. "I'll have you know I've never had to force anyone in my life."

Seeing the erotic promise in chocolate brown eyes, Sam had no doubt she was telling the truth. "I'm a naval officer. A captain in service of the king," she rasped in an effort to resist the temptation of what the other woman seemed to be offering.

Janet rested her palms on her captive's upper chest, fingers stroking very lightly, just barely moving against the soft linen fabric of her blouse as she caressed the soft flesh beneath. "I'm aware of that," she sighed. "And believe me, it is not my damned preference." She slid her hands down, graceful fingers easing the buttons on Carter's vest free and spreading the white satin lapels.

Sam would have brought her cuffed hands up between them, but Janet rested a hand on the cool steel, pressing them back down. "Oh, no," the pirate warned her prisoner. "Refusal would be a bad thing."

"A threat?" Sam questioned darkly.

Fraiser lifted her hands to Sam's collar, curving her fingers into the soft fabric. "No," she disagreed. "Just a suggestion." She applied just enough pressure to separate her prisoner's shirtfront, careless of the way mother of pearl buttons scattered across the floor, then spread the fabric, ducking her head to study the small wound at the base of Sam's belly. "This should be cleaned before it infects," she commented practically, then straightened, smiling appreciatively as her eyes slid over soft curves and tight muscle. "Very nice," she approved.

Sam bristled angrily over the comment. "I'm not a prize cow," she snapped.

"No," Janet agreed cheerfully and let her eyes slide over the blonde's body, pointedly taking stock of all her assets. "More like a harem girl I've just paid a fortune for ... intended to be locked away behind high walls ... kept exclusively for my pleasure ... and, oh, what a pleasure you would find it." She danced back several steps when Sam would have grabbed for her, furious at the implication. "Now, now, Captain. Remember your crew," the pirate reminded her prisoner with a taunting grin.

Carter caught herself, snarling a curse under her breath, muscles rippling with the effort required not to grab the other woman and shake some sense into her. She was beautiful, brilliant, and had never lacked for courage. If only she had made different choices in her life, this battle between them might never have been necessary.

Janet wet a handkerchief from a small silver flask, watching the taller woman carefully as she drew near, visibly uncertain how her captive might react. Something dangerous glinted in bold, blue eyes, but Sam didn't move against her, so the pirate pressed the wet cloth against the wound, causing already taut muscles to quiver and jump, and drawing a sharp gasp.

"I'm sorry for the pain," the pirate apologized, her tone sincere enough to surprise her opponent.

"It's far less than I expected," the blonde admitted tersely, fighting the traitorous urge to believe that sympathetic tone.

"Still," Janet exhaled, still gently washing the injury, her fingers remarkably gentle considering the brutal life she doubtless led on the high seas. "Perhaps, I can make up for it." She slipped her free hand under fine white uniform shirt, crumpling the soft fabric out of the way as she leaned forward to taste warm flesh.

Sam's head tipped back on her shoulders, a tiny whimper escaping her lips as she experienced a violent rush of unwanted desire that only intensified when she felt the sandpaper roughness of the other woman's tongue brush her upper chest, washing down the gentle slope. A moment later, her breath caught on a ragged shudder, and she forgot all about the harsh sting of the disinfectant as that textured warmth wrapped around a swollen nipple, then velvety lips closed on the puckered flesh, suckling lightly. "Dammit," she groaned, "what the hell are you doing?"

Janet chuckled softly. "Making love to you," she answered, her tone oddly affectionate, then she returned to her gentle ministrations, kissing her way lower on her captive's body. Sliding to her knees, she outlined sculpted abdominal muscles in tiny kisses until the path was blocked by Carter's bound wrists. Tipping her head back on her shoulders, the pirate trailed her eyes up slender curves, grinning approvingly at what she saw. "If I had any idea what you looked like under that uniform, I'd have done this a lot sooner," she drawled in a voice full of sensual satisfaction.

Sam bristled at the other woman's utter confidence, hands tightening into white knuckled fists. "I doubt you'd have found it all that simple."

