“We’re docked.” Theo reached across the table and poured coffee into her cup. The steam rising hinted at some strange flavor, and she sniffed suspiciously. One side of his mouth curved up. “From Constantinople.”
“Hmm.” She wrapped the long sleeve of her borrowed black dressing gown out of the way, lifted the blue and white porcelain cup, and sipped. Ew. “Constantinople? How much camel dung goes in?”
He roared with laughter, and she couldn’t help grinning at the sight of him rocking back in the cane chair. Life was good when she could laugh, or watch Theo do so.
He wiped his eyes before pushing the plate of fruit pastries and croissants over. Now they looked yummy.
“Maybe these instead then? I guarantee no camel dung.”
After she’d moved two of them onto her plate, he caught her hand and raised it to his lips for a kiss. “Thank you for coming, Claire. You’ve made this a far more enjoyable journey. You’ll have to stay on board and amuse yourself for a few days. There’s a small library here.”
He’d remembered. Pleasure spread through her in a warm glow. He still held her fingers, so she maneuvered them around. He let her pull his hand to her lips to return the kiss. His hand was heavy, his skin smelled awesome as always, and she couldn’t resist giving a lick and then a nibble.
“Hey. I need my fingers.”
“I know.” She tilted her head to hold his palm against her cheek. “Thank you for this.”
“For letting you come with me?”
“For everything. For just being you. I’m so lucky to have you.”
His fingers curved and cupped her chin as he propped his elbow on the table. “And I you. I love how you obey me, Claire, and giving you pleasure.”
She blinked, said quietly, “And I love obeying and…and wondering what you’ll do to me next.” Loved putting her hands in his and surrendering. She’d learned a little of why this appealed to her. The pleasure was only a part of it. The way he commanded her was his second gift, and one she treasured as much as the other. She put her hand to where he held her chin and slipped her smaller fingers underneath his.
“Somehow I knew this.” He smiled. “Once this bill is repealed and you’re officially human, I’m going to keep you, my little bodyguard, by my side wherever I go. Always.”
Always? She felt a quiver of happiness inside. Please, let this all come true. I want to be with this man so much it hurts to imagine anything else.
He moved her head slowly, side to side. “Your answer?”
“Yes, sir.” Always and forever.
For three days, she lived in the Final Rebuttal, knowing if she set foot on the ground outside, she faced execution. Theo returned whenever he wasn’t obligated to attend parliament, sharing with her what was happening outside. She could feel their relationship cementing, enfolding, deepening. It was thrilling and satisfying all at once.
On the third day, Theo bounded up the airship’s corridor, his brown coat flaring behind him, and swept her into his arms.
“Done! Love! Done!” He kissed her, swung her about. “The bill is repealed. Tomorrow we’ll go explore the city. And tomorrow evening is the presidential ball.” His eyes changed, and he raised her chin, studying her intently. She wondered what he held back.
“After the ball is the president’s private function. There I shall introduce you to those friends I spoke of. We will have to visit Hinchcliff and Co. for something special.”
Ah. Those friends. Arousal dampened her panties; her stomach clenched. His friends—of similar persuasion.
Halfway down the steel outer steps, she stopped. She’d dressed sensibly in slim-leg red trousers, white shirt, and black jacket.
The airship field stretched away in the morning light. At one end were sprawling brick, steel, and glass offices, and at the other, backlit by an orange horizon, were low sheds and barbed wire fences. Smoke rose skyward in small tufts from a distant green and orange airship. Nothing remarkable, if it wasn’t for the men running away from it at full tilt.
Just as one screamed a warning, a curl of flame licked from the rear of the airship. Theo and Dankyo had reached the ground below her and swung their heads at the sound. Too slow.
She clicked over into sharp time, leaped feetfirst off the steps, aiming to reach the bottom and land in front of Theo. The faster, the better. The ground drifted up to meet her. Wind fluttered her shirt.