DOGS. Legacy Saga II

29

One of the soldiers on duty that afternoon was Sanchez, so Alma didn't have a chance to speak alone with Castillano. And he couldn't go upstairs to his guests' rooms, because the damn idiot would follow him into any room, like old fat Garrido used to do. He had no choice, but wait for the night shift. It was Juan Martin day, and Castillano wouldn't have any trouble to move around unnoticed. Alma could only tell him Segovia would come for dinner.

Seeing her go back upstairs, he tried a casual question. "What are you women up to now?"

"Mysterious things," she replied from the stairs.

The three of them stayed out of sight the whole afternoon.

By sunset, Marina went to the library. The door was open and Sanchez stood like a statue by the doorway, inside the room. She nodded at the soldier and approached the armchair where Castillano read. He stood up.

"I'm sorry, Captain, but Doña Dolores doesn't feel well, and she won't join you for dinner," she said in her shy-maid voice. Castillano noticed her glare. "And I'm staying with her."

Before he could ask anything or even make a sign, she did her little curtsy and left.

Alma brought dinner for Marina and Dolores to the upper floor, snorting like an angry cat. Castillano was dining with Segovia and Alma had commissioned the maid serving them to heed their conversation. So far, Segovia hadn't even mentioned Veracruz.

"I don't like this," Marina said. "He doesn't need to conceal that he's about to take the captain before the jury."

"Unless it's not the jury he's planning to take him to," said Dolores.

Alma sat up, worried. "You think he's planning to deliver the captain to the Inquisition?"

"And who would dare to protest if he does?"

Marina needed a moment to digest the idea and breathe again.

"We need to leave," she said. "Right tonight. If the Inquisition is in play, we're in danger too."

"You mean leaving without the captain?" asked Dolores.

Marina yanked her hairpiece off, frustrated. "Dammit!" She stood up and paced about the room. "Alma, how long till they're done?"

"An hour? Maybe soon. They don't really get along."

"Fine. Please, Alma, go back downstairs. And as soon as that son of a bitch leaves, tell your boy he should go to sleep early." Marina headed out. "Wish me luck."

"For what?"

Dolores question made her smile as she left the room.

Juan Martin never arrived, and before leaving, Segovia ordered Sanchez to cover for him. Castillano walked the general to the door with Alma, as usual. As soon as the man was gone, Alma turned to Castillano.

"You should go to bed, Hernan," she said, and nodded slightly at his questioning frown. "You need to rest."

He nodded too. "You're right. I shouldn't stay late for a change."

Alma drew a cross on his forehead with her fingertip. "Night, Hernan. God bless you."

"Night, Alma."

Castillano held his horses and didn't sprint to his room. He walked down the hall with Sanchez on his heels. He went into his room, closed the door in the soldier's face and locked it.

"Goodnight, Sanchez," he said from inside.

He remained by the door to turn around. The window was open and the bed canopies closed. He approached one of the bedposts and lifted the end of one of the canopies. Marina was there, kneeling on the covers, wearing only a light short-sleeved shirt. The strings to her collar were loose and the bottoms of the shirt barely covered her thighs.

Castillano narrowed his eyes. What the hell was going on? Why would Alma send him to meet Marina, who waited for him half-naked on his own bed? His body protested his doubts. Hadn't he heeded the words Marina half-naked in his bed?

She reached out to him, meeting his blue eyes in the shadows. He put a finger across her lips and nodded to the door. He sat down at the edge of the bed to take his boots off and dropped them noisily, for Sanchez to hear. Next he took his coat off. Then he folded a leg on the bed and rested on his elbow. He took Marina's hand and kissed her fingers in no hurry. He wanted to give the child a chance to explain herself, or run away before he took her in his arms. Because if they came to that, he wouldn't let go anymore.

She tugged at his hand gently. Still cautious and suspicious, Castillano sat closer to her. Marina untied the stole around his collar. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Nothing would convince him that he was so damn lucky. So he needed to keep a grip on himself and find out what the child was up to.

She sought out his lips while she unbuttoned his shirt. Castillano ran his fingers over the short raven hair, shivering from head to toes when she pulled his shirt off his sash and opened it.

"Lay back," she whispered by his lips.

"What is it, child?"

"Nothing, Hernan Castillano, only that I love you."

He didn't find the will to resist. Marina helped him lie down with his head on the pillows and stretched out to close the canopies. Then she lay back by his side, her elbow on the pillows to hold her head up and look down at him.

She rested her open hand on Castillano's heart, partly covering the scar of the wound she herself had inflicted him, and caressed his chest slowly. A shaky sigh escaped his mouth and he kept very still. Marina smiled at him and leaned in to kiss him again.

The words caution, suspicion and control evaporated from Castillano's vocabulary when Marina broke the kiss and raised her chin, offering him her neck. He took her in his arms and rested his head on her shoulder, letting his lips glide up and down the velvet skin, covering the pulse that raced at his touch. His hand rested on her other shoulder and slid down, dragging the wide strap of her shirt down her arm. He hesitated, because that used to be the ultimate frontier he was allowed to visit. But she didn't stop him. And as soon as he left her neck, Marina kissed him again.

She didn't hide her growing agitation. A chill ran down her spine when his hand slid toward her firm, round breast that seemed to call for a caress. He would've taken her right then and there, but he would deserve to be gelded if he rushed. Marina entwined her fingers in his fair mane, kissing him as she quivered in that touch she'd longed for as much as him.

His mouth went back to her neck, his hand brushing her collar down to reveal that sweet round fruit waiting for him. Marina shut her eyes, biting her lips when his sank in her chest, that pumped up and down in response to his kiss, as if air were in short supply. And it was. Castillano moved a leg between hers and his hand traveled to bring Marina's knee to rest on his hip.