Page 18 of Kiss of Steele (The Royal Occult Bureau #9)

EIGHTEEN

KEEPING HIDDEN A man’s body on a cruise ship wasn’t an easy task. We couldn’t simply throw Oliver overboard. That would be horrible, even though he was a scoundrel. Not to mention we could be spotted doing the deed. We couldn’t let a body decompose in the cargo hold, and we couldn’t ask the captain to please moor somewhere so we could dump Oliver in a ditch.

The SS Florentia was sailing towards Ibiza under a shiny turquoise sky but in a strong gale. Due to bad sea conditions, it was taking longer than usual to reach the Spanish island. We were going to be stuck with a corpse for days. Also, there was no Royal Occult Bureau in Ibiza, and it would be hard to explain to the Spanish Unnatural Office what had happened.

The only reasonable solution was to let the lamia do its body-vanishing trick, as it’d done with poor Mrs Francis. Rennie didn’t have the power to cleanse people’s memories. If someone saw Oliver’s body, we would be arrested.

The lamia wrapped around Oliver’s body, its fur expanding and shining. Nauseating noises, like bones breaking and flesh being cut, resonated as the lamia emitted a faint silver light. Despite the glittering glow and the little silver stars shining around, it wasn’t a pretty sight. I turned around, trying to wipe the tomato sauce from my shirt with a handkerchief. It was a useless task. I would have more success dusting the Sahara.

Rennie draped his jacket around my shoulders, covering the stain. “As soon as we reach Ibiza, we must wire the bureau. After that, do you want to go back home?”

I peered at the lamia who was finishing its job. “What about the lamia?”

Rennie scrubbed his chin, staring at the lovely babies watching us with big, terrified eyes. “I think we should leave the lamia alone.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth. “Will the bureau be a problem?”

He held me by the waist. “I’ll write a report and explain to my superiors the lamia isn’t an extremely dangerous creature. It does need regulation, since it can scare people to death, but it’s not a killer. Protection laws are very clear about which Unnaturals should be exterminated or restrained. It might take a bit of work, but I’m confident that with the help of some of my co-workers, we can build a solid case in favour of the lamia.”

I kissed him again, pressing my body against his. He broke the kiss, eyes shining with lust. “Not here, luv, not next to Oliver’s melted body and a litter of furry babies.”

Yes, five pairs of innocent eyes stared at us. Mommy lamia coiled around its babies and gave us a nod, as if thanking us. I waved and smiled, and the babies let out cute cooing sounds.

“Let’s go then.” I took his hand before he could protest and dragged him out of the cargo hold.

RENNIE’S SOFT CHUCKLE echoed down the narrow staircase that led us to the upper deck.

“I’m not sure why you’re laughing,” I said. “Because I’m very serious about what I want to do to you.”

“Oh, sweetheart.”

I liked it when he called me that. As we strode along the first-class corridor, I closed my hand around his. Breathless, I stopped in front of my cabin and fiddled with the key.

“Monia.” He tugged at my hand. I preferred when he called me sweetheart. “Perhaps we should wait.”

“Shut up. It’s the best idea I’ve ever had.”

“Your parents?—”

“They aren’t here.” Thank goodness. “And I need help to remove my clothes,” I added in a whisper.

Instant heat flushed through his gaze. “I would gladly help. But?—”

“Great.” I pushed the door open and yanked him inside none-too-gently.

He remained next to the door, hands in his pockets. “The fact the lamia and Oliver aren’t a danger anymore doesn’t mean the contract I signed is null.”

“We won’t tell anyone.” I removed his jacket.

“That’s the point. I want to tell everyone. I want your parents to know about us and to give us their blessing.”

My mother would never do that, and I was tired of waiting. So I undid the first buttons of my shirt. “Can you help me here?” I sashayed towards him.

His gaze flickered over the triangle of skin left bare by the shirt. He undid a few other buttons. The hem of my chemise was visible now.

“Is that all right?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I still need help.”

He unfastened two other buttons, revealing the top of my breasts.

