Rose Read Online Free Page A

soft mist. No more tears, please . “I would like to know anyway.”
    â€œNo.”
    Another spray washed over the side, and she laughed as she wiped her face clear of water. “I am tired of death and rain and sickness.” God’s will seemed cruel, and she had no heart for it. She had no desire for absolution, but she had a few things to say to Almighty God and his Holy Ghost.
    â€œIt is part of life,” Dominus said.
    â€œHmm.” She’d loved, been loved and betrayed. Widowed and saved from poverty—she knew to count her blessings. The Master gave with one hand while dealing a ringing blow with the other. “What do you know of life’s bounty? You’ve given up everything. For what? You watch from the side. I suppose you do a lot of praying.”
    His eyes narrowed.
    â€œI do not fear my own death.” She smiled wide, determined to keep her pain at arm’s length. “Which is why I live every moment. Sarah is gone”—Mamie snapped her fingers—“like that. I say, enjoy the wine, the rich velvets, and the lovers. Death comes soon enough.” Damn her watering eyes. She looked away, the ocean a calm sheet of bluish gray behind them. White clouds skittered across a soft sky. Au revoir, Sarah.
    Dominus cleared his throat. “And what of your soul? If you do not take care of your spiritual duties on earth, then what happens when you die?”
    â€œI will know soon enough.”
    â€œBut not yet,” he said, his tone demanding. What right did he have to behave as if he cared?
    She knew one sure way to remember she was alive. Skin to skin. “Thank you, Sir Dominus, for your concern over whether or not I jumped. I would not have, but I appreciate your regard.”
    Touching Dominus’s sleeve, she met his gaze with a sultry question in hers. He inched back. “A warrior, I dare guess, your entire life. Your shoulders are as broad as the sail.” Mamie slid her glance across his tanned face. He had a nose that had been broken at least once. His beard, thick and light brown, the same color as his brows, furrowed into a single strip as he watched her study him. His dark blond hair curled close to his head. What would he do if she ran her fingers through the curls?
    She reached up, and he grabbed her wrist.
    â€œYou think to tempt me into forgetting my oath?” His voice held strength, something that appealed to her more than the size of his forearms. “I am sworn to chastity.”
    Mamie dropped her hand, though she kept the honey in her tones. “It is not so with all men of the cloth. Is the reward worth being chaste?”
    His voice deepened, affected by her seduction. “I hope so. Until then, it is for me to honor my promise and control my baser urges.”
    Mamie straightened at the rebuke, adjusting her cloak around her shoulders. Her hair whipped over her cheeks and mouth. She needed a comb, a bath. What she would give for a bath. “I respect that. Honor is a rare thing. I have finished here, Dominus. Thank you.”
    Her hair smacked his cloak as she passed by, slowly giving his back and shoulders an appraising glance. “If you ever decide to dabble in those base urges, find me. I would see what lies beneath that tunic.”
    She could’ve sworn he grinned before looking down.
    â€œI will pray for you,” he said to her back.
    Waving a hand to show her gratitude, she kept walking, knowing he watched. She added a slight sway to her hips, as if she wore a clean gown instead of mildewing clothes. Ah well. There was always the captain’s invitation.

    Dominus thanked all the saints for his iron will. Mamie of Rou was Jezebel and Delilah and Eve all in one. She was made to tempt a man, which despite his donning of the Knights Templar robe, he was. Full-blooded and fighting a hardened cock with no relief to be found. Privacy was impossible on board the crowded vessel.
    Everard joined him