Page 57 of Call of the Fathoms

Why did that make her heart thud so hard in her chest? “You took all my medicine, I’m afraid you’re the only one with any control left.”

A low sound rumbled in his chest. She’d never heard him make that noise before, but perhaps he couldn’t in the water. And then suddenly he reached over, grabbed each of her ankles, and spread them both wide. The movement spun her in hisdirection. She had to plant her hands behind her on the floor as he looked her over with those hungry, scorching eyes.

“You said you felt nothing before you stopped taking the medication,” he said, his voice a low rumble. “Does that mean you felt absolutely nothing?”

“Before this? I only had a cold mind. Tactical. Able to see only logic and reason.” She took a long, deep breath. “But now I’m feeling... a lot of things.”

Somehow those eyes darkened even further. Like he knew what she meant when she said that. He understood that she wanted—no, needed—him to do something, but she genuinely didn’t know what to ask for.

“You know what men and women do together, I suppose?” he asked. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Tau had removed all pleasure from their city.”

“I have seen the Originals doing what they want with each other.” Although the idea of that made her wince. “It did not look enjoyable. Their ways are... twisted.”

She remembered far too many of them pushing each other beyond limits. It was a game for them all. They liked to see what kind of pain they could cause, how little the other would enjoy it, or how much they suddenly would.

“People who are that old no longer seek pleasure in ways we understand,” he murmured, but then his hand curled around her ankle a little tighter. “We are not in the water, Alexia. I cannot scent what you want.”

Right. Because he could smell her through his gills. She bit her lip, wondering what he would do if she admitted... “Do you remember losing control in the water with the jellyfish? That scent was that I was interested in you, Fortis.”

“You wanted to fuck me?” he asked. His brows rose for a moment before that hungry gaze returned. “That is most surprising.”

“You’re telling me.”

“But you know nothing about... pleasure.” He growled the last word and it sent sparks of awareness throughout her entire body. Like a wave of desire, it rolled over her head and crashed down throughout her entire body.

“I know nothing aboutmypleasure,” she corrected.

“Then it would not be right for me to take this first moment from you.” The sound of his voice rolled over her. She wanted to feel his skin pressed against hers. A flash of him looming over her, all those teeth bared in threat, made every muscle in her body seem to turn to liquid.

A small whimper escaped her lips, and that was a sound she had never made before.

“Would you like me to walk you through it, virago?” he asked as her eyes drifted shut.

She wasn’t sure she would be able to stop him if he wanted to. And she wasn’t sure she would ever try on her own. The entire idea of answering this pleasure felt daunting and terrifying. What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to act? What if she couldn’t do it after so many years of people telling her what to do and how to be?

“Virago,” he said. With her eyes closed, it was like his voice came from everywhere. “Unzip your wetsuit.

She reached with trembling fingers and pulled the front zipper down. The rattle of it was somehow so much louder because she knew he was watching and all she could think to do was follow his voice.

“Look at all that smooth, beautiful skin,” he murmured. “I can see how many battle scars you harbor, virago. So pretty. So many moments where you bested your opponent.”

She’d never thought of them like that. But he made it sound like it was a good thing to be marked. She didn’t care so much about the scars that dotted her flesh from countless skirmishesand fights. Knife wounds, bullet holes, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was his deep groan of appreciation as the backs of her fingers hit her stomach.

Just above her pubic bone he barked, “Stop.”

She froze. The warmth of her fingers nearly between her legs was tantalizing. She wanted to slide her fingers between her legs, just to press against the pressure there. She needed... something. Alexia just didn’t know what.

“I do not know the body of an achromo,” he murmured. “I am learning just as much as you.”

She huffed out a little laugh. “That doesn’t sound promising. I thought you were telling me how to do this.”

“What feels good?”

How was she supposed to know? She’d never touched her body before. She’d never even tried to find out what felt nice or what didn’t feel nice.

He seemed to somehow understand without her saying another word. “What I want to do is slide my hands up your ribcage. I want to cup your breasts in my hands.”

Alexia followed his words. Her skin felt overly sensitive and warm. Tingles followed her hands as she moved up to her breasts and parted the wetsuit. His sharp inhalation of breath made sparks dance along her skin.

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