by Billi Jean
She tried not to show how frightened she was, tried to keep the tears back, to hold herself as quietly as she could. Fear only multiplied the effect. Tears made it hundreds of times worse.
“Narc, what the—?”
“This is your last man?” Brennan demanded, catching her painfully by the elbow in his distress. He scanned her face too quickly for her to signal she wasn’t hurt. “I knew we shouldn’t trust Spartans,” he muttered to Evie more than her.
Evie’s brow furrowed but she didn’t respond.
“She bit me!”
Brennan released her immediately, turning from her to bring his sword up, ready to attack. She caught at his tunic. He couldn’t fight in here. Evie didn’t allow it. But no matter how she tugged, he ignored her.
The man, Narc—she sounded out his odd name in her mind—didn’t seem to care. He’d drawn his weapon with an expertise that frightened her. Now he would attack Brennan, he would force her down, he would… She caught her breath, realizing that he hadn’t moved. He kept his sword up, ready…but didn’t attack.
She tugged more urgently on Brennan’s free arm. He finally glanced down, his gaze lingering on her lips before he swept them down her body and back to her face. She shook her head, willing him to stop, willing him to understand that she’d not been hurt that way. If this man didn’t attack, if he was in control. Brennan didn’t have to fight.
“Enough.” Evie stepped between the two men. “Put your swords away. Narc, I see you have met Maeve.”
Brennan sheathed his sword but still stood slightly in front of her. Evie glanced at her in question. Maeve shook her head. Evie’s all too knowing gaze focused on her lips before giving Narc her attention. He hadn’t moved. He hadn’t rushed her, or tried to kill Brennan. He simply stood, facing Brennan, his gaze skimming her every few seconds. She held her breath, not certain what that meant.
“Now that we are calmed down—”
Brennan beat Evie to whatever she’d been going to say with a slash of his hand, cutting her off rudely by shouting, “You shouldn’t have kissed her. She didn’t want you to!”
Narc stood taller, his arrogant grin wider than ever. She felt her face heat at the arrogance. “She wanted that and a whole lot more.”
Her stomach dropped to her toes. Anger, something she rarely allowed herself to feel, burned through her embarrassment. I didn’t know what I wanted. How can he know?
“Then why did she bite you?” Evie reached out and pressed Narc’s sword down with a casual hand on the blade.
Maeve watched him for his answer. His hair had come slightly undone from the tight confines and curled in his eyes. The long strands caught in his thick lashes as he narrowed his eyes at her, then as calmly as one would discuss the weather he uttered one word, “Foreplay.”
She balled her fists, anger again making her lightheaded. The horrid man! The first man I find attractive, I feel something for and he’s…he’s…horrid.
“Narc,” Ajax muttered, gripping him on the shoulder.
Narc knocked his hand off. “She didn’t say a word to stop me—”
“She can’t speak, asshole,” the other man, Darren, she thought, or his brother, Garret, grumbled. The two were hard to tell apart, except for their minds. Their minds were worlds apart.
Her face heated with shame at their discussion. It doused the anger completely. She swallowed and ducked her head, pushing her hair back to try and gain her balance. He kissed me. But he doesn’t seem to want me.
Narc growled something low and unclear to her. Ajax stared at him until Narc threw his hands up. In a low voice he muttered, “I know when a woman wants it. She wanted it.”
She had wanted him to kiss her. I wanted a climax… He’d wanted… She trembled. Of course he’d wanted more. I don’t even have to speak. I know that.
“If you hadn’t barged in, we’d have been enjoying a hell of a lot more.”
“You bastard!” With an animal-like sound Brennan rushed Narc. She feared for Brennan but after only a few seconds, the two were dragged apart. Darren held Narc back with a hand on his chest while Ajax held on shoulder, Alrick the other. Her brother bowed his head to Evie’s firm glance and shook Garret off.
“She can’t talk. How can she tell you she did or didn’t want you?” Evie asked, her voice calm, cool, even.
“What are you talking about?” he demanded in a harsh tone. “She can speak. I saw her talking to someone earlier!”
