Page 20 of Claimed
The video editing and social media posting process took longer than he anticipated they would. The yacht was prepared for departure and well underway to the parklands outside of Alaçati before Nicki finally sat back from her computer screen. They had half a dozen posts uploaded to what seemed an enthusiastic response, and more prepared for uploading overnight and the next day. Others were nearly finished should they have a need for more filler shots of a “generic deserted island getaway.”
Now Nicki’s stomach growled audibly, and she smacked her hand over her belly. “Sorry,” she said, but he shook his head.
“You’ve more than earned a meal. While you were busy ensuring that we have done all that we need to shore up our bona fides, I’ve arranged to have dinner sent to my stateroom. There’s a private deck there with an excellent view.”
She lifted her brows. “You’re inviting me back to your room? It’s only six o’clock.”
He smiled back, more than willing to put her at ease. “We do things differently in this part of the world.”
Dinner was served less than an hour later, accompanied by white wine in sturdy glasses. The yacht had cut its speed to bare cruising level, and the wind curled deliciously over the deck as they neared the lush green coastline of Turkey. “How close can we get?” Nicki asked. “Are there laws for that I assume?”
“There are. The Turkish Coast Guard has been notified of our arrival and our guest manifest. We’ve provided links to your posts in the spirit of full cooperation. That and the fact that the online response has been positive has served us well.”
“Yeah?” she brightened. “I haven’t really been paying attention to the traffic. It’s been good?”
“It’s been good, and it’s been expressive of the beauty of the Turkish seaside. The comments of surprise have been met with tourists speaking up, those who have visited before all the current unrest, sharing their travel stories about the country. Cyril has been in touch with the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and they’re taking note. It’s an excellent way to strengthen our cover.” He lifted his glass to her. “I was wrong to make light of your work,” he said. “You’re good at it, and it’s proven very valuable.”
“Oh,” Nicki said. “Thanks.” She smoothed her fingers over her napkin for about the fifteenth time, creating a crease in the perfectly folded fabric.
“What will you do next, when all this is done and you return home?” he asked, eyeing her. She seemed unreasonably nervous around him, more so than when they’d been on the mainland together.
“Yeah, well, I really don’t know. I’m starting to see good money for my adventure articles and from advertising on my channel. Not change-your-life money, but at least something that makes me think it will be worthwhile to pursue for a little bit. My parents want me to come back to Indianapolis—” Her lip curled. “But that doesn’t interest me at all. There’s too much of the world left to see, you know?” As soon as she said the words, she looked like she wanted to take them back. “Well, of course you know. You may be living in the middle of a fairy tale kingdom, but I bet you travel all over the place—and probablyhave for over a hundred years. Jeez, the things you must have seen in all that time.”
Stefan nodded, warmed despite himself at the admiration in her eyes. It had been a long time since he’d spoken so freely about his nature to anyone. “I frequently travel with the royal family, or serve as an envoy if they’re not able to attend certain functions,” he said. “And yes, I’ve traveled to just about every major nation in the world over the years. There’s a certain luxury in having a place to call home, though.”
“I guess so.” Nicki shrugged, playing with the glass of wine. “Maybe if I travel around for a few more years, maybe I’ll get tired of it. Then I’ll think about settling down.” She made a face. “As long as it’s not Indianapolis. My mom’s bad enough with asking me every other week if I’ve found someone nice. If I lived across the city from her, she’d be on my doorstep.”
He considered her statement, and the opportunity it provided him. Had she deliberately opened that door? He couldn’t help walking through it. “And you haven’t found someone nice, I take it.”
“Yeah, no. I don’t really attract nice,” Nicki said with a quick smile. She took another drink of her wine. “The men I tend to attract are hunting for a climbing buddy, not a girlfriend. And I can climb plenty of mountains with other people. Those who do say they want to settle down mean mainly that they want someone else to be the adult while they go off and still play.” She shrugged. “And I’m every bit as bad. This job of travel blogger isn’t exactly upwardly mobile. The moment I have an accident or get tired, there’s someone else out there who can do it every bit as well, and at a lower price. So I think I’ll find a real job before I worry too much about finding a real boyfriend, you know?”
