Home > Swallow it Down(27)

Swallow it Down(27)
Author: Addison Cain

“Who’s going to tell them?” As if courting danger was nothing but a taste of fun, the captain pulled out her chair. “Sit. It gets a shade cooler on this side of the ship with no rock face to warm it.”

All this said as he wrapped her in a blanket. Because, yes, it was cold.

And the candles were flickering, and the food… it smelled a whole lot better than the slop she ate day in and day out. Usually, Eugenia only got to watch other people eat like this, unless she conned one of the crew into giving her a bite for free.

After taking the chair across from her, he nodded at the food. “Go ahead and eat.”

But it felt… completely against the rules she’d adjusted to. Rules that had grown comforting in their familiarity. “I’m not sure I’m hungry.”

“Indulge me.” His grin grew, roguish and self-possessed. “Or are you going to keep shaking in your boots?”

Brow cocked, she gave him a glare and picked up the fork. And knife.

The man was pretty damn sure of himself to give her a knife. And she couldn’t help but laugh, looking down at the serrated edge and the polished glean of stainless steel. Using it to cut flaking fish that had no need for a knife… felt foreign. But she did, preparing a forkful covered in some kind of herb sauce.

And took a bite.

Understanding what he was saying loud and clear.

He wasn’t afraid of her temper. Or that she’d tried to kill a man the day before. Or that even in that moment she watched candlelight play off the blade and considered if she could stab him before he might stop her.

Distracted by such thoughts, Eugenia muttered, “Who’s going to shoot you in the back of the head, I wonder?”

“Thinking of Neil?” Such manners, such suave smiles. Where was the lazy cowboy, and who was this stranger?

“He got what he wanted. You said you’d never seen him happier. And then that was the end of him.” This person was a stranger. One she looked dead in the eyes. “No one gets to be happy in this world, on this ship… not even you, I think.”

Daring to lean closer, to put his fingers on hers, the captain said, “I’m happy right now.”

“And I have a knife in my hand.” And his wrist was right there. She was looking right at it.

“One I hope you’ll use before your dinner gets cold.”

How he could pour it on thick, knowing just how low to drop that southern drawl to make her shiver. Shaking off his touch, needing both hands, another bite of fish went to her lips.

Yet, once her hand went down, his touch came back. “I’ve been thinking of ways to make you happy too.”

“Oh, this should be good. Let’s hear them, cowboy.” She shook off his fingers again. “Considering the stellar job you’ve done over the last six months, I anticipate excellent dinner entertainment.”

Playfully wounded, his eyes glittered in the dark. “We’ve had some fun here and there.”

“True. I really enjoyed breaking your fancy dinner plates.”

“I think that’s when I first knew I loved you.” He took a sip of water, wine conspicuously not on the table that evening. “Don’t get me wrong. There was something the moment when you stared up at me on the dock. I wanted you then like I’ve never wanted anyone. But when you had your hair tied up, humming as you scrubbed. The way your cheeks got pink to be caught. Even that cute scream. I loved you that moment to the point there was no undoing it.”

“Men don’t talk like this.” How she wished her words would have come out less breathless.

“I do. To you.”

Whatever this was, she was going to put an end to it. After all, he’d given her a knife. “Aaron, you can cut the seduction routine. You already fucked me.”

His correction was paired with a sinister smirk. “Made love.”

“I wouldn’t know the difference. It sure felt like I was being fucked.” As in fucked over. Which brought out that very color to her cheek he commented on.

That made him laugh.

Shoving the rest of the fish in her mouth to make a point that she’d had enough of whatever this was, Eugenia said, “Well, this was exceedingly domestic, but I’m done. Let’s get the fucking over with so I can ice my swollen crotch and go back to sleep.”

“No sex tonight.” He took a bite of fish, chewing slow.

“How are you going to get me pregnant if you don’t—”

“Fuck you?” Another slow bite of fish, the captain taking his sweet time after interrupting to answer. “There’s no rush. There’s also no doubt that I’ll get to watch your belly swell with my baby. Boy or girl, our kid will be perfect, and you will be beautiful.”

Too much by far, she crossed her arms over her chest and got out of his reaching range. “Planning for me to whelp the next governor of Mississippi?”

That set him laughing. “Maybe a doctor.”

Low blow. Faking an obnoxious yawn, Eugenia said, “My vagina hurts and I hate you, so let’s wrap this up. You got duties, and I’m tired.”

Up went that dark brow. “Duties?”

“Pretty sure it’s your night with Faith. Don’t keep her waiting on boring doggy style or an animated blowjob while she fingers herself to the taste of your cock. Since you can’t look her in the eye, maybe show her that tongue thing.”

The playfulness, the smoldering looks, all of it evaporated until the man she knew returned. “Who were you talking to?”

“I’ve been talking to you, and eating fish—which was good, by the way. Since my mother raised a lady, I will even say thank you.”

“Don’t play word games with me, Eugenia.”

Grinning, she enjoyed the hell out of his burgeoning annoyance. “But it’s fun… and you did say you’d been thinking of ways to make me happy. Seeing that look on your face is making me pretty darn happy.”

Dangerous anger, that was the look. The temper he tried so hard to hide behind lazy smirks and stolen touches. “The only woman who will ride this cock is you.”

She wasn’t lying when she said she was having fun. The only fun around the ship was at his expense. “I’m flattered. I’m also not interested.”

So he doubled down. “I said I wouldn’t fuck you tonight. But that doesn’t mean that now I don’t plan to tie you down and do the tongue thing until you apologize.”

Lady parts clenching at the thought, Eugena’s smile fell. There was no way she’d be able to stand it. “Try to tie me up and I’ll kick you right in the face.”

The slow stand from his chair, how he leaned over their intimate table and grinned... it was demonic. “I’ll risk it.”

The man must have been some kind of rodeo champion in his past life. Throwing her over his shoulder, he hauled her to his room. Her back hit the mattress, each limb secured while she spat curses and shrieked.

One kick landed, square on his chest. One kick that left him laughing when he caught her flailing foot and secured it so she was spread. Spitting mad, she fought, unable to even reach the knots at her wrist—annoyed that she recognized the brand of tie and knew they must have been his.

Accusing, and angry, and desperately irritated it took her so long to realize it, Eugenia condemned, “You were on this cruise when the bombs fell. That’s why all this personal shit is here!”

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