“She can’t speak, Stephano!” Ajax shout seemed to register. Everyone grew silent. Stephano? She blinked at Ajax, but Narc—Stephano—listened the other man. At least he didn’t shrug him off again. “I don’t know what you saw, but she can’t talk. When will you consider anyone other than yourself? Fuck. I swear, you never think!”
She stepped forward, away from her brother, and shook her head. All eyes focused on her, but she couldn’t let Stephano take the blame. With trembling legs, she walked over to him and held out her hand.
He didn’t move. His narrowed eyes were like chips of icy anger. She motioned to her throat, then her mouth and shook her head again, trying to relay that she couldn’t talk, which was truthful, at least not in front of strangers, anyway. She raised her hand again, waiting for him to take it. He exhaled and not taking his eyes from her face, he lifted his hand slowly.
She took it, trying to ignore how warm and rough his hand felt under her fingers. Have I ever noticed anyone else the way I do him? With a gentle pull, he let her bring him to the hearth where she motioned for him to sit. Still fuming, he made her wait until with an angry snort, he hooked a chair closer and sat.
Around them, the men began to speak, as if with the two of them clearly over their encounter, they could return to their plans. Brennan still sounded worried, but she could hear his clear authority, his crisp replies to the men’s endless questions.
She bent to the hearth and lifted the kettle, poured warm water into a bowl and used one of the clean towels drying there to dip into it. Does he know the significance of cleaning a man? She peeked at him and knew he did not. But Brennan did and one glance showed him studying her as much as the men he was speaking with. Nervous, but knowing Evie and Brennan would keep the men busy, she faced the last member of the team.
He hadn’t moved, but his gaze glided over her face, then down to her hands, and up again. She took that as permission. Her legs still felt unsteady, but she reached out to his chin where a trace of blood remained.
He jerked his head back, but when she waited, he finally crossed his arms and nodded curtly, giving her permission to continue. She kept her expression impassive even though she wanted to smile as he allowed her to clean his face. She hadn’t bitten his lip hard, but there was a small cut there that she soothed with the cloth. Did I give him my kiss, or did he take it? It was difficult to decide. There’d been a moment when she’d wanted nothing more than to kiss him.
“You can’t speak?”
How to answer? She could but couldn’t. Already she could feel the heat of him beginning to catch fire again. One glance at his lap and her face heated. The tight leather hid nothing of his condition. He would remain thusly until she eased him. Knowing what she had to do, she still winced. Why do I want him to be different? There may never be a man for her, and surely this one wasn’t. She resolved herself to what she must do, then met his eyes, revealing herself to him bit by bit with a tune she hummed for him alone.
His eyes glazed over, becoming heated with desire. In his mind now, she saw what he wanted. It was intense, as explicit as the other men’s lust, but with him, much, much more passionate. She gave him a taste of one fantasy, felt the tremor in his muscles then the dream climax took hold and in his fantasy, he gloried in his pleasure. It was more intimate than any other man she’d ever touched. Her hands trembled. Hastily stepping away, she folded the cloth and returned it to the drying rack, careful not to look at him.
He would wake from this thinking her a pretty girl and nothing more. He would
n’t remember this moment or the climax he’d experienced. Because she could, she erased all evidence. She would be no more than a companion now, nothing special, nothing enticing and certainly nothing to corner and hurt until he’d sated himself.
“That’s all set then,” Evie announced, walking up to her. “You leave in the morning. Are you certain this is what you wish?”
Maeve’s gaze sought Brennan’s. He knew what he was doing, what they were doing. At least he thought so. He was in deep conversation with Alrick and Ajax, his head bent, his broad shoulders loose and markedly relaxed from the constant strain of protecting her. Of course, now he had a veritable platoon of men to help him. And freedom within his reach. I want to give him this. The thought made her throat ache.
She faced Evie, knowing what was expected of her.
Evie caught her hand. “If you change your mind, you are always welcome here, Maeve. Always.”
