Waves of Change (World Above Water, Book 1) (3 page)

She knew Dr. Bergen was trying to be nice, but she had already resigned herself to a specific fact in this case. Timing was everything. She shook her head as she tossed the used towels into the nearby wastebasket before she returned her gaze to his. “If their plane hadn’t made it in time, the outcome could have been completely different.”

“If they had a different surgeon, the outcome
would
have been different.” He crossed the room to stand next to her and gave his own head shake. “Just take the compliment.” The words were spoken through a chuckle as he gave the side of her upper arm a gentle pat.

Dr. Bergen had a contagious laugh, and when she heard it, Alicia couldn’t help but join in. Dr. Bergen was more than her boss. Even though he was over forty years older, he was a friend, and they both shared a love of making a difference and saving lives. These thoughts filtered into her consciousness as their laughter died down. As she studied his face, she watched his light expression fade, to be replaced by eyes framed by furrowed brows and narrowed lids. She didn’t have a reference for the change in his expression, and she tilted her head and raised a brow as she watched him. “Is there something wrong, Doctor?”

“You’re exhausted; get some rest. Real rest this time, not staying here for thirty-six hours reading charts and doing rounds
after
working a fourteen-hour shift.”

His laughter returned, and with it she felt a measure of relief. “Fine, Dr. Dad. I’m going. You do know my father is alive and well? His name is John, and he is more than happy to nag me about my work hours, so you don’t have to.”

Another clap on her arm was his parting gesture, and he chuckled to himself as he left.

Alicia crossed the room with a smile and retrieved her lab coat from her locker while thoughts of getting through paperwork danced in her head. As soon as she slipped her arms into the long sleeves, her mobile phone rang inside her pocket. “Dr. Lewis.”

* * * *

Daniel stood under the spray of his shower and attempted to wash away the workday. As he rinsed the last of the shampoo from his hair, his thoughts traveled back to Alicia, and a large smile spread his lips. The memory of the surprise on her face when her friend blotted her cleavage forced a laugh from his throat, and feelings of excitement returned in an instant.
She’s shy. That’s so adorable.

It had felt like an eternity before she turned back to face him while he knelt next to her, and when she did, it took all of his willpower to remain calm. Visions of kissing her face began to fill his head, and as he pictured being close to her, she suddenly invaded his senses.

He could feel her in the water as it fell in droplets onto his skin, and he blinked his eyes in rapid-fire succession as the feeling disoriented him.
She’s touching water. I can feel her.
He concentrated and tracked the sensation in an attempt to locate the source.
She’s washing her hands. She must have finished with her surgery. Should I call her now?

Using his abilities, he stopped the water from falling from the shower, suspending the droplets in midair while he ran out of the bathroom to find his phone and her number. When he located both, he ran back to the shower and allowed the water to fall against his hand. He could sense she was still washing her hands, but he felt the vibrations of conversation as well. He tried to focus on only her, but when he heard a male voice, he couldn’t help eavesdropping.

As he listened to the conversation, he blew out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. The friendly, almost familial tone the man used with Alicia set his mind at ease, and he felt his muscles relax. Now he knew the man was harmless, so he returned his attention to the water pouring over her hands.

After a minute or so, he was cut off from her. He took a deep breath and released it through his lips as if he was blowing out a candle. He stopped the water from falling from the showerhead again as he talked himself into action.
Okay, I can do this.
Another deep breath, and he second-guessed his approach. He held the phone and number in one hand while he paced naked in his bathroom.
What if she thinks I’m a stalker? She didn’t actually give me her number, remember? What if it goes to voice mail? What exactly am I going to say in a message?

There were too many variables to consider, and every avenue seemed to indicate not calling her was the best course of action. “But she’s my
Dau-Hael.
” It was enough of a reminder to spur him on, and he dialed her number.

“Dr. Lewis.”

He took a moment to calm himself before he spoke. “Hi, Alicia, it’s Daniel.”

“Daniel?” There was surprise in her voice, and he had a hard time deciphering if the response was laced with fear.

