Chapter Fifteen
Charlotte smiled in the dim light of her bedroom, listening to Keegan humming from her shower. He was alive.
She kept replaying that moment when the robed man lifted his gun to shoot Keegan. There had been a jolt, like a hot poker of pure rage had branded her spirit; that heat generated power; and she’d focused it on the nearest weapon.
It all happened so fast.
But it saved him.
The bathroom door opened, startling her from her thoughts. Keegan filled the doorway, a towel wrapped low on his hips. He held up his bloodied pants. “I’ll be needing a new pair.”
A smile snuck up on her. “You were shot tonight, and you’re worried about your jeans?”
“My favorite pair. The bastards.” He tossed them aside. “I’ll be all right, lass.”
She sat up, beckoning him closer. “How’s your leg?”
“It’s still tender, but I can bend it.” He demonstrated, and she cringed.
“The bullet went right through your knee.”
He nodded, replacing his foot on the ground. “Yeah, and I’m out of practice with pain, but I’m upright, and I have a lead on the Grail.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, treating her to a view of his toned back. Alive. They were both here. The imminent danger was over.
And in spite of her horrific and terrifying evening, heat smoldered low in her belly. She ran her hand up his back until his eyes met hers. She tried to read his expression; desire was definitely there, but also reluctance.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and whispered, “I don’t know what tomorrow holds, but tonight…I just want to be a woman in your arms.”
He brought a rough hand up to caress her cheek, the bravado gone from his voice. “You are so damn beautiful, Char.” He leaned in, his lips brushing hers tenderly at first, his fingers tangling in the back of her hair. “One more night of you naked in my arms, and I may never be able to let you go.”
“Then don’t.”
His tongue pushed past her lips as he groaned into the kiss, pressing her back onto the bed. His hands were eager, desperate to remove the barrier between them. She helped him slide her pants and underwear free, parting her legs and welcoming the closeness of his body as he settled over her. His feverish kisses trailed down her neck, his breath hot against her skin. “I need you.”
“Yes,” she gasped as he took her nipple into his mouth, her back arching.
His hand slid down her side to her hip and finally between them, his fingertips dipping inside her. Her hips writhed into his touch, begging for release.
She couldn’t get close enough to him.
He wrapped his other arm around her and rolled them over so she was on top. “Don’t want my knee to interrupt us.”
She ran her hand up his chest. “I’ll be gentle.”
His crooked smile made her heart pound in answer. She’d never known a sexier man. Pirate or otherwise. She stared down into his eyes as she lowered herself until the tip of his erection teased her opening.
His gaze never strayed from hers as his hands gripped her ass. “I need to be much closer, love.”
He’d used the word in passing many times, but the shine in his eyes, the beating of his heart, the yearning in his voice, made this time…different. She rocked her hips into him, moaning as his entire length filled her. She caught her breath, opening her eyes, to find his attention was still completely focused on her.
She lay over him, her lips brushing his as she whispered, “I can’t get close enough…love.”
He pulled her closer, fusing his lips to hers as his hand tightened into a fist in the back of her hair. Her heart raced as her tongue wrestled, hungry and aching like the rest of her body. His other hand ran down her back, his fingers splayed passively until he finally cupped her ass.
Her teeth scraped his lower lip as she broke the kiss and sat up over him. The desire in his eyes, knowing it was all for her, reaffirmed the rush that they were alive, and they were together. He gripped her hips tight, thrusting up into her faster.
She dropped her head back, closing her eyes and surrendering to the pleasure. One of his hands moved up her side, cupping her breast. Her breath caught as she lifted her head and met his gaze. He slid his other hand between them, toying her until she gasped his name.
His fingers traced a line of awareness down her side, making her ache for his touch. She rocked into his other hand, his rubbing pushing her closer to the edge of surrender.
“You are so damn beautiful.” His voice was a gravelly whisper. “I’ll never get enough.”
