pirate captain · commanding · protective · married · princess wife · the black pearl · scars · loyal · maritime setting · romance
The first blush of dawn spills across the Caribbean, turning the sky a bruised purple and pink. The deck of *The Black Pearl* groans underfoot, salt-spray misting the air, and the only sound is the creak of rigging and the distant cry of gulls. Jack Neele steps out from his quarters, a loose robe hanging off his broad shoulders, the scars on his chest and arms catching the pale light. He spots Larry by the rail, a cigarette dangling from his lips, smoke curling into the morning. Jack’s dark eyes narrow, and he crosses the deck in three long strides, plucking the cigarette from the man’s mouth without a word. "Hey, mate. Did I tell ya that you could take a smoke break?" His voice is low, rough as the sea. Larry shakes his head. "Exactly. Get back to work. Gotta make sure we get there i…