Page 88 of The Swan Syndicate
He set the bucket down by the wash basin and the coffee pot on the table. He pulled a mug out of one pocket and another one from his other pocket. He poured the coffee and handed one to her.
When he poured water into the basin, she noted the light steam.
“Hot water?”
“Warm enough.” He added a few sprinkles of lavender that he must have taken from her herbal stash.
He carried the basin over and set it on the floor next to the chair then waved her over to sit. She hesitated but did as he asked. He rummaged for a hand rag and a towel before he knelt in front of her then sat back on his heels.
“What are you doing?”
“Hush. Just sit back and enjoy the coffee.” He lifted her foot and placed it on his thigh. Inch by inch he ran the warm rag over her skin, washing away the dirt and sand. He ran his hand over her calf then along her thigh, caressing and softly massaging her tense muscles. When he finished the first leg, he set her foot down and picked up the next.
She finished her coffee and dropped the mug on the table. The crossbow slipped to the floor, and she leaned her head back as the last of her anxiety drained away. He moved to her left arm, starting with each finger before working his way up, leaving her warm, tingly, and boneless. Once he finished, he kissed the soft skin under her wrist before placing her hand on her belly and repeating the process with her other arm.
He never looked at her as he worked, instead keeping his focus on his task. There wasn’t anything to say, and once again, she considered his actions something he needed as well as her. This was something he could control. Something he could predict the outcome with a hundred percent accuracy. It was his way of dealing with his own tumultuous emotions over the last two days. Hell, the entire mission.
When he finished with her arm, he pulled her up and untied the remains of her dress. Now naked, he began with her face, his touch gentle on her cheeks and forehead. His fingers followed the rag as it moved down her neck, across her shoulders, and over her breasts.
He didn’t stop to kiss or linger on her most sensitive spots, and when she’d been washed from head to toe, he moved her to the bed until she lay prone, staring at the ceiling. Though the air was cool, and goosebumps erupted over her flushed skin, she was warm and tingly inside. She thought he was done as he dropped the rag in the basin and moved it back to the washstand.
She was wrong.
He gave her a complete body massage, once again starting at her feet, his strong fingers squeezing and caressing as they moved over her. When he reached her shoulders, he rolled her over. She was nothing but a limp rag as his fingers trailed down her back, his thumbs working every knot out of her muscles.
She wanted to say something. Thank him. Tell him she loved him. But speaking a single word seemed beyond her capability. She was so tired, and her lids fluttered as sleep overtook her.
At some point, she woke in Teddy’s arms. He was naked, their bodies touching. She stirred and his hand immediately began stroking her arm.
“Ssh. Go back to sleep.” He rolled into her, trapping her from rising.
“Jamie’s expecting us for dinner.”
“I took care of that. If we get hungry later, I’ll pilfer something from the galley. He knows we both need the rest.”
She snuggled closer. “You take such good care of me. I love you, Teddy.”
He squeezed her to him, holding her in a tight cocoon, as she drifted back to sleep.
29
Stella stood at the railing and watched the number of seaside homes that dotted the coastline increase as theDaphnemade its final approach to the port in Bristol. She’d woken early, starving and jonesing for coffee. It didn’t surprise her to find a pot of coffee waiting for her with no Beckworth in sight. His side of the bed was still warm, so he hadn’t been gone for long.
She’d sipped the coffee and ignored her growling stomach as she dressed for the day. Jamie said they wouldn’t reach Bristol until late afternoon. She picked through her clothes and considered how she’d spend the day. Sitting around the cabin reading held no interest, and she could only spend so much time in the galley.
She slid on her pants and was tying her shirt when Beckworth returned. If her choice of clothes surprised him, he didn’t show it.
He pulled her in for a dizzying kiss.
“If I’d known you were going to do that, I would have stayed in bed.” She ran a hand over his hair and tugged at his ponytail.
He smiled down at her. The light in his eyes expressed his love more than words. It also reminded her how she’d scared him to his core.
“I have special plans for when we reach Waverly. A fire, a bottle of fine wine, and nothing but you and me.” He kissed the tip of her nose, squeezed her backside, and tugged her out of the room. “Jamie’s holding breakfast for us.”
During breakfast, the team gave her a recap of the activity on theDaphneonce their pursuit ofThe Horsemanbegan. It was shared with a jovial air, mostly by Fitz, who Stella was now convinced was the ship’s storyteller. The day went by quickly, and as much as she wanted to see Waverly, she would miss theDaphneand her crew. Who would have believed it?
Her final task was to assist Cook with a late lunch or early dinner, depending on how one looked at it. The crew had worked hard during the mission with little downtime at the ports. When they reached Bristol, they would have several days to relax in port, but Jamie wanted them fed before they docked. No one had to tell her the crew would be spending the majority of their time pub hopping.
