by K. Lyn Hill
Returning to the game, Siel dragged his playing cards towards him, his eyes still locked on hers. Refusing to look away first, she brought another cup to her lips and knocked it back. His eyes flashed from light blue to a deep sapphire.
"Let the games begin."
With all the alcohol circulating, the men began loosening up, returning to their previous state of merriment perfectly content to pretend she wasn't sitting there. She found herself enjoying their unruly behavior. It reminded her of back home with the guys from the police station. On the job they were serious and determined, but without the uniforms on they transformed into comedians.
In her daze she missed the first half of the story. "So in his determination to strut like a peacock for the girl’s attention, he tripped over the table, knocking into her and all the pitchers she was holding followed. He was soaked and smelled like oxen piss." Daniel’s face was tinged with an alarming shade of pink. "Oh, but that wasn't all. Later they found out she was no she at all. The maid was a man!" Harrison, the guard telling the story, howled, causing a smile to form on her lips.
"What about you, Princess?” Someone asked abruptly. “Have any good tales to share with us?" The direct question shook her from her reveries. Glancing at rocky brown eyes, belonging to Baldwin the boulder (which was fitting), she focused on the present. Hmmmm, a good story to tell. She thought about how she had arrived here. Maybe if she told the story, she could get some hints as to what was going on.
So, she told her story. From waking up in a forest, her friend who wasn't acting like her friend. They all seemed intrigued by her tale but that wasn’t the reaction she had been hoping for.
"You have quite the imagination my lady." Daniel spoke reverently in a whisper. Suspicious eyes blended with curiosity looked back at her. They didn't believe her. No one seemed to have any recollection of her story at all. Her heart sunk.
Eventually they commenced with their game and avoided eye contact. It looked exactly like poker just with a few exceptions. The police squad played poker every week. One day her father had caught her peeking around the corner watching them, so he pulled her onto his lap and taught her how to play. She had played with them ever since, skillfully developing a misleading poker face. They let her bet with skittles instead of real poker chips, until she got old enough to offer up real money.
Sadness shook her as her father’s face flashed through her mind. God, she missed him. She was normally an independent person but being surrounded by strangers with no recollection of how to get home, made her chest hurt. What if they didn't let up on their performance? What if she was here for weeks without someone telling her what happened or why she was there?
With their round finished, she pushed down her self-pity. "Can I play?" The sound of the rattling poker chips, (different colored rocks) was the only sound echoing in the air around them.
They all exchanged troubled glances but Siel broke the silence. "And what, my lady, are you willing to wager? I don't believe you have anything in your possession.”
Mulling over that little detail she said, "Well, we could make things interesting."
All eyes met hers. Some with curiosity, others with fear or skepticism. She knew her own were sparkling. Her father would have murdered her if he knew what she was about to suggest, but he wasn’t there. All the guys around her were decent looking so this was going to be fun. Besides, she was never going to see any of them again when she got back home. Might as well make her freedom count.
Leaning over conspiringly, she taunted. "How bout we wager with clothes. There's enough layers on me right now to lose some."
Some looked intrigued, others shocked, Siel was trying to mask his expression, something he did often.
There were a few long, awkward moments of silence and then Siel answered, to the chagrin of those around him. "Give the lady some markers. I've been itchin to get out of these clothes." He shot her a wicked grin while the men around them relaxed infinitesimally. They looked to him for confirmation, she realized. They respected him. Not just as a prince but as a friend. Filing that away in her mental vault, she picked up the cards she was dealt.
A few rounds in, she had taken her time to play the game right. Losing a few rounds on purpose made them cocky, just like she had planned it. Now it was time to destroy their arrogant expressions, once and for all.
Looking each guy directly in the eyes, she pushed all her chips to the center of the table. Their greedy gazes shot to the table and then back to her with enthusiasm and some apprehension. She had lost a few articles of clothing so far but was still far more dressed then she would have been back home. She never would have allowed them to win so many rounds. It was all a part of the game. A few of the guys were missing their vests. Daniel lacked his tunic which showed a rather scrawny frame. She hoped he wouldn’t lose much more because the sober part of her mind felt like that was borderline illegal.