There was a stark honesty in his eyes, and her heart raced in response. She lay over him, the tips of her taut nipples brushing against his chest. Her long hair fell around them like a veil as she searched his eyes. Dangerous words whispered through her head. She kissed him before she could give them voice. Her inner muscles tightened around him as her entire body trembled. She moaned into the kiss, and her orgasm consumed all rational thought.
Keegan broke the kiss and suddenly turned them over again so fast she gasped. “Fuck my damn knee.”
She laughed, digging her nails into his back. He drove his hips into her, deep and urgent until he joined her in oblivion and erupted deep inside her. He held her tight as the aftershocks washed over them.
She kissed his neck, blood gradually returning to her head. She’d said the word out loud. Love. What the hell was she doing?
John’s warning echoed through her mind.
Tonight, she saved Keegan’s life, but if she didn’t get a grip on her heart, her mortality could end up destroying him.
…
Keegan blinked his eyes open as the sun filtered through the blinds. It took a second for him to remember where he was. He glanced down at Char’s face as she snoozed against his chest. He lifted his head to press a kiss to her hair. Her lips curved, and a drowsy moan escaped her throat. His heart warmed.
Last night, he could have died.
Centuries had passed since those words were true.
And the moment he recognized his new mortality, the second life suddenly became precious, the first place he’d wanted to be was right here, with her in his arms. Once they recovered the Grail and he took another sip, death would be a stranger to him again, until one day…Char would be gone. Lost to him forever.
He stared at the ceiling, willing himself to banish thoughts of the future. They could live in the now. Today.
But hearing her call him “love” last night had flipped a switch inside him, awakened a dangerous yearning he’d thought he banished when he finally let Jess go.
Char stirred against him and slowly opened her eyes. “Morning.”
He tucked a lock of her dark hair behind her ear. “Aye.”
“Oh God.” She squinted at the clock and sat up. “I’ve got to get to work.”
She was out of the bed so fast, he barely got to admire her bare backside before the bathroom door closed. He sighed and got up, stretching for a second before he realized his knee didn’t hurt. In front of her mirrored closet door, he inspected the skin. Healed. He bent his leg a few times and smiled.
He searched his jeans and pulled out his phone. The shower was still on in the bathroom. He had a little time. On the bedside table, he picked up Char’s cell phone and clicked on the screen. Locked. Fuck. He stared at the glowing numbers. What could her code be?
Using his cell, he got the address for the maritime museum. He punched in the number. Nothing. Damn. He tried her house number. Nope.
He ran a hand through his hair. He didn’t want to worry Char about the witness Agent Bale hauled out of the barn, but if he couldn’t get her father’s number out of her phone, he might not have another choice. Her father was the only person Keegan knew who might be able to get to the one loose end that could incriminate Char.
Then it hit him. He pressed in the numbers 1795.
Her phone opened. He chuckled. She used the year the Sea Dog sank. He should’ve known.
Scrolling through the contacts, he found her mother’s number and saved it in his phone. He’d contact her later for her husband’s number. If Kingsley Pratt was serious about keeping his daughter safe, he’d find that witness in Agent Bale’s custody and silence him.
He placed Char’s phone back on the nightstand and pressed John’s number on his cell. “Hey, mate, I’ve got a line on the Grail.”
“Good news.”
Keegan glanced at the bathroom door, a smile teasing the corners of his mouth. “Any chance you could get the crew together for a sunset sail tonight? If we make our plans at sea, we won’t be interrupted by the government.”
“Fair enough.” John hesitated. “What about the captain?”
Captain Flynn didn’t have many friends left in the crew, save his first mate, Duke Proctor. Flynn had been a taskmaster at sea, and it had been his eagerness to get into port in Savannah that forced them to sail through a tropical storm. A storm that Keegan fought at the helm. Ultimately, Keegan lost the battle and the Sea Dog. “We can do it without the captain.”
“Aye, but we’re talking about stealing the Lord’s cup again.” John paused. “Without his strategy, it could slip through our fingers. Forever.”
