by Siren Allen
“Three hours? I’ll starve to death by then.”
“I doubt it.”
“I guess I’ll go to my lamp then and…”
“What do you want to eat?” There was that smile again. Lately, it was like he was the genie, and she was the one in charge.
“I want bananas. Bananas and wine.”
“It’s too early for wine.”
“It’s never too early for wine. And chestnuts.”
“Anything else?” He asked sarcastically.
“Uh, since you’re feeling generous, how about releasing me from my lamp?”
Though she was smiling, he knew she was serious. He was going to release her. He had every intention of releasing her ever since he came in possession of her lamp. Yet, he couldn’t do it right now. Not yet.
“Bananas and wine coming up,” he told her as he sat up.
“And pecan muffins.”
“Is that all you want?” He rose from the pallet. The blanket fell away. Her eyes dropped to his cock, his still hard cock. “That’s what happens when a woman humps me. You should apologize to him.”
Staring at his cock, she bowed her head slightly and said, “I apologize, Mini Savage.”
A growl rose in his throat. “There’s nothing mini about me.”
She shrugged as her gaze rose to his. “I guess it depends on how you look at it.”
“It doesn’t matter how you look at it.”
Eyeing his dick, she cocked her head to the side. “Hmmm.”
Now he understood how irritating that word was. No matter what she said, he knew there was nothing mini about his cock. Knowing that didn’t stop her words from irritating him. “Return to your lamp. I’ll call for you when the food is ready.”
“Yes, my Lord.” Her gaze dropped back down to his cock. “And Mini Lord.”
“Calypso!”
Smiling, she closed her eyes and disappeared in swirl of colorful smoke. She knew just what to do and say to get him riled up. Staring at the spot she’d just vacated, Saxon chuckled. No woman had ever bantered with him the way she did.
Most simply blushed in his presence and only did and said things that they thought he’d want to hear. All these years, he’d been okay with that. He’d thought he was attracted to women who behaved that way.
Women who catered to his needs. Now, he had a genie who was cursed to cater to his needs. Yet, he loved it when she disobeyed him and made snark comments. He didn’t want someone who would follow orders.
He had soldiers for that. He wanted someone who could give as good as she could get. Someone who didn’t fear him. Someone who humped him in her sleep. Saxon burst out laughing just as the flap to his tent opened.
“Damn, General. Put on some clothes.”
Saxon looked over his shoulder. His best friend since childhood, Jasper, entered his tent.
“Didn’t I tell you to announce yourself before you come into my tent? What if Calypso would’ve been in here with me?”
“I stopped and listened. I didn’t hear you talking to her.”
“She could’ve been asleep,” Saxon told him.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry, Prince.”
“It’s General until we return home.”
“Gotcha. Can you put some clothes on? Please.”
Saxon bent over and grabbed the blanket. He tied it around his waist. “How may I help you, Jasp?”
“We’re leaving in two days, right?”
“Right.”
“Great.”
“Why is it great?”
“I’ve got time to go into the village and have some fun.”
“You mean fuck around?”
“Fuck around, have fun, they’re synonymous. Right?”
“Wrong. While you’re fucking around, stay cautious of your surroundings. The king here seems shady. And I don’t like the way his soldiers look at us.”
“Fuck his soldiers. They’re weak as hell.”
“Still, don’t let your guard down. Don’t get drunk outside of the camp.”
Jasper saluted him. “I’m heading out to get some breakfast. You want some?”
“Yeah.” Saxon rattled off the list of what he wanted.
“You’re going to eat all of that?”
“What’s with all the questions?”
“It’s for your genie lover, right?”
“She’s not my lover. She’s…”
“What? She’s what?”
“Just bring the shit.”
“I got you. Since your little genie likes drinking wine, I’ll sneak her in an entire case.”
“A case?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got connections. Be back shortly.” Jasper turned to leave.
“Jasp, wait.”
Jasper stopped. “What’s up?”
“Your connection, is she a merchant?”
“How did you know it was a she?”
“Because I know you.”
“Good point. Yeah, she’s a merchant.”
“Can I meet her?”
Jasper grinned. “You thinking of fucking around too?”
“No. I need help with something.”
“Something for your genie?”
“Can I meet her or not?”
“You can. When do you want to meet her?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
With a nod, Jasper told him, “I’ll let her know.” That said, Jasper left the tent.
Saxon stared across the room to his pouch, where he kept Caly’s magical coin. Should he call her out? No. Not yet. The food wasn’t there yet. He sighed. So, what the hell was he supposed to do without her?
He stared down at himself. Well, he could get dressed, that would be helpful. After he finished dressing, whether Jasper was back or not, he was wishing Caly back to his side. She’d been away from him long enough.
He was ready to see her smile again. As he dressed, he went over his plans for today. Every one of his plans involved his blue haired, brown-skinned genie. He not only wanted to enjoy breakfast with her, he wanted the two of them to share lunch and dinner also.
