Keeping Cadence

by Piper J. Drake

  Coaxing her legs over his shoulders, he nuzzled the gathered silk at the bottoms of each leg of her bloomers, close but still so far from where she wanted him to be. He cradled her behind in one hand and used the other to part the opening in the silken fabric. The heat of his breath across the cluster of curls hiding her sex rushed throughout her body, causing her to tighten again in anticipation. Questing fingertips parted the cushiony softness and she almost jumped out of his grip when his hot tongue finally slid across her exposed slit.

  He steadied her, murmuring endearments, but he wasn't to be deterred. He kissed and nuzzled and licked until the tip of his tongue found the tiny center of her pleasure. A moan escaped her and she bit her lip to keep quiet.

  Even aboard the airship, with all the wind and steam, too many could hear too much.

  "Oh I like the sounds you make." His chuckle was pure masculine confidence. And then he feasted on her. Licking and suckling, nipping and teasing, until he had her writhing on the bunk. Pleasure and desire coursed through her veins, setting every inch of her on fire. Even as he continued, his hands gripped her thighs, driving her further and further toward the edge.

  Wave after wave of delicious sensation rolled through her and as he nipped her again, she lifted her hips clear off the bunk. He made a low noise of approval, cupping her behind to support her new position, and then his tongue darted into her opening.

  "Ah!" She clapped her own hand over her mouth to smother her call.

  His clever tongue circled her opening again, darted in and out with a wicked rhythm to match the grip of his hands on her bottom. She squeezed her eyes shut, panting as the pleasure built to an inexorable crescendo and she flew apart.

  He continued to lap at her as she trembled in the aftermath of her orgasm. Lowering her gently to the bunk, he caressed her hips and teased her with feather-light touches. After a few more moments, he straightened, let her legs slide off his shoulders. He unbuckled his belt and unfastened his pants. "I have an invention I think you'll enjoy, luv; a very special one."

  She didn't have time to wonder, though she heard an odd click and a steady buzz. The tip of his cock nudged at her entrance. Her full attention sharpened to wanting him inside her. He ran a hand up her side and drew it along her collarbone, down between her breasts and across her belly. Her heart rate kicked up again, desire rising with his touch.

  How long had it been since a man had made her feel this good?

  Never before.

  "May I?" His voice had dropped deep with need; his grey gaze caught and held her.

  Mute, she nodded, unable to look away or think of a verbal response. He slid into her then, the length of him stretching and filling her and…vibrating. "Wha—?"

  But he didn't give her time to ask. He rolled his hips, penetrating deeper inside her. "You're tight, Sweet. So tight, so good."

  She'd lost words. Every move of his hips pressed him farther inside her at different angles, sending new waves of pleasure through her. And a clever little something vibrated at the base of his cock, teasing her above and below until she was dizzy with sensation. It washed through her, pooling low in her belly and her inner muscles tightened around him.

  He groaned. "If feels so good to be inside you."

  "Jonathan." His name tumbled past her lips in a plea.

  In answer, he withdrew until only the tip of his cock teased her entrance and then plunged deep inside as far as he could. She bit her finger to stifle a cry, the vibrating buzz at the base of his shaft sending piercing tweaks of pleasure through her clit. He pulled back and thrust inside her again and again, setting a pace that pushed her toward the edge. She reached for him, grasped his waist, encouraged him every way she could.

  "Yes." He growled out the word.

  His hands gripped her hips as he drove into her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles behind his back. Tighter, every muscle in her body clenched as he filled her with stroke after powerful stroke. And every time he pressed deep inside her, he rolled his hips so the vibrating gadget played havoc with her senses, until he drove one final time deep inside and they both arched as simultaneous orgasms ripped through them.

  Chapter 6

  "Why do you serve on this airship? Why this captain?" Jonathan murmured the question into Cadence's hair, gathered as she was in his arms, her head tucked against his neck. In contrast to the hard fighting she did for her captain, here, with him, she was all soft curves and silken skin.