Touched, even though her time here had been forced on her by circumstances, she smiled at the other woman. Evie had protected her. Within her walls no one could touch her. Perhaps she could return here, take up her role and with her gold, hire a body guard. Her brother could be free, and she could be…here. Alone in our home.
Chapter Three
Stephano studied the woman kneeling at the small brook, wetting her neck and face with a small cloth. She couldn’t speak. At least she hadn’t since they started on this journey. But he’d seen her. He knew she’d been talking to someone. It sure the hell wasn’t mouth syncing.
He ached to get her alone, for more than calling her out for being a little liar. He watched a drop of water travel down her smooth cheek, along her fragile jaw and slither along the delicate column of her neck, disappearing into the fabric of her gown. She dressed in the clothing of this realm, reminding him of long lost times when women had looked like flowers under a summer sky. Now women wore little to nothing, tempting a man, but not teasing him with the anticipation of discovery.
She bent and he held in the immediate groan as her ample bosom pillowed over her gown. The display wasn’t indecent. She dressed modestly, which made glimpsing the forbidden flesh all the more erotic. It was only when she was on her knees like that, when the gown pulled and the full, pretty flesh was forced against the tight bodice, that he got a hint of what she hid from the world.
The color of the gown suited her. The pale, shimmering blue accentuated her creamy complexion perfectly. He shifted his body so he could conceal his hard-on and discreetly palmed his cock. It felt so good he let his head fall back against the tree, but stilled his hand. No one was nearby. He could stroke off to the sight of her, none the wiser. Except him. I’ll know. Stroking off to a woman mere feet away from me. How desperate can I get?
Anger pulled his hand away, and a stubbornness he’d had centuries to perfect. I’ll be damned if I’ll jack off when there’s a woman right here who wants me. He’d bedded more women than some countries could claim as citizens. He knew a woman who needed a romp. Maeve needed him almost as much as he needed her.
“Stephano.”
Ajax. He clenched his jaw to keep from groaning. Ajax was brewing for a blow up. He’d worn a storm cloud for the last few days.
“Why am I not surprised to find you here?” Ajax shook his head as he settled his shoulder across from him. Stephano didn’t give him the courtesy of a nod. Since his shield mate had sided with Evie over Maeve, he’d avoided having this conversation. It seemed that Ajax wasn’t going to wait any longer. “She’s not some kind of woman you can bed and leave, Steph. Let it go.”
Bed and leave. That was his style. There really wasn’t any other way. He was immortal. She was… “What is she?”
Ajax gave him a baffled look. “What is she?”
“Yeah, Faye maybe. Not human…witch?” That would explain the kiss and the absolute surety that bedding her would be… He wasn’t sure what, but it wouldn’t be something he’d want to walk away from. And that, never happened. If she was a witch that would explain the idea. He stayed away from witches. They were tricky and had a temper. Combine that with sex and it was a recipe for disaster when things were over.
“She’s from this realm. I don’t know if that means she is more. She could be a mortal, or whatever they’re called here.”
Stephano threw that out. “She’s gotta be something. She and her brother.” He watched her wipe her hands then with a tired sigh, get to her feet graceful as a dancer, and rub her lower back after. I could rub her back, feet, legs… “They can open the gate, no one else can, remember?”
“Whatever she is or isn’t, she’s off-limits.”
So far, yes. He’d barely been able to get her to glance at him when she’d served him his plate of food. She gave Garret and Darren a huge amount of attention. Alrick always got her sickening sweet smile for his politeness. Ajax though, Ajax steers clear of her…why is that?
“Why is she off-limits? Are you interested in her?” he asked unable to keep the question off his lips.
Ajax’s frown deepened. That meant nothing. Sometimes Narc thought Ajax had frowning down to an art.
“Man, you need to think with the other head once in a while. Try it, you’ll be shocked how effective it helps when making decisions.”
Stephano laughed quietly. “Good one.”
“Stephano, she’s off-limits,” Ajax growled, “because she is our guide. If that’s not enough, she’s Brennan’s sister.”
Stephano lifted his eyebrows at that.
