Page 8 of Kraken the Seal

“It's a little late for coffee, but tea sounds good,” I said.

He looked absolutely ecstatic at my response. He rushed to open a cabinet under the single burner and pulled out a pot. As he filled it with water and then fiddled with the burner, I noticed that the kitchen lacked a microwave, and everything else except the one burner, small sink, miniature fridge, and small countertop.

For the first time since shoving Delmar into the cabin and following to hide, I took a good look around.

The place was tidy and tiny. There was a row of bench seats running along one side. A small table was bolted to the floor in front of a section of the seats. Above them were cabinets, and further to the front of the boat was a section separated by a curtain. Curious, I walked over and peeked behind the curtain to find a bed taking up what must've been most of the bow of the ship.

In an effort to stay out of Delmar's way, I sat down at the table. “You said you grew up on a boat. Do your parents still live on one?”

He nodded, turning around to lean against the counter in almost the exact same pose I'd been in. “They're moored in Alaska right now. At the end of summer, they'll sail down to Seattle.”

“Are they retired?”

“Semi-retired,” he said. “They're both deep-sea divers, but they only take a few contracts a year these days. Mom says she'd go crazy if she didn’t take a job occasionally.”

Both his parents were deep sea divers? That job sounded dangerous and probably male dominated. His attitude toward me made more sense. If he had a mom tough enough to do that job, he had to be used to strong women.

“Do they visit you down here?” I asked.

“Occasionally,” he said, checking the pot of water. Steam came out when he lifted the lid. “Or I'll sail up to visit them. Do your parents live locally?”

He pulled out mugs and tea bags before pouring the hot water. While he made tea, I talked. By the time he was sitting next to me with both of us holding mugs, he knew all about my family.

He didn't seem bored with my replies and asked me more questions about my childhood, hobbies, and work. Time passed quickly as we talked. He didn't only ask me questions, but he paid attention to the answer instead of waiting for his turn to speak.

I'd never felt so listened to before.

We drank tea, talked, and drank more tea. I ended up turning down a third mug. I liked tea, but three cups would be too much for me. But I did accept a small bag of delightfully salty potato chips. By the time I finally checked the time, there were emptychip bags, dirty mugs, and an empty candy tin littering the small table.

The time on my phone almost made me gasp. It was nearly one in the morning!

“I should probably go home,” I said, but didn't move to stand up. I wasn't ready for the evening to end, even though I was tired.

Delmar looked devastated. “No, don't go yet.”

I unsuccessfully attempted to stifle a yawn. “I'm not used to being up this late. The last client I had was based in New York, and I've been getting up at four a.m. to attend their morning meetings.”

“Four in the morning?” Delmar gasped. “That's an ungodly hour to wake up. It's not so bad if you're staying awake though.”

That made me chuckle. “Are you suggesting that I simply don't sleep? Because that's not an option.”

“Sleep here,” he said. Before I could even process his invitation, he continued, talking so fast it was hard to keep up. “You could have the bed all to yourself. I could sleep out here on the bench. No, you might not feel comfortable with only the curtain separating us. It's a nice night, I could sleep out on the deck. I do it on warm nights sometimes so I can watch the stars before falling asleep. The cabin door locks, so you'd be safe. I could make pancakes in the morning.”

It wasn't super cold, but he'd be freezing by morning, especially if the fog rolled in.

“It’s not a warm night,” I said.

He shrugged and pointed to a large sweatshirt hanging on a hook. “I'll have that and a blanket. That's all I need.”

He didn't say it to elicit sympathy; he was being honest. He truly believed he'd be fine and was willing to sleep exposed to the elements to make me comfortable.

For once in my life, I didn't weigh the pros and cons. I checked in with my gut, and she said I could trust Delmar.

“You can join me in the bed,” I said. Before he could get too excited, I held up a hand. “No sex tonight.”

He shook his head. “Of course not. No sex until you're ready. That would be rude.”

The way he said it was adorable, as if sexual assault was unimaginable. I really hoped this wasn't an act.