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Ten
Leon
Havana’s arm hung off the side of the bed. For a woman who swore she didn’t snore, she had no idea how awful she sounded. Yet, I found it adorable.
After the siren incident, I had put distance between us. Not that I wanted to, but I found Havana too tempting and the nights at sea too lonely. During the rest of the voyage we still talked, and she spent a lot of time teaching Rooster new words. I was not particularly fond of the phrase “Rooster wants a cracker” which sounded late at night.
As slow breaths left her lips, I wondered about her story.
Why are you here, love?
Everything from how she moved to how she spoke had an innocence and curiosity about it. I’d encountered many females over the years, and though an unwanted arranged marriage happened more often than it should, I’d never met anyone who fled to the Oasis.
While there were other similar islands around Saol, none had such an exuberant quality. Did Havana truly seek a few days of the unknown? And why? What caused her to run, alone and unafraid?
She could fight, that I was sure of. When Elon had lunged at my neck, she did not hesitate, and her strike had been true. She was trained to fight, but what else?
With a loud snore, she rolled over, the tiniest sliver of drool slipping from her mouth. I smiled, enamored with how safe she felt to sleep this deeply on my ship. Maybe I was becoming more like Declan, getting soft with age.
“Havana,” I said, stroking her hair. “Need to wake, love.”
“Ugh, go away.” She rolled and snorted, then went back to sleeping.
Holding back the urge to wake her properly, I leaned over and moved the hair away from her ear. “We’re at the Oasis.”
She bounced up, hitting her head on the low shelf above the bed. “Ouch.”
I reached out and touched her arm. “You all right?”
“Fine. Did you say we’re here?”
“Aye.”
With a squeal, she clapped her hands and jumped off the bed to run to the door, nearly knocking me over in the process.
I cleared my throat.
“What?” She whirled around, forgetting she wore a thin nightgown. One I could see through, and though I would love to admire her a bit more, I wouldn’t allow her to leave this cabin in that attire.
Arching a brow, I licked my bottom lip, nodding at her nightgown.
Watching my gaze roam over her, her face reddened. “I need to change. Get out.”
She grabbed me by the arm and tugged me toward the door.
“There are no maids on this ship. Don’t you need help changing?”
Her brow narrowed. “I haven’t needed one yet. Go!”
“Are you always this grouchy in the morning?”
She growled and shoved me out the door. I waited outside, listening to her groan and throw things about. It had been almost a decade since I had spent so much time with one female. I rather enjoyed her little outbursts, and the way she pouted when she didn’t understand or was unhappy.
Would I be able to let this human go after her adventure?
I would be foolish to think my attraction to her was merely lustful. No, her voice, her sweet gestures, her courage, all those things wound tightly around my heart. The last woman I allowed myself to feel for betrayed me to a band of mercenaries.
Luckily for me, one of them owed me a favor.
