Page 22 of Surfaces
I gave him a wide-eyed pitying look. “I’ve been told my kisses are so addictive that once you have one … you’ll never want to stop.” I had no idea who this absolute flirt was or where my rational mind had gone, but I was floating high and giddy.
Keelan’s ardent look only sent me even higher.
“Is that so? Quite a claim.”
“Yes, well, if you were to kiss me, you’d never want to quit. Ever. That word wouldn't even enter your tiny, plankton-sized brain. So …” I trailed off and my eyes flickered toward his lips.
“Queenie?”
“Yes?”
“You really want me to stay?”
I gulped and nodded, feeling quite vulnerable. This time it was my turn to gaze down at the rock, overwhelmed as my cheeks flamed and the flirtatious woman who’d briefly inhabited my body fled and left me in her place to deal with the fallout of her brazenness.
Keelan’s fingers slid down my own until his fingertips lightly traced over my palm, sending tickles dancing through my skin and grabbing hold of my vulnerability, spinning it in circles until it was dizzy.
“Keelan,” I whispered breathily.
He leaned closer and I could see his pulse thrumming in his neck, just as fast and wild as mine.
I swallowed hard before I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his—initiating our kiss.
It was a wondrous tangle of emotions, a soft brushing sensation that sent shivers of delight racing through me and bright sparks fluttering inside my mind. It was beautiful as a cresting wave, as lacy as the water tumbling in an arc.
Mr. Whelk interrupted the moment with a loud, high-pitched whine, and a forceful nudge of his head against my arm.
We broke apart only to see the sea turtle dangling his ragged bit of green seaweed right in my face.
"He doesn't like sharing attention." I smiled over at Keelan, feeling glorious and radiant and gleeful.
"Well. You did say you wantedhim." Keelan shrugged.
I grabbed the seaweed with a chuckle and gave a few tugs to appease the turtle before turning back to Keelan. "It's true. You're just a bonus."
"Speaking of bonuses … I'll consider your offer of a substitute."
I raised an indignant brow, but only in jest. "My kiss alone didn't convince you?"
He shrugged. "It was nice. But a kiss is temporary. Astatue… that is forever." An absolutely intoxicating, naughty grin spread across his face.
My own lips stretched wide to match his as an idea formed, one that I was certain would appeal to my troublemaker. "That's true. But you know what they say … two is one, and one is none. So, how about two statues … and what if I sweeten the deal? Let’s get them made in secret. And then I’ll have them delivered to your mother’s rooms while she’s out.”
Keelan burst into laughter, his good arm clutching his stomach. He guffawed until there were tears in his eyes and he swiped them away as he said, “Queenie, you’ve got yourself a deal.”
7
I worea gown with a ruff as tall as my head made of very thin gold that had been pulled and woven to look like lace, though it was as brittle and heavy as armor. The lace had a seahorse pattern, of course, to represent the seal of Okeanos.
The gown itself was light in contrast to that metal yoke which made me feel like an ox. The dress was made of damask, swirling filigree symbols of red on a golden background that puffed out grandly due to a rigid underskirt. The scalloped bottom edge of the skirt wavered in the waves, in and out like a pulsing jellyfish swallowing my legs.
When I’d asked Gita why she was outfitting me in a dress that would be more appropriate on land, my maid had looked me right in the eye. “Becausesardthem.”
Her vicious response had steadied my nerves for my first official public appearance since the attack yesterday.
Hopefully, others felt the same.
I swam out of the city accompanied by Ugo and at least five other guards. Emerging from the coral made my eyes blink rapidly as they struggled to adjust from the visual clutter and constant, busy patterns of the reef to the vast space of the open ocean. I took a moment to breathe deeply and appreciate the clean, calm, slightly salty scent of the water.
