Twenty-Six
Tony marched down the hall in search of the bathhouse. He needed to rid himself of the sticky film of salt water on his skin, along with Naura’s scent.
God, she smelled good, he silently admitted, coming to a stop outside a massive room with clothes lining the left wall. Good enough to eat. He popped a piece of gum into his mouth.
Tony shook his head, disgusted with himself for thinking of her in a sexual manner. She was pure and vulnerable, possessing a precious gift that deserved to be revered, not taken in the rough manner that he’d described to her.
Besides, he mused. He’d never been with a virgin. The thought of it both terrified and enthralled him.
Joanne had been married before she and Tony were introduced and had lost her husband to cancer.
Tony, being young and full of life with everything to offer, had married Joanne, and shortly thereafter became a father for the first time.
Sex became virtually nonexistent after their son’s birth, and for some reason, Joanne’s sexual desires never truly returned.
Oh, she’d tried, he recalled, grabbing a towel from the shelf and checking to be sure he was alone. But the spark seemed to have disappeared along with her swollen belly.
Tony climbed into the warm water of the pool and grabbed up a sweet-smelling cake of soap. He began lathering up his body as memories of his past swept through his mind.
Joanne’s laughter. Her amazing ability as a mother. Her intelligence and giving side all played a part in who she’d been.
Tony slowed his movements as the reality of his dilemma settled in his gut. It wasn’t anger and fear alone warring inside his heart. It was also guilt.
In all the years he’d been with Joanne, he’d never felt the amount of longing or passion as he did in that one kiss he’d shared with Naura.
What kind of a bastard was he? Joanne had been his wife. The mother of his child. He’d loved her. He loved her still. Didn’t he?”
Naura’s beautiful face haunted him. What was it about the Bracadyte female that called to him? Her scent, her eyes, her skin…everything about her attracted him. He craved her in a primitive way he’d never experienced with Joanne. Or anyone else for that matter.
Tony finished his bath and moved to sit on a stone bench situated behind a wall. He ran a hand down his stomach and gripped his throbbing erection. His lips peeled back over his teeth as he slid his fist down his aching length.
“Joanne,” he whispered, allowing his eyes to drift shut. But it was Naura’s face that appeared behind his closed lids.
“Son of a bitch,” Tony snarled, releasing his shaft and jumping to his feet.
He wrapped the towel around his waist, grabbed his clothes, and rushed from the chamber. He needed to leave Aukrabah before he gave into his lust and had sex with the king’s virgin daughter.
Tony noticed a male disappear inside Naura’s room as he rounded the corner that led to her apartment. Jealousy as well as rage sparked inside him.
He stopped outside her door and pressed his back against the wall to listen.
Braum’s deep voice echoed through the room of her apartment, loud enough for Tony to hear. “I brought you some food.”
“Thank you, but I’m not hungry,” came her muffled reply.
“You must eat if you are to regain your strength. The young guards are beginning to think you are afraid of them.”
Naura’s soft chuckle caused Tony’s gut to tighten with another bought of jealousy. “I fear no one.”
“How is the wound? Is it healing well?”
“I will be as good as new in a matter of moons. You need not concern yourself with my welfare. You only returned home recently, and I am certain that you have much to do besides tend to my needs.”
“But I want to. Your needs are my priority, sweet Naura.”
Tony fought back a snarl at Braum’s flowery words. It was painfully obvious the guy was in love with her.
“Very well. I will take a few bites.”
“Excellent. It is nice and warm.”
The sounds of a spoon clinking in a bowl could be heard over the thundering of Tony’s heart. He wanted to take that damn spoon and stab the drooling Bracadyte in the throat with it.
He leaned in closer, straining to hear Braum’s next words.
“Where is your friend, the land walker?”
There was a brief pause. “I do not know, nor do I care.”
“Does that mean that you do not have romantic feelings for him?”
The hope in Braum’s voice sickened Tony almost as much as Naura’s next words. “I thought I did. But it has become painfully clear that he is not the male for me.”
“In that case, would you mind if I call on you when you are stronger?”
“I would be honored, Braum.”
Pushing away from the wall, Tony strode off toward his own room. Once he’d dressed, had a bite to eat, and gotten some sleep, he would seek out Vaulcron and make arrangements to return to Cuba as soon as possible.
Strange how life worked, he thought, entering his small guest apartment, pulling the curtain closed behind him. He’d finally come to terms with his past, only to be turned inside out by his present.
Tony knew that Naura was doing the right thing by moving on with Braum. He couldn’t, however, wrap his mind around why it hurt to admit it.
Hanging the towel on a nearby chair, he dragged on his clothes and lay across the bed, thoughts of Braum alone with Naura plaguing his restless mind.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Naura watched with bated breath as Braum crept to the doorway and checked the hall.
“Do you think he heard?” she questioned as he returned to her side.
Braum grinned. “I am certain of it. I could hear his rage-filled breaths.”
“Are you sure this will work? I feel guilty for angering him.”
“It will work. He needs to be made to see what it feels like to lose you to another. It is only a small push.”
“A deceitful push, Braum.”
“Would you rather he left without understanding his feelings for you?”
