First things first, let me apologize. I know a couple of days turned into a couple of weeks and I'm sorry (Looks shamefully at the floor). The main reason it took so long apart from school taking up nearly all of my time, was that I kept on changing the kiss scene. I wanted to make it as good as I could and of course, it was never good enough. I hope you do enjoy this chapter and I hope I handled it okay. Thankyou to all the gorgeous, stunning, brilliant, people who have reviewed, please keep doing so because I always need the help.
Walking through the hallways an hour after his somewhat harsh conversation with Rebus, Tavis took in a deep breath to calm himself down, not from anger but from anticipation. Thinking back on his fathers joke about his unwillingness towards Orianna, Tavis couldn't help but laugh bitterly at himself. He had never faced a problem with women, far from it.
During his twenty four years, Tavis had learned how to use his roguish looks and charm to seduce a young woman. With his eyes, he knew he could catch their attention, with his smile he knew he could make them smile back. With most of the women it only took a few words of flattery and a few actions of subtle seduction to peak their interest. Throughout all this, Tavis always made sure to keep himself distanced from the women, making sure to remain indifferent, that is, emotionally indifferent, not physically.
"Then why", mumbled Tavis quietly to himself, "Am I suddenly… nervous to do something I've done many a time before? It's a kiss, a simple, simple kiss…nothing more".
As he walked up the stairs, Tavis silently cursed his father. Guilt was an amazing gift given to parents to use on their children.
Leaning back on her knees, Orianna concentrated on getting the thick syrupy lacquer into every edge, corner and crevice of the hand rails. The hand rails were used on the stairs leading up to the elevated deck on either side of the ship.
Orianna huffed indignantly when the horse haired brush flicked off the wood and sent loose a few droplets of lacquer onto her arm.
Setting down the brush, Orianna licked her finger slightly and tried without much success to remove the obstinate stains. Shaking her head grimly, Orianna inclined her face towards the warm sun. Letting the warmth slowly and gently caress her skin, she opened her eyes. The sky was flawless; clear and wonderfully blue.
She needed a rest from lacquering; her arms were starting to tingle with a mixed sensation of pain and exhaustion. Putting aside her lacquer barrel and horse haired brush, Orianna feebly got to her feet and walked over to the side of the ship.
Taking one inspecting glance at the ocean, Orianna studied its rough and dark surface. The woozy effect of the oceans erratic movements caused Orianna to turn herself away. Taking in a deep breath to calm the shaky feeling in her head, she then pressed her back against the ships wooden wall and slid down into a sitting position.
With the warmth of the sun on her body and the cooling breeze from the ocean, Orianna sat happily and contentedly.
Letting her eyes run over the deck, Orianna watched as the many men on deck drifted about, carrying out their daily tasks.
Orianna watched two men clean and scour the rough surface of the deck, the brooms and brushes held tightly within their calloused hands.
Looking elsewhere she saw others building or fixing things here and there, their tanned and gently shaped muscles in plain view. Orianna had to continually remind herself to blink.
Forcing her eyes away from the entrancing sight, she by chance looked towards the stairs leading below deck.
Tavis had just reached the top of the last step and Orianna tried to look as inconspicuous as possible as she watched him. With a dark scowl on his handsome face, Orianna noticed that he was searching for something or someone.
Her eyes followed him as he walked to one end of the ship and back again to the other side. He kept his eyes fixed on searching through the mass of people on the deck, until finally he stopped a passing workman and asked him something.
Orianna watched anxiously as the man turned and pointed straight at her.
Tavis, following the man's direction, turned his eyes and locked them straight with Orianna's.
"Oh no", muttered Orianna quietly to herself, her hands clasped together in cautious anticipation.
Rebus made his way up onto the deck. He knew his son wouldn't disobey his request for the young woman, so it was only a matter of time until his plan was carried out. Upon reaching the deck and seeing Tavis striding over to a seated Orianna, Rebus let out a cheerful chuckle. He was curious as to how the young woman would react to his sons' advances.
Tavis strolled calmly over to Orianna, stopping only a few feet away from her. With a hesitant gesture, he beckoned for her to stand.
