Oculus

by S. E. Akers

  “Now I am,” I affirmed as I watched the orca swim off, leaving a white trail of soggy chiffon. Little did it know that I knew where I could score a harpoon if needed.

  Tanner dipped under the surface for a peek and then reemerged sporting a grin. “I see some things don’t change.”

  “That’s why I’m never putting on another evening dress ever again,” I vowed and then splashed him smack in his face with a wave. “So this is where you ended up every night? Down here to play with Moby Dick?”

  The bounce of one of his brows made his grin look a shade earthy. “Something like that.” Tanner swam over to me straightaway. “But orcas are actually dolphins.”

  My eyes scrunched automatically. “Really?”

  “Common mistake,” he assured and then with a snap of his fingers, he magically flipped on the lights.

  My mouth fell open, blown away by the fantastic scene before me. I was in the center of a saltwater lagoon concealed within a rugged grotto. Lush vegetation lined its rocky borders, lit by sporadically placed flaming torches. My eyes traveled across the surface of the water, simply watching the glow of their trail as they left a web of dancing ribbons shimmering all around. There was even a sparkling waterfall tucked off in a secluded corner. My captivated eyes swept the panorama one last time. Aside from the absence of the sky’s divine presence, it was irrefutably a relaxing patch of paradise.

  “All this time and I didn’t know you had a pool,” I grumbled, half-teasing. “I can see its draw.” I would have been down here all the time too if I’d known it existed.

  “What can I say?” he replied unabashedly. “A moonlight swim in the ocean is not without its risks, so this is where I come instead. It’s a great spot for head-clearing.”

  “Well if you had to come down here every night, you must have had a lot to filter out,” I assessed.

  Tanner steered me into his arms. “With the student I had this summer, you have no idea.”

  I nodded towards the killer whale. “So is that your pet?”

  “No. Dalha isn’t mine,” Tanner replied. “I’m watching her for a friend.” He picked up on my curiosity and lifted my chin. “Dalha is Arica’s pride and joy.”

  “Lorelei’s sister, Arica?” I asked, now heavy-chested from my gasp.

  “The very same,” Tanner confirmed. “She showed up on my doorstep a couple of weeks after you arrived. She needed a place to hide out for a while, so she moved in down here temporarily.” Tanner pointed to a makeshift tent set up near an alcove of rocks. “Arica came and went as she pleased, but she stayed hunkered down here during the last two full moons. She figured this was the safest place from Lorelei . . . even with her trolling the waters right outside.”

  “Why didn’t you let me meet her?” I asked. Or rather, why didn’t she want to meet me?

  “Arica didn’t want anyone knowing she was here,” he said. “She thought it was best if she stayed hidden and out of our way.”

  “Was she responsible for all the missing tourmalines?” I asked.

  “Guilty,” he said. “She uses them to keep her body as youthful as possible, since she can’t rely on the powers her aquamarine once granted her.”

  Then another plaguing past instance surfaced. “Did she cut your hair?”

  Tanner ran his hand through his cropped wet tendrils. “She did,” he admitted. “In fact, she was quite insistent about it after I’d told her how mad you were at me that evening.”

  So it turned out that I’d been betrayed by my own kind. My head shifted back towards the tent. “Is Arica still around?”

  “No,” he admitted. “She left early this morning.” Tanner whistled for the orca to swim over. “Arica blew her cover when she sent Dalha after you yesterday, so she had to move on.”

  I ran my hand along Dalha’s side when she bumped up against me. Thankfully I didn’t feel any marks left from Lorelei’s trident.

  “Arica saved me,” I muttered.

  “She did,” he replied. “Arica heard the commotion upstairs. I told her what happened, so she went outside and tracked you. She sent Dalha out after you immediately. Even she predicted a pretty nasty splash-landing.”

  I bobbed in the water, partly thankful but mostly regretful. I’d truly wanted whatever had saved me to be a freak occurrence, even though I knew better. And it pained me that this beautiful creature had taken such a ferocious blow on my behalf.

  “Is she all right?” I asked.

