Sea Storm: Children of the Waves (7 page)

This time his hard cock would get the
satisfaction he’d always denied himself. Shifting his hips, he ground into her
soft mound. Wanting even such a brief strip of material separating him from his
haven gone.

She must have sensed his urgency or felt
the same way because her hands snaked down his back and grabbed his ass,
drawing him tighter against her.

He released one arm, so he could help her
pull his briefs lower. He shifted his position again and pulled his underwear
off the rest of the way, but got only one leg free. All he needed. Zek ripped
her underwear off and covered her again. The bliss of nothing separating them
had them moaning into each other’s mouths, while lightning flashed and sizzled
overhead between the stars.

“Zek.” She moaned his name between his
lips. At the same time, she drew her legs up. Using her hand, she reached
between their bodies to grab his sex and guide it inside her.

He closed his eyes, arched his head back,
and rocked his hips forward, into her. The breath left his lungs and he inhaled
like he’d never exhale again. The feeling reminded him of standing in the midst
of a lightning storm while the bolts traveled through his body, something he’d
done many times. Yet, it still couldn’t compare to the exquisite sensation of
being within the body of his bride. He the living electricity, and she his
conduit.

Des responded to his invasion by rocking
her hips against him, dragging her legs higher unto his back. Taking him even
deeper into her haven.

Zek opened his eyes and stared down at
her.

Her face bathed in moonlight, glistening
from the water, and her lips partly open in ecstasy. She took a deep breath and
after closing her eyes, she raised her chin.

“Open your eyes, agapetos,” he whispered.
Beloved.

Her eyes snapped open and he found
himself drowning in their brandy depths. For a moment, he saw the lightning
storm taking place around them reflected in her orbs. They drew him in so far—he
never wanted to leave. Her body squeezed him like she had no intention of ever
letting him go. His movements got even faster, and he pounded in and out of
her. Setting a rhythm in counter point to the sound of the waves crashing onto
shore, like the electricity connecting with the water, but no less potent. The
pressure built inside of him, this time—this time it differed. This time,
he made love to his bride.

Heat unlike any he’d ever known rushed
through his veins, igniting every cell in his body as it passed. Yet he had no
control over it nor did he want to even try to stop whatever happened. But it
was too much. He could not keep his eyes open to stare at his mate as his body
fell apart and reconnected with hers. The storm within him gathered in strength
and intensity, his body spasmed and thunder raced across the night sky. He
roared with the release of his body’s life essence, into the waiting vessel of
his bride. The only woman capable of drawing forth his seed.

Des’ muscles continued to clench around
him, draining all of the cum out of him, which he gladly surrendered to her.
This woman, his bride, his mate. Eventually they both stopped moving and he
rolled off her, but kept her at his side. She rested her head on his chest
tracing his rose tattoo with her fingertip while one leg rested over him.
Thunder continued to rumble overhead.

They were both breathing heavily. “Maybe
we should go inside. I think a storm’s coming,” she stated.

He smiled against her hair. “We’ll be
fine. Have no fear, no storm can hurt us.”

He felt her lips curl into a smile
against his skin, then she kissed him. “Awfully sure of yourself, huh?”

“Very.” The lightning and thunder
disappeared as he took control of his emotions and his powers. He linked their
fingers together and raised their hands up in front of him. Loving the feel of
her, the connection to her.

“What did you call me? That name,” she
asked.

Zek smiled into her hair. “Agapetos, it
means, beloved.”

Des stilled beside him, just before she
shifted from his chest.

He sat up, so he could see her face. “No.
Do not hide from me.” He circled one arm around her waist the other under her
shoulder and he drew her back to him.

She placed her hands on his chest.

His heart pulsed against his chest at her
tender touch. “I know who you are. You know me. I came for you, Hali.” He
touched his necklace. “I’ve worn this since the day you placed it around my
neck. I never take it off.”

She shook her head and a tear trickled
out of the corner of her eye. “No.”

Unable to help himself, he smiled again.
“Yes. Your family is in some kind of trouble, so you had to go into hiding;
change your name. I have searched for you these last few years. I promised you
I would find you again. So, you know I keep my promises. I will make you
another one. I will keep you safe, I swear as a son of Poseidon.”

“How—how did you know?” Then, she
frowned. “What do you mean by a ‘son of Poseidon’?”

Deciding to side step the second part of
her question for now, he addressed the first, “I hired a private investigator,
actually more than one over the years. The last one I hired six months ago was
the first to actually find something concrete on you. I know you and your
family entered the witness protection program. How you all were listed as
having died on the boat that exploded. But I knew that for a lie, because I was
there. I saved you that day.”

She raised her hand and caressed the side
of his face. “I remember the dolphins helping my parents. The weird lightning.
I—I remember you. But then, you left me and no one could find any trace
of you in the water. I thought you’d drowned. If it weren’t for the footprints
leading from my side, right into the water, no one would have believed me when
I told them about you. I’m still not sure they thought those footprints had
anything to do with me. Since I couldn’t find you, no one could.”

He placed his head on her forehead. “I’m
sorry. I had no choice. But I promised you one day, I’d come back for you.”
He’d wanted to take her with him then but at the time, she’d been a teenager.
It would have been wrong, but he’d begun to age from then on. “Believe me, I
couldn’t stay with you as much as I wanted to. There would have been too many
questions from your family, the Coast Guard. None of which, I could answer.
Besides, you needed a human hospital. You’d suffered injuries I wouldn’t have
been able to heal and you needed attention immediately.”

“Hu—human.”

Zek kissed her hand. “Yes, human.”