Keegan stared out the window, his gut clenching. John was right, but Keegan didn’t have to like it. “The arrogant bastard doesn’t deserve another swallow from that cup.”
“Maybe not, but without him, none of us may ever taste those waters again.”
“Fine.” Keegan rubbed his forehead. “Call the captain, too. He probably can’t make it on such short notice anyway.”
Captain Flynn was a pirate in commercial real estate these days with his corporate office in a high-rise in Atlanta. It was a good four-hour drive to Savannah. No way he’d clear his schedule and drive down.
Wishful thinking. Flynn would fly down if he had to. There was no way he’d miss out on recovering the Grail. Besides, as much as Keegan disliked his captain, the truth was impossible to miss. They were profitable as privateers because Flynn was as savvy as he was savage. When they flew their colors, ships often surrendered without a fight, unwilling to face Captain Flynn’s legendary fury.
It could come in handy against the Serpent Society.
He tucked his cell in his pocket and pulled on his jeans. As he tugged his T-shirt over his head, the bathroom door opened. Char came into the room with a towel wrapped around her, and Keegan grinned.
She raised a brow, heading for her closet. “What?”
“I’m picking you up after work today and taking you out on the Sea Dog.”
The color drained from her face. “Not a good idea. I get super seasick.”
He waved off her complaint. “That was your father’s magic. He lifted the spell, remember?”
“So he says, but I’m not ready to go test it.” She took out a skirt and matching jacket.
“Dr. Charlotte Sinclair wrote a book about the sinking of the Sea Dog.” He shrugged, trying not to smile. “I can’t imagine she’d pass up a chance to watch the crew in action.”
Keegan tracked her movements, anticipating the moment she dropped the towel.
She worried her lower lip, biting back a smile. “I’ll admit it’s tempting, but I don’t want to blow cookies all over your deck.”
He chuckled, shaking his head as his true accent bled through his words. “Ye have my word, if ye throw up, I’ll be right there to hold ye steady at the rail.”
Allowing his seafaring tone to wander into his voice was probably playing dirty, but hell, he was still a pirate, and even if it took her a while to get her sea legs, he figured it’d be worth the effort. He’d never admit it out loud, but when Dr. Sinclair’s book was published, he’d read it, curious to see if a historian who lived centuries after the wreck of the Sea Dog could possibly re-create it accurately.
He’d been surprised how close she’d come to the truth of that final voyage. A true passion for the sea came through her prose. The seasickness had to be the work of her father’s magic, because Keegan sensed a like spirit within her, and if he could get her out on the waves with the wind in her hair…she’d never get enough.
She took a blouse off a hanger and crossed to her dresser. “Fine. But I’m going to hold you to it.”
He grinned. “You won’t regret this.”
“What about the rest of your crew?” Her dark eyes met his. “You can’t sail a ship that big alone.”
“All arranged. We’re going to make plans to retrieve the Grail while we’re out at sea.”
“Ah.” Her mouth curved, hinting at a smile. “You don’t want Agent Bale in on it.”
Sexy and smart. He nodded, clasping the back of his neck. “Exactly.”
“And they won’t mind if I’m there?”
He walked over to her, running his finger under her chin. “You’ll be my guest.”
“I see…” She chuckled with a sparkle in her eyes. “They have no idea I’m coming, do they?”
He shrugged, sliding his arm around her waist and drawing her closer. “I wouldn’t be standing here if it wasn’t for you. I trust you with my life. That should be enough for them.”
She raised a brow. “And if it’s not?”
He closed the distance between them, his lips brushing hers as he whispered, “Fuck ’em.”
Her lips were soft, her taste intoxicating, and when the towel fell, he wished he hadn’t put his pants back on.
She broke the kiss and grabbed the clothes she had taken from the closet. “I better get dressed before you distract me. I’ve got plenty of work to do at the maritime museum before I can sail away on a pirate ship.”
