Another laugh rumbled out of him. “Who are you, and what have you done with Monia?”
“I’ve had enough of being a scared woman. That’s all. Scared ladies don’t get to kiss handsome men like you.”
His eyelids drooped. “And of course, learning your perfect lover is actually an Unnatural helped you reach this conclusion.” He didn’t say those words in a reproachful tone but with sadness. “I understand.”
Dash it. Could he be right? No, I’d started to find Sandro’s kisses less enticing a while ago. “It’s not like that. It took me a bit, but I realised Sandro’s kisses didn’t spark any flames inside me. My stomach didn’t lurch when I was close to him. My skin didn’t tingle. Yet when I’m with you, every emotion is amplified, every sensation is intense, so intense I want to sing.”
“Please don’t.”
We both laughed. He kissed my fingers.
I caressed his cheek. “I want you, Rennie. Only you. All of you.”
“Monia.”
“The kiss you’ve just given me is the best kiss I have ever received.” I licked my bottom lip, savouring the predatory way he looked at me.
“Was it?” He traced the curve of my cheek with a finger. “Even better than Sandro’s kisses?”
“There’s no comparison. Sandro’s kisses were too polite to be passionate.”
His fingers trailed down my neck, then over my shoulder and slid down the sleeve of my nightgown. I drew in a breath as he caressed my collarbone.
“Your skin is so silky,” he said, stroking the top of my breasts. His hand went lower and brushed my nipple through the fabric of the nightgown. We both groaned at the contact.
I arched my back, pushing my breast into his hand. He didn’t disappoint. He slid his hand under the collar of my nightgown and stroked my breast, skin against skin. His warm breath caressed me as he lowered the nightgown.
In the moonlight, my skin turned a lovely shade of silver, and I watched, fascinated, as he fondled my breasts and tweaked my nipples. Each time he rolled them with his fingers, a jolt of pleasure coursed through me. But when he closed his hot mouth around one, I moaned loudly. His tongue rolled over the taut peak of my breast with devotion and maddening slowness. Instant wetness pooled between my legs. I rocked my hips as he tongued the other nipple while pinching the first. The sensations taking over my body had nothing to do with what I’d experienced with Sandro. Not even close. I was burning, and I wanted more. He changed the rhythm, sucking hard and making me feel his teeth against my sensitive skin. It only fuelled the fire. Flames licked at me between the legs. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Rennie,” I begged.
Still sucking at my nipple, he bunched my nightgown up to my hips and slipped a hand between my thighs, finding me wet and hopeless. He rubbed me with gentle fingers, entering them inside my slit and circling my nub with a thumb. I moved my hips against his hand, desperate to get more of the delicious friction. A storm was building up inside me.
And then the release hit me. It thundered through me and turned me into a sensual creature. He didn’t stop touching me until I lay satisfied on the bed, breathing hard.
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. “I’d love to do more, but if the lamia attacks us tonight, I must be ready to fight.” He kissed my cheek while his arm coiled around my waist.
“It was amazing.” My eyelids grew heavy as the release faded. “I almost wish it came now, so we have the rest of the night to ourselves.” I snuggled closer to his chest and closed my eyes, sighing happily. The fatigue of the day dropped on my shoulders, causing me to sag against him.
He caressed the top of my head. “Sleep, Monia. I’ll watch over you.”
BRIGHT SUNLIGHT FLOODED the dining hall the next morning, but the turquoise sky and the golden light couldn’t lift my anxiety.
Last night had been uneventful. No attack had come, which could mean many things. The plan might be too weak, the lamia might have left the ship, or it didn’t find me interesting anymore. But if I thought about Rennie’s mouth over my nipples and his hand between my legs, everything seemed brighter. My skin tingled deliciously in all the right places, and little shivers ran along my back.
Rennie and I were having breakfast, smiling over our cups of tea whenever our gazes met. A light flush coloured his cheeks, and I wondered if I looked the same, glowing and pink.
“Did you enjoy last night?” He brushed my fingers. The sunlight sparked in his emerald eyes, igniting them with golden specks.
“Do it again,” I whispered, pushing aside the thought that we were here for a reason that had nothing to do with my sexual awakening.
“I will.” He smiled, lacing my fingers with his.
My mood went from glorious to furious in an instant when Oliver strolled towards us. Even Rennie turned around.
“What is he doing here?” I asked.
Rennie stood up so quickly his chair was almost knocked over.
