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“In part, I suppose.”
Smiling at that, I draw his arm to my lips and press a kiss to it. “And what else?”
“My lips.” Wet lips trace along the edge of my neck, down to the sensitive crook of my collarbone. “My teeth.” He nips the protruding bone, and as I flinch, a chuckle escapes me. A shiver skitters over me, goosebumps prickling in the wake of his tongue, when he licks the water from my skin. “And my exceptionally agile … fingers.”
Releasing me, he reaches for a bottle of shampoo, squeezing a small bit onto his palm before he lathers it into my hair. The scent of spicy oranges and sandalwood overwhelm my senses, and I tip my head back, allowing him to massage my scalp. For all his rough handling, Thierry can be incredibly gentle at the same time, and once again, I feel of stab of pain strike my heart.
This is all temporary.
I’m nothing but a bargaining chip to this man.
“What are you thinking about?” His question breaks my thoughts, and I open my eyes to find the view blurry with tears.
“Sailing away.”
“You’ve sailed before?”
Chuckling, I shake my head as much as his massaging will allow. “Never in my life. But I dream of, someday, sailing the ocean. Assuming I ever see the ocean again once you’ve turned me over.”
After a long pause, he tugs on my hair, just enough that I tip my head back to rinse away the soap he’s worked up.
“Where would you go?” he asks, ignoring my comment.
“Somewhere tropical. Bora Bora maybe? Then Africa. Australia. As many places as I can see.”
“That sounds like a dangerous trek by yourself. Especially if you’ve never sailed before.”
My cheek twitches with a smile I try to hold back. “Perhaps I’d find a skilled captain. Someone who knows boats and can keep me company.”
“And where would you find this skilled mariner?”
Shrugging, I tip my head forward to allow the water to rinse the soapy ends. “I’m sure this town is crawling with able-bodied men.”
A sharp pain streaks across my scalp, as he yanks my head back and spins me around. He pushes me back against the cold tiles that practically sizzle beneath my hot skin. Wedged between him and the wall, I feel his muscles harden around me, while his eyes darken with malice.
“You’re awful touchy for someone who’s just using me,” I say on a shaky breath.
Hand to my jaw, he kisses me roughly enough to steal the air from my lungs, and I wonder if he can feel my whole body trembling like a bird against him.
Not from fear, but something else. That delicious flavor that I’ve craved for so long. The one I’ve not been able to pinpoint while I, instead, filled my emptiness with pills and unrequited affections.
This unbearable ache inside of me has a name: Thierry Bergeron. He’s what I desire more than anything. The exquisite poison that’s sure to destroy my heart this time.
The possessive curl of his fingers around my hips, and the crazed look in his eyes, tell me exactly what he refuses to say to me right now.
This man wants me as much as I want him.
35
Céleste
“Can I come with you?” Perched on the edge of the bed, I watch Thierry adjust his cuffs and snap the links into place. “It’d be nice to get off this boat for a bit.”
“You long to sail the ocean someday, yet a little over a week on a boat, and you’re already bored.”
“The swamp is not even close to being out on the open sea. At least there I’d have the ocean breeze, and dolphins and beautiful sunsets. Here, I have mosquitos. And Moses.”
“You don’t enjoy his company?”
