Page 28 of Every Bite You Take
“I came here to see you. Not in a stalker way. And only if you're okay with it.” My nerves gnawed at me, and I stumbled to a halt. “I mean,” I faltered, gathering myself again, “I wanted to see if you’ll give me another chance. Because I want to be with you.” The tightness in my chest spread. “Because…” I’d never felt so vulnerable before in my life, dead or undead. “I fell in love with you.”
Her mouth dropped open in apparent shock, but it felt good to get it off my chest, to admit what had become more apparent each day.
“You’re the only one for me.” I placed my hand on my heart. “I know it in here. I feel this bond to you and have been in agony since we’ve been apart. I love you, Kylie.”
She gaped at me for several more seconds, and I braced myself for rejection.
Then she rushed out from behind the bar, but slowed her steps as she approached me. “Stop talking, vamp.”
Oh, shit. I took it too far. I let my shoulders sag and dropped my gaze. “Okay…”
In the next second, Kylie threw her arms around me, leaving me stunned. “Kiss me instead.”
Holy mother of… I glanced down at her, reveling in the feel of her in my arms again. She stared up at me, eyes bright, and smiled so wide she beamed with radiance. “I know what you mean. I feel it too.”
My brows shot up. “A bond?”
“Yes.” She nodded and her lips parted as she searched my eyes. “I love you too.”
I let out a whoop and pulled her closer, lifting her off the ground. Once I put her back on her feet, I bent down and kissed her while cheers and wolf-whistles echoed around us.
CHAPTER 17
KYLIE
The tinkling sound of the piano keys reached me as I served customers in the Celestial Lounge. The view of the ocean stretched across the room from the windows that lined the space. It had been a month since I’d joined the staff of the Moonlight Siren.
Gianna had thrown me a going-away party at the Danger Zone, a phenomenal night where I had a chance to say goodbye to good friends.
“I'm gonna miss you so much, Kylie.” Gianna had given me a big hug.
“I'll miss you too,” I said, choking up a little. "And everyone here." I glanced at the familiar faces of coworkers and regulars who’d come in over the years.
“Come back and visit us,” said Eddie, a longtime customer.
“I will.” Pushing forward a smile, I added, “Come and see me too. Book a sailing. You'll have a blast.”
“Oh, I definitely will,” Gianna declared. “Maybe get a bunch of us together.”
“That would be fantastic,” I replied.
The next day, I’d flown from Boston with a bit of wistfulness back to Seattle to start my new job working onboard. Change was exciting, yet it wasn’t easy to uproot your life to start over somewhere else without the familiarity of home. But I was thrilled that I worked up the nerve to take this leap.
The piano set ended, and the bustle died down, so I was able to take a short break. I walked around the outside deck, gazing up at the moon and stars while the sea breeze flowed through my hair. I inhaled the ocean scent, letting the salty aroma soothe me. Once I reached the bow, I stared forward at the dark waves where the ship sailed. New discoveries lay ahead with a new itinerary and passengers. I was excited to explore our next ports of call when we repositioned to the Caribbean.
Piper walked around the corner with staff from the art auction, all of them in uniform. “Kylie, thought you were working tonight?”
“I’m on break,” I said with a smile. “Meet up tomorrow?”
“You bet,” she said with a grin.
Piper was my first friend on board, and it was great to hang out with her whenever we both had the same time period off, especially while Damien slept. Both she and Damien had introduced me to many crewmates. There were so many that it would be some time before I met anyone. But I liked meetingnew people, seeing familiar faces, visiting new places—and most of all, spending time with Damien.
What he’d said was spot on about our connection—I’d never felt so close to anyone before. I didn’t have his supernatural abilities, but I did know what we had was real, without any doubt.
I returned to the lounge for the last part of my shift, where Damien would play an acoustic set. Blue Luna Shadows was searching for a new bassist since Angus had quit. When Damien had come to Boston, we’d talked about where we should go. Stay in Boston. Return to the Moonlight Siren. Start fresh somewhere new.
With help from the Salem Supernatural Network, I was hired by the cruise line. The line for drinks grew as people poured in, keeping me busy for the next several minutes. The sound of guitar strumming caught my attention. I glanced up, caught Damien’s eye as he began to play, and he winked at me. A rush of heat surged through my veins, the way it always did whenever I was near him.
