by Leah Ross
“Nope. This’s our stop.”
“Goody. Bed time.”
He laughed much louder than he’d meant to. “Absolutely.”
Fortunately, Guinn had checked in earlier in the day; they’d be hard pressed to accomplish it in their current state. As it was, he fumbled with the key when they got to the room, and he swore at it as if it deliberately defied him. Entering the room at last, he locked the door again and headed straight for the beautiful silver tray laid on the side table. Pouring a cup of steaming brown liquid, he took a large gulp. Then he poured some for Laria.
He pushed it at her. “Coffee.”
She shook her head and flopped on the soft bed. “Bed.”
“Drink.” He pulled her back up and helped her down the full cup. Then he chugged the rest of his. In a matter of minutes, his mind began to clear and his body didn’t feel quite so sluggish.
She blinked rapidly as warmth and energy radiated out from her stomach to the rest of her body. “Whoa. What’s in that coffee?”
“Drunk man’s antidote.” At her wary expression, he explained, “It’s just some herbs added to the coffee, don’t worry. They’re harmless, but wickedly effective.”
As heat continued to suffuse her veins, she felt it gathering in certain areas, areas she was suddenly desperate for Guinn to touch. He must have been feeling the same effects; she noticed his cloudy eyes darken with desire. Without a word, their bodies collided, hands desperately seeking, mouths exploring. She positively ached to feel his skin on hers, and she tugged at his shirt. She whimpered softly as she fumbled with the buttons and he groaned against her mouth.
“Bloody hell, just rip it. I’ll buy a new one.” Then, not waiting for her to follow his advice, he gripped the collar and tore his shirt down the front, buttons popping and scattering across the floor. Discarding the ruined garment, he lunged for her again, fingers diving into her silky hair.
Utterly losing herself in his possessive kiss, she clung to him and reveled in sensation. His calloused fingertips grazing her sensitive scalp, his soft lips claiming hers, the bristly stubble of his chin rasping across her skin. Her fingers stroked the smooth expanse of his muscled chest, tracing every chiseled line, daring to linger at the waistband of his pants. Her nails scored paths up his sides and back, and when her thumb detoured to explore a hardened nipple, he groaned deep in his throat and leaned into her touch.
Nibbling on her earlobe, he murmured, “I need you so badly it hurts. I need to feel the heat of your skin against mine.”
She nodded. “Touch me, Guinn.”
Her words banked the flames of his passion, and his lips kissed a molten trail down her neck to her collarbone and then to her shoulder. Deftly loosing the ties at her back with the precision of a man used to making quick work of such barriers, her dress dropped to the floor. He paused long enough to burn the image of her every luscious curve indelibly in his mind.
“Gorgeous,” he breathed. Then he pulled her into his arms. “And mine. All mine.”
Her skin was so deliciously soft and warm against his, and her tight nipples poked at his chest. His cock strained against the front of his pants, longing to bury deep into the searing heat he could feel seeping through the thin fabric, which was the only thing separating him from bliss. Feeling the insistent pulse of his erection against her center, she stepped back to relieve him of the rest of his clothing.
Finally getting her chance to admire the sculpted perfection of his body, she bit her lip in anticipation as she watched his swollen shaft twitch and reach for her. Instinctively, her fingers stretched out, longing to wrap around the hard length of him. His chest heaved with labored breaths as he fought for control. He knew that if she touched his cock, it was all over. He was close enough to the edge already. Kissing her hard, he backed her to the bed, picking her up and placing her on top of the downy sheets. He straddled her hips, his shaft poised perilously close to her slick entrance.
“Have you done this before?” he asked. She shook her head slightly, biting her lip as a flush crept up her cheeks. He smiled and cupped her face. “I’ll be gentle,” he promised.
As he pushed in slowly, she marveled at the exquisite sensation of fullness. It felt like he was filling a void she didn’t even know existed. Then he slammed the rest of the way in and stilled. She gasped and jerked against him with a sharp cry. She was certain he’d torn her in two, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the stabs of pain. He held her tight against him, hating to have to cause her this momentary discomfort.
