"Tread carefully, baby," he murmurs, his breath hot against my ear. "You know what I'm capable of."
I huff out a breath, torn between the desire to knee him in the balls and the urge to climb him like a tree. "Keep it in your pants, Neanderthal," I grumble, poking him in the chest with one finger. "We've got a job to do, remember?"
Rhyland catches my hand in his, his grip firm and unyielding. "Oh, I remember," he murmurs, his eyes burning into mine with an intensity that steals my breath. "But don't think for a second that I will forget this little moment. Once we're done here, I will remind you who's in charge."
"You're impossible," I mumble, trying and failing to hide my smile. "Can we please focus on the task at hand? You know, the whole 'saving the world' thing wecame here for?"
Rhyland chuckles, the sound rich and dark. Then, he changes the subject. "How do we know what we're looking for? I know it's a key, but did Calypso give you any indication of what it might look like?"
I shake my head, my lips pursed in a frown. "No, she was frustratingly vague on the details. We'll have to dig through this mess and hope for the best. It's got to be here somewhere, right?"
Rhyland nods, his jaw set with determination. "Right. Let's get to work."
I spot a desk in the corner as we navigate through the hoard. Its surface is littered with ancient maps and nautical charts. It's like stepping into a time capsule, a glimpse into the life of a long-dead pirate captain.
We split up, each tackling a different section of the treasure hoard. I start with the desk, rifling through the maps and charts. But as the minutes tick by and the key remains elusive, I can feel my frustration mounting.
"This is like looking for a needle in a goddamn haystack," I grumble, tossing aside a particularly ornate compass. "We could be here for days and still come up empty-handed."
Rhyland looks up from the chest he's been rummaging through, his eyes glinting with amusement. "What, you're not enjoying our little treasure hunt? And here I thought you were the adventurous type."
I shoot him a withering glare, my hands on my hips. "Oh, I'm plenty adventurous, big guy. But even I have my limits. If I have to sort through one more pile of cursed doubloons, I might lose my mind."
Rhyland chuckles, the sound rich and warm in the musty air of the ship's hold. "Well, we can't have that, can we? Tell you what, why don't we make this a little more interesting?"
I raise an eyebrow, intrigued despite myself. "I'm listening."
He grins, the expression equal parts wicked and charming. "The first one to find the key gets to choose where we go on our first real date when we return to our realm. Loser has to pay up in sexual favors."
I consider this momentarily, my mind racing with possibilities. "Deal," my voice firm with resolve. "But just so you know, I have a very vivid imagination. You'd better hope you can handle what I dream up."
Rhyland's eyes darken, and his gaze rakes over me in a way that makes my skin tingle. "Oh, trust me, baby," he purrs. "I have no intention of losing this bet. I hope you're ready to pay up when I win."
I flush, my cheeks heating with desire. What sexual favors could he possibly have in mind this time? Knowing him, it'll be wild and daring, like our last little adventure at Playful Pint.
The thought makes my clit ache, my body reacting to the memory of that night. The way he took control and pushed me to my limits and beyond... It was equally thrilling and terrifying, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to do it again.
But I'm not about to let him know that. Not yet, anyway. First, I have to win this bet and show him just how creative I can be when it comes to pleasure and pain.
"Bring it on, big boy," I taunt, my lips curving in a smirk. "I hope you're ready to worship at the altar of my body because when I win, you're going to be my personal sex slave for the night."
Rhyland growls, the sound low and primal in his throat. "Fuck, baby," he rasps, his eyes blazing with hunger. "You keep talking like that, and I might just let you win on purpose."
I laugh, the sound bright and teasing in the musty air of the ship. "Where's the fun in that?" I quip. "I want to earn my prize fair and square. And trust me, when I do, you'll be begging me for mercy."
Rhyland's grin widens, "We'll see about that, Little Angel. You seem to forget who the fuck begs in this relationship."
After hours and hours of digging through this endless sea of shiny shit, we're still coming up empty-handed on the key front. I'm starting to wonder if this whole treasure hunt is just one big cosmic joke or if we somehow managed to take a wrong turn and end up in Davy Jones' fucking junk drawer.
I come across another crumbling map that looks like it's been through hell and back.Tempest Isleis scrawled across the top in fancy lettering, with a detailed image of a key in the corner and what looks like a harp marked on a specific location.
This is the location Calypso told me about.
I show Rhyland, my eyebrows raised in a silent question. "That's the island Gideon mentioned," he grunts, his eyes narrowing as he studies the map.
"Calypso, too. And I'm guessing this fancy-ass harp is the Siren's Lyre," I quip, my tone dry. I look closer at the key, my nose wrinkling at the sight of the creepy-ass skeleton on the tip, complete with jagged teeth and a blue jewel set into the eye sockets. "Bingo," I smile. "This is what we need to find if we want to get the hell out of this underwater hellhole."
Suddenly, a voice hisses in my mind, making me jump."Free me, and I will give you the key,"it rasps, scaring the ever-loving shit out of me.