  "Mmm." She pressed a kiss to the pulse point on his neck and warmth spread through him. "Cap'n has a good heart. You're too new to have seen it yet." She paused and chuckled. "Besides, I like her fire."

  He snorted. "She does have an explosive temperament. A bit like a volcano, isn't she?"

  "Nah." She turned her face up to his, rubbing her cheek against the smooth part of his cheek above his scruff. He liked that. "Ever visit any hot springs, the ones with geysers?"

  He shook his head in the negative.

  "A couple of those shoot off fairly regular. Could set your watch to them." She dropped a kiss on his nose. "Cap'n is like those geysers. She can bring the rage as regular as any hour, any day, and the sight of it never fails to impress."

  He laughed then, the sound of it free and unreserved to his ears.

  She smiled for him. "I like the sound of your laugh, all full of your humor. Funny how you seem to keep it all tucked away when there're others around."

  Learned behavior, a survival skill in the household where he'd grown up. Not something he was ready to share, even with her.

  "Hard to find the humor in your captain's anger when it's directed at me, especially in the form of a pistol. What if Captain Sharp's impressive rage is directed toward you." He tapped her nose.

  She screwed up her face in an adorable grimace. She must not have been used to the gesture and it only made him want to do it again. "Most likely, I deserve it. Just because she's captain doesn't mean I do what she wants all the time."

  "No."

  She narrowed her eyes at him and didn't address his sarcasm. Instead, she continued, "I follow orders when it matters, but sometimes, the captain isn't right. An airship officer has to make the call to toss obedience overboard on occasion."

  "And she lets you get away with insubordination?"

  "I have to have a damned good reason for it. Even so, she'd still be right pissed at me." Pushing herself up on one elbow, Cadence looked down at him where he still lolled back on her bed. "This is some odd pillow talk."

  "You've had other pillow talk more interesting?" His chest constricted and he fought a brief, nasty battle with jealousy.

  Her lovely face went neutral, her smile fled. "No. I've not had much in the way of any sort of time after the deed. Men willing to brave my weapons to tangle with me don't generally stick around for cuddles after."

  Not sure how to respond to that without the words sounding empty, instead, he took a lock of silken red in his hand and kissed it. Leaning as she was over him, her entire body went still. He didn't want her to draw away so he tugged on the lock of hair gently. When she came closer, he kissed her.

  Her lips were so soft. He brushed his own against hers in the lightest of caresses. When he pressed, she opened for him, allowed him to taste her. Honey and cinnamon with a hint of a more fiery spice. He could go on kissing her without a care in the world.

  No, she wasn't like any lady he'd been with in the past. Soft, yes, but not fragile. Underneath the silk of her skin lay a strength and speed most men would envy, and many had fallen to. He'd seen it with his own eyes; still, here she was, in his arms.

  "We should be getting at least some sleep." She whispered the words against his lips.

  He nipped her lower lip. "Why?"

  "Tomorrow morning's shenanigans are to save your arse, or shouldn't I be reminding you?" She lifted herself away from him, but he kept a hold of her at the waist before she could rise from the bunk.

  "Why are you helping me?" No on
e did anything for free, especially not for him. They'd always wanted his father's money or influence. But Cadence couldn't know of his family, could she?

  She raised an eyebrow. "I like you. I look out for the people I like." She drew her fingertip across his chest. "Besides, you gave me a hint back in the warehouse.’Twas obvious you didn't want to be a part of the plans your…sponsor made. And you've got an interesting proposition for my captain. Good enough reasons for me."

  All good things, but it was her first words that echoed through his head. His heart expanded, almost painfully.

  He shook his head. "So loyal. I don't think I've ever met anyone so devoted to the people around her."

  She waved her hand toward the rest of the ship. "Any of the senior crew would do the same for me. World is full of people out for themselves. This crew isn't different, we just look out for each other along the way."

  It was exactly that which made them different from the rest of the world.

