"You're not encouraging."

"You shouldn't need to be encouraged." He turned back around and fell in step with Horatio, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. "You're a man. You have needs."

"And we should not be talking about this." Horatio ignored Archie's impish grin, clenching his jaw to fight a small smile of his own. "Bad enough that I've agreed to it."

"We'll find you a nice docile one to ride." Archie bit back another smile as Horatio shot him a glare. "Though maybe you'd rather be ridden."

"Mr. Kennedy." Horatio could feel the hard stain of a blush heat his cheeks as Archie laughed at his expense. "That is quite enough."

"Aye aye, Mr. Hornblower." Archie sketched a salute, doing little to hide his grin. He nodded toward the building they were approaching and cast another quick glance at Horatio. "Shall we have a drink or two before I lead you to a fate worse than death?"

"You're not even remotely funny, you're aware." Horatio tugged at his jacket then pulled at his sleeves, glaring at Archie as he did so. "Stop laughing at me."

Archie stopped and grabbed Horatio's arm, turning him and adjusting his waistcoat as well. "You're primping like a girl. She's not going to care what your uniform looks like, Horatio. All she's going to see is those big doe eyes and swoon at your feet."

"Do shut up, Archie."

"Do you want me to come in with you?"

"To…to the room?"

Archie laughed. "No, Horatio. Inside. Can I trust you to carry out this mission all on your own? Or will you back down?"

"I don't back down."

Archie raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Very well. I'm off to the pub for a drink and then back to our room." He turned to leave and then stopped. "Horatio?"

Horatio looked up at him, his jaw set in determination. "Yes?"

"Get what you pay for."

Horatio settled at the rough wood table and swallowed hard, glancing around the room. His back was to the wall, the warm cast of the fire lending a golden hue to his face and clothes. His long fingers tapped the top of the table then moved to his glass, ringing the rim with his fingertip.

"'Ello."

Horatio looked up in a mixture of surprise and alarm. "Er. Hello. Ma'am."

"Not a ma'am, Sir." She was dark haired and dark eyed and slightly plump, her face and figure full of soft curves. "Your first time here. I've not seen you before."

"Er. Yes. No. I mean, we're in port just a short time." Horatio picked up his drink and swallowed a healthy dose of it, coughing roughly at the sudden shock of heat. "No."

"You buy me a drink?"

"I could. Yes. Yes. I could. Of course."

She laughed softly, getting to her feet and moving around to his side, settling against him, her thigh pressed against his through the thick layer of her skirts. Her hand settled on his leg, stroking the fabric and tense muscle beneath. "What's your name?"

"Ho…Hornblower."

She smiled and slid her hand up higher, her fingertips brushing the edge of the placket. "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hornblower."

"Oh." Horatio shifted away from her hand and grasped his drink like a lifeline. "Er. Yes. Pleasure. Miss…"

"Annie." She reached out and took his drink from his hand, bringing it to her lips. Horatio stared after the amber liquid then up into her dark eyes. "Just Annie."

"Annie."

She took a sip of his drink then set it back down in the circle of his hands, leaning into him, her breasts brushing his sleeve. "Do you want to come upstairs with me, Mr. Hornblower?"

"Y…yes." He bit his lower lip and released a low breath, swallowing hard. "Yes, I do."

"And you have," she ran a finger over the sharp curve of his eyebrow, "money."

Horatio cleared his throat and nodded once. "I do."

Her fingers trailed down his arm, her hand warm in his. "This way, Mr. Hornblower."

He got to his feet and followed her, his eyes trained at the curve of flesh where her neck met her shoulders, the bare, powdered skin shimmering in the firelight. He licked his lips and closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply as she guided him to a thick curtain that separated the main room from the darkened stairwell.

She turned, her face hardened in the darkness. "Money first." Horatio dug the coins free and placed them in her hand. She felt them and smiled. "Follow me, Mr. Hornblower."

Her skirts swayed as she walked up the stairs, Horatio following, his eyes picking out the rough spots in the fabric where the material was shiny and worn. He let his gaze drift higher to the tight corset that laced around her waist and the hint of her breasts as she slid her hand along the rail.

She opened the third door down the row, her back against it as she slipped into the room, allowing Horatio to follow her in. He tucked his hands behind his back, his fingers coiled around his wrist, closing hard and tight around the bones until he could feel the pull on his knuckles, could imagine the whiteness of his skin.

Annie closed and locked the door, her smile open and hungry as her eyes raked along Horatio's body. "You look frightened, Mr. Hornblower. No need. Annie will take good care of you."

