Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 137226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137226 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
“Just bringing Brynla to her quarters,” I tell him, carefully getting up so that she doesn’t slump over.
She grins and looks at Toombs, sticking her tongue out at him. “You are interrupting something,” she says, slurring her words slightly. “I’m trying to corrupt him.”
Toombs glances at me, a merry look on his face. “Corrupt him? I would like to see you try. The only honest Kolbeck left, if you don’t mind my saying. He can afford to have his morals dragged under for a bit.”
I sigh and reach down under Brynla’s arms, pulling her unsteadily to her feet. “No one is corrupting anyone tonight. We have a big day tomorrow.”
“You taking me to bed?” she asks. If I weren’t holding her up she’d be flat on the floor.
“I am,” I tell her, half making her walk, half dragging her past Toombs and toward her cabin. Lemi gets up and follows us, looking at his master in concern. From what I’ve learned about Brynla over the last month, she rarely lets her guard down, rarely lets herself be loose and vulnerable. And with that in mind, it only strengthens my resolve to do right by her so that she isn’t regretful tomorrow. “You need your sleep,” I tell her. “We all do.”
“Bye, Toombs,” she says, waving at him lazily and blowing him a kiss.
“My goodness,” I hear Toombs mutter as we leave the galley behind, and I can’t help but chuckle.
“What’s so funny?” she says as I kick open the door to her cabin.
“Oh, nothing much, just that Toombs is probably in love with you now.”
“At least someone is,” she says, giving me a crooked smile.
My skin immediately feels flushed, like the ship has gotten too stuffy and hot suddenly. I need fresh air. I need to dunk my head in the sea. And I need Brynla to go to bed lest she lead me down a path I’ll regret.
Oh, but what a beautiful path it would be.
It doesn’t help that her cabin feels unbearably small. Lemi goes and sits patiently by her berth, his body taking up half the floor. I lead her over to the edge of her bed and sit her down. She wavers slightly, rocking back and forth for a moment as I crouch down at her feet and attempt to pull off her boots. But just before I can do so, she starts pitching backward.
I act fast, grabbing her shoulders and the back of her head before it crashes into the wall.
She giggles and leans forward, her forehead pressed against mine, her fingers looped around my neck.
“Goddesses,” I can’t help but whisper, our mouths too close together.
“They can’t help you now,” she says softly.
Then she leans up, just enough to place her lips on mine.
My eyes fall closed, my decorum slipping, the wait finally over.
This is what I want.
This is all I’ve wanted since I laid eyes on her.
And she’s drugging me with her wiles, she’s making me slip into the undertow.
I can’t breathe, I can’t speak, all I can do is open my mouth wider, my tongue sliding out to meet hers, to kiss her deeply, completely.
“Fuck,” I grunt against her mouth, my hand making a fist in her hair, holding her tight until she gasps, a sound that shoots straight to my cock. Gods, I don’t think I can hold back, I don’t think I can stop myself from kissing her, touching her, fucking her raw.
Then Lemi lets out a snuff of air.
Brings a kernel of strength back to my resolve.
I pull back, my jaw clenching, everything clenching as I try to breathe in deep.
“I think it’s time we say good night,” I say hoarsely, my forehead pressing against hers, my breathing labored.
“You don’t want me,” she says, so quietly, with a wash of shame that feels like it’s removing one of my ribs.
I take her hand in mine and place it on my cock, stiff, hot and pulsing against the material.
“Does this feel like I don’t want you?” I manage to say, pressing her hand there, fighting the urge to thrust against her palm. It wouldn’t take much for me to come, not now, not after all of this.
Lemi lets out another snuff, another sign to move on.
I give him a sharp look. “You can be a cockblocker this time, doggo,” I say gruffly. “One time is all you get.”
He stares at me with wild, loyal intensity, not budging. If I didn’t know any better I’d think he was close to growling at me.
I look back at Brynla, wondering what she’s going to say. But her hand drops away and her eyes are falling closed. I’m moments from telling her that this is the second time she’s fallen asleep after giving me an immeasurable hard-on, but I don’t want to rile up the spirit inside her. This is for the best, for everyone’s sake.