Page 4 of Tempting the Dhampir

She’s got a very goth-chic aesthetic that looks amazing on her, tattoos peeking out from under the hem of her pleated skirt and the left sleeve of her white T-shirt.

“It’s definitely a first for us too.” Cece laughs. “Where are you from?”

Natalie scrunches her nose. “Arizona-ish. I’m currently backpacking and don’t have a final destination in mind. Guess I’ll see where life takes me after this.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal.

Diana tilts her head to the side, her eyebrows drawing together for a second before shooting up into an arch. She nods as she says, “That’s really inspirational. I’m currently on this new journey of just saying fuck it and going along with whatever life wants to throw at me. I mean, I still can’t quite believe they just invited a bunch of random people and paid for us all. Feels like there’s a catch somewhere. Yet, here I am.” She raises her arms out wide.

“You know what, Diana? I might just join you on that journey. From now on, I’ll say fuck it and see where life takes me. As long as there are no cults. That’s a hard line for me.” I quickly add the last part before I’m swept up in some weird shit.

“That makes three of us. Let’s cheers our imaginary drinks until we get the proper stuff on the yacht. You in, Florence?” Natalie sticks her hand forward, cupping an imaginary glass.

Cece hesitates for a second, then says, “Sure, why not. It’s about time I step out of my comfort zone.” She raises her hand to join the toast.

The four of us clink our fictional champagne flutes, anticipation for tonight amping up to a new level.

Iris appears on the ramp and raises her voice for all of us to hear. “Okay, ladies. All aboard! Leave your shoes in the box before getting on, grab a flute of champagne, and find a spot to enjoy the cruise. Our captain will drop us off at a beach on a secluded island in about an hour, and then we’ll make cocktails and have finger foods once we get on shore.”

Another chorus of whoops meets her statement as we board the boat.

After checking that Cece is comfortable, I move to the bow to meet some of the other women.

“Love your dress!” a woman in a yellow off-the-shoulder romper calls to me, giving me a thumbs-up.

I amble toward her and indicate with my champagne flute. “I love yours. Yellow is a great choice for your complexion,” I compliment right back. “I’m Sadie.”

Her smile is broad and welcoming. “I’m Alice. This is Louisa and Sylvia.” She motions to her two friends. “Please, sit.”

I plop down next to them and ask, “How do you girls know each other?”

“We were college roommates, and this is a reunion trip of sorts,” Louisa explains.

She has an athletic build and is wearing super cute cut-off jeans, making her toned legs look even longer.

Sylvia, dressed in a silky red slip dress, elaborates, “We all chose different careers and had to move away from each other, but we stay in touch.”

“Ah, that sucks that you couldn’t stay together. What kind of careers do you have?” I ask, angling my head so my hair streams out behind me in the wind.

A gentle smile crinkles Sylvia’s eyes, pride lacing her voice as she points to each of her friends. “Alice works in STEM and Louisa is a physical therapist. I’m an art history major, currently unemployed. How about you?”

My eyebrows shoot up at their diverse and impressive professions. “Three very smart ladies. I’m a teacher,” I state.

“Four very smart ladies, thank you very much,” Alice chimes in.

“I’ll drink to that.” I thrust my glass forward, and the women clink theirs to it.

I spend the rest of the ride hopping from conversation to conversation, getting to know all the women. All too soon, we make it to the most breathtaking island.

A beach of the purest white sand greets us. The water is a brilliantly clear aquamarine, fading into a light celeste blue as we approach the beach. Palms and lush vegetation decorate the shore, calling us to explore the island.

“You said this island is uninhabited?” I think it’s Diana who asks once we drop anchor.

“That’s what we’ve been told,” Iris says with a reassuring smile.

One by one, the women step down from the back of the boat, into the shallows. A hum of pleasure escapes me as I lower myself down into the lukewarm water reaching me high on my thighs. Holding my drink up, I wiggle my toes into the soft sand, the water clear enough to see my sparkly pink toes peeking through.

“Cece, hand me your drink. You’re going to want to hike that dress up,” I call to my sister, the gentle waves lapping at my bare legs.

“Thanks, Dede,” she says, giving me her flute before pulling the skirt of her dress up and lowering herself down next to me.

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