Chapter 53

• The next morning saw me above deck. Fresh wind ruffled my hair, eliciting a serene smile. I looked ahead. Sebastian had blended in with the sailors, his muscles working as he assisted with various works around the ship. Presently he fought to tie heavy ropes. I watched his damp muscles flex deliciously as he worked and I felt a flush rise up my neck.
• I brought the mead up to my lips. It had been thrust into my hands by the captain. Said it would get me in high spirits. Already I could feel a sweltering of heat in my gut and a wave of welcome lightness start to wrap me in a cocoon.
• As if feeling my gaze on him, Sebastian straightened, standing taller than nearly all the men on the ship. He turned his dark head to me. My breath caught at his open perusal. Obsidian eyes leisurely ran down my body, intensity sparking deep in their depths.