Page 19 of Devoured By You

“That’s Addison.” I linked arms with Raya, who, if anything, was more introverted than I was. “Just go with the flow. It’s easier that way.”

Raya grinned. “This is going to be epic.”

“You got that right.”

We entered the ship and stepped into a large atrium. All four of us stopped dead, jaws dropping. The designers of this ship had spared no expense. Everywhere we looked screamed opulence. As VIP suite passengers, we could board before everyone else, giving us time and space to really look around.

“Whoa.” Kelsey craned back her head, gazing up at the glass ceiling twenty floors above us, beyond which the bluest sky shone through, casting the entire area in dazzling light. “I saw this on their website, but the real thing is a whole other experience.”

“Come on,” Addison said. “Let’s check out the suites.”

The four of us rode the elevator up to the eighteenth deck, which housed the Kingcaid Royalty suites. One deck up were the penthouse suites for the real moneybags on this cruise, and above that, a VIP area separated from the rest of the ship where suite and penthouse residents could enjoy additional services not available to regular cabin passengers. I guessed they had to justify the exorbitant price tag somehow.

“Forward or aft?” Addison queried, peering at the chrome plate on the wall that showed the cabin numbers. “My glasses are in my bag. I can’t see a damn thing.”

“Forward.” I led the way toward the front of the ship, stopping a few suites from the end. Our suitcases were already waiting for us.

“This is us.” I held my black wristband to a plate on the wall, and the lock clicked. Kelsey did the same with the adjacent suite. “Ready?”

Simultaneously, we opened the doors.

“Oh my God!” Addison squealed as she ran inside. “Look at this place!”

I grinned at Raya and Kelsey. “See you in ten for drinks on the balcony.” Following Addison into the suite, I closed the door and gazed around.

Luxury. That was the first word that sprang to mind. The space was vast with an enormous king-size bed, a fully stocked bar, and a marble bathroom with a walk-in shower and a jacuzzi tub, as well as two monogrammed plush robes. There was even a living area with a corner couch in soft suede and a small dining table. But the real wow was the huge balcony. I opened the sliding doors and stepped outside. Two thick, padded loungers were placed in the sun, and there was a three-seater couch and a bistro table with two comfy chairs.

I raced to the railings, gazing down at the streams of people crossing the gangplank. To my left was the bridge, protruding out over the ship far above the sea, so close I could almost touch it. I waved at the crew members. One waved back. Whipping around, I grinned so wide my cheeks ached.

“This is unbelievable.”

“I know!” Addison hugged me. “I can’t believe we’re here. Finally.” Returning inside, she flopped onto the bed. “Which side do you want?”

“Either.”

“I’ll take this side, then. Closer to the bar. Speaking of.” She sprang from the bed and inspected the rows of top-shelf liquor. “How about a cosmo to kick off the festivities?”

“Sounds good to me.” A knock came at the door. “Better make that cosmos for four.” I wrenched it open. “Okay, bitches, let’s get pi—”

It wasn’t Kelsey and Raya.

“Oh, sorry about that.”

The young woman standing outside our suite smiled. “Not a problem. It’s an exciting day. I’m Soraya, your Royalty suite assistant. Can I come in for a minute?”

The suite next door opened, and Kelsey and Raya appeared.

“You might as well do us all together.” I jerked my chin at my friends standing behind Soraya. “Save you from making the speech twice.”

Soraya glanced behind her. “Oh, of course.” Standing out of the way, she motioned to Kelsey and Raya. “Please, ladies, after you.”

Soraya gave us the rundown of the kinds of services afforded to those in the Kingcaid Royalty suites. It was clearly a rehearsed speech, one she’d probably practiced over and over to get it right, but I instantly took to her. After this, going back to my normal life wouldn’t be easy. I could get used to this kind of pampering.

“Oh, and finally,” Soraya said, “we’re delighted that our CEO, Mr. Kingcaid, will join us on the cruise, and as you’re Royalty suite guests, he’d like to extend a personal invite to an intimate gathering tonight on the VIP deck.” She handed over two cards that had our names printed on them. “Just bring these with you. The reception starts at seven o’clock, an hour after we set sail.”

I scanned the invite. “Thanks. We’ll be there.”

“Wonderful. Well, if there is anything you need at all, you can contact me via the ship’s app, or dial 626 on your telephone. I’m here to make sure your trip exceeds all your expectations, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.”

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