by M. R. Kelly
“I’ll see you back in the room,” she whispered, giving Charlie a soft pat on the arm, and turned to walk across the gray wooden planks toward their ship.
Nikolas turned toward Charlie, his gaze wandering, not knowing what to say next. Nikolas felt his cock harden and his heart hammer as he took in her sexy little Greek sandals and pink-painted toes. The vision of her legs wrapped around his waist had him going from hard and pulsing to stone.
“Get out... now!” he growled dragging his head away from the tantalizing sight. “Get out, or I’ll turn this car around and keep you forever. Now go, Charlie, while I have the strength to let you... even temporarily,” he murmured.
Charlie did not hear the rest as she shrugged out of the car, smoothing her dress down over humidity-dampened hips.
For a moment Nikolas remained in the car, watching as Charlie moved across the front. Once she’d passed, he exited the car to lean against the bonnet and waited on the moonlit dock until the last of the passengers arrived. He didn’t know why he was torturing himself. He just had to make sure she was safe.
His thoughts had wandered, and he didn’t see or feel the entity until it was almost too late. The overly tall, thin figure was several yards up the gangplank before he turned, his red eyes meeting Nikolas’s, a smile curving his lips before his image shimmered and changed into a mirror image of Nikolas.
“Holy shit!” Nikolas leaped from the bonnet of the car and raced toward the ship. The metal clang of the hatch closing had a certain finality that sent a shiver through Nikolas. He should have been more alert instead of daydreaming about his mate. How had he let a shifter daemon get past him? The scent alone should have sent up blaring alarms.
Pacing the dock, he caught sight of the daemon on the upper deck. That thing was on the ship with Charlie, impersonating him. The thought built a raging fire within him, and he relished the idea of killing the daemon when he got his hands on it. But first, he had to get on board. He knew the daemon could enthrall the humans. In a few minutes, the ship would be out at sea and Charlie would be at the mercy of a dangerous shifter who could impersonate anyone. He had to get on board that ship. Whipping out his cell phone, he punched in the numbers of his closest ally... Itzac.
His friend glimmered beside Nikolas in seconds. “What’s up?”
“We have trouble.” Nikolas explained the situation as they walked to a darkened area of the dock before glimmering and fading and then reappearing in the ship’s engine room.
“Damn, Nikolas, when you fall, you really fall hard and foolishly I might add. Your mate is a human and alimento,” Itzac muttered, casting Nikolas a furtive expression as they strode to the stairs leading from the engine room.
“We need to find Charlie, but first we need to find a room that will protect us from the sun. We can hunt the daemon tonight,” Nikolas stated, slapping his friend on the shoulder. “It’s been a while since I have had to track a daemon.” Nikolas grabbed his friend’s arm. “One more thing. The daemon has taken on my persona. I think that’s how he’ll try to get close to Charlie.”
“Wow! Sounds like a personal grudge. Who in the daemon community have you pissed on lately?”
“The only one who comes to mind and who would be out for blood is Darik.”
Itzac winced, rubbing his forehead. “Not the Darik, brother of Bron the Mighty, the daemon you killed?”
Nikolas ground his teeth. “It’s not like he didn’t deserve it. I caught him trying to drain the life force from a teenager. Even for the lowest of our kind, that is not allowed.” Nikolas grew quiet. “He swore vengeance for his brother’s death. Now he seeks to take what I hold dear. And for that, he will die.” Nikolas turned and stalked toward the elevators.
Chapter Six
Itzac and Nikolas threw the shopping bags with the cruise line’s logo on the love seat just inside the door of their stateroom. Itzac had glamored the concierge, and here they were on the deck just above the ocean waves. The stateroom had two double beds with small tables between. To the left were a cream-colored sofa, chair, and a table. A mini stereo, television, and radio were set into a pullout unit that folded back into a double-door cabinet. The bathroom on the right side of the cabin boasted a whirlpool bath and a shower with bathrobe and slippers. Floor-to-ceiling glass with a view of the ocean was on the right.
