61. Margo

Im so relieved, Negal said as he held the clinic door open for Margo. Karen is doing amazingly well.

She is, Margo agreed. Even the doctor seems surprised that Karen woke up so quickly from her coma.

Bridget had murmured something about Karens transition being unusual because shed been unconscious for nearly twenty-four hours and then woke up as if nothing had happened. No relapses. Not even sleepiness.

Karen was chatting with her family and her visitors as if she was recuperating from a light cold, not a complete overhaul of her body. She still looked a little tired, but the fine lines around her eyes were nearly gone.

Thank the merciful Fates, shes okay, Negal said, sounding a little smug as if he had something to do with Karens rapid recovery.

It must be her imagination.

He was simply happy that Karen was doing well. So what if it was strange that he showed so much interest in a woman who was a mother of five and in a loving relationship with the father of three of those children? Hed told her that he was friends with Karens partner but observing them interacting hadnt convinced Margo of that.

There was more to this story than he was letting on. Perhaps the number of children Karen had was what fascinated him about the woman.

Where Negal came from, people counted themselves lucky if they had one child, and given the scarcity of children on the cruise, the immortals were facing the same problem.

Margos gut twisted. Would she and Negal ever be blessed with a child? Would he want children with her?

It was one of the many things they needed to talk about, but maybe not today. It was too soon to have that kind of talk.

Had Frankie and Dagor discussed children already?

Mia and Toven had, but they had been together for a while, and Toven already had at least two children he knew of, and there could potentially be more. Mia had told her that Toven had been convinced that he was infertile, and since he had been around for seven thousand years, that meant a hell of a lot of women he had been with, and as it turned out, when gods took humans as partners, their chances of creating offspring increased dramatically. The guy could have hundreds of children he didnt know about.

As they entered the elevator, Negal wrapped his arm around her waist. Do you want to go shopping or sightseeing in Mazatlán? We still have a few hours before the wedding.

Margo scrunched her nose. I would rather go up to the Lido deck and have a drink. But if you want to see the town, Ill come with you.

Im okay with skipping it. He pressed the button for the top deck. But Im surprised that you dont want a shore excursion.

She didnt want Negal to buy more things for her, and given their prior experience in Puerto Vallarta, he would insist, and she would cave, and then she would owe him even more money that he would refuse to accept.

Its too hot and humid. She smiled sweetly at him. And besides, there is so much we still need to talk about, and Id rather do that over drinks.

Like what?

She rolled her eyes. Did you forget already? You promised to tell me more about your life.

He made a face. Unless you want to hear about countless missions, most of them boring, there isnt really much to tell.

Are you kidding me? There is so much I want to know that has nothing to do with your missions. Tell me about your parents, what they do for a living, the kind of people they are, and whether they were strict or lenient with you when you were growing up. Who was your first crush? What happened to her?

Shaking his head, Negal chuckled and led her out of the elevator and onto the Lido deck. Slow down, my love. I can only answer one question at a time.

He called her his love, and her heart fluttered like it had wings. The happiness bubbling inside her made her feel as if she were walking on air rather than the solid deck of the ship.

Leaning against the railing, Negal turned to look at her with amusement in his eyes. Whats that smile about? Did I say something funny?

You called me your love, she said, her eyes locking with his. I like the sound of it.

Negals expression softened. I love you.

She batted her eyelashes. Say it again. I love the way it sounds.

I love you. He smiled. Now say it back to me.

She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek. I love you, and I dont care how absurd it is for me to feel that way after knowing you for three days. She stretched on her tiptoes and kissed his lips.

When he wrapped his arms around her and pressed her to his chest, her unanswered questions and the uncertainties of their future faded away.