Page 38 of Kiss for My Kraken
With a low groan, Sam swept Nina up in his arms once more and leapt into the water, his body reverting to its true form as soon as they hit the water. She gasped at the initial chill, then relaxed as he warmed the water around them. Her hair fanned out around her face, dark against the pale curve of her throat. His tentacles unfurled, seeking her out, wrapping around her and pulling her close. She returned the embrace, her body arching into his, her arms circling his neck as her legs locked around his waist.
The water supported them as their mouths met again, hungry and desperate, and his skin darkened to the deep blue-black of the river’s depths.
“Sam,” she whispered suddenly. “You’re glowing.”
He hadn’t realized. The bioluminescent markings along his skin—dormant in air—had activated in the water, tracing patterns of blue light across his chest and tentacles. It was a mating display, a biological response to desire that he had no control over.
“Does it frighten you?” he asked, suddenly uncertain.
She laughed softly, the sound like music. “It’s beautiful.” She traced one glowing pattern with a gentle finger. “Like you’re made of stars.”
Her touch ignited more sparks beneath his skin. His tentacles twined around her, exploring every inch of her body, caressing and stroking. Two of his suckers covered her pretty nipples, and she gasped into his mouth. He could feel the texture of her skin through the sensitive undersides of his tentacles, and he shivered as the sensation overwhelmed him. He wanted to feel her everywhere.
His mating tentacle pushed urgently against his sheath as his arousal grew, and he knew he couldn’t hold back much longer. He broke the kiss to meet her eyes, his voice a deep rumble.
“You are mine, Nina. My mate. Now and always. Do you understand this? What it means to me?”
Her eyes were soft, her smile radiant. “Yes. I love you, Sam. I want to be your mate. Now and always.”
A surge of emotion swept through him—awe, relief, desire, and a fierce protectiveness that he’d never felt before. He tightened his grip, one tentacle slipping between her legs to press against the heat of her core, and another circling the soft curves of her ass.
“I… I’ve never done this before,” she whispered, and it took him a moment to realize that she didn’t just mean in the water.
“You’re a virgin?” he asked, startled, and she nodded shyly. “Then we’ll take it very slowly.”
Even if it killed him.
He kissed her again and she immediately opened to him, her tongue dancing against his. He used the tip of a tentacle to probegently at her entrance. Her body resisted briefly, a thin barrier that gave way to his gentle pressure. She made a small noise of discomfort and he stopped immediately, stroking her soothingly as he covered her clit with one of his suckers. A low moan escaped her throat as he sucked on the sensitive nub, his tentacle pulsing gently against her. Her hips began to move, her body seeking more, and he carefully slipped the tip of his tentacle deeper inside.
The hot, tight grip of her body almost undid him and he had to stop again, shuddering with need. When he had himself under control, he started moving again, working his tentacle in and out of her in shallow strokes, matching the rhythm of his sucker on her clit. Her channel softened, growing slick with her arousal, and his mating tentacle slid free of its sheath, pushing insistently against her leg.
His suckers pulled at her nipples and clit, tugging and teasing the sensitive flesh as his tentacle stroked her inner walls, gradually stretching her. She was gasping now, her breath coming in quick, hard pants, her hands gripping his shoulders as he brought her to a climax that left her shaking in his arms.
As she floated in a dazed afterglow, he adjusted their position, lifting her so that his mating arm nudged at her entrance. He curled it as tightly as possible but it was still larger than the tentacle. Her eyes opened and she met his gaze, her eyes warm and trusting, and rocked her hips towards him.
He shuddered as the thick tip of his mating arm entered her, the sensation threatening to overwhelm him—her heat, the clench of her muscles, the rush of moisture as her body responded to him. He fought back his own need and pushed forward, slowly, carefully, stopping when she tensed, and then resuming whenshe relaxed again. Her body resisted, but each time he paused and let her grow accustomed to the stretch.
She was so tight around him, her inner walls rippling as she stretched to accommodate him. Every pulse of her body was echoed in his, his mating arm throbbing with pleasure. He fought to maintain control, determined not to hurt her, not to rush. Finally, he was buried to the hilt, her heat surrounding him. He held still, savoring the connection, and then she moved.
A wild groan escaped his lips and his control snapped. His tentacles tightened, lifting her slightly so he could move freely. He began thrusting in long, deep strokes, his suckers tugging at her nipples and clit, urging her on. Her legs wrapped around him, pulling him closer, and her fingers clutched at his shoulders as she arched her back and gave herself up to him. With each thrust, her body gripped him tighter, the hot, slick friction driving his desire even higher.
He wanted to prolong the experience, to make it last forever, but his instincts had taken over and his body demanded completion. His mating arm unfurled within her, stretching her even further, and she cried out. Her body rippled around his as her climax swept over her, and the sound, the sight of her, the feel of her around him, sent him tumbling after her as he came in an endless rush, filling her, claiming her. The water seemed to pulse, echoing their shared climax as they clung to each other.
When it finally ended, he remained buried inside her, unwilling to pull away. She didn’t protest, resting against his chest, her breath slow and even as she drifted on the edge of sleep. The only sound was the gentle lapping of waves against the cabin walls. His mating patterns pulsed erratically, matching his gradually slowing heartbeat.
She was the first to move, lifting a hand to trace the glowing patterns on his chest with wondering fingers. “That was…”
“Yes,” he agreed, understanding what she couldn’t find words to convey. “Yes, it was.”
“Thank you for being willing to show me all of yourself,” she whispered, her hand curling against his chest, and his mating arm throbbed within her, making her moan. But despite his eagerness, he didn’t want to overwhelm her.
“Let’s get you dry and warm,” he said, lifting her out of the water. He grabbed a soft towel from a nearby shelf, tenderly drying her skin before wrapping her in it. “Are you cold?”
She shook her head, her smile soft and satisfied. “Not at all.”
He gathered her close, his tentacles curling protectively around her as he carried her to the bed platform, then stretched out beside her, his form still fully kraken. She immediately curled into him, seemingly untroubled by the tentacles that automatically wrapped around her. If anything, she snuggled closer, her head finding a natural resting place on his chest.
“I never thought I’d find this,” he said quietly. “Someone who could see me—all of me—and not run away.”