  “Dalha’s fine,” Tanner assured and then blew a shrill whistle. Within a few seconds, the orca came flying out of the water and commenced with a showy twist that ended with a showering side-dive. Her splash carried both of us swiftly towards the banks of the grotto. Tanner pulled me into his arms before I smacked the rocks. “Does that answer your question?”

  “Yes,” I smiled.

  “Good,” he said. “Then give your guilt a rest.”

  We swam around for a little while, playing with Dalha and teasing each other about random things. And kissing. There was an abundant amount of that. It wasn’t until I’d reached for his larimar pendant that things started to turn a little quiet. From the heated way we’d been locking lips just seconds prior to me igniting the stone’s glow, I sensed something potentially awkward brewing behind our unexpected lull.

  Tanner clasped onto both of my hands. “Shiloh . . .” he began, “I need to make something clear, all right?”

  “Okay,” I replied. The look in his eyes alone confirmed my theory, even if I hadn’t heard that twinge of “lecture” in his tone.

  Tanner held my hands fiercely. “I won’t pretend I don’t want more. I know you sense that I do. But you need to know I would never pressure you into anything you weren’t ready for — ever. No matter how many nights my wants drive me down here for hours on end. I want us to take things slow, at a pace that falls within the comforts of your boundaries.” Tanner swept his hand down my cheek. “And I’m well aware of what they are.”

  I couldn’t help but feel relieved, despite how much the little girl was dying to slip under the water from embarrassment. But all in all, I was glad we were getting this addressed and out of the way—the virgin elephant in the room—hopefully for the first, last, and only time.

  “But I’m no high-school boy, Shiloh. Make no mistake about that,” Tanner asserted, his eyes vehement. “I’ve been waiting for the woman in you to emerge, but I want her when she’s ready . . . Completely ready and willing to give herself to me in every way.”

  The zealous way his fingers outlined my lips signaled how much they longed to venture onto other more risqué territory. Truthfully though, however nervous I felt in this precise moment, my alarm stemmed from how ensnared I was by my own dangerous desires. Their twist was insatiable, and I knew they were the culprits that had prompted Tanner’s heart-to-heart chat. Then he kissed me so sweetly, almost entirely washing away the uncomfortable feeling I was left with after hearing his formal decree of chastity. Almost.

  “All right,” I muttered.

  “No matter what you may claim, I’ll always know the truth,” Tanner added. “That’s what I’ll be relying on to let me know when I need to stop.”

  For a second, I honestly felt like he’d actually left a branded wax seal over my mouth. I even gave my lips a lick to be sure. One thing was certain: I was never bargaining away my emotional condom ever again. If his intentions were supposed to put me one hundred percent at ease, he seriously had another thing coming; my mind may have still claimed enough of its wits, but my body wanted him more than ever. And I would have loved to blame it on the added vigor of the green tourmaline I’d used, but deep down I knew it didn’t have a daggone thing to do with it. I’d been under the control of his hands all summer with my training. I didn’t want him telling me what I could or couldn’t do until he felt I was ready. Yeah, I respected it, but wasn’t it ultimately my decision in the end?

  “So it sounds like you are and then you aren’t giving me any final say,” I su
ggested. “When I’m not wearing my ruby, that is.”

  Tanner picked up on my discord. “Just know that I want you to feel relaxed every second we’re together, and above all I don’t want you worrying about disappointing me . . . It’s not even a remote possibility,” he vowed, his eyes radiating their sincerity. “I simply don’t want what modern times or anyone else’s influence dictating what you think you should be doing if that’s not truly the way you’re feeling.”

  I couldn’t argue with him on that. I knew plenty of girls from my school alone who’d dove off that peer-pressure plank too quickly. I even remembered the short & sweet talk my own father had given me. A period’s not a starting pistol… Charlotte, on the other hand, treated it like a welcoming red carpet.

  “There is so much I want to share with you, Shiloh . . . and things I want you to experience. And regardless of how pure and passionate I want every moment I’m with you to be, that kind of intimacy is only a part of what I’m craving. Just being with you fills me the most.”