The first thing Nikolas had tried to do was find Charlie’s scent, which was proving difficult. Something or someone was masking her smell. When he checked the passenger list, he was not surprised to discover that on a ship with twenty-five hundred passengers, there were more than twenty Charlies. He was disgusted with himself that he’d been so enamored he hadn’t gotten her last name. He knew virtually nothing about his mate except her scent, which was difficult to discern with all the other smells interfering. But he was relieved to think that if he was having problems finding Charlie, so was Darik. Now the ship had settled down for the night, and after placing their essentials in the room, Itzac and Nikolas divided the ship between the two of them. Nikolas roared with frustration, hating that she was out there somewhere without him to protect her.
* * * *
Charlie Adams couldn’t believe how her life had changed in a few short hours. She had met a gorgeous man, had raw nasty monkey sex, found out there were people feeding from tourists in a small Spanish village... and she couldn’t tell anyone. The story was like something straight out of the National Enquirer. Thank God, she and Tami were back on board the ship safe, and hopefully, over the coming years, she would forget about this incident. How could she forget about a man who was sex walking, who thought she was a goddess—not just any but his goddess.
She couldn’t say anything even to her best friend. With that thought in mind, Charlie swallowed hard, squared her shoulders, and followed Tami as they walked back to their cabin. Inside, she slipped her aching feet out of the strappy sandals, which she left just within reach of the closet. Flopping on her bed that faced the deck, she let the cool breeze from the balcony sweep over her as she shivered with a vivid recollection of Nikolas’s hands on her body.
“What a night.” She sighed as her roommate chatted on about the concert and the backstage pass. The waves crashing relentlessly against the ship slowly lulled her into a restless sleep of vampires and men with cool silver eyes.
The next morning, Charlie woke to the sound of the housekeeping staff vacuuming the hall. Stretching, she could feel the pull on her lower back, payment for her activities the day before. A note was propped up against the telephone on the nightstand.
You looked exhausted... hehehe! I wonder why? Anyway, Gone for breakfast, meet me when you get up, lazy butt! We’ll talk later. Then you can fill me in on the hunk! Tami. Charlie smiled, crumpling the paper into a tight little wad before tossing it into the trash bin. Surprisingly she felt fresh and ready to tackle the rest of the cruise, making the decision to put Nikolas behind her.
The ship had two more ports and then the return voyage to England. It seemed Tami had no ill effects from the strange ritual she had been a part of, not even a mark on her skin. Her roommate was again back to her old hyperactive self. Which was a relief for Charlie, who didn’t know what she would or could have done if something had happened to her friend. Deciding on a quick shower, Charlie dashed through her morning rituals, only taking a brief moment to stare at the marks on her arms. Nothing that wouldn’t fade with time. If only the memory of his face and body would fade as well. But no! She kept seeing his face... how he’d looked when he entered her.
How he’d felt inside her. Moaning, she turned away from the mirror and pulled on a pair of city shorts and a white gauze blouse. Slipping her feet into flip-flops, she breezed through the door, just barely missing the room attendant. Giving him a big smile, she sauntered down the hall to the nearest elevator, her pants rubbing against her swollen clit made the trip a little more uncomfortable than she wanted.
The Windjammer café was quiet for once, as sh
e placed her hand under the automatic sanitizer, waiting for the telltale whir before the foam was dispensed. The open deck and fresh air called to her, and in no time she had filled her plate with fruit, small tea sandwiches, soup, and chips. Glancing around the room, she couldn’t spot Tami and guessed her friend had found something or someone else to entertain her. She wished she had as much energy as that girl. Tami could party all night, sleep an hour, and still be part of every activity on board. She was a true Royal Caribbean cruiser.
“Getting my money’s worth!” she had explained to Charlie as they stood in line waiting to board the ship. Even then she had made friends with nearly everyone in the line.
