by S. E. Smith
Without replying, he pushed past Nathan and opened a storage bin to his right. Inside was his dry suit, regulator, buoyancy compensator, weight belt, and the other equipment he would need.
Forty minutes later, Ross stepped off the back of the trawler and sank down beneath the waves. He had instructed Nathan to keep an eye on the bright orange buoy he had attached to his weight belt and make sure the dive flag was raised. If he drifted too far, Nathan would pick him up. Checking his dive watch, he noted the time and direction of the boat. He pulled the pressure gauge around and glanced at it. He had a full tank of air and would need to monitor it, his depth, and his bottom time. Gripping the metal detector in one hand, he released more air in his BC and sank gracefully to the bottom.
Chapter Ten
Magna woke when she heard the sound of the door closing. She lay under the thick, soft covers and stared out the large windows. It was still dark out, but she knew that it would be daylight soon.
She released a wide yawn and stretched. She hadn’t slept very well for the first half of the night. Her dreams had been filled with nightmares that the alien creature still lived.
She turned her head and looked at the bedroom door when she heard the soft sound of footsteps coming down the hall. Wilson and Buck lifted their heads, wagged their tails, but didn’t move. A moment later, there was a light tap on the door before it creaked open.
“Magna,” Gabe’s deep, rich voice called out.
The sound washed over her, filling her body with an aching need. It amazed her that just the sound of Gabe’s voice could cause such an intense response inside her. She sat up, wincing when she felt her shoulder protest the movement.
Brushing her long hair back, she rubbed Buck’s head when he nudged at her elbow. She grinned when Wilson jumped down off the bed and went to sit in front of the door. The pup had taken it upon himself to be her personal protector.
“You can come in. I’m awake,” she responded.
Gabe pushed the door open further, glowering at Wilson when the pup refused to move. The almost hundred pounds of muscle and fur made it difficult to open the door any further. With a shake of his head, Gabe peered across at her.
“I swear I’m going to build a kennel and put his ass in it if he doesn’t start behaving. Have they been bugging you?” he growled.
“No,” she said, with a quick shake of her head. “They… They’ve been very helpful actually. I… I had trouble sleeping last night. They must have sensed it because they both came in and snuggled up next to me. I slept very well after that.”
She couldn’t stop her body from wiggling under the covers when Gabe’s eyes swept over her tousled hair and down over her upper body. She loved the nightgown that Kane had purchased for her, but she had missed the masculine scent of Gabe that clung to the blue shirt he had given her to wear and had chosen to wear it instead.
The uncomfortable feeling inside her could also be attributed to the fact that she had been dreaming about Gabe and Kane’s kisses just before she woke up. She still couldn’t believe how quickly her body heated at the thought of their touch. These new reactions and feelings were overwhelming to her at times. Deep down she knew this was what Kane had been talking about and why he had stopped them from taking their passion any farther last night.
As much as she hated to admit it, she knew the decision was probably for the best for all of them. They all needed time to understand and get to know each other better. The two men had only seen small glimpses of who she really was, and she knew nothing about this new world she’d appeared in.
Except that they have accepted me without prejudice, she thought.
“I’ve got to take the boat out and Kane had to go into the clinic for another emergency. One of the doctors is on vacation so he has been having to work double duty. We thought it might be best if you come with me if you are feeling up to it,” Gabe said in a slightly strained voice.
Her eyes widened in delight and she eagerly nodded. The thought of being out on the water filled her with a sense of excitement. These waters were new and unfamiliar to her. Her sense of curiosity kicked into high gear at the possibility of being able to explore just a little of it.
Plus, being out on the water would give her a chance to go for a swim. The water would help to heal her wound faster than anything else. She eagerly pushed the covers aside. She leaned over and brushed a quick kiss to Buck’s head when he stood up on the bed next to her.
“I’d love to go,” she said breathlessly, smoothing the rumpled shirt down as she stood.
