Page 64 of Realm of Thieves

I close my eyes, needing a break from the lust in her gaze. “A good spanking, for one,” I say, my voice coming out in a growl. “Maybe a good choking while I’m at it.”

She goes silent, her fingers pausing on my skin.

I open my eyes, expecting to see her look horrified at my answer.

Instead there’s something like curiosity. And want. Her mouth is open slightly as she breathes hard, showing the pink of her tongue beyond the soft swell of her lips, and I know if I don’t do something soon, I’m going to end up doing something I regret.

It’s not always easy to be a man of honor.

“Am I interrupting something?” Toombs says as he enters thecabin, the mug of ale spilling over onto his hand, his eyes bouncing between the two of us.

“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 toostuffy 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.

---