A fine-boned hand rose to the chain that latched Carter's manacles together, pushing them upward as the pirate grinned at her prisoner. "You'd be wrong," she disagreed cheerfully, then leaned forward, pressing a light kiss to the velvety flesh just above her waistband. "It would have been easy enough to pay a couple of brigands to take you on the docks." She looked up again, her look frankly assessing. "If I weren't afraid they'd taste my prize," she said possessively, "I might have done so."

A muscle pulsing in the cut of her jaw, Sam shook her head. "Without my crew to hold over my head, I'd have fought you." The growling claim was belied by the tiny whimper that escaped her lips a tiny beat later as warm lips and warmer breath touched the front of her pants, heating a trail down into the already burning flesh.

"No," her captor disagreed as she continued pressing hot kisses over the smooth fabric, purposely teasing the other woman, "you'd have fought yourself ... just like you are now." Slim fingers found the double row of buttons that closed the front of the uniform trousers, easily slipping them free as she pressed soft kisses to newly revealed flesh.

When she looked up again, Sam couldn't resist the urge to touch and curved long fingers into the pirate's thick fall of auburn hair, toying with the silky strands even as the rough warmth of Janet's tongue darted into the faint indentation of her navel. Despite that tiny, almost instinctive bit of surrender, the naval officer shook her head in denial when she realized the other woman was watching her closely. "No," she insisted a little desperately, "it's not like that."

"It's exactly like that," Janet drawled, dark gaze rising to draw Sam's eyes down, not allowing her to look away. She slipped her hands down from slim hips, massaging the work-worn muscles of Carter's thighs with smooth strokes. "We've chased each other around these islands for two years now," she breathed, "using sailing ships for foreplay." She leaned forward, her warm breath ghosting across Sam's flat belly. "I, for one, am damn tired of waiting." She caught a fold of smooth skin between her teeth, nipping lightly before brushing her tongue soothingly over the area. A moment later, she moved on, feathering kisses over the scratch her men had left, soothing the minor hurt.

Sam groaned softly as those silky lips trailed on and she felt lightly callused fingers tug the waistband of her trousers aside to make way for the warmth of Fraiser's mouth as she followed the line of her hip. Soft kisses and tiny nips fell on the faint jut of her pelvic bone as agile fingers continued to work her trouser buttons free to ease the fabric aside. A few seconds later, she gasped as though someone had locked a tight band of pressure around her ribs as her captor's lips followed the sharp vee of her abdominals downward, then her tongue just barely brushed the beginning of dark blond curls. Despite her best intentions to remain apart from what was happening, Carter tightened her hold on the pirate's hair, threading long fingers through the auburn mane. Her trousers slid a little lower and so did that teasing tongue, just barely brushing the soft hair guarding her sex. Pleasure so intense it threatened to burn out her entire synaptic network flared behind tightly closed blue eyes, only to end abruptly as the pirate pulled away and pressed her cheek against Sam's thigh, her breath coming in ragged pants.

"Tell me to stop, and I will," she groaned, her own voice thick with arousal.

Sam shook her head unsteadily, unable to summon the strength of will to refuse the intense pleasure, shuddering as a neatly trimmed fingernail rasped against the fabric molded over her left thigh.

"Perhaps I should reverse that," the pirate mused aloud, her eyes glimmering wickedly while an evil little smile played over full lips, "and make you tell me not to stop," she threatened.

Swallowing hard, Sam shook her head in denial. "Don't," she pleaded, only to have her voice trail off into an uncontrollable groan as slender hands tugged her uniform trousers lower to make the path easier for her mouth and darting tongue.

Fraiser dipped her tongue into soft flesh, stroking firmly enough to make her prisoner whimper helplessly. "Don't what," she demanded between silky kisses, "make you admit you're human ... that you have needs and desires." Another deep stroke forced another low groan from her captive.

Sam's head tipped back on her shoulders, fingers clenching so hard in silky hair it had to hurt as the rough warmth pressed into soft folds, the slow strokes sending wild pulses of sensation through the naval officer. "God," she groaned helplessly, sweat beading on her skin as Janet continued the delicate caresses. She shouldn't want this, and she sure as hell shouldn't enjoy it so much, but she couldn't seem to resist the wicked temptation.