Chapter Seven
Claiming a spot near the open doors, Charlie started removing the food from her tray and placing it on the table just seconds before a waiter came over to finish the task and take her tray. Charlie inwardly sighed, briefly glancing at all the couples around her. It was hard being single when it seemed every man and his dog was paired up. Charlie turned back to her food, lifting one of the dainty tea sandwiches cut into triangles and filled with an assortment of fillings. The one she held was pimento cheese. Licking the filling from around the edge before popping it into her mouth, Charlie moaned as the slightly vinegary taste hit her tongue.
“I wish I were that sandwich,” a deep voice growled beside her. Charlie blushed and then sat stunned as she gazed up in surprise into the crystal-blue eyes of Nikolas.
Funny, I thought they were silver. “Nikolas,” she stammered, exasperation in her voice. “What are you doing here?”
“Surprise, my sweet. I thought it was about time to sneak away from the group, so I booked a cabin at the last moment. I’d heard that cruising can be fun.”
“But... your kind... I thought they couldn’t be out in the sun,” Charlie whispered, her gaze slipping to the sun blazing across the calm blue of the ocean.
“Oh! My kind. I see. That again is an old wives’ tale. There is no reason we can’t be in the sun. In fact, the hotter, the better for one such as me,” Nikolas murmured, taking her hand.
“So miraculously you decided to book a trip on the same ship I’m on. Who’s kidding whom, Nikolas? Look, I appreciate that what we did back there was unusual... and... exciting... and all the rest. But I don’t know you. And right now this is making me a little uncomfortable, so if you don’t mind.” Charlie yanked her hand from his and moved to push her chair back. “I have to meet someone.”
Nikolas took a deep breath then let it out slowly. She could swear she heard a low growl coming from his direction. His jaw clenched, his eyes slightly narrowed and for just an instant Charlie thought they turned completely black.
Just the lighting. Charlie turned from him, but he caught her by the arm.
“Have dinner with me, Charlie. Please... just a nice dinner, and I swear I will leave you alone if that is what you want.”
Charlie forced herself to drag her gaze away from the Adonis in front of her. How could she say no to those eyes... and lips... and that talented tongue?
“Fine, tonight, one dinner. Then we go our separate ways.”
“One dinner,” Nikolas confirmed as Charlie pulled her arm free and moved toward the open doors leading to the deck. Glancing back, she saw Nikolas was already gone.
“Boy, if I could move that fast,” she mused, heading toward the upper deck where she could hear Tami’s excited scream over the sounds of the Caribbean band.
* * * *
Nikolas couldn’t believe his luck. He had found her—in the worst possible place, sitting across the room with Darik, in Nikolas’s form. He caught the end of their conversation. Darik had invited Charlie to dinner, an appointment Nikolas had no intention of allowing the daemon to keep. At that moment Darik looked up and gauging from the black of his eyes that were now streaked with red, Nikolas could tell the daemon was pissed. Nikolas moved through the tables now beginning to fill for the midafternoon meal as Darik maneuvered to the left, seeming to disappear in a group of college students just leaving the dining area. Standing in the middle of the room, Nikolas bellowed, causing the staff to stop and stare before he charged from the room.
Nikolas found Itzac an hour later, wrapped around a stunning blonde in a bikini the size of a cocktail napkin.
“How am I to hunt Darik if you’re not in the game?” he stormed, ignoring his friend’s salacious smile. Nikolas turned his head, scanning the crowd around him. “Sorry to interrupt your little tête-a-tête, but we need to resume our current business.” Nikolas waited next to the automatic doors where the deck flowed into the main lobby as Itzac gave the woman a light kiss on the lips, whispering something in her ear that caused her to giggle.
“So where’s the five-alarm fire?” Itzac asked, glancing behind him distractedly as the blonde sauntered away, an exaggerated sashay to her hips.
Nikolas punched his friend in the shoulder, getting his attention the only way he could at the moment.
“You need to concentrate now!” he snarled, his voice cold and exact. “Darik is meeting Charlie for dinner tonight. I don’t want that to happen, so we are going to find the bastard and put him out of my misery. If he thinks he’ll harm my mate, then he has signed his own death certificate.”
