by Vivian Arend
Braden bit his tongue. Damn right she’d have enough money to go by next September if he had anything to say about it. “You sure you can’t get in this fall semester? I can loan you—”
“There’s no way I’m taking your money. I withdrew from housing, and all my classes. It’s a done deal for now.”
She was tensing up again and he stroked her back to soothe her. Maybe there was a chance she could start in the winter semester, do a few optional classes. He had time to sweet-talk her into it, even though he already dreaded the thought of being apart.
He lowered his head and brushed their lips together. Cupping the back of her neck, he drew her around to nestle tighter to his body. She nuzzled his neck, planting tiny kisses along his jaw, and his body reacted instantly.
They wrapped around each other, kissing and touching. Hands slipping under clothing, opening buttons. Things were getting very interesting when his phone went off, the shrill buzz warning it was an official message. Braden swore. Chelsea scrambled off his lap and let him grab the phone without a word. This was the worst part about his job, being on call all the time.
“Marley,” he snapped. He didn’t even try to hide his annoyance.
His assistant’s apologetic voice rang through. “Sorry, Chief, but we’ve got more calls than we can handle. I didn’t want to interrupt your weekend off, but…”
Shit. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Don’t kick the messenger. “Not your fault, Helen. Where do you need me?” He glanced at Chelsea who sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around her legs as she stared up at him. She blew him a kiss and waved him away. He made his way toward the stairs as he listened.
“The pier. A few boys are mixing it up, and it sounds like it could get dicey. I’m stuck out at the freeway where there’s a tractor with its trailer blocking the entire path. Clayton is working by the hospital, and I’d already contacted the volunteer senior brigade to deal with the mess somebody made at the ornamental gardens.”
Shit. “Hell has been breaking loose. Give me five minutes to get there.” He scrambled to grab his uniform.
“Don’t get me wrong, it’s not life or death, just more of the same insanity. I’ll join you when I get this cleared away.” A terrible screech shot out from the phone and he waited with concern as Helen cursed. She spoke with an air of authority as she shouted into the distance. “Mr. Carlton. If you will please get back in your car I will get the tractor out of the way as soon as possible. No, no, no. Jumping on the trailer is not going to make the space any bigger for you to drive through…”
Braden clicked off his phone and chuckled. Insanity was right.
By the time he’d dressed and tromped back downstairs, Chelsea was waiting for him at the door.
“I don’t want to leave, but—”
She cut off his apology with a quick kiss, her lips hot and sweet against his. When she pulled back she gave him a wink.
“It comes with the territory, I expected it. Dating the sheriff may have hazards, but I will get to ride in the truck with the lights on sometime, right?”
He smiled, tweaking her under her chin. “Hey, we’re not done talking about your schooling, you know.”
“Go on. I think I’ll head home for a few hours, visit with my folks. See you back here tonight?” He nodded and leaned over to kiss her again, but she pushed him out the door with a laugh. “Go, you’ll be late.”
He headed to the pier with a deep sense of satisfaction. In spite of her confession and what it potentially meant for their future, contentment filled him. He had a job he loved. Now the woman he’d longed for was in his life, no matter what happened down the road.
It seemed things were finally falling into place.
Jamie pulled into the parking space outside the house, relieved to find it vacant. All weekend he’d been haunted. Saturday he’d woken to a dream of enjoying twisted, sweaty sex with Chelsea while Braden stood by and watched, a curious smile on his face. Sunday morning the dream had expanded to include Braden in the midst of the tangle with him and Chelsea.
As he worked around the apartment during the day, blue lights faded in and out of his vision, and every time he turned around he swore there was someone else in the room with him. A scent, a presence… He was either going mad or there was some seriously weird shit happening.
He’d looked over the stack of papers containing his drawings so often he had them memorized. Saturday morning he’d stared in confusion at them, and even wadded a couple up to throw in the garbage before a flash of memory returned. The rest of the day he’d researched, the topics varied and eclectic. The published contents of the dig he’d been involved in off the Mallorca coast. Ancient records and legends of people appearing from the sea.
The blue lights of St. Elmo’s fire.
By Sunday afternoon he couldn’t resist the urge to take a closer look at a few things at the Coltens’ house. If he didn’t, he’d be thinking about them all night and not sleeping anyway, so he might as well take the chance.
Jamie walked to the front door and knocked loudly. Rang the bell a couple of times. He’d phoned ahead, and chances were good no one was home, but he’d hate to walk in and find Braden and Chelsea too involved in each other to answer the phone.
He used his key to open the door and snuck into the empty home, the stillness echoing off the walls. It was definitely just him and the riches filling the rooms. Best-case scenario? He would satisfy his curiosity and be gone before they returned.
He meandered slowly, trying to remember where in the chaos he had spotted it. The past week he’d gone through only a small portion of the collection, but he’d been mentally cataloging and examining the piles even as he wandered past. He pulled out the papers from Friday night—the hasty sketches he’d drawn after his vision session. Some of them were simple illustrations that helped bring the stubborn memories to the surface quicker. But one was far more recognizable and it haunted him.
