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Her face brightens in amusement. She had one arm across her middle, her other arm propped up, twirling a full flute of champagne. “I would bet my PhD on it,” she says. “And what about you? What are you interested in exploring?”
You. Everything about you.Instead, I say, “I’m always looking for the next adventure. Why not one out on the open seas? It’s been a while since I have traveled the oceans and would love to revisit it.”
“A while, huh?” She flicks her gaze up and down my body, assessing something. “Too busy in the boardroom?”
“More like battles.”
Her eyes brighten, a lovely pink hue flushes her cheeks. “Oh, are you a military man?”
“In a manner of speaking.” I do not wish to speak to her about what I’ve done in service to my people. I like the idea of pretending, though, especially when I’m pretending to be someone who can solve all of her problems. “What’s your favorite thing about the ocean?”
“I can’t put a finger on it. It’s hard to describe something that feels like your home.”
“That’s exactly how I feel.”
Over the next few minutes, we trade various tidbits of information. At first, I can tell she’s testing my knowledge and sincerity, but our conversation easily gives way to genuine excitement. Especially when I tell her about my own firsthand experiences.
“You have not gone to the Challenger deep!” she exclaims. I love her this way. Her entire being is radiant with joy.
As the area she refers to is part of my normal rotation as a shengard, I shrug. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I absolutely have.” There. Playful, innocent, kind. That is the angle I can use to make sure she doesn’t withdraw from me.
A hint of mischief dances along her lush lips. “Tell me honestly. Were you trying to see the remains of the Titanic?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask what she means when another group comes up. She seems torn, obviously wishing to continue our conversation, but I allow some space and I tell her I’ll be back.
The next few hours feel like a dream as we pull apart and come back together several times throughout the night. Each time we do, our conversations start exactly where we left off, as if there had been no breaks.
This shared intimacy is exactly what I wish for when I finally reveal who I am. I just need her not to reject me until we get to that point.
I check in with Maru, who gives another all clear. “Sir, you might want to move this along. I feel there’s something in the air that I cannot put my finger on.”
Though I wish to dismiss him, I agree. We’ve been through too much not to trust his instincts implicitly.
“This event is nearly over. I believe I know a way to end it once and for all. What kind of currency do I have, and how much am I able to spend?”
“The details are on your phone. As far as I understand it, and how much our allies wish to recruit the shengard, and you specifically, to their cause, your spending cap is limitless.”
That is exactly what I need to hear. I put my untouched champagne onto a random tray and head straight over to Kaia’s auction table. There have been several other bids on this auction. It seems like poor McKinley is way under budget.
Good. The idea of exploiting the seas does not sit well with me, let alone the thought of Kaia enduring such a vapid company.
In the end, I calculate the waiting minutes of the auction with the cadence of bids. I decide to double the last bid on the form.
A gong reverberates into the room, signaling the end of the auction.
Several staff members collect the clipboards, and I was alone with Kaia once more.
“What’s the matter?” I ask. “I would think you would be happy now that the auction is over.”
She grimaces, nodding toward a group of men. “I think that random dude won. I think he was more interested in talking to me than the ocean.”
I lift my gaze in time to see the man wink at my Kaia. A shuddering revulsion churns in my gut. She understated her dislike.
I mentally skin him alive, fantasizing feeding chunks of him to my pet sharks. The thought makes me smile. He catches me looking at him. Whatever he sees in my face makes him blanch and walk swiftly away.
Good.
The servers signal that the dinner buffet is open. The crowd of people shifts with the rest of the pack toward their seats. “Come on, you probably haven’t eaten this entire time with these people talking to you.” I nod my head toward the food.
