Page 36 of Battle Fluke

Hudson’s entire body hummed with pleasure. Just watching the two of them together, the tentative passion that was about to explode, the unexplored and untouched territory. Had this beenwhat Kyree had experience back in that cave? The unrequited arousal that mixed between the three of them. Perhaps this wasn’t just a one-on-one experience like Hudson had had so many times before. Perhaps this was the three of them together, wrapped tightly within the tangles and twists of a kraken on their worst day.

Honour groaned, jutting her hips upward into Kyree’s, her hands on Kyree’s sides as she tried to turn them to control the moment, but Kyree broke away. She breathed heavily, staring down into Honour’s eyes as she shook her head slowly. They were saying something, something without words, but Hudson missed it. She was too enraptured by what was going on.

Kyree moved slowly this time, purposefully. She shifted away from Honour’s prone form toward Hudson. Was this happening? Was this really, actually happening? As if on instinct, Hudson reached up and wrapped her arms around Kyree’s back, pulling her down.

Their lips touched again.

She took everything as slowly as possible. She laced her fingers in Kyree’s hair, tenderly whispering her fingers through the long strands. Hudson hummed, as Kyree settled on top of her, pushing her deeper into the rough sand under her back. Honour sidled in next to her, wrapping an arm over Hudson’s and on top of Kyree’s back, connecting the three of them, finally.

Hudson lost herself.

She closed her eyes and tried to exist in this moment.

She tried to focus on nothing more than the feel of Kyree and Honour in her arms, the two of them together. But she froze. She had to stop. It was too much. Breaking the kiss, Hudson shook her head and stilled. Staring up into Kyree’s dark eyes, she whispered words she never thought she would say.

“We need to stop.”

Kyree nodded, her cheeks filled with small bubbles of pink that formed the most beautiful blush of arousal that Hudson had ever seen. Honour cleared her throat and moved away. Just as suddenly as it started, the moment ended.

They were separated.

Each in their own little corners of the clearing as they settled into the sand.

Hudson tried to steady herself, but she was far too wired. Turning to the others, she did the only thing she knew that would keep her busy and distracted.

“I’ll take first watch.”

Swimming away from them to make an easy perimeter, Hudson put distance between herself and Honour and Kyree. She had to. She couldn’t do anything that would jeopardize what was forming between them—whatever that was. She couldn’t even begin to fathom what that might be.

Swimming three circles around the tiny camp, Hudson finally settled back down. Honour was pressed against Kyree’s back, an arm locked over her side and stomach in a protective move. Hudson would do the same if it was just the two of them together and Honour was guarding them. She would still protect as much as possible.

Smiling to herself as she caught Honour’s eye in the darkness, Hudson settled down. She just had to wait them out now. They would fall asleep, and she would have the entire ocean and all the time in the world to think about that kiss, about the way that Kyree had simply corrected Honour and come right back to her, how Kyree had melded with both of them, about the tingles in her clit that just wouldn’t shut up about what she really wanted.

Hudson wrinkled her nose and stared at the dark ocean in front of her.

The brush against her scales startled her. Staring down at the small creature, Hudson’s lips pulled up into a smirk on one side. She put out her hand, waiting for the small stingray to settle against her palm. They stared at her, as if she had the answers they were searching for. Saying nothing for fear of waking the others, Hudson reached out her free hand and played her fingers in a dance right in front of the ray.

They shivered and then flopped onto their back in Hudson’s palm before flipping back over. With a quiet giggle, Hudson settled in to playing with her newfound friend while she tried her damnedest to get that kiss, that moment that would forever live in her memory, out of her mind.

13

Water rippled over Honour’s body, waking her with a sudden shock. She didn’t gasp or move. She was too much a warrior for that. With eyes closed and breath forced back into a normal pattern, Honour checked her other senses to scope the world around her.

Her arm remained wrapped around Kyree, safe and secure. The rise and fall of Kyree’s breath eased Honour’s tension enough for her breath to slow further, matching Kyree’s rhythmic slumber. Honour didn’t need to open her eyes to know that Kyree’s tail had wriggled backward, pressing itself snuggly up against the front of Honour’s fluke.

She was hesitant to move or shift for fear of waking Kyree or causing another rush of arousal to flood through her if their scales brushed. The fear of both happening and her inability to control herself around this woman wrapped tightly around her chest and squeezed.

Not just this woman.

Honour remembered the feel of Hudson’s hand gripping her own and the majestic way the two of them moved together. In battle and with thespoils of battleas Hudson seemed determined to call Kyree. Another ripple of water, slow andgentle, washed over her. Honour forced her eyes open, following the ripple of water to its source.

A smile came unbidden to her lips as she watched Hudson.

She had never seen the mer so relaxed or at ease. Her shoulders, no longer squared as though perpetually ready to attack or defend, curved beautifully down to her arms. Honour focused on the movement of muscles as they rippled beneath Hudson’s skin to the small ray that flopped on her palm.

Those shoulders shook lightly as the ray danced about with Hudson’s waving fingers. She wasn’t sure who led, Hudson or the ray. The ray that she was certain had to be Nylah. Ithadto be.

Shifting carefully, Honour slipped away from Kyree. The cool water on her chest and tail made her shiver. She waited to see if Kyree would wake, but the long beautiful mer merely slept on, peaceful and a pacifist even in her sleep.

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