Page 33 of One of Six

I blush and bury my face in the pillow.

"It's okay if you dreamed about me. How could you not?"

I wiggle in his arms until, despite my shame, I am chest to chest with him. He gives me a gentle smile and wraps me in his arms. I sigh, feeling safe and secure against him. "I'm glad you're here."

"I came as soon as I heard."

I press my forehead into his neck and confess, "I dreamt that you had your fingers in my panties... Then I woke up."

Though the massive erection under his zipper jerks against me, Essex remains motionless, catching his breath, a curse on his lips. "Bea, talk to me. I will not touch you until I am who you want to be with.”

"I like your whole family, Essex. Very much. Your brothers are good men. Ridge held me today when I was crying. Did he tell you? Atilio held me after I nearly drowned."

"He told me. And now I hold you." He sighs. "I love my brothers, but I don't want to share you with them."

I raise my eyes to his, feeling hope and longing. "I feel comforted with them, but it's you that makes my heart race so fast that I'm afraid it's going to jump out of my chest… I dreamt of you."

"I'm the only one who gets to hold you from now on," he tells me.

"I'm totally okay with that." I kiss his cheek and relax again. "No one will know I'm friends with you. Not yet. I have a few things to figure out first.”

After a comfortable silence, Essex asks quietly, "What really happened last night?"

I wrap my arms around him and whisper, "I hid under my blanket. My mother died and I hid like a baby.”

"Hey," he replies, cradling my face, "it kept you safe. There is nothing wrong with that.”

"Mother was crying for her life, Essex. She begged, but he shot her anyway."

"Who shot her?"

"My—” I immediately stop what I was about to say, shocked that I almost told him the truth. I jump to my feet in terror.

Essex follows me and wraps himself around me. "Breathe, Mermaid Girl. I have you. I suspected who killed her before you almost told me," he whispers. “You'd be surprised how many people don't believe the bullshit that's being covered up."

"You can't repeat it." I turn and grab his face, pulling him closer. "They threatened to come after anyone I told. Promise me."

He doesn't like it. "I won't say anything for now.”

"I'm tired, Essex."

"Do you want me to go?"

I smile against his chest. "No."

He lies down on the bed, holds my hand, and pulls me into his arms. I've never been this close to a man before and I'm enjoying it. Of course, it has everything to do with the man holding me in his arms.

"Tell me about yourself, please." I wriggle closer and put one leg over his. A shiver runs through me as his palm rests on my thigh, caressing up and into the leg of my shorts, where he remains motionless.

"The boat is where I feel most at home. I spend more time on it than the others. I take it out and anchor offshore to get some peace and quiet. I lie on the deck and think, allowing any stress to leave me.

"The boat was my father's. He loved it. He took us out all the time as soon as we learned to swim." He pauses. "I will teach you to swim. We are surrounded by water. You should know how to swim."

I run my palm over his chest and explain, "I mentioned it once or twice when I was a kid, but my parents told me I didn't need to know. I want to learn."

"Good!" His fingers fiddle carelessly with my hair. "It was hard when my father died. As the youngest, I was jealous that my brothers got to spend more time with him than I did. I was fifteen and despised everyone. I drank, smoked, and was generally out of control. One night it all came to a head. Family intervention. Mom convinced my uncle Jesus to come and support me.”

"Wait! You have an uncle named Jesus?" Mirth fills my eyes as I see matching humor staring back at me.

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