Page 26 of My Boyfriend Bites

A gazillion hits and most of them garbage, no matter what she typed.

A listing of vampire characteristics gave her the basics she already knew from movies and books. Super-fast healing. Immortality. Couldn’t handle sunlight. Fed on blood. Then there were the fangs, increased strength and speed, enhanced senses.

Of that, she could only be sure of his sunlight allergy and perhaps the last part about his senses. After all, he’d managed to find her in a jungle in the dark.

As for the rest…

Short of stabbing him with a fork, she couldn’t tell how he healed. He’d invited her to dinner, so she assumed he’d be eating real food—or a really rare steak. Which, to be fair, was how she preferred hers. His teeth appeared normal, maybe his canines a bit more pronounced, but then again so were hers. Speed? She could challenge him to a race, seeing as how she was pretty quick.

What was she even thinking? Would she seriously test Dante to see if he could be a vampire?

Nuts. But then again, some would say that about her being a lycan.

Further searches had mention of them turning into bats or smoke. How it took one bite, three bites, or an exchange of blood to make a new vamp. Everyone on the internet had a theory.

With that line of inquiry coming up short, she chose to search Dante next, typing in his name and turning up nothing. Not a single social media account, article, nada. He definitely liked hisprivacy. It wasn’t proof of anything, seeing as how she also kept her own life and identity away from the public eye.

Too restless to sleep, she chose to bun her wet hair, slipped on a summer dress, and headed out for a stroll on the walking/jogging track that ran the length of the ship. She glanced at Dante’s cabin door as she left, wondering if he were inside or out and about. Probably the latter. Why come on a cruise only to hide away? Then again, why come on a Caribbean cruise while allergic to sunshine?

As Selene headed for the eleventh deck with the track, she noticed staff hanging decorations. Fat red hearts. Cupids with bows and arrows. She’d forgotten Valentine’s Day was around the corner. Wait, was it tomorrow, the night she’d be having dinner with Dante? She’d lost track of time.

Did he know? Would he care? Some put great value on the day, calling it the most romantic. Not in her book. Selene hadn’t paid Valentine’s Day much mind since she’d graduated high school. Even then, it hadn’t been a big deal, not like in elementary school when the girls would carefully label cards for everyone in their class, even the annoying boys who liked to tease.

Knowing her mom, she’d be delighted to know Selene had a date. Actually, more like shocked. Mom would be even more astonished if she knew Selene was thinking of what would come after dinner and dessert. Dante’s kiss had been short but titillating. She wouldn’t mind a longer one, but she’d have to be careful. Already he excited her senses a fair bit, so she could only imagine how adrenalizing sex would be. Imagine being the key word. Selene remained a virgin.

Hard to give up the cherry when a fear of turning furry during the act had her breaking things off when they got too hot and heavy for her to handle.

Her family didn’t realize the extent of her problem. They thought only anger acted as a trigger because Selene hadn’t wanted to admit she couldn’t control her wolf. Didn’t want them to know that falling in love could jeopardize their safety. The number one rule their dad ingrained in their heads?Don’t let anyone know you’re lycan.

Her secret almost came out in college. A guy who’d had too much to drink hadn’t taken no for an answer. It ended with him getting bitten. The only reason Selene hadn’t been caught? Because the cops didn’t believe him. It helped that Selene acted innocent and told them she ran away when the big dog came out of nowhere. They assumed he’d been too drunk and ignored his claim she’d been the canine that chomped him. In that case, it had been anger, not passion, that triggered, but the problem remained the same nonetheless.

She couldn’t get close to anyone. Perhaps it might be time to see if the drugs could help, but if she dulled her senses, she could forget feeling pleasure. A catch twenty-two.

The night air proved refreshing and the track empty this time of night. Just how she liked it. Her rapid pace brought her quickly past the area overlooking the pool, the water placid, as no one currently soaked, and, yes, she meant soak, not swim, because quite honestly the small body of water even when not crowded didn’t allow for laps.

The cabanas lining the track had their curtains pulled back, revealing empty lounging beds. A good spot for reading if one didn’t mind the noise during the day. As she neared the far curve of the circuit, a closed curtain indicated not everyone had adjourned for the day. She quickened her pace, not wanting to interrupt whoever remained, only to slow and then pause completely as her nose twitched. Her sense of smell might not be the greatest in this form, but it did recognize death.

Not the decaying version most people thought of, but that of a fresh corpse, slowly releasing its gases.

Curiosity had her pulling aside the canvas, wanting to make sure before she notified anyone. The body within, that of a young male, sprawled atop the daybed, wearing only swim trunks, his expression frozen in a rictus of surprise, his body stiff. The smell of his bowels having released pungent enough she almost gagged.

The first thought that came to mind? Overdose. Despite the ban on drugs on board the ship, she’d seen people under the influence since the voyage began. What a shame yet another young person had succumbed to the dangerous allure.

As she went to release the drape, debating whether to get involved or let it be discovered on its own, she noticed marks on his inner thigh. Two punctures surrounded by slight bruising, but no red stains.

Immediately her mind flashed to a vampire. It seemed too much of a coincidence that she’d been thinking of them earlier, wondering about Dante being one, and then found a body devoid of blood.

It surprised Dante would be so careless as to leave the corpse to be found. Or had she interrupted? A glance around showed no one on the track with her, nor had she scented his distinct cologne. Add in the fact the body wasn’t fresh and she doubted the killer remained close by.

Her lips pinched as she wondered what to do.

She chose to walk away.

Rapidly.

Let the crew handle it.

She had bigger problems. She’d accepted dinner with a vampire. A killer.

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