“Kane said he put the rest of the clothes he bought for you in the top drawer. I’ll take the dogs out. I made some breakfast for us to take with us. I’ll meet you out on the deck when you’re ready to go,” Gabe said, motioning for the dogs to follow him.
“I will hurry,” Magna promised with a small grin when both dogs looked at her before reluctantly following Gabe out of the room.
She used the bathroom and changed into the sweatpants and long-sleeved shirt that were in the top drawer. Pulling her hair to the side, she braided it before using a touch of magic at the end to bind it in place. Her shoulder was feeling much better than it had the day before but there was still a twinge. She felt sure that a quick dip in the ocean would finish the healing.
She studied her reflection in the mirror for a moment. A smile curved her lips as she lifted her hand up and ran it along her cheek. She was thinner than she liked, but she looked healthier than she had in centuries, both inside and out. The dark shadow of the creature was gone from her eyes and her skin had returned to its natural tan color instead of the sickly white pallor. Her fingers hovered over her lips as she remembered the feel of Kane and Gabe’s against them. Warmth spread through her stomach along with the strange ache that had started yesterday morning. Her hand dropped back to her side and she turned away from the mirror. She didn’t know what would happen next, but for the first time in centuries she was excited to find out.
“I will take care of myself… and them, definitely them,” she whispered with a nod, remembering Kane’s words as she exited the bedroom and headed down the hallway.
She paused as she rounded the corner to the living room. She could see Gabe through the clear glass. He was working with Wilson again, trying to convince the pup to sit down. Her heart melted when Gabe squatted down in front of the young Husky. She could see him scratching the dog as he talked. Wilson ran his tongue up Gabe’s face, drawing a muffled curse from his human master before he sat down and happily thumped his tail against the decking.
Gabe stood up when the dogs turned their heads toward her. She gave Gabe an apologetic smile as she opened the door and stepped out. Both dogs immediately came to her. Reaching down, she affectionately scratched the tops of their heads between their ears.
“I didn’t want to interrupt your lesson,” she said.
Gabe wiped his mouth on his shirt sleeve and shrugged. “It is a continuous struggle. Wilson is learning, it will just take a lot of time and repetition. He’s got a harder head than his dad,” he said.
“But not his master?” she teased.
Her eyes widened when he stepped closer to her and suddenly wrapped his arm around her waist. She met the fiery desire in his gaze with a heated challenge of her own as she slid her hand up his chest.
“I wouldn’t have stopped last night,” he told her.
She drew in a startled breath as her body immediately heated at the memory. A rueful smile curved her lips.
“I wouldn’t have either, but Kane is right. I need time to understand this world and…,” her voice faded, and she turned her head to look out over the trees to the ocean.
“And…,” he repeated, lifting a hand to cup her chin, forcing her to look up at him again.
She pursed her lips together. “I want you both to know who I really am. I want there to be no doubts that you are aware of who and what I was, and who I am now,” she stated, refusing to cower or apologize.
&nb
sp; Gabe’s eyebrow rose at her declaration and his grin widened. “Darling, that sounds like a challenge if I ever heard one. Maybe it is us you need to know more about.”
Her eyelids lowered when he brushed a hard kiss against her lips, and squeezed her butt. It felt like he’d left a burning imprint of his hand. There was no misunderstanding that he wanted her – and planned to have her.
A sigh escaped her when he stepped away and ordered the two Huskies back into the house. She followed him down the long staircase, enjoying the cool breeze and fresh scent of the ocean, though her eyes were on something a little more tantalizing – namely, the huge man in front of her and his cute ass.
An hour and a half later, Gabe glanced over at Magna, worried that the bouncing of the boat might be too much for her injured arm. Satisfaction swept through him when he saw the glowing expression on her face. She was leaning against the inside of the bridge with her head stuck out of the sliding window.
She’s almost as bad as the dogs, he thought in amusement. All she needs is to have her tongue hanging out.
