“She said what?”
“I was ordered to blindfold you,” Kit deflected. “I am sorry, but I must.”
“She said what, exactly?”
Kit continued to look anywhere but at Nick. “I do not wish to harm you.”
“Tell me what she said, and you can put the blindfold on.”
Kit’s tail lashed. There was colour in his cheeks, anger in his pinched expression. “She said to cover your eyes because they’re—what she said is obviously not true, you have the loveliest eyes of anyone on board. I have never seen amber before in my life. And yes, your gazecanbe intense, but it is nevernasty,” Kit said this with a scowl.
Nick blinked, staring in total surprise at Kit, whose tail continued to lash. His eyes found their way back to Nick’s, and the angry look softened to worry. “Do not take what she said to heart.”
“There’s no one whose opinion matters to me less than that woman’s,” Nick reassured. “You can put that on.” He nodded to the silky blindfold. “Thank you for the compliment.” Pleased embarrassment trickled through him. Nick had never given much stock to his eye colour before, beyond how they differed from his family’s dark brown. It was possibly the singular thing Nick liked about Connor when he first saw him. Nick’s eyes were at least in the same family as Trevor’s and Laurence’s; Connor’s were stark grey.
Kit secured the blindfold. As promised, Nick could see reasonably well through the fabric. A length of rope was attached to his bound arms, and Kit led him carefully above deck, warning of steps and corners that Nick could see perfectly fine. His first step onto solid ground twisted his stomach. Vertigo made him wobble, and Kit caught him by the elbow. “It’ll pass,” he reassured. In a few steps, it did.
Crew members walked on either side of them carrying equipment and boxes, but sailors and dockworkers stopped to watch as Nick passed. It boded well that seeing someone tied and blindfolded raised eyebrows; at least it indicated that this world wasn’t totally barbaric.
“What in God’s name are you doing?” Anna caught up to them, breath short from running.
“Moving him over.”
“For all to see?” Anna hissed.
“I have orders.”
“You should have explained to her that if we transport him like this,then everyone is going to know exactly who took Vi’s student,” Anna growled. “We’re going to have that family on our doorstep if for no other reason than we stepped on their pride taking him!”
“I have orders,” Kit repeated.
Nick saw the cloud of Anna’s black fury through his blue silk blindfold as she stormed away.
Nick was brought into a boat sitting low in the water, then within it, to a room in the bowels of the ship. Metal chains hung from a beam in a shallow ceiling, wooden ribs jutted inwards from a curved wall, and damp puddles wet the floorboards. The only piece of furniture was a bucket.
Nick tensed.
“This is only temporary.” Kit cupped Nick’s elbows and turned him, standing close enough that Nick felt his warm breath fanning across his cheeks. “Once we set out, I will move you into my room, but I have to leave you here until then.” He untied Nick’s wrists.
“They’ll know who took me now.” Nick lowered his voice to match Kit’s.
“Likely word will spread.”
Nick reached out, catching Kit by the wrist. Kit startled, and so did Nick, realising he’d accidentally caught the strip of bare skin between glove and sleeve. “Sorry.” He went to let him go, but Kit released a low, placating hum from his chest. Ochre musk reached Nick’s nose moments before Kit’s tongue swiped across his cheek.
Nick felt the relaxation in Kit’s body and loosened his grip. Kit’s wrist was warm and soft, a strong pulse moving beneath.
“You’re helping me.”
Kit continued to scent-mark along his jaw, tipping his head forwards to reach. The arm not in Nick’s grip slid around his waist, drawing his body in until they were flush chest to chest. He nuzzled Nick’s throat.
“Kit,” Nick growled, provoked, aroused. His breaths came heavy. He was hyper-aware of his skin, the way his clothes felt brushing against it, the tactile feel of Kit’s wrist in his hand. His tail was winding around Nick’s thigh, tightening and releasing in rhythmic pulses.
“I followed orders,” Kit murmured into the skin of his throat. His scent-marking, his licking, now felt like heated kisses. Nick’s pulse roared, his body responding with a rigid erection that Kit broke free of Nick’s grip to cup and, ever so slightly, squeeze.
“Captain,” a man called through the door.
A displeased rumble sounded through Kit. He broke away from Nick, flashing his teeth behind him. Nick forced his eyes open, breaths heavy with arousal. Interruption wasn’t enough to diffuse the heat pulsing through his body in heady throbs.
