Page 29 of Stranded with the Kraken
I stare at the two words for a long moment, confused. Then everything clicks into place, and I realize what Jasper is up to. A jolt of adrenaline slams into me, and I grin, anticipation rising.
He wants me to run? I can run, and considering where I am, he’ll never catch me.
Giggling, I spin on my bare feet and haul ass up the pier, back toward the beach. We’ve done this before—and we have an unofficial rule of the chase that says I have to make it to a locked room to win. When Jasper chased me through his house the first time, we both discovered we love playing predator and prey, but that doesn’t mean I want to make iteasyfor him. If I win, I get bragging rights that I bested him, because I always end up unlocking the door in the end. Not that I win often—he’s still so much faster and stronger than me.
But this time, I’ll win. I know it. I have a good head start, and since he left me the note on the pier, I assume he’s already in the water. I have my sights on the bathroom because I don’t know if any of the other rooms in the villa have a key. My feet pound on the dry wooden boards. Once I reach the sandy beach, I’ll be slower, but if I can make it to the villa itself, Jasper won’t stand a chance, I’m sure of it.
I’m four feet away from touching the sand when a massive blue tentacle erupts from the water beside the pier. I shriek in delighted surprise as water rains down on me, soaking me immediately. Spluttering and spitting out the salty water, I duck the tentacle’s swiping end and focus on putting one foot in front of the other.
If Jasper’s tentacles are currently this size, it means he has transformed to his full form, so he’ll have to shift back before he walks on dry land. I only have to evade him for a little longer…
A warm, unyielding tentacle wraps itself around my waist and tugs me to a stop. I yelp, immediately grabbing on for support as Jasper lifts me off my feet and drags me over the side of the pier and into the sea. He moves slowly, and he’s so gentle with me, as always, because he knows he could crush me if he wasn’t careful, but no matter how I squirm, his grip on me doesn’t let up.
Shimmering magic sparkles in the turquoise water around me, telling me he’s shifting into his half form. I squint at the waves and spot Jasper hiding under the pier. He laughs at my bedraggled appearance, eyes glowing with mischief.
“Got you,” he murmurs when he hauls me close to his chest.
The clear water of the tropical sea laps around us, and the waves settle, as if Jasper in his full form was the one who made the ocean so agitated. It’s awe-inspiring—both the thought of him having such an effect on the sea, and the fact that he has calmed down so significantly now that he has me in his arms.
I put my hands on his shoulders. “That was unfair, making me come all the way to the pier first.”
He lifts one dark eyebrow. “Hey, you’re the one who walked into a trap.” He puts his lips to my temple and drags in a deep inhale. “Fuck, you smell good, Arielle.”
His voice has turned gravelly and deep, and the tentacle at my waist twitches lightly. Another inches its way up my leg, the suckers attaching themselves to my skin and drawing a shiver from me. He looks at me with so much love and passion, my heart does a silly little flip. No matter that we’ve been together for almost a year—I still get butterflies in my stomach.
“I took the test,” I blurt out, unable to keep the secret from him any longer.
Jasper searches my face with his gaze and holds me in his arms. “Are you okay?”
Of course, his first worry is for me. He thinks it’s another negative result, and he’s worried I’m upset. I love him so much for it—that he checks up on me first, because he wants me to be all right. But this time, I have a different kind of news to share.
“I’m pregnant.” My throat closes up as I say the words, so they come out as a strangled croak, so I repeat them with more force. “I’m pregnant, Jasper.”
He stares at me for a long moment, his golden eyes wide. Then a grin stretches his lips, beautiful, happy, and incredulous.
“Really?” He palms my face with both hands. “You’re sure?”
I smile back. “Yeah. Two pink lines and all that.”
“Arielle.”
My name on his lips is barely more than a breath, and then he kisses me, a desperate, fevered kiss that melts my insides.
“Congratulations,” he gasps between kisses. “Is that the right thing to say?” Another kiss. “I’m so happy.” A kiss on my cheek. “And so fucking proud of you, sweetheart.”
I hold on to his shoulders and return every one of his caresses. “I love you. You’re going to be such a great dad.”
Finally, he wraps me in his arms and hugs me close. His heartbeat thuds under my cheek, steady and strong. “Gods. I nearly fucked you senseless with my tentacles. Good thing you told me before.”
I scowl and nudge at him until he releases me, then rear back so I can look him in the eyes. “I still want you to fuck me senseless with your tentacles.”
Jasper frowns. “But the baby…”
“Is safe,” I tell him. “And about the size of a pinprick at the moment.”
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he protests. “We should get you out of the water, I don’t want you to get a cold.”
Oh, no.