But he knew she’d get bored quickly, which was why he had to come up with something to keep her entertained. And again, here he was, trying to figure out ways to cater to his genie when she should be catering to him. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think he was in love. But he did know better.
And his wolf was still silent.
***
“You’ll be tipsy before I will,” Caly said.
“You lost. Drink.”
Sighing, she lifted her chalice and took another huge sip of wine. They were on their third bottle. Her limit was five. She stared at the three unopened bottles on the table. He’d ordered a case of wine.
And instead of savoring it, they were playing drinking games with it. Oh, well. If he wanted to waste his money like that, who was she to stop him? She lowered her chalice back to the floor beside her. Seated with her legs crossed, she stared at Saxon.
“Your turn,” Caly told him.
He pulled a card from the deck of cards placed on the center of their pallet. He read the card, read it so slowly that she found herself tapping her hands against her knees, hoping that would make him hurry up and tell her what it said.
The fact that he’d gone out and purchased this game after they had lunch today surprised her. The fact that he’d eaten breakfast, lunch, and dinner with her surprised her. Every time she sneaked back into her lamp, he wished her out again.
Each time, he had something else planned for them to do. And she hadn’t complained. If she was in her lamp, she’d be reading one of the many books he’d given her lately. Or, she’d be sewing a new dress with the fabric he’d given her last week.
Hanging outside of her lamp today with him was fun. Of course, she’d never admit that to him. But it was safe to admit it to herself. Unable to help herself, she asked him what his card said.
“Read your card out loud.”
He glared at her. �
��That’s not in the rules.”
“You’ve broken all the game rules anyway. What does the card say?” Caly reached for a strawberry from her fruit plate and bit into it as Saxon stared back down at his card. She chewed her delicious fruit then swallowed before taking another bite. Mouth full, she said, “Read the damn card…. My Lord.”
He sighed. “It says for me to get up and dance.”
Caly burst out laughing, nearly choking on her strawberry.
“Careful,” he muttered, eyes still on his card.
Coughing, she reached for her glass of wine. She took a huge sip of her wine as he continued glaring at his card. “No matter how hard you glare at it, the words are not going to change. Do what it says or take a drink.”
“I don’t know how to dance.”
“Well.” She nodded to his wine.
He tossed the card into the discard pile and reached for his chalice. “I’ve never seen a drinking game before.” He took a huge swig of his beverage.
“Really? Why did you buy it then?”
“Jasper said it was a popular game in the village.”
“I’ve seen drinking games before. Not with cards like these, though. Usually, the challenges are written by the players on pieces of paper. These cards came with the challenges already written on them. Fancy. Whatever merchant created these are probably making good money off of them.”
“Do you like the game?” He set his drink down next to him.
Nodding, Caly reached for a card then paused. “Oh, I forgot. You changed the rules. Since you didn’t complete your challenge, not only do you have to drink, but I get to ask you a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Hmmm….” What to ask this time? “Umm….”
“If you don’t have a question…”
“Don’t rush me. I didn’t rush you.”
“I didn’t take this long to ask a question.”
True. He was rapidly firing his questions at her whenever it was his turn. He’d probably purchased this game so that he could ask her questions. That seemed like something a sneaky savage would do.
“Ask a question.”
“Okay! When you’re in your wolf form, do you still think like a man?”
“What?”
“I mean, are you still you? Even when you’re not you?”
“I’m always me.”
“You know what I’m saying. As a wolf, do you think about hunting rabbits, or do you think like Saxon, Prince of the Lycans?”
“Even as a wolf, I’m still Prince Saxon of the Lycans.”
“Ugh. You know what I mean.”
He grinned, and her heart skipped a beat. How could a man be adorable and sexy at the same damn time? Like, she wanted to pinch his cheek and tell him he was cute but she also wanted to ride his tongue and tell him to go deep. She grabbed her chalice and took another sip to cool herself down.
“It wasn’t time for you to take a drink?” he pointed out.
“I’m thirsty.” For a drink of you. Ugh, stop thinking with your pussy, Caly. Think with your mind. He’s the Keeper of your Lamp, not your lover. “Answer the question.” She set her drink down.
“I did. I’m always me. Whether I’m in my wolf form or my skin form. I’m me.”
“But do you think like this version of you or like an animal?”
“Both. No matter what form I’m in, I think like both.”
“Give me an example.”
He nodded. “Right now, I’m playing cards and thinking about winning the game. At the same time, my wolf senses are picking up on things going on outside our tent.”
He said our tent, as in theirs. She resisted the urge to smile. “Tell me more.”
“I hear whenever someone walks by. I notice whether they linger in front of our tent or keep walking. I listen for the sound of a sword being drawn. I inhale and take in their scents to see if they’re one of my people or an outsider.”
She smiled as she listened to him. A warrior. That’s what he was. Only a warrior would remain alert to dangers even during a time of peace. That was something her mother had always drilled into her.
If you stay ready, you never have to get ready.