  "Most people don't have enough heart to look out for anyone but themselves."

  Long lashes fell and rose as she blinked once, slow. "Hearts can grow."

  * * *

  Only a few hours later, Jonathan stood in an alley, yawning and looking out on the docks of New London.

  Go on and be yourself. No need to try to be sneaky. It's not your nature and they'd see right through it.

  Cadence had given him practical instructions. She'd also disappeared once they'd returned to the streets of New London and he'd been left to find his own way to the docks.

  No need to look over your shoulder. You'll only make them think you're being followed, which you are. They'll either see the men after you and foul up my target or they'll see me and foul up my target just the same.

  So here he was, halfway into the morning and pondering his choice in ships. Truth be told, none of them held a candle to the Vulpes. Oh, the most affordable passenger ships didn't pretend to be anything but what they were, a conveyance from one place to another. Those used hot air to keep them aloft, a cheap and assuredly safe gas to fill their balloons.

  "Cheap is right. Any of them capable of reaching Paris have to take on more fuel than passengers just to keep them in the air, much less propel them to their destination, and they really cannot provide the comforts decent folk require." Jonathan bent to pick up a few pebbles, turning them over in his hand as he considered the other options.

  There were the coal gas airships, but only prisoners bound for the Americas or the colonies found passage on them. The toxicity wasn't something any man with a choice would risk so he hadn't even approached those. The sight of the doomed men boarding the coal gas ships hung in his mind.

  "Poor bastards." He tossed first one pebble, then another, flicking his wrist to make them skip across the cobblestone street.

  Only the hydrogen gas airships were worth considering when one assessed the advantages in building such ships. The danger of flammability was mitigated by the fabrication of silk envelopes. But while their method of lift was the same as the Vulpes, those other ships were definitely not to be considered her equal. Her power-to-weight ratio in terms of propulsion was much better than the others he'd approached through the morning. With the sacrifice of guns on the upper deck she lost some firepower, but gained an advantage in speed. Besides, to his eye, the full battery of guns on her lower deck presented more than enough intimidation for a non-military ship.

  Oh, but there were so many improvements he could build into her to make her even more impressive. A new envelope, for example, combining silk with a coat of rubber, would contain the hydrogen gas much more efficiently. Also, modifications to the steam engine propulsion system could recycle the steam as condensed water to provide ballast and eliminate the weight penalty of having to carry extra.

  A scuffling sound broke the quiet behind him, far enough back in the shadows that he saw nothing when he turned. Remembering Cadence's admonition, he faced forward.

  Reaching into his vest, he pulled out his pocket watch, a strange calm settling over him. "Enough time for rest."

  He took a step toward the docks, about to leave the cooler shadows of the alley, when he spotted the pair of sailors. They weren't walking toward any of the ships. No, they walked a path parallel to the street, cutting off his own intended route.

  Best to get out in the open anyway. What if Cadence couldn't see him?

  "Don't think you should try going anywhere, friend."

  Since the voice definitely didn't belong to Cadence, Jonathan turned to face the speaker. Better to see the oncoming danger than let the other man take him from behind.

  "No fuss now." Heavyset and covered in soot, the man grinned at him with a mouth full of gaping holes. Raising one hand, he brandished a small cudgel. "Don't want to have to hurt you if I don't have to. We wouldn't want to knock the smarts outta ya."

  Nowhere to run, not with the other two out on the street. Jonathan tensed, preparing to close with the man. From the edge of his peripheral vision, a streak of red fell from above.

  Not falling, he amended; at least not until the last few yards, when Cadence retracted her glider wings. She landed with her full weight and gathered momentum on his attacker's shoulders. The heavy man collapsed under her with a grunt and a disgusting popping noise. Cadence stood and prodded the unconscious man with a booted toe.

  "He's not going to cause any further problems for several hours yet." She looked up at him and beyond, brows drawn together. "Come on, then. You've got more after you."

