Page 50 of A Reckless Indulgence

Then the glassy look in her eyes is gone. She pries herself away. When the boat rocks again, her hand darts out to steady her.

She’s as far from him as she can get. He sets his disappointment aside and unlaces the soggy ties of his vest. The room looks much the same as when he left it, although the odds and ends have been put away, no longer rolling across the floor.

Something about that makes him smile. “I hope the accommodations have been up to your standards.”

Rain pelts the window behind him, but it’s half as hostile as she looks. “It’s obscenely quiet, usually.”

“My apologies.” He discards his vest. “I’m sure we can liven things up.”

She scoffs, but it catches in her throat when he works his shirt off over his head. He drops it on the ground, body warm where her eyes rove the wet jumps covering his chest. No matter how he yearns to, he doesn’t look at her, like her arousal is a fickle cat he doesn’t want to scare away.

“If it helps,” he says, “I talked to Heathen about your tour.” Lyx perks up at that. It fills Cav with guilt. “She doesn’t have time for it now. Maybe at the end of the season when things slow down.”

It’s foolish to imagine that Lyx will still be here then, but that doesn’t stop him from hoping. Lyx looks none-too-pleased. “So that’s why you’re here.”

His hands pause on his open belt buckle. “For my dry clothes?”

“You’re here to collect your dart winnings. And I’m past due for your experiment.”

He waves the thought away. In truth, he’d forgotten both of those agreements — but clearly, Lyx hasn’t. A thought spreads over his mind. “Have you been waiting for me to collect?”

The accusation makes her scoff. “Of course not.”

“So you haven’t been counting down the days?” Now that he thinks of it, she mentioned being “overdue” during their dart game as well. Why does she continue to remind him? Why not let him forget?

Her mouth twists sourly. “I just want to get it over with.”

“There’s a simple way of accomplishing that.” He leans back against the wall, tucking his hands into the tops of his pockets. “Two birds, one stone. Tell me your wildest fantasy.”

Her jaw sets. He’s not sure any words could pass through if they wanted to, but then, her head tilts. She gets a distant look in her eyes, something close to a smile playing on her lips. “You, with your mouth shut.”

He hums sweetly.

With every word, her expression grows more vicious. More beautiful. “You, with your head underwater. You, with air bubbles streaming from your nose.”

“Do all your fantasies revolve around me?”

Her mouth hangs open for a moment before she clamps it shut.

It’s an opportunity. Cav takes it. “Why did you agree to Heathen’s offer? To doing this with me?”

Lyx’s brow knits. Her arms fold across her chest. “I needed a spot on the ship.”

His tongue clicks when he shakes the water from his hair, pants sinking lower on his hips. “I don’t buy it. I think you agreed because you want to know just as badly as I do. Because you’re curious.”

For a brief moment, her eyes dart to the trail of scales that lead down from his navel, but she snaps it up again. “And what would I be curious about?”

In this light, she looks almost pink, shadows dancing across her dogged expression. It’s strange how her sharpened edges only make him speak more softly, his voice dipping low for just the two of them. “Have you wondered what it could have been like? If we’d had more time. If we’d had more of each other.”

Maybe he shouldn’t say it. Maybe he shouldn’t dredge up the past, but it’s less like ancient history and more like a dream he can’t pull himself out of.

One he doesn’t want to pull himself out of.

There’s a waver in her face that’s more than lanternlight. “No.” Her voice crackles. A flush spreads up her neck before she clears her throat. “I don’t think about you.”

“Except for how much you hate me.”

Her eyes darken, fierce as the storm roiling outside. “Great Abyss…” Her voice is little more than a hiss. “Have you never been denied anything?”