by S. E. Smith
“Run, Jenny!” Juno shouted.
“Safe!” Jenny called out, followed by a whoop of delight.
Orion’s lips curved into a smile. He could picture her dancing. Stretching, he rubbed his hands down his face. It had been years since he had slept so hard or so late. Shaking his head in disgust, he thrust the covers back, slid from the bed, and padded to the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later, he pulled on his shirt, buttoning it as he walked to the balcony doors across from the bed. Stepping outside, he walked to the railing and looked out over the garden. He gripped the pillar and watched the small group below.
Jenny had her hair gathered up with a long section hanging down. She was wearing a strange shirt and a pair of blue trousers that must have been from her world. Karin was standing by a large white square with her skirt hiked up in both hands. Coralus had a ball. Jenny was on another white square—or rather, dancing on and off it while Coralus kept glancing over his shoulder at her with a playful scowl.
“Roll the ball, Father. I cannot kick it if you won’t roll it,” Karin shouted in exasperation.
“If I do, she will run and you will get another point. We are already behind by three,” Coralus retorted.
“That’s because Jenny is a pro kickball player, right Jenny?” Dolph said with a grin.
“I am the greatest kickball player in all of the Seven Kingdoms,” Jenny replied.
“That is because you are the only one who understands how to play this game,” Kapian retorted. “Roll the ball, Coralus.”
Coralus grumbled and rolled the ball. Jenny took off before it even left his hands. Orion watched as Jenny raced for another white square. Karin kicked the ball low to the ground. Coralus dove for it and missed. Kapian ran forward and scooped it up. By now, Jenny had touched the other base while Karin ran for the first white square.
Orion gripped the railing when he saw Kapian bend his arm back. It was quickly evident that his friend was going to throw the ball at Jenny. The shout of denial died on his lips, and anger burst through him when the ball soared through the air toward Jenny. He watched in astonishment as she twisted at the last second, and the ball flew by her.
Dolph and Juno were already racing for the ball while Coralus and Kapian groaned, and the women cheered. Jenny raised her arms in the air as she touched the white square where Karin was standing only a moment before. Karin raced around the squares while Dolph and Juno fought over who would throw the ball.
“Yes! Home run!! Girls rule, guys drool! We are the champions!” Jenny shouted in glee, dancing around. “Whoop, whoop, whoop! We are the champions—of the underwater world!”
Laughter rang through the garden as Jenny danced around in a circle while waving her arms and kicking her long legs up. Karin threw her arms around Jenny, her flushed face glowing from her run. Kelia was clapping while Kapian bent to help Coralus up off the ground, and Dolph and Juno continued arguing over who should have thrown the ball.
“You should have thrown the ball at Karin,” Dolph said, looking at Kapian. “She would have been easier to get out, and we only needed one more.”
“I think there is a problem with the ball,” Kapian complained.
“The only problem is with your aim. I thought I taught you better. Maybe you need some remediation,” Coralus chuckled, slapping Kapian on the shoulder.
“Father! Jenny taught us a new game. Did you see how fast she can run?” Juno exclaimed when he saw Orion watching them.
“Yes. I also saw Kapian try to hit her with the ball,” Orion stated, looking pointedly at his Captain of the Guard.
Kapian pointed at Jenny. “She said it was part of the game. Besides, I didn’t throw it that hard,” he said defensively.
Orion shook his head at his friend. Turning, he followed the balcony to a set of stairs leading down into the garden. He paused at the bottom when he saw Jenny walking toward him. She smiled shyly up at him. Her face was flushed from her excitement but grew even rosier as she stared up at him.
“I missed you when I woke,” he said without thinking.
“I… Yes, that was a bit of a surprise,” she said with a small laugh.
He followed her hand with his gaze as she raised it to brush a loose strand of red hair from her face. He reached up and caught it. The fire that had started yesterday ignited when he noticed her pupils dilate when he lifted her fingers to his lips.
