Page 10 of Sprite Wedding
I pulled at his hand. “Lucas, it’s time to go to our cabin,” I declared in a stern voice, hoping to snap him out of it.
“Not yet.” He pouted. “I want to dance with you here.”
This wasn’t like him. Sure, he liked to dance and often encouraged me to do so with him when we were alone. Sometimes he played his records and swayed with a sensual vibe, similar to the moves he’d perfected in the club. Other times, he’d encourage me to act silly as we performed whatever lyrics in a goofy or dramatic rendition of whatever song was on.
But to jump on a table in the middle of a lounge on a cruise ship and remove his shirt and thrust his hips? This wasn’t cool or funny. With the dazed look in his eyes, I suspected something was up. What the pixie dust was going on?
“Everything okay?” Bryan asked as he stepped beside me.
Ugh, could this get any worse?
I clenched my teeth. “Yes. Everything’s fine.” I turned back to Lucas.
“Come on, babe, it’s our song.” He encouraged me to climb up with him.
“Lucas, in our cabin,” I replied, avoiding Bryan’s probing stare. I nudged my head toward the exit. “Come with menow.”
Lucas jumped off the table, eyes bright like an excited puppy. “Yes, an even better idea.”
As we headed out of the lounge with countless eyes tracking us, I turned over my shoulder to Nova and Diego. They stared at me with expressions as perplexed as the one that was no doubt etched onto my face.
“Follow us,” I mouthed.
I had to get Lucas back to the cabin. And since he was a massive half-dragon shifter whereas I was a petite elf, I needed all the help I could muster—especially of the supernatural kind. I didn’t know what we were dealing with but hoped Lucas would sleep it off before attempting any more shenanigans.
LUCAS
I wrapped my arms around Zoe from behind, and snuggled up against her in our cruise cabin. We had an ocean-view room diagonal to Diego and Nova’s interior one, which they needed to avoid sunlight. If we booked a cruise again, I’d want to splurge for a balcony suite. That way, I could shift into dragon from my balcony and head out for a night flight before returning to my brilliant mate.
What a great week it had been. It was our last day at sea, and I didn’t want it to end. She smelled so good. I couldn’t resist nuzzling against her from behind and drinking in her enticing scent. The morning sun lit her face and highlighted the red and blonde streaks in her brown hair, reminding me of fire.
When she stirred, I said, “Good morning, babe.” Maybe we could start the day with a little morning delight. I stroked her soft shoulder and down along her side.
She rolled over and faced me. “How are you feeling?”
Why did she have that concerned tone? “Fine.” I scrunched my face. “Why are you asking me that?”
“Do you remember last night?”
I turned my attention from the little head below who was demanding attention to the bigger nob on top of my neck and scanned through the evening. We went to dinner. An elf came by who knew Zoe. He’d helped her get back to the ship, and she’d kept it from me for some peculiar reason. By the time we arrived at a comedy show, all was good. We then stopped by a club for a drink. I wanted to dance. And then…
“Suffering snapdragons!” I sat upright. “I didn’t—did I?”
She grimaced. “If you mean jump-on-a-table-to-dance-and-start-stripping, well, the answer is, unfortunately, yes.”
I raised my hand to my forehead. “What the hell is wrong with me? I can’t do that here on a cruise ship. There are families on board. Your elf friend.”
Zoe recoiled, and I knew that I’d hit a sensitive spot. No wonder. Not only had she seen me act like a buffoon, but I’d done so in front of someone from her past. After trying to convince her to take me seriously, she might wake up one day and realize I was nothing more than a clown who entertained people. No substance. She might tire of my shenanigans and leave me.
Zoe tipped her head. “Did you have a little too much to drink?”
I blinked a few times while combing through my selections last night. Yes, I’d sampled a variety of drinks, starting with wine at dinner and then switching to more potent blends after we went to the show. I drank more than the average human could tolerate but burned through it quickly with my shifter metabolism. For me to get drunk would require pounding a lot of alcohol. That hadn’t happened. I certainly hadn’t reached an inebriated level that could lead to hopping on a table and stripping in public.
“No, I don’t think that was it. I didn’t feel drunk.” My jaw clenched. “But something didn’t feel right. I felt kind of strange.”
“Strange how?”
Since it wasn’t a sensation I’d experienced before, I wasn’t sure. “It might be hard to explain. It felt like a dream where reality is skewed. Like you’re in a haze. Not in a bad way. It was pleasant. I felt happy and wanted to dance.” My shoulders hunched, and I rubbed the back of my taut neck. “But to strip?” I cringed. “What could explain that?”