“So your mate couldn’t tell the male wasn’t you? That must be deflating to your ego—not to mention your prowess.”
“She is but a human. She does not have our senses and cannot distinguish... not yet. That will come after I have fully mated her. Until then, she is in danger from this daemon. So stop letting your little head distract you.”
Itzac gave his friend a one-finger salute. Turning, Nikolas raised his brows inquiringly.
“Are you coming?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Itzac shrugged, his face splitting into a wide grin.
Chapter Eight
Charlie turned around again, looking over her shoulder at the back of her little black dress. She was glad Tami had talked her into bringing the black silk mid-calf dress with gold beading gracing the neck and under the breasts. The skirt flared out from the bodice and disguised the one too many meals she had enjoyed this trip. It fit her perfectly. The black-and-gold heels finished off the ensemble. Tami had dressed and left earlier, her date a blond surfer from Australia who thought her tan was gorgeous. Little did he know.
A quiet knock on the door announced her dinner companion. It had surprised her earlier when Nikolas appeared suddenly at her table, creeping her out a little. Who showed up on the same ship after a fling? Hunting her down like that. She knew it was not an accidental meeting. Well tonight, she would have dinner... maybe dancing—God how she missed dancing—and back to her room. Still, her heart accelerated at the idea of being with him again. Taking a deep breath, she hurried to the door, gasping softly at the man standing in front of her.
Dressed in a black evening jacket with white dress shirt, he was every woman’s wet dream. His blue-black hair was pulled back and fastened with a tie that matched his jacket. Nikolas held out his hand, presenting Charlie with six very white roses tied with yellow ribbon. In the center of the largest rose was a brooch that mirrored the color of the roses. “Roses for the fairest,” he whispered darkly, lifting the brooch to pin it on her dress. Charlie’s throat closed with emotion, and her gaze was riveted on the pin.
“This can’t be real... can it?” she croaked, fingering the pin.
“Why shouldn’t it?” Nikolas answered, cupping her chin tenderly in his warm hand. Charlie studied his tanned skin, shocked by the impact of his gentle grip. Moving back, she cleared her throat, pretending not to be affected by his nearness.
The walk to the dining room was so sexually charged Charlie felt that everyone could tell her heart was racing and her panties damp. She had chosen the Samba Grill Brazilian Steakhouse for dinner and soon the maître d’ was escorting them to their table. After placing their napkins in their laps, he poured each a sip of wine, and with N
ikolas’s approval, he filled each glass before setting up the wine bucket.
The table Nikolas had selected had a breathtaking view, looking out at the gentle ripples of the waves as the sun dipped behind the horizon, turning the waves a deep rose. Charlie sat across from Nikolas, fingers tensed in her lap. What did you talk about when the man across from you was the same one with whom you’d had a quick romp in the preverbal hay?
Awkward! She cleared her throat, twisting the napkin between her fingers. “Soo... Nikolas, tell me something about yourself.”
“What would you like to know, mi amor?”
“Well, how do you like performing with a band?”
“Is that what you really want to know, Charlie? Or would you prefer I speak of my wife and three children instead?”
As their eyes met, Charlie felt a shock run through her, and heat warm her cheeks until she saw the mischievous smile on his face.
“I am not married, I do not have children—that I am aware of—and I find you very beautiful and seductive,” he growled.
“I want to take you right here in this room, and the hell with everyone here.”
Charlie for once didn’t know what to say.
“Now that I have the elephant out in the room, how about we enjoy the lovely meal I have planned for us tonight?”
The meal was indeed wonderful, but Charlie barely noticed the food as Nikolas regaled her with stories of the group on the road and his childhood living in Eastern Europe. His family’s travels around the world as they tried to find a way to survive, always leaving before the locals discovered what they were until they arrived in Spain and found a community of his kind. Although they traveled for the sake of the band, they always returned to Spain. It was now home to him.