What the Earl Desires (41 page)

“Daughter. You have again returned to me.”

She untied the bag Trystan had given her from her waist and reached out her hand. One man took it and returned it to him. Father looked inside and back to her.

“Lord Adrys gave this to you?”

“No, Father. After I finished, a friend of theirs needed a guide. That is from him.”

He grunted. “Leave us.”

The men hastened to obey, the kneeling, naked woman jerked roughly to her feet and out of the hut. Najja knew what had transpired, and kept her face impassive.

“Come.”

She obeyed, moving to the base of his chair and lowering her head in a sign of submission and subservience.

“It may be time for you to take a mate. You are strong and would give me strong warriors.”

Bile rushed up in her throat, yet she managed not to react. Father continued on, telling her the candidates he debated between. Her belly heaved and rolled at the simple thought of another man’s touch on her. She didn’t want another’s child.

“Go rest. We will discuss this more come morning.”

She retreated immediately and headed for her waiting hut. As usual, stares followed her progress. In her hut, she stared around at the bleak walls then slipped out and made her way to the surrounding woods. With an agile leap, she climbed up onto familiar thick branches and used them to head to her destination.

The crystalline pool sparkled in the sunlight, inviting her to dive in. Although pretty sure she was safe, she still scouted the area. This was an oasis in the middle of the jungle. Quicksand traps were all around, branches were the way to arrive. Content with her aloneness, she swung down and made her way to the edge where she stripped and dove in.

The cold water poured over her and she pushed up, brushing loose hair back. Moments later, it was all free and she set to the task of scrubbing herself clean, removing all the grime from the trip.

Bath done, she redressed and made her way back into the trees. Hair braided, she plucked a wide branch and lay in the sun. Contentment coursed through her. She was
home.
Except, in the back of her mind, something…or someone was missing. With a groan she did her best to ignore those thoughts. Tomorrow would be time enough for her to deal with Father and her thoughts about Colin.

The moment Colin saw him, rage hit him so hard he shook from the force of it. His fingers gripped the handle of his sword until he wondered if it would break or not. Trystan sat surrounded by three whores all of whom doted on him like their lives depended on it.

He stalked over there and growled, “Leave.” Trystan barely risen from his seat before Colin punched him in the jaw.

“Shite!” Trystan hollered, falling back.

Colin pursued, the only thing on his mind was ripping Tryst apart. A low roar of anger exploded from his chest as he continued to pummel Trystan.

“Stop it, Colin!” Trystan cried as he blocked another blow to the face. “Damn it man, stop!”

He didn’t want to but did. His fists hurt but Colin didn’t mind. Blood streamed from Trystan’s mouth and nose.

“Where. Is. She.”

“We parted ways.” Colin took a menacing step and his beaten friend held up his hands in defeat. “Calm down, Colin. You are drawing a crowd.”

Like he gave a damn.

“Where?!” The word was guttural and dangerous.

Trystan wiped his hand across the back of his mouth and placed a cloth under his nose. “Damn it man, you may very well have broken my nose.”

Colin longed to do it again. All he could see was Tryst touching Najja. “Do not make me ask you again.”

“Good to see you, too,” Trystan said sarcastically. “Hello, Pug.”

Another step brought his hand up again. “I never touched…never slept with her.”

Rage swamped him and he snapped, grabbing Trystan up by the collar, and shoved him toward the door. Once they were outside, he directed him to a bench. “Talk fast,” he barked.

Readjusting his bloodied cloth, Trystan glared up at him. “We shared a room.” Colin growled and clenched his fists. “A room only. We alternated between the hammock and bed. I never touched her, not like that. You know me.”

“Yes. I am well aware of how you go through women.”

“And I have known since the first time I saw you with her she was yours.”

That calmed him a bit and he looked, really looked at his friend. Tryst had the beginnings of a black eye, bloodied nose, and a split lip. “Where is she?”

Trystan shook his head and lifted a shoulder. “We parted ways a while ago. I suspect she went home.”

“Come on.”

Out of his good eye, Trystan watched him with caution. “If it is all the same to you, I would rather be where there are witnesses.”

“I am sure some husband has hit you harder. You need to get cleaned up.”

“Something that would not be an issue had you more damn control over your temper.”

Colin had no remorse and just shrugged. As they walked he kept an eye on Pug. The boy seemed enamored by everything. Soaked it up like a sponge. Soon they were in their room and Trystan had a cold cloth on his eyes and the other two places. Pug sat on the balcony and stared down at the street.

“How long ago did you leave her?”

“A few days. How did you get here so quick?”

Colin arched a brow and Trystan laughed. “Never mind. I forgot who I was talking to, Commander Faulkner.”

“I will not let her go.”

“I told her that.”

His heart sped up. “I need you to keep Pug with you.”

“I am not here for fun, Colin.”

“He needs to be safe.”

“Safest place is back in England. What were you thinking, bringing him along?”

“He refused to stay.” Colin glanced in Pug’s direction, the boy still awestruck over the hustle of the African port city.

Trystan gave a disbelieving snort then moaned in pain. “Damn you hit hard.”

“Consider yourself lucky I stopped. I wanted to kill you.”

“I know. Look, I am sorry but I thought she would be safest in my room with me as her protector versus with everyone else.”

He knew Trystan was right but it still pissed him off that she had been in a room with him the entire trip. There’d be no way he would have been able to keep his hands off her and he was suspicious of Trystan.

“Touch her again, Trystan, and I
will
kill you.”

“Understood.” He leaned back against the wall. “You need to keep Pug with you.”

