Page 19 of Take No Prisoners
The most unsettling part of Niall's attraction was Captain Efren's commanding presence. It made Niall's cock take notice like nothing had before. And the man's outdated naval officer's tailcoat and breeches ... If someone had told Niall men in uniform did it for him, he would have laughed, but he had to admit it looked damn good on Captain Efren.
"You're a potter's apprentice. I thought you would be used to hard work." Olivia's tone sounded harsh, but when he risked a glance at her between swipes with the mop, she was laughing at him.
"It's different when the floor you're mopping is moving," Niall said. He'd spent an inordinate amount of time mopping clay dust at Master Othelio's shop. While the waxed deck of the ship was probably more level than the stone shop floor, it swayed from side to side with each wave beneath the ship. Niall had almost lost his bucket over the side once already.
Olivia leaned in and whispered, "You're doing great. Giving the boys a good show, too. Once the captain's awake, you'll have him right where you want him."
Niall straightened and dipped the mop into the bucket to keep it from floating too far afield. "Could you hear our breakfast conversation?"
"I didn't hear a thing. Didn't need to." She laughed. "Anyone can see you're smitten with him, and he's been mourning his first mate a long time. Believe me, I'd much rather have him thinking about you than spending time below deck with that monster."
"Vadim?"
She nodded.
"He was first mate on this ship?"
"Aye. A job I took but have yet to earn." She sighed and leaned her head against Niall's shoulder, a gesture he would have thought too intimate, even between crew mates, but none of the others paid any attention. The two air weavers were busy pushing wind into the sails and the cook was catching fish off the starboard side.
She angled her head so she could still meet his gaze from her awkward lean against his shoulder. "You'll have better luck replacing Vadim in Efren's heart than I ever had in replacing him as first mate. If Efren were honest with himself, he'd see Vadim was never in his heart to begin with. Vadim has only ever loved one person."
"The Emperor?" Niall had heard a few rumors around the pottery shop.
"Himself." Olivia lifted her head and patted his arm. "You'd be a good rebound."
Rebound. How could he be a rebound after at least five years? Vadim had been in the capital at least that long.
"You're telling me he hasn't been with anyone since Vadim?"
Olivia shrugged. "Hard telling where he goes when we stop at port, but most of the time, he doesn't leave this ship."
Niall wanted to be more than a steppingstone for the sexy captain. If he let his hair loose from its tie, it would smell like Efren's pillow, his sheets, the man himself. Niall wanted to roll around in Efren's scent and never be rid of it.
His erotic dreams of the captain would have been enough until he'd gotten his first taste of Efren's kiss. Now, Niall wanted more. Needed more. Gods, he'd gone from zero to full speed ahead with the merest hint of attraction. He was glad he hadn't experienced anything like it before now.
Instead of breaking down the captain's cabin door, he swabbed the deck for the goddess of cleanliness. Finally, he received Olivia's approval to move on to helping the others.
"Time to check on our dog." Stan led Niall below decks to a locked crate.
Stan opened it and somehow used magic to cork the stinking chamber pot long enough to take it out on deck and empty it. Thankfully, Niall's only task was to hand Vadim a hard sourdough roll, which he reached for with one unbound gloved hand.
"Where are your irons?"
Vadim chuckled as a spoon with a spiked handle slid from his sleeve. "On their way overboard, is my guess."
"They were in your chamber pot?"
"No better place for them. They do nothing to contain my power. Besides, they chafe."
"You asshole!" Stan yelled as he stomped down the stairs into the hold. "Iron's expensive!"
"Stop putting it on death weavers, you twit. Iron can't hold us." He glanced around the crate. "Wood can't hold us, either, but where would I go? I don't want to sit about deck with you lot, and I hear Olivia wants to kill me, which is unfortunate."
"You hurt the captain when you left." Stan's voice was soft, and he sounded guilty, like he was telling Efren's secrets behind his back.
"No more than I hurt myself." Vadim shrugged. "I can smell him all over you, though." With his free hand, he gripped Niall's shoulder.
If you're good to him, he'll be good to you. If you break his heart, I will kill you.
