Chapter 2

The next day

"Come on Livia we don't want to be late," Kendra yelled to her employer. It was 10 o'clock the next morning and it was time for their spa treatments to begin in half an hour.
Dinner last night had been good and the food excellent. Livia had been somewhat withdrawn thinking about what was to come to tomorrow sure that she wouldn't enjoy the treatment Dave had signed her up for without even asking her. She was sure it was money that would end up being wasted, something she hated even though she and Dave had plenty of it.
He did that because he knows deep down, you'll probably enjoy them if you just let yourself, her conscious pricked her. You've got to stop resisting trying new things as you're going to live for thousands of years now.
"Coming," Livia said with a distinct lack of enthusiasm in her voice.
"Dave will keep your sons occupied while we are busy," Kendra added, as she stood behind Livia and prodded her towards the door of their suite.
Livia dragged her feet towards the door, moving as slowly as possible, and Kendra tried not to tap her foot impatiently at her employer's behavior.
"You promised you're mate you would at least try the spa treatment, which means we have to actually go there," Kendra told Livia her tone stern.
"I would rather just lay by the pool and get a tan," Livia said
"You promised the man you love that you would give the spa treatments a try. Do you really want to break your word to Dave who has done so much for both of us?" Kendra asked Livia who winced at that reminder. "Dave knows you'll enjoy the treatments if you only give them a chance, but that's the problem, isn't it? You were denied so many things, because you grew up in the foster care system that even after all this time, you're still allowing yourself to not try things that cost a lot. You seem a think that Dave is going to go broke if he keeps spending money the way he does, but that isn't going to happen no matter how much he spends and deep down you know this."
"I know he won't. He's told me often enough," Livia side finally giving in. "I know I shouldn't resist so much, but I can't seem to stop myself."
"Well, you need to bite your tongue or something whenever one of these situations comes up," Kendra said. "All you do is push Dave's buttons, and while he has considerable patience, you exceed it occasionally. He loves you unreservedly, which means he wants to spoil you and signing you up for those spa treatments is his way of doing that at least this time."
"Dave doesn't seem to understand that I need nothing except his love," Livia said.
"He understands that just fine, but he loves you so deeply that he just wants to spoil you. You've given him the family he's always wanted," Kendra said.
"He's taking me so many trips over the last few years and I've seen so many foreign places, Egypt, France, Italy, Spain, and now here we are on our first cruise," said Livia.
"He's always spoiled you rotten in all those places, and you have protested his love and generosity every time," Kendra said. "Your problem is you don't believe you deserve all these things he's giving you. He loves you despite your visions and the trouble they can cause. I know you were raised in the foster care system, and they instilled in you the need to not need much, but you can break out of the mold they put you in if you want to, but you have to try though."
"You're right, so I'll try. I know Dave loves me, just as I love him, which is why he insists on spoiling me. I know I'm going to have to quit protesting every time he signs me up for something I've never done before that costs and I admit I usually end up enjoying whatever he signed me up for," Livia admitted.
"I also know that most of these things I try cost a lot and while I have my own money now, thanks to Dave it has still been ingrained into me to buy cheap by the system. At least I don't have to worry about money now that I have some of my own, certainly much more than I used to. I knew some kids that went in the opposite direction and became greedy, because they never had much, because they were also orphans.
"They were determined to become rich, so they would never have to worry about money again. The problem with that, though, is I knew some that took it to it extremes and stole from others," Livia stated looking as if she had to force the words past her lips. "Why haven't you told me these things before you should have and maybe I would've stopped protesting the things Dave does sooner."
"I was new to the job, and we didn't know each other at all then so you wouldn't have listened," Kendra said simply. "Now I've been working for your family for the past nearly six years, so trust has been foraged. Besides, you had no reason to trust me years ago, when I first started as a nanny, and you could easily have told Dave to fire me. At the time, he likely would have, because he didn't know me either.
"Now, though we're friends, and although I know you're my employer and can't cross a certain line I felt it was safe enough to speak these words to you. You need to try new things because you'll soon be linked to Dave's life force and live for thousands of years, which means you can't follow the same old pattern as you'd get bored eventually and probably sooner then you expect."
Kendra had made a very good point with all she had said, and Livia knew it. She had known that she would live for thousands of years intellectually, but she hadn't connected it to trying new things so that life didn't become boring. Living for as long as dragon shifters did was likely one of the reasons Dave traveled so much and had before they had met.
"Let's go before we're late," Livia said still not sounding very enthusiastic, but Kendra was hoping that would change once her employer had a morning of treatments under her belt.
"Yeah, let's go," Kendra agreed before Livia could change her mind.
"At least Dave is keeping Sebastian and Dunston occupied until dinner time," Livia said.
"True, which gives us a day to ourselves," Kendra agreed.
The two women headed out of their suite rooms and headed towards the spa for a day of treatments.

~~~Dave and Livia~~~

"I am afraid your son isn't tall enough for the waterpark sir," said one of the cruises employees politely.
"Dunston was so looking forward to trying the waterslides," Dave said regretfully.
"Maybe if you take this cruise again next year, he will be tall enough then sir," the employees said.
"I should've known he wouldn't be, as he is only two," Dave said wincing at Dunston's disappointed look.
"There are plenty of activities for kids, his age sir," the employee said.
"I know, but we'll stay so Sebastian can enjoy himself and Dunston can just spend the day with me watching his brother go down the slides," Dave said.
