Page 12 of Kiss of Steele (The Royal Occult Bureau #9)

TWELVE

FATHER SHOWED ME to a parlour with a blue silk sofa and matching armchairs. I’d been to the Royal Occult Bureau in Oxford a few times, but I hadn’t seen such lovely furniture. The bureau didn’t spend a lot of money on comfortable armchairs and silk wallpaper. Still, the lovely room did nothing to ease the knot of worry in my belly. I sat on the armchair in front of my parents, feeling like a witness at a trial.

“When can Rennie leave the cell?” I asked.

Father plopped onto the sofa and sighed. “Rennie signed a contract.”

“The contract is poppycock,” I said, earning a glare from Mother. “He did nothing but protect me. Oliver wronged me.” The return of my memories was more than welcome though. The fear of being attacked and the pain of that day were still vivid in my mind, but at least I was aware of who Sandro was. He’d charmed me, and I’d fallen for his tricks only because I’d lost my memories. And he’d developed an obsession with me and was chasing me. Not that I could blame my parents or anyone else.

“We trusted Rennie. He has an impeccable record. The agents at the bureau talk highly of him. But we don’t know him well,” Mother said in an icy tone. “We couldn’t choose someone you were familiar with not to trigger your memories. The contract was the only protection we could give you.” Her lips flattened in a white slash. “You seem rather fond of him.”

“And he of you,” Father said, smiling.

“We’re only friends.” My answer came out in a rush of words that tripped over each other. “There’s nothing romantic between us.” I wasn’t sure if I was saying that because it was true or because I wanted to protect Rennie from being flogged. “I care for him very much. He’s been nothing but kind to me. Please I need to be with him.”

A strained silence fell after my last words. I didn’t sound like a woman trying to protect a friend.

“Darling.” Mother touched my hand. “He isn’t the man we wish to see you with. He’s an ordinary occult agent with an average salary. Not to mention the constant threat of being killed by one of the Unnaturals he encounters daily.”

“He isn’t so ordinary.” My tone was defensive. Mother’s words were scrubbing me like sand. “And I wouldn’t care about his position or salary... if I were interested in him, that is.” Father opened his mouth, but in a bold move that didn’t belong to me, I cut him off. “All I’m asking you is not to hurt him. There’s no need for that. He didn’t breach any rules.”

“He put you in danger,” Mother said in a low voice.

“But Oliver?—”

“Forget Oliver! He didn’t sign a contract with us. It was Rennie’s duty to take care of you, and he failed.” Mother rose. “Yes, Oliver has his faults, and so has Rennie. The Florentia is still moored at the port of Venice. We will retrieve your luggage and then return home, and that’s it.”

I remained still for a few moments. “No,” I said.

“Excuse me?” Mother tilted her head.

Father fiddled with his hands.

“I said no.” I stood up as well. “First, I’m not a child. I can make my own decisions, and I’ve decided to stay.”

“For what reason?” Mother asked, shock widening her eyes.

“I don’t want to run from an Unnatural. Now that my memories are back, I want to face my fear. I want to face this Unnatural who’s chasing me.” The confidence filling me now would be gone in half an hour, when I realised what I was getting myself into, but I meant what I said. “And I want Rennie to help me. We’ve started this trip together. We’re going to finish it together on board the SS Florentia . We paid for the whole trip.”

Father shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. You’re coming back home with us.”

“No,” I repeated, and it was liberating. “I don’t want to hide. I want to do something instead of fleeing, or I will flee for the rest of my life.”

Tension charged the air. It was the first time I’d challenged my parents. I’d always been obedient and meek, and I ended up being chased by an Unnatural and completely helpless. Not anymore.

“You want to bait the Unnatural to catch him.” My mother’s lips thinned. “This is too dangerous.”

“Sandro is hunting me. It’s time for me to become the hunter and him the prey. I would appreciate it if you freed Rennie from his cell.” I tilted my chin up. “We have a ship to board and an Unnatural to catch.”

I HADN’T EXPECTED my parents to agree to my decision so quickly. I must have been jolly convincing because ten minutes after my outburst, I was in a gondola, heading for the port, and Rennie was sitting next to me. They’d insisted on meeting me again in Ibiza though, a non-negotiable clause. Rennie was covered in cuts and bruises, but the shot of green serum he’d injected himself with was helping him heal. Because that was what the green serum did. It gave supernatural strength to the occult agents and healed them at uncanny speed, which explained how Rennie had healed so quickly from the stab. A doctor of the Demonic Unit had given me a shot as well, a small dose, just to help with the pain and burns. My skin was nearly normal now.

