by Marie Hall
“What?” Again his eyes only stayed on her face for a flash.
“Captain?” She was almost done with her legs, she’d move on next to the hairs under her arms and then between her legs but if he kept watching her as he was she might have to get in the water and cool off first. “Captain?” she said a bit more forcefully.
“What?” he said, finally managing to stay focused on her face.
“Do I have time to finish or must we return to the ship?”
“No, no there’s no rush.” He came around the pool, standing over her and again looking only at her leg. “What are you doing?”
“Ovalamak sukkar,” Mia said knowing full well he didn’t understand Persian.
“Oh. Um, what?” He came down on his haunches next to her.
“Ovalamak sukkar,” Mia supplied again before he mutilated the beautiful language. “Sugar scrubbing,” she sighed. “Though this is more molasses and sand.” Sand wasn’t supposed to be in it but some always found a way. “It takes the hair off my skin.” His fingers reached out and drew a line up her leg. She could feel every ridge of the calluses and again her sex pulsed.
“Like silk,” he said. Before he could cause the quivering to worsen, she snatched his hand into her lap, put a dab of the mixture on his knuckle and then pressed a corner of a strip down. She waited a few moments, maybe a moment longer than needed, then yanked the cloth strip up. “Ow,” he gasped out, pulling his hand back to rub. Mia turned her face so he didn’t see the smile or the wickedness in her eyes she knew had to be there. “Ow, that hurts.” She shrugged and finished the strip on her leg. “That hurts and you like it.” he said in such a way Mia turned to look at him. “You do. You like it.”
“It doesn’t hurt, hardly more than a warm sting.” She raised her arm and rubbed a good amount on then covered it with a wider fabric patch. Next to her, Devin winced. “Maybe you’re just too soft for such things,” she said repeating the action under her other arm. She pulled the patch, but before she lowered her arm, he caught it and used two fingers to trace the skin freshly cleaned of hair.
“Soft, but,” he rubbed his thumb against two fingers, “sticky.”
“Hence, why I wash after.” She pointed to the pool. “Warm water is best, but with soap it comes off. Wait,” she cried and snatched back the tin before he could spill it or waste it some other way.
“You’re done, aren’t you?” He reached for it again.
“No.” She pulled two large patches of fabric from the basket, reached for the hem of her shift then hesitated. She’d never had a man watch her do this, but she’d never had a man watch her do her legs and arms either. Devin was her husband, last night he’d touched her and done things to her she’d only seen done. Still, he was right there, so close she could smell his scent.
She put her hand out and pushed on his chest. “I need a little room if you shouldn’t mind it.”
Devin inched back a bit dropping his knees to sit on his heels. His eyes focused on her every move.
“Oh, bother,” she said, then jerked up the hem, grabbed the tin, and scooping out a good amount spread it over her mons.
“Mia?” he called out, sounding almost horrified, but she’d already lay the cloth over both sides and was now pressing them down into the valley between her folds and her legs.
The slightest hiss escaped her hips as she pulled off the first then that wash of pleasure she always felt caused her to sigh as she pulled the second. The sounds she made were drowned by her husband’s pained groan. But as soon as the cloth was gone he leaned forward and boldly put his hand between her legs. His touch instantly set her fuse burning and when he dragged his fingers up then back down, Mia could almost feel what he’d made her feel last night.
“Mia?” he said looking at her face then back where his fingers played. “Now that did hurt, yes?”
“Aye, but only a little,” she admitted.
“But, you,” he said, and his fingers slipped down and rested at the edge of her entrance, “like it. You are so wet right now.”
Mia tried to press her legs together and scoot away. But Devin planted one hand on the ground behind her and using his elbow pushed her legs wide even as he started lowering his head. “What are you doing? Captain, what are you doing?” Mia cried as she felt her entire body wind up tight like a clock spring.
“Just a little taste, Mia. Give me a little taste. I planned on saving you for dessert tonight, but I need,” his head was between her legs, “a little...”
