Dragon's Luck: Dragon Shifter Paranormal Romance (Shifter Agents Book 3)

by Lauren Esker

  Marius at least had managed to leave at a reasonable speed. Jen's flight from the buffet drew several pairs of eyes, including Roxy's. After watching Jen leave the room, she turned her attention to Lucky. What? she mouthed at him across the room.

  Lucky put on a wide-eyed, "beats the hell out of me" face, and gave an elaborate shrug. Women, he mouthed back. He had to do it twice before Roxy caught it. She narrowed her eyes at him, and jerked her head at Thing 1, who got up and headed after Jen.

  Lucky thought about following, then decided she could take care of herself. An entire procession down the corridor would be even more conspicuous. Besides ... there she was again, sauntering back in just as Roxy's henchman reached the door to the hallway. They did an awkward little shuffle around each other and Jen breezed back to the table behind the potted palm. Thing 1 looked like he had no idea what to do now, and stared at his boss, who stabbed one long finger at the hallway: Find out what she was doing, that look implied. He went.

  Roxy's baleful attention turned back to Lucky and Jen. Lucky shrugged again and strolled over to join Jen at the table. "Do I even want to know what you were doing?" he asked as he sat down.

  "I wanted to find out what room he's in. He was just opening the door as I got a look down the hall. It's on this end. Number 12."

  Even number. "Same side as ours. Which means he has a garden view. Be careful with the, er ..." Lucky wiggled his fingers.

  "No wiggle, wiggle without looking around first. Gotcha." She winked, and scooted her chair closer to his, leaning toward him so she could murmur, "But ... have you ever met anyone like that before? Like, you know, our sort of people, but not actually the same? How much do you think he knew about us?"

  "No, I never have, and I don't know. What was up with the flowers in his boutonnière, do you think? Not really something you expect to see at the breakfast buffet."

  "Lucky flowers? You have a lucky gecko, after all."

  He decided not to take that particular bait. Also, having her this close was very distracting. It brought back memories of last night ... pleasant ones. "Could be a signal to somebody," he said, trying to wrench his mind back to the business at hand.

  "Ooh. Cloaks and daggers."

  "More cloaks, less daggers, I hope."

  "Can I have your attention please, ladies and gentlemen?" a voice rang out over the assembly.

  Conversations fell silent, and everyone assembled turned to look. The speaker was one of the redcapped crew members, an older man with slicked-back gray hair, standing on the balcony overlooking the atrium. The redcaps maintaining the buffet were not openly wearing weapons, though Lucky had noticed suggestive bulges under a few red jackets, but like the guards in the docking bay, this man wore a conspicuous hip holster.

  He clapped his gloved hands together when he had their undivided attention.

  "Of course you all know that you aren't here to lounge around the buffet and enjoy the ocean view. Although you are welcome to do both of those things when you aren't otherwise occupied. Please do enjoy our host's generous hospitality."

  There was a faint smattering of applause. The redcap smiled.

  "The tournament will begin at noon. You will proceed in groups throughout the afternoon. By now you should have received a token letting you know your designated gaming room for the current round. These rooms are on Deck A. Again, please do not wander the ship unattended except in your designated areas. When your group is ready to proceed to the tournament, crew members will be waiting to escort you downstairs."

  "Excuse me!" a bright voice called. It took Lucky a second to realize that the voice had come from beside him. Jen was waving her hand in the air. "Excuse me, sorry, I have a question!"

  The redcap's composure remained unruffled, but Lucky thought there was a trace of annoyance as he said, "Yes, miss?"

  "The gardens down there." Jen pointed at the balcony. "How do we get to them? I saw people walking down there yesterday."

  Slight pause; Lucky imagined he could visibly see the redcap's well-rehearsed train of thought changing tracks. "There is an entrance to the conservatory on Deck A. If you would like to see it, a crew member can escort you there."

  "Thank you!" Jen called cheerfully, beaming.

