before answering. “Probably more room than yours, mine and twenty staff quarters shoved together.”
She talked to the floor. He examined the area by her feet. Nothing there.
Okay …
There was no response to her second knock either, so she pulled a pass card from her pocket and let them in. Jared glanced around in appreciation. Not only luxurious, the place was bright with sunlight. “Sweet. I love the windows. Hate the tiny things downstairs. I’d rather rig a hammock on the deck and sleep under the stairs than stay trapped in that lower berth.”
Keri nodded. “I hear you. My room is better than yours, but nothing like this.”
He waited. When he’d checked in as required at eleven, Chad had informed him he was on the maintenance crew, then grudgingly found a work belt for him when he admitted to having “forgotten” his at home. Putting Chad’s sigh of disgust aside, since it had been deserved this time, the job placement came as a huge relief. He had to continue with the charade until he found a way off the ship, but if it had turned out his pack mate had been hired to cook, or worse, entertain? Jared would have been shit-outta-luck.
Fixing squeaky doors he could do.
But Keri wasn’t telling him what specifically needed to be done. She was alternating between staring at the floor and sneaking glances at him.
His wolf rumbled again as he caught a peek into her big wide eyes. Yes, damn beast, I get the message. You like her. Down, boy. He and his wolf struggled for dominance in a way he’d never experienced before. Then the wild part inside him retreated—almost pouting—into the corner.
Being a wolf had never been so weird.
Time to get this show on the road. Or ocean, or whatever. Jared rubbed his hands together. “What’s first on the agenda?”
Keri jerked to attention. “Oh, right. Taps in the master bathroom sink are dripping.”
“Master bathroom? Man, now I’m really jealous.”
The suite went on and on, glistening gold and shining silver contrasting with the lavish textiles. Keri pressed open a door and stood aside. Jared forced himself to the far side of the doorway to avoid rubbing their bodies together, even though he really, really would have liked to do some rubbing.
The taps were an easy fix, although her watching his every move made it a little more nerve-racking.
“You trying to learn a new trade?” He glanced up from his wrench. Her cheeks were flushed red, and she seemed to have the hardest time looking away from him.
“What?” She shook herself and blinked hard.
Erratic breathing, little gasps escaping her lips. She’d wrapped her arms around her waist, her breasts framed by her arms. Her fingers rubbed her skin above her beltline, fidgeting. Even if he hadn’t seen her orgasm only a little while ago, he still would have recognized the signs.
She was turned on.
Sweet mercy. He had to get this back to safe territory. “I said I wondered if you were studying to learn a new trade, you know, with how closely you’re taking notes.”
She stuttered then backed away from the door. “I’m sorry, that was rude. No, well, I do have to keep an eye on you. Not that I don’t trust you, but the suite belongs to the Fedoras, and so they’re a little fussy about who gets to come in, and that kind of thing.”
Jared whistled to cover his shock. Oh hello, bad news. “Fedoras? As in the British royal werewolf Fedoras?”
“Right. They’re traveling with a couple bodyguards, but otherwise it’s all rather low-key. They seem very nice.”
Sure. Nice for anyone who wasn’t trying to avoid meeting up with people like them. This entire cruise-entrapment thing got better and better by the minute. Not .
“That’s…cool. So, we’ll be seeing them on the ship? I mean, the normal people will see them, not us slaves hiding in the background.”
She laughed, an honest, real laugh, and some of the tension in the air disappeared. “We’re not going to chain you to the wall
She talked to the floor. He examined the area by her feet. Nothing there.
Okay …
There was no response to her second knock either, so she pulled a pass card from her pocket and let them in. Jared glanced around in appreciation. Not only luxurious, the place was bright with sunlight. “Sweet. I love the windows. Hate the tiny things downstairs. I’d rather rig a hammock on the deck and sleep under the stairs than stay trapped in that lower berth.”
Keri nodded. “I hear you. My room is better than yours, but nothing like this.”
He waited. When he’d checked in as required at eleven, Chad had informed him he was on the maintenance crew, then grudgingly found a work belt for him when he admitted to having “forgotten” his at home. Putting Chad’s sigh of disgust aside, since it had been deserved this time, the job placement came as a huge relief. He had to continue with the charade until he found a way off the ship, but if it had turned out his pack mate had been hired to cook, or worse, entertain? Jared would have been shit-outta-luck.
Fixing squeaky doors he could do.
But Keri wasn’t telling him what specifically needed to be done. She was alternating between staring at the floor and sneaking glances at him.
His wolf rumbled again as he caught a peek into her big wide eyes. Yes, damn beast, I get the message. You like her. Down, boy. He and his wolf struggled for dominance in a way he’d never experienced before. Then the wild part inside him retreated—almost pouting—into the corner.
Being a wolf had never been so weird.
Time to get this show on the road. Or ocean, or whatever. Jared rubbed his hands together. “What’s first on the agenda?”
Keri jerked to attention. “Oh, right. Taps in the master bathroom sink are dripping.”
“Master bathroom? Man, now I’m really jealous.”
The suite went on and on, glistening gold and shining silver contrasting with the lavish textiles. Keri pressed open a door and stood aside. Jared forced himself to the far side of the doorway to avoid rubbing their bodies together, even though he really, really would have liked to do some rubbing.
The taps were an easy fix, although her watching his every move made it a little more nerve-racking.
“You trying to learn a new trade?” He glanced up from his wrench. Her cheeks were flushed red, and she seemed to have the hardest time looking away from him.
“What?” She shook herself and blinked hard.
Erratic breathing, little gasps escaping her lips. She’d wrapped her arms around her waist, her breasts framed by her arms. Her fingers rubbed her skin above her beltline, fidgeting. Even if he hadn’t seen her orgasm only a little while ago, he still would have recognized the signs.
She was turned on.
Sweet mercy. He had to get this back to safe territory. “I said I wondered if you were studying to learn a new trade, you know, with how closely you’re taking notes.”
She stuttered then backed away from the door. “I’m sorry, that was rude. No, well, I do have to keep an eye on you. Not that I don’t trust you, but the suite belongs to the Fedoras, and so they’re a little fussy about who gets to come in, and that kind of thing.”
Jared whistled to cover his shock. Oh hello, bad news. “Fedoras? As in the British royal werewolf Fedoras?”
“Right. They’re traveling with a couple bodyguards, but otherwise it’s all rather low-key. They seem very nice.”
Sure. Nice for anyone who wasn’t trying to avoid meeting up with people like them. This entire cruise-entrapment thing got better and better by the minute. Not .
“That’s…cool. So, we’ll be seeing them on the ship? I mean, the normal people will see them, not us slaves hiding in the background.”
She laughed, an honest, real laugh, and some of the tension in the air disappeared. “We’re not going to chain you to the wall