Page 3 of A Captain So Callous and Cruel

Once his back is to me, I can breathe again.

My hope of catching the captain’s attention fell into place much faster than I imagined it would—a relief that settles deep in my bones.

Now, I just need to make it until dinner.

Nausea rolled through me as a crewmate grabbed my arm forcefully, yanking me out of the line to escort me below deck before pushing me into a dingy room with a threadbare cot and a bucket to urinate in. Then the crewmate smiled, all browning teeth and gums and said, “I’ll be back when the Captain’s ready for you.”

The double entendre way he said it made me feel cheap when I should be feeling powerful.

I’m a siren. I am powerful. And my plan is falling perfectly into place.

As the man's footsteps disappeared down the corridor, and silence fell outside my door, I began to pace. The men were still moving around, but not along my corridor. I could hear the heavy footsteps above my head and the distant shouts as orders were being made, and the crew were still above deck to manage the ship on its route.

I might be able to slip out before they’re brought back down.

Though risky, as quietly as I could, I snuck from my chambers to look for the one person who will ease my terror-stricken soul and reassure me we’re on the right track.

I needed to know if he had made it aboard.

I couldn’t bear otherwise.

Now, the worn wooden planks groan below my feet as I tiptoe through the passageway, holding my breath as I pass each door, knowing one wrong step—one noise too loud—could alert others of my presence.

If I’m caught out of my chambers, I’ll surely be escorted straight to the prisoners' quarters.

It’s a wonder I wasn’t tossed into them with the rest of the women they brought onto this goddess forsaken ship.

My heart tugs in the familiar way it does when I think of him as I drag my fingers against the wall, willing my magic to sense him as it so frequently does.

We have a plan. If he didn’t make it on board?—

I can’t even bear to think about it. Carrying out our plans alone is unfathomable.

A darkness settles in the passageway, the light from the sun diminishing beyond the horizon as it sets. Dinner with the captain will be within the hour, I’m sure of it, which drastically limits my time to search.

With every advancing step, the dread settles.

He’s not here. I can’t feel him. What if he didn’t?—

A cool hand slams into my mouth, the arm it belongs to curling around from behind my neck as I’m pulled through a threshold that wasn’t opened just moments before. My heart seizes in terror. As the door clicks shut behind me, I’m trapped in the darkness of the room and pushed back suddenly against the door.

Dizzy, a whimper climbs up my throat. Without notice, warm lips replace the hand, a tongue sinking into my mouth as hips press into mine. I know this mouth like I know myself, and a rush of emotion surfaces in me. He locks me against the wall to keep me from moving.

Kai’s scent envelops me—ocean salt and sandalwood—and I moan against his lips as I finally allow myself to relax and melt in his arms.

We kiss until air is necessary, but the moment he inhales a breath, his lips are on my neck, peppering hot kisses against me.

“We did it,” he breathes against my skin. “We’re both on the Trident. We’re going to take Erickson down, Hali.”

The hardness between his legs strains against the thin cotton fabric of his trousers, and he circles his hips, digging into the channel between my thighs. Instantly, a rush of fevered desire pulsates through me.

My nails bite into his shoulders as he hikes my petticoat up higher, hitching my leg at his waist. “I was so scared you didn’t make it on.”

Kai licks up the column of my neck before finding my lips. His kiss is bruising. Pulling back abruptly, his mossy, seafoam green eyes land on mine. “I did, and I’ve already heard chatter about the fire-haired beauty that has captivated the Captain’s attention. I knew the moment he laid eyes on you, the plan would be set in motion. Even in human form, you’re magnetizing.”

Tipping my head back against the wall, I allow my eyes to shut as I bask in the way his fingers rake over the skin of my thigh and over to my center.

I’m wet for him, like always, my core clenching on air, desperate to feel him inside of me. My hips roll forward, chasing his touch.

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