by Jane Jamison
He played, dipping and diving, then lifting his head to soar back into the heavens. Sometimes he dropped low enough to skim his tail along the water’s surface. The dolphins laughed, enjoying the game. Flapping his wings at his sea friends, he drove upward into the night sky. Lightning flashed, brightening the scene for a few seconds. By the time he leveled out again, he was feeling wonderful, his wings stretched out as far as they could go. He coasted on the air currents, heading toward the path many cruise lines took. Seeing their twinkling lights against the dark ocean was like seeing houses decked out with lights during the holiday season.
There’s one now.
He dropped lower, wanting to get a good look at the ship. With the rain getting worse, he doubted many people would be out on the decks. The ship was a large one, one that catered to people used to luxury. Only a few people milled around the upper decks and were heading inside as the storm grew worse. Just four people were on the lowest deck. They were moving fast, which was reckless on a ship at night and especially on a wet deck. The sound of music rang out from somewhere inside the ship.
He slipped lower, knowing his cloak and the rain would keep him hidden. His sensitive dragon eyesight cut through the darkness, bringing the shape below him into clear focus. The woman running on the lower deck was interesting. She wasn’t classically beautiful, but she had a sweet oval face and a way of moving that seemed innocent, even clumsy, yet intriguing. She had luscious curves and breasts that stretched her rain-soaked top.
Lightning flashed far too close to him, drawing his attention away from the woman. When he looked back, she was no longer there.
She probably went inside.
Yet, for some reason, he didn’t think she had. The three men that had been running after her had come to a stop and were busy arguing. He pulled his wings closer to his body to fly lower.
Being a large dragon made getting near the ship difficult. He took a quick look at the men as he swept by, his body blowing air against them, before whipping around to circle the ship.
The men stood next to the place where one of the escape boats hung and were arguing with two crewmembers. Again, the woman was nowhere in sight.
Something doesn’t seem right.
Skyward he went, telling himself that it wasn’t any of his business and to return home. He flapped his wings, batting against the wind and rain as he pointed his head toward his island home.
* * * *
Arielle slipped as she had so many times before. This time, however, she wasn’t able to grab hold of anything. Falling on her bottom, she felt her body sliding. Her fingers latched onto the lowest bar of the railing, but because the bar was slippery, she couldn’t hold on. She slid against the service gate and felt it give way when it was supposed to be locked. Screaming at the same moment as a thunderclap, she went over the side.
The icy chill of the ocean shocked her body as she hit the water. Her breath was knocked out of her, her shirt pulled out of her skirt’s waistband from the force of her entry. Bubbles surrounded her, and for a moment, she just existed, not afraid, not struggling. Resigned to whatever might happen next.
Then the shock wore off.
Oh God.
Her lung burned for air as she started swimming. She prayed she was going in the correct direction, but without light flooding down from above, she couldn’t be sure.
Please. Someone help me.
She burst above the surface and gasped for air. “Help!” Her shout sounded small compared to the lapping waves next to the cruise ship. Water filled her mouth as she struggled to stay afloat. Was anyone there? The men had to have seen her go overboard. She peered into the darkness and looked toward the lower deck. With the waves bobbing her up and down, white caps all around her, and her hair strung in front of her face, she could see only a few feet in front of her.
The water kept moving her farther from the ship. “Help!” How long would it be before anyone missed her? Was she going to die lost in the ocean?
“You! Girl!”
Someone was there. She craned her neck, trying her best to see who it was.
“Catch the life preserver.”
Although the words gave her comfort, the familiarity of the voice didn’t.
Jake.
Something struck her head then bounced off. She let out a cry of relief as she reached out and snagged the life preserver.
“We’re coming for you.”
They were? But why?
Her gaze fell on the small bag looped around her wrist. When had she put the thick strap around her wrist?
“Where is the bag?”
They didn’t want to save her. They wanted the stolen jewels.
If she’d had the strength to call out, she would’ve told them to go fuck themselves.
“We’ll save you. Do you still have the bag?”
Yeah, right.
They’d save her, but once they had the bag, they’d kill her. She had only one choice. With her tears mixing with the salty water, she clung to the life preserver and started swimming away from the ship.
It was insane. She was swimming away from her only possible rescue. Yet a worse kind of danger, one certain to end her life, was waiting for her there.
She soon realized, however, that she didn’t need to swim away. The storm was pushing her farther and farther away from the ship. Even if other people had come outside, she doubted that they could’ve seen or heard her. She looped the ropes on the life preserver around her arms.
The cruise ship grew smaller as it sailed away. Its lights were soon hidden by the wind and waves. She was getting colder, but all she could do was to hold on to the life preserver.
Where’s my Leo?
Titanic was her favorite movie, yet she’d never thought she’d experience getting tossed into the ocean. She laughed at the absurdity of her thought and received a mouthful of salty water for her effort.
Above was the stormy world. Below her was the unknown of the watery depths.
She let out a yelp as something brushed against her leg. With her teeth chattering, she clung harder to the life preserver and tried to move her legs as little as possible.
