“I like that. Levi.”
His answer was a soft hum as he kissed me. “How strange that something as simple as my name sounds like music from your lips, Maggie.”
I felt like I was melting, even as the frigid wind gusted around the ship.
“I’m sorry that we have to keep our…closeness a secret for now,” he breathed. “I don’t want to throw off the balance of the crew any more than it already is, just for a bit longer. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I think so. It must be a huge adjustment, having a woman on the ship.”
“Not as much as I’d feared.” That dark chuckle felt like rich cedar smoke wrapping us in our own little cloud. “You’re surprisingly open minded, lass.”
“I’m trying my best to earn my keep.”
“I know you are. We all do. And I appreciate it.”
My fingers reached out from the blankets to slip upward, along his shirt, his collar, then to nestle at the back of his neck. I was rewarded for my bravery with a deep sigh.
“I know it must be difficult for you,” he whispered. “Learning the ways of the Midnight Treasure , and suddenly living with strange men.”
“Yes, a little,” I admitted. “But it’s all so much better than where I was.”
“I’m very glad.”
His low rumble seemed to make me terribly aware of every single part of my skin. Was it natural for me to wish that we were naked? That he was caressing my bare skin, and that my tingling breasts were pressed against his massive chest?
His fingers rose to sweep my hair from my neck, then his lips trailed a path of kisses along my skin. It felt like he was hungry for me, that he wanted so much more.
I didn’t understand why, but that made me feel oddly satisfied. This impressive man wanted me. It felt like a real bond was being forged.
“My beautiful, beautiful lass,” he murmured, “You need your rest. Are you comfortable?”
How could I not be when he held me so tenderly? “Yes.”
“Sleep, my sweet.”
Nodding against his chest, I moved slightly, then pressed my lips together to stifle a gasp. He was completely aroused, and I felt the evidence shift between us.
I’d accidentally seen a few naked boys down at the swimming hole a few times, and was fascinated by the male body. My school friends had told me all about what happened when a man and woman were in bed.
But they hadn’t told me what an erotic thrill it would be, knowing that I had aroused a man to the point of his body changing form.
It was almost mystical. I resolved to explore this much more as soon as we were completely alone together.
I eventually drifted off, only waking slightly when Dwyer and Dobbs switched places on watch. It was impossible to tell time down here, especially with the tiny window blocked, but it felt like I briefly woke up every few hours.
It was as if I was enjoying the feeling of being so close to Levi that I couldn’t bear being asleep to miss it.
I didn’t quite wake up when Cookie got up, earlier than the others, but noticed when Willy and Dwyer left as well, leaving Levi and I alone.
Without a word, Levi’s arms tightened around me. His hand slipped into the back of my hair, arching me slightly as his lips glided down my throat. A strange little noise escaped me, even as I tried to be silent.
His hand moved from the small of my back, around my hip. He found the edge of the blanket and reached under so that he was pressed against my dress.
“Do you like the way I touch you, sweet girl?”
“Yes,” I breathed.
His hand inched higher. Pausing for a breathless moment, his hand slipped under the fabric, and gently cupped the side of my breast.