Scoundrel - The Blades Of The Rose Part 30

"Never a child, madam, always a man," he answered with a flirtatious smile. It was a role he played, a role he'd inhabited most of his life, and with pleasure, but now he wanted to smile in such fashion at London alone. He would only fulfill the promise of his smile with her. Still, the Nereids didn't know that. He hoped London did.

Urging her dolphin to swim a little closer to the caique, the diadem-wearing sea nymph stared up at Bennett with heavy-lidded eyes. "How do we know your intentions at the Black Temple are honorable?"

"You've but my word. And I don't give it lightly."

"Is there anything you do do give lightly?" asked the Nereid. "A kiss, perhaps?" give lightly?" asked the Nereid. "A kiss, perhaps?"

Bennett thought he heard London's growl. A tigress. Oh, he had such plans for her later. For now, though, he had to concern himself with these rather trying nymphs. He used to like the game of seduction. Now, he was impatient, wanting to be finished so they could go about their business, so he could be alone with London.

"My kisses are given to only one woman," Bennett said, and he was glad of it.

"A pity," sighed the Nereid with the earrings. "What of your handsome friend? He sings well." She looked at Kallas.

The captain flushed, then cast a glance at Athena. The witch turned away, feigning interest in the grain of the wooden deck. Kallas seemed to wait for an objection from her, but she said nothing.

"Kallas men leave women sighing in ports across the sea," the captain said, turning back to the Nereid.

At once, the Nereids began to chatter amongst themselves, some kind of heated debate. It reached a crescendo, then the sea nymph in the diadem silenced her sisters with a wave of her hand. Her sisters looked supremely irritated.

"It is decided," she said, addressing Bennett and Kallas. "I shall tell you how to find the Black Temple. But there is a price."

"And that price is?" Bennett asked.

"A kiss for me, from each of you men."

Shocked noises of outrage from both London and Athena as Bennett inwardly grimaced. Why must magical women have such a taste for mortal flesh?

The Nereid's green aquatic eyes moved over both Kallas and Bennett, a suggestive perusal. "My sisters and I have met so few mortals that intrigue us, hardly any since Odysseus and Jason crossed these waters."

"My heart belongs to another," Bennett said.

The nymph dismissed this objection with a toss of her head. "I ask not for your heart. Only your kiss." She guided her dolphin closer to the caique, so that she was a foot away, and tilted up her face with regal expectation.

Before Bennett could respond, London muttered in English, "It's all right. Kiss the b.l.o.o.d.y sea strumpet."

With an inward sigh, knowing he hadn't a choice in the matter, Bennett leaned over the rail to place a quick, fraternal kiss on the Nereid's mouth. Her lips were cool, beaded with seawater. He tried to pull back, but the nymph's arms came up and locked behind his neck, almost tugging him overboard. Her kiss became more insistent, her tongue pushing at the seam of his lips to force them open. It felt a little like kissing an amorous octopus.

Bennett managed to disentangle himself from the Nereid's arms and leaned back. He barely resisted the impulse to wipe his mouth on his sleeve as she pouted.

"Now, you," the sea nymph commanded Kallas.

The captain did as he was ordered, but, with no word of protest from Athena, his partic.i.p.ation was a h.e.l.l of a lot more enthusiastic than Bennett's. The Nereid clutched at Kallas as they kissed deeply, and a flush crept over her body while her sisters sighed with envy.

While Kallas was so occupied, he didn't see Athena's fierce scowl. It looked as though she was on the verge of either planting a foot in the captain's behind or committing nymphicide. Bennett suspected it was extreme force of will, and dedication to the mission, that kept the witch from unleashing her fury.

Finally, the Nereid released Kallas. The captain moved back, completely dazed.

"Delicious," the nymph said. "While your your kiss," she said to Bennett, "left much to be desired, they both revealed your inner truths regarding your intent for the Black Temple. I may disclose to you its location without fear." kiss," she said to Bennett, "left much to be desired, they both revealed your inner truths regarding your intent for the Black Temple. I may disclose to you its location without fear."

"Many thanks." Bennett spoke because Kallas seemed incapable of rational thought. Kissing immortal maidens had that effect on most men.

"A day's sail north. Three islands shall you pa.s.s, each a fortress. The fourth is what you seek. The Black Temple is beneath the Black Temple. You must bring the Oracle's Daughter, else the secret shall burn you."

Ah, another riddle. But it was one he and London would solve together.

From her sheltered spot at the bow, hidden by a large crate, London sat and watched the evening descend like a silken cloak. She had her knees curled up, her chin propped on her knees, her arms around her legs. Wind blew across her face with the scent of salt.w.a.ter and possibility. Athena had wrapped an herbal poultice around the wound on London's arm, so that its pain was hardly felt, the healing already commencing. There might be a faint scar, however.

