Ronan smiled at her when she peeked up at him, lifting her head off of his chest. He twisted a curl of her hair around his finger.
“Not a dream, after all, cara?”
He could tell when she came fully awake. Her eyes widened and she blushed.
He started to steal another kiss when tramping noises broke through the quiet. This time, they were both awake enough to notice the rustling.
“Ronan!” a loud male voice called.
Cindy scrambled to a sitting position and tried to cover herself. All of their clothes were gone though. She pressed closer to Ronan. His arm stole around her and he brought a finger up to his lips. She nodded.
“Ronan!” The man shouted again, louder this time and with more of an Irish brogue. Ronan cringed a little at the sound but then he started to get up.
“Ronan, is that you?” The voice rose to a booming level. “Are you about? RO…!
“I am here Finn! For the love of God,” Ronan yelled back, to stop the other man’s bellowing.
“Oh, good, I thought I recognized these,” said the voice.
Then Ronan’s pants sailed over a bush to land a few inches away from where they were standing. Ronan scowled then bent to retrieve them and started pulling them on.
“And this,” Ronan’s shirt came flying through the air.
“Thank you, Finn,” Ronan said grudgingly at the bushes as he shrugged into the garment.
“And, umm, I’m not sure about this,” Cindy’s pink lace bra shot over the leaves, catching on a low lying tree branch where it dangled unceremoniously before she snatched it up. She wrapped her arms around her knees and looked at Ronan wide eyed.
They heard snickering come from the other side of the trees.
“Wait right here, cara,” Ronan whispered to her before darting out of the enclosed area.
***
Ronan found Finnegan gathering up the rest of Cindy’s clothes. He saw a slip of pink lace draped over a broadleaf and snatched up Cindy’s under things before the other man found those too. Stuffing them into the waist of his pants, he rounded the bushes.
“I’ll take those Finn,” Ronan said, reaching for the clothing.
“It’s about time you dragged your arse back to the island,” Finn said in a gruff voice that was edged with relief. It was as close to a ‘welcome home, glad you’re not dead’ as Ronan was going to get from his burly first mate.
“It’s good to see you again too, Finn.”
The Irishman just grunted behind his red beard and held the feminine attire out at arm’s length. He slanted a glance between Ronan and the clothes and shook his head.
“What is it?” Ronan asked
“These aren’t going to fit you know?”
He belted out a hearty laugh when Ronan snatched the items out of his hand and stalked into the bushes again. Finn called after him in his loud voice.
“Welcome back to the isle, Captain. It’s good to see yer not dead!”
Ronan didn’t turn back. He heard Finn stomp away through the bushes, laughing at his own humor.
***
Cindy’s head came up when Ronan walked back into the hidden space. The scowl on his face faded as soon as he looked at her. She smiled, glad to see her shorts and top in his hands.
They finished dressing and a brief search found her sandals embedded in the grass where she’d kicked them off. Then he took her hand and led her back out to the bank of the pool that the waterfall emptied into.
They were alone. The owner of the big voice was nowhere to be seen. She was relieved, figuring she’d die of mortification if she had to face the bra flinger just then.
“Come,” Ronan said, “I’ll take you to my home.”
She wondered if anyone ever just didn’t do what he ordered them to even as she started walking with him. She moved with him down a trail that had been cleared through lush plant life and tried to let the gravity of where she was sink in. Atlantis, it still didn’t seem possible.
They walked hand in hand even though Ronan’s curse was obviously void now that they were on his island and soon a break in the trees revealed a courtyard surrounded by a wall of stone framed in copper. In the middle of the courtyard, stood a huge white building against the background of a deep blue sea. The structure was reminiscent of old Europe along the Mediterranean where the ancient Romans and Greeks had built their cities.
“It’s so pretty,” Cindy marveled.
“It’s been said that all ten kings of Atlantis built palaces and monuments to Poseidon in their kingdoms,” Ronan said then he squeezed her hand and moved them toward the old world structure.
They walked down a cobbled path that was lined with more trees. Gardens surrounded the villa, filled with all sorts of flowering plants. The whole place was like a tropical park by the sea.
“Let me show you inside,” Ronan said, walking up the steps. “My men will want to meet you now that our presence is known.”
“Your crew?” she asked thinking of the men she’d seen at Ramone’s.
“Yes, the five survivors. Don’t worry, you’ll like them. Besides, there’s no chance they’ll allow me to keep you hidden away. I’m sure Finn has already told them that I didn’t come back to the island alone.”
A hot blush stole into her cheeks and she rolled her eyes as she thought of the evidence the Irishman had seen of her presence back at the waterfall. She could just hear him sharing the news in that loud accent she’d overheard.
They progressed through an arched doorway and stepped onto a floor tiled in large white stones. All around, the beauty was overwhelming. It would definitely have taken the imagination of the gods to dream up such a place.
In the center of the entryway was a big fountain, like the one Krav had sent them through the Tides in. This time, Cindy had time to study the sculptures in the water. There were statues of two boys playing with buckets of water, surrounded by waves and dolphins. The buckets spilled into a pool at the base. It made her think of Ronan for some reason.
