For one brief moment, Avery balks. But I step closer, daring him with my eyes. “Unless you’d like to back out…”
“Deal.”
I turn on my heel, already off to find Yancey when Avery catches me around my wrist and pulls me back. “No cheating.”
“How could I possibly cheat at this?”
“No telling him about the wager. And no flirting.”
“I don’t flirt,” I argue, but that’s a lie and a half. Though I’m not altogether proud of it, I’ve been known to bat my eyelashes a time or two if it means getting my way. I grin and wag my eyebrows. “I can’t help it if I’m naturally charming.”
With a laugh, the captain unhands me, shaking his head, and returns to his task.
***
“What do you mean ‘no?’”
Yancey crosses his arms and scowls down at me. “I mean no, I will not teach you how to manipulate air.”
“Manipulate air,” I say, mulling over the sound of it. “That sounds far more impressive than working a wind charm, doesn’t it?”
The man doesn’t even twitch.
“Is it basically the same thing?” I shift my weight to my other leg. “Or is there more to it?”
Nothing.
Wretched man. Avery’s going to win if I don’t crack him.
“Aren’t you bored?” I ask, trying a different tactic. “You must be used to doing important things all day long, and now you’re stuck at sea.”
“I like the sea.”
To back up his words, he stares out at the ocean. He won’t even look at me, and it’s driving me mad.
“I used to like the sea. I’m afraid I’ve grown rather sick of it,” I admit as I turn to look out at the water. I rest my arms on the rail and set my chin on my hands. “I romanticized it when I was young, thought it would be far grander than it is.”
He’s quiet for a long while. Just when I’m ready to admit defeat, he says, “You grew up in the mountains of Reginae.”
It’s not a question so much as a statement.
I angle my head to look at him. “I did.”
“I’ve never seen anything outside of Mesilca.” His voice is detached and not terribly friendly, but at least he’s talking.
“My province is beautiful, especially in early summer when the snow is a memory, and the meadows are thick with flowers and bright green grass.”
“But you left it.”
“My family is…” I shake my head. I won’t discuss it with him.
“I wanted to leave Grenalda when I was young,” he says. “Sail to Kalae.”
I wonder if he realizes he’s speaking to me? Careful not to spook him, I look back at the horizon. The sky is pale blue in the early afternoon, but in a few hours, the light will turn golden, and the horizon will catch fire.
“What would you do there?”
“Join the mages’ guild, become an alchemist.”
I nearly choke. Great big, burly Yancey wants to do plant magic? There are two horticultural professions—herbology and alchemy. Both are related, and both make useful concoctions and medicines using various ingredients, mostly plants. Alchemists take it a step further, infusing medicines and salves with magic. It’s a science, nothing more—as is all magic. But it takes time and skill and a great deal of patience.
I peer at him from the corner of my eye. He catches my incredulous look and frowns.
“What’s stopping you?” I ask.
“Duty.” With those words, he walks away.
“Wait!” I holler after him. “What about teaching me to manipulate air?”
“No.”
Drat. I think I just lost the bet.
***
I sweep into Avery’s quarters. “A bet is a bet.”
The surprised captain looks up from his desk. He’s wearing those confounded thin-rimmed spectacles again, and I wish he wouldn’t. They do something to him, take his rugged good looks and sharpen them. It’s very difficult to hold onto all this justified ire when I’m finding him so distracting.
Slowly, almost as if he knows what I’m thinking, Avery pulls the glasses from his nose and sets them on his desk. He takes a good look at my gown and raises his eyebrows in appreciation. “You look…nice.”
Instead of wearing one of his gifts, I’m in a gown Adeline insisted I needed. It’s beige silk covered in black lace, tight in the sleeveless bodice, dipping into a sweetheart neckline. The skirt tapers to extremely full at my hips. Sebastian choked a bit when I tried it on, so I know it’s flattering.
