“I’m close, so close,” I gasped out. “I wanna come with you inside me.”
Agile and fast, Dante twisted and repositioned himself, his stiffening cock a teasing presence between my thighs.
“No, I want to ride you, baby.” My entire body burned for him with unmistakable yearning surpassed only by the craving to be in control. My nipples tightened to the point of pain, hypersensitive beneath the lace.
The comforter and sheets wrinkled beneath us as we rolled again. Rising above him gave me a sense of power and confidence. The way Dante’s eyes roved over every inch of me made me feel sexy. Cherished. Loved.
My breaths came hard and fast, my thighs tightening and clenching to move up and down on his length. Sweat beaded upon my brow as the winding pressure built within my core.
He scraped his teeth over one pebbled nipple, teasing through the thin lace cup. A second later, he discovered the stretchy material pulled away from my tits. He tugged at the straps and freed both to the open air and the sweet torture of his lips. It was one stimulation too many, and he sent me careening over the edge.
“I love you!”
I wailed as I came, the intensity of my orgasm sweeping me along on a white-hot torrent of pleasure. A wave of ecstasy crashed over me, and as I went rigid, Dante took over, pounding my body with hard jackhammering thrusts. My breasts bounced wildly to his frenetic pace.
On his next stroke, I spasmed around his cock and he came undone, losing himself to join me in mutual orgasm. We rocked together and grinded until the last rhythmic pulse, and then finally we lay still.
“Mmm...” I sprawled across his chest, sweaty skin against sweaty skin. “That was an amazing idea.”
“Agreed,” Dante mumbled. “I like this black thing. Promise me you’ll get more.”
“I’ll buy a closet of them.” I giggled and kissed his cheek. “Obviously all of our baby-making was only practice.”
“Definitely better now,” he agreed.
“And we have a few days here to hone our skills.” I nipped his ear. “But first, I need a drink.”
Chapter 11
~Alessa~
I returned to work Monday, refreshed and eager to see my friends. A pile of cards waited in my mailbox to congratulate me on the event.
“Do you think Castlebury is going to show up?” Julia asked during lunch.
“I don’t know. He has to realize he was busted for stealing my... ah, research. Teo sent him a scathing email last week. I know that much.” I popped a sweet and salty plantain chip into my mouth then gazed at the office clock.
“Crazy snooper. I always knew he was a leech.” Julia tossed her yogurt cup in the trash. “Anyway, I gotta get back to work. I’m leading the afternoon tour and Pam gets to feed the fish.”
“Everyone loves a feeding frenzy,” I said, laughing.
My office door slammed open, the knob banging against the wall. Julia and I both jumped in our seats.
“Where the hell did you take those photographs?” Castlebury demanded.
I jerked upright in my chair and raised my eyes to the doorway. My thieving boss stood framed in front of my office, red-faced and absolutely furious. His breaths came in uneven huffs, and his hair was mussed, as if he’d come running quickly all the way from the island’s dock. His wild and crazy eyes made him look like a maniac.
“Excuse me?” Julia asked.
“Get out, Ms. Sanchez,” Castlebury said.
“I don’t—”
“Get the fuck out,” he hissed.
Julia’s eyes flared wide then she rose from her chair and abruptly strode from the room.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing kicking people out of my office?”
He ignored me, which was nothing new at all. “Where did you take the water horse photographs?”
“I don’t know what pictures you’re talking about.”
“The pictures on your bloody camera,” he spat.
“Are you saying, Doctor Castlebury, that you went through my personal property and downloaded files from my computer without permission?” I crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to break under his scrutiny.
His mouth gaped like a fish. I had him there, and he knew it. If he admitted to stealing files from me, he’d get fired on the spot.
“Clear out your office. I have no need for an irresponsible employee.”
“I’ve caught you red-handed and your solution is to fire me?” I demanded. Heat flooded to my cheeks, worsening with my increasing anger. I could barely breathe, my chest so tight and constrictive that my vision swam and the room spun.
“Had I known of your laziness, I would have promoted one of your little friends instead. I was under the impression you no longer desired a position as my assistant. When was the last time you completed a full day’s work in this department? Inferior quality of work and half-completed tasks, while the rest of staff and I pull your weight as well as our own. If anything, you’ve proven your position is entirely obsolete and you are no longer needed.”
Inferior work? I stiffened. “I’ve had other things to do! Teo assigned me—”
“Excuses. Unless I’m mistaken, I am the department manager of the aquatics division and retain full authority of my employees.” Castlebury sneered. “Go play mermaid.”
Pushing to my feet, I glared at him, fury churning my stomach. “Listen, I do damned good work, and even though I’ve been reassigned for the summer I have been helping out and pulling my weight around here. You have absolutely no right to barge into my office and demean me like this.”
“This is my department and I’ll go wherever I damn well please. Now tell me where you found the animals. Do you not understand the value of these creatures?”
“Look, those pictures were taken by Marcy Arcillanegro at her friend’s Hollywood movie studio. We mixed up cameras the last time we hung out. You can call our boss’ wife and confirm it.”