  I smiled at him, my mind swirling. He may have thoughtfully stated his intentions, but he never addressed my question with a direct response. And that was an answer in itself, particularly after my ruby remark. I could literally see that pair of kid gloves covering his controlling hands right now.

  It wasn’t long before Dalha gave us a ride to a spot where a stone archway stood notched in one of the grotto’s walls. Tanner climbed out first and then lifted me from the water and straight into his arms.

  “You’ll find a set of steps through there,” Tanner revealed with a nod. “They’ll lead you back upstairs.”

  “You’re not going to walk me up?” I asked.

  “In light of how perfect this evening has been, I’m sorry to say that’s something I can’t do.” His hands left a trail of tingles around my waist as he released me. “I know the limits of my restraint.”

  I gazed into his eyes hypnotically, fully aware of what little self-control I seemed to have right now — and apparently he was too.

  He directed his eyes towards the saturated dress clothes clinging to his body. “Besides, I need to get more comfortable anyway . . . and I didn’t bring a suit.” Then with a swift whirl, Tanner spun me around and positioned me towards the stone archway. “Now, off to bed!” he commanded and gave me a frisky send-off with a pat to my rear.

  I turned and aimed a glance down to my bottom. I lifted my stare to his, eyes sparking. “That’s the second time you’ve spanked me today,” I chided.

  “True,” he grinned. “But going off what I’m sensing, this is the first time you didn’t mind.”

  I stared at him, my lips pressing an amused grin. Yep. I was planning on welding that damn cuff on myself. He’ll have to saw through bones just to get that thing off…

  “Good night, Professor Grey,” I grinned as I headed off.

  “Good-night, Ms. Wallace.” His eyes trailed my steps until I disappeared through the archway. And just like he’d assured, a narrow stone stairway was spiraling a path that would lead both me and my raging hormones up to the safe and secure haven of my bedroom, which right now was probably the wisest of things. After hearing him laying down the law of how he would be emotionally monitoring our interactions, well that just had me itching to springboard off that high-dive even more…possibly even a little out of spite.

  And for the record, he wasn’t helping matters by waving his cake in my face either.

  I hadn’t ascended more than a few steps when an inescapable curiosity persuaded me into doing a casual 180º back down the stairs — an invisible one, I’m ashamed to admit. With a mouse-like creep, I tiptoed down to the last step that lay just before the doorway. I pressed my hands against the wall, both as a brace and to give myself that extra-boost of courage I needed. Strangely enough, I couldn’t understand why I was so nervous. I was far enough away that he couldn’t sense me. Plus, I didn’t care what he claimed. I knew in my heart that he’d looked. Maybe I didn’t think so yesterday or even earlier this morning, but the odds sure favored it now. And this was one time I refused to be one-upped.

  Breathlessly, I peeked around the doorway. Tanner was standing right where I’d left him, facing the lagoon. My pulse started to race no sooner than his shirt peeled away from his back. Once he’d wrestled out of its sleeves, my eyes feasted on the most sublimely rippling and rugged terrain this gal from the hills of West Virginia had ever seen. Regardless of how many times I’d already witnessed his brawny physique, none of them were ever quite like this — so hushed and intimate. Now I knew why he’d looked; who wouldn’t want the luxury of complete privacy that afforded you the absolution of an unblushing moment? The way the flickering torches placed all around the grotto highlighted his silhouette in the half-light made both him and the act itself all the more scintillating. My mind ran wild with so many thoughts of stroking my hands all over his back, allowing me to explore every last glistening ridge and shadowy valley. The sound of his belt buckle unfastening sent an anxious flutter through my chest. The sensation felt so fiercely primal it had my teeth sinking straight into my bottom lip. Then within seconds, his pants dropped to the ground. I slowly traced the length of his powerful limbs until I’d reached his perfectly-sculpted bottom. I doubted Michelangelo could chisel out something that flawless. My heart struck the insides of my chest with the force of a drum just as he started to turn around.

