“Well then, uh... I guess you can keep them on.” Kitt could feel her cheeks warming as she checked Doon's arms. His cuts were severe, and both arms were stitched, but they appeared to be healing. “How many times have you been injured, exactly?”
“Exactly?” Doon chuckled and grinned. “I'm afraid I can only give you a rough estimate, Kitten.”
“Well... what's the rough estimate?”
“A hundred?” Doon said with a shrug. “Eighty, at the very least.”
“God... really?” Kitt's lower lip protruded as she continued to stare at his arm. “Please tell me you're exaggerating!”
“Maybe. Maybe not. Or maybe the number is more like fifty. Honestly, I have no idea.” Doon yawned, as if the topic bored him. “I know I've bled a lot, but I assure you... my enemies have bled a whole lot more.”
“Oh, I'm so impressed,” Kitt sarcastically replied. “Have you cleaned these wounds, Doon? I wouldn't want them to get infected.”
“Miles does. He's almost as fussy as you are.” Doon grimaced when he sat down. As much as he tried to act tough, Kitt could tell he was in a lot of pain. She joined him on the end of the bed and reached for his hand.
“You don't want anyone fussing over you... you don't want anyone concerned for you...” Kitt swirled a finger across his palm as she held his hand on her lap. “You don't want anyone to care about you at all, do you?”
“Not really.” Though he gave her an honest answer, Doon immediately regretted it when he saw her lips dipping into a frown. Kitt's smiles had become a rarity. He missed the days when she wouldn't stop smiling at him. So much had happened since then, he wondered if she would ever be that cheerful girl again.
“By the way, you wicked girl... you lied to me.”
Doon was glaring at her, but she hoped he was being playful. He didn't sound especially serious. “What do you mean?”
“About consummating your marriage!” He disapprovingly clicked his tongue. “You let me believe that you and Malik had... well...”
“Sex?” Kitt finished with a chuckle. “No, we didn't. In fact, I'm pretty sure Malik had no interest in doing that. Ever.”
“Well, you were cruel to let me believe it.”
“Sorry.” Kitt's brow was quizzically raised as she tried to read the expression on his face. Was he actually jealous? And if so, what did that mean? “You know, there's so much I've been missing.”
“Like what? Like me?” Doon asked with a grin.
“You're only part of it, I'm afraid.” Kitt gave him a tiny shove. “I miss tea with Miles. I miss swabbing the deck. I miss--”
“Swabbing the deck?” Doon interrupted. “How the bloody hell can you actually miss that?”
“I don't know. Miles made it fun. And you even joined me once. I have... nice memories.”
Doon was wincing, but he didn't tell her why. Kitt often swabbed the deck with Zeke—but Zeke had betrayed him, and now he was dead. He hoped she would never ask why the ginger-haired deck swabber had suddenly disappeared.
“I also miss being held by you,” Kitt quietly confessed. “But, um... not a lot or anything. Just a bit.”
Doon reached for her, caressing her cheek with his thumb. Kitt closed her eyes and leaned against his hand. She treasured any affection from him, since it was so rarely given.
Kitt loved him. But she needed to stop loving him, because the pain would only get worse when he dumped her in Lundun.
“So... Kitten...” When Doon's hand fell away from her cheek, her heart dropped with it. “If you really miss swabbing the deck, I could always put you to work.”
“Oh, I'm sure you'd love that!” Kitt jabbed his chest with an index finger. “Free labor is always nice, huh?”
“I think of it as doing you a favor, since you're pining for it.” Doon tapped her on the nose. “Besides, I'll be joining you. You can't really pass up an opportunity to spend more time with me, can you?”
“You're still so arrogant, I see!” Despite feeling frustrated with him, Kitt hopped to her feet with a shrug. “But alright. We can swab the deck... for a bit.”
“Good.” When Doon got up, he tugged on his shirt and headed through the door. Almost as soon as they were in the hall, he handed her a bucket and mop.
On the deck, Kitt dunked her mop in the soapy water and dragged it across the wooden floor. “It's strange to think this will probably be the last time I do this,” she said. “It's kind of sad.”