Suddenly a fin broke through the surface of the water, sliding along smoothly, like a silent demon ready to take her soul. She shuddered, as much from the thought of the nearby shark as from the chill of the water. The wind whipped against her, and drawing a good breath was almost impossible.
Don’t eat me. Please don’t eat me.
The fin dropped out of sight. She tried not to kick and held her breath as though the ocean predator could hear her pants for air. Soon, however, the shark resurfaced next to her, closer than before. Cold black eyes stared back at her as she stifled a scream. The shark’s body scraped against her back.
Was he taunting her? Toying with her seconds before he clamped his deadly jaws down on her?
Fear surged in her, terror rising hard and fast. A different kind of darkness swamped her as she passed out.
Chapter Two
Branson was halfway back to the island when he could no longer resist the urge to turn back toward the cruise ship. Where was the woman? No doubt she’d gone inside to get out of the weather and he’d never be able to confirm that, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something else had happened to her.
He’d taken his time flying to the island, but going back to the ship was a different matter. Putting his wings to work, he soon saw the lights of the ship burning through the rain and wind. The storm had gotten much worse with waves cresting white caps.
Keeping his cloak in place, he dipped as close to the ship as possible. Once around the ship was enough to convince him that she wasn’t outside any longer.
At least not on the deck.
Alarm pricked at him. Although he had no reason to think so, he was sure she’d gotten into trouble. She’d been clumsy enough on the deck, and now that he had time to think about it, the fear he’d seen on her face had been more intense than he would’ve e
xpected from someone slipping and sliding along the deck. Upon even more reflection, he was sure that she hadn’t just been slipping and sliding. She’d been running. Hard. As though she were trying to get away. Maybe from the three men who had been farther down the deck.
Shit. I should’ve stuck around.
His gaze lowered to the murky water below. What if she’d fallen over the side and into the ocean?
He counted on his gut, trusting it more than he trusted most people. Listening to the internal warning, he began making spirals outward from the ship, one circle growing larger in diameter than the one before it. Finding her in the water would be an almost impossible feat, but with his keen dragon sight, he might get lucky.
Unless she’d already drowned.
He kept flying, circling, slowly leaving the cruise ship behind. If anyone could find a lost woman in the sea in the middle of a storm, it was a dragon.
His gaze skimmed the water, looking for any sign of her. What had she been wearing? Her dark hair, especially wet, would blend in with the dark sea.
Come on. Be alive.
The circles grew bigger, so big that it was taking too long to make another circle.
You’re alive. I know it. Show me where you are.
He closed his eyes, letting the wind blow under, over, and around his body. Lightning flashed, the glow showing behind his eyelids. He searched with his gut, with his dragon senses, and with his heart.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a small speck in the water. Orange and white stripes stood out against the dark water. He folded his wings back and dropped fast toward the water. The closer he came, the more certain he was.
There you are.
Her arms were wrapped around the life preserver, entwined in the ropes, her head lying against the round tube. He couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead. Waves bobbed her up and down, battering her body. Yet she held on, giving him hope that she was still alive.
His gaze shifted, picking up the shark closing in on her.
Not today, my toothy friend.
Dropping lower still, he reached out and scooped her up as easily as an eagle catching a fish out of a lake. Her eyes remained closed, and her body was cold, but he could still feel the beat of her heart. Stretching his wings wide, he hurried toward his island.
* * * *
Arielle awakened to find herself covered in warmth. Gone was the chill of the water, yet darkness still enveloped her. Something was covering her. She shifted, her body aching. Tentatively, she touched the cover over her and found it to be hard.
Scales?
Do sharks have scales inside their belly?
Have I been swallowed whole like the whale did with Jonah?
She pushed harder at the scales. If she had to, she’d push her way out of his body. As long as she was still breathing, she’d put up a fight.
Suddenly, the cover was gone. Bright moonlight covered the beach where she lay, yet she hardly noticed it.
Oh. My. God. I’ve died and gone to hell.
The dragon unfurled it wings and moved away. She screamed and scrambled backward, crab walking until she could finally stand up.
In typical Arielle style, she tripped over her own feet and fell flat on her butt. “Fuck!”
Amazingly, the huge beast tipped his head, almost as though he were questioning her language. A tendril of smoke sifted out of the sides of his mouth. Intriguing silver eyes stared at her. Strangely, it was the tenderness in those amazing eyes that kept her from trying to run again.
The dragon stretched out its wings and swayed its tail back and forth. Vicious fangs peeked out from between its jaws, yet she didn’t fear it.
Had the thing been lying on top of her and keeping her warm? She must’ve been underneath it for a while. The storm had moved on, and her clothes had dried. The black bag still hung from her wrist.
As though it understood what she was thinking, its gaze flicked to her wrist. She pulled the bag off and shoved it into her pocket.
“What do you think you’re looking at?” Gathering what little courage she could muster, she managed to stand up. If he was going to burn her or eat her, she was determined to die on her feet.
It tilted its head again.
“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”
Was that a smile? Could dragons smile?
