by EE Silver
Fortunately, King didn’t seem bothered by Jonah’s babbling. Instead, he bit his lower lip like he was trying to stop a grin. “Rosemary said Anya’s adopted,” he commented. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she had your nose, though.”
“Her parents were relatives of mine,” Jonah said, ignoring the guilty twist his conscious gave at the lie. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more than a few family traits between the two of us.”
King hummed thoughtfully, but let the subject drop, at least. He reached for one of the buckets still in Jonah’s hands. “Let me open that while you get everything else,” he said.
Their hands tangled in the pass-off, and Jonah forgot to breathe as that zing travelled up his arm again, same as before. His heart racing, Jonah barely resisted tugging the bucket close in order to reel King in, to see if the same shock would happen when they were mouth-to-mouth, kissing like Jonah was finding it harder and harder not to picture. The only thing that stopped him was the sudden flash of looked an awful lot like fear in King’s eyes. Then he noticed how King’s face had paled at the contact, and anxiety wrenched in Jonah’s gut, making him freeze briefly before he did them both a favor by pulling away slowly. Something had upset King, and Jonah strongly suspected it involved King not wanting to be touched. At least, not wanting to be touched by Jonah. Maybe it was just the alpha thing, too; omegas were rarely treated with respect in the world outside of Vale Valley, even though they were still in hiding in the human world at large. Still, either way, Jonah had to back the hell off and leave the man alone. His dads hadn’t raised an asshole, after all, and Jonah knew his feelings were secondary to whatever had spooked King, even if it meant he’d have to find a way for them to work in separate rooms.
Refusing to think about why the idea of staying away from King hurt so much, Jonah set both buckets down and backed out of King’s personal space.
“Thanks,” he said, taking another big step away. “I’ll be back with the rest.”
Chapter Four
King
All but kicking himself, King watched Jonah flee the room. Obviously, Jonah had seen King’s freaked-out reaction to their connection. But it wasn’t as though King could just say, “Hey, boss, I think you might be my fated mate. But I don’t really know you, so do you think we could just be friends or maybe date a little before you tie me down to start making all those babies you clearly want whether I do or not? It’s only that I’ve got a hell of a big of secret and I’d like to get to know you before I start spilling my guts.”
Although, if they were Jonah’s babies, maybe King wouldn’t mind doing that after all. And King wanted to believe that maybe this particular alpha could be trusted with a secret, even one as big as King’s. But King’s secret wasn’t his alone, and he owed it to everyone involved to take the chance to get to know the guy before doing something permanent like mating their souls together for life and exposing facts not even the gossipy residents of Vale Valley knew. Of course, if King kept flinching every time Jonah got near, he probably wouldn’t even have the job much longer, so it wasn’t as though he’d have to worry about losing control and jumping his boss’s big, gorgeous, kid-loving self. The worst part was that just thinking about losing his chance was enough to make King feel almost as sick as thinking about going for it.
“I’m a hot mess, Guppy,” King crooned to Anya, who only giggled at him from behind her little screen as he opened the first bucket of paint.
When Jonah came back, he was all business. But every time he had to hand King something, their fingers didn’t so much as brush together. A few times, he even nudged things over with his foot. King supposed he ought to be grateful. It was for the best, really. He’d wanted time and space, and actually doing the job he was here to do was a hell of a lot better than thinking about the pull he felt toward Jonah, as if he was swimming along the edges of a riptide. The last thing King needed, the last thing either of them needed, was to get swept away like a pair of idiots
They worked the rest of the day in near silence, only talking about the job itself. King hadn’t realized how much the light banter they’d already established had relaxed him until it was gone. Just thinking about that irritated King. With the exception of his school back home, he had never really had much need for anyone else before. And considering how that had worked out for him back then, there was no reason why things should change now with this alpha he barely knew, no matter how cute his little girl was.
Still, focusing on the work meant that they had the room completely painted in plenty of time, the sun hanging low enough to promise a good hour’s worth of twilight even as they finished cleaning up and setting out the rollers and brushes to dry. Stretching out the sore muscles in his back, King needed that promised swim more than ever. He looked at Jonah out of the corner of his eye. It was probably a bad idea—no, it was definitely a bad idea—to invite him to come along, but, it would also be really rude not to when they’d already talked about it, right?
“I’m going to enjoyed every second of that swim,” King said, with forced casualness.
“I wish I could join you,” Jonah said, equally forced. “But I still have so much to do around here, I don’t know if I can justify relaxing yet.”
The careful rejection wasn’t exactly unexpected, but it still stung. King blinked and somehow managed to summon up something resembling a grin. “Well,” he said, “If that’s what you really want to do. But I’ve heard the lake is warm year-round. And since I’ve seen the state of your shower, I can almost promise that a swim would beat any kind of bath you would get here.” He didn’t know why he was pushing so hard, almost as though he wanted to spend what time he could with Jonah despite knowing how much of a bad idea it was. His cousin the shrink would probably say there was something here about playing with fire, hoping he’d get burned.