  Tanner abruptly stopped midway and tilted his head. “Does the curious little girl require more or is she good for now?”

  I sucked in a rush of air as I jerked my frame back inside the stairwell, hugging the wall like I was clinging to my last shred of decency. Oh, I was so busted.

  “If she stays down here much longer, she may end up getting that walk to her room after all . . . whether she’s ready or not,” he added.

  Shamefully rattled, I whipped around and hurried up the stairs in a flush, never looking back for a second. My mind started to tingle just as soon as I’d reached my bedroom, which wasn’t a surprise after his scolding. As much as I was hoping not to hear from him, oh I knew a telepathic message was headed my way.

  “I told you I never looked,” Tanner stressed. “So by my count, you owe me one.”

  CHAPTER 26

  I closed the pantry doors in a huff and wheeled my stare to the items sprawled across the marble island. I’d collected almost everything I needed, except for the crucial main ingredient — chocolate. That was Tanner’s favorite flavor. It didn’t matter what type of dessert was plopped in front of him — that’s what pulled his chain. However without any bags of chips, zero tins of cocoa, or the first Hershey’s bar to melt, plain ole vanilla would have to do.

  I puttered out a deflated sigh. Maybe if I had a little more Martha in me, I could shape the thing like a sword… He might be just as happy?

  I was rummaging through the cabinets on a quest for a couple of round pans when Silas charged into the kitchen, snorting and grunting. He actually sounded worse than one of the dungeon’s former-guests.

  “Well, look at that. The balegore’s back,” I teased. Needless to say, my joke fell a bit flat.

  “What are you doing in here and why are you creating such a racket?” Silas pointed to the clock above the double-ovens and commenced with a grumble. “It’s two-thirty in the morning!” The house steward immediately turned his attention to all the items littering the marble slab, which under his watch always remained immaculate. He raked his fingers through a puddle of powder that had seeped out of the flour bag, gave them a curt dusting, and then lowered his head with a disdainful shake. “Have I not cleaned up enough of your messes for one summer?” he sighed. “I shudder to imagine the catastrophe that looms in here.”

  “I’m trying to bake Tanner a cake,” I insisted, “ . . . for his birthday.”

  Silas lifted his gaze. “How country-quaint,” he remarked dryly. “So what seems to be Betty Crocker’s problem? Can’t tell the sugar from the salt?”

  I stuck out my
tongue. “Hardly. I can’t find any chocolate. Where do you keep it?” Silas marched over to a cabinet I’d already checked, bent down, and threw open its door. “I’ve already looked in there,” I sang, only to see him pulling out two sacks of broken bark — one semi-sweet and one milk chocolate.

  Silas rose to his feet and handed them to me with a curt thrust. “There! Now I suggest you move along to the much quieter practice of melting and folding.” He snatched a whisk out of a nearby drawer and deposited it into the empty copper pot I’d placed beside one of the cooktop burners. “Put those muscles to use with that.”

  I lifted the two sacks while my foot tapped a suspicious beat on the floor. I hadn’t woken him up. The nosey hands of the house had purposely come in here to help me. “You poofed these in there and you know it,” I grinned. He should have never told me about Tanner’s request that he supply me with everything I needed. It sure made for tasty face-rub.

  Silas dismissed me with a wave and then made a break for the door. “I had better not hear the first whirling blade!” He paused at the sleek Kitchen-Aid mixer long enough to yank its plug out of the wall and then scooped it into his arms. “Don’t make me come back in here!” he warned.

  Hell-bent on confirming my suspicions, I rallied a heartfelt thought about how much smoother and lump-less the batter would be if I didn’t have to mix it the old-fashioned way. Two seconds hadn’t passed before he was tromping back into the kitchen and returning the appliance to its original spot on the counter. But he was far from happy about it.

  Without a doubt, having him at my magical beck and call was so cool, and my grin sure beamed it too. See… Wishes do come true.

  “I feel like I’ve got my own personal Gen—”

  Silas threw up his hand. “Don’t you dare say it,” he interrupted, his eyes casting a crippling glare.