Page 19 of Away in a Tentacle Lair
“Do they have to be local shells?” I ask, my eyes widening with the memory of my collection. “I've got all of mine in tins back home.”
“You are bloody perfect for Kai.”
We run out of things to say, but this woman doesn't want to leave me unattended in their house. “Would you like to take a seat in the living room?”
I nod, and she walks off to a room to the left. I look around, shrug and follow her.
The first thing I notice is a woman sitting on the sofa so upright that it's like she has a metal rod in her spine. She is drinking tea from a tiny cup and saucer while dressed like a Victorian aristocrat.
Then I notice the entire back wall is a fish tank. I should have been drawn to that, but the woman keeps my focus. “Good morning, mam.”
“You must be Leo.” She turns briefly to me before turning back to her tea.
“I must.” What else can I say to that?
"Kai is a very important member of this family.” The woman speaks, but her body language just points dead ahead.
“I'm sorry, do excuse me.” I hurry around to stand in front of this woman. “I was distracted by your amazing fish tank, but I should have introduced myself. My name is Leo Rowland.”
“I'm Alice Briareus, Kai's aunt.”
“Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you.”
I turn to the sister.
“Carrie, also Briareus.” She gives a nervous nod, but I will gloss over the fact that I'm probably the only person in town who doesn't know who these people are.
“So, what is the secret to your tank filtration system? This water doesn't look clean; it looks real. Do you have a real seawater filter?”
“No, it's a closed system,” Carrie brightens as I engage her interest. I can thank Kai for that one.
“We have this tank here that is kept empty, so the water has time to recover and refresh through the filters in the basement. Then we trickle this water back into the tanks in the bedrooms. No one tank is cleaner than the others.”
“In the bedrooms? You do take swimming with the fishes very literally in this family.” I joke, but something in my belly does a summersault.
“Here you are!” Kai greets, bouncing into the room. “Auntie, are you being kind?”
“When am I anything but kind?” The elder of my two companions huffs, sipping on her tea.
“Are you ready?” Kai turns to me, and for a moment, it's like he's going to kiss me—something he quickly rethinks in the presence of his sister and aunt.
“Ready for anything, baby.” I lean in and kiss him. I planned a peck just to show I was serious about this man, but he responds, and I can't resist plundering my tongue into his mouth.
“Hi, get a room, Kai. You're making a girl jealous,” Carrie says, waving an arm at us before leaving.
We part and I glance across at Victorian Aunt.
“Oh, don't stop on my account.” She gives me a wink. “Give his arse a squeeze and get outta here.”
I pull my man in close and dug my fingers into his tight-fitting jeans.
“Let's go before we give Alice any ideas.” Kai tugs me with my fingers, and I oblige him. So much for finding myself a quiet guy who would be happy in my shadow and follow me around the world. The tides have turned on that one.
Chapter fourteen
Kai
Nicholas is waiting by the door. His face is stern, and I'm not sure what I will be told off for first: letting Leo in, leaving him out of sight, or putting on a show for Alice.