  Another short pause for a track change. "In any event, if you will please check your token, you'll find one of three different card-playing room assignments. This will also determine when you will begin playing. Please check your token now, if you have it with you. If you haven't received one, speak to me in a moment and I'll make sure you get one."

  A rustle traveled around the room as people took out their tokens and looked at them. Lucky obligingly laid his on the table where Jen could see it.

  "The Isis Room will play at noon," the redcap said. "The Hathor Room goes at one. Bastet goes at two—"

  "Excuse me, excuse me!" Jen was waving her hand in the air again.

  "Yes, miss?" the redcap said with exaggerated patience.

  "What about guests?" Jen asked. "Can guests watch the tournament?"

  "No. Guests must remain on their designated floor. Players and crew members are the only people permitted in the gaming rooms."

  "Awww," Jen said. "Thank you!"

  "Are there any more questions?" the redcap inquired of the room at large, his voice somewhat tight. No one said anything. "Very well. Please be in the lounge fifteen minutes before your assigned time. If you do not yet have a token, or are unsure about the deity depicted on yours, come see me or summon any crew member. Please do not lose them, as they will not be replaced. There is one for each contestant, and no more." He clasped his hands together again, very pointedly not looking in the direction of their table. "Thank you, and good luck!"

  There was another light smattering of applause and a few half-hearted cheers before people broke up into chattering groups, the buffet forgotten. Several of them made a beeline for the redcap, or for one of the others discreetly hovering in the background.

  "Bet Marius is sorry he missed this," Jen murmured, her eyes sparkling.

  "He didn't." Lucky nodded to the door of the lounge. The black-clad man with the white boutonnière was leaning in the doorway. He became aware of their eyes on him almost instantly, as if drawn by a magnet, and gave them a quick, hostile glance before retreating again.

  "I just had an idea—" Jen began, then closed her mouth quickly when Roxy loomed over their table.

  "Your Haughtiness," Lucky said, in polite tones.

  "I assume the instructions were clear enough." Roxy glanced down at the token. Lucky palmed it.

  "I don't know, it's pretty complicated for our tiny brains to comprehend," Jen said. "Pity you and I have to stay behind, isn't it?"

  "Such a pity," Roxy said. "Please try not to be late, Lucado. I'd hate to have to motivate you." With that not-so-veiled threat, she breezed off toward the buffet.

  "I think I'm going to need my lucky gecko for this one," Lucky said.

  "Your lucky gecko is going to be—" Jen started to say, and then closed her mouth and tipped her head in the direction of their room. "I think I'm about done with breakfast, how about you?"

  "It'd probably be good to rest up a bit before the tournament."

  Jen nodded. "That, and I still need to find somewhere to buy toiletries and such. Carry my jacket for me? I'll go see if our host will let us in."

  She zipped off to the buffet, where a brief exchange with Roxy resulted in Jen taking the key card. She also picked up another cup of coffee and a handful of pastries while she was there, then rendezvoused with Lucky in the doorway and handed him the card.

  "She just gave it to you?"

  "She didn't want to walk us all the way back to the room. Said she had things to do. I promised to give it back to her afterwards."

  "Are you going to?"

  "Such a question."

  They were passing Marius's room, #12, and Jen slowed to stare at the door. Visibly, it wasn't any different from the other doors along the hall. S
he sped up then, and didn't say anything else until Lucky swiped the key card and let them both into the room.

  As soon as they were inside and the door was closed, he said, "Does this idea of yours by any chance involve exploring while everyone's in the tournament?"

  "What else am I going to do with myself? I have to find a commissary or something similar, right?"

  "Just don't let the redcaps catch you sneaking around somewhere you aren't supposed to be."

  "Redcaps?" Jen asked, laughing.

  "It's better than 'flunkies'."

  "I wonder if we're ever going to meet the mysterious Lux." She bounced in place. "Maybe if I'm careful, I could find where he hangs out."

  "That doesn't sound like being careful to me."

  "Fine, then put your thinking cap on and help me figure out a way to get into Marius's room while he's busy with the tournament. I don't think I'll fit underneath the door. The crack's not big enough."

