Mockingbird & Vulture by Mary J Nichols

Author:Mary J Nichols [Nichols, Mary J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mary J Nichols
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

She stirred an awful lot beneath the thin blanket. It didn’t help that the night’s chill entered through the worn fur hanging at the window. Renmier should’ve found a better place for rest, but his mind had been busy and he stopped at the first village they came upon.

Leaving the weapons on the table, he sat on the edge of the bed. “Javesse.”

“It’s bloody cold.”

Renmier had nothing to offer; the extra blankets were on the horses. Except…

“Want me to hold you?” he asked. “To give you some warmth, that is.”

Her head turned, the blanket covering everything below the bridge of her nose. Was she that cold? After a slow blink, she sat up. “All right.”

He situated behind Javesse, positioning her between his legs. Once she rested against him, he pulled the flimsy coverlet over her and pressed his arms and thighs to her sides. It took a moment for her tense muscles to relax, then everything felt almost perfect. Like she belonged there.

Renmier drew in a deep breath and released it, trying to clear his thoughts of unobtainable desires.

The breeze whistled beneath the old fur window hanging, the draft dancing over the floor and up the bed, like an invisible arm stretching to infect them.

“Remember when I told you about the shipwreck?” she asked, slicing into the silence.

He welcomed her sweet voice and the distracting topic. “Yes.”

“There… There was something I hadn’t told you.”

Brows low, he glided his chin along the softness of her hair. “And what would that be?”

She hesitated twice. “Promise you won’t laugh?”

“Why would I laugh about you losing your family?” He stroked her arm—to offer comfort, of course.

“It’s not about that.” Javesse sighed, her head tilting to the edge of his shoulder as she looked at him.

For the first time, he noticed just how thick her eyelashes were, and just beyond them, the curves of her cheekbone and chin came into view.

“I’ll make no jests about anything you wish to say,” he said.

“Promise me. You mocked my people’s choice of armor.”

A chuckle rolled in his throat. “An entirely different matter. Now please share with me.”

She straightened her head, seemed to reconsider. Her fingers curled around his wrist, gently holding. “I had been below deck in the family’s quarters, translating inventory scrolls for my father. It may be why I survived, for my family was above deck.”

“Why?” He encompassed her with his arms, needing to protect her from an unseen danger.

“While I was put to work, they were enjoying the lovely weather. It had been a gorgeous day, which is why it shocked me when the storm struck.” Javesse shook her head the slightest. “The ocean and winds had been perfect. A sailor’s dream. Then gales came, and the waves rose higher in mere seconds.”

She trembled.

He combed his fingers through her glorious hair with his free hand. And as much as he had fantasized about touching those golden locks, his mind remained focused on her. “Go on. I’m listening.”

“A storm didn’t wreck the ship,” she whispered. “It was…” Javesse sniffled.

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