Naura’s heart skipped a beat. “No, of course not. I only want him to love me for me and not out of fear of losing me to another.”
Braum picked up her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. “If you cannot see that the human loves you, then you are more blind than he is.”
“Why will he not admit it to me?”
“He cannot admit it to himself, sweet Naura. He is confused, tormented by his need to hold on to his past.”
Taking a deep breath, Braum continued. “If what you have told me about his mate and son is true, then he fights a battle that may be impossible to overcome without help. We are merely giving him a nudge.”
“I hope you are right. I do not want to lose him, my friend. He does not strike me as the sort to easily manipulate.”
“You are not manipulating him. What we did here was nothing more than allowing him to know the pain of losing you to another. The rest will be up to him.”
Naura wrapped her arms around Braum’s neck in a show of appreciation. “I cannot thank you enough.”
She laid back and smoothed the sheet across her lap. The shirt she’d donned had been one of Abbie’s T-shirts, loose enough to allow her wound to breathe.
Braum stood to go. “Do not thank me yet, sweet one. Wait until after the mating ceremony before expressing your gratitude. The human is stubborn and displays an enormous amount of restraint where you are concerned. His honor will not allow him to defile you.”
“But it is not defiling when consent is given,” Naura retorted.
Braum nodded. “As I said, he is stubborn and in need of a nudge. Be patient, my friend. I have more in store for your precious land walker.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Naura called as Braum laughed and left the room.
She could hear his chuckles long after his footsteps disappeared.
Throwing back the sheet, Naura slowly sat up on the edge of her bed, taking shallow breaths to control her pain.
She set her feet on the floor and cautiously rose. The pain was bearable as long as she made no sudden movements.
Thoughts of Tony spurred her forward, lending her the strength she needed to venture out to the hall.
“Oh, my God,” Abbie gasped, running toward Naura with a speed that belied her small stature. “What are you doing up?”
Naura accepted Abbie’s offered arm. “I am going to bathe, and I need your help with my hair.”
Abbie clucked her tongue. “You really shouldn’t get your wound wet this soon. It could get infected.”
“My wound is healing quickly, thanks to your uncle’s blood. It will be fine.”
“Very well,” Abbie conceded. “But you could have waited for someone to help you.”
Naura smiled down at the top of Abbie’s head. “You are helping me.”
“Very funny. What are you planning to do with your hair?” Abbie questioned as they moved along toward the bathhouse at a snail’s pace.
“I want you to make it pretty like yours.”
Abbie laughed. “You have the most beautiful hair I have ever seen, and you want it to look like mine?”
“Thank you for the compliment, but I want what humans refer to as a makeover.”
“I see. Well, let’s get the bath behind us first, and I will fix you right up.”
“You are the best sister I have ever had,” Naura confessed.
“I’m the only sister you’ve ever had.”
Naura laughed, feeling better just by being in Abbie’s presence. “True. And I would not trade you for anything.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
A few minutes later, they arrived at the bathhouse. Abbie helped Naura out of her clothes and into the pool. “I think I’ll grab a bath too since I’m already here.”
Naura narrowed her eyes. “You are making certain that I do not hurt myself.”
Abbie stripped out of her clothes and joined her mate’s sister in the pool. “Well, if you lost consciousness, you could drown.”
“I cannot drown.” Naura giggled, splashing Abbie with the water as she settled in next to her.
Abbie grinned back. “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Must be nice to be able to breathe underwater.”
Naura grew serious. “I would give anything to be more like you. To be human.”
“Don’t say that,” Abbie gently scolded, placing her arm around Naura’s shoulder. “You’re unique and beautiful. Why would you want to change that?”
Naura blinked back tears of frustration. “If you could be more like Hauke, would you not gladly change something about yourself to make that happen?”
Abbie blew out a breath. “I suppose I would. I’d love to have gills, to be able to swim with him for hours without the need for oxygen.”
“Then you understand.”
“Yes, but Hauke is my mate. Why would you…” Abbie’s voice trailed off as understanding dawned. “You want to please Uncle Tony.”
Naura gave up fighting the tears and allowed them to fall. “I love him.”
“Then you should tell him how you feel. He may—”
“I have told him,” Naura interrupted. “He knows how I feel about him.”
Abbie’s eyes became huge. “Oh, boy. What was his response?”
“He does not want me.”
“Oh, bullshit,” Abbie barked, grabbing the cake of soap. “He’s always been such a hardhead.”
Indignation rose up inside Naura. “He has been hurt, Abbie. His life was destroyed long ago, and he does not know how to feel, to love.”
“Yes. But it’s been over fifteen years. It’s time he moved on.”
“I have deceived him,” Naura blurted out before she lost her nerve.
A wrinkle appeared between Abbie’s brows. “Deceived him, how?”
Naura filled Abbie in on what had happened in her room with Braum, his plan to provoke Tony’s jealousy and bring out his possessive side.
A deep belly laugh burst from Abbie, startling Naura.
“You think it is funny?” Naura gasped in shock.
Abbie eventually calmed enough to answer. “Immensely funny. Braum came up with that all on his own?”
“He did. Braum is well versed in the art of love. He is very popular with the females.”
Another giggle escaped Hauke’s mate. “I’ll just bet he is. Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.”