Gradually, she relaxed and he saw the pain leave her eyes, taking his apprehension with it. He twitched within her, and she gasped again, this time with pleasure. Smiling as her muscles clamped down around him in response, he knew she was ready. Beginning excruciatingly slowly, it didn’t take long before she whimpered in frustration.
“Guinn…” she pleaded. “Need you… Faster… More…”
He chuckled softly. “As you wish, my love.”
He pumped harder and she gripped his shoulders desperately, closing her eyes and arching against him. He kneaded her breast, squeezing her plump nipple, and then stroked her swollen clit. She cried out. Feeling her inner muscles shuddering all around him, he moaned. He wouldn’t last much longer.
Meeting his thrusts with equal fervor, she thrashed on the bed as he teased her mercilessly with his mouth, his tongue, his fingers, driving her into a mindless frenzy. The building pressure in her center was delicious, and she felt herself rapidly rushing toward the edge. Then the world exploded in a mass of shimmering waves rippling out from her core in tingles of ecstasy. She dimly registered Guinn’s throaty moan and the jerk of his shaft inside her as his orgasm broke moments later.
He collapsed to the bed, his hair damp and his breath coming in short gasps. He pulled her into his arms and she heard the frantic pounding of his heart beneath her ear. Kissing her forehead, he squeezed her against him. “I love you, my Laria.”
She sighed contentedly, already feeling the languidness of sleep overtaking her. “My Guinn… I love you. I want… to do that again…”
His soft laugh rumbled against her ear. “Plenty of time for more later. For now, sleep, beautiful one.”
She drifted off with a smile on her lips, the cadence of his heartbeat as soothing as a lullaby. He smoothed her hair away from her face and kissed the top of her head. A pang of longing struck him as he thought of how little time they had left to spend together. Then he shook it off. They’d make the most of the time they did have, and he was damn sure he was going to make a good life for them both. With that vow firmly embedded in his mind, he sighed and joined her in sleep.
~*~
The long, sultry, lazy days of the term break sped by with unrelenting finality. Guinn and Laria tried to savor each moment, but as the beginning of the new school year approached, Guinn was increasingly occupied with William and their plans for the trip to Terracova. The day of their departure finally arrived, sunny and idyllic, despite Laria’s black mood. She sat huddled on the bed, watching him pack. His room was now bare and not his anymore. He was leaving in a few short hours to begin living his dream—without her.
He cinched his large duffle shut and looked up at her. “Please stop pouting.”
“I want to come.”
“You know you can’t, Laria,” he said, “I have to do this part on my own.”
“But I can help!”
He sat on the bed next to her. “School starts in a couple of weeks, and it will take me much longer than that to get my affairs in order.”
“Can’t I at least go to the commissioning ceremony?”
He sighed. “We’ve discussed this already. I will be going straight from the ceremony to the shipyard to begin preparations. I have to hire the build team, conduct crew and officer interviews... It will be incredibly tedious and time-consuming, not to mention utterly dull.”
She smiled knowingly at that last statement. “I know you, and all of that will not be th
e least bit dull to you, Captain McCabe.”
The thrill of hearing his rank from her tongue shot up his spine and made his flesh tingle with anticipation. “I’m not captain quite yet.”
“You will be in a few days.”
He grinned. He couldn’t wait. His whole life had led up to this. They went to get something to eat and before either of them was ready, it was time for Guinn to leave. William was waiting as Laria escorted Guinn to the ferry that would take them across the sea to the Annali capital.
William clapped Guinn hard on the back. “Ready for the next great adventure, McCabe?”
Guinn grinned. “Always.”
Laria sniffled and William gathered her in a hug. “Please don’t cry. It breaks my heart to see a pretty girl cry. We’ll visit. And I promise to keep Guinn to a hard limit on his number of women. No more than three… a day.”
She laughed. “Some chaperone you are.” She kissed his cheek. “Take care of yourself, William.” Gazing deep into his eyes, she whispered, “And be safe.”
