Page 24 of Kiss for My Kraken
“Yes.”
She turned and smiled at him. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
He felt his heart clench in his chest—an unfamiliar ache that was almost painful in its intensity. “You’re welcome.”
She turned back to the glowing algae. “Is this what you wanted to show me on the island?”
“One of the things. There’s more.”
For a while, they simply floated in the cove, surrounded by living light. Her fingers trailed through the water, creating ripples that sent new patterns of luminescence swirling around the boat. Ozzie watched from his spot at her feet, his head tilted curiously.
“We should go,” he said eventually, noting how the true darkness of night had fallen while they lingered in the cove. “Before it gets too late.”
She nodded, though he could tell she was reluctant to leave the magical display behind. As the boat left the cove, the lights gradually faded, replaced by the silvery glow of the moon rising above the treetops.
He guided the boat around the island, past the stony shore and the treacherous currents of the river’s deepest channel. Finally, they rounded the eastern point of the island and approached the floating dock that marked the entrance to his home.
Even though it extended out over the water, the cabin was partially concealed by the island’s dense trees, its weatheredwood blending into the natural landscape. He watched her take it in, suddenly anxious about what she might think of his humble dwelling. It wasn’t grand or particularly impressive, but it was his. His sanctuary. His home.
“Did you build this?” she asked as he guided the boat towards the floating dock next to the cabin.
“Yes.” He secured the boat to one of the pilings. “When I first came to Fairhaven Falls.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said, and the sincerity in her voice eased some of his anxiety. “Perfect for this spot.”
He helped her from the boat, careful to keep most of his body submerged as he steadied her with one strong arm. Ozzie leapt onto the dock after her, sniffing the unfamiliar wood with interest.
“This way,” he said, swimming alongside the dock as Nina and Ozzie made their way towards the cabin.
A few steps led from the dock up to the broad porch that surrounded the cabin on two sides. She climbed them, then paused, taking in the view from the porch—the dark water stretching in all directions, the distant lights of town barely visible through the trees, the vast sky above filled with stars.
“I can see why you chose this place,” she said softly. “It feels like another world.”
He raised himself higher out of the water. This close to his home, he felt more secure, less concerned about hiding. Still, he kept most of his lower body in the water, not yet ready to reveal himself fully.
“Would you like to see inside?” he asked, gesturing towards the cabin door, before a flicker of uncertainty passed through him. What if she didn’t like it? What if the stark evidence of his solitary existence repelled her?
But she was already nodding eagerly. “I’d love to.”
He reached past her and unlatched the cabin door. The door swung open, revealing the interior of his sanctuary—the place he’d never shared with another soul.
CHAPTER 13
Nina hesitated outside the cabin door, still half-convinced she must be dreaming. For days, she’d gazed at this island from her window, imagining what secrets it might hold. Now she was actually here, invited into Sam’s private domain.
Moonlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows across the dock. Tiny white wildflowers dotted the undergrowth, glowing like stars against the dark earth. The scent of pine and earth filled her lungs, mingled with the clean, mineral smell of the river. Even the air here felt different somehow—cooler, cleaner, untouched by the world beyond the river.
As Sam reached past her to open the door, she had her first real look at what lay below his waist—powerful tentacles, sleek and silvery-grey, that tapered to slender flexible tips. The sight sent an unexpected thrill through her, not of fear but fascination.
He caught her looking and hesitated, uncertainty flickering across his handsome face. She smiled reassuringly and walked through the door, noticing the intricate carved pattern thatdecorated its surface—swirling lines that mimicked the flow of water.
The door opened into a large room, rustic but surprisingly cozy in the soft glow of a lantern hanging from an overhead beam. A stone fireplace dominated one wall, cold now but clearly well-used. Shelves were built into the walls opposite the tall windows that overlooked the river. There were only a few pieces of furniture, but there was a wide padded bench beneath the windows and two more on either side of the fireplace.
“This is lovely,” she said, turning slowly to take it all in.
He watched from the doorway, his powerful body half in and half out of the cabin, tentacles still mostly submerged in the water beyond the porch. In the dim light, his blue eyes seemed to glow.
“I built it myself.”