Even if the symbol she had carved into her arm faded completely, she would never lose the mark upon her heart. How did one go on, knowing that her parent sought her death? She thought of Abraham and Isaac, the venerable patriarch willing to slay his son for the sake of his faith. Somehow, London's father had convinced himself that he must sacrifice her for the betterment of England, if not merely himself and his reputation. What if Isaac leapt up from the altar to s.n.a.t.c.h the knife from his father's hand? How would the world be different?

She was orphaned, never to see her mother again, and to her father she was dead. She could have nothing further to do with him. Or he must die. The thought made her shudder, even as she acknowledged the truth. Even though she had broken the Bloodseeker Spell, she was not free of her father, not free of the Heirs. Not until either she or her father were dead.

Which meant it had to be him. She had found love where none was expected. Her life now was far too precious to surrender without a fight.

London waited for Bennett to finish his shift at the helm, unable to sit below. Tomorrow they would reach the Black Temple. Tomorrow might see their journey end, and how it was to end, she had no idea. Any number of possibilities ran through her mind, some wonderful, some terrible. It was not a night for confined s.p.a.ces. She needed the sea and the sky around her, almost as much as she needed Bennett. While she could not have one this very moment, she could have the others.

"Kallas, a word."

London stiffened when she heard Athena's voice on the other side of the crate.

"What is it, witch?" The captain's voice was unusually restrained. Perhaps an aftereffect of kissing a Nereid.

For a moment, Athena was silent, and London could feel her friend's tension in that weighted silence. London debated as to whether or not to announce her presence, but the atmosphere between Kallas and Athena thickened with intimacy. If London let them know she was nearby, it might ruin the fragile moment. So London said nothing.

Finally, Athena asked, "Do you have many memories of your childhood?"

If the question surprised the captain, he did not say so. "Mostly of my father and his boat. Laughing. He laughed a lot. Showing me how to weigh anchor. The anchor was almost as big as I was, I nearly went over the side with it."

"I have few memories of my youth." Athena's voice was soft, ruminative. "I was always in such a hurry to grow up. My mother and grandmother were good to me, but I wanted to be an adult as soon as I could and join them in the world of decision-makers. They warned me, Yaya and Mama, that I should enjoy the pleasures of childhood freedom. I never listened. In that way, I was like all Galanos women. Stubborn."

"Headstrong," Kallas corrected gently.

Athena's chuckle was rueful. "I do have a particular recollection. A name day celebration at some friend's home. A boy my own age. There were sweets to eat, and I remember these two pieces of baklava, golden with honey and fragrant with walnuts and cinnamon. I stared at them for a long time, trying to decide which one I wanted. One of the pieces had more walnuts, the other, more honey. I just stared and stared, thinking, considering, unable to make up my mind."

"Why not take them both?"

"That would have been greedy."

"You were a child. Children are allowed to be greedy. I used to stuff myself sick on loukoumades loukoumades when we'd get to port, and my father let me. A treat and a lesson." when we'd get to port, and my father let me. A treat and a lesson."

"Even if my mother said it would have been all right, I wouldn't let myself."

"So, which piece of baklava did you take?"

"Neither. I spent so much time deliberating and thinking, some girl ran up and grabbed both pieces for herself. I wound up with nothing."

"I'll bring you as much baklava as you want when we get back to Piraeus."

"Many thanks, but no. I did not tell you that story because I had a craving for baklava."

"What do do you have a craving for?" you have a craving for?"

Even London, on the other side of the crate, heard the sensual promise of the captain's softly spoken words.

"I do not give in to cravings," Athena answered, but her voice was throaty. "I never have. I always thought they were signs the body was trying to overtake the mind, and I would not let that happen."

"High time for you to start listening to your body."

"And my heart." The witch drew in a breath. "I do not want to waste an opportunity because I am thinking too much, trying to decide what is best or right."

"Athena-"

"Will you come to my bunk tonight, Nikos? When your shift at the helm is over?" She didn't wait for an answer, talking quickly as if to avoid hearing the captain's response. "I shall ask London to sleep in the other cabin. She will accept. She's grown tired of crawling back and forth between cabins, and I know it can be disruptive, so-"

Athena's nervous prattling stopped. London wondered why, until she heard the unmistakable sounds of kissing. Leave it to the captain to let actions speak more eloquently than words.

Though determined to keep her silence, inwardly London rejoiced. The kiss between the captain and the witch had been a long time in the making, and, now that London had discovered love, she wanted to share it with everyone, especially her friends.

Some time later, Kallas murmured, "What's the word? Ensorcelled? I think you've ensorcelled me, Lady Witch."

"No more than you have netted me, Captain. I did not enjoy seeing you kiss that Nereid."

