His Seafaring Siren (Caledonia's Captives) Read Online Free PDF Page A

quite like that.” She watched him shrink back. “Perhaps I’ll have to greet my friend Decimus like that when we return home.” She saw him wince from the remark.
    “Mowriyah, please.”
    “Please what, Septimus?” Fuming with the thought of Septimus with this woman, she allowed her anger to bubble out. “Perhaps you wish me to leave, so you can catch up with your old friend.”
    “Fine with me, pet.”
    “Enough of this!” Septimus shouted above the two. “Mowriyah is my companion now, Phaedra.” He raised his palm to their visitor, warning her to back off the argument.
    He turned away from Phaedra and walked toward Mowriyah like a puppy with its tail tucked between his legs. She felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Things had been going so well between the two of them; she had truly thought that he would be on his way to making a real commitment soon. Now she had to deal with one of his past escapades showing up.
    “Mowriyah, Phaedra used to be a companion of mine. She left Rome, but not without betraying me first. It’s over.” He shuffled closer to her. “I am with you now.”
    Phaedra huffed. “Oh, pathetic. I have someone else too. I was simply goading you.” Phaedra stepped toward then and Mowriyah instinctively marched forward to meet her challenger, shoulders back and ready for action.
    Septimus grabbed her wrist. “Mowriyah, please.”
    Mowriyah looked at Septimus. His pleading, brilliant green eyes reminded her of their new home and the anger eased in her heart. “What does she want?” she demanded.
    “That is a good question.” He turned and faced Phaedra. “Why are you here? Why are you back, and why have you come to find me?”
    ***
    Septimus couldn’t help but let his mind wander back to the past as Phaedra retold her story. She said she had left Rome on her own, but hadn’t made it far before she had been captured by slave traders and returned to the city. He kept stealing glances at Mowriyah, who seemed to relax a little, but he could still see the anxiety in her face. He hoped that she could see that he was genuinely no longer interested in Phaedra. Though he knew it would be hard to convince her when he was having trouble convincing himself.
    Mowriyah was astoundingly beautiful and had a spark of adventure and an independence that made him laugh. He had come to realize how boring his life would be without her at his side. He turned his gaze to Phaedra once more and noticed her unblemished skin, and how her toga barely covered her cleavage. Her golden hair was curled in braids around her head, similar to the style Mowriyah had worn the day before, except Phaedra had left long locks spilling out the back. He had to admit, it was extremely difficult to sit at the table between these two gorgeous women without indecent thoughts permeating his brain.
    “...Trivian. Now, we’ve—”
    “Trivian?” Septimus interrupted. “What about Trivian?”
    Mowriyah reached out and took his hand. “Dear, haven’t you been listening? She’s been seeing Trivian for some time now.” She looked him in the eye and he was scared his thoughts of the two women naked in his bed would be easily read.
    He looked away quickly. “Sorry, I guess I was thinking about our next move. So, you know where Trivian is?” He searched Phaedra’s face, hoping that she wasn’t lying to him. Though her external beauty reminded him of passionate nights they once shared, he also remembered her cunning ways.
    Phaedra tilted her head up, meeting his gaze. “Of course I know where he is. We’re to meet tonight after his work is done.” A sly grin crept to the corners of her mouth. “Why do you want to see him?”
    “Phaedra, you know we were all brothers. I need to find him, to get him out of here.” He paused, sorry he had made the comment before he had thought it through.
    “And where are you going?” Phaedra had a look of pure delight in her eyes. “I cannot wait to get out of