Though Saxon looked relaxed as he lounged on the pallet across from her, he was still in warrior mode. It was a mode that could never be turned off. He was ready for any and everything. And that only made her want him more.
“Does that answer your question?”
She nodded.
“Good. Now pull a card.”
The rest of their night continued as such. She asked him questions about his wolf and skin forms and his family and friends. He asked her weird questions like, what was her favorite fabric and her favorite scents, her favorite this, her favorite that.
Instead of delving deep and asking questions about her innermost thoughts, he wanted to know what she liked. Weird. She used her questions to interrogate him. He used his to find out what she enjoyed.
By the end of the night, they were both starting to feel the effects of the wine. Her words were even slurring a bit, and she was giggling entirely too much. Even Saxon was smiling more than usual.
That’s how she knew he was tipsy. They went from playing the game, while seated across from each other, to playing it while lying down next to each other and laughing like idiots whenever one them said something silly.
Though she was tipsy, she was enjoying her time with Sax. Or maybe because she was tipsy, she was enjoying her time with Sax. A tipsy Caly was a carefree Caly. Tonight, she had no worries.
She was just a girl hanging out with a guy. A guy she kind of sort of maybe liked, possibly. As the game continued, it was a struggle to keep her eyes open. She was pretty sure she dozen off a few times.
She’d just reach for a card when she heard snoring. Her gaze jerked to her savage. He was out cold. Smiling, she stared at the male beside her. The man who’d spent his entire day playing games and laughing with her.
At first, she’d thought he’d done it to try to woo her into sleeping with him. But he hadn’t made one inappropriate move, which was slightly disappointing. Yet, also comforting at the same time.
Caly reached over, gripped the edges of the blanket and pulled it over him. He turned over onto his side and mumbled her name in his sleep. He was probably having a nightmare about her.
Yawning, Caly slipped underneath the covers and closed her eyes. She knew she needed to return to her lamp. But, she wanted to lie next to him for just a bit longer. Calypso drifted off to sleep.
She awoke once in the middle of the night to find herself pressed up against Saxon, who was snoring loud enough to bring the tent down. That was the perfect time to return to her lamp. Instead, she closed her eyes and drifted back off to sleep.
As usual, her dreams were occupied by a sexy savage with a killer smile.
Chapter Six
“Wake up.”
What was with all that noise? Caly turned over in her sleep. Her bed felt more comfortable than usual. Thank you, Fates.
“Caly, wake up.”
Ugh, someone was trying to invade her dream. She didn’t want her dream invaded. She wanted to finish what was happening. Riding Saxon in her dreams was the closest she’d ever come to being intimate with him.
And now, someone was trying to take even that from her. Didn’t they know that she needed this alone time with herself? She was a healthy woman with healthy needs. And if she couldn’t get what she needed in real life, she at least needed to be allowed to dream about it.
“Caly, I wish you would wake up.”
Your wish is my command.
Her eyes snapped open. It was him again. He always picked the worst times to make a wish. She stared up into the gold and blue eyes of Saxon O’Rourke. Unlike in her dream, he was fully dressed in a loose-fitting white tunic in trousers.
He must’ve stolen those items. Though these clothing were more appropriate, they didn’t look as good as what he usually wore. His usual gar
b of trousers made of animal skin with boots and no shirt fit his persona better. Plus, it was what he wore in her dreams.
“Are you awake?” He asked with his face much too close to hers.
“Aren’t my eyes open?”
“What did you say?”
“I said, now that my eyes are open, how may I help you, my Lord?”
Shaking his head, he told her, “Get up. We’re going out.”
“Outside the tent?” She was not in the mood to sit around the fire with his soldiers.
“This is our last day in town. I’m taking you on an outing.”
He’d never taken her on an outing. “An outing to where?”
“We’re going to the market.”
“In the village?”
“Is there a market at our campsite?”
She grit her teeth to keep from saying something equally sarcastic. “I have to get dressed.”
He tossed an item onto the pallet. “I have clothing for you.”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. No way was she wearing some ill-fitting garbage he’d scrounged up. Caly lifted the dress he wanted her to wear. It was her favorite color, blue. That was a plus. And it was made of her favorite fabric, silk.
Another plus. If she didn’t know any better, she’d think he’d been paying attention to what she liked and didn’t like. The dress was long. She stood up and held it against her body. It would fall to her ankles. Perfect.
“I’ll wear it.”
“I know you will.”
Her eyes snapped to his. “I’m wearing it because I want to.”
“Even if you didn’t want to, I’d wish you to.”
And then she’d have no choice but to do so. Savage bastard. One day she’d be her own Keeper. One day, she’d be able to do whatever she wanted. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she pushed his words to the back of her mind.
She wasn’t going to allow him to ruin her day. Today, she was going on an outing. Her first in years. She was happy. Through clenched teeth, she told him, “Excuse me, my Lord, while I return to my lamp to get dressed.”
“You’ll dress here.”
“What? I can’t. I won’t.”
“You can. You will.”
“B-But, I have to bathe. I have to style my hair. I have…”