Chapter Three
Stephano studied the woman kneeling at the small brook, wetting her neck and face with a small cloth. She couldn’t speak. At least she hadn’t since they started on this journey. But he’d seen her. He knew she’d been talking to someone. It sure the hell wasn’t mouth syncing.
He ached to get her alone, for more than calling her out for being a little liar. He watched a drop of water travel down her smooth cheek, along her fragile jaw and slither along the delicate column of her neck, disappearing into the fabric of her gown. She dressed in the clothing of this realm, reminding him of long lost times when women had looked like flowers under a summer sky. Now women wore little to nothing, tempting a man, but not teasing him with the anticipation of discovery.
She bent and he held in the immediate groan as her ample bosom pillowed over her gown. The display wasn’t indecent. She dressed modestly, which made glimpsing the forbidden flesh all the more erotic. It was only when she was on her knees like that, when the gown pulled and the full, pretty flesh was forced against the tight bodice, that he got a hint of what she hid from the world.
The color of the gown suited her. The pale, shimmering blue accentuated her creamy complexion perfectly. He shifted his body so he could conceal his hard-on and discreetly palmed his cock. It felt so good he let his head fall back against the tree, but stilled his hand. No one was nearby. He could stroke off to the sight of her, none the wiser. Except him. I’ll know. Stroking off to a woman mere feet away from me. How desperate can I get?
Anger pulled his hand away, and a stubbornness he’d had centuries to perfect. I’ll be damned if I’ll jack off when there’s a woman right here who wants me. He’d bedded more women than some countries could claim as citizens. He knew a woman who needed a romp. Maeve needed him almost as much as he needed her.
“Stephano.”
Ajax. He clenched his jaw to keep from groaning. Ajax was brewing for a blow up. He’d worn a storm cloud for the last few days.
“Why am I not surprised to find you here?” Ajax shook his head as he settled his shoulder across from him. Stephano didn’t give him the courtesy of a nod. Since his shield mate had sided with Evie over Maeve, he’d avoided having this conversation. It seemed that Ajax wasn’t going to wait any longer. “She’s not some kind of woman you can bed and leave, Steph. Let it go.”
Bed and leave. That was his style. There really wasn’t any other way. He was immortal. She was… “What is she?”
Ajax gave him a baffled look. “What is she?”
“Yeah, Faye maybe. Not human…witch?” That would explain the kiss and the absolute surety that bedding her would be… He wasn’t sure what, but it wouldn’t be something he’d want to walk away from. And that, never happened. If she was a witch that would explain the idea. He stayed away from witches. They were tricky and had a temper. Combine that with sex and it was a recipe for disaster when things were over.
“She’s from this realm. I don’t know if that means she is more. She could be a mortal, or whatever they’re called here.”
Stephano threw that out. “She’s gotta be something. She and her brother.” He watched her wipe her hands then with a tired sigh, get to her feet graceful as a dancer, and rub her lower back after. I could rub her back, feet, legs… “They can open the gate, no one else can, remember?”
“Whatever she is or isn’t, she’s off-limits.”
So far, yes. He’d barely been able to get her to glance at him when she’d served him his plate of food. She gave Garret and Darren a huge amount of attention. Alrick always got her sickening sweet smile for his politeness. Ajax though, Ajax steers clear of her…why is that?
“Why is she off-limits? Are you interested in her?” he asked unable to keep the question off his lips.
Ajax’s frown deepened. That meant nothing. Sometimes Narc thought Ajax had frowning down to an art.
“Man, you need to think with the other head once in a while. Try it, you’ll be shocked how effective it helps when making decisions.”
Stephano laughed quietly. “Good one.”
“Stephano, she’s off-limits,” Ajax growled, “because she is our guide. If that’s not enough, she’s Brennan’s sister.”
Stephano lifted his eyebrows at that.
Typical Ajax, he cut his hand through the air savagely and scowled. “That means he’s one of us. If that’s not enough for you to realize she’s off-limits, she’s been doing nothing but feeding us since we left that town.” The meals were a low blow since she didn’t merely feed them--she made delicious meals twice a day and made it look easy. “She’s also too young for you.”
He scrambled to his feet at that, tired of looking up at Ajax. “What?”
“Look at her. She’s too young.”
She was definitely not too young. He sized up Ajax’s serious demeanor and rubbed his jaw as he shifted his attention to her.
