Scent Of Magic
Page 20
He turned and grinned down at her with a bold smile. “There’s only one problem, captain. I’m hoping you can solve it.”
“What’s that?”
“The cargo hold is filled to capacity and beyond and I’ve given up my cabin to a very deserving couple. So, there’s no room for me.”
She grabbed his shirt in both her hands. “That is a tough problem, Blane. What about your brother? You could bunk with him.”
She held her breath, as his eyes darkened, fearing her tease had gone too far. But he only laughed. “Not likely,” he said. “Guess I’ll have to sleep in the corridor. People can just step over me.”
“Can’t have that.” She bit her lip to keep from smiling.
“Well, maybe you could sign me on and I could bunk with Jake. How’s that?”
“Jake never sleeps, I’m afraid.”
His eyes sparkled. “I’d still like to join your crew. I have a hankering to see the far reaches of the galaxy. So, what will it be, captain? Can I convince you to sign me on as a deckhand?”
Ange turned away from the door to hide the joy bubbling through her and started down the corridor. “I’m not sure I’m in need of a deckhand.”
He caught up to her in two long, effortless strides. “I’m versatile. Tell me what you do need.”
She glanced at him from under her long lashes. “I need a man who loves me the way I am.”
“I’m that man.” He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Do you doubt it?”
Ange turned right and headed down another corridor. “So many men have only seen the glamour. They want my body, nothing more.”
He grabbed her elbow and stopped, pulling her to a halt. “I could say the same. I suffer from the glamour, too. We’ve moved beyond the faerie lust, you and I. And I love you more than I can ever say, although I plan to spend a lifetime trying.”
Her heart leapt into her throat. His words were exactly what she needed to hear. Biting her lip, she turned away and walked another few feet down the corridor.
He stood watching her go, a stricken look on his face. “What? Are you going to run away from me?”
She halted and faced him. Her hand went out to the latch on one of the doors. “No. I’ve gone ahead to open the door for you. That is—if you want to join me.”
She lifted a beckoning finger and backed into her cabin. Blane strode in after her, his broad shoulders filling the doorway as she had once imagined.
He slammed the door shut and scanned the room with a quick glance. A narrow bunk and a metal desk were shoved tight against one wall. The other wall had the door to the john and a small closet.
He smiled. “Spacious quarters.”
“It’s tight and unfortunately we’ll have to spend most of the trip in here to keep the colonist from going mad with lust from our scent.”
Blane wiggled an eyebrow. “In here? Locked up and alone with you?”
“On the voyage out, I got a lot of sleep.”
“Not this time.” He leered at her. His fingers slipped between the seal-line of her blouse, separating the fabric. As her blouse tumbled to the floor he drew her close and kissed her lips. His own lips were warm and firm and tasted of sun and sand.
“Wait a moment.” She stepped out of his arms and into the bathroom. When she emerged a second later, she held a small bottle of exquisitely etched glass in her hand.
Blane lifted an eyebrow.
“What’s that?”
She squeezed and droplets of spray filled the air between them. She pulled him into their path and let the scented mist settle over both of them.
“A perfume. Ryol gave me a sample. It’s called Scent of Magic.”
The End
About the Author
Words are Jeanine Berry’s passion, so it is no wonder she turned to writing as a profession and eventually became a writer of erotica.
Jeanine started scribbling in notebooks in junior high school and kept her parents awake late at night typing away on one novel or another. Most of these early works were lost when Jeanine took a long break from creative writing to pursue a career as a journalist. But eventually the need to spin stories returned and she wrote and published her first novel.
Her creative writing ventures include several SF and fantasy works, both on her own and in collaboration with other writers. She’s co-authored the best-selling The Sex Gates and its sequels, Masters of the Sex Gates and Worlds of the Sex Gates, with Darrell Bain. On her own, she is the author of three fantasy novels, Dayspring Dawning, Dayspring Destiny, and The Secret Sky.
Jeanine is also the author of three other spicy SF and fantasy books for Extasy. Gabriel's Gift is the sexy and funny story of an alien with strange courting rituals who woes a shy school teacher; The Ailunnean shapeshifter series begins with Destiny Earth and concludes with Alien Seduction.
On occasion, her husband tears Jeanine away from the computer so they can go golfing together. She also has two adorable Australian Silky Terriers who demand a fair amount of time for petting, walks, and treats ... especially treats.