Twelve
days at sea. Twelve long, restless days since the last port. The crew
of the Dauntless milled about idly on the wooden deck, the hull
creaking as it bobbed on the water’s surface. A pair of men made
their rounds to swab the deck, keeping the wood from cracking in the
midday sun.No ships in sight, no land on the horizon, and no
wind for the past two days. Roberts muttered curses under his breath
as the mop swished back and forth in front of him. His calloused
fingers wrapped around the h

Katie
looked around the gym, her heart pounding from more than just
exercise. Her cheeks flushed a further tinge of red as her eyes
darted back and forth across the various gym equipment. Nobody seemed
to be looking in her direction, each patron too absorbed in their own
workout to notice the petite brunette standing in the doorway of the
men’s locker area. Nor had they noticed the man who, moments ago,
was standing in front of her. Bending down and pretending to tie her
shoe, Katie quickly se

“All
right everyone, game time is in ten!” A booming female voice rang
out in the locker room, sending assistants scurrying about the room.
“You know I can’t stand having a messy locker to return to when I
get off the court. And you don’t want an upset Serena on your
hands, now do you?” Standing a bit under two meters call, the woman
snapped her fingers twice as she shouted, “chop chop!”
A
meek “yes, Miss Williams,” was heard from within the group.
Various towels, outfits, te