The Queen of the Waves

8: all Bark and no Bite

Bastian swallowed hard as he followed after the swaying hips of Mara, he muttered a curse and uttered a prayer to the Gods that he could maintain his dignity not to pounce on her.

For most men, her sharp tongue would be intriguing, but for Bas, it was as tempting as any sight of skin.

Even though he doubted Mara's integrity, he couldn't help but feel the desire to learn more about her, and not for an inquisition but rather because he wanted to know her. And how she could confidently believe that she could beat him in a fight, to say that didn't raise his heartbeat would be a lie.

Mara resisted her desire to flick her eyes behind her to the brooding bear of a first mate following close behind her. His presence was so near to her that she could hear his breath and feel his warmth against her bare skin.

As the sounds of the men rose higher and higher in her ears she suddenly felt that those bare arms left her exposed and vulnerable. She hesitated for a second with her step which lead to Bas stumbling into the back of her.

"Gods!" He exclaimed as he was forced to wrap his arms around her waist to prevent her body from slamming into the deck.

"Sorry," she exclaimed as he let his arms drop back to his sides. Both of them missed that subtle warmth and electricity, though neither of them would admit it.

"Don't worry about it." Bas' voice was gruff and tense, it made Mara flinch. She wrongly assumed that his tense tone was from irritation directed towards her, in reality it was from the delicious feeling of her soft curves pressed against his front.

"And as for the men, they're all bark and no bite and uh- Mara." She turned to look at him with a light, nervous smile on her plump lips.

"I'm certain that you can handle whatever they throw at you."

His compliment in her capableness made her lips spread into an even wider smile which made Bas' heart flit a beat at its beauty. Mentally, he tried to scold himself but his heart would not listen and neither would his cock.

They wanted Mara no matter what how hard his logic protested.

Ok, Mara whispered to herself as the men came into sight. All their noise fell silent as they stared at the intriguing, feminine stowaway.

To Bastian's horror all the sailor's eyes fell to the tempting groove of her cleavage. Oh how he wished that shirt buttoned up an inch further, even if that would steal the view from his eyes as well.

"Oi," he boomed from behind Mara, "you look at me or you don't look again."

Mara laughed at his threat, if those men stared at her chest for a second longer, she was about to rip their eyes out before Bas could make a move.

She'd let the men think that she was a vulnerable woman for a few more days before her temper snapped and she would show them the truth.

Not Bayen though, Mara could tell he wasn't worthy of any of her wrath.

"Hello," Mara smiled at the gawking men and waved awkwardly at them.

After her minimal interaction with them, they appeared bored and the hum of their conversations and work began again.

Mara sighed in relief and walked over to the edge of the ship and gazed down at the waves brushing against the ship.

"Well I assume that went better than you expected?" Bas spoke from a few feet away from her, he sensed that Mara wouldn't want him standing too close.

"Yeah, I guess." She shrugged noncommittally and then turned her attention back to the rippling ocean.

"Excuse me." A men with an accent Mara hadn't heard before spoke close to her.

She turned her head and smiled warmly over at the man with gentle eyes.

"I'm Louis." He held out a grubby hand which made Bad wince for Mara but his fears were in vain as she eagerly took his hand and shook it.

"I'm Mara, nice to meet you."

"Mara?" The man questioned, his tone pricking Bas' interest and caused him to sidle nearer to her.

"Yes." She nodded her head and brushed the fallen locks back behind her ear.

"As in an Amara of the Sousmonté people?"

"What?" Mara whipped her head around the man, the tension in her chest tightening like the rope on the sails.

"Your name." Louis considered, carefully. It hadn't gone unnoticed to him that his first mate was eavesdropping the conversation or that Mara had fear in her eyes.

"It's a name from the Sousmonté district, is it not?"

"Oh," Mara paused pensively, "maybe a long time ago. I was named after a distant relative so it's a possibility. I've only ever been called Mara."

"Huh," Louis nodded his head, "that interesting. The Sousmonté people were truly fascinating, I wonder, do you know if that relative was on your mother or father's side?"

"Uh, no. Sorry I don't know."

Mara cleared her throat and swiftly headed back across the deck. Before Bas could even chase after her to continue the conversation, the cabin door slammed shut and the lock clicked seconds later.

Cursing Bas headed back over to the stunned Louis. He had let Mara's beautiful appearance and startlingly sharp tongue had left him vulnerable to her temptress ways. He would have to be more wary of her in the future.

"Louis?"

"Yes Sir." He quickly saluted and stood to attention.

"Stand down," Bas offered, his tone formal but no longer fierce, "now, what did you mean about her name coming from Sousmonté?"