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As he smoothed his finger over the creases, her facial muscles relaxed, but she didn't wake up, which didn't really surprise him. Frankie was human, and she needed much more sleep than he did.
What was it about this human girl that made his heart swell with emotion in a way that none of the perfect beauties back home ever had?
Dagor was starting to understand Aru's infatuation with Gabi. Had Gabi also made Aru feel more alive than he had ever been?
Tracing the curve of Frankie's cheek with his finger, Dagor wanted to kiss her, but he stifled the impulse and just watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.
So vulnerable. So human.
A pang speared through his heart as a new realization hit him. Frankie's charm, the thing that attracted him the most to her, was deeply rooted in her humanity and her approach to life. She wasn't living in a holding pattern like most gods were. She strived to enjoy each moment, and she'd somehow managed to infect him with her exuberance.
Given that he was a humorless, logic-driven guy who did not find most things worth getting excited about, that was no small accomplishment. Nevertheless, in his logical mind, he was well aware that falling for a human was not good for him in the long term, no matter how good it made him feel in his heart in the short term.
Dagor had always been a guarded person, and people thought of him as dry and flat, and they weren't wrong. Before meeting Frankie, the only thing that excited him was finding a piece of tech that he could take apart and reconstruct. He wasn't impressed by stories someone had dreamt up, so fiction was a pass, whether in books or in movies. Music did not move him, and art left him indifferent.
But with Frankie, he felt like more. He felt alive.
Damn, he had to get a grip on himself and stop this foolishness. He needed to distance himself from the girl, perhaps not physically but definitely emotionally. It might be difficult at first, but it would spare them both heartbreak when the cruise ended in seven days, and they went their separate ways.
He'd given her his promise that they would be together for the duration of the cruise, and Dagor wasn't the type who went back on his word, but he didn't need to spend every moment of every day with her to fulfill his promise.
If Frankie was a Dormant, the more time he spent with her, the more he risked bonding with her, and then it would be game over for him like it was for Aru. He could kiss his life plans goodbye and accept that he was going to stay on this godforsaken planet for the rest of his never-ending life.
In the back of his mind, a small voice whispered that Aru was happy with his immortal mate, but a louder voice countered that Dagor wasn't like Aru and that he could never give up on going back home someday.
He had to cling to that hope.
He could spend his days away from Frankie, claiming he had things to do. They could meet for dinner and continue to bed, but once she was asleep, he would leave and go back to his cabin.
Once they picked up Frankie's best friend on their way back from Acapulco, she would have someone to spend her days with, but until then Frankie had nothing to do, which meant that she would want to spend time with him.
Avoiding her would be difficult.
With a sigh, he gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her face and feathered his fingers over her cheek one more time before gathering the resolve to get out of bed.
Searching for something that could distract him from obsessing about Frankie, Dagor thought about the only fascinating piece of equipment on board the ship—the robotic bartender on the Lido deck. Hopefully, examining him and learning all he could about him would do the trick.
Regrettably, Dagor couldn't take Bob apart, so he would have to be satisfied with just talking to him and perhaps getting him to reveal the name of his creators. If they were on board, Dagor would love to have a chat with them.
Amanda
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, enticing Amanda to get out of bed. She stretched her arms over her head, reached for her silk robe, and draped it around her nude body.
Now that she and Dalhu were parents, Amanda no longer indulged in parading naked through the master suite as she used to do. Their daughter was only six months old and didn't mind her mother's state of dress or undress, but Dalhu didn't approve. He was a by-the-book kind of parent, which was annoying.
Those archaic modesty rules existed for humans and did not apply to immortals, but it wasn't important enough to make a fuss about. The secret to a good relationship was not to sweat the small stuff.
At least in Amanda's book.
Dalhu also didn't like her parading naked around Onidu, which was absolutely ridiculous. So yeah, her Odu was sentient now, but he didn't have sexual urges because he was sexless. Besides, he had seen her naked plenty of times before. Dalhu had even insisted on Onidu staying in a cabin on the lower decks so they would have their privacy. It was utterly uncalled for, but she humored her old-fashioned mate because she wanted him to be comfortable and enjoy the cruise.
As it was, their upcoming wedding was stressing Dalhu, so she was trying to be as accommodating as possible.
And to think that people called her difficult, high maintenance, or spoiled. She was none of those things. She was a paragon of compromise.
Entering the living room, Amanda smiled at her mate and sauntered toward him. "You know how to get me out of bed in the morning."
He chuckled. "Ever since I kidnapped you, I’ve learned how to take care of you."