“More buttons,” I whispered.

He obliged, but I didn’t miss the worried expression on his face. I wanted him to stop thinking about my parents, mostly because if he thought of them, I’d think of them too, and it was a major distraction from my seductive plan.

When he unfastened the last button, I wriggled out of the shirt without thinking too much. Before he could say anything, I removed my chemise as well. I was standing half-naked in front of him. Better to remove my skirts as well. It looked too odd to stay with my breasts bare and my legs clothed.

Right when I was wrestling myself out of my petticoats, the ship decided it was a good moment to jolt. I lost my balance and staggered to the left. Rennie’s arms curled around me before I could hit the floor. His chest rose, and his nostrils flared. I waited for him to either finish what we—well, I’d started, or to blather some nonsense about the contract.

He ripped my skirts with a big yank, then he dropped me to the bed and kissed me hard and deeply. He paused only to brush my hair from my face. “There is no going back after this.”

I nodded, although I wasn’t completely sure what he meant. But he sucked at my nipple while tweaking the other, and any rational thought left my mind. His hand ran up and down my body as he kissed his way to my navel and thighs.

Heaven. I liked that so much. The first lash of his tongue shot so much pleasure to my brain I was worried it might burst. He held my legs wide apart with his rough hands while he plunged his tongue between my folds and deep inside me. His fingers joined the game, sliding in and out of me and rubbing my little nub. It was an assault of fingers, tongue, lips, and teeth. Now and then, his fingers rubbed my nipples, making me moan and jolt with pleasure.

I came with a start, his name leaving my lips with a scream. He didn’t stop but kept licking and kissing me. Soon, I was squirming again, but he paused just long enough to remove his trousers and shirt. I had barely time to admire his sculpted body and the sharp ridges of his defined abdominal muscles before his shaft brushed against my entrance.

Breathing hard, he remained still, his muscles taut with tension. “Are you sure?”

“Do it. I want it. I want you.”

He slid an inch inside me.

My inner muscles, still dizzy after the release, stretched almost painfully. Propped on his elbows, Rennie inched onwards, making me feel exactly how big he was. I bunched the bed sheets under my fists and rolled my hips, meeting his length. The more he thrust, the more my flesh burned, but the pain was manageable, and the sensation of him stretching me started a flutter of butterflies in my belly.

When he was fully inside me, he waited before starting to move in and out. Each time he entered me a bit harder, went a bit deeper. The tip of his shaft hit just the right spot inside me to make me squirm. Rennie kissed me, biting my bottom lip and then sucking it into his velvety mouth. His pace became faster, and his kisses more hungry. Quick breaths came out of his mouth as he thrust in and out of me. The pain vanished, replaced only by the head-spinning pleasure of him stretching me. Energy built up again. Another release detonated through my body. I bent my knees while he kept his punishing rhythm. Breathing hard, he pulled out of me to spill onto the bed. I lay exhausted, my body a bundle of emotions, sore and sated, filled with love.

“Oh, Rennie.”

He took a cloth and wiped me, the bed, and himself. Desire darkened his gaze. “We haven’t finished yet.”

His mouth closed around my extremely sensitive nipple and sucked at it while his fingers stroked my even more sensitive folds and nub. He massaged me gently, sliding a finger inside now and then. I didn’t think my body would respond to his ministrations after the last release, but soon wetness pooled between my thighs again. As if sensing it, he pinched my nipple hard before dipping his face between my legs. He wasn’t gentle. He ate me with a ferocious hunger that shot thrills up my back. Then he started it all over again, tonguing my nipples and thrusting his fingers deep inside me.

When he flipped me onto my belly, I wondered what he wanted to do. But he kissed my nub again before slamming inside me from behind. In that position, his shaft reached a far deeper spot within my tender flesh. He didn’t stop pumping in and out of me until he extracted two more releases from my overly responsive body.

My word, I had no idea it was possible.

He curled around me, protecting me with his strong arms and lulling me into sleep.

