But that was just as well, wasn't it? As usual, when she wasn't aroused, she was wishing herself anywhere else but here with Stefan and his cohorts.
"Tanya?"
She shrugged the hand away that came to her shoulder, but said nothing. She heard a sigh and then movement as he left the side of the bed.
"I will leave you to change and pack your things," he told her. "But do hurry. We've kept the others waiting long enough." She didn't hear the door open and close, however, because Stefan had one more thing to say, though it took him several long moments to do so. "It bothers me more than it should, your experience with men."
Her eyes flared wide and darkened with rancor, but he didn't see that with her back still toward him. Was he actually trying to offer an excuse for his blistering insults? As if any excuse could make a difference. It bothered him? Well, she could fix that, couldn't she?
Without turning around, she said, "You should have said something sooner, Stefan, because I could have so easily relieved your mind. You see, I don't actually have any experience with men other than you, and that's not much, is it? But I don't expect you to believe that, which is why I haven't mentioned it before. After all, I worked and lived in a tavern, and all tavern girls are whores, aren't they? On second thought, I guess you'll just have to keep on being bothered by it."
She had spoken with enough sarcasm that he couldn't possibly believe her. But then she didn't want him to. She only wanted to give him something else to be bothered about. And by his new habit of slamming the door shut on his way out, this time despite his aching head, she guessed she'd succeeded very well.
Chapter 29
Sasha was there waiting for them on the dock with a large coach. Either he'd had remarkable luck in finding them himself, or one of the others had gone off to locate him while Stefan and Tanya kept them waiting. In either case, the little man didn't seem too upset at having been left to reach New Orleans on his own, though he might just be saving his complaints for a more private moment. He did have a number of things to say to Stefan, however, who merely nodded agreement without much comment of his own.
Watching them from the deck, Tanya wondered if Stefan was still angry with her. He probably was since Lazar and Serge escorted her down to the coach, and only they got into it with her. Stefan didn't even look her way, which was just as well, since she had worn her own shabby clothes again to annoy him further. But now she was regretting it. Of Vasili there was no sign at all, again just as well, since she hadn't bothered to use the hairpins he had troubled himself to obtain for her, which was carrying her own disgruntlement a step too far.
Expecting to be taken to a hotel, as she had been that last night in Natchez, Tanya decided she would rectify the mess she had made of her appearance before she saw her worst antagonists again and had to endure their disparaging comments about it. So she was annoyed to find herself transported only a short way down the dock to another boat, or ship rather, because this one was definitely an ocean-sailing vessel.
She didn't even have time to hope that they were merely stopping briefly for some reason, that this wasn't her actual destination, because the missing Vasili was on the ship, waiting for her at the top of the gangplank. When she reached him, he picked up a lock of her hair and merely clicked his tongue. A mild rebuke, surely, for that razortongued cad.
"Welcome aboard the Carpathia, Princess."
"When does she sail?"
"As soon as the rest of the crew can be found. They could not anticipate our exact time of arrival, after all."
Though he made that excuse, he still said it with a degree of annoyance, as if the crew should have had second sight — or else remained aboard the ship. But Tanya couldn't have cared less that he was letting his arrogance show. She was too busy trying to hide her surprise. So much for the wardrobe she had been promised.
"My first time in New Orleans, and I'm not even going to get to see it?"
Vasili quirked his brows in mild interest. "Was Stefan aware that you wanted to?"
As if that would make a difference, she wanted to snort, but all she said was, "No."
"Perhaps if you made your wishes known to him in the future... but in this case, time is of the essence, particularly since so much was wasted merely in locating you."
She was amazed he didn't mention her attempted escapes, which had delayed them more recently. That Stefan might grant her wishes, she didn't bother to address.
"Will I at least have a cabin to myself this time?" she asked.
He ignored that question to ask one of his own. "You haven't taken my advice yet, have you?"
"What advice?"
"To court Stefan's affection?"
"Affection? Ah, I remember — and it was his interest you recommended I cultivate, rather than his fury. "
"You have his interest, Princess. You would do better with his affection."
"You'll forgive me if I consider that an impossible endeavor."
"Forgive you?" he shot back. "No, because I can see you won't even try."
"Why should I?" she demanded, becoming as annoyed as he suddenly was.
"For your own sake. For all our sakes. For your own happiness."
Her green eyes flared with feigned surprise, just before she ruined the effect by scoffing, "I'm supposed to believe you wish me happy?"
"I want Stefan to be happy. You can go to the devil for all I care."
"I thought I already had," she retorted, but then she sighed, finding no satisfaction in sparring with him as she did with Stefan. "I'm being forced to travel with you, Vasili, but I don't have to converse with you, so kindly stay the hell away from me."
"Shield your claws, Tanya," Stefan said from behind her. "He doesn't deserve them."
She stiffened, first wondering how long he'd been there, then not caring. "But you do, don't you?" she said as she turned around.
"Today, perhaps," was all he allowed before dismissing the subject. "Do you wish to meet the captain first, or inspect your accommodations?"
"What I wish is to be let go so I can make my way back to Natchez."
"For what purpose?"
She honestly couldn't resist the chance to taunt him. "Why, I've been assured a job at Madam Bertha's. Don't you remember?"
His lips tightened. His eyes brightened a shade. Tanya didn't need any more evidence than that to tell her that she was right on target. Then he took her arm and propelled her forward, down a barely slanted stairway, and into the first cabin they came to, all without a single word.
Understandably, she was a bit wary by that point. She didn't expect to be tossed on the nearest bed, because his devil's eyes weren't glowing that much. And she didn't think he could be so hypocritical as to punish her for taunting him when his own barbs were much more lethal. Maybe he just meant to lock her away so she couldn't aggravate him anymore.
However, he hadn't even closed the door before she was in his arms and his mouth was covering hers. But Tanya knew the difference now in his kisses, and this wasn't his inarage kind. He was in perfect control and bent on — what? Seducing her into becoming a more agreeable captive?
Tanya pushed away from him before those feelings he was so capable of stirring could surface and take over. "Why do you keep doing that?"
"I am damned if I know!"
He must not have meant to admit that, for he scowled now. Tanya could have wished for a better answer, something a little more revealing, because trying to understand the way this man's mind worked was a lesson in futility and frustration. Unless...