She frowned. “Are you telling me you’re
not human?” The last word came out as more of a squeak.

He hesitated before answering. Taking a
risk but he could not lie to his mate. Not part of his nature. “Not quite. I am
the direct descendant of a god. My people refer to ourselves as Children of the
Waves, as you are a child of the land.”

“What?” This time she moved to get up,
move away from him.

He refused to release her. “You know what
I say is true. Search your heart, Hali.”

She shook her head. “Please, don’t ever
call me that. My name is Desiree, Des. Hali died the day the boat exploded,
along with all the members of her family. And for all our sakes, she has to
stay dead.”

The dread and pleading in her eyes told
him she needed to know she had nothing to fear from him. He nodded. “I
understand but you need not worry. You’re safe with me, always. I will protect
you.”

“No it’s you who doesn’t understand, I
can never be safe. My family can never be safe. The men who tried to kill us,
while they’re either dead or in jail, there is one who is still alive. The one
who gave the order and those who work for him now. If any of these people ever
get even a hint that we’re still alive, they
will
come after us.”

Every bone in his body stilled at the
thought of his bride being in any kind of danger. Thunder and lightning played
a duet born of anger while he drew her closer against his body.

Chapter
Seven

Des glanced up. She heard thunder earlier
and saw the lightning, yet there were no clouds above. The only things in the
sky were stars. Still, who knew, the tropics were known for sudden storms. She
reached for her dress, but she couldn’t put her ripped underwear back on and
just balled them in her hand.
Quickly, she
pulled the dress over her head and stood up. Needing some distance from the
madness overtaking her.

Zek put his shorts on. He shoved his
briefs in his pocket, and carried his shirt in his hands.

The ridges of his abdomen and the ripple
of his muscles, as he moved, drew her gaze. She shivered, thinking of being
pressed up close and personal with all that beautiful male flesh. She could
still feel his fullness inside her. The evidence of his passing, rested warm
within her. What was wrong with her? She didn’t jump into bed with guys she
just met.
And for Christ sake, he claimed
he wasn’t human!

Realization then fully dawned on her.
“Oh, my God! You came inside of me. You didn’t use a condom! Shit!” She’d
never, ever forgotten herself like that.
What
the hell!
Yes, she and Cori came on the cruise for a little vacation fun.
Even with as much as she flirted, it didn’t mean she’d actually have sex with
some stranger. Much less unprotected sex. She glared at him. “What have you
done?”

He stared at her, and took a step forward
his hand raised as if to touch her.

Des took a step back. Unsure of herself,
fearing if he touched her they would roll around in the sand again. Everything
inside her named him
the one
. The boy
who’d saved her life. The one all those stupid romance books and movies talked
about. The one who’d already claimed her. Her nipples stiffened again, begging
for his touch. Her sex clenched, readying itself for his possession once more.
Like he didn’t just give her one of the best climaxes of her life. She needed
to stop this craziness.

When she stepped back, he lowered his
hand and sighed. “Let’s go inside and get cleaned up and I’ll try to answer any
questions you might have for me. I have a few for you, too.”

She shook her head. “The first question I
have for you is when was the last time you were tested for STDs?” Anyone
willing to jump a stranger’s bones had to be a player, and a nutcase to boot.
Though deep down, such thoughts lacked truth. Zek could be the man, boy, who’d
saved her. The boy she’d thought of for so many years, finding her again, just
like he promised. Or rather, she found him. He’d always been the reason she
couldn’t have a normal relationship with any man. At the end of the day, none
of them were her hero. None left her wanting. None fulfilled her the way he
just proved he could. And left her craving more. She’d always been able to walk
away from relationships before they really even became one.

This time, she knew she’d have a devil of
a time walking away from him. Nutcase or not. “Look, I don’t do this.” She
waved her hand toward the sand at their feet, where they’d been rutting like a
couple of animals a few moments ago. And given the slightest provocation, she’d
do it again in a heartbeat. Although maybe—without the sand.

“I know,” he whispered in a voice so soft
she had to lean forward to hear him.

The truth was she really leaned forward
to catch more of his delicious scent the wind blew in her direction. Sand, sea
and sex.

He continued to speak and his voice had
her concentrating on his words. “I don’t either. My people never have to worry
about using protection because we are immune to human diseases, so you have no
concern there. Also, it has been a long time since I’ve been with anyone. In
fact only once, and only to learn to please you when the time came.” He stepped
forward again, until he stood directly in front of her. Heat radiated off him
and enveloped her, in spite of the evening breeze.

She’d fallen into lala land, but then he
raised his hand and, this time—touched her hair. Pushing the damp strands
from her face behind her ears.

No
. His touch rocked her to her marrow.
Real
.

“I trust I satisfied you?” he whispered.

Wait
what?
“What do you mean
‘once’?” She shuddered, surely she misunderstood him. “And that you wanted to
please me?”

His hand moved from her hair to a light
caress at her neck, down across one breast. Her chest rose and fell more in
reaction to his touch than because she needed air. It lightly skimmed over her
nipple, which puckered, eager for his attention before he’d even touched her.
His hand didn’t pause there though, much as she wanted it to, but continued to
her waist. Those talented fingers moved to take hers. He threaded their digits
together before raising both of their hands to his lips.

The touch of his mouth on her skin had
her soaking herself, again.

“I have always known, since that day…you
were the one for me… The only one. I have been with a single other woman in my
life, and she tutored me in the arts of pleasure. She trained me, so when we
met again, I would be able to please you.” He brought her hand up to his mouth
again, and licked the back of it before covering it with his other one, making
a sandwich out of hers. “Did I please you?”