Stefan watched her as she spoke, turning all the information around in his mind. She was single in every sense of the word, unmoored from either place or person. He already had the sensethat she would rather fling herself off a cliff than build a house on one, and the image amused him. He suspected she wasn’t telling him everything, but that was okay. First off, he didn’t truly need to know. Secondly, they had time.
In fact, if he had any say in the matter, they would have lots of time during the remainder of this trip to get to know each other…starting now.
Thirteen
Nicki sat back in her chair and watched the sun sink lower over the horizon. She’d been to Turkey before, of course. This exact location, less than a year earlier. But she hadn’t come here via private yacht, she’d come by economy plane, and she’d stayed in a quaint hotel that had shared bathrooms down the hallway.
Viewing the country from the deck of a freaking royal yacht was definitely a step up in the world.
She knew that Stefan was watching her, but for once, the prospect of his attention didn’t fill her with nervousness or doubt—merely excitement. And not the excitement of cliff diving either. Or not exactly. The jump was the same, sure…but she knew she’d be totally safe at the bottom of the drop. Maybe she wouldn’t be the second time she stepped into the open air, but this time…yes.
The thought made her twist her lips ruefully. Her one-time-only preference was really less of a rule than what had become the natural order of things, but it seriously worked for her. She scared off most men before they got to the first kiss, though that clearly hadn’t been a problem with Stefan. The rest of the fewguys she’d kissed she’d never really cared to see again, but those she did—after the second time, that was it.
Sometimes the decision was mutual, sometimes the guy simply drifted away. Most of the time she distanced herself—usually by heading off on a new adventure living halfway around the world. Her heart was unpredictable, and she would not—could not—endure the expression on someone’s face when they learned that she had an off-the-charts risk factor that had nothing to do with her next snowboarding run.
But Stefan had several built-in failsafes against anything serious coming from a hookup between them. First off, he was a highly placed diplomat smack in the middle of a freaking royal family, which meant the guy stayed busy. Secondly, he was a flippin’demigodwhowas pushing200 years old, which probably meant he wasn’t exactly looking to hook up long-term with anyone. Thirdly, he?—
His amused voice cut across her thoughts. “Do I want to know what you’re thinking?”
“Hmm?” Nicki refocused, fast. “Nothing too deep, I promise. It’s just so incredibly beautiful here—and so peaceful.” She gestured to the coastline with her wine glass. “Which is amusing given what goes on in this country. It’s not peaceful at all, I’m sure. But from out here…”
“Altering distance can provide an enhanced perspective.” Stefan laid his napkin on the table, then stood. He reached out a hand and she put her fingers in his, feeling the zing of anticipation when he drew her to her feet. “For example, I find my perspective improves greatly when I’m closer to you.”
He turned her in his arms until she was facing outward again, her back to his chest. She could feel the pulse of his heartbeat in this intimate embrace and the strength of it startled her. Forget the whole demigod thing. Stefan was alive, real, and morevitalthan any guy she’d ever met. He was capable, yes, but itwent beyond that. She’d never once felt endangered today at the scavenger’s encampment, when by all rights she should have. And the moment Tamas had urged her to move into Stefan’s sight line, she’d experienced an almost surreal sense of calm—her heart steady, her mind certain.
She felt the same way now. Stefan covered her hands with his and brought them up, so that both his hands and hers were crossed over her heart. She closed her eyes and leaned back at him, willing the tears that sparked behind her eyes to go away. He didn’t understand the significance of what he was doing. He didn’t understand the symbolism of protecting her greatest weakness. And there was absolutely nothing sexy about a girl who cried the first time she had sex with a guy. Tears were so not going to happen.