He nodded. “I know, I just want him safe. And I have no idea what is out there.”

“I have a feeling he would slip off after you so he would be better off with you from the start.”

“Probably right.”

“Of course I am. Your son thinks the world of you and he will follow you anywhere.”

“My son?”

Trystan smiled. “Oh yeah, he is yours. He acts like you. Watch him sometime, he is picking up your behaviors.”

Colin rubbed his eyes, he was exhausted and yet desperate to find her. “You here for a while?”

“Yes, sleep. I will keep an eye on your boy. I have to heal before I go back out in public.”

He wanted to go but darkness approached swiftly. Tomorrow morning he would begin. And he did. Bright and early he’d woken Pug and gotten them on the road to the house the Adryses had lived in during their stay.

As they traveled he couldn’t help but be impressed--continually--by the beauty of this untamed land. Not that he lowered his guard for they were near what was known as the “Slave Coast” he knew there could be trouble.

Early afternoon, they broke from surrounding forest to a sprawling lush green meadow with a large one storey stone home on it. A servant swept the front but stopped when she spotted them. Moments later four large men--who’s skin tone ranged from light brown to black--approached.

Beside him, Pug took a sharp breath and he was tempted to do so as well. Reining in his horse, he leaned forward and did his best to appear unthreatening. The four men paused and one spoke in a language he didn’t know.

“Sorry. I do not understand I am looking for Mr. Snee. I am a friend of Lord Adrys.”

Their countenances softened after that.

“Come to the house. You can rest while we send for Mr. Snee.”

With a nod of thanks and a grin of reassurance to Pug they headed in. While Pug ate some food, Colin walked around and did what Jo told him to do. He only had to wait now and that was never his strong suit.

Mr. Snee was a short rotund man with a bald head and a thick moustache. They spent the evening with him and he left some things to return to Lord Adrys. The night air was cool and felt good countering against the sweat lingering on his skin. He peeked in the room Pug had been given and smiled at the sight of him sleeping there. Pug no longer had pale skin and sunken eyes. This was a boy fit and tired from his day of play and adventure, not malnutrition and beatings.

He realized Tryst had been right, he was viewing Pug as his son. And it didn’t bother him at all. Leaving the boy to his rest, Colin backed out and closed the door. Heading to his room, he made sure to douse all the lights and sat in a corner hidden by shadows. Waiting.

Time passed and he’d begun to doze when a soft voice woke him in more than one way.

“Jo?” Najja’s voice was barely over a whisper and yet hit him stronger than one of his ship cannons. “Why are you here?”

“Because you left without saying goodbye,” Colin said never moving.

The filtered moonlight gave him a chance to see her. Beautiful. He’d missed her fiercely since she’d left. She wore a sleeveless shirt which confirmed tight to her body, highlighting her full breasts and emphasizing her small waist. And she wore breeches, which made him think of having her long legs around his hips as he thrust home between her thighs. Lust broadsided him and he clutched the arms of the seat he occupied.

Her entire body went rigid. “Colin?”

His name rolled from her tongue and he bit back a groan. “Why luv? Why leave without a word?”

The darkness swallowed her then he blinked and she was right there in front of him. Close enough to touch.

“Where is Jo?” The whispered words raked like talons over his skin.

“She is in England.”

A relieved sigh. “Why are you here and how did you know--”

Her question ceased beneath his lips. It had been so long since her mouth had been under his. He grabbed the back of her head refusing to relinquish her, not now. Not after all this time and just finding her again. Najja was his.

Her taste exploded through him and he used his other hand to bring her closer. She didn’t fight him, in fact she sank into him, climbed on and wedged her knees on either side of his thighs. Her hands sank into his hair and nails scraped his skin. She rocked on him, their tongues rolled along one another, stroking and dancing. It was too much and yet not enough.

Najja broke the kiss and nibbled on his lower lip. Her breaths came in short pants. “You should not be here.”

Tightening his hand in her hair he growled, “The hell I should not.”

She struggled but he refused to release her. “I have to go.”

“I cannot let you go, Najja.”

“You have to.”

“Never,” he vowed, covering her mouth again.

This time he wanted her submission and when he got it, he moved them from the chair to the bed where he spent the rest of the night making love to her. When morning’s first light filtered through the window and balcony door, he stirred before reaching for the woman he’d actually been able to fall asleep holding. There was an empty spot where Najja should have been.

Had it been a dream? He bolted up, the sheet sliding down his bare chest to gather around his waist.

“Najja?”

“Here.” The word was hushed.

She sat in the chair in the corner, her legs drawn up and arms laced across the front of them. The handles of her sais stuck up past her bared arms.

Shoving one hand through his hair, he raked it back from his eyes. “Come back to bed.”

“I must go. And so must you and Pug.” He lifted a brow. “I checked on him, he is still asleep.”

“He wanted to come with,” he explained.

For a moment, she said nothing, just stared at him. He was there, pressing her against the wall, when she rose from the chair. It didn’t matter she wore clothes and he had none on. Her curves along his body almost derailed his thoughts from asking her where she was going. As it was his cock responded.

“Colin,” she said on a sigh.

He could get lost in her eyes, so big, so inviting, so…Najja. She brought her hand between them and touched the necklace he wore.

“You--” The feel of her lips on his, stopped his sentence.

“I have to go, Colin. I have tarried too long as it is.”

“Why such a rush to leave? Pug would love to see you. He will be sorry his missed you.”

Yes…it may be a low blow to use Pug like that but damn it all, Najja was his. She belonged to him. With him.