A grimace pulled the smile from his face and he shifted uncomfortably when he thought about her tongue and the other things she could be doing with it. It had been too long since he’d been with a woman, he decided as his eyes ran down over Magna’s profile. His body reacted as his gaze swept over the slender column of her throat and ran down over her full breasts to the curve of her ass.
A muted groan escaped him. He had always been an ass man. He loved a woman with full hips and rounded cheeks that were made for holding onto and rubbing against. Shaking his head, he pulled his dirty mind back to the present. He had to remember that she was injured and had been through a traumatic experience that would have left most people in a padded room. It wasn’t as if Kane hadn’t reminded him of that a million times between last night and this morning. Yet, the only thing he could think of when he was near Magna was grabbing her and bending her over! That didn’t say a lot for his integrity.
“This is amazing!” Magna commented in a loud voice. “I’ve only been on one boat before. I usually prefer to be in the water. Raine, my sea dragon, was faster than even the fastest ship. I loved riding her through the underwater canyons.”
Gabe shook his head. “When you talk about things like swimming under the water and sea dragons, I just can’t wrap my head around it,” he admitted. “Listen, I’ve got to check some sensors I set out the other day.”
“What are the sensors for?” Magna asked.
“I work for the Department of Fish and Wildlife and I also do some stuff for a few universities,” he explained. “Some are tracking fish migration while others are doing tests on the water; you know, temperature, currents, and pollution. Any changes to stuff like that.”
Gabe saw the faintly puzzled look on her face before she turned her head and stuck it back out the window. He chuckled at the look of pure bliss on her face. Returning his attention to the water in front of him, he pulled back on the throttle when he saw a boat with the dive flag up. He turned to the port side to give it a wide berth. He didn’t envy the poor sucker in the water. Even in the middle of the summer, the water wasn’t much warmer than eighteen degrees Celsius on a good day.
He sped up once they were past the boat. Ten minutes later, he was slowing down again as he reached the area where he had dropped one of the sensors. It didn’t take long to spot the attached bright orange float bobbing up and down on the surface. He idled up to it before cutting the engine, then grabbed the long hook attached to the wheelhouse and leaned over the side to pull it out.
“What are you going to do with it?” Magna asked, watching him with interest as he set the large tube down on the deck.
Gabe knelt down on one knee and quickly unscrewed the top. Inside was a silver box. He gently lifted it out and unhooked several long wires from it before standing back up.
“I need to download the data into the laptop,” he said, turning back to the bridge. “Once I’ve done that, I’ll reset it and drop it back overboard. I have twenty of them in all that I need to check.”
“Oh,” Magna replied, not sure what else to say as she really wasn’t sure she understood what he was doing. Glancing back at the water, she bit her lip and sighed in uncertainty. “I want to go for a swim.”
Gabe’s head jerked up in surprise. For a moment, he thought he’d misunderstood her, but she was gazing at the water with such an intense look of longing he knew that he hadn’t. He also knew the look on his face must have shown his displeasure because the longing was quickly replaced by disappointment.
“I… I understand if you wish for me to stay aboard your vessel,” she replied in a quiet voice. “I owe you for saving my life. I will not try to leave without your permission.”
“Magna,” Gabe said roughly before he muttered a curse under his breath. Setting the sensor down, he walked over to where she was standing with her face turned away from him. “Honey, look at me,” he softly ordered, lifting his hand to run his fingers along her jaw to her chin.
She reluctantly returned her gaze back to him.
“You owe me nothing,” he said seriously. “You also owe Kane nothing. You have the right to come and go as you please. But…,” he said, his voice deep and intense. “I want you to stay with us, Magna, for – a long time. There’s something there, I can feel it.”
“Kane—” she started to whisper, stopping when he placed his thumb along her lip.
