Page 17

17

Hex

Ugh, I wish we had more time before the game! Aran was being soo romantic. I mean, it was his fault my shirt got soaked, but I’m letting it pass because it was one hundred percent done out of jealousy. Since the incident with Mong, I am convinced that Aran has been holding out on me about his possessive side. He absolutely didn’t have to do that, because I’m here for it, but what is done is done. I didn’t foresee things getting here so soon, so I’m not going to complain—there is plenty of time to see how deep his primal side runs.

Not that I’d provoke him on purpose. Tsk , nah , totally not . I would never do something like that…

I settle back at the table just as the announcer begins explaining the rules of tonight’s game from the elevated stage in the middle of the dining hall. She’s dressed in a slim black gown that sparkles whenever she moves, and her red hair is adorned with white gems.

“Dear guests, I hope you are excited about our Auction Bingo! We’ve prepared a lot of thrilling prizes for you, and the first table to score a bingo will snatch the exclusive First Slot.”

Aran and I look at each other, and I realize he’s wondering the same thing. First Slot to what?

Despite our mutual question, the pretty woman doesn’t explain what this grand prize refers to, but seeing as none of the rich people around me seem as confused as I feel, I reach the conclusion that they must know what she’s talking about. If I had to guess, it’s something related to whatever the activities going on in the off-limits parts of the ship are.

There are plenty of those places left to explore, and tonight marks only the beginning. Now that we have a way in for Aran, we can finally start solving the mystery of this cruise. It will be tricky, I am well aware of that, but we’ve taken a giant step forward tonight. All that’s left to do so I can wow Aran with my skills is for us to find a computer which is connected to the cruise’s hidden and encrypted secondary network. Because there has to be one, or I’d have long found all the info we need instead of spending hours trying to unsuccessfully decipher what those animal code names even mean. I love this whole undercover spy gig Aran and I have been doing, but while I’ve performed exceptionally considering my non-existent experience, I am much more useful behind a monitor.

I am good at what I do. One of the best. This is the first time I haven’t been able to complete a hacking request, and it grinds on me. But the defenses they have in place go beyond the virtual domain, so Sudo Hex had to leave his comfy chair and get his hands dirty in the field.

Speaking of dirty hands, as the announcer kicks off the first bid, I think of another much more pleasant way that could happen. I sneak a peek at Aran, whose stern gaze is already trained on me. The hairs on the nape of my neck stand up, and little shivers crawl all over my skin. Since the surprise kiss from earlier today, I’ve been a hundred times more conscious of him. Of every little touch and glance.

My heart skips a beat every time I catch him in the act. I can feel in the air, in the way tension crackles between us as if about to go off, how deep and intense the want in him is. A part of him is still fighting it—I can see it in the set of his angular jaw and in the way his eyes bore into me—and that makes it somehow even more potent.

He wants me so much he needs to restrain himself.

It’s titillating. It’s scary. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted, but infinitely better. I want to push him down on a table and own his mouth for everyone to see. I want to prove that this man is and has always been mine, even if he tried to deny it.

Gentle fingers snake up my neck and stroke the lobe of my ear as a full glass of something is placed in front of me. I melt into the touch, sparks prickling my spine while Aran’s scent slowly engulfs me.

“Don’t look at me like that, Tien . I have already put this mission in unnecessary danger,” he whispers into my ear, his hot breath caressing my skin. “My self-control is finite, unlike what you might think.”

Fireworks go off inside me like it’s New Year’s Eve, making my every nerve-ending sing. My dick jumps in my pants, welcoming the surge of desire that his words and closeness ignite within me.

Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit. Was this a threat? An invitation? A promise? All of the above?

I wiggle on the chair, trying to be as discreet as I can as I attempt to contain my hard-on. I want game night to be over so I can get my hands on Aran. Preferably naked. I need his dark taste, his greedy touches, his sexy noises. I want to see exactly how deep his desperation for me runs. I want to feel it, so I know it’s real and not some delusion my brain has made up because the man I’ve been obsessed with decided to take pity on me.

Biting my lips, I close my eyes and take a shaky breath. I don’t know this side of Aran. His sex life is a mystery, his preferences a void. I’ve been dreaming about it, making up scenarios and roles between us, but the truth is that I have no idea what will happen once we get back to our cabin. Preferably, it will be something that involves us getting hot and bothered together, but as to how that might come to be…

“Dear, what do you think?”

Mrs. Lynx’s voice is like a bucket of cold water. It snaps me back to reality with a start, which almost causes me to spill the glass all over myself again. But Aran catches it before it’s slipped off the table’s edge, sliding it toward the center.

I turn my head to thank him, but he and his warmth are gone so suddenly, I am not sure whether I imagined the whole thing or if we actually shared that intimate moment.

“Um…” I touch the ear where his mouth was muttering teasing words just a heartbeat ago. The tingling heat that lingers there spreads to my cheeks and I thank whoever is watching over me that the hall’s moody ambience will hide the evidence of what Aran does to me. “I…” My eyes bounce from her expectant face to the woman on the stage who’s holding some kind of a sparkly necklace with a big red gem. I’m pretty sure it was a tiara last time I looked. Just how much did I actually miss when Aran leaned in and fried my brain?

“Apologies, Mrs. Lynx. I was serving your guest another drink, and it seems he got a little distracted,” Aran says, saving me as my brain draws a blank. “Sorry if I am overstepping”—he glances at me and nods—“but I think you’ll agree that the Don Sebastian Ruby Necklace is worth more than the price Mr. Beluga offered.”

