Page 8 of Demon On Deck

“I’ve played once or twice. This is a numbers game, more up my alley than slots.”

“You mean the rigged robotic money suckers?”

“Yes. Those.” He says flatly as we get our cards, while I laugh.

The entire time we sit at the table, we keep subtly touching each other. I set my hand on his arm when making a snarky comment, our knees keep brushing, and he places his arm around the back of my chair during the hands he folds. It’s intimate, incredibly flirty, and doing nothing to calm my now reactivated libido.

Several long hands later, neither of us has done any better than at the slots. My watch buzzes, reminding me of the show I need to start heading toward.

I fold my cards and turn to Evren, who glances at me and follows suit. “This has been fun. I mean, not the losing money part. That part actually sucks.” I giggle, earning me a smirk from Evren. “But I have a lunch date to get to.”

And just like that, his smile is gone, replaced with shock.

“I didn’t realize you were here with someone,” he says in a much cooler tone than the warm, friendly one I’ve grown accustomed to over the last hour or so.

I give a nervous laugh and slightly cringe. “Remember how I told you last night I’m here because of my sister?”

“Yes.”

“Well, what I didn’t mention was that she sent me with an itinerary of things to do. I have about thirty minutes to make it from here to the other side of the upper deck to get to a show that she got me tickets to.”

“So not here with a husband or boyfriend?” he finally asks.

I can’t hold back the laugh as I shake my head no.

A playful grin appears, morphing his face from handsome to devastating. “I want to confirm you aren’t here with a husband or boyfriend.”

“Um, no. No boyfriend, and there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell I’d be anywhere remotely enjoyable with my ex-husband. This is a celebration gift from my sister.”

There’s a brief flash of some emotion I can’t decipher at the mention of my ex, but it’s there and gone quickly.

“In that case, would you like to have dinner with me?”

I hesitate. I haven’t gone on a single date since the separation. The legal proceedings, plus running the flower shop, took all my time and energy.

I said I was going to embrace adventure, but am I ready for this kind of adventure? This is the second time Evren and I have met up on this giant cruise ship; maybe it’s a sign. Instead of answering, I decide to let fate make the decision for me.

With a coy smile, I ask Evren, “Red or black?”

“For dinner?” he asks, brow furrowing in confusion.

I laugh and point just behind him at the roulette table.

“No. Red or black?”

“Why?”

“If the color you pick wins, I’ll have dinner with you.”

The look of surprise on his face is cute, but it’s replaced with determination. He offers me his arm again, which I happily accept, and we walk to the roulette table. After a few moments of watching, he releases my arm and places a bet on red before returning to stand beside me.

The dealer calls for final bets before spinning the wheel and releasing the ball. I hold my breath as it spins around and around. Evren’s whole body tenses as the ball starts to slow and bounce between the slots on the wheel. Finally, it lands.

“Black thirteen,” the dealer announces.

I release my breath as my stomach sinks, and I realize I actually wanted him to win our bet.

Evren turns to me with a distraught look. I offer him a smile before taking a step back as my watch alarm buzzes again.