Five
Onboard the Kashmir
I showed up at the Kashmir by myself, having said my goodbyes to Solenne back at the estate.
I yawned as I came up the gangplank, since I really hadn't gotten that much sleep last night.
It hadn't been all non-stop sex, either.
There'd been a fair bit of talking, as well.
Nothing terribly serious, just little things about her life that she wanted to share, and I told her a few about mine.
The kinds of things you share as you become comfortable with one another.
The ship came alive as I stepped aboard, and Kardez got everyone to work preparing for takeoff. I went straight to my cabin and, stripping down, I hit my bed and was asleep before we'd even left the dock.
I awoke at some point to a light knocking on my cabin door.
"It's open," I called out, sitting up and yawning. The view out the porthole was dark; it was obviously night.
The door opened, and Anna stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
"Hi," she said, looking both nervous and embarrassed. She was wearing a robe, and I suspected nothing else.
"You okay?" I asked, looking up at her.
"I sort of had hopes the other night, then you suddenly had to leave when that wealthy elf showed up, so I wasn't sure what to do, and Nita told me to just go up to your cabin, naked, and knock on the door."
"She said that, did she?" I asked, rolling my eyes.
Anna let the robe slide off her body and drop to the floor. She really was a beauty. She gave me a slightly worried look, so I smiled at her and gestured for her to step over, and she did.
Putting my hands on her hips, I pulled her closer, forcing her to kneel on the bed, straddling me. I smiled at her and looked her in the eyes.
"What do you want, Anna?" I asked in a soft voice as she put her hands on my chest.
"I want you to make love to me," she whispered.
"Why are you worried?"
"I'm not a queen, a princess, a champion, or some rich and beautiful elf. I'm just a commoner."
Sliding my arms around her, I pulled her closer and kissed her, making sure my built-in birth control was back on.
"Anna, the only things that matter are that I like you—which I do—you like me, and you want to be here and share my bed for a while. Okay?"
She smiled and gave a slight nod.
Pulling her down onto the bed, I made love to her. Anna was a quite responsive lover and apparently a bit more interested in me than I'd realized.
"You should drag Neli in here," Anna purred softly as we cuddled in bed much, much later. It was starting to get light out, and I was sure she'd have to leave to go work in the galley, as breakfast would start in an hour or two.
"I'm not sure Neli or Kardez would appreciate it if I started to drag the female crew members into my cabin."
"She hasn't had anyone in quite a while. She'd appreciate it, I'm sure."
"If you tell her to show up at my door, I won't complain," I replied and rubbed my head against hers. "Don't mind sharing, then?"
Anna snorted. "I'm sure you know that I've been spending time with both Muahtz and Haas."
"And Kanhz until Rella showed up?"
Anna nodded.
"Jealous of her?"
"Hardly! It took me weeks of pushing to get her into his bed."
I had been grooming her neck with my tongue, a typical cat thing when you're in bed with a lover, when she said that. I stopped and looked her in the eye. "You pushed her into his bed?"
Anna smiled. "Yup."
"Why?"
"Because it was obvious that she both wanted him and was afraid of him.
I think most elven women are terrified of him when they first see him, but when he speaks?
" Anna sighed. "In some ways, he's like you, well-mannered and friendly, but with him it's much more obvious that he's a killer when he has to be. "
"And?" I prompted as I went back to grooming.
"She needs someone like that, someone who'll not just kill for her, but who is so big and buff and bad that he'll survive. He's a very kind and considerate lover, and I suspect a few years from now, she'll give him a son, and they'll get married."
"Perceptive," I said between licks.
"I know I'm beautiful, and I know males desire me.
I grew up with it. I also know I'm young and flighty, and most guys just see me as a bedwarmer and not much else.
So I'm enjoying it while I can. I'm quite happy I get to enjoy you as well, Will.
I wasn't sure you'd want to spend any time with someone like me. "
I snorted at that.
"I'll also admit, I'm a bit worried that you might decide I'm yours now and make me your property."
"Really?"
"William, I've seen you do it with Rachel, who is a queen, Kani, who was a queen, and a fair number of other women."
"Then why take the risk?"
"Because you're a big, buff tom, well known for pleasing women, and unleashing destruction on those who deserve it?
Why wouldn't I? Toms like you don't come into the lives of girls like me all that often.
We all want your attention when you walk by, but only some of us are willing to take the chance and act on it. "
I laughed at that.
"So how was the elf's daughter?"
The change of subject threw me off track for a moment. "Huh?"
