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My toe started tapping when neither of those reactions satisfied me. I wasn’t sure if I expected him to apologize, or grovel even, or if I thought he’d be denying it, but he did none of those things.
Arys tore his eyes off a fuming Albert and began to closely inspect me. He huffed a dry laugh, shaking his head as his eyes raked me from head to toe. “I do this to myself,” he mumbled under his breath, sighing again.
When he didn’t add anything else to that odd avowal Albert seemed to deflate but added, “I won’t allow it to happen.”
Arys grimaced. “Understood.”
Albert nodded, a mildly confused expression moving across his face before Esther grinned. “Well great! It’s all settled then.”
I looked between the both of them, confusion most likely cloudingmyface. “Nothing’s settled.”
“Sure it is, dear. The captain here admits he was wrong to deceive us”—Um, No.He did not—"But he’ll help us find our way home to make up for it thatterribledeceit.” She looked at Arys expectantly.
The bastard was grinning widely. He winked at Esther than in true toddler fashioned, shot me a cocky smirk. “Well said, my lady.”
Esther beamed but I just gawked. “That isnotan omission of guiltnora promise to rectify!”
“I’d like to speak with you,” Arys said to me, still wearing that infuriating smirk on his stupidly plump lips. He turned to Albert, feigning solemnity. “Privately, if you don’t mind.”
Albert, however, was not having it. He totally had my back. Squaring off, he scowled at Arys, but Esther made a garbled sound in the back of her throat, loudly clearing it and nodding toward the room. And gone was the mighty Albert.
With just a measly warning glare sharp on Arys, he took Esther’s hand in his own and walked her right through the door to our room. I gaped at him as he closed it softly behind them with one last pointed look at me. “Scream if you need me.”
Esther started cackling loudly but then shouted through the door. “Oh sweet man, Ihopehe gets my girly screaming. She needs it!”
Flushing hotly, I sputtered a non-response. Arys just grinned wickedly, winking at me.
Unbelievable.
Chapter14
ARYS
She was so angry at me. Her pretty face was rosy with her fury. I thought she was beautiful glaring at me with all the hate she could muster. I also knew it would take a lot of work on my part to make her sweet for me.
Unexpectedly, I looked forward to provoking a reaction from her.
“I am sorry,” I said gravely, expression earnest. This surprised her. I knew she had not been expecting a sincere apology because the wrinkles in her brow smoothed out and that flush deepened. She could no longer meet my eyes and began to inspect the dull hall floor. “Will you accompany me above deck?”
“So you can push me overboard?” She muttered dryly.
I’d earned that. With my duplicitous actions, I had stabbed myself in the leg, and now I had to maneuver this rocky path crippled. “I know you will not believe me again so easily, but I would not have been able to follow through with it.”
Lyv knew immediately. I denied it for too long. But in truth, my heart was already gone for this little hooman—myLayla.
She scoffed, shifting in a way that I knew I was making her uncomfortable. But I had been avoiding her for far too long. Anymore and I would lose her before I ever had her.
“Walk with me?” I asked again, presenting my palm to her. She made me wait for it but with a dramatic sigh, dropped her palm in mine. The pair of us released sounds of surprise but I quickly spread my fingers through hers, trapping her palm in mine before she could take it away.
I had not forgotten the feel of her skin against mine. Not since I carried her from the sea. Touching her again was…even betterthan I remembered. I had to wonder why I was fighting this feeling at all. The mere act of handholding was more titillating than every sexual experience I’d ever had with a female combined.
I shuddered, imagining all the things I wanted to do to her curvy body, but I quickly shut them down when she squirmed uneasily. I mustslow down, as my mam once said. She claimed I’d been swimming in two directions since I was born, and, in this case, she was right. I’d wanted to run from a mate for so long because I did not deserve one but now that she was before me, Ineededto snatch her up and keep her to myself.
My only regret was that this sweet creature would be stuck with me. A male that had a dark past. A past that would be hard for any female to accept. It was too late, though. She was here now, and I was a fool to think I could give her up.
“When I saw your ship fall from the Vyessan skies,” I began, not eager to admit my shortcomings but acknowledging the necessity before I could attempt to move us forward. “I must admit, I saw the opportunity it presented. I knew there would be a great deal of salvageable material on board,” Most of which we were currently towing, some I had already unloaded with the Lyessan council. “I did not even think of its occupants until we discovered the three of you stranded in the wreckage.”
I watched her grimace but continued our walk through the halls. I realized I was guiding her to my quarters without much thought but knew it was the best place to speak with her at length.