He watched her hips sway as her words sank in. “Wait a sec. What’s the lubber’s name you work with?”
“Bruce?”
He nodded. “I saw him coming out of one of the buildings yesterday before I went to the barn last night. Forgot about it until you mentioned your work.”
“Are you sure?” She stopped and turned back, sadly with her clothes covering her chest. “I wonder what he was doing there. He lives on the other side of town.”
“I think you were on to something. I didn’t find anyone with a serpent ring, but there was a fountain and a mosaic of a snake. Two of the buildings are called the ‘Brotherhood Apartments,’ and the third is a locked office building. That’s the one your boss came out of. Does the museum work with a company over there?”
“Not that I know of, but I’ll see what I can find out.” She started to close the bathroom door and stopped. “I’m sure there’s a logical explanation. Bruce can’t be mixed up with the Serpent Society. He’s not like them.”
Keegan wasn’t so sure.
…
Agent Bale rubbed the back of his neck, fighting the exhaustion that lured him to sit down. His suspect was locked up, and the cleanup crew had finished at the barn. The place would be an inferno by now.
One more piece of unfinished business before he could go home and get some sleep. He headed for his office, stopping by Brenda’s desk on the way. “Have you heard from King? He’s not answering my calls.”
“I think he’s at his desk, sir.” She glanced up from her computer screen. “Want me to page him?”
“No.” David clenched his jaw. “Thanks, Brenda.”
The highly trained agent inside him warned him to take some time and reflect before this confrontation, but he was too sleep-deprived to listen. How could he step back and rest when someone on his team was actively interfering in his mission?
He opened Kingsley’s door without knocking, taking a tiny dose of satisfaction from seeing his shaman computer programmer flinch. “Little jumpy, King? Where have you been hiding?”
Kingsley rolled his eyes and focused on his monitor. “I’ve been working my ass off on the search engine like you requested.”
David took a chair across from him. “You haven’t answered my calls.”
“I couldn’t tell you it was fixed, so why waste the time on the phone?”
David leaned forward, his voice dropping to a dangerous octave. “Are you sure you weren’t in Savannah visiting with your daughter?”
His pasty skin paled, sweat beading on his brow. That was all the answer Agent Bale needed.
David stood up, shaking his head. “You know our mission here. You took an oath to protect American citizens from paranormal threats.”
Kingsley dropped his hands from the keyboard. “My daughter is not a threat.”
“If you knew that in your heart, you wouldn’t have vodka in that water bottle.”
Kingsley got to his feet. “My drinking has nothing to do with Charlotte.”
“Bullshit.” David shook his head. “You told me yourself you hadn’t been sober since the day you took her on a fishing trip and she tore the arms and legs off the men from the Serpent Society.”
“I never should have trusted you.” Kingsley’s eye twitched. “I just wanted to keep her safe.”
“Spare me.” David stood, narrowing his eyes. “You wanted to be safe. That kind of power terrifies you.” David raked a hand through his hair and went to the door. “She killed someone else tonight.” He looked back at his pale programmer. “There’s no way the pirate got across the barn fast enough to grab that hay hook while he had a bullet through his knee. I can’t prove it yet, but I will.”
And then what would he do? He couldn’t think about it right now.
“Charlotte isn’t a killer.” Kingsley came around the desk, pursuing him. “She was protecting me that day on the boat. And if something happened tonight, she must’ve been protecting you, too.”
“Or the pirate.” David met Kingsley’s eyes. “Get in my way again, and I’ll have you in the holding pen so fast your head will spin.”
“She’s made a life for herself. She’s not a threat.” King wet his lips with a nervous glint in his bloodshot eyes. “I can’t let you capture her.”
“Like you could stop me.” David rolled his eyes, heading out the door. “I’m watching her for now. The second an innocent is attacked, I’ll have to take action. Might want to mention that to her next time you talk.”
He slammed the door behind him, making a mental note to get a GPS tracker on Kingsley’s phone.