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Negal chuckled. "As I said, matters of the heart take priority. I'm so glad no female has ever gotten her hooks into my soul."
"That's a rude thing to say," Gabi admonished. "You make it sound like I did something bad to Aru."
Aru took her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. "You illuminated my life, my love. Before you, I lived under a cloud and didn't even realize that not enough sunshine was coming through."
"Oh, Aru." Gabi brought their conjoined hands to her lips and kissed his knuckles. "My heart overflows with love for you."
Dagor chuckled. "And that's why I will never allow it to happen to me. Love turns perfectly normal people into sappy puddles of sweetness."
"I don't know what that girl sees in you," Negal said in their native language. "You have the tact of a monkey. Perhaps I should offer her a better alternative." Negal started to rise.
"Sit." Dagor clamped his hand on the trooper's shoulder. "For the duration of this cruise, Frankie is mine. So, back off."
People sitting at the neighboring tables were glancing their way. Aru wasn't sure how much of their language they understood. But even if they didn't understand a word of the gods' language, it wasn't difficult to interpret Dagor's response to Negal's suggestion to take Frankie off his hands. First of all, he'd said her name, and secondly, the barely contained rage in his tone had been impossible to miss.
"Relax." Negal clapped Dagor on the shoulder. "I was just trying to prove a point, and I did."
Frankie
"What did Bridget say?" Mia asked as soon as Frankie got to her table.
She had expected her friend to ask about the night she'd spent with Dagor, which was much more eventful than the short visit to the clan doctor. But maybe she didn't want to do that in front of Toven and the others sharing their table and was waiting to have that kind of talk with her in private or with Margo on the line.
It was only fair that Mia would demand the details. After all, Frankie and Margo had done the same to her. Still, now that the shoe was on the other foot, Frankie regretted hassling Mia to reveal intimate details.
It was okay to talk about dates and hookups, but it was different when the person was someone she’d grown to care about. She'd known Dagor for less than twenty-four hours, but the connection had been pretty immediate. Perhaps her mother hadn't been a silly romantic when she'd said that when the right person showed up, Frankie would know.
Was Dagor the one for her, though?
He didn't seem interested in a long-term relationship, and she'd told him that a cruise fling was all she was interested in, too. It wasn't fair to him to change her mind and start talking about forever.
Besides, they were basing their assumptions about possible dormancy on her likability, which was the least scientific method she could think of. Chances were that she was just a human. If so, a future with Dagor was impossible regardless of his aversion to long-term relationships.
Sitting on the chair Toven had gallantly pulled out for her, Frankie shrugged. "She said that it was probably because of excessive alcohol consumption without eating. It can prevent the liver from releasing glucose from its glycogen stores to the bloodstream, leading to hypoglycemia." She chuckled. "At least I've learned something thanks to my fainting spells. I didn't even know that the liver stores glycogen. Did we learn that in school?"
Mia shook her head. "I don't remember. You told me that you had bar snacks with your drinks, and before going to the bar, you also snacked in your room. Those weren't the healthiest choices, but you had something in your stomach. You shouldn't have fainted."
Frankie had forgotten entirely about the snacks and had told Bridget that she hadn't eaten. Well, according to her mother, a few pretzels and a small bag of mixed nuts didn't count as a meal, but Mia was right about her stomach not having been empty.
"Maybe it wasn't enough. Anyway, the doctor told me to eat regular meals and see if the problem returns. If it does, I'm to march myself into my regular doctor's office and ask for a fasting glucose blood test to start with and a bunch of other tests to determine the underlying cause."
"You should do that regardless of whether the fainting returns." Mia handed Frankie the tray with the assorted cold cuts. "Now eat and tell me about your night with Dagor. Did the two of you end up watching television?"
"Yes." Frankie batted her eyelashes. "Until the wee hours of the morning and then again before seeing the doctor."
Mia stifled a laugh. "The movies must have been exciting."
"Yes, the best."
Toven's lips twitched as he pretended to be absorbed in his oatmeal. Still, the other couple sitting at their table were grinning and not trying to hide their amusement.
"What are your plans for the rest of the day?" Mia asked. "I mean until the wedding or a little before to get ready." She narrowed her eyes on Frankie. "Just don't wear the dress you wore yesterday, and make sure to eat throughout the day and not wait to stuff yourself at the reception."
That was precisely what Frankie had intended to do. To keep her weight under control and still enjoy her social life, she often skipped meals before a dinner date or an event.
"I know, I know. I've learned my lesson. I told Dagor that I intend to laze by the pool and enjoy Bob the robot's drinks. It would be great if you and Toven could join us."
Mia grimaced. "It's going to be hot up there, and the sun glare will make it miserable for Toven. Your boyfriend will probably not enjoy it either."
