by R. E. Butler
She grinned and leaned in to run her lips up his throat. “I wouldn’t mind a bit.”
“Vixen.”
She nibbled on his neck, holding herself close, as he moved through the water toward the small stretch of beach behind the lighthouse. It was a secluded little area thanks to a rocky outcropping and the floating dock where he kept his boat. It would offer them privacy if anyone would happen to come onto the beach, which he didn’t expect. The one good thing about his gruff attitude for the last two years was that no one wanted to be on the beach at night and chance him coming after them. The beach was closed at sunset, but sometimes people came to walk on the sand or sit and watch the waves.
Not tonight, though.
Tonight it was just him and Zia.
His beautiful fairy siren.
He walked into waist-deep water to pass by the dock, and then moved up toward the beach. When the water was shallow enough for what he needed, he dropped to his knees and laid Zia on her back. Before she could move, he tugged her panties off and then hooked her knees with his elbows. He smiled at her, wiggling his brows.
She bit her bottom lip.
She was laid bare before him, her upper body on the sand, her bottom on his thighs, her legs spread wide. He let his gaze traipse all over her body, from her large breasts with tight nipples he wanted to play with, to the sweet, pink center of her.
Lowering his head, he kissed her knee and then slowly worked his way up her thigh, scooting back in the sand. He slid his hands underneath her bottom so she wasn’t laying in the sand, and inhaled her sweet scent. He glanced up the length of her body and she smiled at him, then reached a hand for him and fisted his hair. She gave a gentle tug forward and he couldn’t help but smile at her eagerness.
With a low chuckle, he licked a slow line from her entrance to her clit, giving the bud a flick with his tongue. Her body jerked in his hold and she gasped, and he did the motion again, delving his tongue into her before swooping it up and around. The water lapped at their bodies the way that he lapped at her. He drove her to the edge and then backed off, kissing first the inside of one thigh and then the other, nipping at her hip bones, and giving her cheeks a squeeze.
“Cassian,” she whispered breathlessly.
“Ready, baby?” he asked as he kissed his way back to his most favorite place.
“Yes, yes!”
He closed his lips around her clit and sucked lightly, flicking it with his tongue. She shuddered in his hold, her hand twisting in his hair. He flicked his tongue more rapidly over her clit, feeling the bud swell. She bucked her hips and cried out as she came.
He kissed her clit gently and then slipped his hands up toward her shoulders. With a growl of possession, he lifted her up and onto his lap, her legs falling to either side as she straddled him. She kissed him as he lowered her body, her pussy gripping his cock as she slid down on him. It took only moments and then he was seated fully within her, her heat enveloping him perfectly.
He held her close and moved a little deeper into the water until her hips were under the waves, the gentle rhythm of the surf pushing her against him.
“Ah, fuck,” she whispered against his lips and he agreed one hundred percent.
She planted her feet in the sand and lifted herself up until only the head of him was still inside her. And then she slammed herself down. It felt so good, so perfect, that his eyes crossed and he nearly came.
They moved together, his hands helping her move on him, as their lips met once more. He’d never get tired of kissing her. Touching her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, her hips moving quickly against his. She groaned low and broke the kiss, tossing her head back and groaning as her pussy gripped his cock.
He leaned forward, sinking one hand into the sand for leverage and began to pump into her, the water pushing and pulling at them. The scents of salt water and passion filled his nose as he drove them to the height of pleasure.
She moaned his name as she came a second time and he followed her into bliss, chanting her name and dropping his head to her chest.
He shuddered as his cock spasmed and he filled her fully, letting out a deep groan as he felt their connection as mates solidify.
He kissed the space between her breasts and murmured, “You’re mine, sweetheart. And I’m yours.”
“Forever,” she said breathlessly.
He righted them and she straddled his lap again, resting her head on his shoulder. She was lax and warm in his arms. He kissed her forehead and then her lips when she tilted her head for a kiss.
“How do you feel?” he asked, brushing her hair from her face.
“Very connected to you.”
“Me too.”
“So there’s something I didn’t mention before,” he said.
“Oh?”
“I can share my breath with you so we can swim together.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s a way for me to share my underwater world with you. It won’t hurt—I’ll use my magic to imbue you with the ability to breathe underwater and we can go for a swim.”
“Really? Like how long of a swim?”
“An hour or so.”
“That’s so cool! I’d love to.”
“I’d love to share it with you.”
He’d never shared his breath with anyone. Merpeople didn’t need to share their breathing ability with anyone, but it was something he could do with his magic and he was excited to share it with Zia.
Chapter Nine
Zia stretched out on the sand and smiled up at Cassian. She felt so connected to him, not just physically but emotionally. And even magically too. She could feel the sea creatures in the water and was fascinated by it.
“There’s a small shark out there,” she said.
His brows rose. “How do you know?”
“I can feel it. Him, I mean. It’s just this ghostly kind of presence. Is that how you feel about sea creatures?”
