More hours? Pitch darkness. I struggled to use my night vision, taking advantage of light from the half-moon. I wasn’t afraid anymore. My mind had gone blank. A sickening urge to laugh rose up within me.
Something scaly rubbed against the back of my thigh and I sucked in a breath with a squeak, letting go of the pole and flailing for a moment. Pain shot through my stiff limbs. With barely a splash Kaidan was there, wrapping one arm around my waist and placing the other cold hand over my mouth. Another giggle surfaced and he clamped down harder, pulling me closer. He felt warm, and his presence awoke my senses, clearing my mind enough to realize I’d almost blown our cover. Fear emerged and I was glad for it. My mind needed to stay alert. I grabbed the pole once again and Kaidan kept close behind me.
Later, when my eyes were heavy, Kaidan abruptly tightened his grip and I knew someone was coming.
I heard two sets of footsteps and the voice of Duke Astaroth and a woman. They passed the boathouse and stood at the end of the dock by their boat. What were they doing? I hated not being able to see.
On the other side of the post one of the planks was warped and had a large chink at the edge. I slowly shifted my body around the post, pointing to the hole so Kai would know what I was doing. He gave me a tight be-careful look and held my waist. I kept one hand on a huge nail that protruded from the wood, and the other hand on Kai’s shoulder—just enough to boost myself a couple inches.
I adjusted my supernatural sight like binoculars. Through the angled crack I saw them silhouetted in the pale moonlight—Astaroth, looking like a blond romance cover model, and a dark-haired woman.
“You don’t have to stay with me,” she said to him. “Really, I’ll be fine.”
He stood too close to her, gazing with tender affection.
“I can see you’re upset, luv. And I’d rather not return to the den of iniquity up there, if it’s all the same to you.” He chuckled, as if embarrassed by what was happening at the house.
The woman let out a dry laugh, shaking her head and crossing her arms. “I don’t know what’s gotten into my friends. I mean, Katrina’s always been wild, but not like this.”
Astaroth shrugged. “It’s her bachelorette weekend. One last hurrah and all that. Right?”
“I guess.” The woman looked out at the darkened ocean. “But leaving on a plane with strange men and going to an island . . . no offense. God, I didn’t mean—”
He laughed. “No offense taken. I think we were all caught up in the moment in Vegas. We’ll return soon and this will seem like a dream. Try to let yourself enjoy it.”
“I can’t. It was fun at first, but . . .” She gave a frustrated sigh. “We’re all happily married, and Katrina’s about to be, and now they’re all up there. . . . It’s not like them.”
“I’m sorry, luv,” he whispered. “I’m shocked as well.” They were quiet and he gazed at her for a while before continuing. “When I first saw you tonight I hoped I’d have the pleasure of your company. Seems there are so few women out there who value intelligence and also happen to be stunningly gorgeous. I was disappointed to hear you’re unavailable.”
She looked up at him and a band of red wrapped itself around her. I bit down hard against a shiver that was only partly from the freezing temperatures. My body was in such a sad state that I wondered if this was really happening. Maybe it was a bad dream or a hallucination.
Astaroth gave the woman a shy grin. “My apologies . . . I shouldn’t say such things to a married woman.”
She dropped her gaze and stepped away from him. He stepped closer and continued in that smooth voice, full of false passion. “It’s just that I’ve felt something between us from that first moment. I’m sorry to be so bold, but I know you feel it, too.”
She shook her head. “No. I—I can’t.”
“You can’t help how you feel,” he purred, stroking her hair.
Kaidan gripped me tighter and pulled, angling me away, but I could still hear them.
“I’m not going to lie,” the woman said. “I feel something, too, but I won’t act on it. I’m sorry. He’s a good man.”
“And you’re a good woman. I fear I’ll never find someone like you. I’ll be thinking of you when I return to England tomorrow, wishing I could have touched you . . . just once. Nobody would ever have to find out. Not your friends. Not your husband. Only the two of us. We wouldn’t be hurting a soul.”
She hesitated before saying, “I can’t.” She sounded on the verge of tears.
Kaidan squeezed me tighter and I felt his chest move with a sharp intake of breath. I cranked my head to the chink in the board again, wanting to see what caused such a reaction from Kai.
Two whisperers had descended on the woman as Astaroth continued to pet her and speak in gentle tones. And then he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back. I closed my eyes.