And then the slow caresses stopped, drawing a frustrated cry. Muscles rippling with tension, Sam drew her captor's head up, the look in her eyes pleading. She flinched as she saw the raw determination in the other woman's eyes and sensed what she intended. "Don't," she breathed, the anger draining out of her voice to be replaced by a kind of desperation.

A callused thumb stroked Sam's hip lightly as the pirate stared up at her, a confident smile curving her lips. She was in complete control of the situation and she knew it. "Tell me not to stop," she whispered, her breath teasing overheated flesh.

Every muscle in Sam's body trembled with the need to resist the sweet temptation, while her body raged with feverish need, leaving her caught between the devil and the deep blue sea.

Something almost sympathetic gleamed in eyes so deep and black, Carter thought she might drown in them. "Just once in your life," the pirate whispered, "take what you want ... instead of what you're supposed to want."

It was just enough to tip the scales. Sam's head fell back on her shoulders, her voice a melding of surrender and triumph as she whispered, "Don't stop." A soft chuckle floated around her head as she was rewarded with the press of the pirate's lips and tongue, stroking deftly, drawing tiny cries and leaving her weak and trembling. Before long she was standing at the edge of a precipice, her body limp and ready to tumble over when the seductive kisses stopped. A pleading whimper escaped full lips, and she shook her head as she felt the pirate's sweetly mastering tongue draw up the length of her body, following curves and hollows as she stood. Sam blinked dazedly, looking down at the smaller woman, her eyes glazed with need, confused by the abrupt denial when her body was screaming for more. "Wha'?" she groaned.

A slender hand landed in the middle of the blonde's chest, pushing solidly until she slid to her knees before the pirate.

Swallowing hard, Sam stared up at her captor, her expression pleading, uncertain what the other woman wanted. "Please," she begged raggedly, her desperation drawing a slow smile across full lips.

Janet petted blonde hair tenderly, smoothing it back from Sam's forehead. "I think it's time to share the pleasure a little," she whispered, her own body vibrating with need. When Sam only stared uncertainly, her captor drew a finger over her face and down, outlining her lips in soft strokes. "I want your mouth," she whispered, her low voice both a plea and a command. "And if you please me ... maybe I'll let you have your own satisfaction."

Shaking hands rose to find the front of the pirate's breeches, the need making the task that much harder as Carter freed the buttons, pressing her lips against the soft flesh revealed as she worked. She felt as much as heard the low groan that vibrated through her captor and felt a surge of sensual power as strong fingers worked into her hair, clinging spasmodically. Needing more of the tempting sense of control, she pushed the breeches down, not caring when the fabric tore under impatient hands, and leaned forward, pressing hungry caresses into silky flesh. Every stroke a combination of pleading and demanding, she pressed her tongue deep, losing herself in the heat and taste of her lover, the sound of harsh breathing and increasingly needy moans a symphony to her ears. She felt Janet tremble violently, her knees threatening to buckle as Sam searched out and explored every erogenous possibility. Strong hands rose, shaping to the pirate's narrow hips, holding her up as Sam pressed her advantage, pressing soft kisses, then flicking her tongue with enough force to make the woman she was serving jump.

Then she needed more, the position denying her too much access, and Sam twisted, muscles flexing as she toppled her captor to the deck, cushioning her fall with her hands and dropping her onto the thick silk rug that covered much of the floor in her cabin.

"No," Janet gasped, fingers tightening in thick, blonde hair as if she could retake control of the situation, but it was too late for that. Sam needed to lose herself in silky flesh and the power it gave her, needed her captor's orgasm even more than she needed her own. Thrusting her still bound hands up to brace them on Janet's torso, she used weight and strength to pin her captor down. Free to explore at will, she buried her mouth in the throbbing, overheated flesh between her thighs, stroking with her tongue to draw and spread thick moisture, then working the swollen bud she found. She felt Janet tremble every time her tongue strummed the tiny bit of taut flesh, heard her panting groans and felt the strength in hands that fought to retake control.

