Page 112 of Wanted: Rogues and Bards

Fenric clenched his teeth to hold in a groan. There were things he would have preferred to go through life without hearing. Specifically, that anyone found Malfas’s horny energy delicious or lovely.

However, that raised one question. How was that going to work with Rain and the tub? They were going to be sailing, and the pirate spent most of his time in the tub so he wouldn’t become seasick. Did that mean he was going to be taking the medication he hated so much to combat the seasickness?

Or did that mean they were going to be fucking in the tub where they all sat during Tub Time?

Fenric had lifted a finger and opened his mouth to ask just this. Thankfully, his brain caught up with his tongue and stopped him at the last second. He curled his finger back into his fist and lowered his hand. “You know what? Never mind. Whatever. So long as you have everything worked out, it’s fine with me. I’ll give you the same rule we set with Lirion—don’t feed off Puppy. He’s too young and innocent.”

“Awww,” Maxie whined. He placed his forearms on the table and leaned forward far enough he was almost standing. “I’m not that young and innocent. Wouldn’t it be wrong of me not to do my part to feed our guests?”

Fenric rolled his eyes. Lirion and Aria were not in danger of starving on the SS Horndog. There was so much lust, sexual energy, and just general horniness rolling off everyone that Lir and Aria could get by just fine basking in their cabins.

Aria reached across the table and patted his hand. “Don’t worry, Puppy. It’s not a long trip, and I don’t need to feed as much as my brother. Rain will be more than enough for me.”

As if to distract Maxie from his disappointment, the succubus deftly shifted the subject. “Lirion has been telling me about the lessons he’s given you on seduction.”

The incubus nodded. “He’s gotten quite good at Level One Puppy Eyes, and he’s made excellent progress on Level Two. Just needs a little refining.”

“Wonderful. I want to help teach you even more seduction and manipulation tactics.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “You’re going to need them so all these old men can’t boss you around.”

Maxie’s excited “Yes!” was almost drowned out by the loud chorus of “No!” that rose from nearly everyone else in the room.

Aria remaining on the ship was going to be an interesting adventure.

Abreeze ruffled Lirion’s hair, carrying the scent of salt as he stepped onto the deck. Overhead, the sky was a deep, velvety black, speckled with millions of glittering stars. Only a couple of lanterns burned to keep a person from walking into a mast or crate in the darkness.

A loud creak drew Lirion’s gaze from the heavens to find Fenric descending the set of stairs from the helm, a small smile twisting his lips at suddenly finding Lirion standing nearby.

“You just come off your shift?” Lirion inquired. Since leaving Relos, they’d fallen into nearly the same routine they’d had on the trip north. The only exception was Rain taking longer breaks from the wheel to feed Aria. Last he’d heard, they were drawing close to Dead Man’s Curve, but Rain wasn’t worried. The pirate was confident the kraken was still licking its wounds—assuming it was even still alive.

Fen grunted and strolled over to the railing. “Rain is back behind the wheel, finding a spot for us to stop for the night. He said your sister is tucked into bed and already snoozing. He informed me while wearing this ridiculous grin on his face that probably won’t wear off for several hours.”

Lirion chuckled and joined him at the railing. “If he’s smiling and she’s sleeping, then I’d say it’s a safe bet Rain is keeping her very well fed.”

Fenric rubbed his hand along his jaw, sighing. “I don’t know if you need to hear this, but Rain can be a reckless asshole. Still, he is very protective of people in his care. Your sister is in good hands.”

He didn’t necessarily need to hear it. Not only did he have faith in his sister’s ability to pick a trustworthy partner to see to her needs, but he’d come to know Rain over these several weeks. Fen was right. Rain was reckless, impulsive, and a bit crazy, but it was clear he cared about his team and anyone who needed his protection. Aria was in very safe hands.

But what touched him was Fen’s need to reassure him. Maybe Rain wasn’t the only one who felt protective at times.

“You know,” Lirion drawled as he leaned against the railing. He bumped his shoulder against Fen’s. They hit a large wave, and the ship bounced, threatening to knock Lirion off his feet. Except Fenric’s muscular arm wrapped around his waist, steadying him and pulling him in closer.

Fen huffed a laugh, and Lirion cleared his throat. You’d think he’d have his sea legs by now, but the ocean still had a way of knocking him off balance.

“As I was saying, I was thinking about what happened during the rescue mission at the mansion.”

“You’re gonna have to be a lot more specific than that. So much happened during the mission.”

“I’m talking about when you switched places with me. You guessed I was in a dangerous spot. Why did you do that?”

The hand that had been loosely resting on his hip instantly tightened, strong fingers digging into flesh and bone. Fenric leaned in, bumping his forehead against Lirion’s so he could barely make out the other man’s scowl. “It’s because you were in danger, asshole. What the hell was I supposed to do? Rescue your sister and then leave you to get yourself killed?”

Goose bumps broke out across Lirion’s arms and his heart skipped a couple of times. What was he supposed to say to that? This man was tearing through all his normal defenses and laying claim to parts of him like he was planning to make a home in Lirion’s soul. Did Fenric even know what he was doing to him? Was he even aware of the hundreds of thoughtful little gestures he did every single day? And then he went and downplayed actively choosing to take Lirion’s place in a deadly situation?

How the hell was Lirion supposed to walk away when this job was over? To go on living without this warm, captivating perfection in his life?

Lirion knew Fenric cared for him, and it wasn’t just because he wanted to keep Lirion alive long enough to deal with the Lord Mire matter. He could feel ripples of emotions from Fenric—joy, irritation, amusement, concern, fear—but there were others, hidden in the murky depths of the thief that weren’t as clear and he couldn’t put names to. How deep did those feelings run? And what were they?

Lirion wasn’t brave enough to push the issue when he wasn’t sure about his own feelings for the man. No, it was better to preserve the facade and enjoy the time they still had.