But I didn’t wear it to make Avery sweat; I wore it because it makes me feel beautiful and confident, and goodness knows I deserve to have the upper hand for once.
“I’ll be honest,” Avery says as he sits back in his chair. “I thought you would skip out of the bet.”
I shrug one bare shoulder. “I would have held you to your end if I’d won.”
“Perhaps I should have asked for higher stakes.” His lips crook as he intentionally attempts to make me squirm.
“Too late now.” I keep my tone light and turn to admire the collections that adorn his cabin.
A plush, intricately woven rug lies on his floor. Avery has old armor and weapons on the walls, art safely tucked into cabinets bolted to the floor, and one display case filled to the brim with enchanted daggers.
As I grow closer, I find the cabinet contains more than daggers. Four arrows lie on the black velvet, each of them giving off a faint blue glow. They’re beautiful.
I turn to Avery, intrigued. “Arrows? I thought your love was with blades.”
The captain swallows, apparently not wanting to speak of it.
“When did you obtain these?” I scowl at the thin etching on the metal shaft.
His gaze rises to the ceiling as if he must think about it. “Well, let’s see…”
I cross the room, glaring at him. “You bought these after you stole the orchids.”
As if asking me to get on with my point, he holds up a hand.
“These are Milindrian—seventh century, I believe. They must have cost a small fortune.” I’m not an expert, but because of my line of work, I know a fair share about antiquated enchanted weaponry. It’s both illegal and wildly expensive. Arrows carry the highest price because they are delicate compared to their sturdier blade cousins, and there are fewer still in existence. “Did you lie to me? Did you sell the orchids after all?”
“A few,” he admits and then hurriedly adds, “but only my share. The rest of the twigs died while I was biding my time, waiting for you.”
“You make it sound as if you thought you would call me and I’d simply rush to your side. I’m not a dog, Avery.”
He tries not to grin, but he fails. He covers his mouth with his hand, pretending to rub his face. “I’m aware of that.”
I shake my head, exasperated but not surprised.
“I had hoped that after you found out about your dragon, your feelings might soften toward me.”
I narrow my eyes. “You mean the dragon you borrowed? The dragon you had the shopkeeper put the tracking spell on? The dragon Sebastian bought back for me? That dragon?”
Avery sits up abruptly, no longer looking amused. “What do you mean Sebastian bought him back for you?”
“He paid the shopkeeper two thousand five hundred denats so I could keep him.”
“I sent the shopkeeper three thousand along with the note he was supposed to deliver to you. I bought him for you.”
I stare at the captain, mouth gaped open as I try to make sense of it, and then a laugh burbles from my throat. “You were swindled!”
Of course, that means Sebastian was taken as well, but I’d rather focus on Avery right now.
Avery mutters a curse and stands abruptly, overcome with anger. “I swear when we arrive back in—”
“It’s not pleasant to be stabbed in the back, is it, Captain?” I say, feigning innocence. The hard part is hiding my glee.
He looks at me, his expressio
n both delightfully irritated and frustrated. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
I clutch my hands to my chest. “More than words can convey.”
I take a step back, a little uncertain because he’s now striding toward me, a grim smile on his face. I dart behind a chair, trying not to laugh. “Stop.”
“Stop what?” he asks as he stalks me around the room.
“Stay where you are.”
“Acknowledge that I bought you the dragon. I paid for him first.”
I shrug, mock helpless. “How can I do that? All I have is your word, and that’s not very—ahh!” I laugh as I dart away, running around his desk.
Avery chases me, laughing himself now. I don’t take the time to think about what we’re doing, but I fleetingly realize I’m as happy as I’ve been in a long while. It’s a short moment of joy, and though my pride scolds me, I shove that gloomy naysayer away.
I’m faster than the captain, but the cabin is small. I take a wrong turn and slide on one of his beautiful rugs. It flies from under my feet, and I fall backward, right into Avery’s arms.