“I’m sure you want some time to yourself, especially after an entire day cooped up with a stranger,” Jonah said after what felt like an almost painfully long pause. “I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
King couldn’t help wonder if Jonah didn’t feel some of the pull between them, too. Family lore said it was unlikely a human, even a mostly-human alpha like Jonah, would be sensitive enough to recognize the pull of fated mates. And yet, there was an almost fierce longing in Jonah’s eyes, like he sensed the potential between them, but was determined not to force his presence on King despite it. That alone was enough to push away enough reservations for King to make a move he sincerely hoped he wouldn’t regret.
“Actually, I just want to play with the baby,” he said. “I’ve been waiting all day for my chance. And since I hear you’re a package deal, I’m willing to cope with you if I get what I want.”
Jonah relaxed a little. “That so?”
“Yeah. Now get changed and meet me in the water.”
“You’ve got it, boss,” Jonah said, smiling a little as some of their earlier banter came back. “Whatever you say.”
King cut through the water with long, easy strokes that pulled him forward, barely needing the added power from his tail. Still, he reveled in the warm current racing over the translucent length of his dorsal fin and the solid push against his pelvic fins as he swam to the center of the lake and back again. His instincts told him he was far from the only merfolk in this water, but on such a beautiful early summer day it was expected. Of course, it was highly unlikely they’d have much more than some fins in common with King, but he was used to that after living his whole life as a merfolk apart. And it wasn’t as if he had much interest in meeting the neighbors. Not today, not when he had the company he was interested in waiting for him back closer to shore.
Speaking of. King gave an extra hard push of his tail, moving faster back inland, where Jonah stood in chest-deep water, Anya floating happily in her swimmy ring beside him. No matter how cute Anya was in her brightly-colored water gear, though, King only had eyes for Jonah. Jonah was somehow bigger without a shirt on, th
e pale blonde hair on his chest catching water and sparkling in the late sunlight, but he still moved with care, his big hands infinitely gentle with Anya even as she splashed him over and over. King wondered if that delicate touch would carry over to other, far more intimate touches, and wondered if he’d get a chance to find out. The thought alone was bad news for his plans to take time and distance to make a mature and responsible decision. Not that the flipping and twirling in his gut was listening to logic. No, every instinct King had was screaming at him to stay as close to his potential mate as possible.
And after a full day of trying to ignore it, he was a little tired of pretending there wasn’t a rational part of him that wanted the be around the gorgeous, kind, funny alpha, too.
“Most babies take to swimming even without the floatation devices,” was all King said when he was close enough, though. He needed more depth than Jonah had in order to float comfortably with his long tail, so he was still a good five feet away.
“I know.” Jonah smoothed a wet curl back from Anya’s face. “I’m a typical over-protective new parent, I guess.”
“She’s your daughter, you’re the one who gets to make those calls, Not me.” King flexed his webbed fingers to keep from reaching out and easing the embarrassment from Jonah’s face. “To be honest, most of the babies I’ve spent time in the water with were in my old school, and merfolk are born ready to swim.”
“You worked in a school for merfolk?”
King shook his head. “It’s what we call our group. Werewolves have packs, merfolk have schools. It’s our family, our community. Our whole world, I guess you could say.” And maybe it was the thoughts of mating and family he’d been having all day, but King felt more than a little wistful for that community he’d left behind. Normally, he’d already be telling his parents about his potential mate while they planned his children’s names for him. Now, though, they’d probably never know about Jonah, unless they did mate. A small, bitter part of him wondered if they’d even care, since they hadn’t seemed to care enough to keep him in the school and home anyway.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” Jonah said, and hesitated. Then he straightened his spine and took a few steps closer, the water coming up to his broad, freckled shoulders. “If you don’t mind me asking, why aren’t you there now? Seems to me if you’re in a place where you’ll take work from a crazy alpha with a baby, that’d be the perfect time to go back to that support system.”
“You’d think so, wouldn’t you?” King asked. He sighed and flipped onto his back, floating for a few seconds while he gathered his thoughts. He could feel the gentle currents running over his fins like a soothing caress, and it helped ease the words out. “There was a new alpha in the school,” he said. “The take first, ask questions later kind. He didn’t seem to understand the words ‘no thanks,’ so I gave him a visual aid. By breaking his nose. Twice in one season. I was asked to leave the school after the second time. Not that I really wanted to stay.”
“What a di—jerk,” Jonah said, barely catching the swear word in time. King couldn’t help smiling at that; Jonah had cursed in front of Anya a hundred times today, easily. Still, a guy had to start somewhere. “I’m glad you were able to put him in his place. Even if it did cost you so much.”
“Yeah, well, that’s a theme for me,” King said. He turned his head enough to look at Jonah, now treading water only an arm’s length away. Then he looked away again, because he wasn’t sure he wanted to see the look on Jonah’s face when he realized how difficult King was. Even if it was for the best if the alpha found out now what he was in for, hanging out with someone like King. “Which is why I no longer have my job at one of the top graphic arts firms in the city. Although this time I left of my own volition. After I told the alphahole’s girlfriend what he thought working late should include and a detailed explanation of how he got that bruise on his jaw, of course.”
