Page 37 of Jewel of the Sea

Aymee burst into laughter at the mental image conjured by that thought — Arkon turning endlessly, trying to locate her as she spun along with him, perched in his blind spot. It reminded her of games she and Macy played when they were kids, giggling as they hid behind an adult who’d turn slowly and pretend not to see them.

His brow furrowed, and his mouth opened as though to speak. It was a moment before any words came out. “You’re…laughing? I don’t… What is amusing? You could have drowned.”

Arkon’s confusion only made her laugh harder. She shook her head and burrowed her face into his neck. “I’m fine. Really. I just…just need a minute.”

“Aymee?” he asked when her shoulders finally ceased their shaking.

“I’m fine,” she repeated, and took a few steadying breaths. When she lifted her head, her lips were curved into a wide grin. “Guess I kissed you senseless.”

His skin darkened, though the moonlight neutralized his color. “In the interest of honesty, I must admit to being…unfamiliar with such attentions.”

“I assumed as much.” She ran her thumb along his jaw.

He gently covered her hand with his own as his lips parted, allowing her a glimpse of his pointed teeth. They should have been disconcerting — Jax’s had been, when she’d first seen his — but they were simply another part of what made Arkon himself.

“Have you ever been with another?” she asked.

“Have I ever been with another? I am not sure that—” His eyes rounded. “You mean…?”

Aymee chuckled. “Yes.”

He flared his siphons, releasing a light spray of water. “Have you?”

“Hmm.” She leaned close and pressed her cheek against his again.

Aymee was bolder than most. Perhaps it was a result of working in the clinic for so many years? Sex was a fact of life to her, and it was easy to forget that not everyone shared so open a view. Her attitude was too forward for some people.

She lowered her hand and absently flicked the water with her fingers, watching the droplets disturb the shimmering surface.

“I wonder what you think of me,” she said softly, draping her arm around his neck in an easy embrace. “We barely know each other, you’re a kraken and I’m human, and yet…”

“Any discomfort I’ve expressed has been solely the result of my inexperience, Aymee. I have greatly enjoyed our time together.”

“I have, too.” Smiling, she sighed and closed her eyes, letting the serenity of the ocean’s song and gentle motion wash over her. “You’re the only one I would have trusted to bring me out here. I’m not like Macy. The sea has never called to me like it does her. Even after her sister drowned, I think part of her still wanted to come out here and feel all this.

“In a way, I fear it. I know what it’s capable of. But with you…” She opened her eyes and turned her head, taking in his profile. “I’m not afraid.”

“Even after I nearly drowned you?”

“Even after,” she said with a chuckle. “We should get back.”

He nodded and swam back toward the beach in silence. The rhythm of his movement was even more soothing than the rise and fall of the water. Soon, the waves swept them forward, carrying them effortlessly toward land.

As soon as the water was shallow enough, she unlocked her legs from his waist and lowered her feet to the sand. She kept her arms around his neck, steadying herself, as they emerged from the sea.

Sand squished between Aymee’s toes as she walked to the spot where she’d left her skirt. Arkon moved alongside her, his tentacles spread wider than usual; his stance reduced his height to something a bit more human.

“I know you asked me first,” he said, eyes downcast, “but…have you? Been with anyone?”

Aymee’s steps slowed. The faces of other men came to mind — all of them different now than they’d been, if only a little. Despite the way rumors typically spread through The Watch, her trysts had remained secret, even from Macy. Aymee wasn’t sure if shame or disappointment had kept her from telling her best friend. “Three.”

“Three,” he repeated, voice low and flat.

Aymee tensed and looked at him. What should she make of his response?

He halted and turned toward her, frowning deeply as he studied her face. “I have upset you.”

“Do you think poorly of me?” she asked.

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