Page 16 of Kiss for My Kraken
She left the shop with a strange feeling of lightness. She’d always been cautious about spending money, hoarding every penny for emergencies, for the next inevitable move. But these small purchases felt like something different, like a statement of hope.
She made one more stop at the small market, splurging on ingredients for a proper dinner—pasta, fresh vegetables, a small piece of parmesan cheese that cost more than she would normally spend, and a bottle of inexpensive but decent red wine. Tonight, she would celebrate the fact that she might have found a place to call home.
Back at the cabin, she unpacked her treasures and made her dinner, savoring the simple pleasure of cooking something just for herself. She opened the wine and poured a glass, then carried her plate and glass out to the porch, sharing the meal with Ozzie as the fading light painted the river in shades of gold and rose.
After eating, she set her empty plate aside and took her wine glass down to the dock, Ozzie trotting faithfully behind her. She sat on the edge, dangling her feet just above the water’s surface, and Ozzie flopped down beside her with a contented sigh.
“You know, Oz,” she said, scratching behind his ears, “I really think we might have found a place to stay for a while.”
He thumped his tail in agreement as she looked across the river to the island, its dark shape silhouetted against the darkening sky. Her river prince’s island. That night in the water stillseemed more like a dream than reality, but someone had been leaving those presents for her.
She lowered her feet into the water, gasping slightly at the coolness. The river was calm tonight, the surface like glass reflecting the first stars appearing in the twilight sky.
“I wonder why he stays hidden,” she mused, swirling her feet gently in the water as she remembered Flora’s advice. “He doesn’t have to be afraid of me.”
As if in answer, she felt something—a touch, warm and tentative, against her ankle. She went perfectly still, hardly daring to breathe. It wasn’t the brush of a fish or a piece of river weed. It was deliberate, slowly curving around her ankle in a gentle caress.
The light was fading fast, but she caught a swirl of something silvery beneath the surface of the water. Not fish scales—something larger, more substantial. Her heart pounded so hard she was sure it must be audible as she set her wine glass carefully on the dock beside her.
“I know you’re there,” she said softly. “Please show yourself.”
For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, slowly, a face emerged from the water a few feet from the dock. Just the face at first—striking blue eyes that seemed to glow in the twilight, high cheekbones, a strong jaw. Then powerful shoulders rose above the surface as well.
Her breath caught. It was him—the face from her dreams, the one who had saved her from drowning. Her sketch hadn’t done him justice. He was even more magnificent than her memories had suggested. Inhuman, yes, but beautiful in a wild, primal way that made her pulse race.
“It’s you,” she whispered. “You saved me that night in the river.”
He nodded once, those luminous eyes never leaving her face.
“Thank you. I would have drowned if not for you.”
Another nod, and a slight movement that might have been a shrug.
“I’m Nina.”
He still didn’t speak, but he moved closer to the dock, still mostly submerged. Water streamed from his long dark hair, sending silver trails down his broad chest.
She took a deep breath, then extended her hand. He looked at it for a moment, then reached out and took it in his own. His hand was large, powerful, with a slight webbing between the fingers. His skin was cooler than hers but not cold, and silky smooth.
He moved closer still, his eyes never leaving hers. She should have been afraid—he was clearly not human, clearly powerful enough to pull her into the depths if he wished. But she felt no fear, only a strange sense of recognition, as if she’d been waiting for this moment her whole life.
He released her hand and placed his palm gently against her cheek instead. Without thinking, she leaned into the touch, mesmerized by his handsome, inhuman face. His thumb brushed lightly across her lower lip, leaving a trail of coolness that quickly warmed.
Then he was rising further from the water, his face level with hers. She caught a glimpse of a powerfully built torso before he closed the distance between them, pressing his lips to hers.
The kiss was tentative at first, as if he feared she might pull away, but she responded immediately, her lips softening against his. He tasted of river water and something wild and sweet that she couldn’t name.
Just as she reached up to touch his face, he pulled back abruptly. There was a look in his eyes that she couldn’t quite decipher—wonder, perhaps, or fear, or both.
She could tell he was about to disappear back into the depths, and desperation seized her.
“Wait! Please—what’s your name?”
He hesitated, already half-submerged again. For a moment she thought he wouldn’t answer, but then his voice came, deep and slightly rough, as if unused to speaking.
“Sam.”
Then he was gone, disappearing beneath the surface in a swirl of dark water and silver bubbles.
