Harris, Daisy - Shark Bait [Ocean Shifters 3] (Siren Publishing Classic)
Page 17
“Well maybe my dragon does!” He snatched her around the waist as she tried to scurry away and nipped her pert rear end.
She gasped.
His cock went hard as a rock again.
Sophia’s whisper came out as little more than a breath. “You’d have to make me.”
“Oh, would I?” He climbed up her back until his hips slid between her legs and kissed a path from her shoulder up to her ear. “I could do that.”
With a giggle, she squirmed forward. “You could try.”
The tip of his cock teased at her wet entrance, her movements sending jolts of pleasure like lightning up his spine. He pushed up with his arms, popping off her back.
“Where are you going?” Nervousness tinged her husky voice.
His mouth curled at her wide-eyed expression. “To get some rope.”
* * * *
Six months later Sophia lounged on the back deck, her fashionable sunglasses shading her eyes as she flipped the pages of a human magazine. She’d heard these periodicals were becoming extinct. Too bad, threehundred years would be a long time to live without Cosmo.
“You almost ready to go, sexy?” Raider called to her from the cabin door. She kinda missed their little Dory, but Dendric had insisted they upgrade to a much-larger Nordhaven. Weber had even foisted a couple crewmembers on them. The guys were human and had the sense to stay out of Raider’s way.
“Do we really have to do this?” She stood and looked down at her belly. The pregnancy showed for real now, a round ball protruding under her bikini top and threatening to overhang her bottoms.
Raider came up behind her. His arms wrapped around her. She guessed that he’d handed off the steering wheel to one of the crew. “Your mother’s been planning this for a month.”
Her face scrunched in disbelief, and she craned her head to look at him. “So now you’re siding with my mother?”
Raider’s face split into a wide grin. His lightning-bolt marking glinted in the sunlight. “I’m just glad she’s stopped referring to me as ‘that damned shark.’”
Sophia hid her wince. Only in your presence.
“I don’t even know about shifting to dragon…” She patted the rounded brown skin of her belly meaningfully. If she had to hide behind her unborn child to get out of seeing her parents, so be it.
“Weber says it should be fine for you to shift to dragon for the trip down, and you can turn human as soon as we get there.”
She threw her hands up. “Oh, and my mom is going to love that! Not only am I showing up with my shark-shifter baby-daddy, but I’ll be rubbing shoulders with her friends in human form.”
Raider petted down her side. His firm hands calmed her. “Fuck ‘em.”
A snort escaped her nose, and he nipped her neck.
“All right! I’ll go get ready.”
The swim to Underwater City passed uneventfully and only an hour later, Sophia descended from her bedroom to the feast room. Despite the undeniable proof of her involvement with Raider, her parents still asked that he not accompany her to her room. Instead they advised him to change in a guest room.
Sophia took a deep breath and steadied herself around the corner from the staircase’s landing. At least they hadn’t asked him to change in the servant’s quarters like last time they’d come to visit.
She passed her hand over her low-cut turquoise evening gown. Raider had insisted she get it even though she knew that dragons would find it “distasteful.” In fact, Raider’s exact words were, “it’ll shows off your knockers.” Looking down at her amply displayed cleavage, she wondered at the wisdom of listening to her mate.
Finally, she stepped her high-heeled foot around the corner. All conversation stopped, as if they’d just been discussing her. Lifting her chin, Sophia walked directly to the buffet table and grabbed a glass of wine.
“You shouldn’t be drinking that in your condition!” One of her mother’s friends gasped in shock.
“I’ll take my chances.”
The female scowled at her. Sophia didn’t bother explaining to her that a part shark-shifter infant would be to immune practically anything. Her attention turned to the door where her lover entered. Even human among all these dragons he appeared completely nonflustered. Her shoulders dropped several inches.
He looked amazing, the white collar of his dress shirt set off both his dark features and the flash of white across his face. The black dinner jacket he wore emphasized his broad shoulders and V shaped torso. Even dressed to the nines he reeked of menace. He stalked toward her, and the dragons all averted their gazes.
“Hey, sweetheart. You look hot.” He wrapped his arm behind her back and nuzzled her neck, sniffing her blatantly and not caring who noticed. “Let’s mingle.”
