Immortal Moon (9 page)

I didn’t realize I’d closed my eyes until I
heard Jarrett clear his throat.

“Sorry, I was imagining a shower. I’ve never
had one.”

His eyes were dark and seductive. “That must
have been one heck of an imagining, you were moaning like you were
being caressed.”

My face burned with embarrassment. “I guess
I was, by water.”

He laughed again. “Okay, before I get
sidetracked, want to go for a ride?”

“Oh, can we?” I asked, not caring that I
sounded like a five-year-old asking for candy. “It’s so dark and
there isn’t any wind.”

Jarrett touched his hand to a crystal on the
dashboard and several crystal lanterns popped to life around the
edge of the boat, casting the water with a blue-tinged glow. Then
he took a small crystal from his pocket and pushed it into a
depression next to the gears on the dash. A soft rumbling started
below our feet.

“Water-crystal engine. It works great for
navigating the river,” he said.

I watched as he went out and untied the boat
from the dock and moved around the deck, preparing to sail.

“I love your boat,” I said when he came back
into the wheelhouse and sat in the tall chair behind the steering
wheel. “It’s really beautiful.”

“She,” he said.

“What?”

He smiled. “A boat is a she, not an it. It’s
an old sailor thing, humor me.”

“Okay, then. She is beautiful,” I said,
running my hand across the polished wood. “How old is she?”

He turned the wheel and we began moving out
into the middle of the river. I stumbled back and fell into the
seat next to the window.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine, just never been on a boat like
this before. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever been on a boat at
all.” If I had, it was when I was too young to remember, though I
doubt I had, even then. The gypsy tribe I grew up in before Pinky
had found me had stuck to the woods and mountains of Appalachia.
We’d gone to the banks of the Mississippi Sea, as well as the
Atlantic Ocean in Atlanta, but we’d never attempted to sail on
them.

Concern flashed across Jarrett’s face, and
then was gone. “Okay, but let me know if you feel queasy or
anything. I might have some herbs in the galley that will
help.”

“I’m fine. Now answer my question.” I smiled
at him in the dim blue glow of the lantern.

He turned his attention back to the water,
watching where he guided the boat as we slowly moved through the
water. “Well, she was originally built around three hundred years
ago, give or take a decade. I found her about sixty years later in
a junk yard. She had a hole in her hull and was in pretty rough
shape. Whoever owned her had erased her name, taken her maintenance
records, stripped off everything of value, and left her to
rot.”

He patted the wheel as if petting a beloved
dog. I didn’t quite understand it, but I found it endearing. I
experienced a pang of regret on The Minnow’s behalf.

“That’s horrible,” I said, meaning it. “So
you restored her?”

“Yes. I restored her as close to original as
I could come without having her records. And, since I couldn’t find
any record of her original name, I renamed her. But over the years,
I’ve made some major modifications to her,” he said, and I could
hear a tinge of regret in his words.

“What kind of modifications?”

He sighed. “The Minnow was built as a
cruising yacht. Her only source of power was a diesel engine. When
the Paranorm Council informed the Blades of the Cataclysm
predictions and warned us to start taking precautions, I knew
diesel would eventually become scarce, and then non-existent. I
modified her to be a sailing ship. She already had a mast and boom,
so it wasn’t as hard as it could have been. Later, I had a mage
help me modify the motor to a water-crystal-powered engine like the
ones used in rickshaws and surreys today, but more powerful. Also,
I can use sea or river water, so I never run out of fuel.”

“That’s really cool,” I said, not sure what
else to say. It was clear he really loved his boat. And I didn’t
blame him. It, she, was beautiful and had obviously been his home
for centuries.
How nice it must be to have a home that could
take you almost anywhere,
I thought. Then, I was shocked at
myself. I had a home like that once, a wagon, and it had never
brought me any happiness. Though I had to admit, my miserable
childhood had nothing to do with where I’d slept. I had enjoyed
traveling from place to place. It was the people I’d had to travel
with that I could have done without.

No,
I told myself silently. I would
not let thoughts of my childhood ruin this lovely night on the
river with Jarrett. I pushed them out of my head and looked out at
the dark water and the lights of the city beyond.

As we neared the edge of the city, Jarrett
touched the scry-crystal on the dash next to the wheel and gave his
name, rank, and a series of numbers. “The Minnow requesting
departure.”

A male face appeared on the small screen and
said, “You have clearance to depart through the East river
gate.”

Jarrett powered down the crystal, then
seeing my look of confusion, explained. “Even though the river
gates rarely get closed anymore, the guard towers still monitor
traffic in and out of the city. Smaller fishing and trade vessels
that don’t carry scry-crystals have to stop at the check-in
station.” He pointed to a long, floating pier with a small wooden
guard shack built on the end. “There’s another on the other side
for incoming traffic.”

“Wow, I’ve lived in this city over a decade
now and that is the first time I’ve ever been in this area. I had
no idea that was how the gates worked,” I said, awe in my
voice.

“Only a decade? Where did you live before?”
he asked, curiosity creasing his forehead.

“More than a decade, probably closer to
fifteen years now. And as for before, I think that’s a story for
another time,” I said, feeling a twinge of guilt for not sharing
with him after he’d told me about The Minnow. But I didn’t want my
past to cast a shadow on our lovely evening.

“No problem,” he said nonchalantly. “Look
over there, there are some kids night fishing on the rocks by the
gate. It’s technically illegal because it’s dangerous, but the
patrols usually ignore them. The fish gather around the rocks and
wall, making for really good fishing.”