“I’m hungry,” Juno announced behind them.
“I’ll take the boys in for some refreshments,” Kelia said.
“Thank you, Kelia. We will follow shortly,” Orion said, not pulling his gaze away from Jenny’s.
“We’ll help you,” Coralus stated.
Orion waited until the small group disappeared down one of the paths leading to the main section of the palace. Once they were alone, he slid his other hand around Jenny’s waist and pulled her close. Her breathing increased, but she didn’t pull away from him. His body reacted to her response, his cock growing hard.
“I wanted to kill Kapian when I saw him throw that ball at you,” he admitted in a rough voice.
“It was just a game. It is how you play it,” she said.
“I didn’t like waking with you gone,” he stated.
Jenny released a breathy chuckle and slid her arms around his neck. She tilted her head, and her fingers played with his short hair. A teasing smile played at the corner of her mouth, and she wiggled her nose at him.
“I have to admit it was a bit of a surprise to wake up next to you. I honestly don’t remember how I ended up there,” she said.
“It was easier,” he said.
“Easier, right…,” she breathed, leaning up on her toes so her mouth was almost touching his. “I’m going to kiss you, Orion.”
Orion’s arms tightened around her waist. There was no way she could miss the evidence of his desire this close to his body. The feel of her hips pressing forward against him showed him that she was not only aware of it, but that she wasn’t backing down. Her lips touched his, and all thought faded to pleasure.
Goddess, but I want this woman! he thought, opening his mouth for her when she teased his lips with her tongue.
Her arms tightened around his neck, and their kiss grew more frantic. Their breaths mixed together and their tongues dueled with each other, taking and giving. His hands slid down her back to her buttocks, and he cupped them. He lifted her up so that she could wrap her blue-clad legs around his waist like he had dreamed about last night.
Her fingers raked across his scalp, drawing a low moan from him. With her legs wrapped around him, he thrust his hips forward so that his arousal was pressed firmly against her. All he could think about was how much he wanted to rip the barrier of clothing away and bury his cock as deep as he could into her hot core. He wanted to lock them together and empty his hot seed deep into her womb.
She gasped, breaking the kiss. She continued to run tiny kisses over his face while rocking her hips back and forth against him. Her eyes were closed, and her lips parted as she sucked in tiny gasps of air. Her breathing increased along with the faster rotation of her hips.
Orion recognized that Jenny’s arousal was building to a climax. He could feel the primitive desire to bring her pleasure grip him and he wanted to burn the memory of what she looked like when she came into his mind. Instinctively, he thrust his hips upward, leaning back slightly and bending his knees as she began rubbing against him faster.
“Ye… Oh, baby, yes… Yessssss!” she hissed out, bending forward to bite down on his shoulder as she came.
Orion closed his eyes and willed his body not to give in to his own desire. He was close to coming in his trousers like a lad. His knees grew weak when Jenny bit down on his shoulder in an effort to smother her cry. The only thing keeping them from falling to the ground was his threadbare determination not to disgrace himself in front of her.
He kept one arm under her ass and slid the other one up to press against her. If she rocked just once, he wa
sn’t sure he would be able to keep his dignity. A shudder shook her, and she slowly released her grip on his shoulder to bury her face against his neck.
“I can’t believe that happened. Why couldn’t I have just self-combusted at the same time? I am so embarrassed,” she whispered against his neck.
Orion softly chuckled. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I think of it as a very beautiful moment. I am also thankful you did not self-combust in my arms,” he said.
She pulled back far enough to look at him with a raised eyebrow. “Why?” she asked.
“Because I want to see you come again and again,” he said.
“But… What about you?” Jenny asked.
Orion grimaced and carefully lowered Jenny back to her feet. The muscle in his jaw twitched when she brushed against his cock. His body was still very much aroused.
“I thought perhaps it would be best for you to adjust to your new surroundings—and me—before we came together, though I would not oppose moving ahead of schedule,” he explained.
