On A Lee Shore
Page 34
It was too dark to see the beach. The moon was high and the sky was full of racing clouds throwing shadows of the deepest black. Kit blinked sleep from his eyes and stared out. Was that the shift of shingle underfoot or had he imagined the whole thing?
No, there was a movement right outside the door, the glint of moonlight on shoe buckles and a drawn sword. As the latch lifted, Kit flung the door open and flashed his cutlass in the other man’s face with a challenging roar. Blades clashed and Kit felt a hand fasten on his wrist, sweeping the pistol aside. It discharged, the explosion deafening in the small room, then the pistol fell, and he and his assailant strained against each other, blades locked at the hilt. Kit jabbed with a knee, felt it impact on a rock hard thigh and, off balance, was shoved back to crash into the wall behind the door. Pinned, he drew breath to curse and—the scent of brine, tar, and brandy filled his lungs. He dropped the cutlass.
“Griffin!”
Their mouths met, Kit exulting in the scrape of beard against his skin, the sharpness of teeth, the possessive thrust of a tongue. Griffin too had discarded his blade, and his arms locked about Kit, one hand gripping his hair, the other with a firm handful of his arse, while Kit made fists in Griffin’s shirt. They broke off the kiss with a gasp.
“By Tre, Pol, and Pen,” Griffin growled. “Mr. Tregarron and I are impatient for an answer.”
“You?” Kit yelped then pressed his face to Griffin’s cheek. “Damn Tristan to perdition, kiss me again.”
“No.” Griffin leaned his head back out of reach though his hips still crushed Kit against the wall. Kit moaned. Griffin was as pleased to see him as he was to see Griffin. “My ship is waiting,” Griffin told him. “I gave the Africa to Valliere, and since Woodes Rogers was handing out King’s pardons to some of the sorriest rogues that ever sailed I am now a respectable man. Your friend has provided me with the sweetest cutter, and I have Saunders and Denny aboard and Lewis and Protheroe to crew. But I will and I must have my sailing master.” The hand in Kit’s hair stoked around to cup his jaw. “My messmate. You. We have a message to deliver and a man we have to collect.”
“Which man?” Kit asked.
“Don’t know, don’t care. After the winter I’ve had, I’m just glad to be alive. All Tristan would say is that England is at peace and collecting this man might keep her that way. If we pick up a load of brandy too then that’s fine. It’ll be—what’s the word—cover.”
“I’ll come,” Kit said. “I’ll just get my things.”
“You don’t need anything,” Griffin promised. “I kept your sea chest and have added to it. There’s everything you need to be a gentleman rogue of a smuggler. All honestly come by, moreover. Come with me, Kit.”
Even if Kit would have argued his mouth was stopped by another kiss, this one tender and filled with the promise of more to come.
“You work for Tristan,” he murmured.
“I always worked for Tristan,” Griffin growled, his hands on Kit’s body making him grit his teeth. “As you would have known if you hadn’t been so quick to jettison those damn admiralty orders. Come on, I’ll explain on board—in my cabin—on our way to France after you and I have expressed our delight at being together again.”
“We could do that now,” Kit pointed out. “In fact I would like to do that now. I have a bed, a proper bed—”
“But then we’d miss the tide,” Griffin said. He stepped back, his grin broad and bright in the moonlight, and offered his hand.
Kit closed the shutters and locked the door and went as he was, barefoot and half naked. But with his hand fast in Griffin’s and adventure ahead, he didn’t feel the cold.
~ About the Author ~
Elin Gregory lives in one of the lusher areas of South Wales. Writing has always had to take second place to her work in the local museum and her family but now the kids are grown up it’s possible to actually finish her stories.
Historical subjects predominate but she has also written contemporary and historical paranormals, science fiction, crime and a Western. Heroes tend to be hard as nails but capable of tenderness when circumstances allow.
Elin’s first published stories appeared in the British Flash and Tea and Crumpet anthologies produced by the UK Meet team. Elin still can’t quite believe it. However, there are always new works on the go and she is currently finishing a novel set in 6th century AD England , has started one about the British Secret Service between the two World Wars and has plans for another set just after Dunkirk. Any excuse to buy more books!
Find out more about Elin Gregory
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~ Also by Elin Gregory ~
Alike As Two Bees
Horses, love, and the tang of thyme and honey...
In Classical Greece, apprentice sculptor Philon has chosen the ideal horse to model for his masterpiece. Sadly, the rider falls well short of the ideal of beauty, but scarred and tattered Hilarion, with his brilliant, imperfect smile, draws Philon in a way that mere perfection cannot.
After years of living among the free and easy tribes of the north, Hillarion has no patience with Athenian formality. He knows what he wants—and what he wants is Philon. Society, friends and family threaten their growing relationship, but perhaps a scarred soldier and a lover of beauty are more alike than they appear.
~ More M/M Romance from Etopia Press ~
The Hun and the General
by Tristram La Roche
M/M Historical Romance
Livianus is bored and longs for action. His reward for serving Rome is the governorship of a quiet corner of Gaul, but as he whiles away his days at his sumptuous villa, his thoughts turn to Attila the Hun, the feared barbarian with whom Livianus once enjoyed an intimate friendship. When a desperate emperor asks him to return to Pannonia to broker a truce with Attila, Livianus's old passion flares.
Attila is losing the will to go on. He is tired of being a tyrant but his people's future depends on him. The arrival of Livianus renews Attila's spirit as he prepares to march on Constantinople. Livianus has nothing to bargain with, but when the emperor's sister delivers a proposition for Attila, a new and brighter future seems to lay directly ahead. For the people, and especially for the two men.