The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea - Kerrelyn Sparks Page 0,75

eating. What choice did she have but to seduce Brody? This was the only thing she could think of that would cause the Chameleon to reject her.

She wandered over to Brody’s bed and imagined him kissing her the way he had the night before. It had certainly seemed passionate. Surely, it could happen again. And thank the goddesses, with the doors locked, they would have privacy.

Or would they? She glanced at the door with the key in the lock. What if Cahira or one of the servants had another key?

Quickly, she arranged the pillows on the bed so it would look as if someone was sleeping there. Then, she drew the curtains shut around the bed.

Should she ask for more food? When Brody returned, he might be hungry. And he might want to bathe.

She grabbed the key, unlocked the door to her bedchamber, then locked the door from the other side. After giving the bell pull a tug, she paced the floor, waiting. Soon, there was a knock on the door, and she asked the servant to bring hot water and a tray of food.

Once everything had arrived, she poured one bucket into her bathtub for a quick bath, then put on a nightgown.

She unlocked the door to Brody’s bedchamber, then deposited the tray on his table. Quickly, she brought in the remaining buckets of water, then locked the door. She set the buckets in Brody’s dressing room, next to his bathtub.

Done. Everything was ready for him.

She paced back and forth, wondering how long it would take. A few hours, most probably.

A cool breeze swept through the open window, chilling her in her thin nightgown. But she had to keep the window open, so Brody could fly back inside.

Shivering, she slipped into his bed and under the covers. As she snuggled up against the pile of pillows, her eyes slowly closed and her thoughts drifted.

Could she seduce him? The answer filtered into her drowsy mind. No matter how hard she tried, her success would ultimately depend on one thing: Brody had to be willing.

* * *

As Brody flew over the harbor of his hometown, Luna, he couldn’t spot any Eberoni vessels in port. Captain Shaw must have left. Had Nevis gone with him?

If Nevis was still here, where would he be? Brody landed close to the local tavern, then shifted into a pelican. He hopped up onto the windowsill and peered inside. This late at night, only a few patrons were gathered around the fireplace, drinking from their pewter tankards. No Nevis in sight. He must have hurried back to Ebton Palace to report Maeve was missing.

Maeve. Why had she suddenly asked him to bed her? He could only think that she had suffered too many shocks during the day and was in desperate need of some comforting.

But a simple hug would be comforting. Maeve had said she was determined to lose her virginity, and that could actually be painful for her. He would try to be as gentle as possible.

What? With a squawk, he fell off the narrow windowsill and landed with a splat. Was he actually planning to bed her? Hell, yes, a greedy inner voice growled. He’d wanted her for four years now. The fact that she wanted him, as well, was too tempting, too miraculous to ignore.

But it’s not honorable, his conscience warned him. He wasn’t sure yet if he could get rid of his curse. And once he attempted to capture Cahira and force her to lift the curse, Maeve would know the truth about her mother. If he bedded Maeve now, she would feel hurt and betrayed later on when she realized how much he’d hidden from her.

So before taking her to bed, he needed to tell her everything. Tell her who he really was and what her mother had done to his family. How would she react? Would she still want him? Would she be so devastated that she might reject him?

The thought of losing her hit him like a bludgeon to the chest. Now that there was an actual chance to rid himself of the curse, he realized how fiercely he wanted that chance. A normal life, living with Maeve as her husband? Good goddesses, he craved that more than anything. More than revenge.

Damn. He couldn’t bear to lose her. Not Maeve. Anything but Maeve.

There was no point in denying it any longer.

He loved her.

For the past four years, he’d told himself that he was merely attracted to her, that he simply