“Well then... you better savor it,” he teased her. “Deck swabbing is so terribly thrilling, after all.”
Even though he was being sarcastic, Kitt really did savor every moment. Sooner than later, they'd be back in Lundun. Whether she was swabbing the deck or tending to his wounds, every minute on the airship was precious.
“Doon, I--”
“You know,” Doon interrupted, “you can call me Francis if you want. And you're the only person who's allowed.”
“Interesting.” Kitt's mop zigzagged across the deck as she cleaned it. “Why do I get special allowance?”
Doon's mop hit a particularly pesky spot of bird droppings. It was already bone dry, so he had to work to get it clean. “Only my father ever called me Francis. He made me hate it,” Doon explained as he worked. “But... I like you, Kitten. If anyone can get me to stop hating the name, you could.”
“I don't know...” Kitt soaked her mop and continued working on another part of the deck. “I've been calling you Doon for so long, it'd be strange to call you anything else.”
“Well, it's entirely up to you.” When the bird droppings refused to budge, he kicked the deck and grumbled inaudibly.
“Francis.” Kitt said aloud, trying his name on her tongue. “Francis? Francis! Francis.”
“Alright. That's enough!” Doon groaned. “I said you could use my name... I didn't say I wanted to hear it a dozen times!”
“Francis.” Kitt grinned when she said it again. “Now that I've been given special permission, I'm not going to stop. You can't make me!”
“Wonderful.” Before Doon could chide her again, Miles approached with a mop and bucket.
“Ah! Miles!” Kitt squealed. “It's always so nice to see you. Are you going to help us?”
“Of course. At least... I'm going to attempt to join you.” Before he dunked his mop, Miles stretched his arms over his head. “My back is a little bit achy today, but I'll help if I can.”
“Aww... Miles! You don't have to help!” Kitt exclaimed. “If you're sore, you should rest. I'm pretty sure the captain would agree.” Kitt turned to Doon and waited for his reply, but he simply shrugged. Maybe he didn't mind forcing labor from an aching Miles?
“I'm alright, my lady, but I appreciate your concern. If I can, I'd like to be of use. If my back gets bad, I'll step aside. I won't trouble you.” When Miles started cleaning the deck, he looked surprisingly happy to be there. Kitt wondered if Miles ever missed her company, because she had certainly missed his.
“I was just telling Doon... this will probably be the last time I swab the deck.”
To which Miles replied, “And I was just thinking... wouldn't it be wonderful if you could stay on the airship forever?”
Both of them waited for Doon to respond, but he was too busy tackling bird shit to pay any attention to them. With a sigh, Kitt returned her attention to her work.
“I'd really love that Miles. Truly,” Kitt said. “But I should probably return to Lundun. It's where all of this started, and it's where I belong.”
“Such a shame.” After scrubbing a small area, Miles leaned against his mop, taking a break. “I hope you can come back for a visit.”
“Well, I suppose that would depend on Doon. He would have to come back for me... and he'd have to invite me...”
Again, they waited for Doon to respond. Again, they got nothing.
For Kitt's sake, Miles tried to be optimistic. “I'm sure I could convince him to do that! Whether he admits it or not, the captain is very fond of you. I've kn
own him a very long time, and I don't think he's ever been more fond of anything or anyone!”
“The captain is listening, you know!” Doon suddenly spoke up. “Be careful what you say!”
For the next few minutes, Kitt, Doon and Miles continued their work in silence. Kitt occasionally glanced in Doon's direction. As long as she was in his company, she wanted to see his face as much as she could—to burn every feature into her memory. She never wanted to forget him.
“You know, this really does make me feel nostalgic,” Kitt said. “You, me, Miles... all of us together like this. Swabbing the deck. I'm really going to miss it.”
“As will I,” Miles agreed. “Without our Kitt, I'm not sure we'll survive. Won't it be difficult, Captain?” He tried to prompt Doon, to encourage him to say something kind, but he knew it would be a challenge. Francis Doon didn't express his feelings too easily.
“Perhaps.” Doon dragged his mop in Kitt's direction, closing the distance between them. When she was within range, he leaned close and whispered, “I can say one thing for certain.”