"We were taking odds on whether you'd show up back here with her or not, but I'm curious, I'll admit. How was she?"
I smiled and gave Anna a hug. "She was good, so much better than when I last saw her. She's happy again, and she's living her life again. I was worried about her—about all of them, if I'm being honest. It was nice to see she's going to be okay."
"I meant in bed!" Anna teased.
"Sure you did."
"I'm definitely going to push Neli at you."
I sighed. "I'm not looking for another wife, partner, or full-time girlfriend."
"Worried you'll overwhelm her?"
"You were worried I'd overwhelm you, weren't you?"
"That's fair," she said, and, turning, she started grooming my neck fur. "But now that I've had my way with you, more than once, I think I understand what's going on with you. I'll let her know you're safe, you're not looking to make her yours."
"That's safe?" I asked, surprised.
"For certain values of safe. Now, I need to leave soon, so how 'bout we cuddle until I do."
"I am continually amazed at both how much and how little I understand about women," I said, causing Anna to giggle as I relaxed and enjoyed her affection. I thought about what she'd said about her matchmaking with Rella, then her comments about Neli, though she hadn't said a word about Jill.
"What about Jill?"
Anna sighed. "Jill wants a commitment. You bed Jill, and you're going to be putting your cubs in her and spending a lot of time with her. For you, she's not 'safe'."
"You sure about that?"
"She's told me. Said if I could help her find a tom who'll make an honest woman out of her, she'll name a daughter after me."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
Anna left about an hour before breakfast, and I caught a quick nap until the watch bell rang that it was time to eat.
Getting up, I cleaned myself with a cantrip, donned my pants, and headed for the mess.
Smiling at Jill, Anna, and Rella, I got breakfast and went over to sit with Zed, Nita, and Alena.
"Show up naked at my door, indeed," I said in a soft voice.
"It worked, didn't it?" Nita replied, giggling.
"Showing up at my door worked."
"Then you should be thanking me for making your life easier."
"Well, at least I get to feel like a notch in someone's bedpost instead of the person carving it."
"As if you didn't enjoy it."
"Oh, I definitely enjoyed it, trust me on that. Pretty sure she enjoyed it, too. Were they really taking odds on me bringing Solenne back with me?" I asked Zed.
"If I hadn't been there when you told her you'd visit, I would have been making that bet myself, Will. She had a really big effect on you."
I shrugged, then smiled. "I don't get to see the people I've saved all that often, and it's even less often that I get to see them healed and well."
"There is that," Zed agreed as I started to eat my breakfast. I looked up as Neli came over, set her tray down next to mine, and joined us.
"Hi, Neli," I said with a nod between bites.
"Will, guys," she replied, sitting down to eat.
"So what are your plans for today, Will?" Neti asked, smiling at me.
"I have no idea. Say, if all three of our helmsmen are down here, who's flying the ship?"
"Captain's flying it. Said I could hit the mess early," Neli said, looking a little embarrassed.
"I'm almost done, I'll head up in a minute and relieve him," Alena volunteered. "Almost time for my watch, anyway."
Ten or so minutes later, it was just Neli and me.
"So?" I asked her, and she looked a little embarrassed.
"I'm not showing up at your cabin door naked," she whispered.
"Who said you had to?" I asked, surprised.
"Somebody was dropping hints…"
I sighed. "Neli, I'm not going to try to drag you off to my bed. I didn't hit on Anna; she hit on me."
"There's a difference?"
"If I hit on her, how would I know she didn't say yes because she was afraid I'd fire her if she didn't?"
"With her, I'm not sure that matters," Neli said with a snort. "That girl is fearless."
"This from the woman who rolled my ship?"
"Umm…" She blushed. "But that's how I know I can say 'no' to you."
"Well, you may know that, but I don't."
She blinked and turned her head to look at me. "I, I think I see your point. You know, of course, that I would never say 'no' to you, just like Anna wouldn't?"
"She did drop some hints," I said with another sigh. "Is there something you want to tell me?"
I felt her tail flick over and curl around mine.
"Maybe?"
For my part, I curled mine around hers and smiled at her.
"Would you like me to spend some time with you?"
"Let's go back to my cabin. I'd rather not be smelling Anna."
"So why now?" I asked as we both stood up to bus our trays.
"You're here stag."
I just nodded and followed her back to her cabin. As senior helmsman, she had her own, and since it was close to the bridge—closer than mine—we weren't exactly unnoticed.
But she didn't care, so I didn't, either.
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