Now it was all in. Daring them with a lift of her lip, she taunted their shifting expressions. "What? You guys haven't been naked in front of a woman before? I would have assumed you all were much more experienced than that." The answering hisses were enough to know she had won. The men simultaneously dumped all their chips into the center pile.
"Go ahead." She said. Letting them think they might still come out victorious.
Daniel spoke up. "I got me three reds." He proudly sprawled his cards on the table. A few of the guys grunted and dropped their hands in a folded huff, removing another article of clothing.
Next was Baldwin who preened like a snail in a new shell, laying down this game’s version of a full house. "Sorry little missy. I hope you’re not too attached to your corset." His eyes heated as he stole a glance at her covered chest. She paid him no mind though. It was her turn.
Hiding her victory, she fluttered her eyelashes at him, slowly bending over the table to look at him directly in the eye. "And I hope you’re not too attached to your pants."
Worry crossed his features briefly, but he never lost eye contact with her as she fanned her cards on the table. She watched as everyone’s eyes widened, their faces paling. "Good thing we weren’t playing with real money or you guys would all be going home broke…royal flush. Read it and weep boys."
A string of curses filled the room, the guys begrudgingly loosening the ties on their remaining clothing. She could make out a few colorful curses fumbling from their mouths. A peal of laughter slipped out of her before she could stop it.
Preoccupied with the sweeping motion of pulling the poker chips towards her chest, she missed the hush that suddenly ascended over the men. Their hands paused in their state of undressing. All their heads were glued to the door. She turned and followed suit. While in Rome, right? Or wherever the heck she was.
"What are you guys looking..." Spinning, she froze at the sight greeting her by the door. Standing in the doorway was the sexiest man she had ever seen in her life. That sounded like a copout but honestly, she was tempted to wipe the spit dribbling from her dangling jaw. She had thought Siel was attractive the first time she had seen him, but he didn’t hold a candle to this guy. It was like a feast for her eyes and she didn’t know where to look first.
Dark unruly curls caressed the sides of his olive toned face as if a grapevine was hugging a tree sensually. And boy did she want to eat the grapes off that. Aerity could tell that he had tried controlling it by tucking it behind his ears, but it had refused to be tamed and slipped out. Thunderous grey eyes glinted like steel blades, sharp and refined, peeking out from under dark furrowed eyebrows. His eyes pinned her with intense scrutiny that made her heart skip a beat. A thick puckered scar ran from the corner of his left eye, down his firm jaw line, giving him a raw, rugged look. His lips were utter perfection, causing her imagination to run wild with images of her tracing her tongue along the seam. Black trousers and fitted black shirt aided in displaying his ripped shoulders and muscular chest.
She could see tips of swords that were strapped in a crossed f
ormation over his back. Hmmmm she wanted to lick whipped cream off him. It was like he just stepped out of one of her hottest fantasies.
She tried to get ahold of herself, darting her tongue out to moisten her now parched lips. A throat behind her cleared. "My Prince, so wonderful to see you."
Prince? Was he the prince people kept talking about? Who she supposedly ran away from? Nope. Definitely not her. One would have to be on crack to run from that. Uhhhh yummm!
It took her awhile to find her voice."Wanna play?" It came out huskier than she wanted it to. Silently, she cursed her traitorous voice. No guy had ever gotten that kind of reaction from her body and of course it had to be the gruff looking grumpy pants staring daggers at her. The way she had given that invitation seemed as though she was propositioning him for something naughty. But then again, maybe she was. What it would feel like to have his hands running along her curves, down her lower back…
"You know how to play Jack’s Spade?" His question snapped her thoughts out of the gutter as he glued her with questioning eyes. Oh his voice. Like smooth honey dribbling down her skin.