“Oh?” Kitt gave him a nod, hoping he would continue without being asked. But he didn't. “And what's that?”
“Abducting you was the best thing I've ever done... Kitten,” Doon said with a wink.
Then he spun around and swabbed in the opposite direction.
Thirty Eight
Lyneah held Tobias' hand as she led him to the white wicker gazebo in the garden. Encased in red roses and surrounded by torches, the gazebo was the perfect place for a romantic dinner for two.
“I love it out here,” Lyneah said as she approached the table that had been prepared for them. When Tobey came up behind her and held out her chair, she felt a smile building on her face. “I always thought it was the most peaceful place.
“It's perfect.” Tobias joined her at the table and took a deep breath. He was nervous, though he tried not to show it on his face. Earlier that day, Lyneah told him something he couldn't get out of his head.
Tonight was the night. She was going to take him to her bed.
“I didn't realize how much I missed the castle until I left it,” Lyneah said. “When I was younger, I always thought of it as a prison... until I left, then all I wanted was to get back to it. This castle is my home. Staying in dingy inns made me appreciate where I came from.”
“Uh huh.” Tobias tugged on his cravat, which was intricately tied by his new valet. The man had tied it so tightly, Tobias felt like he was being choked. Or maybe he wasn't accustomed to wearing such fancy clothes? Or maybe he felt stifled because he was nervous?
Lyneah continued speaking as the servants delivered their food. “When I first escaped the castle, I remember feeling so... alone. It was frightening at first, but I learned to live on my own. I never really got over the crushing feeling of loneliness, though. I felt so empty. And then... I met you.”
“I remember that day,” Tobias weakly interjected. He wanted to pay closer attention to Lyneah's speech, but his mind was swimming with uncomfortable questions. What if he was a disappointing lover? What if he was so terrible, he put her off forever? What if he did something embarrassing?
“I feel like you woke me up,” Lyneah continued. “You held me in your arms, and suddenly I felt alive again. Of course, at the time, you thought I was Kitt... but I remember thinking I wanted to keep you close to me. No matter what, I was determined to keep you at my side. You were so sweet and you made me feel... special. I'm so glad I met you, Tobey.”
“I'm g-glad I met you too.”
His answers were so short that it made Lyneah raise an eyebrow. “Are you alright, Tobey?”
“Uh huh.” He nodded timidly. “I'm perfectly alright. I'm entirely and completely normal.”
“Are you lying?”
“No!” Lyneah's skeptical expression didn't waver, so he revealed the truth with a sigh. “Alright... yes. Maybe I'm a bit nervous.”
“About tonight?” she asked. When Tobey nodded, Lyneah reached across the table to hold his hand. “You don't need to be nervous, Tobey. Being with you couldn't possibly be anything less than perfect.”
“So you say.” Tobey looked down at the meat that dangled from the end of his fork. Their food looked so fancy, he wasn't sure what he was eating. He would have much rather had pub food, like fish and chips, but he couldn't admit that to Lyneah.
“You're so adorable,” Lyneah said. “And the fact that you're nervous is one of the many things I love about you. You're so shy!”
“I am not!” He was blushing, which did little to convince her.
“No. You are. But you don't have to feel nervous around me!”
“I'm not nervous around you!” Tobias defended himself. “I'm only nervous because I'm thinking about you... n-n-naked... and, uh...”
His timidity had her giggling. “You're so cute, Tobey.”
Tobias clapped a hand to his mouth and sighed into his palm. He had stormed two airships with Francis Doon, he had survived a siege on the castle, and yet he was more nervous about lying naked with the woman he loved. He was pitiful.
“As I was saying, I'm glad I met you, and I'm glad you came with me. You gave me a reason to live, to persevere,” Lyneah continued. “You took care of me... you comforted me. You were there for me the entire time. I love you so much, Tobey!”
Tobias focused intently on his words so he wouldn't muddle through them. “I love you too, Lyneah.”
“I love you and I need you. We come from two very different worlds, but I couldn't possibly imagine a life without you.” All of a sudden, Lyneah rose from her chair and knelt on the ground beside him. “Will you marry me?”
