After two weeks of such restraint, desire was a nearly constant tickle under her skin. And by the way Felix was holding her, she could tell he felt it too.
The crew was already making preparations to dock, adjusting the sails and doing indecipherable things with the various piles of rope that lay around the deck. Marcus was at the aft of the ship, hovering at the captain’s shoulder as he surveyed the operations. So no one was paying them any attention as Felix moved behind her, laying his hands next to hers where they braced on the rail. His body pressed against her from shoulder to hip.
“Imagine being taken like this,” he whispered, breath tickling her neck. “On a boat by ourselves, nothing but the open sea for company.”
She gave an unsteady laugh as warmth gathered between her thighs. “I fear Neptune would be watching, if no one else.”
“He can watch if he likes.” He lowered his head to kiss the curve of her neck.
The touch made her arch against him, and her bottom bumped the swelling thickness of his cock. Her mouth went dry with want. “Felix,” she hissed, resisting the urge to rub against him. “Not here.”
He let out a growl of displeasure, but released her, moving to stand more decorously next to her. He rested his elbow on the rail. Beyond, the Egyptian coast drew closer with every moment. Lucretia could make out the curve of the harbor, marked by the famously towering lighthouse on an island just offshore.
They’d separated not a moment too soon, for Marcus came jogging toward them. “Captain says we should be docking in an hour or so,” he relayed, excitement lighting his hazel eyes. “We’re to enter the harbor under oar power, rather than sails, to have more control over the approach.”
“Excellent,” Lucretia said, smiling at him. Over the past year, Marcus had learned to tolerate her relationship with Felix, as long as she held to her promise that Felix wouldn’t become his stepfather. The arrangement suited Lucretia perfectly; Felix and Marcus were much better suited as apprentice and teacher rather than father and son, and the three of them got along better than she ever could have imagined.
Gone were the days of Marcus’s surly, sulking behavior. He seemed to grow inches every week, and boxing had taught him discipline and control. His knowledge of business and trade was increasing every day, thanks to Felix’s thorough tutelage.
An hour later, as promised, their ship docked in the harbor of Alexandria. As Lucretia stepped off the gangplank, the boards of the pier seemed to lurch beneath her feet. She grabbed at Felix, and he wrapped a steadying arm around her waist. Marcus was already halfway down the dock, eager to explore a new city.
“Careful,” Felix said. “Your legs are used to the movement of the ship. The solid ground will feel unstable for a while.”
She leaned into his secure hold. “I suppose I’ll just have to make sure there’s a strong, handsome man within grabbing distance until I acclimate.”
Felix chuckled. His fingers spread wider where they grasped her body, turning his hold from supportive to suggestive. “I’ve beenachingto be grabbed at by you.”
Lucretia grinned at him, looping her arms around his neck. A rush of gratitude washed over her as she gazed at him. She had everything she’d ever wanted: a profitable business, a son who had found happiness and stability, and a shrewd business partner.
And Felix was more than just a business partner. He was by her side during the day as they coordinated shipments or inventoried cargo or updated their accounts. And though they remained unmarried, Felix spent nearly every night in her bed, pleasuring her with his usual meticulous attention.
After two weeks of abstinence, she was in dire need of some of that meticulous attention. She stood on her tiptoes and lifted her mouth to his ear. “Let’s see about that private boat, shall we?”
A spark of hunger flared in his gray eyes. He gave a low, rumbling laugh, then took her hand and led her down the dock.