In the cramped space of the gondola, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was so close to me I could touch his thigh when I stretched out a finger.

“How did you convince your parents to let you continue the cruise?” he asked, staring at me with wide eyes.

I withdrew my finger. “I simply told them the truth, that I didn’t want to run.” I shifted in the seat as the gondola sailed in the canal. “But to be honest, I have no idea how to catch Sandro. I don’t even know what kind of Unnatural he is.”

“I have an idea, and it’s not a pretty one.” His knee brushed against mine when the gondola rocked right and left, and my stomach gave a flip. I gazed up, and he licked his lips before resuming talking. “Your parents thought he was an incubus. That’s why they sent you away. But the fact he followed you bothered me. Incubi can develop an attachment to their prey but not so quickly. Not without...” He raised his eyebrows.

“Oh, I understand.” Not without a fumble. Cue my mind conjuring up all sorts of visions of Rennie and me together in bed.

“Great.” He fiddled with the collar of his shirt. “I went to the Egyptian division of the Royal Occult Bureau to consult their library and ask the help of an agent.” He growled. “It turned out my choice wasn’t wise. Bloody Oliver. He’s one of those agents who can cleanse or restore memories, as you have unfortunately learnt.”

“Forget Oliver. Tell me about the Unnatural.”

His long eyelashes fluttered down his cheeks. “I believe it’s a lamia.” If he was expecting a big reaction from me at the mention of the name, he’d be disappointed.

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“I’m not surprised. It’s very rare. It’s a creature indigenous to Libya. No one knows what it looks like. It takes the shape of the person who’ll ignite the fiercest emotion or desire in a human.”

“I don’t understand.” Our knees touched again, and I didn’t move my leg but stared boldly at him.

“Do you remember the man who attacked us? You described him as tall with short hair. I saw a lean man with a bald head and sharp teeth. The lamia appears to look different to different people because we don’t find the same things frightening, exciting, or attractive.”

“Oh.” I slouched back. “So when I see Sandro...”

He gave me a sad smile and gazed at the floor. “I believe he embodies the perfect qualities you like in a man, from his looks to his voice and manners. Your ultimate love interest.”

Why did the explanation shoot guilt into my heart? “Not necessarily.”

He gazed up, his throat working. “You saw a handsome, kind man, though.”

Yes, but it was before I met Rennie. “But another person, looking at him, will see a different man.”

“Yes. The lamia has a certain degree of control over its features, though. When it wants to charm someone, it will become a charming person for everyone who looks at it, a sort of ideal personality that would satisfy the average person. Sometimes, it can deliberately transform into someone and keep the appearance for a few minutes. It’s complicated.”

“You didn’t seem very charmed by Edward when he introduced himself to us.”

He pointed a finger at his eyes. “Men with green eyes are more resilient to the Unnaturals’ power. That’s why there are so many green-eyed agents at the bureau. Edward didn’t charm me, but I didn’t suspect he was an Unnatural either.”

“But how does a lamia kill?”

“A kiss.” His gaze dipped to my lips for a moment that was long enough to set my body on fire.

“But”—this was embarrassing—“I’ve kissed Sandro many times, and nothing has ever happened.”

He glanced at my lips again. “It’s not clear how it works, but a lamia is capable of destroying a human with a kiss. What remains of the human is a glob of silver gelatine.”

“Mrs Francis!” I’d been so bold with my parents, but the thought of ending up like Mrs Francis, like a blob of goo on the floor, sent a chill down my back.

“Yes. When you found the silver substance, I knew we were dealing with an Unnatural. I didn’t know about the lamia. But I don’t believe it wants to kill you. It had several opportunities to kill you, but it didn’t do it.”

I’d kissed a creature who reduced people to gelatine. “Then what does it want?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. But it’s obvious it was the lamia who seduced the real Edward Morrison. He wants to be ravished by you, and the lamia took your shape.”

“Goodness me. I don’t know how that makes me feel.” I shook my head. “So the Scot who attacked Mrs Francis...”

“It was the lamia, taking the shape of her wildest fantasy.”

“The Scot on the cover of her book.”

He nodded. “It all fits.”

We remained in silence while the gondola slowed its pace.

“Do you think it’s still on board the SS Florentia ?” I asked.

“I think it’s following you for some reason. It tried to charm you in England. When you left, it followed you, which is unusual for an Unnatural.”

“Oh, dear.” I scratched my scar absentmindedly.

