Return to Me - By Morgan O'Neill Page 0,68
twisted.
Just then, he heard the giggling of his women, the clucking of a chicken, and he burst into tears, for, despite his great anticipation of the afternoon’s pleasures, he felt nothing down below, his loins flaccid, dead.
His instincts flared, and he feared this was permanent. His body went cold, his throat dry. What cruel curse was this?
No, no! Honorius sat there, blubbering and soft, as Baha, Britomartis, and Adriadne passed through the curtains, Baha holding Rome. The women stopped short and stared, and then they surrounded him, attempting to give comfort as he told them his woes. They began soothing him with gentle caresses and tender kisses, sucking and licks, just as he’d always enjoyed from them, but nothing drew him up. Nothing!
Honorius pushed them away, and their looks of piteous concern only made it worse. “Go,” he cried out. “Go!”
They hesitated, but he waved them off, tears falling down his cheeks and onto his bird, now clucking on his lap, his only solace.
Alone, but for Rome, Honorius had a sudden, stark vision of the future. True death was not far off, for him or his beloved chicken.
No, oh, God, such heartache!
He hugged Rome, then hung his head and sobbed in agony.
• • •
The moonlit night was clear; the winds light but steady when Gigi came on deck to relieve Magnus of his watch. Moving to the stern, she sat beside him and snuggled close.
“It’s my turn to take the helm,” she said. “Everyone below deck is asleep.”
“I’ll go down soon,” he replied, “but being alone with you has become too rare an event to give it up for mere sleep.”
Gigi smiled. “I think I know where we can take the kids, but we’ll need to put into port somewhere and buy a decent chart. The only ones Lucius has barely cover western Italy, Sardinia and Sicily.”
“Where do you propose we go?”
“Canariae Insulae … the Canary Islands.”
“Ah, yes. I’ve heard of them, but where are they? How far?”
She held up her right fist and pointed to it. “Say my hand is the top of Africa, my thumb its western coast. The Pillars of Hercules are up here, at the first knuckle, and the Canary Islands are just off the coast, right here, maybe one hundred miles, or so. I’m not really sure. But they’re a cluster of islands. I know people live there. It’s quiet, peaceful, and we’d be safe, I’m pretty sure.”
“Beyond the Pillars of Hercules?” Magnus sounded skeptical. “Have you ever sailed out there? I’m sure Lucius hasn’t ever gone so far.”
“I’ve never sailed there, which is why we need a chart and maybe some information from sailors who have. The currents through the Strait of Gibraltar might be bad, but probably no worse than at the Golden Gate or Deception Pass. With the wind at our back … ”
“Can you handle it with an inexperienced crew?”
Gigi tilted her head and smiled at him. “Everyone will be experienced enough by then. I’ve read stories about the Canaries, and they’re supposed to be beautiful. I don’t think we’ll regret the choice.”
Gigi could see Magnus’s smile by the light of the moon, and knew the matter was settled. A sense of peace enveloped her when she realized they would soon be sunning, swimming, and playing on sandy beaches to their hearts’ content. There would be no further threats of capture, torture and execution.
“You look happy, my sweet.”
“I am.” She reached up and drew his face to hers, kissing him and inviting more.
He shifted and dropped a leather loop over the tiller — the ancient mariner’s version of auto-pilot — then pulled off her tunic and his. He embraced her, covering her throat and breasts with kisses.
The night air was warm and velvet-soft on her bare skin. Magnus’s body was searing hot, sending jolts of lust through her with his caresses. Running her hands over every inch him, she relished the familiarity, knowing what would set him free. She kissed him slowly, moving down, exploring his body with her lips, her tongue.
Magnus groaned when she reached the delicious area just below his navel, the magic trail, then pushed her onto her back and covered her with his body.
“There are certain things I cannot withstand after being so long denied, and you know it,” he murmured with a smile in his voice. “I would come inside you, my sweet, deep inside. But I mean to take my leisure before reaching that moment.”
He explored her body with his lips and tongue, tasting, taking