"No," the pirate gasped at last, dragging hard on thick, blonde hair, forcing her captive's head up. Fraiser was breathing hard, her skin flushed and damp with sweat, eyes glazed with arousal. "Your crew," she gasped as a reminder when Sam would have fought her hold, struggling to regain control over herself as well as the situation. "This isn't about you being in charge."

Carter's breath came in gasping pants, her need to finish what she'd started bordering on compulsion. "Please," she begged, holding herself back by only the thinnest of threads when she knew she could overpower the other woman and take what she wanted.

Janet reached out, stroking damp lips, a hard shiver rattling her frame when Sam's tongue darted out to stroke her fingertip. "Such a pretty, pink tongue," she drawled.

"I'd rather put it to other uses," the normally prim and proper naval captain groaned on a pleading note.

The pirate queen outlined soft lips with the tip of her finger, pulling back when her captive would have wrapped her lips around the exploring digit. "Enough to have me ride it?" she whispered.

Sam nodded unsteadily, her submission drawing a smile from her captor.

Janet leaned back on the rug, her look commanding. "Then get up, finish stripping ... lie on my bed and wait for me."

Trembling hard, Captain Carter found her feet, quickly stripping off her boots and already loose pants and throwing them aside. She started to fight with her blouse and vest, but with her wrists manacled, there was little she could do.

"Leave them," the pirate ordered as she realized the problem. "Just lie down."

Trembling helplessly, Carter stretched out on the large bunk, waiting uncertainly until she heard the soft sounds of movement and Janet appeared beside the bed. The other woman shrugged out of the remains of her shirt, tossing it aside, then smiled down at her prisoner, reaching out to stroke her arm lightly as she moved onto the bed, straddling lean hips, the shared heat of their bodies leaving both women quivering ever so slightly. "Your hands," she instructed, and Sam held her bound wrists up, surprised when the pirate released them from the manacles. She started to reach for the other woman, but the pirate queen shook her head. "I don't think so," she whispered, using her weight to press Sam's wrists into the mattress. Her mouth turned upward in a sensual smile. "To the victor, the spoils..." Before Sam quite knew what was happening she found her left wrist bound to a shackle hanging from the bedpost. Gasping in surprise, she yanked her right wrist back down, tensing as surprisingly gentle fingers wrapped around the narrow joint. "Now the other one," the captain of the Bonny Lass instructed, her tone oddly sympathetic.

Carter swallowed uncertainly, the hunger to touch and caress rather than any great desire to escape driving her, but unwilling to be that vulnerable. "Please," she whispered. "You don't need them."

"But I rather like them," the pirate drawled, one eyebrow rising suggestively toward her hairline, the slow smile that made its way across her lips leaving her enemy trembling. "At least for now." Her tone and expression made it apparent that no other option was open for consideration.

Still, Sam resisted the pressure on her arm, the urge not to be so completely bound nearly outweighing the erotic need coursing through her blood.

A russet eyebrow rose another notch as Fraiser stared down at her prisoner. "Of course, if you prefer, I can have several members of my crew come in and help."

"You wouldn't," Carter hissed, unable to believe her captor would go that far.

A smile snaked across full lips. "Never be too certain of anything with me." The pirate winked. "Now, be a good girl, and hold your arm where I can latch the manacle. I promise you, it'll be worth it."

The battle of wills lasted a long moment, until, finally, Sam held her arm up. Tension rippled through her a second later as Janet leaned across her upper body, breasts just brushing her upper chest before she reached a little farther and a puckered nipple swam into view. Unable to resist temptation as velvety flesh drew impossibly close, Sam arched her head up, just barely able to reach well enough taste impossibly soft skin.

The pirate queen's hands stilled, suddenly becoming clumsy as she struggled with the manacles. "You weren't given permission," she groaned low in her throat, her voice turning to a rough growl as harsh ripples of pleasure slid through her.

Sam dragged her tongue over fine skin, finding the puckered weight of a swollen nipple and stroking slowly. A hand worked its way into tousled, blonde hair, tugging her head back down into the mattress and forcing her to release her contact with soft flesh.

