Page 55 of Something Real with the Sea Monster
Tegan laughs. “You want me to take over?”
“Absolutely not. I’ve got this.” I rest my elbow on the windowsill nonchalantly like I haven’t a care in the world, but my grip is tight on the steering wheel and there are a couple of close calls as I navigate to Tegan’s inner-city apartment. It’s fine. I can do this. I’m just a little out of practice. I pat myself on the back when I nail the reverse park into the tiny allocated parking spot under her building. Then I carry both our bags up the stairs, and she unlocks the door and ushers me in. “Well, this is my place. It’s not much.” She shrugs.
I step inside and let out a low whistle. It’s small but perfectly her, and I know enough about Sydney real estate to know that even something this small is worth an arm and a leg this close to the city center.
It’s decorated in eclectic style and with lots of color, including a beautiful landscape hung in pride of place over the sofa that I recognize as Mia’s work. Bright geometric art covers the walls in the kitchen along with little retro touches like a red tomato egg timer and an old-fashioned set of kitchen scales. Alongside a sleek modern coffee machine and stainless-steel appliances, it gives the place a unique feel.
She strides to the fridge and opens it, wincing and closing it again just as quickly. “Ah, I think we’re eating lunch out. And dinner.” She gives me an apologetic look. “I hope you weren’t expecting someone domestic for your fated mate.”
I go to her and slip my arms around her waist, leaning in and kissing her softly. “I’m glad it’s you. You don’t have to be anything other than who you are.”
It’s a nice moment. I can tell she’s struggling not to show how much it affects her, though. She gets tense in my arms. “Come on,” I tell her. “Show me what’s so great about the big city, then. I could use a walk after so much driving today and yesterday.”
I have to admit, it’s pretty nice walking hand in hand with this gorgeous woman down the busy city streets and noticing how many people turn to look at her—and at me with envy. They’re probably wondering how a guy like me pulled a girl like her, and frankly I’m still wondering myself, so I can’t blame them.
There’s a cute little boutique hotel on the corner of her block which catches my eye as we walk past. Through the windows I notice a small lobby with wooden fittings and an old-school European look. “I wonder what they charge per night.”
Tegan looks. “Hey, look.” She points to a sign on the door. “They’re looking to hire a new manager. That could be you.”
I glance in surprise at the sign. It would be no different from running the Inlet Views, I guess. It would feel weird to run a place that wasn’t family owned, though. To run anything other than the Inlet Views.
We stop at a little bar two streets down for an early lunch. I’m surprised when Tegan orders a glass of wine along with her pasta and another after, but she just shrugs. “I’m celebrating the end of my detox is all. You sure you don’t want one too?”
“Nah, I’ll pass. Maybe later.”
We spend a relaxed afternoon shopping. She gets excited when she finds a pair of red strappy sandals on sale, and by the timewe head home, I’m carrying five bags from five different stores. When we get back to her apartment, she opens a bottle of wine and the bag of crisps we bought at the convenience store and sinks onto the sofa. “God I’ve missed this.”
“Home?” I sit beside her, accepting the glass of wine she pours me but only sipping a little before I set it down on the coffee table.
“The city. My life. No offense, but Kraken Cove is a really, really small town.”
From below the sound of construction is a dull buzz in the background, and someone shouting on the street cuts through our conversation. “I bet you didn’t miss the noise though.”
“Do you think it’s noisy? It’s pretty quiet today. I guess compared with Kraken Cove.”
We settle in to watch a true-crime documentary, and I pull Tegan’s feet into my lap to massage them. Though I offer to go to the store to pick up groceries, she tells me not to bother. “Let’s just order in tonight.”
I stop after two glasses and Tegan finishes the rest of the bottle she opened earlier. When she gets up to open another, I pull her back into my lap. “Hey, I thought we’d go to bed soon. Don’t drink too much.”
She makes a dismissive sound. “I won’t.”
I brush off my worry when she’s still giggling and chatting with me half an hour and another two glasses later. But when we get up to go to bed, she stumbles a little.
By the time I’ve brushed my teeth, she’s snoring on the bed, and I climb in beside her, skin already itching from the lack of moisture after last night. I wonder how I’ll be after a few nights of this.
She rolls into my arms, and I tuck her against me, drifting into a restless dream where she’s floating on the ocean just outof reach, and every time I swim closer, the current drags her further out.
I wake to Tegan’s hand wrapped around my cock. All I’m conscious of for the first few moments is the pleasurable ache in the tip and the soft stroke up and down the length. I blink open my eyes, thinking I’m dreaming, but she grins up at me. “Good morning.”
I moan as she takes the tip into her mouth, swirling her tongue in a circle around me. “It is now. Fuck.”
She uses her hand on the base and sucks down more of me, pulling back only to slide down again.
“What have I done to deserve this?”
She lifts her mouth from me, still stroking with her hand. “I’m sorry for falling asleep on you last night. I want to make it up to you.”
“I’d say this more than makes up for it. You must have been tired.” She sure isn’t acting hung over.