“I will.” He hoisted his bag over his shoulder. “I’ll leave you two to your tearful farewell. See you aboard, Guinn.”
Wrapping his arms around her, Guinn pulled Laria against him. “I’ll miss you,” she whispered into his chest, tears sliding down her cheeks.
He caressed her face. “My beautiful Laria. We’ll see each other as soon as possible.”
“I just can’t stand the thought of being here without you.”
“You’ll be too busy to miss me that much. I’m sure your schedule is packed full enough to burst,” he said with a knowing smile.
“Of course it is, but it won’t be the same without you distracting me all the time.”
He grinned widely. “You’re right. You may actually get things done for a change.” The ferry bell clanged behind them, and his face fell. “Time to go,” he said sadly.
Laria threw her arms around Guinn and kissed him. He held her tightly. Then he pulled away and grabbed his bag.
“I love you, Laria. We’ll be together before you know it, I promise.”
She sniffled. “I love you too, Guinn. I’m so proud of you.”
He blew her a kiss as he ran up the ramp and boarded the ferry. She stood on the dock and watched the boat recede into the distance until she could no longer see it. Then she wiped her eyes, took a deep, shuddering breath, and made the slow, solitary walk back to the school.
PART TWO
Chapter Ten
William popped his head in the door of Guinn’s temporary office at the shipyard, a wide grin across his face. Upon seeing Guinn’s forehead resting on the desk, William stepped back to leave. It had been an exhausting few weeks, with little chance for sleep, so he didn’t blame Guinn for trying to catch a few winks where he could.
“Come in, Hannigan.” Guinn’s voice was muffled by the worn desktop.
William stepped inside. “I thought you might be asleep.”
“If only I were so lucky.”
William approached the desk. “So… testing the durability of the desk by slamming your hard head against it repeatedly?” Guinn lifted his head and gave William a withering look. William smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”
“I just want to find the right man for this position and be done with it!” Guinn lamented. “But this endless parade of unqualified dolts is frustrating as hell! How can it be so hard to find a quartermaster in Terracova, of all places?”
“Perhaps it has something to do with your ridiculously high standards?”
“I hired you, didn’t I?”
A tentative knock sounded on the door, and the small voice of the building’s shared assistant floated through. “Excuse me, Mr. McCabe, but your four o’clock is here.”
Guinn rolled his eyes. “How many times do I have to remind that woman? I’m a commissioned officer in the Annali Navy, damn it! Why can’t she remember to call me Captain?”
William rolled his eyes at Guinn’s irrational snark, but decided not to bait that particular hook. “Another interview, Captain?”
“Aye, and two more after that. Fancy a drink this evening?”
“Always. We can have our status briefing then.” William strode across the room as Guinn rose from his chair to greet the new prospect. “Carry on, then, sir.” William opened the door, ushering in the candidate and quickly shooing away the assistant.
Guinn quickly glanced down at his journal for the name of his next victim. Declan Maclairish. Sounds like a name from the ranching provinces to the north. The man’s appearance certainly fit the perception. Guinn was at least a head taller, but Declan was lean and broad-shouldered, a solid mass of well-developed muscle used to hard work and demanding conditions. With short, impeccably-trimmed hair the brilliant red of a kierdai sunrise, he also possessed the most stunning pair of emerald eyes that Guinn had ever seen on an Annali. His clothing was finely tailored, and he exuded an air of order and discipline, yet the permanent crinkles at the corners of his eyes said that he laughed often. Declan definitely seemed impressive at first glance, with the potential to be terrifyingly intimidating if needed; that was the intangible quality Guinn had been seeking for his quartermaster.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Maclairish. I am Captain Guinn McCabe.”
If Guinn had any doubt of Declan’s place of origin, it was dispelled by the man’s deep, lilting accent. “Pleasure to meet ye, Captain. Thank ye for meetin’ wi’ me.”