She could feel his breath on her and that spring coiled tighter.
“Taste.” His tongue swept over her hard nub, licked down to the opening then back up before his lips closed over the entire area and he took two long hard draws.
Mia came unraveled. Her breath caught in her throat and she panted through the wave of excruciating pleasure washing over her. When his mouth became focused on that nub, Mia cried out and arched into him, lifting her hips from the ground. Every limb trembled so she couldn’t hold herself up. He sucked on her hard, and Mia gritted her teeth. The pleasure bordered on pain and she couldn’t get enough. Her head dropped back and she struggled to pull in air. The pressure of his mouth eased and Mia gulped in air, trying to quiet the shaking of her limbs.
“Mia,” Devin called, “Mia.”
She opened her eyes to find him smiling foolishly.
“You taste so good.”
“That was wicked, Captain,” Mia said taking a deep breath, then another and another until she could almost put thoughts together. She inhaled only to lose the air when Devin pinched her pulsing clit, hard.
“Say my name, Mia.”
“Captain?” She cried out when he pinched her again.
“My name, Mia.”
She was on the verge of that release again, “Devin,”
“Mia.” His thumb brushed soft and the release came. More easily than before, but stealing her breath. “Have mercy, you are beautiful.” He turned, leaned in, and bent his head towards hers.
Mia turned her head and his lips landed closer to her ear. She scrambled to her feet, yanking the shift over her head. “Beautiful, but stupid and weak,” she said, jumping into the pool to let the chilly waters douse the flame. She stayed submerged as long as she could.
Surfacing only to find herself eye to eye with a scowling man. Devin’s hand clamped down on her arm and forced her closer. He pulled her to the edge of the pool, turned her to face the other direction and dragged her from the water, plopping her down rather hard on the rocky ledge. Every instinct told her to run, but his continuing scowl held her in place.
“Now,” he said rolling his wide shoulders as he shucked his jacket. “Who said you’re stupid and weak?” He leaned away to set the fine, if not formal, piece of clothing safely aside. The muscles along his back stretched and pulled, his shirt followed. Mia shook her head trying to end the thoughts she had about running her hands along his smooth, sun kissed skin. “Mia?”
Pulling her eyes from his body she again met his disapproving expression. She gave him one of her own. “You did, Captain.”
“I didn’t,” he denied
“You said you thought I was so stupid as to fall overboard off an anchored ship in peaceful waters and that I’d be hurt jumping into the water from the cliffs.”
“Mia, that isn’t what I said,” he told her, bending to push his pants down his legs and pull them past his feet. She almost choked seeing the leviathan between his legs. How had he gotten that inside her? “What I said,” he sat down on the edge beside her, “was—watching you lean out over the rail worried me and I don’t want to know what it’ would feel like to see you jump from the cliffs.”
“I’m not going to fall overboard. I’ve been on deck on ships my whole life.”
“Mia, I’m not insulting your seamanship. It is a simple matter. You’re my wife and I, as your husband, get to worry about you. I don’t really believe you’ll fall overboard, and if you did I don’t have any doubt you�
��d know what to do to survive.”
She gave her head a firm nod, of course she knew how to stay afloat until rescue, at least he didn’t think her completely incapable.
“Nevertheless, I’m going to worry, the same as I worry for all the men serving on the ship, but more because I’m not wed to any of them.”
“You shouldn’t. I do these things all the time.” She watched him slide into the water, heard him hiss a bit at the chill.
“It’s my prerogative to worry Mia, and so I will and sometimes I’ll say I do. But it isn’t a criticism or a judgment against you.” He reached up and lifted her back into the water, pulling her against him as he stepped to where it was deeper. The heat of his body kept her warm as she was submerged up to her shoulders.
“I’m not a guppy,” she pouted and put her arms around his neck.