I woke up the next morning wonderfully sore and with Rennie’s arms around me. I lost count of how many times he’d taken me during the night. His shaft must be supernatural because every single time he entered me, my body ignited in a burst of pleasure.

WE SPENT THE next two days in bed, making love, sleeping, and watching the baby lamiae grow.

My parents were waiting for us in Ibiza, and with each mile we sailed closer to the island, a weight pressed against my chest. Rennie wanted to talk to them, tell them everything, including that he wanted to court me. I had at least ten better ideas that involved eloping and riding off together in the sunset on a docile horse, of course. Rennie didn’t show the enthusiasm I would have liked to see. I barely paid attention to Ibiza’s turquoise sea, white rocks, and palm trees as Rennie and I walked hand in hand towards the hotel where my parents had a room.

Mother hugged me. Father shook hands with Rennie. It took us a while to tell them about Oliver and the lamia. My parents’ pride for me brought tears to my eyes. Then Father and I went to the telegraph office to send a wire to London’s Royal Occult Bureau while Rennie and my mother locked themselves in a room. She was the one he had to convince.

The fresh scent of the sea lifted my mood as Father and I strolled along the narrow, cobbled streets of Ibiza Town. The white walls of the houses reflected the bright sunlight. Pots of red geraniums and roses overflowed the balconies and window sills. If it weren’t for the weight pressing against my chest, it’d be a beautiful view.

“I imagine Rennie doesn’t want to talk to your mother about the lamia, am I right?” Father said.

“Yes, you are.” My cheeks flamed.

He patted my hand. “Do you care about him?” The sweet tone in his voice caused my heart to flutter.

“Yes, and he cares about me.”

“I like him. I think he’s a brave man with a good heart, but your mother won’t be happy about having him as her son-in-law.”

My mood plummeted to the ground. The people in colourful dresses and the songs didn’t lift it. “Can’t you convince her?”

“She wants only the best for you.”

“Can’t I decide what’s best for me?” There was more venom in my voice than I meant.

Father gazed down. “After the incident, your mother blamed herself for having allowed you to come with us. At first, she thought travelling with us would make you stronger and more knowledgeable. But after the incident, she was terrified. She hated watching you have nightmares. She meant well. And I supported her because I was scared about your health, too. We want to protect you, darling.”

“But I want Rennie, Papa, with all my heart. He’s the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

We stopped in the middle of a pavement made of colourful cobblestones. Each one glimmered with a different colour.

Father released a breath. “As long as you’re happy, I don’t care whom you want to marry.”

I hugged him, inhaling the scent of tobacco. “Thank you, Papa.”

When I returned to the hotel, Mother’s stern, pale face said everything I needed to know. Rennie’s jaw was locked.

I swallowed hard. The air in the hotel room was as thick and frosty as a glacier. “Mother?—”

“Monia, this nonsense ends here. You’re going back to England with us,” she said.

I closed my fists into tight balls. “I want to be with Rennie, Mother. This isn’t nonsense. It’s my life.”

“If you insist on following this path, then I’ll be forced to apply the legal power of the contract and have Rennie arrested. Come home with us, and Rennie walks free.”

Rennie gazed at the floor, hands in his pockets. I was sure he had a lot to say, but it was a conversation I had to take care of personally.

Shock stunned me into silence for a moment charged with anger. “You’re blackmailing me.”

“I want you to understand the huge mistake you’re about to make.”

“Laura,” Papa said, stepping next to me. “Monia loves Rennie, and he loves her. You must take that into consideration.”

“Her safety comes before anything else.” Mother’s voice shook. “What will happen if she marries an occult agent? Her life will always be in danger. We’ve already risked her safety one too many times.”

“Mother—”

“Enough!” Her voice rose with a hysterical note of panic. “You’re returning home with us. I’ll let the contract go if you come without a fuss.”

Rennie glanced at me and gave me a nod while mouthing, “I love you.”

Blazes. I didn’t want him to be tortured or imprisoned because of me. My shoulders sagged as my eyes filled with tears. “I will return home with you.”