“Oh… That is so sweet of you!” Jenny exclaimed, gazing up at him with an appreciative expression. “I think that is very noble.”
“Father! Kelia has the food ready. Jenny, are you hungry?” Juno asked, running up to them.
“I thought I said we would be in shortly,” Orion replied with a frown.
The smile on Juno’s face faded, and the little boy came to a stop a few feet away. His shoulders drooped, and he rubbed the ground with his right foot. Orion wanted to groan at the dejected expression on Juno’s face. His son knew he had a weakness for that sad look.
“I just remembered Jenny saying earlier that she was hungry. Dolph said it was part of our duties to take care of our mother. He found her, so she belongs to us, and we need to make sure we make her happy. I’m never happy if my stomach hurts,” Juno said.
“I know exactly what you mean, Juno. Thank you for thinking about me and remembering that I said I was hungry,” Jenny said, turning and bending over to hug the little boy.
Juno’s face lit up, and Orion knew that his limited time alone with Jenny had come to an end. With a sigh of resignation, he motioned for Jenny and Juno to walk ahead of him. His stomach picked that moment to growl, sending Jenny and Juno into a fit of giggles.
One thing about having children, Orion thought as he followed the giggling pair down the path, they are good at killing your desires—well, almost killing it.
The last thought came when he saw Jenny shoot him a sympathetic smile over her shoulder. He gave her a rueful shrug in return. Once again, the responsibilities of family and the kingdom would come first—but it wouldn’t always, and there would be times like a few minutes ago when he would make sure that he found himself alone with Jenny.
“A lot more,” he muttered under his breath as he climbed the steps into the main part of the palace.
Chapter Eleven
Several hours later, Jenny released a tired sigh. She was exhausted, confused, and still slightly mortified by her behavior earlier with Orion. Where on Earth had her lack of inhibitions come from she had no idea. She had intended a simple, pleasant kiss. Instead, she had heated up like a poker left in the fire until it was glowing red hot!
Granted, she wasn’t a virgin, but she wasn’t exactly a wild woman either. She’d had only two lovers in her life, one during her first year of college and the second shortly after she’d graduated. Neither had lasted. It was hard to have a long distance relationship, and they had quickly discovered they weren’t interested in expending the effort to make it last. Jenny understood she was seeking someone to fill the emptiness in her life.
Before she knew what she really wanted in life, she’d had to find out what she didn’t want first. She now knew she did not want a guy who needed a six pack of beer each night to make it through the day or one who thought leaving her behind while he went and had fun was okay. Granted, she never had the best examples of what a relationship should be like, but she’d always felt there was someone out there for her—someone who would make her feel loved, needed, appreciated and, well—that she was as important to him as he was to her.
Jenny jammed her hand into her pocket. She clutched the smooth stone she had found on the beach. She pulled it out and turned it over in her hand. It felt warm to the touch, probably from being in her pocket. The swirling colors reminded her of the stone that Orion had shown Magna. With a sigh, she slipped it back into her pocket and continued walking through the garden.
Orion was in a meeting, and the boys were playing with Kelia’s grandchildren. Jenny had taken the opportunity to escape for some quiet time. She drew in a deep breath, not sure where to start to make sense of all her thoughts and emotions. Did she start with how she got here or her unexpected marriage or her physical and emotional reaction to Orion—a mythical creature living in a mythical world?
“I need therapy! Where is my life coach when I need her?” she groaned.
She lifted her hands to run them through her hair before she remembered that she had it in a ponytail. Pulling the band free, she shook out her long hair. She paused when she reached the end of the path and saw a vine covered door at the end of it. With another frustrated groan, she looked up at the crystal dome. Shafts of light shone down through the water from the sun above. Hundreds of tropical fish swam overhead, creating a myriad of dancing shadows.