"Um, well I call it poker but yeah. I guess."
He glanced down at her winning pile and then the half-dressed men around her. “I thought that was a northerner’s game?” He mumbled quietly to himself. His eyes darkened taking everything in. His deep voice sent tingles shooting between her thighs. "You’re winning." He added as an afterthought. It was said as more of a statement than a question. She almost preened under the observation. Almost. She wasn’t that brain dead yet. Maybe if she stared at him a little longer though…
"Not for long." Ranger piped in. "I'm starting to feel lucky."
She laughed, snapping out of the daze the sexy man warrior had her in. Ugg. It was like a vortex sucking away at all her control. Get it together! "Yeah right. Says the half-naked guy. You don't have much more clothing to lose.”
Silence took over as everyone held their breath. Oops. Wrong thing to say. Yup. This must look really weird to the prince. "What?" Playing dumb seemed like the only viable option.
Dash took that opportunity to pipe in, "You are in the presence of your Prince, my lady."
“So? I’m the princess and that didn’t stop anyone.” Undeterred by the warning look Siel was trying to send her, she flashed a saucy grin at the newcomer prince. "You can come lose and take your shirt off too." Then she noticed his clenched jaw and white knuckles. Maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say. Oops again.
"I think it's time you retire. This talk is inappropriate."
Before she could stop, a laugh burst out of her. Then she took note of his immovable expression. "Wait. Are you serious?! I haven't had a bedtime since I was like 7!" Her laughter turned into a cough, that turned into a wheeze. She held up her finger in a ‘give me a minute’ gesture as she tried to catch her breath. It was after she paused to wipe her eyes that she found no one else laughing. They just shifted nervous glances between her and the Prince, probably waiting for a smack down. They just might get to see one.
Then she remembered she had no clue where she was or how to get home so starting a fight with a scary looking stranger with swords was probably not the best idea she ever had. Thinking it might be a good idea to relent she said, "Ok grandpa. Why don't you get me to bed then?” Hopping up from her chair, she threw a grin at the table. "Thanks boys. It was fun."
Sauntering over to the "Prince", she threw her arm through his, eliciting a slight intake of breath. Her lips tipped up into a sly curve. She couldn’t deny liking that she had a little bit of power over him, seeing as though he affected her so severely. Her senses were enveloped by his masculine scent and it made her want to shove her face in his neck and sniff. She sounded like a freakin maniac, but he smelled good. Like an ice cream sunday or gummy bears coated in dark chocolate. All she wanted to do was tug him against her body and start to indulge.
Instead she fought her overactive hormones and focused on not tripping over her obnoxiously long skirt as they walked. It took everything in her to speak because talking limited how much of his scent she could experience. That and she was pretty sure some spittle had come out of her mouth. Smooth. Real smooth.
Using her other hand, she tested the side of her lips to make sure she was free and clear of any drool. The prince looked at her funny and she fought back a giggle. Seriously?! Giggling? Had a frickin alien taken over her body?! Ignoring her moment of insanity, she straightened her spine and gripped harder on his arm. "Come come, my Prince. To the bedroom we go."
Chapter Seven
Damien
"Come come, my Prince" along with the word ‘bedroom’, threw shivers down his back. Taking in the sway of her hips, the innuendo was too enticing to overlook. The way she moved was confident and precise. She knew exactly what she did to him. What game was she playing? Flirting with his men. Winning card games. Laughing. It was known that Jack Spades wasn’t even played where she was from. She was entirely different from the girl he met before. From the girl who ran away from him. His jaw hurt from clenching.
Her eyes were warm and full of life, giving away attention like it cost her nothing. In the card room, he could feel the look she sent him trailing steam everywhere her eyes landed. Breathing had become optional and her touch… her touch made him almost trip over his own two feet. The last time her reaction to him was anything but pleasant, which made him believe that he was missing something monumental.