“Is this... a proposal?” Tobey gave his head a nervous scratch. “A genuine proposal?”
“Yes!” Lyneah laughed. “It's entirely genuine!”
“And... you're completely alright with the fact that I'm just a poor ex-bartender from the Lundun slums?”
“I am,” Lyneah assured him. “I think a poor ex-bartender from the Lundun slums would make an excellent king, actually. And we wouldn't have to get married right away. I know you're young, so I'd be perfectly content to wa--”
Tobias kissed her before she could complete her thought. “Yes,” he murmured his answer against her lips. “Yes. Of course I would love to marry you.”
Lyneah kissed him several times before returning to her chair. “You know, this is the first time I've ever been engaged because I wanted to be engaged,” she told him. “My engagement to Malik was arranged against my will, and I was with Rory for political reasons. This is the first time I've ever considered marriage for love.”
Tobias simultaneously winced and smiled. As much as he appreciated the sentiment, he didn't want to spend too much time thinking about Lyneah's past relationships.
After the main course, they were presented with dessert, which Tobias was too nervous to think about eating. The more he thought about naked Lyneah, the more he felt like dropping to the ground and gasping for air. If it actually happened—if she actually removed all of her clothes in front of him—Tobias knew it would be nothing short of a miracle. The moment was too unreal to fathom.
As soon as she finished her last bite of cake, Lyneah leapt from her chair, took his hand, and led him away from the gazebo. She kissed his cheek as they traveled down the hall. “You look so nervous. Panicked, even.” Lyneah observed when they arrived at her door. “Are you sure you want to do this? Because we don't have to.”
“Oh, believe me, I want it!” Tobias laughed at her ridiculous question. “I might even want it too much. But that doesn't mean I can't be nervous.”
“Will you hold me?” Lyneah entered her room and closed the door behind her. “I always loved it when you wrapped your arms around me.”
Tobias immediately scooped her into his arms and pulled her against his chest. He cradled her head to his shoulder, stroked her hair, and tried very hard to stave off the inappropriate thoughts that polluted his mind. “You
're an amazing woman, Lyneah,” he whispered to her. “And I can't believe you actually want me. Every day, I wake up and ask myself... how on earth did I get so lucky?”
“I am the lucky one. Haven't I told you that before?” Lyneah backed out of Tobias' hug and folded her arms over her chest, feigning irritation. “Sooner or later, you need to get that fact into your head!”
Tobias rolled his eyes at her. “Oh, alright.”
“And,” she continued with a smirk, “I'm going to do everything I can to make you happy. I want to make you happier than you've ever been in your entire life!”
“Are you serious? I'm already happier than I've ever been in my life. By far.”
Lyneah took his hand and guided him to her bed. When she started removing her gown, Tobias felt a lump in his stomach. He couldn't even begin to understand why he wouldn't be the lucky one. After all, he got to watch her undress.
Lyneah's gown fell to her feet, then she started removing her unmentionables. She unfastened her brassiere and tossed it aside. When he was looking at her bare chest, Tobias was frozen. Lyneah took his hands and pulled them to her, encouraging him to touch her. While his hands grazed her breasts, she started removing his breeches. His shirt soon followed. She tugged it over his head, and with a grin, she scoured his chest with her hands. As her fingers roamed all over his body, Lyneah brought her lips to his, kissing him deeply. She casually stepped out of her undergarments while their lips were locked. Tobias didn't even realize she was naked until her mouth left his.
“Oh...” Tobey's eyes swelled as they scanned the length of Lyneah's completely naked body. “Wow.”
Lyneah giggled at his reaction. “Does that mean you approve?”
“More than approve,” Tobias somehow managed to squeak out an answer. “God, you're beautiful.”
Before removing the rest of his clothes, Lyneah had to tell him one more thing. “I never want to be with anyone else, Tobey. I only want you. Forever.”
Tobey wasn't capable of words at that moment, so he simply nodded. And she must have been satisfied by his nod, because she tore off his clothes and led him into bed, where she taught him everything he would ever need to know—for the next several hours.
Sky Pirate (Belles & Bullets Book 3) Page 24