“Wants you as badly as I do,” he admitted. “You said last night that you didn’t understand why you wanted to feel our hands on you. Well, I do and so does Kane. Maybe there was more to that wish you made when you cast your spell. I don’t know. If you want to go for a swim, I won’t stop you. You just better come back, or I swear I’ll come looking for you.”
A small, pleased smile curved Magna’s lips at his forceful words. “I would not make myself hard to find,” she teased, her eyes glowing with happiness and excitement.
“What about your shoulder?” he asked as a frown creased his brow when he glanced at the bandage sticking out from under the shirt. “Kane warned that it might look like it was healed but that he was worried that it was a little warm to his touch. I don’t want him on my case for not taking care of you.”
She reached up and tenderly touched his cheek, tracing her fingers down along his jaw. A shudder swept through him at the feel of her slender fingers against his skin. Turning his head, he brushed a kiss against her palm, enjoying the soft hiss of her breath when she felt him run the tip of his tongue along the center of her palm. She may be free to leave them, but he’d make damn sure she didn’t want to.
“The water contains healing powers in it for my people,” she whispered, slowly drawing her hand down along the skin of his neck. “I want you to kiss me again.”
Gabe didn’t need a second request. Hell, he didn’t need the first one. He had planned to kiss her anyway. The fact that she had asked him to do so only made it sweeter.
He slid his hand around her waist, pulling her into his arms, and he bent his head, capturing her lips in a rough, passionate kiss that promised there was more to come. His left hand slid down over the curve of her ass and he squeezed it. He was rewarded with a soft moan and parted lips. Sweeping his tongue inside her mouth, he teased her until she tangled with him in an intimate dance that spoke of her own rising desire.
Gabe reluctantly pulled back, sliding his hand down between the fabric of her jogging pants and her smooth flesh. His fingers kneaded the sensitive skin and a wicked grin curved his lips at her soft, panting breaths. Brushing another kiss along her swollen lips, he slid his mouth along the curve of her jaw until his lips were just a breath away from her ear.
“Come back to us,” he demanded in a deep, desire-laden voice.
“I… I will,” she promised, breathless. “I want this to be real for all of us.”
Gabe ran his fingers lightly across her buttocks before pressing her against him. “Oh, it’s real, al
right. I can’t wait to show you just how real it is,” he murmured. “I’ll wait here for you. Go for your swim.”
Gabe forced himself to pull his hand back. The moment he lost touch with her skin, he had to curl his hand into a fist so that he didn’t just say ‘to hell with it’ and take her right then and there. There were three things stopping him from doing just that. One, her injury. He would never do anything that would hurt her or cause her pain if he could help it. At least a pain that wasn’t pleasurable, he amended. Two, she deserved more than to be taken on a dirty fishing trawler. And last, Kane should be there when the time came. Right now, he was really wishing that he didn’t feel that way. If Kane was late getting back to his place tonight, Gabe wasn’t sure he would be able to hold off any longer, especially if Magna asked him to kiss her again.
He jerked back to the present when he felt Magna brush a kiss across his lips. “Go do what you have to do,” she said with a grin as she stepped toward the side. “I will follow your boat.”
“How…?” Gabe started to say before he shook his head. “How will I know you are there?”
Magna gave him a secretive smile before she sat down on the stern of the boat. “You will know,” she promised before she pushed off the dive platform.
Gabe knew his mouth was hanging open, but he couldn’t help it. He’d expected to hear a splash. What he had not expected was to see the water rise up and create a series of steps that slowly dissolved around her, lowering her into the frigid sea, or to see the baggy clothing she had been wearing change to a glittering green bodysuit that molded to her slender frame.
“Kane is never going to believe this,” he muttered just as Magna disappeared beneath the surface.
Chapter Eleven
Gabe grimaced two hours later when his phone rang. The soundtrack from the movie Jaws told him that it was Kane. He chuckled when he remembered the first time Kane had heard his distinctive ringtone. The words ‘You need a shrink’ and ‘I can prescribe medicine for that’ were two phrases that came to mind.