“Pretty much, but I can actually speak to them. When we go swimming, you might be able to sense them more fully. I’ve never heard of this happening, it’s almost like I shared my abilities with you.”
“Do you feel plants?”
“No,” he said with a laugh. “I guess it was a one-way thing.”
“I’m just glad it’s a little shark and not something big with lots of sharp teeth.”
“Even if it was, they wouldn’t bother you. Sea creatures recognize supernatural people, especially merpeople, and wouldn’t attack.”
“That’s good to know.”
“I promised I’d protect you, so you know I’d never take you somewhere that was dangerous.”
“I know. I trust you.”
He kissed her. “I trust you too.”
He placed one hand over her heart and the other under her head, and he leaned over. His eyes were bright blue, almost like they were glowing.
“Relax and breathe deeply.”
She nodded and closed her eyes when he touched his lips to hers. She inhaled deeply as he exhaled into her mouth and felt the whole inside of her body light up. Her lungs tingled, and she felt like they were filled with something more than just air.
Cassian eased from her lips and smiled. “How do you feel?”
“Like going for a swim.”
He grinned. “Then let’s go!”
He helped her to her feet and they walked into the water. Once they were waist-deep, Cassian took her hands and said, “Breathe like you normally would. I shared my breathing ability with you, so your lungs won’t take in water. We can also talk underwater, but it will sound muffled so we can’t have a detailed conversation.”
“This is so cool, thank you.”
“You bet. I have just the place to go. Ready?”
“One thousand percent.”
They both dove into the water. She twisted onto her side to watch him as he changed from human to merman. It was incredible to witness. His legs fused together, and scales slid
over his hips and down to his feet, which turned into fins. His scales were green and blue, and shimmered under the water.
She realized she was holding her breath because that’s what she was used to doing, so she exhaled and inhaled.
It was just like she was above the water breathing air!
She could also see very clearly in the water, even though it was night. It was still kind of gloomy under the sea, but she could see Cassian clearly and beyond him the moonlight reflecting off fish as they darted around.
She moved toward him, gliding through the water. “That was so cool to see,” she said, her voice muffled like he said it would be.
“I’m so glad you got to see me shift. How does it feel to breathe underwater?”
“Weird but cool.”
He laughed. “Put your hand on my shoulder and hold on. I’ll tow you along so we can get to the reef faster.”
“Reef?”
“A few miles offshore is a manmade reef. It’s full of interesting creatures and it’s just neat as hell.”
“I’d love to see it.”
She gripped his shoulder and nodded that she was ready. He smiled and winked, then took off with her in tow. They sailed through the water smoothly, his tail propelling them. She could only see water and occasional sea life, until they’d been swimming about ten minutes, and a dark shadow appeared in the distance. As they neared it, Cassian slowed down. She felt something powerful emerge from him, like his magic had revved up, and suddenly the shadow lit up.
As they drew closer, she realized that the illumination came from plants and sea creatures that were naturally bioluminescent.
Cassian stopped swimming, and they came to a slow stop. “Oh, did you talk to them? I felt your magic.”
“I did. I asked them to light up special since it’s your first time down here.”
“It’s amazing.”
They explored the reef. Cassian called the sea creatures to them, and Zia got to be up close and personal with all sorts of amazing fish and sea life, from the littlest coral to a sea ray that let her touch its wing.
“This is so amazing,” she said, when Cassian told her they needed to leave because she only had a finite amount of time with his breathing abilities. “Thank you so much for bringing me here.”
“It was my pleasure,” he said, giving her a kiss.
She felt his magic again, and a pod of dolphins appeared. They swam alongside them as they made their way back to Sable Cove. The dolphins leaped from the water and chirped happily at them.
They broke through the surface a few yards from shore, and Zia took in a breath of fresh air and wiped the water from her eyes. The dolphins jumped and twisted out of the water with joyful squeals.
“Okay, now that’s the absolute coolest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Cassian laughed. “They’re such clowns, they love showing off.”
She rested her head on his shoulder and watched the dolphins play. “Thank you for sharing your underwater world with me.”
“We can do that anytime, sweetheart.” He kissed the top of her head.
Reluctantly they left the water and found their scattered clothes on the beach. Once they’d cleaned up under the outdoor shower, they hurried into the lighthouse and made love a second time, the windows open in the bedroom letting in the moonlight and the sounds of the waves, and distantly the sound of a ship blowing its horn.
It was the perfect way to start their mating.
Chapter Ten
Ianessa hovered under the water, her tail flicking angrily as she caught the scent of hormones. Although it had been hours since the male she’d been promised to had mated a female in the ways of their people, she could still pick up the scent, and it enraged her.
She’d been keeping tabs on Cassian since he was exiled for not going through with the arranged mating. To her! She was the most eligible female for miles, and their union would have united two clans, with her by his side as his queen. She’d been promised by her father that she’d rule one day, but once Cassian rejected her, no male of worth would even consider her.
It was as if she’d been exiled along with him.
She hadn’t been able to move on, so why the hell had he?