What was she thinking? Dragons didn’t exist. She was either dead and in hell or having a nightmare.
A low growl rumbled out of its enormous body to slide over hers. She felt the sound waves as they struck her body. A quick flash of fire burst out of its mouth, and smoke drifted out of its nostrils.
“You’re not planning on eating me, are you?”
She was certain it smiled now.
“You’re not real. I know it.” But did the dragon know it?
As though in answer, it slowly moved its tail around its body and pointed the arrow-shaped end of it right at her. She smothered back a giggle.
If she ran, it would easily catch her. Not that she wanted to run. Instead, her fingertips ached to touch its scales again. She stepped forward, her hand outstretched.
She’d expected almost anything, but not that he’d jerk backward then whirl around and flee. The beach thundered underneath her feet as he pounded away.
“Are you kidding me?” Had she actually scared a dragon away?
* * * *
“You just left her on the beach? What the fuck were you thinking?” Sometimes Anthony wondered if Branson had a few brain cells missing. “Why the hell didn’t you bring her to the house?”
Their custom-built house sat on the highest point on the island. It had taken years to build, an enormous amount of money and secrecy, and its glistening white columns gave it a mansion-like appearance. Numerous windows brought in a lot of natural light. Huge rooms accommodated men shifting into their dragon bodies. The professional kitchen was his favorite place in the home, as the massive book-filled room was for Montana and the gym was for Branson. They’d lived there long enough to have decorated it to their liking.
Montana sat on the sectional couch and poured himself another drink from the wine carafe. “He wasn’t thinking as usual.”
Branson’s growl boomed in the room. “I landed to see if she was alive. When I saw how much she was shivering, I decided to give her my warmth.”
“You should’ve brought her here and put her in a warm bed.”
Branson shot Anthony a hard look. “Yeah, sure, maybe, but I reacted first. That’s how I am. I act instead of sitting around on my ass.”
“Like I said, he didn’t think.” Montana lifted his glass in salute. “Nice going, man.”
“Fuck you.”
“Were you reacting when you let her see you in your dragon form?” Anthony had a feeling that Branson’s reason for not bringing her to the house wasn’t the entire truth. If he had to guess, the real reason would have more to do with how the girl looked than anything else.
“What was I supposed to do? Leave her drifting in the ocean? Hell, she was almost a shark’s dinner by the time I got to her.”
“Again, you could’ve brought her to the house.” Sometimes he didn’t understand Branson. Other times, he wished he didn’t understand him so much.
“Okay, let’s say I brought her to the house. What would we have said? That we fished her out of the ocean during a storm?”
“Yeah, that would’ve been better than letting her see you in your dragon body.” Branson shouldn’t have been out flying anyway during a storm. Just because dragons were immortal didn’t mean they couldn’t get hurt. A large wingspan and lightning weren’t exactly compatible.
“Did she open her eyes while you were flying?” asked Montana.
“I wasn’t checking every minute. I was busy getting my ass home, not to mention her safe and sound.”
“Well, she’s here now. I guess we’ll just have to deal with it.”
“Is she good-looking?”
Branson grinned, proving An
thony was correct. “Yeah. She’s hot. I thought she was kind of pretty when I saw her on the cruise ship, but once I got up close, I realized she was sexy as hell. She’s got all the curves a man could want. She looks good, even soaking wet. Like a beautiful mermaid.”
“Sounds like you wanted to hold a hot woman all night without sharing her with us. Figures, since that’s the only way you’d ever get one to sleep with you.”
“Fuck you again, man.”
Anthony didn’t bother getting in between them. He had to do it often enough as it was. “What’s done is done. Where is she now?”
“She’s still on the beach.”
Anthony pivoted toward the huge window dominating one entire side of the living area. Yellow light from the rising sun brightened the room with a sunny glow. “Well, come on. Let’s go see this mermaid of yours.”
* * * *
Ariella put her hand over her eyes for shade, and as she’d done every five minutes since wakening, she searched the ocean for any sign of the cruise ship. When she saw nothing but smooth blue water, she turned her attention to the tree line surrounding the beach.
She’d been a damn idiot. A damn clumsy idiot. The clumsy part she could understand, but the idiot part was new for her. Usually she had a good head on her shoulders and a decent amount of common sense to go along with it. Maybe the shock of walking in on a jewel heist and then getting chased by men who’d shoot her had screwed up her thinking. Or maybe it was the shock of landing in the chilly water that had addled her mind. Why had she swum away from the ship? If she’d managed to stay afloat long enough, someone else might’ve seen her and called for help. Yet she could still see the men’s faces as they leaned over the railing. If she’d tried to get on board, they would’ve shot her and then dumped her body back into the ocean.
It wasn’t as though she could’ve stayed up with the ship. No one clinging to a life preserver could’ve gone that fast. Plus, the waves had pushed her away.
So maybe she hadn’t been such an idiot, after all. Aside from her first mistake of taking the food order into the suite without getting a response. That had been as stupid a move as it gets. All for the hopes of getting a good tip.