“Yes!” I bark out, bobbing my head. “You should totally bid on it, Mrs. Lynx. It would look amazing on you.”

“Oh my! I wasn’t planning to wear it if I decided to buy it, but now that you’ve mentioned it…”

I pay attention for the rest of the night, complimenting Mrs. Lynx every chance I get. She wins the bingo and snags the grand prize, which is exactly what I was going for. Judging by the encouraging but subtle smile Aran flashes me as he clears away our empty glasses, he approves.

“So, what is this First Slot?” I ask, following the couple up the bifurcated stairs. Game night is over and so it’s time for us to part ways, though not before I find out as much as I can. Aran will stay behind until his shift is over, and hopefully he’ll come back with more intel.

She pinches my arm playfully. “Aren’t you a curious little kitten?”

“Only because I’m having so much fun hanging out with you and Mr. Lynx.”

There is something strange about the smile she gives me. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is, but my body tenses up like it does when I am playing a horror game and am about to walk into a jump scare.

We board the elevator, and my two companions put their masks on. “We enjoy our time together very much, lovely Hex,” the missus says when we reach the corridor leading to the regular part of the entertainment deck. “Perhaps you could join us for a private party tonight? There will be many young things like yourself, and I’m sure you will get along.”

I don’t miss the fact that she hedges my question, but calling her out would be suspicious. Instead, I decide to play her game, praying that I can just stop by for half an hour and be back to my and Aran’s cabin for hot sex afterwards. Or you know, so that he doesn’t lose his shit and behead me because I went off on my own without discussing things with him first.

“Maybe I can drop by. But I won’t stay long because I have an early shift tomorrow, Mrs. Lynx.”

She claps her hands, her smile changing to the one I know and am used to. Looping her arm with mine, she tells me about the people who will attend. The majority of them are the assistants or ‘servants’ of the rich people attending this cruise, and while I am not so na?ve to think that throwing a party magically absolves her or her peers from being assholes, it’s a nice thing to do.

A prim dark-skinned woman with red stilettos and a beautiful beige pantsuit greets us as we emerge onto the entertainment deck’s public area, holding a tablet in her hand. She gives it to Mrs. Lynx, smiles and ushers us toward the corridor which leads to the residences’ level.

I take a peek at what’s on the device’s screen when Mrs. Lynx unlocks it, discovering a list of names and animal pictures. It must be of the employees who will be attending the Lynxes’ party.

“I see everyone will be joining us,” Mrs. Lynx says with a satisfied tone. “You’ve done a great job, Eleanor.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Lynx. And, um…” the woman’s assistant trails off, color tinting her cheeks. Her black wavy hair curtains her face, making her look like a princess. “I still can’t believe you want me to have these.” She indicates the clothes she is wearing. “I love them to bits, but I don’t know if I should keep them…”

Mrs. Lynx hums. “None of this nonsense, dear. I told you this is a gift from me. You’ve been with us for a while now, so it’s time to spoil you a bit, don’t you think? Mr. Lynx is the one who picked the color, you know. He was very excited to see how it would look on you.” She pauses, then gives Eleanor a once-over. “It’s perfect, if I may add.”

The Lynxes’ assistant does look stunning. She reminds me of a young heiress on her way to take over her father’s business empire. Maybe it’s how Mrs. Lynx sees her, now that I think about it. She shared with me that she and Mr. Lynx couldn’t have kids, so maybe that’s why they are so nice to young people like me. I mean, they gifted me the clothes I am wearing, too—which, Aran seemed to find very agreeable—and that was before they even invited me to their party.

Gratitude is not the only reason I am going, though. The likeliest place to find a gap in the cruise’s security is via the guests. I just need to be careful and not get caught snooping around.

“Eleanor, how long have you been with the Lynxes for?” I ask, reminding my brain that small talk is a great way to get people relaxed and distracted.

“Just under six months.”

I narrow my eyes at the woman. Just under a year? Mrs. Lynx made it sound like Eleanor had been with the Lynxes forever. It strikes me as a little odd. From what Aran texted me about the Streisses—which is the Lynxes real-world identity—they value the loyalty of their employees above all. A few months isn’t exactly enough to ascertain that, is it?

“Oh, so you are a new starter, like me! I’d never been on a cruise before this one. They almost fired me on day one because I messed up a patrol,” I volunteer, fishing for more.

It’s one of the things Aran taught me—even if it makes no sense to me to prod people and ask questions, everyone loves to talk about themselves. Mix in a few compliments, and they will be more than happy to tell you their life story. How he knows that, I didn’t ask, but considering the kind of special operations my father was involved in before his passing, I’d imagine Aran is very well-versed in all kinds of psychological tricks. Which is funny, when he’s been so bad at acknowledging the mutual attraction between us.

But no more. I have a feeling we are finally about to get back on the right track.

Everyone laughs and Mrs. Lynx even pats me on the head. “Oh, you little troublemaker. I bet that gave your friend a headache!”

It would have, had it happened. But then again, he wasn’t particularly impressed that I’d transferred myself from kitchen duty to guard duty. Look where that got us, though. I would have never met the Lynxes, and consequently, Mong, if I hadn’t YOLO-d a little.

“I am very good at my job now,” I assure everyone, glancing at Eleanor. Her dark brown eyes smile at me, amused and open.

That means she has her guard down, right? Yes. Probably. I bet she could tell me all kinds of secrets about the Lynxes, if I can get her to trust me in the next thirty minutes. Which I can totally do. I just need to figure out how.