Page 51 of Treasure of the Abyss

“Thank you, Jax!” Lingering exhilaration thrummed throughher.

She would never have thought it possible to feel that way, especially after she’d given up the sea, but this had been more than she could’ve imagined. The guilt of her sister’s death had weighed down Macy’s heart for years. She’d suffered stares of pity and accusation, had tormented herself withwhat-ifs. Today, for the first time in so long, Macy hadlived.

Because ofJax.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had that much fun. It was wonderful!” Macy lifted her head and pressed her lips tohis.

Jax tensed. She only registered what she’d done when his eyeswidened.

Macy quickly pulled back. “Oh.”

He searched her face, his brow drawn in confusion, and — before she realized what he meant to do — he leaned down and kissedher.

She clenched his shoulders as his mouth pressed against hers; his lips were soft and firm at once, and heat spread across her face and sparked fire in herbelly.

Thiswas what Camrin’s kiss had been missing. This unfamiliar, unexpected, overwhelming sensation that stole the breath from her lungs. She forgot everything around her; she and Jax may well have been the only two people in the world. Jax’s lack of skill was meaningless, because his slightest touch sent pleasure spiraling throughher.

Macy closed her eyes and gave herself to the kiss. It was a whispering caress, a soft brush of mouths, and their breath mingled as they explored oneanother.

Jax’s tentacles slid up her legs and over her back, rubbing gently. He drew her against him, and she felt the rapid thumping of his hearts, melding with her own heartbeat through theirchests.

The prick of his claws on her hip and the graze of his teeth heightened her awareness of him; something sparked within Macy, something dark and forbidden. Liquid heat pooled between her legs, and her sex pulsated withneed.

Macy opened her mouth and touched her tongue to hislips.

Jax’s entire body jolted. He pulled away abruptly, sat her on the edge of the island, and sank into the water to hisshoulders.

Confused and aroused, Macy stared at him. Her lips tingled from the kiss while her skin cooled in his absence. She pressed her fingers to her mouthbriefly.

“Jax?”

His eyes were large, pupils dilated, but he held her gaze. His nostrils flared. “We should tend thefish.”

“Are…are youokay?”

“Yes. Kissing is…overwhelming. It feels good, but it is…intense.” He pressed his lips together and lifted three of his tentacles out of the water. The fish writhed in his hold as he swam around the island and deposited them in the empty bucket near hershelter.

She stood on unsteady legs, only now aware of the weariness in her limbs. Their ache wasn’t as pleasant — or as dire — as the one between her legs. She pressed her thighs together, hoping to relieve it, but it onlystrengthened.

Macy didn’t know what had driven her to kiss Jax, but she knew things between them had changeddrastically.

Jax layon his back beside Macy, tentacles in the water, and gazed up through the cave opening. Countless stars glittered against the deep violet of the night sky. The fire had burned down to little more than a few spots of glowing orange Macy calledembers. It still produced pleasant warmth, and she remainednearby.

When she’d been ready to remove her suit, Jax turned around without argument; his self-control after their kiss had been tenuous enough that he didn’t trust himself to so much asthinkabout her naked body. The touch of her tongue against his lips had forced his shaft to extrude like he was anadolescent.

As much as he wanted her, the decision was Macy’s. When she was ready — if ever — she would make it known. Until such a time, he needed to be the master of his own body, needed to control his desires, and needed to respect her right to choose. It didn’t matter how strongly his cockthrobbed.

He’d remained in the water as she cleaned and cooked the fish, waiting until long after his arousal had cooled before daring to ventureclose.

They’d lapsed into companionablesilence.

Now, as they watched the stars, they were treated to the music of the waves outside, a song backed by the constant flow of the waterfall. Jax had spent his life underwater, and would never have guessed at the abundance of beauty above thesurface.

Jax turned his head to Macy. Her skin and hair were pale in the starlight, her eyes bright with itsreflection.

He couldn’tpossiblyhave imagined the beauty of the surfaceworld.

What would his people say about her, about his attraction to her? Would they find it unnatural, distasteful, a betrayal to their kind? Or would they understand herappeal?

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