15. Amanda
When Onegus had swept Cassandra into his arms, the cheering and hooting had gone for much longer than it had for Amanda and Dalhu, and even though Alena and Orion hadn”t gotten that much applause either, it still irked.
Amanda hated feeling petty and jealous, but she couldn”t help it. So yeah, Onegus was the chief Guardian, and his people respected and appreciated him, but she was the princess, the clan”s darling, the one who had set them on the path of finding Dormants who, in turn, had become life-long partners. If not for her, Onegus would have never suspected that Cassandra could be a Dormant, and she would have become just one more conquest in the endless string of them.
Oh, well. Amanda let out a sigh. She had a job to do and another happy couple to match.
Her gut was telling her that Jasmine was a Dormant, and even though Amanda had been wrong about that before, this time she was sure she was right because of the extraordinary circumstances of Jasmine finding her way to the clan. The more bizarre and unlikely the path was, the stronger the indicator for the Fates” intervention.
Craning her neck, she swept her gaze across the crowded ballroom, searching for Max. She spotted him by the bar, his blond head and boisterous bearing setting him apart from the other patrons waiting to be served by Bob.
He was so perfect for Jasmine. She seemed like a fun-loving, easygoing person, and that was Max to a tee. Opposites might attract, but similar personalities made relationships stick. The best ones had a little bit of both.
Her Dalhu hated attention while she thrived on it, but they both had an eye for art and shared similar views about the world at large. In fact, the only thing they had ever argued about was how to raise Evie, but they had sat down, had a talk, and reached a compromise like a civilized couple should, so it was all good.
Leaning toward her mate, she cast him a bright smile. ”I love you.” She planted a kiss on his cheek. ”I”m going to have a quick chat with Max and come back. Do you want me to get you something from the bar?”
”I”ll come with you.” He stood and offered her a hand up. ”I”ll order us drinks while you have your chat.”
”Good plan.” She let him pull her to her feet.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and started toward the bar. ”Are you going to talk to him about Jasmine?”
”Why else would I want to talk to him?”
Dalhu shrugged. ”I don”t know. You don”t tell me everything.”
She arched a brow. ”That”s not true. I don”t keep any secrets from you.”
”It”s not intentional. Sometimes you think that I”m not interested in this or that, so you skip over the things you think bore me, but you shouldn”t. I find everything you say and do fascinating.” He leaned and brushed his lips over the side of her mouth. ”I just love listening to your voice and seeing the sparkle in your eyes when you get excited about something. You are so full of life and energy. So passionate.”
”Oh, darling.” She leaned into him. ”You say the nicest things to me.”
”I love you.” He let go of her as they reached the bar. ”Make it quick.” Leaving her standing next to Max, Dalhu strode to the other end of the bar.
”Fates, I love this male,” she murmured, taking a moment to admire the breadth of his shoulders and his tight ass. ”Perfection.” She tore her eyes away from her mate, plastered a smile on her face, and turned to the Guardian she”d come over to talk to. ”Max, darling. I need a word with you.”
He inclined his head. ”I”m always at your service. What can I do for you?”
She shifted her weight to her other stiletto-clad foot. ”I”ll cut right to the chase. I think that our rescued damsel in distress is a potential Dormant. I”ve spent some time with her, as have Syssi and even Kian, and we all believe that she has a paranormal talent. In fact, I”m sure of it.” She leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially, ”I thought I should tell you first that there is an available Dormant on the ship before it becomes widely known and there is a stampede of males vying for her attention. You”ve been the groomsman for too long. It”s time you became the groom.”
”I”ll pass.” Max surprised her. ”If Jasmine needs guarding, I”ll go, but I”m not interested in her otherwise.”
Amanda blinked. ”Have you seen her?” she asked, not even trying to stifle the incredulity in her voice. ”She”s a stunning woman, and she”s lonely, just waiting for someone to talk to. Right now, she”s all alone in the staff lounge. You can go, have a little chat with her, and see if there is any attraction. If there is, great, and if not, someone else will gladly take your place.”
