Page 41 of Kiss for My Kraken
After a moment, she reluctantly straightened. “I really do need to go.”
He frowned. “But you’ll come back? After work?”
The uncertainty in his voice tugged at her heart. “Of course I will.”
His expression cleared, a smile softening his features. “Then I’ll be waiting for you at your dock.”
“I was thinking,” she added as they walked towards the boat, and he tensed again.
“What were you thinking?”
“As much as I love being here, I may want to spend some time at my shack as well. Would you consider being there with me?”
She glanced up, unsure how he would react to the suggestion, and found him watching her with undisguised wonder. “You would want that? To share your home with me?”
“Of course,” she said, surprised by his surprise. “I love you, Sam. I want us to be together.”
The words had slipped out naturally, without forethought, but she didn’t regret them. He went very still, his eyes wide. “You love me,” he repeated, the words somewhere between a statement and a question.
She nodded, suddenly nervous. “I do. I know it hasn’t been that long, but I’ve never felt this way about anyone. It’s like I’ve found the missing piece of myself.”
For a heartbeat, he remained motionless. Then he surged forward, pulling her into his arms with such swift intensity that she gasped. His kiss was fierce, almost desperate, as if he was trying to convey with actions what words couldn’t express.
When they finally broke apart, both breathing hard, his arms—and several tentacles—were wrapped securely around her.
“I love you too,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “From the moment I saw you, something in me recognized you. As if I’d been waiting for you without knowing it.”
The simple declaration filled her with a joy so intense it brought tears to her eyes. She blinked them away, smiling through the overwhelming emotion.
“So,” she said, trying to lighten the moment, “is that a yes to sharing my shack?”
He laughed, the sound vibrating through his chest. “Yes. To that and anything else you want, little minnow.”
“A dangerous promise,” she teased. “I might want all sorts of things.”
His expression turned serious again. “Whatever you want, if it’s in my power to give, it’s yours.”
The sincerity in his voice made her catch her breath. She leaned forward to rest her forehead against his chest. “All I want is you. The rest is just details.”
They stayed like that for a long moment, breathing each other in, content in their shared closeness. Finally, reluctantly, she pulled back.
“I really do need to get going,” she said. “I need to shower and change before my shift.”
He nodded, though his tentacles tightened briefly around her before releasing her. “I’ll take you back.”
They called Ozzie, who returned to them with obvious reluctance, having thoroughly enjoyed his island exploration. When they reached her dock, he held the boat steady while she climbed out, then lifted Ozzie onto the wooden planks beside her.
“Tonight,” he said, more statement than question.
“Tonight,” she confirmed. “I’ll come straight here after my shift.”
Sam rose partially from the water, his upper body emerging to pull her into one last embrace. His lips found hers in a kiss that started gentle but quickly deepened, filled with promise and longing.
“I’ll be thinking of you all day,” he murmured against her mouth.
“Me too,” she whispered back. “Every minute.”
With visible effort, Sam released her and sank back into the water. “Be safe, little minnow.”
