Burn

The guitarist sat on a chair that had been placed on a small, raised dais, and listeners sat in neatly arranged chairs near the stage, or milled about. She and Cael stood near the back of the crowd, letting the notes drift to them. It was a formal evening for most: tuxes and evening gowns, jewels and fabulous shoes. Cael looked great, though there was no way she’d tell him that she noticed. There was something special about a hard man in a tuxedo. She tried to ignore that something, but it wasn’t easy.

The musician ended his set with a fast-paced song that should be impossible to pull off on an acoustic guitar. Jenner found herself holding her breath as he finished, and then, like the others, she applauded enthusiastically. She looked over at Cael, who like her, appreciated the music. Maybe he was actually glad he’d given in and escorted her to the event.

Abruptly she felt his body stiffen slightly, and his gaze shifted to someone just behind her, otherwise she would’ve been surprised to feel the gentle tap on her shoulder. Keeping her smile in place, she turned to face a familiar-looking woman.

"Chessie!" she said, doing her best to sound delighted, which was helped by the fact that she truly did like the woman. "How nice to see you here."

Chessie Fox and her husband, Mike, were not what Jenner would call close friends. They were ten or so years older than she and more involved in their children’s activities than in the charities Jenner and Syd embraced, but they did run in the same circles, on occasion.

Chessie was dressed in a pink gown that screamed "money doesn’t necessarily equal good taste," but the diamonds in her ears and resting on her massive chest were real enough. Her blond hair was arranged simply and had been sprayed into submission; the breeze coming off the water didn’t ruffle a single strand. Mike’s suit was expensive and cut for his trim build. They were nice people who lived their lives as they wanted, and didn’t worry about anything else.

Jenner introduced Cael to the Foxes, and he was his usual charming self. He could be devastatingly charming to everyone but her, it seemed. He smiled, shook Mike’s hand, then placed an easy arm around Jenner’s waist. Just a couple of days ago her heart would have been pounding at being put in this situation, to be forced to play this role, but tonight it seemed natural enough.

"I would say I’m surprised I haven’t seen you sooner," Chessie said, laughing, "but I spent the first three days in bed, upchucking, then the last couple of days trying to find my way around. This ship is supposed to be extremely well-built and stable, but you can’t prove it by me."

"I hope you’re not still seasick," Jenner said. She’d been worried about that herself, but she hadn’t had a moment’s trouble. Beside her, Cael and Mike were having one of those men conversations, about sports or investments or politics. She tuned them out, much as Mike had probably tuned out her and Chessie. Cael, though, would be aware of every word she said.

"No, I’m fine now. I hit the gift shop and stocked up on Dramamine and ginger, and this magnetic bracelet seems to help." She showed off a small, plain bracelet that hugged her wrist. "So far, so good."

"I’m glad. Being sick on your vacation is the pits."

Chessie beamed. "It’s so nice to see someone I know here. I’ve seen some familiar faces, but I honestly haven’t known nearly as many people as I thought we would."

"I know what you mean." She’d been surprised herself at how few people she’d seen that she actually knew.

"Is Sydney here?" Chessie’s gaze scanned the immediate area.

"No, Syd got sick with a stomach flu right before we sailed. I talked to her just a little while ago. She’s feeling better, but she said she still wasn’t completely over it."

"I’m sure she’s upset to have missed the cruise." Chessie continued with a friendly, "Would you two like to join us for dinner?"

Jenner smiled. "Thank you, but we already have plans with a couple of friends." She turned to Cael, whose expression had not changed one bit. "Is it almost time to go?"

He glanced at his watch. "We’re already a few minutes late."

The Foxes said good-bye, and Jenner promised them that they’d have dinner together another time. As they walked toward the restaurant, Cael said softly, "You handled that very well."

"I can be reasonable," she said.

His answer was a strange, brief, strangling sound deep in his throat.

She saw Faith and Ryan on the other side of the room, Ryan in a tux, leaning on his cane, Faith in a stunning bronze gown that gently hugged her curves. They were a beautiful couple, with a sort of easy, comfortable sophistication. If she didn’t know better, she’d never dream they were not exactly who they appeared to be.

The evening wasn’t all fun and games. Frank Larkin was also there, with his bulldog bodyguard close by … but not too close. She didn’t like the way Larkin looked at the other passengers. Even when he was talking to them, smiling, to all appearances one of them, something was off. He made it easy to choose sides.

Something was wrong with him, she thought, and wondered why none of the people he talked to seemed to see it. He seemed to be deteriorating before her eyes, getting more and more antsy as the days passed. His clothes, while expensively cut and made of the finest materials, didn’t fit him exactly right. He seemed to have lost weight, and hadn’t bothered to buy new clothes or have the old ones tailored, which didn’t make sense for someone who went to the trouble of having those clothes made in the first place.

Everyone else on the cruise had someone with them; a friend, a spouse, a lover … a Cael. But Larkin was alone. He not only had a large stateroom to himself, and was making the two-week trip without a traveling companion, but he kept all others at a distance.