12. Grace

Chapter 12

Grace

T he next few days would be at sea days, with the cruise ship sailing on its way to Samoa. There were no stops between here and there, and I was glad. It was getting to the point that I was afraid of leaving the ship.

Micaela was standing guard at one entrance to the lazy river on the Kamaria , and Gray was standing at the other. Kazi and Mama were in our suite, probably sleeping the sleep of the mischievous, while Sebastian and I floated peacefully with a sky full of stars above us.

Nighttime on a cruise ship was usually quieter, depending on what was happening on board. Most families were putting kids to bed, and the parents were turning in after a full day of activities and sun. The singles could get rowdy sometimes, but Sebastian and his employees were great about making sure they didn't get too rowdy.

As a matter of fact, the Kamaria only served liquor from like two to ten because Sebastian wanted it to feel safe for the families that came aboard. I thought that was a great idea. He had other ships that were exclusively for singles, but I'd read that most of his ships were family friendly.

Sebastian maneuvered his inner tube closer to mine and grabbed onto one of my hold bars. "Hello," he said with a charming grin and a sparkle in his dark green eyes.

I grinned back, trying not to blush at the look he was giving me. I wasn't sure how he made me feel both sexy and adored with a single look, but Sebastian made it happen every time he looked at me that way. "Hello. How goes it on your sad side of the river?"

"Lonely."

I pretended to think about his answer, then held my hand out for him to hold. He gently clasped it, letting our arms rest on the inner tubes to support my sore arms and shoulders and my bruised right hand. The other hand was in a mini hard cast now because I'd damaged it further in the zipline disaster. The onboard physician had practically hissed at me as he'd looked at my X-rays in horror.

"You're being awfully forward, Miss Liora," Sebastian teased. "I don't know if my frail heart can take such forwardness from you."

I giggled. I hadn't thought until this moment that I was, by nature, a giggler. Part of me wanted to roll my eyes at myself, but the other was all in and egging me on. If this week had taught me anything, it was that life was short. No more tiptoeing in the shallow end of the pool for me. I was going deep end all the way. Now if only Sebastian would cooperate with me.

"I'm sure you'll survive," I teased back.

We reclined and enjoyed the stars together for a while as we drifted down the river. Later, after we'd toweled off and put on shirts and coverups, we hit the midnight chocolate bar. I stuck with the chocolate strawberries and some delicious chocolate cherries that were to die for, while Sebastian ordered some chocolate drizzled blood. I tried not to gag when he told me it was the perfect late-night dessert.

"Here." I handed him part of my chocolate boysenberry smoothie. "Rinse your mouth out."

He gave me a searing look as he took a few sips. "What are your plans, Grace? Are you trying to seduce me?"

"Trying and failing," I said in exasperation. "I've been flirting with you all day!" I popped another chocolate cherry into my mouth and my eyes nearly rolled up in my head. Oh my gosh. They were sooo good!

Sebastian gazed at me fondly, then leaned across the table, a soft, intense expression on his face. I was completely mesmerized as he moved closer, anticipating what he would do. But there was some communication misfire between my hand and my brain because instead of leaning over the table, and finally getting to kiss him again, I foolishly tried to get another piece of chocolate strawberry into my mouth... but missed and stabbed myself with my fork.

"Argh!" I dropped the fork with a clang and fumbled for my linen napkin, holding it to my stinging, now probably holey face. I glanced up at Sebastian, super-embarrassed, only to see him frozen in place, hovering over the table in a bent position that looked wildly uncomfortable, with an expression of shock on his face. Laughter started to dance in his eyes.

He sat back down and cleared his throat. "Are you okay?"

I looked at him in exasperation. "I stabbed myself with a fork, Sebastian, and I'm really embarrassed. No , I'm not okay."

He knelt beside me, gently pulling the napkin away. "You got your chin good. It's bleeding."

I moaned and closed my eyes. "I swear I was not this accident-prone until this trip."

"I don't know that I believe you," he said, his lips twitching suspiciously. "It sounds like a tall tale to me."

"No one says tall tale anymore," I grumbled.

He bit his lip and dabbed my napkin into some ice water, then tried to clean the blood off my chin.

I watched him closely for a moment to see if my bleeding affected him, but he seemed fine.

"I'm not going to attack you, Grace," he murmured.

"I wish you would," I said, with absolutely no filter whatsoever.

He threw his head back and laughed, and I smiled and shook my head at myself. Maybe Mama being extra crazy after ten p.m. was a thing I'd inherited. My lips became loose. My brain stopped sending caution signals to my mouth.

"You're charming."

"I'm a train wreck," I corrected him. "But thank you."

That night at my door, even though I was giving every kind of proceed signal known to mankind, I got another hug. It was a great hug, don't get me wrong, but it was a hug.

Well, a hug was better than a handshake. I was moving up in the world.

The next few days onboard were uneventful. Micaela stayed as my protection detail, with Gray filling in when she needed breaks. Rafe and Sebastian were really busy during the days at sea , but we were going to see a Broadway show later at the Kamaria Theater, and I was really excited about it. I hadn't ever been to a live Broadway show; I'd just seen a few of them on television.

Mama and I were wandering through the onboard gift shops while Micaela watched from the entrance, saying that knickknacks gave her hives.

We were hunting for a memorabilia item. "Mama, what about these Christmas ornaments? There's a lot to choose from, and we can get them personalized if we want to." I picked a heart-shaped one up with a gorgeous photo of the Kamaria on the water. "These have the current year on them."

Mama picked up a beautiful silver and pearl one. "This one is heaver and feels more well-made."

"Mama, it's two hundred dollars!" I said, gaping at the price tag. Who paid two hundred dollars for an ornament!