“You didn’t!” But instead of looking scandalized, Jonah laughed. He turned to Anya, grinning in open delight. “You hear that, baby girl? You can always be your own knight in shining armor. I want you to be just like King here when you grow up. Mean right hook and all.”
King rolled back to the vertical again, staring at Jonah in shock. “Really?”
Jonah only looked bemused. “Really, what?”
“Most alphas take offense to omegas who refuse to be shrinking violets. It really doesn’t bother you?”
“King, I’m a single alpha dad who loves babies so much I made them my life’s work,” Jonah said patiently. “Traditional gender roles are good for some, but I’d be the worst kind of hypocrite in the world if I’d expect you to force yourself into a mold that you clearly weren’t made for. Hell, we just met and I can’t see you ever being happy playing the role of the sweet, biddable omega. Besides, I want Anya to know that no matter who she is when she grows up, she has every right to express herself, assert herself, and love herself. Preferably without too many assault and battery charges, but if it comes down to that or forcing herself to submit to something or someone she doesn’t want, I’ll always have bail money for her.”
It was just about everything King had wanted to hear from a guy, if he’d ever taken the time to think about it. Which he’d die a slow and painful death before admitting was exactly what he’d done once upon a time. And of course it was this guy, King’s potential mate and brand-new employer, here and now with the perfect words King had been waiting his whole life to hear. Before he could overthink it, King closed the distance between them, slipped an arm over Jonah’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss,
He’d meant to kiss Jonah on the cheek, or at least that’s what King was telling himself, but the way Jonah’s lips looked, wet from the lake water and parted in surprise…it was just too tempting. So King fit their mouths together in a kiss that lingered longer than it probably should have. He couldn’t help himself, not with the way his entire body sang at that one perfect point of contact. Jonah’s mouth was warm and slick, and their lips slotted together perfectly like they’d done this a hundred times before. If he hadn’t been in his merfolk form, King probably would have wrapped his legs around Jonah’s waist and drowned them both with his sudden need to touch as much of this man as possible.
Then King realized Jonah wasn’t kissing him back, and reality came crashing down on him. Stammering an apology, he let go of Jonah and backed away. Jonah looked shocked, his face weirdly blank except for how his mouth was working soundlessly. Probably looking for the words to fire King.
“I don’t know what—” He swallowed the lie. King had been thinking how easy it would be to fall in love with this man if they mated then and there. And they’d certainly have time, what with the long lifespans his family and their mates enjoyed. But that was too much to go into right now. He shook his head, irritated with himself in general and his stupid hormones in particular. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have.”
“I—” Jonah started, then stopped, distracted when Anya splashed more water in his face.
“I’m so sorry,” King said again. When it looked like Jonah was going to say something else, King just shook his head. “I should go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Then he swam away without giving Jonah a chance to answer. Tomorrow was going to be a special kind of hell, but for now King needed to get away and figure out how he was going to stop thinking about kissing a man who didn’t want to kiss him back, potentially fated mates or no.
Chapter Five
Jonah
Jonah only had the vaguest of memories of gathering Anya up, drying her off and feeding her dinner before they both went to bed in their hotel room. All he could think about was the tangy salt-smell of King, the eager press of his lips, the way his arms had wound around Jonah’s neck…and the look of mortification on his face when he’d pulled away. Which Jonah knew was more than a little bit his fault because he hadn’t been able to get himself together enough to do something as simple as kiss the man back.
&n
bsp; In his defense, though, Jonah was pretty sure no kiss in his life had ever felt that good before. Seriously, King was an amazing kisser and Jonah’s lips still tingled when he thought about those few perfect seconds before he’d messed things up by freezing.
The next morning, he got to the house bright and early, and was pleasantly surprised to see King’s SUV parked at the curb once more, the man himself sitting on the front step, wearing more designer clothes that had no business in Jonah’s dirty little reno project. Jonah hurried to unhook Anya’s car seat. He hadn’t been sure King would even show up, and he didn’t want to waste another minute on letting the omega think Jonah hadn’t been 100% into that kiss and wasn’t at least as much interested in another chance to show it.
“I shouldn’t have kissed you like that,” King said without any kind of greeting once Jonah got to the door. “Especially not after I made such a point about telling you how I deal with assholes who do the same to me.” He winced and glanced down at Anya. “Shit. Sorry.”
Jonah couldn’t help smiling. “I’m still trying to break the cursing habit myself,” he said. “As for the rest? Look, I appreciate the apology.”
King’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “But?”
“But, it’s not needed. At all. I’d been thinking about kissing you all day. You just beat me to the punch.” He laughed, awkwardly. “So to speak. Also, it’s been a while since I’ve kissed anyone,” he added when King still didn’t look convinced. “And I kind of froze like an idiot, trying to think of how to respond in some way that wouldn’t have my daughter in therapy for the rest of her life. Trust me when I say that if and when you decide you want to give that another try, I will definitely kiss you back.”