Page 103 of Seduced By the Mermen
I turn back to Sterling. Interestingly, his mood seems to have shifted for the better with Forrest leaving. Sometimes I wonder how this many guys can get along.
I run my hand over the back of the sofa. Alexei said this was like an RV. But it’s more like one of those mega yachts you see on TV shows with people trying to inflate their own egos. Is this the same thing? Are they trying to impress me with what they can buy? Reflexively, my lips twist to the side, and I catch Delmar looking at me.
“Everything okay?” He takes my hand.
“Yeah.” I nod. “Everything is great. I’m excited.” Which is true. When Marlee and I came here on the military sub, there was a finality to it all. That we’d never be able to leave because of how the Dorian keep themselves hidden away from the rest of the world. So yes, I’m beyond excited.
And the voyager is amazing. I love the big galley, and I can tell Grayson must have helped stock it because there’s some ofthe tea I like so much in the cupboard. And there’s a scent in the air that gives it the Veiled City version of what I imagine is a new car smell.
There’s a simple layout. The controls to pilot in the front have a door that closes them off from the lounge, and behind the lounge there’s a corridor with a bedroom, a small sitting room with a sofa... okay, well, there’s nothing simple about it. There are several bathrooms and a large closet with a machine that doesn’t look like a clothes washer but is one, Delmar assures me.
Sterling grumbles and takes a wide step around me, like I have cooties. Which has me smiling.
Delmar elbows me. “Now what are you laughing about?”
I lift my chin, pointing at the grumpy Sterling.
“Yeah, he’s a real?—”
Sterling turns around and glowers at Delmar. “I’ll be in the pilot seat.”
“I thought I was going to pilot. Excuse me, Blair.” Delmar chases after Sterling. “You know, just because I’m a schoolteacher doesn’t mean I don’t know anything. My pops taught me how, and he was the best pilot in the entire military.”
I don’t hear what Sterling says, but I can guess it’s not that kind. Because Delmar half playfully smacks the back of Sterling’s arm before pulling the door shut behind them.
Which leaves Zion and I alone together. “It’s too bad about Forrest. But I get it. He has an important job.”
Zion sits on the sofa and pats the leather seat next to him. “He does.”
“All of you do.”
“True on that account, as well. But the great thing about a pod the size of ours is that there’s always someone to be with, because deadlines and obligations ebb and flow like the tide. Come sit down. If Delmar pulls us away from the dock, we might be in for a jerky ride.”
I nod and sit on the far end of the sofa before I slide in next to him and he pulls me the last few inches. I search the area where the seat meets the back cushion. “I’m looking for seat belts. You have them in thesolosandomadas.”
“True, but voyagers really don’t move as fast. I’ll be your safety belt.” He loops his arms around me, and I snuggle into him.
It’s the first time since he told me about our trip that I’ve relaxed—sort of relaxed, anyway. I twist my neck and kiss his cheek. The voyager pulls forward and jerks. I slide into his side. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Always,” he says.
There’s a tightening in my stomach. It’s hard to believe that this is my life. That they want me to be with them. I want it too. But I’ve got a growing seed ofI don’t deserve any of this. It’s hard to believe they want me.
I stiffen. This has to be more than convenient for me––for them. It has to be right.
They’re starting over. But I’m completely starting over. New city, new culture, new career. I can’t just jump because they say how high. Because it would be good to move out of Annabelle’s home. I did that once—I’m not doing it a second time.
“How did you know you wanted to go into business?” I ask.
Zion’s hold on me tightens, then he lets go. “I was in the military for a long while. My parents hoped I’d become a commander, like your nephew. It’s a great honor to have a commander in the family.” His forehead scrunches up. Normally, he keeps his steel-blue eyes focused on me while he talks. Currently, he’s staring over at a piece of art next to the door for the pilothouse. I squeeze his hand because if anyone can recognize the pain of the past, it’s me. “My uncle ran the business before me. And it was always something I thought I wanted to do.”
“Thought?”
“No, wanted. I suppose I could have stayed in the military, become a commander. Made my parents happy. But I wanted to be with my pod. And living on a sub for a year at a time...”
“I imagine that gets a bit old?”
“Very. But I like what I do. The products we produce are the best that can be manufactured. We make a profit and help build structures both in the Veiled City and around the world. I took the company from good to great, and I’m proud of that.”