Over in the corner, a heap of boxes of all shapes and sizes caught his attention, and he dropped to his knees before the mound. He examined each with care, the rough wood of one prickling his fingertips. In contrast the smooth water-worn surface of a green-tinged metal lid was cool to the touch. Off to the side of the stack, a box of purple heartwood leaned against the back wall and he picked it up with trembling fingers.
He turned the box, stroking the textures, running a fingertip over the carvings on the lid. He swore they were familiar.
A scent taunted him. He leaned closer and a sweet musky fragrance filled his nostrils. He shuffled through the pictures until he stared down into the face of the woman he’d hastily sketched the other night.
He could recall her now without the papers as a catalyst. Whatever hypnotic suggestion had blocked that night from his memories had been broken, and he remembered it all, including his mysterious lover.
If his guess was right…
Jamie flipped open the latch on the box and slowly eased up the lid. The breath he’d held in anticipation of seeing the contents swooshed out of him in disappointment when he discovered it was empty.
He could have sworn he would have found a medallion inside, one with a dolphin leaping on the surface in bas-relief. A twin to the necklace the Spanish woman had hung on her neck before she walked into the water and disappeared beneath the waves.
Still, it didn’t clarify how a box nearly identical to the one he’d found during a dive over ten years earlier came to be resting in Alexia Colten’s home. Especially when the other box had sat at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, the necklace it held hidden from the world for more years than easily explained.
He sat back on his heels, staring so intently at the container in his hand he nearly jumped out of his skin when someone cleared their throat.
“Holy shit.” He spun and spotted Braden smirking at him.
“You do get into your work.” Braden flopped onto the couch and loosened the top buttons on his uniform. “You should be more careful. I
could have been a thief, or a burglar.”
Shit. Jamie tried to look casual as he replaced the box. He didn’t want to draw attention to it, so he fiddled with another couple of items as he spoke, rearranging the mound.
“Nahh, you said there were no thieves in Jaffrey’s Cove.” Braden’s groan made him laugh as he rose to face the couch. “Okay, I’m usually a little more attentive. Really.”
Braden relaxed, his legs sprawled in front of him. “You’re working strange hours.”
Jamie shrugged, his mind racing for a suitable excuse. “Decided to do a few hours. Maybe get to the bottom of another pile. There’s so much to go through, I’m starting to doubt being able to finish before Ms. Colten returns.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that. I think she just wants to get it cleaned up eventually. It’s a bit much to live with on a constant basis.”
Braden leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, and Jamie wondered why it was so difficult to keep his eyes off the muscles pressing against the khaki material. Damn, the man was huge, with broad strong muscles and yet so smooth when he moved. The stories he’d read that morning came back, the legends of people who lived in two worlds, moving with grace in spite of their muscular forms. He didn’t want to consider the impossible right now. He just wanted to…
Braden grinned at him and Jamie could have cursed. If he wasn’t going to get thrown out on his ear, he needed to concentrate a little harder and keep his freaking curiosity under wraps.
“You said something and I missed it, right?”
Braden chuckled. “You’re easily distracted. I asked if you’d found anything interesting in this mess.”
Oh, that is a loaded question. “There are a few pieces I know the maritime museums are always looking for. Lots of moderately collectable items, and tons of trash.”
“She needs to hold a garage sale then, right?”
Jamie snorted. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure?”
Braden wiggled his brows and Jamie laughed. There was no way he could keep uptight around the other man. Even though Braden had seemed intimidating at the start, somehow living in his apartment and fantasizing about him made the fear he’d initially inspired morph into something more along the lines of fascination.
Braden stood abruptly and Jamie lost his balance as he tried to step out of the way.
“Shit.” Braden grabbed Jamie by the shoulders to pull him upright. A trickle of scent wafted past—familiar, haunting—and Jamie bit back a moan. He’d woken in the morning to that same fragrance drenching his bed, the visions of steamy sex with both Chelsea and Braden fresh in his mind.
“Hey, you okay?” Braden asked, still supporting him.
Jamie stepped away slowly, shaking his head. What the hell was going on with his libido? His physical interest in guys had always been limited yet now he was not only dreaming about it, but tempted to grab on tight and see what Braden would do.
Of course, Braden would probably punch his lights out. Jamie scrambled to find a good excuse for his strange behavior.
“I’m fine. Guess I didn’t realize I was more tired than I thought. I’m not getting enough exercise, or sun. I need to work on a better routine.”
Braden folded his arms and looked down at him, his expression unreadable. “You don’t have to have everything done by the end of August. Maybe you should slow down a bit, take in some of the sights. There are lots of water sports to try, and some great scuba diving in the area. I’d love to join you if you can arrange your schedule around mine a bit.” He frowned. “If the idiots in town stop their high jinks.”
“More vandalism?” Jamie spotted the pile of sketches he’d made resting on the coffee table, and he picked them up and straightened the edges, hiding the drawings from Braden. Until he got more proof he wasn’t going to let any of them know his suspicions.
Braden sighed. “Yeah. Still, I should be grateful there’s nothing more serious going on. Shit, they were having a water fight at the pier. I got called out to break up a flipping water fight.”
