Page 24 of Riding the Tide

Kannon hip-checked Nisha on his way to the sink. “Got that right. We have to be in order to put up with some of the things you guys do.”

Nisha followed Kannon to the sink, scowling. “What exactly does that mean?”

Kannon stepped back so he could look around Nisha at Marcus. “I’ve been meaning to ask you, you know the powder you guys use that’s made from fish—oh, you know the one? That powder which makes you aware but unable to move? I’ve been wondering if maybe I could get my hands on some of—”

Nisha growled playfully, picked Kannon up, and tossed him over his shoulder. He swatted Kannon’s ass as he headed outside toward the pool. “I don’t think so.”

Kannon laughed hysterically as he kicked, playfully pounding Nisha’s lower back. “Oh my God, what is it with you throwing me in the—”

Marcus stayed by the counter, watching out of the kitchen window as Nisha carried Kannon outside and promptly tossed him in their pool. Personally, he agreed with Kannon. WhatwasNisha’s deal with throwing his mate in all that nasty chlorine water? Although he did enjoy the spitting and stuttering Kannon did when he surfaced.

Then there was another splash. Marcus bet Nisha joined Kannon in the pool. Deciding to leave his two friends to it, he wandered back into the bedroom and changed out of the borrowed clothes. As he laid them out on the bed, he heard a quiet moan and slap of a tail against water through one of the bedroom windows.

He redressed and slipped out of the bungalow so he wouldn’t disturb Kannon and Nisha. As he walked toward the ocean, he wondered if he could make love to Blair in his merman form. It was something he had never done.

Taking his time, he strolled down the beach looking for shells and other things to use for the jewelry he made. The things he collected he took back to a certain underwater cave he claimed as his. The cave was part of a cliff projecting into the sea.

The part above the water boasted a soaring ceiling of mossy rock. It opened to the jungle. The sandy beach knew only his footsteps. Speleothems drooped eerily from the ceilings like icicles or emerged from the floor. The water was the clearest of blues.

The cliff’s pathway wound through the densest part of the jungle, and it hadn’t been cleared of brush. It was literally nothing more than a beaten path. The natives were the only ones brave enough to walk into the unexplored part of the jungle and skirt the narrow path along the cliff. And they certainly had no reason to.

Marcus didn’t worry about humans finding his place because what pathway there was—was next to none. The jungle had all but reclaimed it, and unless you knew where it was, it was hard to find. There he had the barest of essentials for his time in human form.

He had some clothes, a lantern for light at night if needed, and a long table he used to assemble his crafts. The tools he needed he’d bought with the money he made from the sale of his art. As he walked his thoughts returned to Kannon and Nisha.

While they still spent the majority of their time in the ocean, they had an aboveground dwelling with all the comforts that any human could want. Electricity. Coffee. A bed. That irritating thing called TV.

Another disturbing thought intruded. If Kannon was right about Blair having money, why would he want to give his creature comforts up to basically live in a cave? The question was could he—which was interesting, since he found himself asking a lot of “could he” questions, too. He stopped on the beach and stared out at the waves. He couldn’t ask Blair do that, any more than Blair could ask him to give up the ocean.

So where did that leave them?

He didn’t know, except for he was sure of one thing. He wanted Blair as much as he wanted to swim the currents. Maybe it was the mating pull, but Blair was the one for him. No one else interested him.

He wasn’t stupid enough to think it would be easy—Kannon and Nisha were a perfect example of howroughit could be. But Blair was his, and he’d do whatever was needed to make this work.

A crab scurried by his foot toward the water. It lived on land and in the sea, as did many other creatures. He sighed. The answer was obvious even though sometimes it was hard to see the kelp forest for all the seaweed. He picked up a couple of interesting shells and then turned and started making his way toward Brett’s resort.

It appeared an aboveground dwelling was in his future.

“YOU’RE KIDDING, right?”

Marcus struggled not to roll his eyes. “Does it sound like I’m joking?”

“No, and that’s what bothers me. Are you sure you want to do this?” Brett asked.

Marcus glanced around the fancy penthouse suite. It was beautiful, stylish, and decked out with the latest amenities, he was sure. The view was spectacular, and the air was pleasantly cool. It made his balls want to climb up inside him.

He sincerely hoped this wasn’t something Blair was attached to because, while he was willing to compromise, this was too… too sterile, too remote feeling, too cold. How Brooke stood it was beyond him, but that wasn’t his problem.

“I thought about it, and yes, I’m sure. This needs to be done.” Even if it did make him dreadfully uncomfortable.

“Never thought I’d see the day you’d voluntarily stay on land in an aboveground dwelling.”

“It’s not like the end of the world is about to happen.”

“Are you sure?” Brett joked.

“Ha-ha. Look, how long would it take to build a home? I assume you have the work crews and… whatever you need to make stuff like this happen.” Marcus’ jaw clenched. He didn’t even know the right terminology for what he was asking.

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