Page 68 of The Temptation of Roan Island

Now, that’s all I can think about.

I turn her hand in mine, and my thumb glides back and forth over her wrist. The pulse point at her neck throbs hard enough that I can see it jump.

“I’m scared of losing you,” she says softly, “of losing the easy friendship we’ve developed. Scared that you’ll think differently of me after seeing me so… wanton last night.”

She’s not entirely wrong. I do think differently of her. But not in the way she thinks. “Your desire could never scare me off, little flower.”

“But I was so… so…”

“Demanding.” I turn our hands over and trace a line on her palm. “Eager.” I touch the place I bit her, now covered by fabric and lace. “Responsive.” I drag my thumb across her jaw. Her little tongue darts out, wetting her bottom lip. “None of it scared me.”

The way I responded to her did.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about last night, wanting to do it all again. That’s what scares me. What if I give in to whatever this feeling is, what if I convince myself it’s love and bite her, but she dies in my arms? I’m not a good judge of what love is or who feels it. And we don’t know enough about the bite to know what kinds of love will guarantee transformation. How in love does someone need to be for it to work?

No, I won’t mistake the desire I feel for her as love. But maybe I don’t have to deny it either.

Pippa sucks her teeth between her lips, a light furrow between her brows. “I just want us to stay friends, Maiah. You’re the only one I have.”

“We’re friends, Pippa,” I say with a sigh, resigning myself to her not wanting the same things I want. “Nothing you do or say will change that. I will always honor my promises.” I press my lips to her cheek and linger there before adding, “It’s okay that things have been awkward between us today. It’s understandable. But you should know I’m not going anywhere.”

29

PIPPA

The door to our room is as adorned as the rest of the ship, engraved with stars, moons, and other visages of the night sky. It’s difficult to appreciate, however, because its presence looms with possibility. The door may be unassuming, but what lies beyond it isn’t. An unknown room. An unspoken temptation.

“This is the Celestial Dreams Suite. One of the best on the ship.” The porter pushes open the door and allows us to enter before him.

I step forward and gasp.

The space can’t really be called large, but it’s bigger than I expected. There are two armchairs in front of a wide window, and the small table between them holds a tower of treats. Our luggage sits near a door that I assume leads to a washroom. But the thing that makes my heart kick against my ribs is the bed. One bed. One beautiful four-poster bed dressed in gold and white. Flower petals are strewn across the surface, and there’s a chilled bottle of bubbly and two glass flutes in a standing bucket at its foot.

“Mr. Mallory—the cruise director—took the liberty of offering you some champagne to celebrate your nuptials.”

“Thank you,” I hear Shemaiah say.

“Thank you, Mr. Roan.” The porter’s voice pitches higher with what sounds like gratitude. Shemaiah must have given him a tip.

The door snaps shut, leaving us alone.

Shemaiah’s warmth heats my back. “I’m sorry about the bed. It was…”

“All they had. I know.” I walk deeper into the room, followed by Shemaiah, stopping in front of a full-length mirror.

It’s as if we’ve entered more than just a room but a new paradigm. I can see both of us in the reflection, and it feels as if I’m looking into an alternate reality. One where we aren’t just friends, but something more. Two people who share a room, a bed, and our lives.

My skin prickles with sensation as Shemaiah’s eyes meet mine in the glass. For a moment they flash as dark as the sea at night. Full and deep.

He glances away and moves to the coat rack. With his back to me, he takes off his jacket and hangs it on a hook. “I can sleep on a chair.”

My eye roll is accompanied by a nervous laugh as I pull a pin from my hat and remove it, setting it on the dresser. “You’ll do no such thing.”

“You’re sure?” He turns, facing me again.

I unbutton my jacket, and his gaze tracks my hands as I do. “I am. There’s no need for us to be uncomfortable.” I glance at the bed. “It’s large enough for both of us.”

Shemaiah moves behind me and helps me remove my jacket, then hangs it near his.