"I'm sure," he agreed, clearing his throat again. "I…" He licked his lips and forced his hands to his sides. "This is…"

She walked closer to him, skirting around the small bed and crowding him against the wall. He ducked his head slightly, the slanted ceiling brushing against his hair. Her fingers traced the white lapels of his jacket, the burnished gold of his buttons. He caught her wrist and held it, staring as his thumb moved over the rapid beat of pulse beneath her skin. His eyes moved to hers, surprised to find her watching the slow, steady movement as well.

Turning her head slowly, she smiled though the hard edge of it was muted. "Do you want to kiss me, Mr. Hornblower?"

Horatio leaned in, his tongue wetting his lips before he pressed them softly to hers. She laughed quietly against his kiss then opened her mouth, running her tongue along the seam of his lips. Horatio swallowed hard, her tongue sliding along his as he moved his hands to her face, fingers caressing the curve of her cheek.

"Oh," she moaned softly into his mouth, pressing her body closer to his. Horatio deepened the kiss, letting one hand slide to the back of her neck to hold her in place as he turned his head, his lips molding to hers as his tongue trailed over the sensitive surfaces of her mouth.

Annie's hands slid up his arms, rubbing over the fabric of his jacket before she pulled away, her breathing shallow. She held his gaze as her hands slipped down, raking over the warm wool until she reached his hands. She avoided his grip and moved her hands to the placket of his breeches, easily undoing the buttons that held it in place. With another sly smile, she got to her knees in a rush of air and a spread of skirts and tugged his shirt free from his breeches.

One hand wrapped warmly around his rigid flesh as the other pushed aside his clothes, freeing him from their confining presence. Horatio watched her in a mix of horrified fascination as she licked her lips then pressed a kiss to the tip of his shaft, barely leaving him time to respond before her mouth closed over him.

"Oh." He gasped the word and reached out for something, his hips jerking forward against the tight suction of her mouth. He clenched his fists convulsively, slumping back further against the wall as she pulled back, her hand easing his foreskin back as she licked the swollen head. "Oh."

"Better than a bit of fat and your left hand, hm?" She murmured the last word against his flesh then stood up, her hand still curled around his shaft. She leaned in as she released him, Horatio's body jerking slightly at the lack of contact. "Come to bed, Mr. Hornblower."

Horatio shed his jacket and waistcoat, tugging at his stock as he laid them over the lone chair in the room. Annie watched him with a small, knowing smile as she lay back, slowly guiding her skirts and petticoats up her legs.

He swallowed hard, watching as she revealed milky pale skin for him, blushed red from arousal as her skirts edged up her thighs. She stopped with her skirts just below the dark shadow of her sex and raised an eyebrow. "Come to bed, Mr. Hornblower."

Nodding, Horatio gathered his breeches in his hands, shoving them down his thighs as he knelt between her spread legs and moved up the bed. Her skirts crumpled across her stomach, the dark, damp hair glistening between her thighs. His breath ran away from him, rasping roughly in the quiet room as he settled over her, his eyes boring into hers.

Annie reached up and traced Horatio's parted lips. "You do know what to do with it, don't you, Mr. Hornblower?"

"Yes. Oh. Yes." He nodded and reached down, grasping his shaft and guiding it to her wet flesh. He hissed between his teeth as his hips pushed forward, warmth and wet and tight surrounded him. He closed his eyes, catching his breath as he stilled inside her, his hands clutching at the sheets on either side of her head. "Oh."

Annie reached up and unlaced the top of her corset, pushing the material aside to expose the swell of her breasts, the hard tips of her nipples. She cupped them, smiling at the flash of appreciation in his eyes as he bent his head, his lips closing around the offered flesh as his hips rolled forward, his stroke slow and steady.

"There you are," Annie breathed, her hand coming up to rest in the thickness of his hair. "Yes."

Horatio's hand moved up to her one breast, kneading the flesh gently as he suckled at the other, his tongue bathing the nipple in the wake of the soft scrape of his teeth. She hissed as he tightened his mouth, sucking harder.

"Yes," she moaned, her hips rocking up against his, urging Horatio deeper. He broke the suction, moving to her other breast in a trail of heavy, warm breath as his hands found the mattress again, digging into the thin fabric. The muscles of his arms and back bunched with desperate control as he thrust inside her, the tense line of him bucking and wavering as she slid her legs over his, sheer stockings and ale-slick shoes digging into his calves as she arched against him.

Horatio pulled his head back, gasping hungrily for air as his body jerked forward, his orgasm buffeting him like a storm tossed sea. He swallowed, great gulping breaths of air as his muscles spasmed, shaking his entire body as he slowly lowered himself onto her.