My heart beats like a hummingbird’s, and we laugh until my stomach hurts. Avery’s shoulders shake, and his chest rumbles against me. Doubled over, unable to support us in this condition, Avery pulls us to the floor. I gasp for air and then let out a long breath. At the same time, Avery looks up.
We both go perfectly still.
His eyes are bright, and his face is flushed. He’s near enough his breath tickles my cheek, and his muscles tense against me. And, oh, he smells like paradise. He wears something dark and exotic. It’s unashamedly masculine, just like the captain himself. I want to bury my nose against him, breathe him in.
My mouth goes dry, and my common sense excuses itself.
“You should probably stop,” he whispers.
Confusion clouds my thoughts, and I shake my head. “Stop what?”
“Looking at me like you want me to kiss you… Unless you do want me to kiss you.”
I take a second too long to push him away, and he presses closer. With maddening control, he teases his lips over mine, brushing them side to side, taunting—promising. Not a kiss…but so very, very close. When he moves to the corner of my mouth, I hold my breath and attempt to get my thoughts in order.
I’m a mess. Desire and anticipation snakes with guilt and sadness. I think of Sebastian—missing him, selfishly hating him for choosing duty over me, wishing it were this easy between us.
Why must it be so effortless with Avery? Why is it so simple to fall into his arms and feel I belong here?
Because he wants you here, a soft voice of reason whispers in my head.
I’ve never doubted that—not once. Where Sebastian is as conflicted over our relationship as I am, Avery has no reservations.
Intense sorrow cloaks me. It presses against my chest, makes it hard to breathe, and I do the most undesirable thing imaginable. I hold back a sob, wrap my arms around Avery’s neck, and burrow my head against him. My cheek presses against his warm skin, and his scent settles around me like a warm blanket. I cling to him as tightly as I’ve held onto my anger these last few months.
His manner changes in an instant. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me onto his lap, holding me so close it would almost hurt if I didn’t crave the contact so much.
“I feel guilty,” I admit, my lips brushing against the collar of his shirt. “Because of Sebastian. I don’t want to, and I know I shouldn’t. I want to ignore it, pretend it will go away.”
Tears don’t fall, but they sting my eyes all the same. I look up at him and fist my hand in his shirt, a little desperate. “Make it go away.”
It’s a request, permission, a soft demand.
Avery doesn’t say anything. He takes in a long breath and exhales slowly. It’s a resolute sound, sad in its own way. It makes my heart hurt a little more.
“That won’t help any,” he finally says. “You’ll regret it tomorrow.”
“I don’t care about tomorrow,” I whisper. Then I do something insanely impulsive. Shifting in his arms, I lean forward and press a tentative kiss to his mouth. His lips are warm, firm, and unyielding, but I can feel him fight himself. He kissed me in the Moss Forest, and the memory of that kiss fuels my actions.
His shoulders rise, and his muscles go rigid. “Lucia—”
I kiss him again, slow and sure, cutting him off. It’s nothing more than a peck, but it’s encouragement all the same. “Make me forget, Avery.”
It’s wrong; I know it. I’m using Avery, begging him to use me in return.
I lean in again, but he clasps my wrists. His eyes are dark.
“I am not chivalrous,” he all but snarls. “I know you are broken, but I swear I will not take the high road if pressed too far.”
I lock eyes with him and move forward. Again, I graze my lips over his. This time, I linger.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Slow-burning Spark
Avery holds strong for three agonizing seconds, and then a low groan escapes his throat, and he gives in. His hands are in my hair, on my back. I’m yanking him closer, frenzied. Months of pent up tension dissolve into that kiss. Guilt fades, morphs into delicious need, and I sink into the feeling, letting it balm my aches.
“Avery,” I gasp as he moves to my jaw.
He growls against my skin. “Say it again.”
Out of breath, half delirious, I blink. “What?”
The captain breaks away to meet my eyes. “Say my name—exactly how you said it moments ago. Say it so I’ll remember what it sounds like on your lips.”