Orianna narrowed her eyes suspiciously but complied nevertheless. Standing up, she straightened her tunic and dusted the dirt off her pants.
Happy that she didn't look a complete mess, Orianna looked at Tavis who, she noted with some annoyance, was looking intently at the ocean behind her.
"What do you want?" She asked as politely as she could, although there was still a hint of distrust in her voice.
Her question seemed to break through the troubled air around Tavis, causing his gaze to finally meet hers.
With a sardonic smile, Tavis reached out and gently grasped Orianna's left wrist.
The look on Orianna's face openly showed her surprise, as did the blush that was slowly creeping up her neck.
"I need you to help me with something," Tavis said before he caught sight of her heated cheeks and shook his head condemningly.
"Why do most females blush at the slightest touch of a male? It is only my hand, not my lips that are upon your skin".
Gaining back her composure, Orianna threw Tavis a cynical look.
"It was the surprise of it that made me blush, not the action itself. Sometimes I think you give yourself and your gender too much credit".
"So I should warn you next time?" Tavis asked coyly.
Orianna didn't reply but looked down to where his skin touched hers.
She felt a slight tingle make its way up her arm. Feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable from the reaction, she looked Tavis in the eyes with a questioning glance. Tavis was well aware of the effect her touch had on his skin, but chose to ignore it.
"Since I doubt that my arm can be of any use to you and the 'help' you claim to need, could you please let it go?" Asked Orianna, already trying to dislodge her wrist from his unremitting yet gentle grip
Tavis shook his head sincerely before adding a pert, "No".
Orianna scowled. Not only didn't she know what was going on, but Tavis was being intentionally vague with her.
Quickly glancing around, Tavis noticed that he and Orianna had the attention of most of the men on deck. Generally the crew tried to look subtle as they watched, but some openly stared, fascinated with what was happening.
Sighing gently, Tavis looked at Orianna. He tried to restrain a smile when he saw the look she had directed at his hand; 'murderous intent', would be the best way to describe it.
"I won't let go," Tavis said matter-of-factly.
Orianna sighed edgily, still keeping her eyes on their touching skin.
"So what do you want me to do?"
Truth be told, Tavis could thing of quite a few things he wanted to do with her, but deciding that she would probably skin him alive if he said any out loud, he settled for the safest answer.
"I'm going to kiss you now".
"Hmm?" was all she said. Her mind didn't seem to comprehend what her ears had heard.
Tavis smiled mischievously at her reply. "Instead of repeating myself, how about I just show you".
Reaching out with his hand and encircling her waist, Tavis pulled Orianna roughly into his arms. Before she had a chance to fight back, he lowered his lips until they met hers.
Caught off guard, Orianna started to pull away. Her mind was trying to resist but her body was plainly ignoring her demand.
Feeling her resistance, Tavis without thinking, pulled her closer and deepened his kiss.
When Orianna felt herself react to the force and intensity of his kiss, a fierce shiver ran through her body. She unconsciously pressed herself up against him.
Tavis' lips left Orianna's and trailed along her jaw until his lips started to caress the smooth skin on her neck. Running her nimble fingers through his dark hair, she sighed as Tavis started to ascend back to her lips, nipping gently at her skin with his teeth as he did so.
During this time, some awareness had returned to Orianna. She became aware of her wildly beating heart; she felt the cold ocean air tug at her tunic, but one thing in particular brought her back into reality; The silence around her.
Noticing the unusual quietness, Orianna opened her eyes rather hesitantly and saw, with quite some embarrassment, that most of the men had their eyes firmly placed on her.
Unknown to her, many of the men were secretly wishing they were Tavis, if only for that one moment.
With humiliation gaining the upper hand, Orianna hastily pushed herself out of Tavis' strong grasp. When he finally let her go, Orianna took a step back, trying to distance herself from him and at the same time, trying to gain some much needed composure.
Orianna was surprised at her body's response. Not only did she feel strangely breathless, but her blood felt as though it was on fire.
Daring to meet his gaze, Orianna was comforted to know that he looked just as confused as she.
Opening her mouth to say something, she stopped short, not knowing what to say. With her cheeks once again burning, Orianna quickly looked away while Tavis ran a hand through his hair.
