It’s titillating. It’s scary. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted, but infinitely better. I want to push him down on a table and own his mouth for everyone to see. I want to prove that this man is and has always been mine, even if he tried to deny it.
Gentle fingers snake up my neck and stroke the lobe of my ear as a full glass of something is placed in front of me. I melt into the touch, sparks prickling my spine while Aran’s scent slowly engulfs me.
“Don’t look at me like that,Tien. I have already put this mission in unnecessary danger,” he whispers into my ear, his hot breath caressing my skin. “My self-control is finite, unlike what you might think.”
Fireworks go off inside me like it’s New Year’s Eve, making my every nerve-ending sing. My dick jumps in my pants, welcoming the surge of desire that his words and closeness ignite within me.
Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. Was this a threat? An invitation? A promise? All of the above?
I wiggle on the chair, trying to be as discreet as I can as I attempt to contain my hard-on. I want game night to be over so I can get my hands on Aran. Preferably naked. I need his dark taste, his greedy touches, his sexy noises. I want to see exactly how deep his desperation for me runs. I want to feel it, so I know it’s real and not some delusion my brain has made up because the man I’ve been obsessed with decided to take pity on me.
Biting my lips, I close my eyes and take a shaky breath. I don’t know this side of Aran. His sex life is a mystery, his preferences a void. I’ve been dreaming about it, making up scenarios and roles between us, but the truth is that I have no idea what will happen once we get back to our cabin. Preferably, it will be something that involves us getting hot and bothered together, but as to how that might come to be…
“Dear, what do you think?”
Mrs. Lynx’s voice is like a bucket of cold water. It snaps me back to reality with a start, which almost causes me to spill the glass all over myself again. But Aran catches it before it’s slipped off the table’s edge, sliding it toward the center.
I turn my head to thank him, but he and his warmth are gone so suddenly, I am not sure whether I imagined the whole thing or if we actually shared that intimate moment.
“Um…” I touch the ear where his mouth was muttering teasing words just a heartbeat ago. The tingling heat that lingers there spreads to my cheeks and I thank whoever is watching over me that the hall’s moody ambience will hide the evidence of what Aran does to me. “I…” My eyes bounce from her expectant face to the woman on the stage who’s holding some kind of a sparkly necklace with a big red gem. I’m pretty sure it was a tiara last time I looked.Just how much did I actually miss when Aran leaned in and fried my brain?
“Apologies, Mrs. Lynx. I was serving your guest another drink, and it seems he got a little distracted,” Aran says, saving me as my brain draws a blank. “Sorry if I am overstepping”—he glances at me and nods—“but I think you’ll agree that the Don Sebastian Ruby Necklace is worth more than the price Mr. Beluga offered.”
“Yes!” I bark out, bobbing my head. “You should totally bid on it, Mrs. Lynx. It would look amazing on you.”
“Oh my! I wasn’t planning to wear it if I decided to buy it, but now that you’ve mentioned it…”
I pay attention for the rest of the night, complimenting Mrs. Lynx every chance I get. She wins the bingo and snags the grand prize, which is exactly what I was going for. Judging by the encouraging but subtle smile Aran flashes me as he clears away our empty glasses, he approves.
“So, what is this First Slot?” I ask, following the couple up the bifurcated stairs. Game night is over and so it’s time for us to part ways, though not before I find out as much as I can. Aran will stay behind until his shift is over, and hopefully he’ll come back with more intel.
She pinches my arm playfully. “Aren’t you a curious little kitten?”
“Only because I’m having so much fun hanging out with you and Mr. Lynx.”
There is something strange about the smile she gives me. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is, but my body tenses up like it does when I am playing a horror game and am about to walk into a jump scare.
We board the elevator, and my two companions put their masks on. “We enjoy our time together very much, lovely Hex,” the missus says when we reach the corridor leading to the regular part of the entertainment deck. “Perhaps you could join us for a private party tonight? There will be many young things like yourself, and I’m sure you will get along.”
I don’t miss the fact that she hedges my question, but calling her out would be suspicious. Instead, I decide to play her game, praying that I can just stop by for half an hour and be back to my and Aran’s cabin for hot sex afterwards. Or you know, so that he doesn’t lose his shit and behead me because I went off on my own without discussing things with him first.
“Maybe I can drop by. But I won’t stay long because I have an early shift tomorrow, Mrs. Lynx.”
She claps her hands, her smile changing to the one I know and am used to. Looping her arm with mine, she tells me about the people who will attend. The majority of them are the assistants or ‘servants’ of the rich people attending this cruise, and while I am not so naïve to think that throwing a party magically absolves her or her peers from being assholes, it’s a nice thing to do.
A prim dark-skinned woman with red stilettos and a beautiful beige pantsuit greets us as we emerge onto the entertainment deck’s public area, holding a tablet in her hand. She gives it to Mrs. Lynx, smiles and ushers us toward the corridor which leads to the residences’ level.
I take a peek at what’s on the device’s screen when Mrs. Lynx unlocks it, discovering a list of names and animal pictures. It must be of the employees who will be attending the Lynxes’ party.
“I see everyone will be joining us,” Mrs. Lynx says with a satisfied tone. “You’ve done a great job, Eleanor.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Lynx. And, um…” the woman’s assistant trails off, color tinting her cheeks. Her black wavy hair curtains her face, making her look like a princess. “I still can’t believe you want me to have these.” She indicates the clothes she is wearing. “I love them to bits, but I don’t know if I should keep them…”
Mrs. Lynx hums. “None of this nonsense, dear. I told you this is a gift from me. You’ve been with us for a while now, so it’s time to spoil you a bit, don’t you think? Mr. Lynx is the one who picked the color, you know. He was very excited to see how it would look on you.” She pauses, then gives Eleanor a once-over. “It’s perfect, if I may add.”
The Lynxes’ assistant does look stunning. She reminds me of a young heiress on her way to take over her father’s business empire. Maybe it’s how Mrs. Lynx sees her, now that I think about it. She shared with me that she and Mr. Lynx couldn’t have kids, so maybe that’s why they are so nice to young people like me. I mean, they gifted me the clothes I am wearing, too—which, Aran seemed to find very agreeable—and that was before they even invited me to their party.
Gratitude is not the only reason I am going, though. The likeliest place to find a gap in the cruise’s security is via the guests. I just need to be careful and not get caught snooping around.