Castlebury’s eyes darkened. “You and I both know the truth. You saw the beasts as well as I did.” He leaned forward with his hands on my desk, staring into my eyes. “I saw two of them twenty-five years ago with my own eyes. You saw them, too, you silly little bint, and I don’t know why you’re hiding it, but the truth will emerge.”
“You’re talking crazy.”
“There’s money to be made in this discovery and nothing to be gained by concealing it. Think of your child.”
Is he seriously trying to bribe me now? “Get out of my office.”
The doctor clenched his jaw and straightened. “Very well then. I can guarantee your name becomes mud in the marine community. You’ll never work anywhere beyond this little rock, and you’ll never amount to anything more than a pair of large tits in a fish suit—”
“Is there a problem here?” Teo moved through the doorway, impressive and sexy as always in his beach whites. Julia hovered outside the doorway behind him. “Alessa, are you all right?”
Words failed me. All I could do was stand behind my desk, quaking with anger and indignation. I shook my head.
“We were discussing her work ethics, Mr. Arcillanegro. Nothing to concern yourself with, I assure you.”
“I decide what is worth my consideration, Doctor Castlebury, and I believe your services are no longer required on my island,” Teo informed the stunned man. “I expect your office cleared before the end of the day.”
“You can’t do this!” Castlebury exploded, his cheeks mottled red.
“I can do whatever I wish. You were threatening an employee and making sexually harassing remarks, both situations which I do not tolerate among my staff.”
“This is a damned conspiracy!” the disgraced scientist roared. “Are you aware of what she hid? This girl concealed photographic evidence of an entirely new species.”
Teo, looking unimpressed, crossed his arms over his chest. “Then you are admitting to theft as well?”
“The photos were left in plain sight!”
“In my closed office,” I grunted.
>
“I think that the matter is clear. My wife took those photographs while we visited a dear friend in Hollywood. Are you unable to differentiate a live animal from movie magic? You are to leave by the end of the day, Doctor Castlebury, or I’ll have security assist in your removal.”
“You will be hearing from my lawyer about this matter. It isn’t over. It isn’t over by a long shot. You are both covering up the existence of creatures the world deserves to see. And I will find them.”
The doctor stormed from the room and slammed the door behind him.
“Congratulations, Alessa.”
I blinked and swung around to face Teo. “For what?”
“Your promotion.” He winked at me and left as quietly as he’d entered.
***
A summer storm swept from the east to unleash sheets of refreshing rain over the island. I hadn’t quite made it to the stone pathway outside of my house before the skies opened to spill a merciless torrent.
“Shit!” The water was cool against my skin, the perfect temperature for soaking in the weather — but I had my assigned work laptop in my bag and an assload of paperwork. I sprinted up the steps and reached the door as Dante opened it to usher me inside.
“Whoa, you’re in early.”
“I could say the same of you,” Dante replied. He took my bags and shut the door behind me. “I don’t teach today and I helped Abuelo close his shop once the weather forecast reached us.”
“I would have come in earlier, but we had massive drama at the aquatics center.”
I told Dante all about it while I changed clothes, starting with Castlebury barging into the office to interrogate me. Apparently, Teo had been passing by on foot to the visitors center when Julia flagged him down.
“He was in the right place at the right time.”
“Yeah. I’m glad Julia had the wits to get him. God, I was so pissed at first I couldn’t even think.” I leaned into him and giggled. “You should have seen Castlebury’s face when Teo told him to pack up and leave.”
Dante snorted. “Did Mr. Fancypants cry?”
“No, but he mottled up like a koi fish. Big red splotches all over his face.”
Together we snickered and I further described my former manager’s bugged eyes and temper tantrum as he packed his office. Everyone had watched the spectacle then we cheered at the end when he vacated the premises.
“So what happened with the photos?” Dante asked.
“According to Teo, the scientific community immediately dismissed them as clever Photoshop fakes. Then his friend Saul—”
“You mean the other dragon who visits?”
“Yeah. Him. He owns a big movie studio, so I guess he had his special effects team put together an animatronic water horse in, like, three days. Marcy said he actually plans to use it now in a film.”
Dante chuckled. “It will not be the first movie to feature one of my kind, but I wager it will be the best.”
“We can make a movie night out of it.”
Dante’s warm arms hugged me tighter. “Yes, we will. I told you all would be well.”
“I know. Still, I’ll be more careful in the future.”
“On the subject of all being well...” He inhaled a large breath. “My father and I came to a decision today. When the herd leaves, I won’t be joining them.”
“What?” I twisted in his hold and studied his face.
“He granted me his blessing to remain here. My place is here with you and our growing child. What sort of provider would I be if I left you alone?”
“But won’t you get sick?” I asked, alarmed.
“I can make it.” The stubborn set of his chin dissuaded me from arguing. To be honest, I didn’t want to. A small, selfish part of me had been terrified by the thought of going through the birth without him.
I barely had a tummy when the day came for his herd to travel east. I’d spent every day watching Dante for signs of regret or a change of heart, but he invited me along to say goodbye. Helena and the three stallions came ashore to visit me one last time, the moment passing with tears and cool touches of their velvety muzzles against my cheek. I hugged my new friend tight with both arms around her neck then met a shy, golden-furred foal.
