she could love, a man
who was strong and caring.
No matter how hard she had looked, she hadn’t
found a man she wanted strongly enough to consider marriage. Until
now.
She wasn’t a fool. She knew that any union
between her and Lugus, Fae prince or not, could never be. His
immortality had been taken away, and he was exiled from the Fae
realm. And he didn’t want her.
Oh, his body might want her, but the fact he
continued to pull away from her told her that his heart belonged to
someone else. Moira.
Somehow Ahryn knew that Moira was connected
to Lugus’ banishment, but to what degree she had no idea. And why
wasn’t Moira with him now? If only the cursed slave bracelet wasn’t
on her arm, she would be able to see all she needed to know instead
of wondering.
And wondering drove her crazy.
Chapter Ten
Every muscle in Lugus’ body ached. Not even
all the hours he had worked hammering the steal had prepared his
body for the rigorous work the sailors did as they climbed to the
tip of the masts and back.
At least he wasn’t scrubbing the deck.
Slowly, he walked below deck. He was half
asleep and in sore need of a comfortable bed, hot bath and good
food. None of which he would get while on the ship. His feet
stopped when he reached the cabin door.
Ahryn would be inside most likely fast asleep
since it was well into the night. He could very well picture her
with her flaxen hair spread around her like a golden sheen of
silken threads, her luminescent skin aglow in the moonlight while
the blanket molded to her curves.
If he walked into the cabin, he knew he would
claim her, and whatever she was, nobility or commoner, he would not
take advantage of her despite the desire she claimed she had for
him.
With a deep sigh of resignation, Lugus
lowered himself to the floor and stretched out in front of her
door. As exhausted and drained as he was he didn’t care if anyone
saw him or not. All he wanted was some rest for his mind, body and
soul.
Just before sleep claimed him, he found
himself wondering what Theron would think of Ahryn.
~ ~ ~
Ahryn didn’t know what woke her. All she knew
was that she was alone. She rose on her knees and looked out her
small, round window. The sea was calm. So where was Lugus?
She scooted from the bed and yanked on her
gown before opening the door to go in search of him. After the
previous night, he needed rest, and she was going to make sure he
had it, even if she had to barter herself to do it.
But when she opened the door she found a
huddled form on the floor. Only the long, pale length of Lugus’
hair let her know it was him. She knew the floor wasn’t where he
needed to be, but as long as she was in the bed, he wouldn’t
be.
She turned on silent feet and pulled a
blanket from the bed then walked to him and gently draped it over
his body. Quietly, she closed the door, undressed and climbed back
into bed.
His actions tonight proved
he would go out of his way not to be near her. She knew he would
fight the need in his body until the last, and if she pushed him,
he would give in but end up resenting her because it wasn’t what he
wanted, or who he
wanted.
Ahryn had seen the other sailors looking at
her. All she had to do was give one the slightest impression she
wanted him and he would be hers. It was the Fae magic that pulled
to the humans. But it didn’t work on Lugus, and in a way she was
grateful. She wanted him to want her for her, not because he
couldn’t resist her Fae charms.
She regretted the few times she had pushed
him to make love to her. At the time, she hadn’t any idea just how
deep his feelings ran for Moira, but now that she did, she knew she
didn’t stand a chance. And because she admired him, she refused to
put him in that position again.
With the blanket pulled up to her chin, she
rolled onto her side and tried to sleep, but all she could think
about was the nearly uncontrollable need her body had to be held by
Lugus.
~ ~
who was strong and caring.
No matter how hard she had looked, she hadn’t
found a man she wanted strongly enough to consider marriage. Until
now.
She wasn’t a fool. She knew that any union
between her and Lugus, Fae prince or not, could never be. His
immortality had been taken away, and he was exiled from the Fae
realm. And he didn’t want her.
Oh, his body might want her, but the fact he
continued to pull away from her told her that his heart belonged to
someone else. Moira.
Somehow Ahryn knew that Moira was connected
to Lugus’ banishment, but to what degree she had no idea. And why
wasn’t Moira with him now? If only the cursed slave bracelet wasn’t
on her arm, she would be able to see all she needed to know instead
of wondering.
And wondering drove her crazy.
Chapter Ten
Every muscle in Lugus’ body ached. Not even
all the hours he had worked hammering the steal had prepared his
body for the rigorous work the sailors did as they climbed to the
tip of the masts and back.
At least he wasn’t scrubbing the deck.
Slowly, he walked below deck. He was half
asleep and in sore need of a comfortable bed, hot bath and good
food. None of which he would get while on the ship. His feet
stopped when he reached the cabin door.
Ahryn would be inside most likely fast asleep
since it was well into the night. He could very well picture her
with her flaxen hair spread around her like a golden sheen of
silken threads, her luminescent skin aglow in the moonlight while
the blanket molded to her curves.
If he walked into the cabin, he knew he would
claim her, and whatever she was, nobility or commoner, he would not
take advantage of her despite the desire she claimed she had for
him.
With a deep sigh of resignation, Lugus
lowered himself to the floor and stretched out in front of her
door. As exhausted and drained as he was he didn’t care if anyone
saw him or not. All he wanted was some rest for his mind, body and
soul.
Just before sleep claimed him, he found
himself wondering what Theron would think of Ahryn.
~ ~ ~
Ahryn didn’t know what woke her. All she knew
was that she was alone. She rose on her knees and looked out her
small, round window. The sea was calm. So where was Lugus?
She scooted from the bed and yanked on her
gown before opening the door to go in search of him. After the
previous night, he needed rest, and she was going to make sure he
had it, even if she had to barter herself to do it.
But when she opened the door she found a
huddled form on the floor. Only the long, pale length of Lugus’
hair let her know it was him. She knew the floor wasn’t where he
needed to be, but as long as she was in the bed, he wouldn’t
be.
She turned on silent feet and pulled a
blanket from the bed then walked to him and gently draped it over
his body. Quietly, she closed the door, undressed and climbed back
into bed.
His actions tonight proved
he would go out of his way not to be near her. She knew he would
fight the need in his body until the last, and if she pushed him,
he would give in but end up resenting her because it wasn’t what he
wanted, or who he
wanted.
Ahryn had seen the other sailors looking at
her. All she had to do was give one the slightest impression she
wanted him and he would be hers. It was the Fae magic that pulled
to the humans. But it didn’t work on Lugus, and in a way she was
grateful. She wanted him to want her for her, not because he
couldn’t resist her Fae charms.
She regretted the few times she had pushed
him to make love to her. At the time, she hadn’t any idea just how
deep his feelings ran for Moira, but now that she did, she knew she
didn’t stand a chance. And because she admired him, she refused to
put him in that position again.
With the blanket pulled up to her chin, she
rolled onto her side and tried to sleep, but all she could think
about was the nearly uncontrollable need her body had to be held by
Lugus.
~ ~
Similar Books
