Page 40 of Whispering Waves

He sighed and ran his hand through her hair. “Very pretty.”

“Thanks. You have good taste.” She smiled up at him.

The kiss that ensued was soft for a count of ten before he lifted her up to his height, and the kiss became intense. She was hanging on with her arms around his neck.

He smiled against her mouth. “Nymph, this is possibly the best day ever.”

“Um. Why?”

“I got a nymph; she can swim, mostly. She is gorgeous and bright and perky. She loves family and tolerates my bulky self. She deserves the best.”

“I never understood that. The best is just what folks say it is. I just want enough. Enough friends, enough family, enough affection. Anything else just perpetuates the previous.”

He chuckled. “That is a good way to think. So, do you think we can have kids?”

“Um, probably. Most of my friends who pair off end up with little ones. There are exceptionally few that haven’t produced kids yet. I am guessing that is the entire idea behind the tattoos that are popping up. They make sure the compatible betas meet the compatible alphas. You guys can be a little dense.”

He snorted.

“And several of the enhanced alphas have higher sex drives, which means that they tend to have companions already lined up. A few of them have had a rough time when their altered beta was discovered. Are you in that situation?”

He blinked. “No. It has been over six months since I had a lover.”

She exhaled slowly. “Good. I think you mentioned it before, but I am glad you aren’t lying just to draw me in. That would hurt.”

“Have you had a hurt of that nature before?”

“Sort of. My parents told me that I could still visit them at holidays, but I couldn’t tell anyone about the mark. So, they wanted me to reject something that is part of me.” Nina sighed. “That was a lot of stress.”

“So, you contacted your brother and came out here.”

“Correct. It took a while to get the travel visa. Private island chains have bitchy bureaucracy.”

He smiled and stroked her back. “If I had known who you were, I would have gone to Wonder to get you myself.”

“So, your mate or Drake’s sister?”

“My mate would probably have won out.”

“Okay. I will make sure to use that as a notification.”

He chuckled. “It will get my attention.”

“Good. I am not confident about meeting my grandparents and terrified of meeting your family.”

“They will love you.”

“Um, that’s doubtful.”

He put his hands on her hips. “One word against you and I cut them off. And, hopefully, deprive them of grandkids. Do you go into heat?”

“Yeah, every six months, but I still have a period.”

He cocked his head. “Fair enough. What do you need for that?”

“Chocolate, a hot pack, and a day in bed. I packed enough supplies for two months.”

He nodded. “Good. The next time I place an order, we can add whatever you need. I just got a little excited, and you were down for the count.”

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