Would my baby be so tiny and delicate? I crouched to meet Zeno and Helena’s baby as the young hippocampus boldly approached me on spindly, coltish forelegs.
Eventually, they retreated to the water while I remained on the shore. Dante swam out to make his personal farewells and returned after the hippocampi disappeared beneath the water.
“You’re sure about this?” I asked when he was back beside me.
Dante placed his palm over my belly, igniting a surge of butterfly flutters. Tears glistened in my eyes as I realized the tiny movements had been more than my nerves. “I have never been so sure of anything in my life. My place is with you. My family.”
Chapter 12
February
~Dante~
Peaceful months passed from autumn into a quiet winter on the island. Teo closed the resort to tourists, seasonal workers packed their bags, and my herd — my family — left me in the care of the woman I loved. I watched Alessa grow with our child, beginning with a small baby bump to a rounder tummy.
I hid my weakening from Alessa by spending more time than usual in the water to rejuvenate myself. It helped, but nothing could replace the vast ocean and the deep currents.
The kelp forest must be beautiful now, I thought. I made do by capturing prey near the islands, but I missed the fields of kelp in the sea off the Mediterranean coasts. I missed grazing as my kind were intended to, and without the support of my people I would eventually wither until nothing remained but a shell.
It didn’t help that Teo reported one of his security boats sighted Castlebury near my herd’s tropical feeding zone. Because he hadn’t broken any laws yet, the dragon’s hands were tied.
“Dante?”
I blinked away from the television to my wife. Rubbing my drowsy eyes, I regained my senses to shoot her a warm smile. “Hm?”
“Do...?” Alessa swallowed and toyed with the edge of her blouse while studying the belly blocking her view of the floor.
“Do what?”
“Nothing,” she said too quickly. “I’ll make dinner.”
I stood up from the sofa. “I told you I would do it. It’s only fair since you did clean the entire house while I slept.”
The fragile smile diminished and slipped from Alessa’s face. “It’s okay. You look distracted. I don’t want to bother you.” She scurried away and into the bathroom where she remained until I rapped on the door with my knuckles. My hearing, my strong, inhuman hearing, picked out the sound of sniffling before she muffled it with running water.
“Are you crying?”
“No!”
“Please open the door.”
The door cracked open and Alessa peeked out. Despite her denial, damp tracks marked her cheeks.
“Do you regret being with me? You’re distant. You never talk to me anymore.”
“Is that what you’ve come to think, Alessa?”
She nibbled her lower lip and didn’t resist when I pushed the door open further. Gently, afraid I’d broken something between us, I took her by the hands and drew her into my arms as much as her round belly would allow.
“I don’t regret a single thing about what we’ve done or the child we’ve made, Alessa. I don’t regret one step of the path we took or a second of our time together. You are the most valuable possession I have. I cherish you.”
“What’s happening to us? You barely speak with me.”
Memories of my first year on land returned to me. Memories of lying in a sick bed between visits to the doctor. Abuelo took me to clinics and faith healers, hoping anyone could alleviate my suffering. By the time the humans realized what I was, I was almost dead.
I still recalled the warmth of Teo’s hand as we stood at the edge of the beach, the memory of my reunion wit
h Dad branded into my memory.
“The choice to remain behind has been harder than I expected. That, and I worry our child will one day face my challenges,” I confessed. “This has nothing to do with you or regret.”
Alessa gazed into my eyes and studied my face for the truth. The examination ended with a kiss and sigh of relief. “We’ll find him a human woman of his own, obviously. I’ll tell Julia and Pam they’re only allowed to adopt a little girl if they change their mind about getting a donor. We’ll bring back arranged marriages and make it seem fashionable.”
I chuckled, roused from my black thoughts.
“I mean it,” Alessa continued. “What if we consider making a hippocampus dating service? There can’t be a shortage of human women eager to have a man who looks like a swimsuit model.”
“Lycus is rather intrigued by the idea.”
“Hey, it worked for us.”
“So it did,” I replied, kissing her again.
“How does the rest of your herd feel about us and mingling with wicked humans?”
“There are mixed opinions. Since Father gave his approval, the remaining opponents against crossbreeding don’t have a strong argument.”
“Hey, it’s their loss,” Alessa said in my defense. “So what about your dad’s, um, mate? I saw her watching me from the head of the pack beside him.”
“My... you would call her my stepmother, suggested for me to bring you jellyfish.”
Alessa scrunched up her nose and shook her head. “Bleh. I guess it’s the thought that counts. And now I’m hungry.”
“I’ll get dinner going, or would you rather go pick something up?” I asked, halfway to the kitchen.
“I dunno. There’s salmon in the fridge, I was going to sear that.” Alessa cleared off the table. Then she scrubbed it and moved on to the kitchen counters a moment later with an expression of immense focus on her face. The salmon and our dinner had been forgotten that quickly.
“What are you doing?” I asked gently.
“Cleaning.”
My brows rose. “It’s already wiped down, remember? You made me take those smelly wipes to it this morning.”
“Huh. Okay, I guess so. Just let me get this spot over here.”
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