“I might need to see this fish before I can speak to that,” he said, then laughed when she tried to pull back. A slight struggle ensued, as well as good deal of splashing and his laughter ringing out overhead. She realized she’d not be able to dunk him because even in the deepest part of the pool his feet touched.
She squealed when he lifted her out of the water and cradled her a moment against his body. He waited until she’d let down her guard then pulled his arms back. Mia came up sputtering, wiping the hair from her face. Devin moved back to the edge of the pond and was searching through her basket. When he turned and made his way back, he had her soap and her sponge in his large hands. She watched him lift the soap to his nose.
“Mmm,” he made the sound and smiled. “This is nice, what is it?”
“Cherry blossoms,” Mia said and held out her hands for the items.
“And the stuff you used on your skin was molasses?” She nodded as he dipped the sponge in the water and started lathering it. “I wouldn’t have thought the combination to be so enticing.” He handed her the soap as he put the sponge to her neck and drew it down over her shoulder then along her collarbone. His free hand settled at the small of her back causing her to arch against him. She felt his knee push between her legs so she straddled it. When he bent his knee she cleared the water almost to her waist and without even a by your leave he started rubbing circles over her arms chest and belly. He came back several times to wash her breasts. Each time the sponge brushed over her nipples the sensitive tips stiffened more, sending flashes of heat down through her stomach to the juncture between her legs and each time she’d feel him shift so his knee pressed in and rubbed over her nub. It was just enough to keep her on the verge of that powder keg explosion, but not enough to actually cause it to blow.
He increased the pressure at her back forcing her to lean into him. For a moment she was confused until he pushed aside her hair and washed along her spine. Not as thoroughly but it was more sensual than she’d ever known.
“Hold on to me a bit,” he said. He dropped his knee so she slid backwards, nearly off, then he lifted her foot from the water he began washing her leg.
He again took more time than needed and again each tight sweeping motion urged her closer to the insane feeling of bliss he created. He took his time with both legs before letting her slide off his thigh to rinse. She was reaching for the sponge so she might wash the only part of her he’d not gotten to when he took her by the waist and lifted her back to the ledge.
“Spread your legs for me,” he said, taking the soap from her and adding more to the sponge. The huskiness in his tone was frightening, but his look was compelling and Mia complied. A bit at first, then at his urging more until she needed to lift her legs and hook her heels on the rocks. “So damn beautiful,” he whispered and put the sponge against her skin. He took his time, starting high up on her belly but with each completed circle he got lower and pushed her higher.
When he at last drew the sponge between those nether lips Mia couldn’t bite back the moan. It escaped loudly. The heat pumped through her body and created lightness in her head. It took a minute before she could focus on him.
He stood back a bit, watching her. His expression seemed more one of amazement and wonder than anything Mia might understand. When he finally met her eyes his face split wide with the largest grin. Mia wouldn’t have thought him capable of smiling so beautifully. He stood a moment more, stepped up and lifted her down to rinse. He handed her the soap and sponge, turned his back and dunked under the water. When he came up he seemed to be struggling a bit.
“Devin?” Mia called as he cupped his hands and splashed water in his face a few times.
“Have you finished your bath?” he asked rather gruffly. Mia wasn’t sure what caused his tone to bite and he mustn’t have been aware it did until he turned his head and saw her looking at him. He sighed then shook his head. “Don’t get your rigging in a knot,” he said and started fishing around in the grass and reeds where he’d dropped his pants.
Mia gave him his answer when she tossed the sponge aside, rolled the soap between her hands before tossing it to the grass and started washing her hair. His brows shot up but he said nothing. She turned her back on him after that. She heard him snort, then spalsh. Suddenly not feeling so comfortable in his presence, Mia hurried to work the soap through her hair.
What caused him to speak so harshly to her this time? Perhaps, like she now did, he realized how completely unseemly her behavior was. Wife or no, married or not, she maybe shouldn’t have allowed, encouraged even, the liberties she did. What decent, well-raised woman let a man put his mouth there? Mia quickly dunked under the water. Just the memory made her sex clench and ache.
