Kings and Thieves

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Ari climbed out of the ocean soaking wet and with his curls plastered like seaweed onto his forehead. He needed a drink. And to change out of his wet clothes; the fabric of his shirt was sticking to his torso.

Eventually he decided that his drink was more important, and everyone else insisted on coming with him, so they decided forego the freshening up and walk together to the local village tavern, still damp from their encounter in the sea.

Aveline skipped blithely into the tavern beside him, and Ari was glad she was back to her cheerful self.

Ari's crew really was, for the most part, low-maintenance. Inez did well on her own managing Henry and the children, and the rest of the bunch usually just needed someone to order them around. Aveline was an effective partner ninety percent of the time, but couldn't sit still for too long; she had to do something physical or she became restless and unhappy. It was a symbiotic relationship; Ari gave his crew what they needed, they reciprocated. It made it easy for him to maintain control in an environment that was generally filled with chaos.

Having their new additions around hadn't changed things much- with the exception of Jamie.

She made him uneasy. She fogged things up, somewhat, and Ari couldn't afford to lose his concentration. His work was important; one of the most important things in his life.

Ari didn't like to be distracted; and Jamie knew it. She was perceptive. Smart.

Yet here she was; rattling the unyielding bars of his guarded soul.

She was here; quite literally, Ari realized, blinking out of his haze as Jamie took the empty seat beside him at the bar.

Speak of the devil. Ari inwardly groaned and snagged his bottle from across the table.

Jamie crossed her legs, primly, and adjusted her skirt. Ari idly wondered if Lyla was teaching Aveline and Jamie to be proper. It wouldn't have surprised him; they often sat together and tittered about random subjects like those frivolous court women at the palaces.

"You've been avoiding me," Jamie accused, bringing Ari's reluctant thoughts back to her.

"You're right." Shameless. Ari uncorked his bottle with his teeth and spat it out onto the floor.

"Are we going to discuss what happened earlier?"
Earlier. On the beach. Jamie's strange little lecture. And then she had touched his hand, and he'd leaned in for some reason...

Gah. He'd almost kissed her.

"No," Ari broke off, feeling his cheeks heat up. "We're not."

This clearly had not been the response Jamie had been looking for; she glared at him fiercely. "Coward."

Ari's breath tapered off into a hiss. "What did you just call me?"

But Jamie only fixed him with a self-satisfied stare, the tiniest of scoffs curling her lips before she deliberately swiveled away from him on her stool to begin engaging Aveline in enthusiastic conversation.

Ari bit back a harsh retort, unexpected irritation swimming through him at her apparent dismissal.

After a moment, Ari unclenched his fists, which had tightened of their own accord.

This is what he'd meant. Why did he let Jamie rile him up so? Ari had no clue, and vexing people was supposed to be his specialty.

"I heard there was a break-in at Mellie's farm last night," the bartender commented to one of his customers, catching Ari's attention as he ran his rag down the counter. Aveline coughed. Ari felt a smirk growing and hid it behind the rim of his bottle.