"Now, now," Fraiser chastised and leaned down to kiss Sam. "Be a good girl, and do as you're told." She nipped the point of her chin, leaving a tiny, red mark. "I promise you, it'll be worth it." Then she stretched out, reaching for the manacle once again, this time careful to stay just out of range of hungry lips as she finished fastening the heavy steel cuff into place around a slender wrist. "That's better," she sighed on a satisfied note as she slid back down, lips dusting Sam's forehead and cheeks during the journey, then winding up by reclaiming her mouth in a rough, demanding kiss. It didn't break until they were both breathless and gasping for air. Janet slid a hand into thick, cornsilk hair, stroking it back from her prisoner's brow with gentle fingers. "I should have taken you long ago," she whispered meaningfully and kissed soft lips again, "snatched you away from your precious, straight and narrow military life, and made you mine." Her fingers danced over Sam's body, pressing the her blouse and vest aside and stroking newly revealed flesh lightly, leaving trails of fire in their wake.

Sam strained instinctively against the binding manacles without success, telling herself it was freedom she wanted, fighting the urge to surrender completely, though her hands trembled with the desire to touch the body arched above her own. She whimpered softly as a tender hand rose, fingers resting along the curve of her jaw, the faintly callused pad of the pirate's thumb barely brushing her lower lip. Soft lips parted, moving with the faintly dragging weight of the pirate's touch, tongue darting out to brush faintly roughened flesh as a whimper escaped the naval officer's throat.

"I believe something was mentioned about going for a ride," Fraiser drawled, her voice richly suggestive, while the look in her eyes could have seared a hole in solid steel.

Swallowing hard, Sam nodded, her heartrate picking up when the pirate grinned, then kissed her solidly, taking her time and exploring every inch of her mouth before pulling away.

Janet stroked Sam's lower lip with her thumb again, triumph in her eyes as she whispered, "My pretty little pony ... please me, and I promise you a reward you won't forget."

"I'll try," Sam promised, amazed to find herself aching to please this woman, and wondering if she'd been wanting this ever since the first time they saw each other.

"I know you will," the pirate drawled, then pushed up on her hands. A moment later, she was kneeling above Sam, well-toned thigh muscles pulling taut as she slowly lowered herself.

Then the naval officer found herself surrounded by heat and the scent of need. Back, neck, and shoulder muscles straining, she arched up, dusting soft kisses over the delicate flesh of the Janet's inner thighs on the way. Then she sank into sweet flesh, slick moisture thick on her tongue as she flicked sharp caresses, every stroke making the woman above her spasm with the hard driving sensations. As Sam deepened the rough strokes, arching up and pressing harder, Janet's head fell back on her shoulders, a soft, desperate cry escaping her lips. Her hands dropped to her thighs, bracing herself when she might have toppled, but also unable to resist the urge to touch and stroke her own skin.

Sam was amazed by the sense of power it gave her. Despite being the one in chains, she was the one in control. Tasting the tiny quivers that slid through sensitive flesh, she moaned softly, the low sound sending a complementary vibration through the pirate queen.

"Oh, you are good," Janet panted, moving with that stroking tongue, their positions reversed as she found herself the prisoner of the sweet caresses. She reached to find and play with silky blonde hair, clinging tightly to sweat-damp strands. "My pretty, pretty pony..." the last word ended on a strangled cry as her fingers tightened convulsively in Sam's hair and her hips bucked, riding the damp, stroking sandpapery tongue. "Don't ... stop," she begged raggedly.

"I won't," Sam promised through the sweet haze of surrounding flesh, muscles rigid as if cast from cement as she deepened the contact, delivering quick, lashing caresses until suddenly Janet cried out, yanking away from sensations that had become too much.

Her body still trembling violently, the pirate twisted, tumbling to the mattress, half sprawled across Sam. "God," she gasped and hooked a hand behind the naval officer's head, drawing her into a hungry kiss. "You are..." she groaned as their lips parted, then shook her head when she couldn't come up with a superlative that was effusive enough. Her breath still coming in rough gasps, she kissed Sam again, tasting herself on soft lips. "I definitely should have taken you sooner," she murmured, trailing her lips down the taller woman's throat, and tasting her quickened pulse where it hammered just under the curve of her jaw. "I do believe I promised you a reward you wouldn't forget if you pleased me," she murmured after a long moment, pressing a knee between her prisoner's thighs, their mutual writhing stroking oversensitive flesh.