Typical Ajax, he cut his hand through the air savagely and scowled. “That means he’s one of us. If that’s not enough for you to realize she’s off-limits, she’s been doing nothing but feeding us since we left that town.” The meals were a low blow since she didn’t merely feed them--she made delicious meals twice a day and made it look easy. “She’s also too young for you.”
He scrambled to his feet at that, tired of looking up at Ajax. “What?”
“Look at her. She’s too young.”
She was definitely not too young. He sized up Ajax’s serious demeanor and rubbed his jaw as he shifted his attention to her.
Now she was filling two buckets with water. She wasn’t their age, but who was? She wasn’t as young as she looked. The dark hair and glowing skin, along with the no talking might account for why Ajax thought she was too young. He guessed a few centuries. Enough time to spread her wings, but not yet become jaded. Certainly not older though, but maybe a bit younger. Maybe. “She’s not too young.”
“Seriously? She can’t speak, Stephano. She. Can’t. Speak.”
“So what? I can do the talking for us. She can kiss.” He rubbed his fingers over his lips in memory. Kissing her had been… unlike anything else. He usually didn’t. Kissing was for sweet romancing. He had physical needs. They required release, not wooing a woman. Kissing didn’t usually play into that quest. Not for a long, long time.
“You cannot kiss her again.”
He snapped his head up. “Since when do you give me orders?”
Ajax didn’t look up from his study of the ground, but his shoulders rose and fell as he sighed heavy. They’d fought side by side for centuries. Stephano knew what was coming, but so should Ajax.
Angrier than before, Stephano stood away from his tree. Maeve was trying to haul both buckets of water up the hill. They probably weighed more than she did.
“She doesn’t want you. She isn’t going to want you.”
“Ajax.” Stephano spun to face his companion with a slash of his own hand through the air. “I’ve never forced a woman into anything in my life,” he snarled, keeping his voice down by sheer willpower. “Are you suggesting I—?”
“I’m suggesting that you like a challenge.”
“Maeve is not a challenge.” He shook his head at the idea. She’d melted in his arms. She’d do it again. Once he figured out how.
“You like sex.”
He blinked, but Ajax still stood there looking serious. The man got laid as often a
s he did. “And? What man—no scratch that—person doesn’t? You sure the fuck—”
“Young women guiding a group of men on a dangerous journey to a gate to another realm don’t! That’s who doesn’t! What’s going to happen when you are successful? What then? What will the others think? Brennan?”
Stephano shoved his hands up. He gave a shit what her brother thought. Maeve had paused at the top of a small rise. No doubt because the buckets were too damn heavy. Instead of being able to go help, he had to stand here and argue. She’s going to hurt her arms or back carrying those.
“She’s young. She is innocent,” Ajax snapped.
Keeping in the overwhelming urge to punch Ajax was getting more difficult.
Sighing again, and unwittingly forcing Stephano to fist his hands to keep them by his sides, Ajax crossed his arms. “If a man wants her, truly wants her, then by gods, he should be lucky she even looks at him. But you don’t want her. You don’t love her.” He said that as if the mere idea were ludicrous. “You want to bed her. There’s a difference. Don’t confuse the two. And don’t go after one, if you don’t want the other.”
Stephano ground his teeth, needing to punch the other man so badly it hurt. He’s lecturing me on love? He can’t even spend the night with one!
As soon as Stephano opened his mouth to say just that Ajax growled, “Wait. I’m just saying, wait. We’ll be in our realm within a week, then you can get back to all you really need—any woman that gives you the go—for a few hours.”
Stephano held in his temper by a thread. Instead of decking one of his oldest friends, he let Ajax stalk off.
Worse, it wasn’t Stephano helping Maeve carry the water. Ajax met her and picked both buckets up, getting a sweet smile for it, too. Stephano punched the tree, raining pine needles down on his head. There is no other woman. Not now. His attention focused on Maeve, he tried to rein in his temper. She glanced over her shoulder and their gazes met. She’s more, whether I want it or not, old friend. She’s much more.