She hadn’t minded him being alone just as she was for the last two years, but to hear from the sea creatures who spied on him on her behalf that he’d rescued a female and they’d mated? Well, that was beyond the pale.
He was meant to suffer as she did for humiliating her.
Behind her, her guards hovered in the water, waiting for her orders. Her father had given her authority to retaliate against Cassian for what he’d done to her, and a plan hadn’t formed for her...until now.
Before, he’d had nothing to lose. Few friends, a solitary life, no clan.
Now, he had a female, and she would be pregnant because they’d mated in the water according to the ways of the merpeople.
Therefore, Cassian had everything to lose.
And she would finally have her revenge.
It would be utterly sweet because she’d been waiting for so long. And Cassian was clueless he’d been monitored all this time.
“I need to speak to my father,” Ianessa said. “There are plans to be made.”
* * *
The next morning, Cassian woke to the sound of voices on the beach, which he could clearly hear because they’d slept with the windows open. He fumbled on the nightstand for his phone and brought it to his face to see the time, blinking until his vision sharpened.
It was nearly nine.
“Wow,” Zia said. She yawned and rubbed her cheek on his chest. “We slept in.”
“It helps that you wore me out.”
“You wore me out too.”
He grinned and kissed the top of her head. “Breakfast and then we can make plans to go see your folks? I need to take a look at your boat and make sure it’s seaworthy.”
He’d left her boat tied up to the dock near his. While he was sure it was functional, he wouldn’t take her out in it until he’d gone over every inch.
“Can we go to the diner? When we walked around town yesterday, I saw that they have eggs benedict, and that’s my favorite.”
“That works for me. Do you need me to grab you a shirt to wear?”
“No,” she said, rolling off him and stretching. He loved the way her skin turned gold in the morning sunlight. “The girls gave me a couple outfits because they knew I didn’t have much.”
“That’s nice of them.” The witches were very friendly, and he was glad that they’d taken care of Zia.
“They’re super sweet. I really want to have my own clothes, though. I have this snuggly robe I miss, and my comfy pjs.”
She moved to get off the bed, and he snagged her around the waist and pulled her into his lap. She giggled as her arms went around his neck.
“I just want you to know how happy I am that I found you. That we found each other.”
“Me too.” She brushed her fingers through his hair and gave him a sweet smile. “I went looking for algae and found my soulmate.”
He chuckled and helped her off the bed. They got ready and headed down to the ground floor. As he stepped outside of the lighthouse, he scanned the beach, seeing a few people walking on the sand. He locked up and opened the door to his truck for her, then slipped behind the wheel. It took only a few minutes for them to reach the diner, where siblings Tyce and Tia were serving up classic diner meals.
A man left the diner as they approached and held the door for them, and Cassian thanked him as he followed Zia inside.
“Sit anywhere,” Tia said, holding out menus as they walked by.
“Thanks, Tia.”
They chose a corner booth. Cassian slid in next to Zia and placed the menus on the worn tabletop. “You probably know what you want,” Zia said. “You eat here a lot, right?”
“I do, but I was thinking eggs benedict sounds good too.”
Tia appeared with a tray and set glas
ses of ice water and coffee mugs in front of them, then poured coffee in. She set a bowl of creamer containers and the coffee carafe on the table.
“We’re both going to have eggs benedict,” Cassian said. “I’ll have double home fries.”
“You got it.”
“Can I have some orange juice too?” Zia asked.
“Of course. I’ll be right back.” Tia took the menus and hurried away to the kitchen.
“Are there other wolves in Sable Cove?” Zia asked as she fixed her coffee.
“Just them. There’s a pack in the next town. They’re not from that pack, though, they transplanted here and are their own pack.”
“So wolves, witches, a vampire, a selkie, and a fallen angel—is that it?”
“And me.”
“Oh! Right,” she said with a chuckle. “Otherwise it’s mostly human?”
“Yep. How about Trieve?”
“Mostly fairy. It’s a small town, but there aren’t many humans and no other supes.”
“Supes?”
“Supernatural creatures.”
He chuckled. “Gotcha. So anything I need to know about meeting your parents? Are they super formal people?”
Tia appeared with the orange juice and disappeared just as fast.
“They’re formal when they need to be, like with the king and queen or when they’re with the court, but otherwise they’re pretty easygoing.”
He hadn’t known anything about fairies before he met her, and after they’d walked around town the day before talking, he felt like he knew a lot. But he was sure there was plenty he didn’t know. He’d mentioned to Zia that he wanted to ask her to marry him, and he’d ask her father for permission, but he wondered if that was something he should do the first time he met them or wait a while.
Their meals arrived and they tucked into the delicious food, their conversation stalling as they devoured the dishes.
Tyce came out to say hello and brought a complimentary cinnamon roll which they eagerly split, enjoying the gooey cinnamon and sweet frosting.
“I’m doing some day shifts for Brody,” Tyce said, resting his hands on his hips. “He deputized me.”