It was at this point that a long wolf like whistle broke through the tension filled silence. It was followed by a series of muffled laughs and Orianna could swear she heard one of the men call out, "Well don't you move fast mate".
Emotions have a way of being unpredictable so it was no surprise that Orianna's embarrassment soon turned to anger. Narrowing her eyes, she turned back to face Tavis, only to find him already walking away.
Orianna scowled slightly at his retreating form as he headed towards the steps to go below deck. Tempted to walk over to him and box his ears for being so mysterious, she was surprised when Tavis turned in her direction and whispered, "Follow me".
Orianna hesitated for a moment. Her stubborn pride told her to ignore him, yet her curiosity as always, nudged her on. Shrugging her shoulders and trying to pay no attention to the many eyes still on her, Orianna followed doubtfully in Tavis' path.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, Tavis led her down the stairs and along the hallway. Neither of them dared to speak. This intentional silence suited Orianna fine, leaving her time to sort through her tangled thoughts.
They kept walking until Tavis stopped at a doorway. Twisting its handle downwards and pushing it open with a heavy creak, he walked inside and Orianna followed unquestioningly.
The map room had a way of making its occupants feel at ease. Its heavily adorned walls gave the room an intimate and relaxed feeling while its thick, noise resistant foundations gave absolute privacy to those inside.
Tavis walked over to his desk and leaned against its side. He motioned for her to close the door behind her and Orianna did so before walking over a small chair in the corner of the room.
Sitting down in the chairs plush and cushioned embrace, Orianna straightened her back and settled her eyes bravely on Tavis.
"I think I should explain," Tavis said, not daring to meet Orianna's curious gaze.
The kiss had affected him more than he'd admit and now, alone in the same room as the woman, well lets just say, his body was going against his mind, yearning for the feel of her again.
Orianna still stayed silent, her heart pounding with nervousness while her eyes daringly studied Tavis. The only reason she did so was because Tavis currently had his attention focused on a map hanging on the opposite wall.
Taking this opportunity, Orianna let her eyes run over him. His dark hair was, as usual, dishevelled and unkempt.
His white tunic unbuttoned slightly at the top, revealed beautifully tanned skin, but it was his face that always seemed to catch her attention.
He had a strong and truthful look about him, a look that told a person he could be trusted, even though he was a rogue of the sea. Although Orianna would never admit it, even to herself, she was undeniably attracted to him.
"Do you mean what happened up there was done for a reason?" Orianna asked softly, hoping for some strange reason, that he'd deny it.
"Of course," Tavis said aloofly and instantly regretted it. He saw a shadow pass over Orianna's gentle face and watched it disappear just as fast. That small change in her had caught his attention.
"I had a feeling it was," Orianna said untruthfully, her confident voice masking the uneasiness she really felt. The kiss had apparently affected her more than him.
Realizing this, Orianna smiled sadly to herself. 'That's the way it always goes doesn't it? I imagine one thing while the truth tends to be another'.
"I guess I should start from the beginning," Tavis said, finally looking into Orianna's eyes.
Her innocent gaze lured him back to thoughts of the intoxicating kiss; he really was letting his guard down around her, and he honestly didn't like it one bit.
Closing the door behind her and walking back up to the deck, Orianna laughed at herself. What had she expected? That Tavis was attracted to her enough to sweep her into his arms, and kiss her just for the reason that he wanted her?
"No," Orianna said aloud, a hint of anger in her voice, "It was all for my 'protection'"
Tavis had explained it all: Rebus coming up with the idea and then forcing his son to carry it out. Not only did Tavis say, 'forced', but he then did something that made Orianna want to cry. He apologized.
She didn't know why but she always imagined that a kiss like that didn't deserve an apology, a thankyou maybe, but not an apology.
That last thought made Orianna stop motionless on the steps; a realization had just hit her full force.
"I didn't, I couldn't have", Orianna pleaded to herself. "Please tell me I didn't actually say that to him".
No matter how much she pleaded, Orianna knew the truth. She remembered having declared that last statement, word for word, to him just before she got up and walked out of the room.
A deep scarlet blush crept over her cheeks making her face feel hot. No wonder Tavis had looked at her strangely as she closed the door.
So…..what did you think?