"It didn't look like you minded."

"I minded."

"Would it help if I said I was thinking of you the whole time?"

Athena chuckled, then said, softly, "Tonight, then."

"Tonight."

The taps of Athena's footfalls faded as she went below. Kallas let out a slow growl, then followed the sound with a litany of exaltation to hosts of saints and G.o.ds. London speculated that she would not get much sleep that night, kept awake by the sounds of lovemaking. But it was only fair. Lord knew that she and Bennett had probably cost everyone their sleep, with all their carnal carryings-on.

Later she heard Bennett and Kallas trade places at the helm, then the strong, sure sound of Bennett's boots on the deck coming toward her. Night had fallen, so she felt more than saw him when he stood close by. Her heart and body vibrated with barely contained energy, matching his.

Bennett easily lowered down to the deck, sliding behind her so that she sat between his legs as he cradled her in his arms. Warm, solid, and athletic, he surrounded her without entirely engulfing her. London leaned against him, her back to his chest, and she felt the strange double joys of serenity and excitement. She was safe here with him, but not stiflingly sheltered. He brushed his lips against her hair.

Neither spoke. It felt too good to sit in the prow of the boat in the darkness, the waves breaking across the bow, wind in the sails, the heat of his body blanketing her.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather be with that Nereid?" London asked. "She seemed to fancy you quite a bit."

He gave a snort. "I don't fancy fish. Maybe for supper, but not for kissing."

"Prefer human women, do you?"

"Just one." He turned her head gently and demonstrated exactly what he meant.

Some moments later, when they had to pause to breathe, he asked, "What have you been doing up here?"

She worked to bring her mind into focus after the heady pleasures of Bennett's mouth. "Enjoying the night. Thinking."

"Alone?"

She thought of the exchange between Kallas and Athena, and, though she trusted Bennett completely, felt Athena might take umbrage if London discussed her private romantic affairs.

"Yes," London said, hating that she had to lie to him. "All alone."

"Did I ever mention that I've excellent hearing?" he asked, his voice low, a delightful rumble.

She should have known. "You heard them, too?"

"Oh, yes. And about b.l.o.o.d.y time, too."

His soft chuckle sent tremors rippling through her. She was very aware of him pressed into her backside, even through the layers of her skirt and petticoat. Thank heavens she'd long ago abandoned a bustle. Feeling him intimately snug against her was a wicked pleasure for which she would gladly forsake fashion. In fact, there was something to be said for being absolutely naked whenever Bennett was near.

"I'm glad for them," said London. "Glad they were willing to take the chance. I didn't think they would ever risk themselves."

He brushed her hair to one side, uncovering her neck. His warm mouth trailed just beneath her ear. Then he traced the curve of her neck with small, gentle bites, just hard enough to send bright currents of awareness through her, centering at the tips of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and between her thighs. He soothed the bites with velvet licks of his tongue. "Not everyone's as brave as you," he said between ministrations.

"Not so brave," she gasped. "Just know what I want." Coherent thought, and the ability to talk sensibly, vanished under his touch.

His long hands slid up over her waist and ribs to cup her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She arched her back, the better to feel his caresses. Yet neither of them were satisfied, not until he unfastened the b.u.t.tons of her shirtwaist and pulled the garment open, baring the skin of her chest. She had taken off her corset before scaling the cliff, and beneath the shirtwaist she wore only a chemise. He stroked her through the fine cotton, teasing her b.r.e.a.s.t.s to hard points so that she writhed with pleasure. Then even the thin chemise was too much of a barrier, and he pulled it roughly up and out of her skirt's waistband. At once, his hands went underneath the fabric to caress her bare skin, and she gasped aloud.

"Tell me what you want," he growled.

"You, only you." She pushed back into him, feeling the thickness of his firm c.o.c.k rubbing against her.

When he took his hands from her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, she almost wept with loss, but then he was gathering up her skirt, his hands stroking up her outstretched legs. Up her calves, past her knees, the lengths of her thighs. Then higher. She sucked in a breath when his fingers found her wet and desperate for him.

"Tell me why," he demanded, guttural. "Tell me why you want me." He traced her, touched her, while the other hand went back to attend to her breast.

Her mind slipped further from her grasp so that she became merely a vessel for a desperate need.

"Because-" She gasped.

"Yes."

"Because-" She reached behind awkwardly, fumbling with the b.u.t.tons on his trousers. Yet she was determined, and soon had him unfastened and then, yes, he was in her hand, burning hot and thick. He hissed as she stroked him.

Then he lifted her, raising her up just above him, and moved his legs between hers. The very crown of his c.o.c.k kissed her opening. She was giddy, spinning, and so desperate for him.

"Say it," he urged. He brought her down, and they both cried out as he filled her.

"Because I love you," she moaned.