Page 57 of Lover from the Waves

They unloaded the necessary supplies from the boat and carried them up to the spot. Kathryn turned toward Ector, watching the play of muscle beneath his skin as he set down her backpack, and was once again struck by a deep sense of belonging, of happiness. Oflove.

And, not for the first time since they’d woken this morning and packed up their camp, she wondered,Why aren’t we going home?

She was happy. Happier than she’d been in a long time. She was enjoying herself, enjoying the freedom, enjoying the sights, but most of all, she was loving every moment she spent with Ector.

But she also missed her family. She missed her daughters and grandchildren, all of whom were likely worried sick about Kat and eager for her return.

I’m ready to go home.

Kathryn smiled. She’d left the comforts and safety of The Watch to discover who she was, but she’d known the answer all along. She was a huntress, a wife, a mother, a widow, and a mate. She was all those things and more. She was Kathryn Russell, and that had always been—and would always be—exactly enough. But she’d needed this, this break from her daily routine, this time to just enjoy being alive, to remember all that.

And this trip had given her Ector, a result she’d not expected but for which she’d always be grateful.

As Ector straightened, Kat reached out, brushed her fingers along his jaw, and turned his face toward her. She stepped closer and pressed her mouth to his. He enfolded her in his arms, pulling her against his body as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. His tentacles slipped behind her thighs and knees and held her securely. She looped her arms around his neck and licked the salt from his lips; she immediately wanted more.

He’s mine.

The happiness brimming in her heart overflowed, filling her with warmth, and she chuckled against his mouth.

Ector broke the kiss and drew his head back. “Is my kiss amusing?”

Kathryn shook her head and laughed again. “No. No, not at all.” Her lips eased into a tender smile and she caressed the back of his neck and shoulders. “I was just thinking…about how you’re mine, and how happy I am right now.”

“Oh?” He grinned. “I am quite happy myself, becauseyouaremine.”

Her heart quickened, and her sex clenched. She knew she was his, but hearing it out loud instilled a thrill in her that she could not deny—a thrill she’d already come to crave.

“I think we should go home,” she said.

Brow furrowing, he glanced at the supplies he’d just hauled to the campsite.

Kathryn chuckled. “Notnow. I’d love to spend the night here with you.” She pulled a hand back and ran her fingers over his siphon and jaw. “I mean tomorrow. We could start heading back in the morning.”

He settled a hand over her cheek and brushed the pad of his thumb over her cheekbone. “So long as I am with you, I will go anywhere.”

Kathryn blinked back the tears that suddenly threatened to fill her eyes. “Thank you for pressing to join me on this trip. For pursuing me…despite myself. I didn’t know what I needed—what Iwanted—until you.”

Ector’s thumb slid up to wipe away a tear that had escaped, and his smile softened. “I can say the same of you, Kathryn. Thank you for being…you. For becoming mine.”

Kathryn kissed him again. Their lips caressed each other in gentle strokes, but before the kiss could escalate and plunge her into a passionate haze, she drew back and grinned at Ector. “Shall we make the most of our last day of exploration and climb to the top to get a better view?”

For a few moments, he kept his eyes closed and his lips parted. Then his tongue slipped out briefly, as though sampling a taste from his lips, and he opened his eyes to meet her gaze. He gritted his teeth, and his hands flexed upon her. The tips of his claws pressed against her skin, separated from it only by her clothing, and Kathryn wondered if he was about to tear her clothes off—just like he’d practically torn the diving suit off her the moment they’d reached land after his dance last night. The memory of his worshipful hands and mouth on her, of finally feeling him, hard and thick, pumping into her, forced her to clench her thighs against a surge of arousal.

Ector’s pupils, dark and dilated, slowly reverted to their normal oblong shape, and the maroon that had begun to creep over his skin receded. He took in a deep breath and slowly released it in a low groan that made Kathryn wet. She was almost tempted to tear her own clothes off.

Almost.

“Yes,” he said, tucking a loose strand of hair that had escaped Kat’s braid behind her ear. “There is no sense in being all the way out here if we do not take advantage of the unique landscape.”

Kathryn pecked another kiss on his lips and extracted herself from his embrace, skimming her fingers along one of his withdrawing tentacles before bending down to grab her rifle. She flashed him a playful grin and began the trek to the top of the cliff.

Ector followed Kathryn as she picked her way up the rocky incline. Though the urgency of his desire had ebbed, he still felt its hold. He smiled to himself as he glanced up and fixed his gaze on his mate’s shapely backside.

Later. The day is for exploring to my mate’s content, but at night,shewill be mine to explore.

He forced his attention toward other things; there was plenty here to occupy his focus, plenty to offer distraction. The cloying scents of vegetation, earth, and stone mixed with those of brine and mist. He could taste the former group through his suction cups as he moved in Kathryn’s wake. Yet the one scent that truly stood out was hers—there was only a hint of it on the air, but that was more than enough for him.

You are doing it again, Ector.

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