The Spare and the Heir by Jenn LeBlanc

Author:Jenn LeBlanc [LeBlanc, Jenn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-944567-14-9
Publisher: Jenn LeBlanc

Calder

It certainly wasn’t the best of the ships sailing from Bombay, but at least it was comfortable. Rakshan had managed to secure larger private quarters for he and Quinn—but not independent quarters. They’d have to make due.

Calder lay on the bed staring out the porthole at nothing but sky. He was trying to be amenable for Quinn’s sake, but just being around him was a knife to the gut every time they shared a glance, and Quinn didn’t seem to understand.

He kept insisting that Calder would understand once they returned home. But Quinn wasn’t listening to what Calder was saying. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. It mattered that he was married, and that was it. Calder couldn’t help him break his vows. They’d been taken in a church, before God. He wouldn’t. He and God had enough disagreements as it was.

He turned away from the porthole to stare across the small cabin at the berth Quinn used. He was currently in the shower, the one amenity they did have on this ship, even if the water went cold much too fast. He should leave before Quinn was finished and came out. Just go on deck and wander, or go to the gymnasium. Perhaps he could spar with some stranger. He wished Rakshan had come with them; they could spar. There was no way he could spar with Quinn—one of them would end up dead, or very nearly so, most likely Calder since he was still so weak and he simply couldn’t seem to rein his emotions in, a feeling he was wholly unfamiliar with.

Calder thought perhaps Rakshan had forced these close quarters but Quinn had spoken with the crew; there were no other accommodations available. The ship was full. Rakshan could not have possibly arranged for all that, could he? No. Of course he couldn’t. Calder wished he could have stayed behind in Jodhpur with Rakshan. Not here. Not close to Quinn. Not sharing this space with him.

The shower cut off, and Calder rolled over toward the wall, covering his eyes with his arm to feign sleep. He was too tired to try to get dressed and out of the room fast enough. The door opened, and every muscle in his body tensed as the breath left his lungs in a rush. The steam from the shower floated in and enveloped him, waking his senses as though to attempt to soften his resolve, but Calder pricked at the very thought of it.

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