Now she was filling two buckets with water. She wasn’t their age, but who was? She wasn’t as young as she looked. The dark hair and glowing skin, along with the no talking might account for why Ajax thought she was too young. He guessed a few centuries. Enough time to spread her wings, but not yet become jaded. Certainly not older though, but maybe a bit younger. Maybe. “She’s not too young.”
“Seriously? She can’t speak, Stephano. She. Can’t. Speak.”
“So what? I can do the talking for us. She can kiss.” He rubbed his fingers over his lips in memory. Kissing her had been… unlike anything else. He usually didn’t. Kissing was for sweet romancing. He had physical needs. They required release, not wooing a woman. Kissing didn’t usually play into that quest. Not for a long, long time.
“You cannot kiss her again.”
He snapped his head up. “Since when do you give me orders?”
Ajax didn’t look up from his study of the ground, but his shoulders rose and fell as he sighed heavy. They’d fought side by side for centuries. Stephano knew what was coming, but so should Ajax.
Angrier than before, Stephano stood away from his tree. Maeve was trying to haul both buckets of water up the hill. They probably weighed more than she did.
“She doesn’t want you. She isn’t going to want you.”
“Ajax.” Stephano spun to face his companion with a slash of his own hand through the air. “I’ve never forced a woman into anything in my life,” he snarled, keeping his voice down by sheer willpower. “Are you suggesting I—?”
“I’m suggesting that you like a challenge.”
“Maeve is not a challenge.” He shook his head at the idea. She’d melted in his arms. She’d do it again. Once he figured out how.
“You like sex.”
He blinked, but Ajax still stood there looking serious. The man got laid as often as he did. “And? What man—no scratch that—person doesn’t? You sure the fuck—”
“Young women guiding a group of men on a dangerous journey to a gate to another realm don’t! That’s who doesn’t! What’s going to happen when you are successful? What then? What will the others think? Brennan?”
Stephano shoved his hands up. He gave a shit what her brother thought. Maeve had paused at the top of a small rise. No doubt because the buckets were too damn heavy. Instead of being able to go help, he had to stand here and argue. She’s going to hurt her arms or back carrying those.
“She’s young. She is innocent,” Ajax snapped.
Keeping in the overwhelming urge to punch Ajax was getting more difficult.
Sighing again, and unwittingly forcing Stephano to fist his hands to keep them by his sides, Ajax crossed his arms. “If a man wants her, truly wants her, then by gods, he should be lucky she even looks at him. But you don’t want her. You don’t love her.” He said that as if the mere idea were ludicrous. “You want to bed her. There’s a difference. Don’t confuse the two. And don’t go after one, if you don’t want the other.”
Stephano ground his teeth, needing to punch the other man so badly it hurt. He’s lecturing me on love? He can’t even spend the night with one!
As soon as Stephano opened his mouth to say just that Ajax growled, “Wait. I’m just saying, wait. We’ll be in our realm within a week, then you can get back to all you really need—any woman that gives you the go—for a few hours.”
Stephano held in his temper by a thread. Instead of decking one of his oldest friends, he let Ajax stalk off.
Worse, it wasn’t Stephano helping Maeve carry the water. Ajax met her and picked both buckets up, getting a sweet smile for it, too. Stephano punched the tree, raining pine needles down on his head. There is no other woman. Not now. His attention focused on Maeve, he tried to rein in his temper. She glanced over her shoulder and their gazes met. She’s more, whether I want it or not, old friend. She’s much more.
* * * *
“This is delicious. I can’t remember having meals like this before, not even at home.” Darren served himself another bowl of stew carefully as if spilling any of it was forbidden. “Are you going to cook every night?”
Maeve smiled at the hopeful note in his voice. The attention over a simple rabbit stew and scones was embarrassing. The men acted as though they’d never been fed before. Brennan thought they all lived in a harsher world than their own. But if that were true, why did Brennan wish to go there? He assured her it was filled with more opportunities—for them both. She wasn’t convinced.
Mouth full, Alrick added, “I’ll set some traps so we have more for tomorrow, eh? The brook looked promising. Any fish in there, Narc?”
Narc—Stephano—muttered a noncommittal answer that no one seemed to notice. She winced at the passion she could hear below the surface. But is it anger, frustration or lust? She wasn’t certain. Perhaps all three.