“Is the scar from the giant eel? Your father told me about your incident.” He touched the scar with the tip of his finger, tracing it along my inner wrist.

The simple contact made my spine wilt. “Yes,” I whispered.

The strokes became gentler and more curious. His fingers slid under the hem of my sleeve and caressed my skin in small circles.

“You could’ve died,” he said, his voice cracking with emotion. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have left you alone with Oliver. Like an idiot, I believed him when he said he wouldn’t hurt you.”

“You couldn’t know.” I sounded husky and breathless.

“It won’t happen again.” He folded my hand into his and laced his fingers through mine. “The contract I signed?—”

“Forget the darn contract. Sod the contract. To hell with it.”

His lips parted. “Your parents have been very clear about what they expect from me.”

I glowered. “I can make my own choices. I don’t need them or you to choose for me.”

“They care about you. I care about you. We want to protect you.”

“Poppycock. They want to control my future. I won’t allow anyone to do that. Not even you.”

He kissed my hand. “I’d never do that.”

I leant closer. I couldn’t help it. He drew in a breath when our lips met midway. A groan rumbled out of him as I ran the tip of my tongue over his lips, taking care not to hurt him. I wanted to unbutton his shirt and run my hands over his smooth skin to feel his hard muscles. I wanted to sit on his lap and tangle my fingers through his hair. The maddening desire pounding through me was a completely foreign sensation to me because what I’d felt for Sandro had an artificial quality that left me a tad cold. But with Rennie, the sensation was stronger and warmer, and I embraced it with my whole heart.

The gondola came to a stop, jolting us. I was an inch away from him, my breath mingling with his.

“I like kissing you,” I whisper, staring at his flushed lips.

“So do I.” He kissed my hand again, muttering something under his breath before helping me out.

The SS Florentia was floating a few miles off the coast to preserve the fragile Venetian coast, thus the passengers had to board a small boat and sail towards the humongous cruise ship. My parents came out of another gondola, their faces darkening with worry as they walked over to me on the dock.

“Are you sure you want to carry on with your plan?” Mother asked me, taking my hands. “You don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do. The Unnatural is following me. I want to end this affair.” I squeezed her hand to strengthen my point, wishing for her to understand.

“Good luck, darling.” Father kissed my cheek. “I’m so proud of you,” he whispered, bringing tears to my eyes.

“Thank you, Papa.”

My parents hugged me fiercely, then gave an equally fierce glare to Rennie.

“Take care of my daughter,” Mother said. The ‘or else’ was implied.

Rennie bowed from the waist. “I’d die for her, madam.”

I shot my gaze skywards. How dramatic. But Mother nodded in approval, her face lighting with respect for Rennie.

I waved at my parents as I headed towards the gangplank. When they were out of sight, I suppressed the urge to run after them and tell them to take me home. Running once meant running forever. I needed to face the lamia. It’d made fun of my feelings, playing with me. If I didn’t fight back, I’d become its victim, and I’d rather spend my life feeling sick on a ship than become a victim again, scared and isolated. Not anymore.

“What about Edward, Norton, and my charges?” I asked as Rennie and I strode along the main deck.

“The only good thing Oliver did was wipe Edward’s, his wife’s, and the detective’s memories. They don’t recall having ever involved you in the incident.”

“Good. I have another question. How do we catch the lamia?”

Rennie smiled. “We lure it out.”

WHEN RENNIE STAYED in my cabin for the night, I was more than thrilled to have him. It was also part of the plan. A not so complicated plan. The lamia would find me again. We were simply waiting for the right moment to catch it.

After I changed into my nightgown, Rennie locked the door and sat in his usual spot on the floor. But I wasn’t going to have any of it.

“Rennie?” I said, sitting up on the bed.

He gazed up.

I patted the place on the bed next to me. “Sleep here. I can’t sleep knowing you’re on the cold floor.”

“Monia—”

“Come here.” My voice was low and husky, but commanding. Having regained my memories gave me confidence. “Please. You need to rest properly, and no one has to know. Ever.”

He hesitated, chewing his bottom lip. When he rose and uncoiled his powerful body, a tingle started between my thighs. Which didn’t make any sense. Or maybe it did. I didn’t find him intimidating any longer. I wanted to feel his powerful body against mine. Feel his warmth.

“Are you sure?” he asked, standing next to me, shoulders hunched, as if he wanted to make himself smaller; it wasn’t working.

My reply was to pat the empty side of the bed again. The mattress dipped when he sat on the edge to remove his shoes. He stretched next to me over the quilt, all stiff and rigid.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

He burst out laughing. “I thought we’d already been introduced.”

