Malachi

by Ashley West

  "Yes?"

  "We won't go easy on you the next time. There are only so many women to marry on this planet," he said.

  He nodded. "Got it."

  "I hope you do," he said to our backs as we walked out the room.

  Chapter Nine

  ASHLYN

  Well, that was weird.

  Nathaniel had been tense, and there was a strange vibe between him and the cop. Were they talking about a parking ticket or something else?

  I sighed. I didn't know this man at all. I looked at my arm to make sure I wasn't in a dream. Yep, married to Nathaniel Lachlan, my husband. Whoever that was. I was yoked to him for a whole year.

  It was a crazy scheme. I had known it would be in my mind, but the reality of it was different from how I imagined.

  I had been worried about how I would get along with my husband for a year. But Nathaniel had explained to me that he would be leaving me for months at a time while he went off on his ship, which was probably better. We wouldn't have to worry about getting along.

  There was absolutely no reason to feel disappointed. The separation was good news, right?

  When I had thought about what marriage might be like, I had imagined a lot of things, but this was not one of them. Had he had married me as a trophy wife?

  He didn't expect me to have sex with him. He would leave me at his big mansion with help doing all the work. I would have access to a bank account for anything I needed. I was living the dream, right?

  I was going to be a kept woman, and I didn't I liked it. I guess I didn't have a choice. I would need to keep busy, so I would have to find something to do. I couldn't sit around all day painting my nails or eating bonbons.

  The car approached a harbor. There were lines and lines of sailboats near the shore, and I wondered which one was his.

  Nathaniel parked the car and jumped out. "Come on," he said, taking my hand again. I smiled a little and looked up at him. I could tell he was excited, like a kid who wants to show you his favorite toy.

  I loved holding his hand. My mother had never been one for physical affection. She had been at work or exhausted all the time, and I had always felt starved for human contact.

  When Nathaniel looked into my eyes with his entire focus on me, I felt like the most significant woman in the world. Merely holding his hand was better than sex with my last boyfriend. I briefly wondered what sex would be like with Nathaniel if holding his hand felt this good. But I shut that thought down immediately.

  It won't do to get involved emotionally with this man, I told myself. And if sex was involved, I was guaranteed to get involved emotionally as well. I couldn't have sex without feelings developing. I just wasn't built for casual, I guess. I tore my thoughts away from the idea of sex with Nathaniel and tried to pay attention to what he was saying.

  I think he had been talking for a while.

  "Well, this is it," he said, gesturing with his muscular hands and arms. "My ship."

  "This is your ship?" I said in awe. It was a sailing vessel, but that description is inadequate. Imagine a pirate ship from a storybook.

  It was huge. It was made entirely of wood, and Nathaniel maintained it well. Every joint was perfect. The varnish was smooth, and there wasn't a single peeling spot. Someone neatly tied the giant white sails. Every bit of rope was in place and neatly coiled.

  I could see a few people moving around performing tasks that I didn't understand, but it was clear they were making ready to set sail.

  I tilted my head back down from gazing up at the crow's nest, to look at Nathaniel. He was grinning.

  "You like it?" he said.

  "Do I like it? It's amazing!"

  "You don't get seasick, do you?" he asked. He looked worried, as if he hadn't considered my ability to sail.

  "No," I said. "I love being on the water."

  He smiled at me, then. A real smile. Not a charming one. Or a contrived one. A genuine, honest to goodness, hundred-watt smile. It looked good on him. Damned good, if I was honest with myself.

  "Here," he said, offering me his hand to help me get on board. I looked at it for a moment, and then winked at him and skipped up the gangplank, jumping down onto the deck.

  He seemed intrigued and followed me on to the ship.

  "Want the tour?" he said, apparently trying not to look too eager. I smiled.

  "Sure."

  He showed me all around, and I was suitably impressed. His ship had everything needed to be completely self-sufficient for weeks or months on end. We were below deck when I heard a shout and felt the boat float free.

  We were moving.

  "We're off," he said. "Come back up. You can get an excellent view of the harbor as we leave."

  "As long as you're stocked up on food you could live here for months," I said as we climbed back up the stairs to the deck.

  "Pretty much," he said. "Sometimes we're out for weeks at a time doing research."

  "Of course. You'll have to tell me all about your research. I'm very interested."

  "Sure," he said as we made our way to the rail. "You'll be the first person who's ever wanted to know about my work."

  "Oh, I'm interested. Your job is one of the reasons I chose you," I said, honestly. "I'm hoping you might let me work with you. Environmental science is my passion."

  He stared at me for a moment. Was that dismay on his face?

  "Or not. It was just an idea."

  "No, it's all right. I never had anyone interested in what I do before. I usually have to pay interns."

  "I'm getting paid too."

  He had the decency to blush. "I'm sure we can figure something out."

  He changed the subject, starting to tell me about the harbor. I hoped I would get the chance to use what I learned in school, but I was worried he was only letting me do it to placate me out of a sense of obligation. He hadn't seemed too keen on the idea.