She was about to give up on trying to solve all of her confused feelings and return to the palace when she heard the sound of voices on the other side of the wall. Biting her lip, she glanced back at the palace before walking over to the door. Lifting her hand, she brushed the vines aside. She blinked in surprise when she saw a small, square window in the door. Ornate bars covered it. It took a second to realize that the bars looked like coral and there were tiny fish decorating them.
Beyond the door, a truly magical world existed. The street, made of blocks of limestone, glowed white under the traffic. Jenny’s mouth dropped open when she saw a cart go by, pulled by a creature that had the body of a seahorse but with four thick legs and webbed feet. Its tail swept back and forth like a whip. Jenny realized that this was the adult version of the small creatures in the cave when she’d first arrived here.
She instinctively reached up and unlatched the door when the creature moved out of sight. She pushed the door open and stepped out to see if she could still see it. Her eyes widened when she saw several men walking toward her carrying barrels on their shoulders. Jenny muttered a hasty apology and scooted out of the way. The heavy door slipped from her fingers and, before she could grab it, closed with a solid click.
“Oh, no,” she muttered, reaching for the door.
There was no handle on the outside of the door. Jenny wrapped her hands on the bars and pulled, but the door wouldn’t open. With a groan, she turned back around and glanced up and down the street. She would have to follow the palace wall until she found an entrance.
“Well, I wanted to see more of the world,” she said.
Biting her lip, she looked both ways again before deciding to go to the left. It seemed like there was more traffic heading that way. It also looked like there were more shops in that direction. She wasn’t opposed to doing a little browsing, even if she didn’t have any money. It didn’t cost anything to look.
It didn’t take Jenny long to get lost in the beauty and fascination of this underwater world. She turned in a circle, staring in awe at the brightly decorated shops, the brilliantly colored sea dragons, and the wide variety of people strolling through the city. It was obvious that not everyone was from the Isle of the Sea Serpent—or at least she didn’t think they were from the way they were dressed and their appearance.
“Is that a… oh, my!” Jenny breathed.
Across the street were two beings who could only have come from a mythical world. It was clear one was a man and the other was a woman, even though both of them were tall and muscular—and only had one eye in the center of their foreheads. They were
animatedly talking to each other when a third person came up. This one looked surprisingly like a Minotaur. A shiver ran through Jenny when she remembered the tales she had read about these characters to her students.
A blush ran up her cheeks when the woman glanced up and caught her staring. Turning away, Jenny focused on the walkway in front of her for several feet before she glanced back over her shoulder. A frown creased her brow when she only saw the male Cyclops and the Minotaur man. Jenny turned back around and barely had time to stop before she ran into the missing woman. Dumbfounded, she looked up at the woman for a moment, unsure of what to say.
“Hi, I’m Jenny,” she finally said with a slight squeak in her voice.
The woman’s laugh made Jenny grimace. Now, that wasn’t a very confident greeting. Placing her hands on her hips, she scowled at the woman.
“I’m Cyan. I like your hair. Where did you get that color?” the woman commented.
Jenny blinked in surprise and fingered a strand of her hair. “My dad’s side of the family,” she replied.
Cyan’s lips drooped. “Hydra’s heads, I had hoped it came from a dye,” she said with a sigh.
Jenny glanced at Cyan’s black hair. “You know, your hair would be really pretty with some red, purple, and pink or green along the ends. A teacher I worked with had a weekend job at a salon, and she was always leaving hair design books around the breakroom. I think if you got a tapered cut, it would really show off your face,” she suggested.
“I think I am going to like you, Jenny,” Cyan said with a grin.
“Well, that’s better than wanting to step on me,” Jenny retorted.
For added effect, Jenny wiped the back of her hand across her brow with an exaggerated sigh of fake relief. Cyan burst out laughing at Jenny’s teasing. Jenny couldn’t help but grin back at the unusual woman.
“Boost, Meir, and I were on our way to get a drink, would you care to join us?” Cyan asked.
“I… Sure, why not? I have to tell you, this is all kind of new to me,” Jenny shared.
“Is this your first time in the underwater city?” Cyan asked.