Since they’d begun their journey, she could sense tension from him. All the other men were fine, none watched her with hawk-eyes, or stared broodingly at her while they rode. Stephano alone kept her on pins and needles. I’m different too. He might still battle an attraction to her, but she definitely found herself unable to keep her eyes off him. Even when she was caught, she couldn’t stop peeking at him.
“Fish might be a good addition,” Brennan commented from across from her.
She focused on him as hard as she could, anything to stop herself from noticing everything about Stephano. Brennan, thankfully, hadn’t noticed anything. She smiled at him when he raised his bowl to her with a nod to the stew. Her heart picked up speed. What will it be like when he’s gone? He loved fish chowder. Or perhaps fishing. Not that he had time for that lately. She was certain he would be off to investigate the brook as soon as the meal was finished. Now that he had help protecting her, he was… She considered him, not sure what it was about him that made her feel he was more relaxed. His shoulders weren’t as stiff. His movements not as careful. He’d begun to joke and smile with the brothers, Garret and Darren.
If he did go fishing, she should follow him, explain that Narc—Stephano she reminded herself—had been acting oddly. But if I do… Brennan wouldn’t be so relaxed. She rarely saw him like this, at ease, eating a meal secure in the knowledge that all was right.
“I managed to hit a few more cronies for tomorrow night.” He eyed the trail that led to the brook as he spoke. “We have enough supplies to make it to the outpost, a few days extra if hard pressed, but it wouldn’t hurt to supplement it now, while the land provides.” He meant that soon they would be in harsher conditions. She swallowed past a dry throat and sipped her water. Soon water would be precious. “Fish chowder, eh? ‘Aeve? It would be a good change, eh?”
She smiled for him. He sounded so eager. Younger, she realized. He looks younger. Have I made his life so hard, then?
“She makes an amazing fish chowder, thick, creamy…”
The men made appreciative sounds, once again telling her how good the stew tasted. She fiddled with hers, pretending to need a drink of water to avoid their compliments. As soon as she set her cup down, Alrick gestured to the fire.
“It’s a lot of work, eh, cooking?” he asked politely. For such a large man, and clearly one of the leaders of this group, he was careful with her. She thought he was tired, somewhat gruff and stern with his two men, but treated Ajax and Stephano as equals. He wore responsibility as if he’d never known a time when he’d not been sure of the correct path. Like but unlike her brother. Brennan was forever leading them correctly. It was her that ruined everything. “I can’t imagine. And you make it look easy.”
Brennan explained for her, “Maeve likes to cook, otherwise, she’s nervous I’ll burn everything.” The men laughed, and muttered as if they understood. All except Stephano.
“I burned a pot boiling water once,” Ajax confessed. “Nearly set the house on fire.”
“You did set the house on fire,” Stephano corrected him.
Her stomach did an odd skip at the sound of his voice. She couldn’t stop finding ways to sneak glances at him. She’d found his hands were as fascinating as the rest of him. He wore a ring. It intrigued her. Silver, with thin lines traced around and around it.
“Aye, well, we won’t have to worry about that,” Brennan assured them, giving her a rare grin. “Maeve will be able to prepare us hot meals until we reach more dangerous lands. Soon enough it will be cold camps. But until then we’ll need to stay strong with solid meals as often as we can. The way is not easy, but for this next few days we can relax.”
She wished she could tell them all that with Brennan leading them they would be home in no time. That he was the best tracker in the realm. That he could provide better than anyone, everything anyone needed to live on. She hung her head, reminded again that for her, speaking would merely make his life harder.
“If you’re willing to make us food like this, I almost wish it would take a few months longer.” Ajax had burnt his fingers taking a scone off the pan, but claimed it’d been worth it. She’d given him two more so he didn’t attempt such a thing again. When she did, she’d noticed Stephano watching her, his eyes pinned to her to the exclusion of all else.
“My sister is the best cook in the realm. She can bake raspberry tarts that Evie claims would make her more money than anything else.” Brennan grinned at her, easing the tension she’d felt building in her bones.
“Tarts?” Alrick gave her a big lopsided grin. “My ma used to make those. Scones like this too, but not as good. Although I’d never claim to have said that,” he added in a low whisper, “when we next see her again.”
She had the feeling his ma was long since gone from this world, but found his flattery enchanting. From him she sensed nothing of the storm building in Stephano. Alrick was merely being kind.