When she came up she looked over her shoulder at him. He was rubbing his skin with a hard cake of soap. Her eyes followed his hands across his chest, down the flat contours of his stomach, and around his hips. When his hands disappeared below the water, and the motion didn’t stop Mia gasped out loud at how much she wanted to step over and take that chore from him. Like he read her mind he stopped scrubbing at himself and held the soap out to her.
“Come do my back, Mia, return the favor.”
She swallowed hard as she took the block of curd soap and waded through the water to get next to him. He turned his back to her. Unlike hers, his soap had a strong scent. That spicy one she already associated with him. The scent made her heart race. Her hands trembled a little as she drew the bar over his skin. It wouldn’t lather like her better-quality soap did, so she couldn’t rub it in her hands and touch him directly. She heard him groan and knew he was shifting into her touch.
“This is poor quality soap, Captain,” she said trying to resist leaning against him when he stretched up so she could reach lower.
“It does the work.” His clipped response killed her desire to slide a hand below the water line and stroke his ass. “Mr. Hong sent me with,” he shook his head before he continued, “with an armload of your clothes. I’m sure he said what everything was but I couldn’t tell you.”
Mia pressed her lips together. Devin sounded not only a bit stressed, but perhaps a little pained. It wasn’t like he was so familiar with women he could name items of their dress. She felt a frown crease her brow. He was though, familiar enough with a woman to know that putting his mouth in certain places afforded her a pleasure like nothing Mia knew existed. Did it take knowing a good number of women before a man learned this? Why suddenly was she struck with the urge to find those women and pull out their hair?
“Mia?”
She jerked her head up to see him looking at her in confusion. She shook her head and forced a smile. “I’m sure he knew what to send.” She’d also make sure to ask Mr. Hong why it was she found the idea of Devin being with some other woman so distressing. Devin hadn’t seemed distressed when he thought she’d been with other men. And while it made him careless in the act, he’d made up for it. Now more than once.
“Then are you done now?” He waded to the edge and leveraged out of the water, giving Mia a perfect view of his ass. When he turned to give her a hand she got another fine look at that
serpent he carried. He easily lifted her out while he laughed at something. “It took you as long to wash only your hair as it took me to wash my whole self.” He laughed again. And as he was bending she got a second look at his ass as well as a peek between his legs. “Here’s the pile he sent me with.” He held out a bundle, but Mia was slow to take it.
Damn she’d seen enough male forms that the sight rarely affected her. Devin’s body, though, did all kinds of things to her. She rather thought she must look like a starved and drooling dog at the moment because she felt like one. And when he stepped closer, Mia’s whole body trembled.
“I’m a lucky man,” he said quietly then bent his head and softly kissed her lips. He stepped back, forced the bundle into her hands, then moved to where his clothes sat.
She had no idea why he would say that, but something about it created a warm feeling in her chest. She shook her head to find her focus. “You’re not putting those clothes back on, are you, Captain?” she asked seeing him holding the pants so he could put his leg through. “And you’re soaked.” She rifled through the pile and came up with a large sheet, then a second. Hong always sent two, one for her hair.
Devin pulled his leg back, reached for the sheet and smiled at her, “Damn, I’m a very lucky man.”
Chapter 9
Devin tried to keep his eyes on the sheet he folded as Mia redressed. Most of the items Mr. Hong sent were the underpinning of a proper outfit. Mia would wait until she was back aboard ship to don a gown.
He’d not thought about the danger her dress caused her when on the water. If she went in wearing the heavy skirts she’d be pulled down and not able to swim or tread water. Wearing the light frock, which he’d thought a bit indecent as it looked more like a night rail than a day dress, ensured if the long boat carrying her was tipped, a more likely scenario than her falling overboard, she’d be able to keep her head above water long enough to be pulled out.
