Page 4 of Demon On Deck

“What brings you on a cruise?” She asks

I let out an exasperated sigh, making her giggle.

“That good?”

“My mother.”

She lets out a low whistle, and I nod. “It was supposed to be a family vacation. I work so much and never take time off, all according to my mother, mind you, and this was supposed to be uninterrupted family time. Unfortunately, they were coming from overseas, and there were delays in their flights due to weather, so they didn’t make it.”

“Well, that sucks,” she says, before taking a sip of her drink. I watch in fascination as she licks the sugar off the rim. My mouth runs dry as I imagine what it would feel like to have her lick me like that.

Shutting down the thoughts, I take a sip of my own drink. “What about you?”

Kallie lets out a heavy sigh. “My sister. She insisted after the last, well, two years I’ve had, I deserved a cruise.”

There’s a hint of bitterness in her tone, but it’s the flash of sadness in her eyes that draws my attention. What could have happened that her sister forced her onto a cruise?

Kallie takes a deep drink and seems to shake off whatever is haunting her. Smile returning, she cocks her head and asks, “So what business are you counting the seconds down to get back to?”

“I own an investment firm.”

She lets out a low whistle. “Impressive.”

I give a light nod, angling my body towards her. She mirrors my action and leans in slightly.

“What about you?” I ask, enjoying the new angle that highlights the swell of her cleavage.

“Not as impressive as you, I’m afraid,” she says with a shy smile before sipping her drink.

For some reason, the way she shies away, as if she’s afraid she won't be good enough, makes me unhappy.

“Tell me,” I prompt, nudging her leg with mine. I wish I could feel the skin of her bare leg. I’d bet one of my most lucrative accounts that it feels like smooth silk.

“I’m a florist. I own a small flower shop in my hometown.” Again, there’s a note of insecurity in her voice.

“How is that not impressive?”

She looks generally shocked at my question. After a moment of silence, she asks, “You’re serious?”

I nod. “Absolutely.”

“You own an investment firm, and you think my flower shop is impressive?”

“I do.”

“Why?” she asks.

“I use computers to help me analyze data. You create arrangements and center pieces, I assume?”

She nods, so I continue, “I crunch numbers, you create beauty. That’s harder. So yes, I do in fact think that’s impressive.”

It takes a beat, but I’m gifted with a soft smile.

“Thank you,” she says, placing a delicate hand on top of mine. “It’s been a long time since someone other than my sister said something so nice about my business.”

Soft and smooth as silk, with an electric current pulsing beneath the casual touch. Her hand lingers a moment before she withdraws it.

I give her a smile that I hope doesn’t scare her off, given my slightly elongated canines. So far, my scarlet red skin, orange eyes, and large curved horns haven’t done so.