Jamie eyed the stains on Braden’s usually pristine shirt and slacks. That was what had caused it. He dragged his gaze up, bewildered by how obsessed he had become in admiring the man. Their eyes met and Jamie watched, mesmerized as the center of Braden’s pupils swirled with blue flecks.
He stepped back slowly, grabbing his coat without looking. “I should go. I’m sure you need to get changed and Chelsea will be home soon. I’ll look into taking some time off. Gotta run. See you later. Thanks for…everything.” He wanted to get far away so there would be no chance the thoughts rolling through his mind could be discovered. Thoughts about how he wanted to watch Braden strip off the stained uniform and display that perfect body to him. How he wanted to lean closer and find out if the scent haunting him really did originate from Braden’s skin.
Find out what if would feel like to lie between Chelsea and Braden as they made love.
Jamie spun and pulled open the door, trying to make it look less like he was escaping than it really was.
“Jamie.”
He froze, one hand on the knob.
Braden stepped beside him, that dark expression back on his face. He held out his hand and flipped it open, palm up. “You forgot your keys.”
He grabbed them and fled.
Chapter Eight
She thought it would be more uncomfortable the first time she saw Jamie after the night at the Grotto. Not on her part, but on his. Fortunately, when he wandered in Monday, he kissed her cheek and acted the same as usual.
“You ready to roll?” he asked.
“When you are.”
He handed her a new notebook and gestured to a section of the room they hadn’t touched yet. They worked for close to three hours, chatting easily about nothing in particular before he sat back on his heels and rubbed his neck. “Okay, I’ll admit it. I need to take a break.”
She smiled. “You’ve been going at it pretty steady since you got here.”
“Yeah, well I have a tendency to go all out when I do anything. I mentioned to Braden yesterday my goal of getting things cleared out before Ms. Colten returns is very unlikely.”
“It’s been here for years, I don’t think she expected it all gone by the time they get back.”
Jamie stood and she caught a whiff of his aftershave. No matter that she and Braden had spent the morning crawling all over each other before he went on duty, Jamie was still an attractive man. She had to make sure she didn’t do anything out of the ordinary, because while multiple lovers might be normal amongst the merfolk, humans seemed to freak at the idea. And until she and Braden discussed the issue more, there was no way she wanted to hurt him by a misunderstanding. Just because she found Jamie good-looking didn’t mean she wanted to jump his bones.
Jamie turned to face her. “Can I ask a favor?”
“What’s up?”
He twisted a carving in his hand, examining it under the light. “I want to get out and do some physical activity. Braden mentioned sea kayaking, maybe diving. I need to rent some equipment, and I should find someone to buddy up with.”
“I’ll go with you,” she offered.
He nodded slowly. “That would be all right, except your new boyfriend might have a few objections.”
Damn, there it was already. No use simply pushing it aside either. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind occasionally, especially if he’s invited as well. But I know where to take you for equipment and for a dive partner.”
Jamie leaned back on the wall, wearing a slightly wistful expression.
“Things worked out well, I take it?” he asked.
She sighed with contentment. Things had turned out far better than she’d dreamed possible.
He laughed. “No further questions.”
A heavy sensation hung in the air. Something awkward rose between them, as if she’d put up a boundary. The easy companionship they’d fallen into the previous week teetered on the edge of falling aside.
This was her fault. This wasn’t about her and Braden being together, but her actions at the club. She’d teased him, like a bitch in heat, then left without an explanation or an apology. He’d been so—normal—all morning she’d forgotten until now she owed him.
“Thanks for your help at the club, Jamie, I really did appreciate it, and I feel bad…”
He gave her a smoldering look. “Crap, Chelsea, like it was tough to handle. I knew going in a little of what you had planned. You are smoking hot, and if I ever come to watch you dance again, I’m bringing a fire extinguisher.”
“You liked it?”
“A man would have to be dead not to like watching you move.” Jamie gestured back to the pile they were working on. “I take it lunch will be a little different now. I mean, Braden’s not going to be grunting at me anymore, right?”
She laughed. “No, no more grunting. I think I’ll take a break when he comes home, if that’s okay with you?”
He shook his head, his expression guarded. “That’s something I need to apologize for. Just because I’m obsessive, it doesn’t give me the right to work you for hours without a break. I thought, if it works for you, we could go through things in the morning. Afternoons we’ll take off, then I’ll do more research in the evening. If you’re available you could help out, but I promise to be out of your hair by eight p.m., and I’ll stay away completely if you need the house vacant.”
“You don’t need to set times to come and go.”
He smiled sheepishly. “Um, yes I do. I was reminded of it this weekend as I went back through some notes from a previous job. The owners were very pleased with my work, but had a few suggestions.”
“For example?”
“The Mr. didn’t appreciate coming downstairs in his bathrobe to get the morning paper to find I’d already used it to spread out the contents of a trunk. And the fact I was there at five thirty in the morning was another issue.”
“You weren’t!”
“Oh yes. And I was still there at close to midnight. He didn’t think that was normal behavior and suggested I have set hours for both my sake and the sake of future clients.” Jamie shrugged. “He was right. I just get so involved in what I’m doing I lose all track of time. I can’t keep my current irregular hours when Ms. Colten gets back.”