Page 24 of The Searching Songbird

“Oh, I am. Excited, I mean.” Her fingers flexed, tightening their hold on the wooden railing. “And nervous.” She peeked at him through her lashes, but he just nodded.

“I would imagine you are, striking out on your own for the first time, making your way in a foreign land.”

That's not the only reason I'm nervous. The words caught in her throat, and she gave her head a slight shake. Too soon. You don't want to scare him away. Out loud she asked, “What about you? What brings you to Flores?”

It was a simple question, the obvious follow-up to his own, but for some reason he seemed to balk. He shifted to the side, putting a few more inches between them as he considered her question. Finally, he just shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Turning his back to the water, he leaned against the railing. “Business.”

She waited for him to expound on the simple statement.

He didn't.

“Okay,” she muttered, drawing the word out. “Mr. Adams and Mr. Benton are both in business, as well, I believe. Property and banking, if I recall. Do you ever work with either of them?”

His lips pulled up at the corner, and he let out a short laugh. “No, I can't say as I have.” His eyes twinkled with a mischievous light as he leaned in and whispered, “thank heavens.” He gave her a conspiratorial wink, and she couldn't help but laugh in return.

“They are a bit tedious, aren't they?”

“More like a lot tedious.” He smirked. “Why do you think I've been avoiding the captain's table so much?”

She let out an indignant huff, giving him a pointed look. “I'm sure there must be someone there whom you could tolerate conversing with.”

He made a show of thinking it over before slowly nodding his head in agreement. “You're right. Captain Dennings is a pretty interesting fellow.”

She made a face at him. “Ha, ha. Very funny.” When his smirk grew even smirkier, she pushed off the railing and made to head back toward the group still gathered on the bow. “Now that you mention it, Captain Dennings is rather interesting,” she called over her shoulder. “Perhaps I should seek him out for a chat right now.”

She didn't make it more than two steps before Draven caught hold of her arm, pulling her back with a gentle tug.

“Alright, alright, you win. I'll join the fancy folk for breakfast tomorrow, in hopes that I might be graced with even a few words from your clever lips.” His eyes dropped to said lips, and Lily felt a strange fluttering deep in her belly as his gaze lingered there for a moment, before sliding back up to meet her eyes. “Now, will you stay a bit longer with this poor, deluded soul, or will you leave me with no one to talk to besides this monstrous beard that's taken on a life of its own?”

She let out a breathless laugh. “Do you often have conversations with your facial hair, Draven?”

“I wouldn't say often...”

She raised her eyebrows, giving him a skeptical look as she leaned back against the railing, copying his previous position.

He moved in front of her, caging her between his arms as his hands gripped the railing on either side. She caught her breath as he leaned in closer, his brown eyes holding her captive.

“If I had someone as enchanting as you around more often, I'd chop the whole mess off and be done with it.”

“You're teasing me.”

He leaned in even closer, and his voice grew thick. “Am I? I hardly know what I'm doing anymore...”

He was going to kiss her, she was sure of it. He was so close, she could feel his breath on her face. Do I want him to kiss me? She sucked on her bottom lip as the butterflies in her belly duked it out with her more practical side.

He's funny and sweet and a little bit dangerous... and I hardly know him.

She'd placed her hands against his chest, preparing to give him a gentle push back, when he froze, his gaze focusing on something over her shoulder.

“That's... odd,” he murmured. His arms dropped to his sides as he moved around her, still staring out at the water. She turned, searching for whatever it was that had caught his attention.

“What's odd?” She squinted into the darkness, but everything looked the same as it had before.

“The water... the waves, there's something strange about them...” Draven leaned over the railing, his gaze fixed on the dark ripples below. Lily found herself leaning over, as well, trying to see what it was he saw.

A silvery glimmer ran over the water.

“What was that?”