  So that was what she'd been looking at. "How about the window?"

  "It'll only work if he leaves it open."

  "Worth a try," Lucky said.

  "Not if I can't get in."

  Lucky grinned. "I'll make you a bet, anything you care to wager, that he'll leave the window open today."

  "Sorry, buddy, but while I'm never going to turn down a reasonable risk, that's just silly. Do you have any idea how long it takes me to get anywhere as a gecko? You think I'm going to wall-walk all the way over there on the tiny off chance that his window's open?"

  "Don't want to take my bet, then?" As he said it, he pushed, hard, in the direction of Room 12. "Don't tell me you're afraid you might be wrong."

  Jen's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "What are you planning to do?"

  Lucky spread his hands innocently. "It's just a wager. If you're that confident you're right, what have you got to lose?" He continued to lean on it, pushing at luck, fate, chance, or whatever it was. There was always a chance the window might be left open, and he cranked that chance up as high as he could.

  Jen crossed her arms. "What are we betting for, exactly?"

  "Whatever you like. I know what I want."

  "And what would that be?"

  He was about as confident as he could be that the window would be open, through a moment of Marius's inattention, a maid accidentally leaning on the controls, or whatever. He ought to ask her for answers about who and what she was. But he wasn't entirely sure anymore that he wanted those answers. And she was standing right there, looking at him, bright and expectant, her lips slightly parted—so what slipped out was, "A kiss."

  The reaction was gratifying: a still, stunned moment, followed by her mouth opening and closing a couple of times before she said, "Are you serious?"

  "Like I said, if you're so confident you're right, you'll never have to pay up. So why not?"

  "Fine, then." The suspicious look was back. "If I win, you tell me what you're really doing here."

  "I told you already. Money. You don't think a supply of a drug that's worth a king's ransom warrants the hassle of a little bit of card-playing?"

  "I have no doubt that's why most of these people are here, but I don't think that's true of you." She waved a hand around them, at the casual opulence of their room. "Lucky, I've seen you play cards. You're good. You could live like this if you wanted, just through regular high-stakes poker. Heck, for all I know, maybe you do."

  "Have you ever met anyone with money who minded having more?" he countered, smiling.

  "No, but that's just it. You don't seem like the type."

  "Last time we had this conversation," he said, "I seem to recall I turned it around on you, and you didn't like that very much. Truth be told, Jen, I get the same feeling from you. You're not here for money."

  "You don't know that," she said, too quickly.

  "No, but I'm pretty sure."

  For an instant he thought she was going to try to shut him up the same way she had last night—and he wouldn't have minded in the least. Instead she took a step back, out of reach. "I'll take your bet, Lucky Lucado, if you'll take mine. If you win and the window's open, I'll kiss you. And if I win, you'll give me some answers."

  "I'll give you one answer."

  Jen smiled triumphantly. "How about one free answer, if I win ... and after that, one answer per kiss?"

  "Um," he said, unable to come up with a better response. His head spun with the possibilities, and with the memory of Jen's mouth on his, the way her lithe body had pressed against him. He could have that again ... and again ... could have kiss after kiss—

  In return for all his secrets.

  Diabolically clever, that woman.

  "So then, I'll give you one free kiss, if you win. And the one-kiss-per-answer deal can still apply—oh, yes, I like this very much." Her eyes were sparkling. "Actually, you know, we could start now. Because I do have some questions. Quite a lot of them, really. Shall we try it out?"

  She started to move toward him. Lucky put out a hand and stopped her, planting his palm on her chest just above the rise of her breasts—the breasts he was very resolutely not thinking about. "Nope. Not yet. Not 'til we find out who won. Don't want the kiss and answer count to come out wrong, do we?"

  "Are you kidding me?"

  "Hey, you made the rules."

  "You," she said, removing his hand firmly from her chest with both of hers, "are impossible. All right, fine, we'll save the Q&A for after the poker game. At which point, having lost—the bet, I mean, not the game, at least I hope not—you'll start out one answer down."

  "Oh, I'll win. The bet and the game."

