A hard grip on his upper arm stopped Noah in his tracks and he turned to face Kane, regretting even the momentary loss of Alice in his sight.
He braced himself for Kane’s words, but it didn’t matter what the older vampire said, he wasn’t leaving this ship. He wasn’t abandoning Alice. And he sure as hell wouldn’t marry a stranger.
“That one will challenge you, but I think you’ll do well together.” Kane nodded in Alice’s direction.
Noah blinked at him. He should have guessed that Kane wouldn’t have pushed him to bond a stranger after he saw him with Alice, but he couldn’t be sure. The man hadn’t been around in a century, and they hadn’t exactly chatted about women or much else of a personal nature before he left.
What to say to that? “I know. Thanks.”
“I will take care of the hotel—fuzzy the minds of the witnesses.” Kane said. “You’ve chosen well.”
Noah turned to look at her, unable to help himself. And when he looked back, Kane was gone.
A soft touch on his shoulder drew his attention away from his vanishing mentor, and he met Alice’s smiling eyes.
“Who was that mysterious man?” She raised an eyebrow at him.
“That was my father, Kane.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh, wow. Is he still around? I’d love to meet him.” She leaned to look behind him, as if Kane would suddenly reappear.
“You’ll meet him someday, I’m sure. I think he didn’t want to intrude on the wedding any more than we already did.” And that was almost definitely true. Kanehito was nothing if not painfully polite in social situations. He hadn’t been invited to the wedding, so he hadn’t stayed. Of course, if he’d still thought Noah needed to go back to California to bond a stranger, he would have. But he’d probably still stand outside, waiting to ambush Noah, rather than interrupt the service.
The room was emptying. Noah held out his arm and Alice took it, and together they followed the rest of the wedding guests to the room next door where the reception was being held.
Music already played, and a line formed quickly at the bar. Alice tugged him toward the dance floor.
“Dance with me?” she asked.
“Maybe I should go change first.” He glanced down at his T-shirt and jeans. And he couldn’t see it, but he could feel a bit of blood in his hair.
“After?”
“Sure.”
The music was slow and intimate, and they barely moved, holding on to one another and swaying gently. He buried his face in her hair and took a deep breath, happy to have her scent surrounding him again.
“I missed you,” he murmured into her hair. It was such a stupid thing to say, they’d only been a part for a day, but it was true.
She pulled her head back and looked up at him, a smile tugging on her lips. “I’d play this all cool and stuff, but the second you turn on your phone my cover would be ruined anyway. I…may have left you a few voicemails.”
He grinned and spun her around on the dance floor. “It was off. I’m sorry. I would have answered…but, I’m glad I’m not the only one who took our fight badly.”
She shrugged. “I may have been a teeny bit upset.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to upset you again,” he said, trying in vain to fight the smile pulling on his lips.
She arched an eyebrow at him, looking so beautiful and confident, his heart warmed. “You really wouldn’t.”
The music changed and her smile blossomed. It took him a second to realize why. “Salsa?”
“My new favorite dance,” she said, throwing her head back as she assumed a dramatic salsa pose, and her hair sparkled in the light.
He laughed and took her hand in his. It was his favorite, too.