long minute. Jewel stared back, letting her gaze skim over his firm lips, high cheekbones, and the fine lines of his face. Time stretched and she looked away, uncomfortable with the intimacy.
“You will come back?”
It sounded like a question, but Jewel knew it was a statement. Rann would probably come and get her if he had to. She shrugged.
“This is your home. I want you to treat it that way. Come back.” His voice leaked persuasion.
“Eventually.” Jewel hoped she would, but she knew it would not be for a while. Not until she believed in herself, trusted her feelings. Not until she’d grown stronger and confident that she could stand on her own two feet. It wasn’t all about her crush on Rann. She had to deal with the toxic memories of her life in London.
Rann rose to his feet. “Lini will take you to Dar es Salaam tomorrow. But you will come back. We will talk.” He bent down and pressed a hard kiss on Jewel’s mouth before walking to the door. “The seawitch will be travelling to London with you tomorrow.”
“What? Why?” Jewel followed him to the door.
“Tamsin’s suggestion.” Rann disappeared, closing the door behind him.
Jewel sagged back against the solid wood and pressed her fingers to her mouth.
Tomorrow she would leave. She wouldn’t see him again. At least not for a very long time. She’d left the island before, of course, travelling to Zanzibar and once to Dar es Salaam, but not often, and never for long.
Rann’s right. My home’s here.
She slowly pulled the long silk dress over her head and dropped it on the floor. Lying down on top of the bed, she stared up at the ceiling. A spider shifted in the shadows at the corner of the room, and she watched it absently as it darted out into the candlelight, paused, and shot back again. Her lips tingled. She sighed and climbed out of bed, picking the dress up and depositing it in her laundry basket.
Rann thought hard as he walked away from Jewel’s room. He had been vaguely aware that she’d had a crush on him as a teenager, but it hadn’t crossed his mind for years. Jewel had been starved of affection throughout her childhood; Maya’s sister, Lila, had told him about Kara. Jewel’s mother was a strange woman, cold and especially harsh towards her daughter. Lila said that Jewel had always looked for some kind of reassurance from the boyfriends she’d had as a teenager. He supposed it was fairly normal that she should see him as a focus for her affection; after all, he’d taken her away from London and her mother and provided her with a refuge. He was a safe subject for a teenager to fantasize over. Jewel wasn’t the first.
Kissing her aroused him more than he’d expected, and he wished she hadn’t stopped him. In the moment she kissed him back, he sensed that she had the potential to be a passionate and intensely sensual woman. It had been a while since he’d taken a lover. In fact, now that he thought about it, Selena had returned to the Pacific over a year ago. He had been fond of her while she had stayed with him, and he remembered her with pleasure, but he rarely thought about her now, and he was fairly sure she rarely thought about him. He’d always spread his favours widely (as his half-brother, Lykos, liked to point out); he loved women, and he liked to bask in his own sensuality.
His mind wandered back to Jewel. I wonder what it’s like to focus on one woman in the long term.
Lini took the keys to Rann’s motorboat from him and nodded. “I’ll return your boat tomorrow, Sealord.”
Rann glanced at her and then at Maya, the seawitch, and Jewel. Tamsin waited, a little apart. She’d told him that morning that she would travel to Dar es Salaam with the others and decide there where she would go next.
Should I go with them as far as Dar es Salaam?
Tamsin glanced at him, a small frown creasing her brow. He shook his head, irritated with himself. They were perfectly capable of travelling to London without him.
“You will come back?”
It sounded like a question, but Jewel knew it was a statement. Rann would probably come and get her if he had to. She shrugged.
“This is your home. I want you to treat it that way. Come back.” His voice leaked persuasion.
“Eventually.” Jewel hoped she would, but she knew it would not be for a while. Not until she believed in herself, trusted her feelings. Not until she’d grown stronger and confident that she could stand on her own two feet. It wasn’t all about her crush on Rann. She had to deal with the toxic memories of her life in London.
Rann rose to his feet. “Lini will take you to Dar es Salaam tomorrow. But you will come back. We will talk.” He bent down and pressed a hard kiss on Jewel’s mouth before walking to the door. “The seawitch will be travelling to London with you tomorrow.”
“What? Why?” Jewel followed him to the door.
“Tamsin’s suggestion.” Rann disappeared, closing the door behind him.
Jewel sagged back against the solid wood and pressed her fingers to her mouth.
Tomorrow she would leave. She wouldn’t see him again. At least not for a very long time. She’d left the island before, of course, travelling to Zanzibar and once to Dar es Salaam, but not often, and never for long.
Rann’s right. My home’s here.
She slowly pulled the long silk dress over her head and dropped it on the floor. Lying down on top of the bed, she stared up at the ceiling. A spider shifted in the shadows at the corner of the room, and she watched it absently as it darted out into the candlelight, paused, and shot back again. Her lips tingled. She sighed and climbed out of bed, picking the dress up and depositing it in her laundry basket.
Rann thought hard as he walked away from Jewel’s room. He had been vaguely aware that she’d had a crush on him as a teenager, but it hadn’t crossed his mind for years. Jewel had been starved of affection throughout her childhood; Maya’s sister, Lila, had told him about Kara. Jewel’s mother was a strange woman, cold and especially harsh towards her daughter. Lila said that Jewel had always looked for some kind of reassurance from the boyfriends she’d had as a teenager. He supposed it was fairly normal that she should see him as a focus for her affection; after all, he’d taken her away from London and her mother and provided her with a refuge. He was a safe subject for a teenager to fantasize over. Jewel wasn’t the first.
Kissing her aroused him more than he’d expected, and he wished she hadn’t stopped him. In the moment she kissed him back, he sensed that she had the potential to be a passionate and intensely sensual woman. It had been a while since he’d taken a lover. In fact, now that he thought about it, Selena had returned to the Pacific over a year ago. He had been fond of her while she had stayed with him, and he remembered her with pleasure, but he rarely thought about her now, and he was fairly sure she rarely thought about him. He’d always spread his favours widely (as his half-brother, Lykos, liked to point out); he loved women, and he liked to bask in his own sensuality.
His mind wandered back to Jewel. I wonder what it’s like to focus on one woman in the long term.
Lini took the keys to Rann’s motorboat from him and nodded. “I’ll return your boat tomorrow, Sealord.”
Rann glanced at her and then at Maya, the seawitch, and Jewel. Tamsin waited, a little apart. She’d told him that morning that she would travel to Dar es Salaam with the others and decide there where she would go next.
Should I go with them as far as Dar es Salaam?
Tamsin glanced at him, a small frown creasing her brow. He shook his head, irritated with himself. They were perfectly capable of travelling to London without him.
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