The rest of the villa wrapped around a large stone staircase that ascended through the middle and Ronan led her up the stairs instead of continuing the tour.
“I thought you might like to freshen up or rest before the day wears on any further.”
“That would be awesome!” Cindy said, enthusiastically and he quirked an eyebrow up at the expression in a way she was coming to love.
They made their way upstairs and Ronan led her past a series of long windows that overlooked the sea. Finally, they came to a room at the end of the hall with more giant windows that opened out onto a wraparound balcony. The walls here were warm sandstone accented with wide bands of brass swooping up from the floor to the ceiling.
A large canopied bed stood against the center of the far wall. It was dressed in clean white coverings and the frame of the bed was hung in a gauzy fabric that billowed from the breeze that was drifting in through the windows.
“Wow,” she said, “is this your room?”
“Yes, but make yourself at home.”
***
Ronan had taken in the look of amazement that had crossed Cindy’s face when she’d first walked into the villa. He couldn’t help being pleased by her reaction. Even though it was only his by happenstance, it gave him great satisfaction that she was so taken with the place. Some secret part of him thrilled at her pleasure. He smiled as he watched her turn in a slow circle in the middle of his bedroom.
The sight sparked something deep within the recesses of his mind. For an instant, he felt the blood surge through his veins the way it did before his visions came on him. Instead of war and battle though, he saw her. She was standing before him in this very room, bathed in moonlight. Her golden hair was longer and a glimmering jewel hung above her breasts. She wore it for him. Then she held her arms out to him and whispered something, “one heart.”
He suddenly had the overwhelming need to possess her with a force as powerful as that of the blood fury. She was his.
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“What’s in that room?”
He blinked.
Her words brought him out of his trance and he inhaled at the intense vision that had just taken him over, not knowing what to make of it. Was there some wicked spirit hiding in his rooms playing a trick on him? No, he’d have known it if there was.
“Ronan?”
She looked over her shoulder at him.
“The bath is through there,” he answered and pointed to a door at the back of the room. She disappeared through it and he shook himself to clear his head of the strange experience he’d had just as a loud whistle ripped through the space.
“Holy cow!”
A squeal of excitement came from the wash-room. It was immediately followed by the sound of running water. Cindy poked her head back out of the doorway.
“Indoor plumbing?” she asked, amazed.
“The Atlanteans were an advanced people,” Ronan explained nodding. Once again, he thrilled at her excitement. “That’s what happens when the gods take up residence in a place.”
“I guess,” Cindy said. Then she ducked back into the bathroom.
“I’ll have some food and fresh garments sent up,” Ronan called as he walked out of the room.
He had a feeling she might be a while at her bath and he needed a chance to make some sense of the experience he’d just had. It worried him, the fury rising up in him like that. He had to find out how much of a danger Thema’s curse was to Cindy.
Chapter Twenty-six
Isle of Gades
After her bath, Cindy wrapped herself in a thick white towel and walked out into Ronan’s room. A smile lit her face when her eyes fell onto the bed as memories of what they’d shared at the waterfall came back to her. Laid out on the white coverlet was an assortment of clothing. Tons of beautiful soft fabrics were piled up in every color imaginable but she had no idea how they could be worn as clothing. There were also heavy dresses from the 1700’s – Ronan’s time – and some simpler items as well.
Ronan had promised to show her more of the island so she pieced together what she thought would be good “hiking gear” and was getting ready to dress as he stepped into the doorway.
He stopped and ran his eyes over the length of her in a way she could feel from across the room as surely as if he had actually touched her. She was shy to be standing there wearing just a towel, no matter all that had transpired between them.
In his hands, he held a tray piled with food. There were meats cut into small pieces, cheeses, bread and all sorts of fruits. Beyond the assortment though, what really made her mouth water was the sight he made. He’d changed clothes and wore pants cut snug, in the same style as before that accented his muscular legs and narrow hips. His shirt was a soft, white fabric that contrasted his tan and hair to perfection.
“I thought you’d be dressed by now,” he broke the silence.
Cindy’s head snapped up. He’d busted her staring yet again. His grin had the devil in it and he winked at her as he set the tray down on a table. “Unless you’ve decided you’re appetite is not for food?”
“Food!” Cindy nearly groaned and rushed past him to pick a piece of cheese off the tray and pop it into her mouth. There was no denying her lust for him, but she was starving. He laughed as she picked up several more morsels.
“I thought that would be your response,” he said, then rounded the table to sit on the edge of the bed. As he did, he pushed all the colorful scarves and dresses onto the floor in a heap. Cindy looked at the pile and frowned.
“I’ll get those,” she said.
Ronan drew his brow together in a scowl then looked down at the scarves and shrugged.
“Leave them,” he said bringing his eyes up. His tone was flippant even while his expression dared her to defy him, no matter how small the matter.
There it was, his domineering demeanor, full blown now that they were in his world. She sensed a test and bristled. There were two choices here as she saw it; one was to nip his bad habit of bossing her around in the bud and remind him that women were in charge of themselves in her era or, two, shrug it off and let him get away with his old world attitude just one more time.