  He followed as she darted down the alley, back the way his attacker had come. Hard to keep up when she took sudden turns, leading them farther into the maze of tiny streets and back alleys. When she came to a halt, he almost ran straight into her back.

  "Up." With a light jump, she gained the lowest rung of a fire escape and began climbing.

  Jonathan studied the distance. A normal man could make the jump. Why had she needed the augmented power in her boots?

  "Are you coming or do you want them to catch you?"

  Best not to keep her waiting. "Coming."

  He followed with due haste. Somehow, she managed the climb making very little noise on the metal fire escape. Once he'd added his weight to it, the framework creaked. He winced as every move he made elicited a clang or metallic screech. Every noise seemed incredibly loud to his ears.

  "What's wrong?"

  He shook his head. "They're going to home in on us just from the noise I'm making."

  She disappeared over the edge of the roof. A moment later, she reappeared, peering down at him. "It's not so loud as you think, but it'd be wise to get up here quickly."

  And he could climb more quickly, now that he looked up and into her face. Before, he'd looked up and had to tear his eyes away from her gathered skirts. The thought of her very short bloomers sent his mind to the evening prior and other distractions.

  "Focus. We need to keep moving."

  All right, even seeing her face, he was still more than thoroughly distracted.

  "We could've run while we were down on the streets." He threw one leg over the short wall marking the edge of the roof, then the other, and took a moment to catch his breath.

  She was breathing a bit hard too. His gaze honed in on the rise and fall of her generous bosom.

  "We wanted them a safe distance behind us but not so far they'd lose us. Climbing up here took longer than I thought it would."

  Kind of her not to say he was slow. He set his jaw. He'd have to exercise more in order to keep up with her. Regardless of her profession or skill sets, a part of him wanted to match her in every way.

  She studied him for a moment. "Not sure what is on your mind, but I suppose we'll work it out later. Let's start moving again."

  "You're a challenge, Cadence, and I like that."

  Her eyes widened and then her lips widened in a brilliant smile.

  A shot rang out.

  Jonathan threw himself flat on the roof, staying close to the protect
ion of the short wall. Cadence had rolled to a crouch beside him, a pistol drawn as she peered over the top of the short wall.

  "Shite." She ducked as more shots rang out. "They've got rifles and tucked themselves snug over on the other rooftop. Must've seen us heading up here."

  "Thought they wanted me alive."

  "Ah well, and I think they do." Cadence gave him a wry grin. "I'm fairly certain they're trying to shoot at me. Their aim is that bad."

  Another shot hit the slate near his hand. Cadence crouched closer to cover his head and fired once. "Ah. It's a waste at this distance .All I can do is make them duck for cover. My pistol doesn't have the range. We need to move."

  Jonathan got his feet under him.

  "When I tell you, I want you to head straight over there and jump to the rooftop below. It's a short drop. When you hit it, keep running and get back to the ship. By the time you get there, Cap'n will have had enough time to do what she needed to."

  Oh no. "Drawing their fire won't stop them. Once they realize you've gone a separate direction from me, they'll turn back and come after me again."

  And she might be dead.

  Cadence laughed. "True. I won't be leaving you, Jonathan. I'm just going to be running the high road so they're not as likely to clip you with a shot meant for me. You keep running and I'll be along on the rooftops nearby. Go now!"

  She didn't wait for him. He'd learned to watch for it, the moment when she touched the controls on her boots. One steam-powered leap took her to the ridgepole of the nearby rooftop.

  He scrambled across the roof. The leap down to the next wasn't far, just as she'd said. And keeping her on the edge of his peripheral vision, he ran along with her.

  Beautiful.

  Running and leaping from ridgepole to ridgepole, her balance never wavering even when shots blew slate and tile at her feet. She'd been right, the gunfire followed her. He'd been left to worry about his footing and the random debris. Once or twice, she disappeared down the other side of the roof. He'd run a few moments with his heart in his throat. Then she'd appear again, landing lightly on the ridgepole to continue running.