Mama got an obstinate expression on her face, which looked kind of adorable on her decked out as she was in a lime, lemon, and orange sherbet-colored sundress. She was the equivalent of a golden retriever trying to glare at me. "I can spend my money on anything I want, Grace Evelyn! What else am I going to spend it on? A new hip?"

I busted out laughing and kissed her cheek. "You're right. Get the expensive one."

Later, Mama and I went to the spa. We both decided on facials first and then massages. We each chose the brightening facial, which was supposed to brighten and even out our skin tone, getting rid of any rough looking spots. I'd heard it left your face dewy and glowing, which sounded pretty good to me, to be honest. My face was not currently dewy and glowing. It was holey and sun- damaged.

I lay in my little massage bed next to Mama as multiple colors of LED lights shined on our faces. Slices of cucumbers rested over our eyes, blocking the lights.

"Mama, what do you think of Sebastian?" If there was one thing I could count on, it was Mama giving me a straight answer about something. She was kind, but extremely honest.

"I think he's wonderful for you. He's dangerous enough to keep you safe, treats you with respect and courtesy, and I think his lifestyle suits you."

I scrunched my brows, tilting my cucumbers precariously. "What do you mean?"

I heard Mama sigh. "Grace, how long has it been since you've been happy in Texas?"

I gave her question some thought. "It's been a little while," I said in a soft voice.

"It has. It really has. And I want you happy, Gracie girl. It's not your fault that you were born different, but it's made your life a misery. And for the first time in a long while, I'm seeing you blossom. Despite the attacks aimed at you. I think you feel safe because you're in Sebastian's care, and he takes excellent care of you.

"Sebastian's admiration and devotion is changing you. It's giving you some much-needed confidence and freedom. You've had a rough dating road." Mama paused for a moment. "I just want you to be happy, Grace," she said in a choked whisper. You know? Life has been hard for you in a lot of ways. Always looking over your shoulder, spending hours at the police station because you're dodging people taken by your powers. You've been alone, and I've been worried about you.

"I think, from what I've seen of Sebastian, and your sixth sense about people, that you could be happy going from cruise ship to cruise ship with him." Mama laughed. "He told me about your first night on board, and how you held the Starlight Lounge in the palm of your hands. You could write during the days, sing during the evenings, and make love to that hunky vampire during the nights."

"Mama!" I admonished. She snorted, and I sighed. The woman was incorrigible. "Don't you think it's a little early yet to be thinking about these kinds of things? I mean, I've known him less than two weeks." I desperately wanted her to say two weeks was a perfect time frame to get to know someone, but it still felt fast to me. I removed my cucumbers and blinked at the bright lights in my face.

"Two weeks is enough to know there's a lot of interest," Mama said. "Two weeks is enough to think about asking Sebastian if you can sing on his ships and make a life for yourself with others like you. Two weeks is enough to head in a direction that might help you avoid being lonely for the rest of your life."

I blinked at Mama, shielding myself from the harsh glare with a hand held above my eyes. "What about you? I don't think I could move away from you." Call me a mama's girl, but I would miss her if I moved away from Texas. I wouldn't say we were codependent, but we were definitely each other's person. She was my best friend.

"Grace Liora, you will not pass up on a happier life for yourself because of me! Besides," she grinned, "I'm coming with you."

I laughed and put the cucumbers back on, settling back onto my massage bed.

"I'll think about it, Mama. Thank you."

Next, Mama and I were set to get a full body massage. I'd lost her somewhere because she'd gone ahead, but I followed the masseur into another room with double massage beds next to each other. Mama looked to be already stripped and wrapped in a sheet so snugly that I couldn't even see her hair peeking out. The room was soothing with soft music playing and light scented candles burning.

"Just get out of your clothes and lay this sheet over you as you lay facedown on the bed. I'll be back in a moment."

I nodded and started slipping out of my clothes. I thought Mama might be asleep, she was so quiet.

I lay facedown on the bed, putting my face in the hole for my nose, eyes and mouth, and closed my eyes, trying to relax. I wasn't really enjoying the vulnerability of being naked here. It felt like I was waiting for my gynecologist rather than a nice massage.

"Well, hello there."

I shrieked and flailed simultaneously, falling off the massage bed. The sheet got tangled around me like a burrito as I rolled and rolled all the way to the other side of the room, because apparently I'd propelled myself off of my bed like an octopus out of a rocket, all limbs and no brakes. I smacked into the wall, knocking over several trays of oils as I rolled that shattered around me. My fight or flight was in high gear, and my body was picking flight, but as my octopus limbs tried to stand, I slipped in all the oil and fell again. When I smacked my head against the wall for the third time, I decided to just stay down. Mercy , that hurt. I groaned as I held a hand to my head.

I felt a whoosh of air, and then Sebastian's hands on my shoulders. "Grace, are you okay?"

I kept my eyes clenched closed, not wanting to see Sebastian in all his glory. "Sebastian, are you trying to kill me?" I croaked.

He picked me up off the floor and hugged me to him. I could feel that he was tense with worry, but I could also feel his shoulders shaking as he carried me out of the room. I wasn't worried when the door closed behind us. I was naked, but covered from head to toe in the sheet.

"No, I'm not trying to kill you. I traded with your mom. I thought it would be a nice surprise and we could spend some time together." His voice sounded suspiciously like he was trying to stifle laughter.

"Next time, try flowers," I grumped.

"Noted. Grace, I have boxer shorts on. I'm not naked."

"I'm not looking at you. If I look at you, I'll see your dumb face, and then I'll forgive you."

His shoulders shook again. "We're heading to the infirmary. It's just down the hall from here."

I sighed. The infirmary again. I think I was winning points for the most disastrous cruise ship passenger ever. The doctor would probably take a picture of me and put it up on his wall and show it to cruise passengers forever after as a cautionary tale.