She snorted. Screw that. They weren’t on a ship and she wasn’t part of his crew.
The cool blue of his eyes twinkled, with either amusement or challenge. She had only a split second to decide which. Were they going to be playful here or was he trying to lay down some ground rules, since they were on his turf? He dropped his chin and lifted his brow. Then she knew, definitely a challenge. A sharp tickle of excitement hit her deep in her belly.
She marched over to the pile and bent to pick up the scarves, not thinking of the view she presented him with. Too busy muttering under her breath about people born in barns, she was taken by surprise when his hand caught her upper thigh in a vise grip right at the edge of the towel. She yelped and jumped up, dropping all the scarves right back onto the floor. His other arm grabbed her around the middle and he pulled her onto his lap.
“You don’t take orders very well cara,” the words were hot against her ear and she curled her neck.
“No, I don’t,” she squirmed and tried to turn in his lap but his hands held her easily.
He tsked.
“We’re going to have to do something about that,” his fingers brushed the side of her cheek down to her neck. She started to tell him just what he could do with his orders when he rumbled low into the hollow spot behind her ear saying, “there are dangers on this island.”
Shivers danced down Cindy’s spine and her body reacted by pressing tighter into the angle of his hips, seeking out his hardness.
“Many dangers,” he continued as his fingers travelled over her ribs. Her breath came in sharp as they slid across her breast and clipped the tight nub of her nipple.
“If I’m to keep you safe cara mía, you’ll have to do exactly…as I say…at all times.”
He paused between words, planting kisses on her neck.
“Is that so?” Cindy asked, trying to stay sassy only to have her words come out too strained to pull it off. She felt him smile, then his wicked hand kneaded her breast and she gasped.
“It is,” was his short response before he turned her in his lap and brought his mouth down to hers in a stilling kiss. The only rejoinder she could offer this time was a helpless little noise that drowned into a moan deep in her throat. Then the captain’s free hand stole up under the towel and she forgot all about the mess on the floor.
***
Sometime later, Cindy was dressed in some pants, boots and a ruffled blouse.
Ronan slanted a look at her pieced together outfit.
“I thought you’d want to wear one of the chitons,” he said.
His gaze shifted to the pile of scarves, still on the floor and Cindy gave him a half smirk. Ha, she thought and shook her head before she answered.
“I did, but you said you’d show me the rest of the island and I didn’t want to go hiking around in a dress.” She twirled around once to show off her ensemble. “What do you think Captain, do I pass inspection?”
His eyes went to her hips where the breeches hugged her curves then up to where her breasts filled the soft fabric of the shirt and a frown developed at the corners of his mouth. It was obvious that he was having some dated thoughts about her attire in his eighteenth century male mind. She put her hands on her hips, fully expecting to have another fight on her hands.
His eyes came up to meet hers and she could see the challenge brewing there, so she amped up the storm in her own pair of blues and waited for him to express his disapproval.
Instead, he grunted and said, “I think those pants belonged to my cabin boy.”
Smart man, Cindy thought, at least he knew when to pick his battles.
They left the villa then and he took her to the famed stables of Gades.
“Do you like horses cara?”
Out in an arena, a blonde man was riding a bay stallion and it was obvious t
he animal wasn’t quite fully broke yet. A group of men stood outside the fence watching and heckling in turn.
She shaded her eyes against the sun and looked up at him.
“I do,” she answered, “I used to ride with friends. Their horses were gentle though, not bucking broncos like that one,” she looked back at the bay.
Ronan smiled in the horse’s direction.
“Orion’s just high spirited,” he said. “Don’t worry, James will soon have him eating from his hand. He has a way with horses.”
He looked at her then with heat in his eyes. She’d eat out of his hands…gladly.
“Come,” he said, “we’ll ask the men who’s in need of exercise. If you wish to see my ship, we’ll have to ride there.”
When they neared the group, all the men greeted their captain, obviously glad to see him. Cindy met the horseman, James, and his brother Will, then Finn, the burly red bearded man whose voice she recognized from the falls. She tried not to blush thinking about him sling-shotting her bra over the bushes. Then there was Cully, another jolly Irish soul and Bas, the silent giant of the group. He had tree trunks for arms, jet black hair and a stoic greeting nod.
After they’d said hello and the men had dispersed, Ronan held a hand out to her.
“Shall we ride, mistress?”
His voice and those old style words did things to her. Butterflies flew around in her stomach as every part of her body his eyes landed on came alive. It hadn’t been very long since they’d been naked in his bed and her nerve endings were still humming from the encounter. She gave herself a mental shake, squared her shoulders and met his gaze head on before she took his hand.
“Cool,” she said breezily, just to let him know how “unaffected” she was by him, “let’s go Captain.”
.
Soon they were headed to the beach on two mounts that James had brought out. Cindy was instantly in love with all of the beautiful animals that resided in the stables. Ronan had explained that, along with the ocean, Poseidon was also the God of horses and his herds were legendary.
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