  I would show him I wasn't only a beautiful face. I had taken nearly all of my first and second-year courses, and I knew enough to be of help. If he gave me a chance, I'd show him that I wouldn't waste his time — that I would pull my weight.

  I was a scientist at heart. I was much more than a mail-order bride.

  ________________________________________

  As we made for the open sea, I realized I wanted to stay on Nathaniel's ship with him. I didn't desire to be relegated to a house again, opulent as it might be.

  I had a feeling that out on the ocean was where I would finally start living my life.

  Ever since my father had died, I had barely been getting by, making ends meet, and merely surviving. The sea offered possibilities. On the ocean, with the sky above and the deep blue waters below, I felt the wind blowing my hair back from my face. Was this how freedom felt?

  "What is it?" Nathaniel said, studying my face as I stood at the bow.

  The ship was moving with an undulating motion that soothed me, and I felt relaxed in the warm sunshine.

  "I have no obligations out here," I said, wondering if he would understand.

  He got a funny look on his face.

  "Me too," he admitted.

  I was surprised.

  "Come on. You don't have to worry about money, and you have an excellent career and this ship. You couldn't possibly know what it's like to feel trapped," I said.

  "You might be surprised," he said, and I noticed he had come closer and was standing next to me.

  "What could make a guy like you, who's got everything, feel trapped?" I said.

  "Is that what you think?" he chuckled, holding my gaze. "That I have everything?"

  "Don't you?" I said, unable to look away from those turquoise depths as he moved an inch closer.

  "Not everything," he whispered, and our lips were nearly touching. My breath was coming fast, and I felt my chest rising and falling with the rapid beating of my heart.

  "Captain?" someone called, and we leapt apart.

  Shit. That was close. No getting emotional involvement,
I chastised myself.

  I tried to slow my breathing and calm myself.

  "We need you in navigation for a moment, sir."

  He sighed, looking at me with undisguised longing.

  "I'll be right there," he said and the crew member, red-faced, left as quickly as he could.

  "See you later?" he said.

  I nodded.

  The last thing I needed was more time alone with Nathaniel.

  "Oh, and Nathaniel?" I said. He stopped, twisting his head around to look at me.

  "Yeah?"

  "Thanks for this. I love your ship."

  "The Dream," he said.

  I frowned.

  "It's the name of the ship. She's called the Dream."

  I laughed.

  "Why are you laughing?" he said.

  "Oh, it's just funny," I said.

  "Funny?" He looked puzzled. "I have always thought it was a perfect name. My grandfather christened her. My family's had her for three generations."

  I could see that he was hurt by my laughter.

  "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. It's just that it's like my name. Ashlyn is a derivative of the name Ashling — an Irish name. It means a dream or vision."

  He stared at me.

  "Your name means a dream?" he said.

  "Yep."

  "You might be, at that," he said so quietly that I almost didn't catch it. He looked me over from head to toe, making my thoughts scatter and causing a tingling feeling to spread throughout my entire body. I held my breath until he turned to attend to his ship.

  Me? A dream? What was he talking about?

  He must mean that I was like a dream. Ephemeral. I would be here and then gone.

  We were in an arranged marriage. Women who had arranged marriages were all about security, not passion, right? That described me perfectly.

  Responsible.

  Hard-working.

  Feet on the ground, Ashlyn.

  There was no dreaming in my life.

  And I would do well to remember that.

  Nathaniel and his perfect life were a dream I could never have.

  Chapter Ten

  NATHANIEL

  I was trying to focus. I was attempting to stick to the plan.

  We had arrived at my house in time to unpack, have dinner together, and go to bed. In separate rooms, of course.

  The first day of our 'honeymoon' was over. We went to bed with our marriage unconsummated. And I was okay with that. At least that's what I told myself.

  Spend a couple more just-friends days with her and then you're off, you're away, I thought. You won't have to deal with a wife anymore. My staff would take good care of her, and I would continue with my life exactly the way it was before. Nothing had to change.

  The problem was I wasn't sure if I wanted change or not.

  Ashlyn had brought something with her when she entered my life. A fresh breeze. A feeling of newness. She made me think that being cynical wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She made me have hope again that everything wasn't all going to shit.

  I wasn't falling for her or anything sappy like that. I lived in real life, not a fantasy. I wanted her. She was sweet and sexy. It was nothing more than physical attraction.

  I didn't want a wife. I had never had any intention of ever getting married at all until I needed to because of my stupid mistake.

  I had seen how my father treated my mother, and I never wanted to be a husband like that. If I were never a husband, then I would never be terrible at it. Problem solved.

  I finished packing my swimming gear and went out into the hall. A strange voice called out. "Nathaniel?"

  I smiled before I turned around. I should tell her to call me Nat. Nobody else called me Nathaniel, but maybe that was why I liked it. She was the only one who did it.

  "I was coming to get you. Are you ready to go?" She had a flowing skirt on, covering her bikini bottoms and I tried not to look at her breasts in the little top she was wearing. In the quick glance I got, I saw that they were small but round and full — probably the perfect handful.

  Eyes on her face, Nat.