“You have no idea how lucky you are.” Ajax shot Brennan a stern glower. “If I had a sister, I’d be hard pressed to take her on a journey like this.”
“My sister is well-protected.” Brennan stiffened. “And not without her own resources.”
“Aye, no doubting that you’ve protected her.” Ajax grinned but didn’t comment on her own resources. She had none, so she didn’t mind. “You must have been busy, fighting off all her suitors though, eh?” Ajax laughed then, clearly not understanding what his words did to them.
Her stomach clenched and made what she’d managed to eat feel like a hard stone in her stomach. A cold sweat broke out on her forehead and palms. Suitors? Suitors were for stories of knights in shining armor rescuing princesses, not one such as me.
Brennan grunted. His response seemed to work between men. He went back to his stew, Ajax his, and the others started to discuss who got the last scone. All except Stephano. He’d finished his meal and sat with his hands folded across his hard stomach, his long legs out in front of him, crossed at his ankles. His muddy boots took up half the walking space near the fire. She wondered if his feet were burning because there was sweat on his brow.
“Aye, and I say I get the last one for pitching the tents,” Darren muttered.
The scones were causing quite a stir. Garret was also silent, but he was often lost to his own thoughts. Ajax and Darren were being amusing, while Alrick tried to instill some odd logic. Brennan caught her eye and gave her an amused half-smile. She’d hidden a few of the biscuits aside, for their morning meal, but by the way the men were taking their discussion seriously, she considered revealing them and making more in the morning.
“Well, by all accounts, it’s not ours to battle over,” Alrick announced. “Our hostess hasn’t had one. So the discussion is closed.” Alrick picked up the biscuit, presenting it to her. “Remember who thought of you when you’re baking tarts, eh?”
She almost laughed, captivated with him despite the chill Ajax’s teasing has caused. Alrick settled back down in his seat by the fire. His dreams were filled with hope and desire for his own woman and the children they would have together. He was struggling with it, the need to find her, this one woman he felt would complete him.
Ajax, on his left, was different. His dreams were filled with longing, but unclear, unsettled as if he didn’t believe in them or in someone who could live them with him. He was ancient, so old it was unfathomable to her at first. But the weariness was there, the weight of it heavy in his eyes. And the belief that women were fragile, creatures who were easily damaged beyond repair. She wondered why he felt such deep fear over finding a soul mate, but considering his age, perhaps it was obvious. He’d outlived so many—even his fellow warriors.
Darren, next to him, was wild, spontaneous and filled with passion, whether sexual or adrenaline-packed, he felt everything deeply. His brother was his main concern, his only remaining family and more important than anything—even his own happiness. His dreams were of a family too, but those hazy images were far off. Now his life was filled with uncertainties, and for some reason, fear.
His brother Garret was darker, his sleep filled with nightmares that woke him sweating, caught in such painful images he couldn’t break free. Even his fantasies were riddled with pain, loss and betrayal. Except with her. With her, his dreams were filled with gentleness she knew was what he really wanted, what he needed. Soft, warm, loving that eased the soul as much as the body. That’s what most of them longed for, some more extreme, some less so.
They broke her heart.
Stephano, on the other hand, worried her. He was dangerous. He was intense, more…someone who called to her, making it difficult to hold down her own rising needs. She was used to hiding her desires. It was necessary. When it proved too much, she always took care of herself. She had to. But it wasn’t often. Now she feared she’d have to find a way to be alone, and soon.
She couldn’t understand it. At the brook, she’d felt so hot she’d wanted to pull her gown off and stroke her hands down her own flesh until she’d climaxed repeatedly. Instead she’d cooled her face and concentrated on chilling her desires.
Tonight, she would have to go away and ease the fever or else cause the men to feed off her arousal.
She couldn’t tell Brennan she was attracted to Stephano. And Stephano was hiding his attraction too. So that meant if she merely didn’t ever find herself alone with him things should be fine.
But that might be even more dangerous. The build-up could cause him undue pain, even turn him against his friends. She would have to deal with her passion, then sneak away and fulfill his dream fantasies again.
The thought caused a flush of heat. She battled it down. If the men sensed it, all would be ruined. Brennan’s hopes would be ripped from him. They would not reach this new realm. He would never be free of her. And she would be to blame. Again.
The thought brought clarity and the strength she needed to make things right.