Page 28 of A Reckless Indulgence

Nerves flutter in her stomach, but she resists them, keeping her face passive as she looks across the party again. This will be simple and fast. She’s a siren; she knows how to wrap things up quickly. With a heavy sigh, she pushes off the railing and moves toward the hatchway. “Let’s get it over with, then.”

She makes it down the third step before he calls after her, “Not down there.”

When she turns back, he looks positively pleased with himself. His tail weaves behind him in a hypnotizing motion she tries not to follow. Why does she feel off-balance? She grips the banister to keep from slipping, like it’s her first day on land.

Cav tilts his head toward the center mast. “We’re going up.”

TWELVE

Lyx

Lyx’s gaze trails up the main mast, past the ropes and ladders to the crow’s nest set against a backdrop of stars. “Funny,” she says dryly.

“You need convincing?” Cav wanders closer. “I thought the prospect of chaos would be enough, but maybe you need more incentive.” He stops at the top of the stairs, bending at the waist to meet her eyes. “I dare you to climb the crow’s nest.”

She looks toward it again. She hates how he can sense her hunger sparking like steel on flint. She’s too proud to tell him that he’s right, but she’s also too proud to turn down a challenge. Jaw clenched, she pushes past him and grasps the first rung of the rope ladder.

It digs into her palms with a satisfying sting that keeps her climbing. She’s calling Cav’s bluff. There’s no chance he truly has a plan. Once they’re in the crow’s nest, he’ll stumble over his words and be forced to admit he wasn’t prepared for her to match him. He wasn’t prepared for her.

When she’s halfway up, murmurs rise from the crowd. She never glances back to check if Cav is behind her. At the top, she pulls herself through the trap door and rises to her feet. The crown’s nest is larger than she expected, a wooden bucket with the mast piercing straight through the middle. Up here, the sound and light from the party are dim. At the far side of the island, she can just make out the tip of Tidus’s ship, its flag flapping in the wind.

She turns her back on it and faces out toward the sea. Her hands curl around the railing, and she inhales the beautiful sting of salt. All she can see is the ocean, but this is only a fraction of it. Its true size is beyond comprehension. She watches the waves roll in and rock the boat beneath her. The water is constantly in flux, always moving, never the same, but she bets every drop would remember her. All she’d have to do is dip a toe in…

“It really is a wonder.” Cav moves to stand beside her and stares out across the waves with earnest admiration. Stars reflect in his eyes. “Constant, but uncertain. Calculable, but volatile. Intimidating. Beautiful. Powerful.”

It strikes a chord deep inside her. They are words she’s never spoken, but she recognizes their echo through the emptiness inside her. It’s the same longing she has. When she looks at Cav, she realizes he’s staring at her, like his fondness isn’t just reserved for the ocean. She jerks her gaze away and lifts her chin. “You speak about the ocean like you would a lover.”

“I speak far more highly of my lovers.”

Her skin prickles, but she turns her back to the horizon. She can’t allow herself to be distracted. She can’t return to the sea. Not yet. “Why are we up here? Because I’m sure it’s not to chat.”

He watches her for another moment before he bends to seal the trapdoor. “We’re here to feed your appetites.”

Bitterly, she laughs. What does Cav know about meeting her needs? “I thought this was about your little project.”

“The project is the vehicle.” He digs into his pocket, eyeing some point further up the mast. “Your pleasure is the destination.”

Her eyes roll. “What, are you going to bend me over the railing in front of the crowd?”

Cav holds onto the mast and swings to her other side, eyes glowing in the dark. “Are you asking me to?”

She swallows. The thought alone makes her hot, but he acts like he’s hanging on her every word, ready for her answer.

When she doesn’t, he holds out something between them. “Then no. We’ll try something else.”

It’s the bundle of dark rope from the cabin. She takes it, running her fingers over its smooth surface.

“Or you could push me off.” He sits back against the railing, unafraid to tempt fate. Unafraid to tempt Lyx. “The choice is yours.”

Her fingers curl around the rope. When she steps closer, Cav doesn’t brace himself. He just makes space for her, not a hint of arrogance in his body. If anything, he looks like he’s made peace with the fact that this could be his final breath. She eyes the drop below. Every pirate she’s known has believed themself invincible, like no sea or siren could fell them. Cav, on the other hand, wears his mortality like a cloak. Like he knows how easily Lyx could destroy him, and still, he takes the risk, dangling by a thread and handing her the knife.

That knowledge stirs inside her. She steps between his open knees, their gazes locked before she presses the rope to his chest. His balance wavers. She could do it. She could push him. But his fingers splay across the back of her hand, like the only thing he wants is to touch her, even if it means meeting his end.

Arousal clenches deep in her gut. “Fine.”

His eyes flare, but he doesn’t reach for her. Instead, he begins to unwind the rope. “You remember the safeword?”

Her brows knit. Never has someone taken their time when she’s standing before them and offering everything. It chips away at the armor of her pride. She reaches for the rope. “Don’t need it.”