Page 35 of Midnight Serenade
“No, I’m not trying to kill you. I traded with your mom. I thought it would be a nice surprise and we could spend some time together.” His voice sounded suspiciously like he was trying to stifle laughter.
“Next time, try flowers,” I grumped.
“Noted. Grace, I have boxer shorts on. I’m not naked.”
“I’m not looking at you. If I look at you, I’ll see your dumb face, and then I’ll forgive you.”
His shoulders shook again. “We’re heading to the infirmary. It’s just down the hall from here.”
I sighed. The infirmary again. I think I was winning points for the most disastrous cruise ship passenger ever. The doctor would probably take a picture of me and put it up on his wall and show it to cruise passengers forever after as a cautionary tale.
Chapter 13
Grace
The next few days at sea passed peacefully. Mama, Micaela and I all played miniature golf. Micaela and Mama smoked me, which shocked me. I wasn’t shocked because of Micaela; I’d fully expected her to smoke me. But I couldn’t remember Mama ever evenplayingminiature golf.
When we finally made it to Samoa, I caught my breath at the rugged beauty of it. It was gorgeous! There was so much green it looked like a master painter had taken a wide brush, dipped it in green, and went crazy with it.
Despite the island’s beauty, I was hesitant to go ashore. I stood looking at it, trying to determine if I wanted to take a chance on being attacked again. It seemed that no matter how many bodyguards I had, the person who kept coming after me found a way through. It wasn’t my bodyguards’ fault. I mean, who would have guessed that someone would beat up the employee at the ziplines and take their place? None of us had.
I was used to fending off attacks from unwanted attention, which was why I carried a gun and mace and Mama carried a bat, but I was used to it coming from men who were fixated on me. I didn’t know why, but I was getting the feeling this woman wasn’t coming after me because she was romantically obsessedwith me. It felt like this was about revenge. And, to me, revenge was infinitely more terrifying. I was used to the one, but had never had to deal with the other.
Sebastian leaned against the rail beside me, looking cool and breezy and handsome. I loved the way he dressed. It was classic, comfortable, and perfect for someone who spent their life on a boat. He was in a pair of dressier white shorts with a belt and a navy-blue pullover shirt. He went everywhere with bare feet, just like I did. Unless we were going to dinner; then we had to wear shoes.
I took a peek at my toes and laughed in delight at the glossy lemon-yellow polish. I’d gotten a manicure and pedicure as well as a cut and style today, and I was feeling pretty fancy.
“I love your sunshine toes,” Sebastian said with a grin.
I laughed and kept wiggling them. “Thanks. It was a real treat getting them done. I can’t remember the last time I got a pedicure.”
He gazed at my face, and then ran a gentle hand through my hair. “Your hair looks beautiful too.”
I ducked my head, my cheeks burning. “Thank you.”
He chuckled. “You know, for a siren, you’re pretty bashful.”
“Are most sirens egomaniacs?”
“No. They’re just used to people falling at their feet, I suppose.”
“So, they’re egomaniacs.”
He chuckled again and looked out to sea. I followed his gaze and saw a humpback whale crest the water in the distance. Then five more broke the surface, water and air erupting from their blowholes. A baby swam with the pod, but the adults kept the baby shielded in the middle of them, so the baby was hard to see.
“It’s so hard to imagine there’s an entire world under our boat that most people never get to see,” I said wistfully.
Sebastian wrapped both arms around my waist, and I leaned back against him. He smelled masculine and delicious, and his skin was warm from the sun beating down on us.
“We’re anchored,” Sebastian said in a low voice. “Just wait. I bet they come to see you.”
And somehow, miraculously, they did. The little family came close to the ship, and I got a little teary when they appeared to take a special interest in me. How did Dr. Seuss put it? I felt whimsilerated. It was astounding to me that marine life seemed to see me as a friend.
Kazi leaned into us, cuddling like he sometimes did. I patted him and rubbed his furry head. He was an excellent companion, and I would be sad to leave him at the end of this trip. Sad to leave all of this, but most especially the vampire that had me snugly wrapped in his arms.
I thought about my mama’s words today. How I might stay. It was a big decision, and I didn’t make those lightly, but it was also starting to feel like the best decision for me.
Well, I still had time to make it. We were only about a third of the way through the cruise, after all.