  Jen had opened her mouth to reply when there was a brisk, sharp knock at the door of their room.

  "Oh, come on. It can't possibly be noon yet."

  Annoyed at the interruption, he yanked the door open. Roxy Molina marched into the room as if she owned it. "Ah," she said, spying the key card, and picked it up.

  It occurred to Lucky belatedly that he could have pushed at Roxy over the room key, too. Made her forget or get distracted, to ensure that Jen would have the key for the afternoon to come and go.

  But ... influencing card shuffles or getting dice to turn up a particular face was one thing. Pushing on people was something he didn't like doing more than he had to. He'd already done it once today with Marius—frivolously, he knew; it was nothing but posturing to make Jen notice him, a draconic version of pigtail-pulling. And pushing Roxy right after pushing Marius ... no.

  It made him feel too much like Angel.

  Angel, who pushed not luck, but people. Angel, who pushed hard, sometimes hard enough to break things. Lucky didn't know if his own talents could be honed in the same direction, and he'd always tried not to find out.

  "Now that's settled," Roxy said, tucking away the key card. "What went on earlier between you two and the other competitor in the lounge? Did you know him?"

  "No," Jen said. "He was giving us the stink-eye from across the room. We decided to mess with him a little. That's all."

  "Well, don't. I'd prefer not to sacrifice my shot at victory by having my champion get kicked off the ship for interfering with other players. And," she added, sweeping her flint-hard gaze between the two of them, "I don't think either of you would like the consequences if that does happen."

  "Yes yes, concrete overshoes and swimming with fishes, I get it," Lucky said. "Do you ever get tired of being a cliché?"

  "Lucado." Roxy stepped into his personal space. It was considerably less pleasant than having Jen there. It also made him uncomfortably aware of her height; she was a couple inches taller than he was. "I have carved out my personal empire in a business that is still very much a man's game. I don't particularly care if you think that makes me a gangster cliché, but I would advise you to remember that I didn't become the alpha dog by playing nice."

  "Duly noted." He edged away, trying to make it look like he wasn't escaping; he just wanted to be over by the minibar.

  "Now that we've got the p
leasantries out of the way," Roxy said, planting a hand on her hip, "I'd like to talk strategy before the game."

  "My strategy is 'win'," Lucky said. "It's pretty simple."

  Jen cleared her throat. She'd managed to migrate all the way over to the door during their confrontation. "So, no need for me to stick around for the boring shop talk, right? I'm off to go shopping. We are on a cruise ship, after all."

  "Wait—" Lucky began, but she'd already opened the door and ducked through it.

  "Play nice, you two," she said over her shoulder, as the door closed behind her.

  Roxy watched her leave, then turned back to Lucky. "I hope your girlfriend has the sense not to wander into off-limits parts of the ship."

  "She just wants to do some shopping. We weren't prepared to be gone more than overnight."

  "I noticed," Roxy said dryly. "By the way, where's your lucky gecko?"

  "Safely tucked away," he replied. "You seem oddly curious about it."

  "I'm curious about it because I don't think you brought a gecko on board, which makes me want to know why in the world you had one on the Fair Lady."

  Lucky couldn't help laughing. "You think I was using a pet lizard to cheat?"

  "I don't know what you were doing with that gecko. But I do know that Lux isn't someone to mess with, and I would rather not have you try anything that'll get all of us a one-way ticket to the bottom of the sea. It's not hard to disappear any number of bodies in the middle of the world's biggest ocean, you know."

  "Gosh, I really needed you to spell out the threat for me," Lucky said, and mimed crossing his heart. "No, I'm going down there to play cards. Just straight poker, nothing funny."

  At least not anything anyone at the table can catch me doing. Or anything you'd believe.

  Roxy gave him a long, level stare. "I have a lot riding on you, Lucado."

  "I have a lot riding on me, too." More than you know.

  "As long as we understand each other." She smiled grimly, with no humor in it. "Good luck, Lucado. Go in there and play your best, or you won't enjoy what happens to you afterwards."