Guinn gestured to the chair in front of the desk. “Please have a seat.” He resumed his place behind the desk. Turning the page in his journal to a clean one, he placed his pen inside the spine, then sat back and crossed his arms. “Where are you from, Mr. Maclairish?”
“‘Tis Declan, sir, an’ I was born an’ raised in Arcana.”
Guinn smiled. “I thought so.”
“Ye ken the place, sir?”
“I know of the region. Most of my father’s tenants would only buy stock from there.”
“Naturally. ‘Tis the best.” Declan flashed a wide, infectious grin. “I’ve lived here in Terracova since I graduated from the academy, though.”
Guinn smiled too. So far, so good. Declan was easy to talk to, respectful, and easygoing. Guinn could see himself getting along quite well with him. Time for the difficult questions. “Arcana isn’t exactly known for its naval industry, being a landlocked province. Do you have much sailing experience, Declan?”
“Ah, but I’m no’ the only one in this room hailin’ from the great, waterless plain, am I?” Declan said with a knowing smile. “How can I be assured that my captain from Eritaea has enough seafarin’ experience to keep our ship afloat?”
Guinn laughed heartily. “Well played, sir, and my compliments on doing your homework. You’re the first to care enough to learn anything about me. As to your question, I would not have earned my commission without my years of naval experience gained at school, including entire term breaks spent at sea.”
Declan nodded. “While I graduated from Arcana Academy instead o’ Holystorm, the Annali naval curriculum is standard. Like ye, I spent the entirety o’ every term break volunteerin’ aboard different ships.”
“And are you commissioned?”
“Aye, commissioned as quartermaster, but no’ yet associated wi’ a ship, Captain.”
“You’re a licensed mage, of course. Are you good with magic, or merely proficient?”
“Near the top o’ my graduatin’ class, sir.”
Guinn nodded appreciatively. “So far, you sound nearly perfect.”
“Thank ye, sir.”
“No one is perfect. Why are you not yet associated with a ship, Declan?”
Declan grimaced, expecting the question. “I am commissioned as quartermaster, but I have no’ yet had the opportunity to command a crew. No captain has wanted to take a chance on a young officer wi’ no command experience.”
“Can you follow orders without questioning them?”
“As long as I dinna have a better way ‘bo
ut things, sir.” Declan smiled.
“Indeed. Can you think on your feet and issue orders without direction?”
“Aye.”
“Then the experience will come in time. I would be glad to have you as my quartermaster, Declan.” Guinn reached across the desk to shake Declan’s hand. “Can you start immediately?”
Declan shook Guinn’s hand enthusiastically. “Aye, Captain! Thank ye!”
“First order of business, ask the infernal assistant to cancel all further quartermaster interviews. We have a date with our shipwright William, whom you met briefly on the way in, and a bottle of rum. Let’s get you up to speed on this project and put you to work.”
“Aye, sir!”
~*~
Stepping inside the rowdy tavern, Guinn located William quickly and headed over with Declan. William had taken the liberty of ordering a round of rum. Guinn dropped into a chair and drained his glass in a gulp, savoring the liquid’s slow, fiery slide down to his gut. Declan chose the seat with the widest view of the crowded space, sipping his drink more conservatively as he surreptitiously scanned the room.
In the low light, details were sparse, but Declan knew what to look for. Mentally accounting for every person in the room, he began to assess levels of threat. No one looked to pose any overt danger; in fact, most patrons looked to be enjoying their evening and the attentions of the scantily-clad barmaids, but he remained on his guard. By the time Declan had emptied his glass, he was reasonably assured of their safety and he relaxed a bit in his chair.
“Is all well, Declan?” Guinn asked, noticing the man’s change of posture.
“Aye, Captain. The usual crowd, but I’ll keep an eye on that lot in the far corner. They’re actin’ a wee shifty.”
“Very good.”
William’s eyes bugged. “You’ve been here mere minutes, drinking the entire time, and you’ve already studied the room?”
“‘Tis me job to protect the captain, sir,” Declan replied matter-of-factly.