“Avery,” I whisper, my voice embarrassingly breathy and impatient.
He closes his eyes, reveling in the sound of it, and the sight of him almost undoes me. I yank his head down, making him meet my lips again. I had no idea, no clue, that one kiss would take a slow-burning spark and ignite it to a raging wildfire.
His lips are firm and perfect, and his kisses are reckless but precise. Everywhere his hands drift, I’m on fire. I’d have thought his touch would be foreign, but I’ve known him long enough now, spent enough time with him in the last few months, that he’s as familiar as this is new.
“This cannot happen again,” I breathe as his attention wanders to my jaw.
He mumbles something that might be an agreement or a protest. I have no idea which, and I don’t honestly care at the moment.
By the time my better sense finally wrangles its way to the forefront of my brain, my lips are swollen, my cheeks are hot, and I’ve been more thoroughly kissed than ever before in my life. But instead of letting me bask in all that is Avery’s skill, that pesky common sense comes charging in like a bull escaped from his pen.
I pull back, stunned. What have I done?
“And there it is,” Avery says, half out of breath as he sits back and gives me a cheeky smile that’s a little hesitant around the edges.
“What?”
Avoiding my eyes, he adjusts his shirt, which is deliciously askew. “The moment you decide this was a mistake.”
I gape at him, unsure how to reply. He tries to appear in control as always, but he’s reeling, just like I am. I can see it in his eyes.
The air becomes heavy, hard to breathe. My gaze drifts down. I kissed those lips. My cheeks are raw from the stubble on his jaw. Those fingers, which are now deftly adjusting the buttons on his cuffs, trailed my skin.
Gulping, I look away. We’re still on the floor, and my skirts billow around me. And though Avery was smart enough to keep his hands where they belonged, somehow my bodice has twisted into an uncomfortable position.
I kissed Captain Greybrow. I threw myself at him, begged him to take the ache away.
How humiliating.
Abruptly, I stand and turn from him as I straighten my bodice and adjust the ties. I feel the heat of him behind me before I hear him, and I close my eyes when his hands settle on my bare shoulders. He has perfect hands—his skin is rough and warm, and h
is fingers are long and strong.
An hour ago, I didn’t know that about him. I was probably better off without that knowledge.
“I’m sorry,” he murmurs as he rests his forehead against the back of my hair.
“For what?”
“For taking advantage of a vulnerable moment.”
It’s strange that he’ll apologize for something he didn’t even initiate, but he won’t concede that taking the orchids was a lousy thing to do. I smile, shaking my head. I can make this right. Well, perhaps not right. But a little less awkward.
I turn and step back, careful to put a little distance between us.
“Is that what you believe, Captain? You think you took advantage of me?” Faking orneriness, I pat his chest. “I can assure you that was not the case. You see, I took advantage of you.”
“Did you now?” He wears a serious expression, but his eyes are bright with amusement.
“I’m afraid so.” I step past him, heading for the door. “Try not to feel too badly about it.”
My heart’s skittering like a puppy on ice. All I have to do is play it cool until I make it out of the cabin. Once I’m safely past the door, I can dwell on all that happened. Just past the door.
“Lucia,” Avery calls the moment I walk over the threshold.
Cursing under my breath, I look back, already closing the door. “Yes?”
He grins, making my heart flip flop like a landed fish. “Feel free to take advantage of me whenever you like.”
***
Stupid Avery. Stupid Sebastian.
Stupid Lucia.
It’s a fine mess I’ve got myself in now. And do I regret it? That’s the worst part—I cannot bring myself to. All night I tossed and turned, thinking of Avery.
It comes as no surprise that the captain is skilled. I knew he would be the moment I laid eyes on him. Well, the actual moment I laid eyes on him I was consumed with confusion that the shockingly handsome man on the dock was calling to me. But not long after that his kissing prowess certainly crossed my mind.
Greybrow Serpent (Silver and Orchids Book 2) Page 11