Her hands ran along his back, their soft touch sending further tremors through him, his cock still jerking inside her. "There now," she whispered softly. "Not so bad, was it?"

"I…"

"Enjoyed it?" She smiled as he lifted his head, blushing as he nodded. "Yes, well, you're supposed to."

"Is it always so…"

She grasped his shoulders and eased him off of her, rolling him onto his back as she got off the bed. "No. It gets better." She shook out her skirts and leaned in, kissing him softly, her tongue sliding against his lips. "Lovely to meet you, Mr. Hornblower."

"I should…"

She nodded and laced up her corset again as Horatio got to his feet and tugged his breeches back into place. "A word of advice, Mr. Hornblower?"

"Ho…Horatio."

"A word of advice then, Horatio?" She reached into her corset and pulled a thin handkerchief from it, reaching across the bed to hand it to him. "Clean up a bit first next time."

He nodded and gathered his clothes, looking around the room for a mirror. Seeing none, he shrugged them on and then looked down at himself, untucked and unkempt. He sighed and frowned. "Oh."

"Tuck your shirt in." She walked over as he did so then took his waistcoat and fastened the buttons, adjusting his jacket on his shoulders. "You're not perfect, but it's dark out. You'll do."

"Thank you. Annie."

"Stop by next time you're in port, Horatio." She winked broadly at him before making her way to the door. "Perhaps you'll be good enough to show me if you've gotten better."

"Yes. Yes. Yes, ma'am." He nodded, unable to stop himself as she laughed, the sound echoing down the hallway as she headed for the stairs.

Archie looked up as the door opened, his finger holding his place as he closed the book in his hand. He pulled himself up, fighting the urge to smile as Horatio closed the door behind him. "I hope you didn't run into anyone you know looking like that." Horatio ignored him and shrugged out of his coat, hanging it over the back of the chair beside the door. "Not that they'd recognize you. Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower in such a state. No one would believe it."

Horatio unbuttoned his waistcoat and draped it over his jacket. "Is there wine?"

"On the table." Archie gestured toward the small bottle, still fighting his smile. "How did it go?"

Pouring himself a glass of the dark liquid, Horatio cocked an eyebrow in Archie's direction. "Should I write up a report, Mr. Kennedy?"

"A fully detailed deconstruction of the event, Mr. Hornblower." Archie closed his book and set it aside, reaching for his own glass of wine and taking a small sip. "Really, though. How was it?"

"You've done it before, Archie."

Archie's face was almost a mask. "You hadn't."

"It was-" Horatio sighed. "It was. I don't know what else you want me to say."

"I don't want you to say anything, Horatio." Archie drained his glass and set it on the table beside the bed. Horatio took a drink from his and moved to the window, carefully avoiding Archie's eyes. Closing his eyes, Archie leaned back against the wall. "Are you mad at me?"

"Why on earth for?"

"For making you go."

Horatio's sigh filled the room. "First of all, Archie, you didn't make me do anything. And secondly, no. I'm not mad. I'm not anything, save a bit tired."

"And sore?" Archie's mouth curved slightly. "You're likely to be, if you're not."

"Good. Something to look forward to." Horatio finished his wine and rubbed at his eye. "She was very nice."

"You pay them to be nice."

"No. You pay them for everything else," Horatio corrected him. "She was very nice."

"I'm sure she was quite taken with your suave demeanor, Mr. Hornblower. All your dashing charm and skilled seduction."

Horatio fought the small laugh as he shook his head. "She was kind enough not to laugh at me, if that's what you mean."

"No one should ever laugh at you, Horatio." His stern expression broke on a wide smile. "Unless, of course, I'm there to see it."

"Your friendship and loyalty are duly noted, Mr. Kennedy." Horatio sighed and unbuttoned his collar, tugging his shirt over his head. "More wine?"

"No." Archie's eyes moved over Horatio's body. "Thank you."

Horatio refilled his glass, sipping from it as he dug his nightshirt from his bag, tossing it on the bed. Archie stretched out along the mattress, still watching as Horatio set his drink aside and tugged the cream colored shirt over his head, dark hair spilling from his queue as the ribbon unraveled. He sighed and slipped out of his breeches, draping them over the end of the bed.

"What are you reading?"

"Nothing of consequence." Archie spoke softly as Horatio sat on the side of the bed. "Put out the light."

Horatio blew out the lantern then lay back beside Archie, staring up at the ceiling as Archie reached out, his fingertips barely brushing the fabric of Horatio's night shirt. "Archie?"

"Yes, Horatio?"

"Her name was Annie."

Archie leaned in and pressed his lips to Horatio's forehead before placing a gentle kiss against Horatio's mouth. "I know."