Page 95 of Cruel Tides

Kaidoesn’t mind?Of course Leander would think that. But I knew Kai, and he for sure?—

“He can join us.”

And there my head went, sputtering and stalling out again.

I couldn’t even get words out, but it was okay because Kai got the words out for me.

“Join you?” he stuttered, wasting no time coming right over to the couch. Pink flushed his face as he awkwardly stood over us. “Really?You–you wouldn’t mind?”

My stomach flipped. That… wasn’t how I’d thought that would go.

Kai was really considering joining us? Sure, they were both my mates, and that… that would be…wow.

But surely Leander wasn’t serious. He was far too possessive for that.

Wasn’t he?

Kai’s face was full of tentative hope, and I stared up at him briefly before turning back to Leander. He was locked on my lips, not picking up the importance of this moment at all. As he leaned back in like he was about to kiss me again, I pushed him away.

“This is Barren’s couch,” I declared. My eyes snapped back and forth between the two of them.

“So?” Leander said, though he stayed as far back as I’d pushed him this time, giving me space. “He knows you’re our mate. It’s only natural we?—”

“You don’t understand!” The words fell out of me. My heart fluttered, pumping so, so fast. “This isBarren’scouch,” I said again.

“Why does that matter?” Leander said, still not getting it.

I swallowed slowly, not sure if I was ready to admit it. But if not now, then when? I pressed my eyes shut briefly, finding the words. “It matters because his voice has called to me, too.”

Above us, Kai scratched at the nape of his neck. “All three of us?” he whispered, like he was thinking over the probability of all three of them being my mates. My face burned with fire.

Yeah, it didn’t make sense. I really was a harlot, falling for every merman who happened to speak to me. But what could I say? I hadn’t asked for this. I couldn’t help it. This was who I was, apparently.

It finally made sense why Poseidon had held out on my other gifts. He’d clearly given me a few too many extra doses ofthe thrall.

With uncertainty, Leander reached his hand out to mine. When I let him take it, he rested our joined hands on the couch between us. He took a deep, steadying breath before saying, “Good.”

“Good?” I scoffed. “Really, Lee?”

Leander breathed in deeply again, his eyes briefly closing while his thumb skimmed over the back of my hand. Outside, the ocean was as calm as ever. Was he truly not upset?

When his eyes reopened, he broke into a smirk. “All the more reason for us to use his couch.”

I shot him a glance, becauseseriously?But then he was on me, lips brushing over mine again. Beside us, Kai bit back a whimper that had me wondering if he was disappointed that Leander had been the one to reach my mouth first.

I pressed against Leander’s chest again, breaking the kiss. He chuckled, letting me push him away. This was apparently becoming a fun game for him.

“Wait a second,” I said. “Barren doesn’t even know that we might be mates.”

Cue more chuckling. “Sure he doesn’t, beautiful.”

Kai’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean, might be? You said his voice called to you, right?”

I bit my lip, thinking back on it. “Well, yeah, but…”

“You’re mates.” Leander shrugged. “As I’ve said, mermen can’t glamour their voices.”

My eyes rolled. “I know that, of course. But he’s never mentioned my voice doing anything to him.”

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