She was probably playing him like a fool, biding her time until she could make an escape and leave again. Maybe even trying to smooth over the damage she had already caused in order to illicit trust. Perhaps she hoped he would let down his guard? Curse it if he didn’t find everything about her intoxicating.
Before they had noticed him standing there, the men sat around her gawking like pubescent teenagers. She commanded the attention of the room if their longing stares and bemused expressions told him anything. The room filled with true joy as they enjoyed her company. Before he stepped inside, of course and stole all the oxygen in the room.
Perfumed scent floated off her with each sashay of her body and every flip of her gorgeous red hair. She reminded him of a blazing forest, lit up and devouring everything in its path. Him and his men were simply kindling in the inevitable devastation.
"So, what's your name?" Their walk had been riddled with silence before she spoke. Just the clicking of their shoes on the ground. Her ridiculous conversation choices befuddled him.
"You know my name." He said as he glanced down at her, her sparkling green eyes piercing through his very soul. He wanted to drown in them and never resurface.
Siren. That’s what she was. There to drag him underwater and drown him to his death. Her green eyes were just like the seaweed, wrapping a tether around his leg, pulling him under.
He made a special note to avoid any bodies of water with her around.
"Yup, the Prince." Laughter twirled in her eyes. He continued to stare at her but she ignored his silence and continued. "Well I'm Aerity. Nice to meet you anyway. I suppose I'll just call you the prince from now on."
Once again, he couldn't perceive her actions. "Damien."
“Huh?"
"My name is Damien."
Her smile spread, the corner of her eyes crinkling. "Well Damien, your name is just as hot as you."
Confusion burrowed and settled in as he mentally repeated her words. "Hot? I'm rather a comfortable temperature."
Shaking her head send more waves of her lovely scent his way. Chuckling, she stopped and faced him. "Never mind. Thanks for walking me. I keep hearing so much about you and yet nothing at all. You've been a ghost for my stay so far."
Her attempt at playing coy and innocent sent a surge of agitation surged through him. She had left and caused a mess to be fixed. She seemed to be playing nice, but she was simply doing that…playing.
His voice filled with aggression, but he couldn’t stamp down the sarcasm. "I do apologize, my lady. I have had muc
h business to attend to since you abandoned me at the altar. How dare I assume you would enjoy others company as opposed to my own. Which you clearly have proven with being surrounded by half naked men when I did seek you out." By the end of his tirade, his anger had expanded, causing the lilt in his voice to go louder, deeper. Part of him felt like he was being unreasonable. The other part didn’t care. It wasn’t anything she didn’t deserve.
It didn’t escape her notice. The small hand holding his arm tightened. He risked taking another peek at his future wife from the corner of his eye. Then regretted it. Her plump lips formed a solid, pinched line while her bright eyes instantly hardened. Her whole face lit with passion. It was lovely. Captivating. He wanted that remarkable tint on her cheeks to make an appearance all the time.
Turning slowly, she took a step closer, rising to her toes. The tip of her nose almost brushing his chin, but she didn’t seem intimidated by their height difference. His hand ached to reach out. Touch her. Grab her. Make her his. Bend down and run his nose along the vein canvasing her neck. Make her shiver.
"Let me make myself very clear, my Prince." It didn’t escape his notice that the last title was spoken as if she spat out something distasteful. Despite that, he found himself wanting to explore those perfect lips regardless. "I don't know why some girl ran from you, but I am not her." His head canted to the side as he listened to her ridiculous rant. "I will not be held accountable for the actions of someone else.” Her face held fierce determination. It only proved to intrigue him further. “As for the naked men around me, I will do exactly as I please. You will not control me. You will not run my life. I don't care if you’re the prince or the president of the United States, I will not be bullied by anyone."
In the back of his mind, he knew her comments made little sense. For he had never heard of the terms she spouted. President. United States. All foreign to the people of Ceranthium. Still, the thoughts escaped him as her words penetrated a pivotal part of his brain. She was his. Her thinking anything else wouldn’t do.