Her eyes went wide as her mother waved her over and Raider steered her toward Patsy Herilian and her minions. Her mother looked expectantly at Sophia, who squirmed.
Patsy peered down at her, a mocking glint in her slanted eyes.
“How is the yachting life treating you, Sophia? Your mother tells me you’re living aboard a ship now?”
Um, sort of.
“Yes. It’s a…research vessel actually. Raider and I work for Dendric Biotech…um…with science.” Sweat beaded on her brown as she tried to think of what to say and not to say. Raider gave her a soft squeeze.
“So you work for humans?”
Sophia winced, knowing where this line of questioning led. “Yes, but they’re working on several compounds to improve the lives of ocean shifters.” If Weber talks them into it.
The enormous female’s head swung in confusion. A nearby male, this one an older Council member, jumped into the conversation. “But dragons have no need for human medicines.”
Mercy! She breathed out slowly, exasperated at the dragons’ idea that they were the only ocean shifters who mattered. “Yes, but mere and sharks might like to be able to go farther inland, for jobs, and…” Incredulous faces met hers, and she backpedaled furiously. “But that’s all very theoretical…um. Nothing’s solid yet.”
The male’s talons curled into her parents’ imported Oriental rug. “I should think not. To imagine those savages walking on land!”
Sophia tensed, but Raider’s hand stroked down her back. Damn, nothing fazed him! Sophia, on the other hand, wanted to rip the dragon’s throat out for insulting her mate.
Her mind was so preoccupied with thoughts of bloody vengeance that when Pasty asked her, “How did you and your mate meet again?” she replied, “He pretended to fuck me to save me from getting raped.”
Silence.
Wide-eyed, geckos-chirping, stone-drop silence.
Heat crawled up her neck and onto her face as the open-mouthed dragons stared at her.
Next to her, Raider erupted into laughter. The dragons hastily turned away and started conversations of their own, but he laughed without restraint, decorum, or any kind of concern for public opinion for far longer that was appropriate. When he knew their attention had focused elsewhere, he leaned in and nipped at her lips. “You, sweetheart, are funny as hell!”
Raider put his hand on the side of her face and kissed her, adding plenty of tongue for good measure. When he came up for air, he looked around. The party was in full swing, everyone having gotten their fill of gawking. “I think we put in enough of an appearance.”
She nodded, a giddy smile playing across her lips.
“Let’s get the hell out of here.”
And they did.
Epilogue
Dr. David Weber breathed in the sterile smell of air travel as he boarded the plane back to Panama City. The line of passengers jostled slowly down the aisle, storing luggage over head, stowing things under their seats. He smiled wistfully, looked out the window, and said goodbye to Washington DC. He’d done what he came to do, and presented his case as best he could to Dendric’s Board of Directors. It went better than he’d imagined. At least they hadn’t removed him from his new position as head of the P
anama City DORC.
His arrived at his seat and wedged himself between his two rowmates. Then he lowered his briefcase to the floor. His hands fell on a thin, out-of-print book titled “Mere in the Post-Colonial Era” that he’d managed to track down via a rare online bookseller. He pulled it out and placed it in the seat pocket in front of him to read during the flight.
David drew out his cell phone and laptop to power them down before take-off. He swept his finger across to screen to check his email one last time. It was silly to do it, given he didn’t have time to respond, but habit nonetheless. A text message from an unfamiliar number flashed on his icon and he opened it.
Hey Doc, How have you been? Nereus
David grinned, a joy he hadn’t expected to feel again spreading through him. He fingered the single key in his pocket—the one to the motorboat he’d bought just a few months ago.
The overhead speakers blared, telling the passengers in no uncertain terms to shut off their electronic devices. David’s fingers trembled as he quickly texted his response.
Where can we meet?
THE END
THEDAISYHARRIS.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daisy Harris lives in Seattle with her husband, daughters, and way too many pets. When she isn't writing, she's tweeting. And when she isn't doing that, she's camping, biking, reading, spending time with kids, or gardening.
Daisy loves to hear from readers, and looks forward to receiving your emails and feedback!
Also by Daisy Harris
Ocean Shifters 1: Mere Temptation Ocean Shifters 2: Mere Passion
Available at
BOOKSTRAND.COM Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com