  She held up her backpack for me to see.

  "Great, we should get going," I shouldered my backpack and waited for her to go down the stairs ahead of me.

  "Okay."

  We walked out the door of the house and on to the boardwalk that led to land. When we got to the shore, I spread my arms.

  "Where do you want to go, Ashlyn? The whole island is ours."

  "Is the whole island yours?" she said. Yours. Not ours.

  "Yep! There's not much of it, but it's pretty."

  "I would love to go for a swim."

  "You got it, lady," I said. "Left or right?"

  The beautiful white sand stretched away as far as we could see in both directions until the curvature of the island made it disappear.

  "How about left," she said. "I'm feeling reckless today."

  I laughed, and we walked down the sand. It was hot but not burning yet.

  "Is there any wildlife that I should be worried about?" she said.

  I shook my head.

  "There are no predators in this part of the ocean because we have overhunted them, or they've been pushed back behind The Barrier in this area."

  "What's The Barrier?"

  "Just like people on land-based planets pushed back wildlife away from their cities and farms, we've done the same on Vandwa for sea creatures. Generations ago, we built The Barrier and started pushing back the wildlife — like sharks and other predators — behind it. In the beginning, we just killed them. Later on, if we caught something dangerous, we started to drop them over The Barrier."

  "Makes sense," she said, putting her backpack on the sand. She proceeded to put her skirt on the sand too. Now she was standing before me in only her small red bikini. She looked up and caught me gawking.

  "Sorry," I said, swallowing and looking out to sea, for a moment. I couldn't help it. I soon found myself looking back at her again. Her body was perfect, and I wanted her.

  She pulled a ponytail out of her backpack and lifted her arms to pull back her hair. She inadvertently pushed her breasts up and out towards me, and I tore my gaze away with difficulty. How was I going to do this?

  That's when it hit me. I didn't have to abstain. She was my wife! She only had to want to have sex with me, too, and there wouldn't be a problem. As long as both parties agree, remember Nat?

  Why didn't I think of this before?

  As Vess had mentioned, the ladies didn't usually turn me down. All I had to do was be charming. I was good at that. I attracted her — well, it seemed that way. Maybe I needed to test that theory and see. I only had to make myself irresistible, and she would want to fall into my bed.

  "No, it's okay," she said, tearing me out of my reverie. "Maybe we should talk about it."

  "About what?" I said, pulling off my T-shirt and the amulet my grandmother had given me. She stared at me for a moment, before she shook her head and went on.

  "About our marriage," she said, walking into the water. "Oh, it's warm."

  Her eyes were round, and there was a look of amazement on her face.

  But I was still caught on the words she had said.

  "Of course it is," I said, answering her but feeling worried. What did she want to talk about in regards to the marriage? I mean, I knew we'd have to talk eventually, but I was worried that she would ask challenging questions. "What were you expecting?"

  "Where I'm from the water is cold. Freezing. It warms up in the middle of summer, but even then it's a shock, and you have to get used to it."

  I nodded.

  "Like in the northern hemisphere. But we're in the Southern Isles here and the water's always warm."

  "I can't believe it," she said, walking in up to her waist. I kept pace beside her.

  "What did you want to talk about exactly?" I said, nervously. I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I hoped she didn't ask any awkward questions, but it was p
robably better to get it all out in the open.

  "Clearly there is a certain amount of attraction between the two of us." Her eyes cut sideways, and she checked me out. I was so shocked at her directness that I didn't reply. Her eyes clouded. "Or, I thought there was…"

  I snapped my head around to her.

  "You could say that. Although, I think a certain amount is a bit of an understatement."

  We were getting in up to chest level, and her breasts were starting to float. I was relieved that our waists were submerged because I was getting hard. I hoped she wouldn't look down through the clear water because it was becoming more and more apparent.

  She smiled a little self-conscious smile.

  "I was wondering what the rules are, I guess. I've never been a mail-order bride before, and I don't know what I'm doing."

  "I don't know either," I said. We floated, paddling around in the warm water as he spoke. "But I think we should look at it like we're dating."

  "Dating?"

  "Yeah. Well, I like you, and you like me — at least a little bit?"

  She grinned and started to swim with her head up.

  "We're trying things out."

  "That sounds less intimidating than being married," she said.

  "Exactly."

  "And about the sex…"

  "You want to have some?" I said, hopefully. She laughed, and I took that as a good sign.

  "How about we take it a day at a time, and we'll see what happens? I'm going to swim now," she said.

  She didn't answer my question, but took off with a powerful front crawl, pulling herself quickly through the water until she was so far down the beach that I began to worry a bit. What if she got in trouble, and I was so far away that I couldn't help her? She was an excellent swimmer. But no human could compare with a Vandwan. They simply weren't in our league.

  I saw her stand up and wave to me. I waved back. Then I dove into the water and began to swim. When I popped up beside her, she was floating beside me in stunned amazement.

  "What?" I said.

  "That was a long swim."

  "Yep. I'm a fish," I said, joking.

  "I think you are," she said, she looked a tiny bit confused.