Page 19 of Kiss for My Kraken
The vision of Nina’s small body curled up among his bedding flashed through his mind and he felt the unfamiliar ache of his mating arm, the heavy pressure as it pressed against the protective sheath that held it. A sudden surge of longing filled him and he had to fight back the urge to swim straight to her cabin, to claim her as his own.
Not yet.She wasn’t ready. For that matter he wasn’t sure that he was ready, despite the demands of his body.
Instead, he forced himself to focus on his task, considering what else he might need to make her comfortable. Food, perhaps? Most of the time he fed himself from the river’s bounty, but he also enjoyed the occasional human meal. He kept a small stockpile of non-perishable food on the island, but perhaps he could expand it. Would she enjoy his cooking, or would she find it too simple?
Would she find it strange that he had a home on land, despite his aquatic nature? Would she ask questions he wasn’t ready to answer?
He pushed the worries aside. One step at a time. First, do his best to make the cabin welcoming. Then bring her across. Then… see what happened.
He moved around his home, cleaning and tidying. He found an old quilt in his storage room and laid it over the sofa. He stacked wood for a fire next to the great stone fireplace, and placed another basketful next to the wood stove. He dusted off his dishes and even added a vase of the fall lilies that grew wild on the island.
When everything was as ready as he could make it, he slipped back into the water, resuming his usual form with a sigh of relief. That had been the longest time he’d spent in his land form since… since his escape. The thought stirred unwelcome memories and he quickly pushed them away. Once he was in the water, the lingering aches and pains disappeared, his body moving easily and gracefully through the familiar environment.
The moon was high in the sky by the time he finished his preparations. The night was quiet and peaceful, and he let the familiar sounds of the river soothe him—the soft hum of insects and the quiet rustle of night creatures, the gentle lap of the current.
He circled her dock, looking up at the darkened windows of her shack. Was she asleep? Dreaming? Thinking of him?
He imagined her there, curled on her side, her small form outlined by blankets, her hair a soft cloud against the pillow. Her eyes closed, her lips parted slightly, her breath slow and even.
The image was so clear, so vivid, that he almost believed he could see her, as if he were looking right into the room. He pushed the thought aside, dismissing it as a foolish fantasy. Instead, helet the memory of her face fill his mind—her smile, her laugh, the warmth in her eyes when she’d touched his face. Those memories were real, not a fantasy.Shewas real, and she was close.
But for now, she slept and he needed to rest too.
With a final glance at the darkened cabin, he submerged and wrapped a tentacle around the dock post, content to keep watch over her until the dawn came.
CHAPTER 11
Nina was having the best dream. She was in a large bed, surrounded by soft pillows and blankets. A massive male figure loomed over her, but he didn’t frighten her. His strong arms held her gently and his cool lips pressed kisses across her heated flesh. She was naked and wet and desperate, writhing against his body, her legs wrapped around his hips as something hard pressed against her entrance…
She woke with a start, her body aching with need. She could still feel the press of his lips on her skin, the cool touch of his fingers trailing down her spine. Her heart raced and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She’d never had that type of dream before, never felt that rush of arousal. Was it even possible?
Memories from the previous evening flooded back with startling clarity. Sam rising from the depths, water streaming from his powerful shoulders. That beautiful, inhuman face. His mouth on hers, cool and firm. His hands on her body, his tentacle circling her ankle.
He was real, not a dream, not a fantasy.
And he’d kissed her.
Her lips still tingled from the memory, and she touched them, a wondering smile spreading across her face. She’d been kissed before, but not often and it had never been like that. Sam’s kiss had been different—deeper, more intimate. As if they’d been the only two people in the world at that moment, and nothing else mattered.
She hugged her knees to her chest, torn between elation and terror. She’d kissed an Other—a water creature with tentacles, for heaven’s sake. The Chosen would have considered him an abomination.
Yet it had felt… right. Perfect, even. Like finding a missing piece of herself she hadn’t known was gone.
She glanced at the window. The sky was just beginning to lighten in the east, the stars fading into the soft pink and lavender hues of dawn, and the river glittered, beckoning. A cool breeze blew through the open window, bringing with it the fresh scent of the water.
“I should be freaking out,” she told Ozzie, who wagged his stubby tail in response. “Any normal person would be freaking out.”
Instead, she felt light. Buoyant. As if she might float away if she didn’t anchor herself.
The realization that she needed to get ready for work finally broke through her daze. She scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping over Ozzie in her haste.
“Sorry, buddy,” she murmured, patting him apologetically. “I’m a little… distracted.”
Distracted didn’t begin to cover it. As she showered and dressed, her mind kept drifting back to the dock, to Sam. Would he return tonight? Did he regret their encounter? Or was he, like her, counting the hours until dusk?
She caught herself humming as she made a quick breakfast, a tuneless melody that nevertheless expressed the strange happiness bubbling inside her. Ozzie watched her with his head tilted, as if trying to understand her sudden change in mood.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she told him, tossing him a bit of toast. “Can’t a girl be happy?”