“I mean your full name.” I thumped him on the shoulder. “I’m pretty sure Rennie is short for something.”

“Can’t you guess what?” He smiled, his body relaxing a little.

“Ronald?”

He scrunched up his face. “Hell, no.”

“Robert?”

“Please.”

“Rodney?”

He curled up his lip. “It’s Lawrence.”

“Lawrence,” I repeated to taste the name on my tongue. “I love it. Classical and noble.”

“Noble my arse. You need to sleep now. You’ve been weak for a while.” He brushed my cheek with his knuckles. “And you need your energy for?—”

I wasn’t sure where my boldness came from, but I grabbed his hand and kissed it before running the tip of my tongue over his thumb. The shock on his face was so striking it made me chuckle. Desire darkened his gaze as he watched me slide his finger into my mouth. I wrapped my lips around it and sucked on it gently, tasting the saltiness of his skin against the softness of my tongue. A strangled moan rumbled out of him. It was a sound dripping with a dark promise. I slipped his finger between my lips, inch by inch.

I smiled. “Well, I?—”

He kissed me hard, pressing his soft, warm mouth against mine. It was a bruising kiss, made of bites and teeth, but it shot heat down to my lower belly and somewhere utterly inappropriate.

His tongue slipped past my lips and explored my mouth with slow strokes. A jolt of desire went through me, causing all of my sensitive spots to pulse with need. I was so focused on him that even the noise of the ship became an indistinct lull. It wasn’t like kissing Sandro. The kiss wasn’t as perfect as Sandro’s kisses. But exactly for that reason, it was raw and wild and filled with crude passion, a battle where we both fought for pleasure, igniting a fierce longing within me. It was real.

Grazing my bottom lip, he broke the kiss and inched away from me. “We shouldn’t.”

“Who cares?”

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.

Oliver didn’t flinch but offered me a bow. “Miss Fitzwilliam, it’s good to see you well.”

“Not thanks to you.” I didn’t return the greeting.

“Don’t you dare talk to her,” Rennie hissed, taking a menacing step towards him. “The bureau?—”

Oliver held up a hand. “Don’t waste your breath. The bureau isn’t going to punish me. While you were locked up in a fancy cell, I had a hearing with my superiors. They understood I’d acted for the best. Miss Fitzwilliam is safe, and we’re about to catch...” He glanced around and lowered his voice. “A lamia.” His eyes glinted as he produced a document from his pocket. “In fact, I have the order to catch the lamia alive.”

“Alive?” Rennie and I said together.

“It’s such a rare species that the bureau wants to study it. That said”—he grabbed a chair and sat down at the table before taking an oat biscuit from the plate—“how are we going to capture it?”

My mouth dropped open. “I can’t believe they didn’t punish you. You nearly killed me.”

“But you didn’t die.” He winked at me. The scoundrel. “And let’s face it, you wanted your memories back.”

Curse him, but he was right. Still, he shouldn’t be here, but behind bars.

“The lamia killed a woman,” Rennie gritted out. “Dangerous Unnaturals must be stopped, not caught.”

As if he hadn’t spoken, Oliver drummed his fingers on the table. “It must sleep somewhere on the ship. Not much is known about lamiae, but every creature needs sleep. Where would it sleep?”

He was being absurd. How could we catch a creature no one knew anything about? “Even if we find where it nests, how can we capture it?” I asked, my anger still simmering.

Rennie shot me a reproachful glance, as if to say ‘how can you encourage him?’

“Did you know there’s a small island called Murano close to Venice?” Oliver popped another biscuit into his mouth.

I wanted to slap him. “Of course. Murano is famous for its tradition of glass-making. And?”

He nodded. “A cage made of iridescent Murano glass will hold the lamia safely inside.”

It sounded like a pile of horse dung, in my opinion.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “How do you know that? You said the lamiae are the most mysterious and unknown creatures.”

“Well...” He took his time to select another biscuit. I hoped he choked on it. “A glass cage works for two other species similar to the lamia, same genus. It’s worth a try.”

“A try?” Rennie roared. “I won’t risk Monia’s life again. If I find the lamia, I’ll kill it.”

“We have only to search the ship,” Oliver concluded, wiping his mouth. “And we’ll do our duty, which is what the bureau ordered us to do.” He patted a hand over the pocket of his jacket where the document lay. “Delicious biscuits, by the way. They give you the right energy to start a new day.”

Rennie and I groaned. As if we hadn’t searched the darn ship several times.