Page 41 of Why Cruise

Something in his casual confidence made me feel safer than I had all day. I opened the binder again, actually reading it this time.

I made it halfway down the page.

“Can I ask you something else?”

“I’ve already told you that you can do whatever you want with me.”

He was still reclined back, his forearm over his eyes to block out the scorching sun. His skin was getting more golden by the second. He really was too pretty for my own good.

“What does it feel like when you use your aura to, you know, get people to do what you want?”

His jaw ticked as he thought about the question.You dummy, you just ruined a perfectly pleasant afternoon by being so… fucking nosy.

“I don’t,” he said after a long while.

“You don’t feel things?”

“I don’t use my aura to get omegas to do what I want.”

“But…”

“I don’t because it feels shitty,” he said. He hadn’t moved, but his whole being seemed different. “Getting,” he paused to crack his neck, “someone to obey, just because you can, is a dick move.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. Daryl had used his aura, his bark, all the time. So had my father. I looked back down at the workshop schedule. It was like hieroglyphs had sprouted all across the page. Nothing made sense. Nothing.

No, that wasn’t true. Theo made sense. I shuffled the pages of his spreadsheet printout. Museum, check. “Trivia Night Mix and Mingle” was also highlighted in green.

I sucked at trivia, but that wasn’t the point. Theo was the point.

My finger scanned for the next formal dinner. I carefully stuffed the papers in the binder and closed it.

“Theo will be back soon. I’m going to go get ready. Will we see you at dinner?”

Ren threw his long legs over the lounger and stood. He held a hand out for me to help me up. The hat tumbled off my head as I craned to look all the way up at him.

“Only if you promise me one thing,” his voice practically had a purr to it that I felt all the way to my toes.

“What’s that?”

“Order exactly what you want.”

You. I want you,screamed through my head so loud I had to bite my tongue to not say the words.

He stepped back, picked up my hat, and held it out for me.

“Justice gave it to me.” I don’t know why I said that, but the look from Ren was pure delight, like I had just poured hot fudge on his sundae.

He put the hat on my head. Biting his lower lip, he adjusted it until it was just right.

“Tell Theo I said hi.” He took a few steps backwards, looking at me like I was the sundae.

I clutched the binder to my chest and headed for the elevators. What would Theo do when I whispered that in his ear tonight? I picked up my pace, wanting to get back to our room before slick started dripping down my thigh.

DAY 4 - PUERTO PLATA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

TODAY’S TIDE

FROM THE CAPTAIN’S DESK

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