Edgar, who was standing next to Max, turned around and lifted his hand. ”If he won”t, I will. Jasmine is one hell of a catch. She”s beautiful, friendly, and not full of herself as so many beautiful women are.”
Had his remark been directed at her?
Amanda pursed her lips. ”I”m not stuck-up.”
Edgar blanched. ”I didn”t mean you. Never. I meant human women, and it was a generalization.”
She waved a dismissive hand. ”You don”t need to apologize. I might not be stuck-up, but I can admit to being vain.” She smiled. ”If I didn”t have any flaws, I would be perfect, and that”s boring.” She shifted her gaze back to the obstinate Guardian. ”Last chance, Max. If you don”t want to go, Ed will.”
Max shrugged. ”I”ve seen Jasmine through the surveillance cameras, and she”s beautiful, but she also reminds me of someone who I lost a friend over, someone who wasn”t very discriminating with her affections and chose to indulge me when she knew my friend was in love with her. I was an ass for not realizing the depth of his feelings for her, but she wasn”t blameless. I know that Jasmine is not her, but she is similar enough in character and looks that I can”t help the aversion I feel.”
It was silly to think that just because Jasmine looked like that woman, she was like her in other ways, but Amanda had to admit that Jasmine was a major flirt, so there could be more to the similarity than met the eye.
”I would love to go,” the pilot said. ”I would have visited Jasmine before, but we were told to stay away from the crew quarters because of the rescued women and their fear of men.”
That was true, and she”d forgotten about it, but the rescued women had their own section of the staff quarters, and as long as Edgar didn”t go to that area or to the staff dining room, it should be okay.
”Jasmine spends most of her time in the staff lounge, and the rescued women never go there. If you stay away from the staff dining room and their section of cabins, it should be fine.”
Ed rubbed a spot behind his left ear. ”What if I go down there and Jasmine is not in the lounge? She could have gone to bed already.”
”Then you can try again tomorrow. She doesn”t have a phone. Otherwise, I would call her and ask her to meet you there.”
”I can check for you.” Max pulled out his phone. ”We have surveillance cameras in the lounge.” He typed on his screen and then nodded. ”She”s there, watching television, and Amanda was right. She”s all alone.”
Edgar”s face lit up. ”Awesome!” He practically bounced on his feet. ”I”ll go right now.”
Chuckling, Amanda held up a finger. ”Don”t you want to stay for the wedding dinner?”
Edgar”s eyes widened, a look of inspiration crossing his face. ”That”s a great idea!” He snapped his fingers. ”I”ll load up two plates and take them down to the lounge. Jasmine and I can chat over dinner and get to know each other.”
”Just be careful,” Amanda cautioned. ”Jasmine still doesn”t know who we are, and it needs to stay that way, at least until Edna probes her. I was supposed to wait until after Edna had a chance to get a read on Jasmine”s intentions, but I got excited by the idea of making another match.” She cast an accusing look at Max. ”I didn”t expect my gesture to be refused.”
”I”m sorry.” Max smiled apologetically. ”I can”t help it. Just looking at her irritates me.”
”Don”t sweat it.” Amanda let him off the hook and turned back to the pilot. ”Jasmine thinks that this cruise has been organized by Perfect Match for its management and top employees, and that the secrecy surrounding it is to protect the privacy of some high-profile clients who met through the service and are getting married on the ship.”
”Got it,” Edgar said. ”I can talk a mile about Perfect Match. I”ve been on six solo adventures so far, and it was amazing.”
Max clapped a hand on Edgar”s shoulder. ”I hope Jasmine is the one for you.”
”Alright.” Amanda waved a hand at Edgar. ”Go forth and conquer, Romeo.”
”Thank you.” The pilot sketched a mock salute. ”Wish me luck!”