Seeing the rich promise in chocolate brown eyes, a hard shudder slid through Sam and she nodded unsteadily. "You did," she croaked, heartrate leaping with a combination of trepidation and arousal.

"And you definitely pleased me," Fraiser drawled, her breath playing over her prisoner's skin as she began kissing and caressing her way over the taller woman's body, taking the time to explore and learn smooth curves. "Very, very much." Sam writhed under the slow caresses, sweat slicking her skin as gentle fingers followed the curve of her ribs, then teased the tuck of her waist before playing over the fare at her hips. At the same time, Janet ranged over her upper body, pressing wet, sucking kisses everywhere she could touch from shoulder to hip, the continuous stream of sensations drawing tiny whimpers of need. Janet had reached her hip and sharp teeth were rubbing lightly against the faint ridge of her pelvic bone, when two agile fingers made their way into Sam's body, working deep as muscles clenched and flexed around them.

The naval officer cried out softly, her head rocking back on her shoulders in response to the sensations that radiated outward from her center. She strained against the chains pinning her arms in place, desperate to intensify the sweet contact, only to groan as the pirate's low, triumphant chuckle vibrated through her, starting at the ground-zero point where her lips were pressed against Sam's skin. Those graceful fingers slipped free, and Janet bit softly, leaving the faintest of red marks on soft flesh as she thrust again, a third finger joining the first two.

Sam wrapped her hands in the chains, gripping them tightly, every muscle in her body pulling taut as a soft hiss escaped her lips, and she instinctively thrust her hips to deepen the erotic invasion.

"You like that," the pirate queen drawled, her tone halfway between a statement and a question, eyes glittering with knowing lights as she looked up the length of the blonde's lean body.

Swallowing hard, Sam managed a jerky nod even as her hips rose to meet another slow thrust.

"But you want more," Janet continued, her voice low and smoky, weaving an irresistible web around her prisoner.

The naval officer's hands tightened on the chains, knuckles whitening with strain as her body surged, instinctively responding to the urge to be bound as closely as humanly possible to this woman. She knew she should refuse, but she was already lost. Her throat suddenly painfully dry, she barely managed to croak a pleading, "Yes."

Exploring fingers slid free, and Sam groaned in disappointment, her hips arching as if to draw them back. She needed that connection between them with the same ferocity that she needed food, water, or air to breathe.

"Shhh, it's all right, m'love," Janet soothed as she fluttered soft kisses over Sam's heaving belly and used slick fingers to caress the swollen ache at the top of her sex. "You're going to get everything you want," she whispered between delicate, butterfly kisses that played downward.  "I promise." And then four fingers replaced the missing three, the increased pressure making Sam groan and toss her head restlessly. "Now, move with me. Let me feel how much you want this."

Slim hip rolled and thrust, eager to take those slim fingers even deeper, the sensations so all-encompassing that the world went away until the only thing that was real was her connection -- physical, mental, and emotional -- to the woman whose body was bound so closely to her own. "Want it," she groaned almost mindlessly, "soooo much."

"I know you do," Janet breathed, lips dusting lower and teasing silky curls, her warm breath caressing Sam and teasing her with their nearness. "But it's still not enough, is it?"

Blonde hair slicked back by sweat, Sam shook her head. "More," she croaked, riding her lover's hand and trying to take it deeper as she felt slender fingers coil inside her body, slowly moving deeper.

"You're going to have everything, m'love," Janet breathed, then her tongue gently stroked the swollen, sensitive weight of Sam's clitoris. "Just like you've always wanted." And then her hand was bearing down, moving and spreading her lover open, her thumb coiling into the base of her palm. "Take it."

Sweat beading and rolling on her skin, Sam thrust hard, feeling the shape of knuckles and thumb working their way into her body, then thrust harder, head falling back, a feral cry of pleasure escaping her lips as she somehow managed to tear the chains from the bedframe, reaching down to haul the pirate up even as she leaned down. Their bodies still as intimately tied together as was humanly possible, she found soft lips, kissing hungrily, and tasting....