I looked where he was pointing and could
just see three small figures on the rocks below the glowing crystal
lights that marked the wall. “That is actually something I knew.
Fiona used to go fishing by the western gate. I stayed home with
River. I had no desire to touch stinky, slimy fish.”

His laugh was rich and velvety. “Note to
self, don’t take Anya fishing.”

My own laughter joined his.

We sailed on for several minutes before he
pulled closer to the shoreline, slowed, and then turned off the
crystal-engine.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Weighing anchor,” he said, moving to the
other end of the boat and doing things I couldn’t see in the dark,
though I heard a splash.

“Oh. Why?”

“My intention had been to bring you out so
you could see the sunrise; it’s beautiful as it shines across the
river. But I didn’t anticipate you getting off work early. We still
have a few hours until then.”

“Is it safe to stay here?”

“Yes. We are well out of the way of any
other boats that might be navigating the river.”

I looked towards the dark shoreline only a
few yards away, then back towards the city where the glow of the
night lights was barely visible beyond the trees and the wall. He
must have seen the doubt on my face because he added, “I also have
some pretty strong shield and alarm spells. They’ll alert us if
anyone gets within two feet of the boat, as well as give the
intruders a pretty nasty shock.”

I knew the types of spells he was talking
about. We had the same thing at the pub. The shield on the front
door was only active during closing hours, but the back door and
all the windows, as well as a perimeter around the rooftop where my
sister grew her gardens, had permanent shield spells powered by
crystals that were charged regularly. They were tuned to the energy
of those of us living in the building. We could pass through safely
at any time, but if someone else tried to come through, they’d get
shocked and thrown back several yards. A second attempt would knock
them unconscious.

Everything I knew about Jarrett told me that
his shields were even more powerful than ours. I had no doubt we
would be completely safe here, even without the nominal protection
being inside the city walls gave.

“So, we still have at least two hours before
dawn,” I said.

He grinned and leaned back against the wall.
“Yep, two very long hours.”

I stood and walked over to him, sliding my
hand seductively up his chest. “I guess we’ll have to find a way to
pass the time,” I purred in my most coquettish voice.

He didn’t need any further invitation.

Jarrett
grabbed me and pulled me against him, his mouth coming down on
mine. All pretense was gone. The kiss started out hot and heated up
with every passing second. I slid my arms around his neck, tangling
my fingers in his hair. Sliding his hands under my bottom, he
lifted me up.

“Wrap your legs around my waist and hold
on,” he growled into my neck.

“My pleasure,” I replied, doing as he’d
ordered.

He moved towards the door we hadn’t gone
through earlier and deftly navigated the steep stairs with me
pressed against his chest. Within seconds I was deposited on a wide
bed that seemed to be built into the wall. I let go as he leaned
back, left me on the bed, and peeled off his shirt. My mouth went
dry.

“I don’t want to be crass, but I need to get
out of these clothes. I’m not sure how much playing I can do the
first time, I want you pretty badly.”

Hot balls of fire ricocheted through me.
Whether it was that he said “first time” or the pure need in his
voice, I was definitely in sync with his feelings. As he stripped,
I made short work of my own clothes, thanking my lucky stars the
corset I’d chosen to wear tonight had hook and eye closures in the
front so I didn’t have to endure the time-consuming chore of
unlacing it.

After tossing my clothes aside, I paused to
watch Jarrett as he pulled off his boots and pants and then walked
towards me. Damn the man was glorious. Tall, broad shouldered, and
every inch of him packed tight with muscle. Every single inch. I
shivered, knowing I was as ready for him as he was for me.

I reached down to start the process of
removing my boots when he said, his voice thick, “Leave them
on.”

I grinned up at him and leaned back, feeling
sexier than I ever had in my life. I spread my legs in invitation
and before I could blink, he was there, kneeling between my thighs,
holding himself above me with one arm on either side of me. I slid
my arms around his back, loving the feel of his smooth skin and
hard muscles. I pulled him down so that his chest pressed against
my breasts.

“I don’t need a lot of play either, I just
need you,” I told him.

He leaned back and looked down at me, his
gaze smoldering. “Well, a little play,” he said, a sexy smirk
curving his lips, and then his mouth was on mine, drinking me in,
before sliding down to my ear and throat.

“Don’t…” I started.

“Don’t bite. I know.” He pulled his mouth
away from my neck and looked up at me, his eyes burning with
desire. “Don’t worry, I don’t think either of us needs to be
drugged to make this feel good.”

He punctuated his last statement by moving
his mouth to my breast and grazing it with his teeth. Alternating
from breast to breast, he sucked and licked until I thought I’d
turn into ashes. “Enough, Jarrett. Now, please.”

He gave a sensual, husky laugh. “Demanding
little thing, aren’t you?”

“Yes,” I gasped, digging my fingers into his
back and pushing my hips up to him.

He groaned with pleasure and wordlessly slid
into me. We moved together, our hands and mouths touching, tasting,
and exploring as we plummeted towards release. It could have been
hours, it could have been mere minutes. I wasn’t sure. Time had
evaporated. All I knew was the feel of Jarrett against me and in
me. Then heat engulfed me, my body tensed, and wave after wave of
intense pleasure washed over me. Without realizing what I was
doing, my nails dug deeper into his back and my teeth sank into his
shoulder. A few moments later, Jarrett’s muscles clenched under my
fingers. He groaned, thrusting harder into me with his own
release.

We lay side-by-side in the bed for a long
time, neither of us talking, just trying to catch our breaths.
After a while, Jarrett broke the silence with a chuckle.