Page 52 of Where the Current Takes Him
“Is that a compliment?”
“It’s not an insult.”
They were quiet for a while, lost in their own thoughts.
“Had you ever been with a human?” Beau asked suddenly. “Before me?”
Loriun turned to look at him. “Yes. Once.”
The Omega didn’t seem to like that answer. “Why didn’t you stay with him, then?” His tone was almost petulant. Sometimes, Beau truly did act his age. Loriun scooted closer and took Beau in his arms. Human body temperature never ceased to amaze him. They were always so warm… Especially inside.
Loriun slammed a mental door shut on that thought. “The human I met was not interested in a long term partnership,” he said. “He was the kind of person who collected experiences. He said he’d never had a Mer. I was young, craving intimacy, and insatiably attracted to your species.”
Beau craned his neck to gaze up at Loriun. “Insatiably, huh?”
“Utterly.” Loriun thought for a moment. “And his head was shaved. None of this wonderful, silky hair.” He ran his clawsthrough the sandy strands and relished the resulting shudder.Insatiable.
Chapter 22
Beau
It had only been a little over a month since Loriun moved in, but already, Beau found himself in a thoroughly domestic routine. Each morning, he rose with the sun as it glanced off the sea and lit their bedroom with dazzling refractions. It turned out his Alpha was decidedly not a morning person, and would cover his head with a pillow to shut out the light.
Beau then puttered around the kitchen, pulling espresso and cubing a massive grouper or tuna steak. The thought of fish in the morning still turned his stomach, so while Loriun’s breakfast sizzled away, Beau popped slices of bread into the toaster.
The thick smell of strong espresso was usually enough to coax Loriun out of bed. Coffee was a human commodity the Mer had quickly grown accustomed to, if the number of Starbucks franchises in Miami were anything to go by.
Though the wiry, sleek texture of Loriun’s wild hair prevented tangling in the water, it did nothing to shield him from bedhead. Like clockwork, Beau would stand at the kitchen island and watch in amusement as his Mer mate half-fell into the pool at the far side of their living room. Saltwater splashed intopuddles on the ceramic tile floors, and splattered their leather sofa.
After a few minutes of rehydrating his scales and allowing the cold water to stimulate his consciousness, Loriun would emerge from the depths.
His scales shed water like nothing Beau had ever seen. Hydrophobic surfaces repelled the water as the delicate skin beneath contracted, pulling the scales tightly over the moisture. Beau was no biologist, and would never claim to fully understand how Mer bodies worked. But watching Loriun rise from the sea and cast water like diamonds from his skin was nothing short of ethereal.
By the time the Alpha set foot on dry land, not a single drip could be seen.
“Good morning,luae.” Loriun kissed Beau’s cheek upon completing his morning ritual.
“Morning.” Beau smiled up at his mate, and offered a mug of coffee, much larger than the usual espresso cup Loriun took.
Loriun sniffed it suspiciously. “What is this?”
“I promise, there’s no dairy. Just taste it, then I’ll tell you.”
Loriun inhaled the steam from the mug again. “If I die, how are you planning to get me to a hospital? You couldn’t even lift my tail.”
The appendage banged against the ground in emphasis.
Beau rolled his eyes. “I know for a fact that you can digest everything in that cup so will you just trust me?”
Steeling himself, Loriun raised the butter-yellow mug to his lips. Beau leaned in, watching the Mer’s face intently. Loriun’s eyes went round, and the fins at the sides of his face flared wide.
“Agith’asi salki,what is this?” The Alpha took another swig. “It’s incredible!”
Beau’s lips curled into a smug smile. “Told you. It’s a sea salt caramel americano.”
Loriun did not respond and opted to dive back into the mug. As he drank, Beau’s phone buzzed against the granite countertop. Beau groaned before picking it up and accepting the call.
“Hey, Dad.”