"I wanna t'y the sli'es daddy," Dunston finally whined.
"I know you do, son, but I'm afraid you're too short. You won't want to get hurt because you're too little for the slides now, would you? You could get the employee in trouble if you didn't obey the rules, you could even get him fired. I know you wouldn't want that," Dave told Dunston sympathetically. "Maybe next time we take a cruise and they'll be a waterpark on board. Maybe you'll be tall enough then to actually go down the slides."
Dunston started to cry, and Dave's heart went out to him, and the employee also looked sympathetic, but the rules had to be followed to prevent accidents that could turn deadly.
"Go enjoy yourself Sebastian," Dave told his oldest son. "Dunston and I will be right here watching you enjoy yourself from the sidelines," added Dave.
"OK, daddy," Sebastian said, giving his brother a pitying look before he headed over to one of the waterslides
"I'll tell you what buddy," Dave said hugging his son close holding him gently in his arms. "I'll buy you an extra gift since you're being denied a chance to try out the waterpark because of your age."
"O'hay," Dunston agreed tears still leaking out of his eyes.
"You have an adorable son," There came a female voice after Dave had dried his sons tears.
"Thank you," Dave said looking off on the lounge chair he had sat in with Dunston up against his chest. "I'm David Rossi and this is my son Dunston, and you are?"
"I am Melinda Karsak, and that's my daughter about to go down that slide there," Melinda said, pointing at a cute little girl with brown hair and green eyes.
"That is my older son Sebastian right there, Mrs. Karsak," Dave pointing at his son with his and Livia's dark hair, but his brown eyes instead of the gray that Livia possessed. Dave was hoping that because his son's eyes were brown and not silver like their mother's that they wouldn't have Livia's ability to see the future, but they were a long way from 13 so it would be years before they knew.
Of course, to be fair, gray eyes were a recessive gene while brown ones were dominant, so it wasn't surprising that both his sons had gotten his eye color.
"You can call me, Mel if you like," Melinda offered.
"I'm Dave," Dave said in return.
"Dunston unusual name," Melinda commented.
"Yeah, it really is," Dave agreed smiling, as he'd heard comments similar to that many times before. "But Livia and I rather liked it when we found it in a baby name book, so when we found out, we were having a second boy it is what we agreed to name him."
The two got to chatting and finally Melinda asked, "If you're not too busy with your boys, what about having a drink?"
"No, thank you Melinda," Dave said saying her full first name on purpose to get his point across. "I am married, and my wife is just at the spa. This is our first cruise together with hopefully, others to come in future years."
"What is the harm in having a drink together?" Melinda inquired with a seductive smile.
"Because of what it can lead to," Dave said simply no longer looking at his companion. Dave's voice had gone from warm and friendly to practically icy all in the space of a few seconds. "I'm sure you're hoping to get me drunk so I'll have sex with you or maybe just more willing to cheat on my wife. You don't seem to care that when my wife found out I would be in deep trouble or that I would be ashamed of myself for letting you get the better of me."
Melinda was startled to have her game uncovered in the first opening volleys, but she soldiered on determined to get this handsome man into her bed. That was why her husband had divorced her as he had discovered that she had cheated on him, not once, but multiple times in the years of their marriage. She had won the custody battle for their daughter, though her ex-husband had visitation rights and there had been nothing she could do about that. She had nothing against breaking up marriages if it suited her aim.
"Come on, it's only one drink," Melinda cajoled.
Dave didn't answer and seemed to be ignoring her entirely watching his older son have fun on the slides.
Finally, Dave was completely fed up with Melinda, as she kept trying to get him to have a drink with her and finally spoke in a low threatening tone. "Don't force me to report you to guest services, because I will if you keep up this behavior," Dave warned her in the same icy tone he had used a few minutes previously. "I will not have you badgering me every time we run into each other. I am not going to cheat on my wife who I love more than life itself."
Dave knew that this Melinda was completely human, as he could tell and so that meant that didn't even know the basics of shifters and the bond they shared with their mates. Melinda didn't even know that the paranormal world existed it all. Since she was human, he couldn't tell her that there was no chance of him taking her up on her very obvious hints.
He knew very well that many humans cheated on their spouses, but he wasn't human, and Livia and his children were his life.
Finally, Dave rose, from the lounger with Dunston still cradled in his arms, having cried himself to sleep and called for his older son. "Sebastian, it's time to go back to the suite and get out of our swim trunks.
What had started out as a pleasant day at the waterpark for them had turned into a trial due to Melinda Karsak's insistence on trying to get him to go out for a drink or dinner, which could quickly lead to him ending up in her bed.
He would have to tell Livia about his encounter because they were bound to run into Melinda again considering this was a family cruise and they both had children. He didn't want Livia to find out about Melinda from another source, so it was better to be honest from the beginning. Besides, at least one of his sons was bound to mention her as children often noticed things that adults didn't.
"Ah! Dad!" Sebastian whined, as he immediately climbed out of the water.
"Come on, Sebastian, your mother and Kendra will be done at the spa soon and then it will be time for dinner," Dave told his son. "Perhaps we can come back one day before the cruise is over if you want, and if we don't manage that well there are bigger waterparks then on a ship and we can spend all day in one.
"OK dad," Sebastian said downcast.
Dave was glad that his son had missed his confrontation with Melinda, as he'd have been having too much fun on the slides to pay attention to his father or at least he hoped so.
"Come on champ," Dave said clapping Sebastian on the back with the hand that wasn't holding Dunston and led his older son out of the area that the waterpark was in.
Melinda watched them go with the determined predatory look on her face determined to land her fish before the end of the cruise.

~~~Dave and Livia~~~