“Yeah, we met earlier today at the café, remember?”
Please don’t think I’m some homicidal killer who stalks women they meet in restaurants.

“I remember. It’s just … I wasn’t expecting you to call me.”

She’s probably wondering how I got her number. Say something reassuring.
“Bethany gave me your number. I wanted to give you a call since we never got a chance to set up a date for coffee or dinner.” He waited through the silence on the line. When he didn’t hear her voice for several moments, anxiety bubbled inside him, and he clenched and unclenched his free hand into a fist in response. He’d wait to hear her speak before he went any further, but as she remained mute, he worried she wouldn’t utter another syllable.
I’m not a creepy guy, I promise. Please don’t hang up.

“Daniel, my schedule is pretty crazy, and…”

Thank
Enki
, she didn’t hang up.
“I understand, just pick a time and we can meet.”

“The time I might have available could be at an obscene hour, and that wouldn’t be reasonable or fair to you.”

“If that is the time you have, then I don’t see a problem.” He listened as she took in a deep breath, and he felt his heart in his throat.
Is this it? Is she trying to find a way to say no?
Each second felt like a decade, and he felt beads of sweat appear on his forehead, blending into the water dripping from his hair.

“Well, I just got out of surgery, but if you want to meet for dinner in about an hour, we can do that. If you haven’t eaten, that is.”

The urge to jump for joy all but took over his rational thought, and he lifted both arms in the air in a touchdown gesture while he mouthed silent cheers. He pulled the phone down and practically glued it to his ear. “Where would you like to meet?”

“How about Rochelle’s?”

“Perfect. I’ll see you there.”

“Sounds good, Daniel. See you then.”

He held onto the phone until she hung up. The moment he pressed the button to end the call, he let loose a flurry of sentences of gratitude in his native tongue. As he thought about where they’d meet, his breath hitched.
Rochelle’s is on the lake.
She chose a location on the water. Excellent.

A large smile spread his lips as he got back into the shower and allowed the warm spray to cascade over his body once again.
I’ll have to stop by Pat’s on the way, so I need to make sure to leave time for traffic.
Images of her face danced in his head as he soaped up his body, and he began to rehearse the things he’d say to her.
I could ask her about—

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt her again. He didn’t just detect her; his senses felt like they were assaulted by her, and he placed his hands between the tiled wall and the mottled glass shower door to brace himself. Enki-ak-si lilu.
She’s taking a shower!
The sight of her naked body made him call out to
Enki
, goddess of the Leuk Ahnal, asking for her favor. He’d need all the help he could get if he was going to stay focused, but even
Enki
was no match for the temptation of his
Dau-Hael
.

He tried to steady himself as he sensed the spray as it hit her body. He allowed himself to be one with the water, and he closed his eyes as he followed the path of the drops from her face to her chest and over her breasts. His mouth went dry as he took in the watery image of her bare body, and he gulped mouthfuls of the liquid as it poured down over him. His exploration of her continued as he tracked a rivulet down her waist, to her hips, and even lower to the delta of her womanhood. “Shit!”

There was no way to stop his body’s reaction to her, and his erection was immediate and painful as he longed to touch the woman he could see through the water. Every drop that caressed her skin made an impression in his mind, and his water called out to her. Need built up inside him, and he ached to chase the trails of the droplets over her body with his tongue. The water pressed details into him, making him feel the smoothness of her skin and the soft curves of her feminine figure.

His hips jerked forward of their own volition, and he clenched his teeth as he tried to gain some form of control. The water of his shower beat down on him, pressing the connection into his flesh and searing the vision of her naked form into his.

Daniel groaned as he all but felt Alicia rub soap over herself. His shaft pulsed and throbbed in painful sync with his heart, and he reached down with one hand and began to stroke himself, needing relief from the feelings building inside him. His brow furrowed when he felt the movements of Alicia’s hands as she bathed. He pushed his tongue between his lips and teeth as he grasped his shaft more firmly. Moans escaped his lips as Alicia moved a washcloth-covered hand over her breasts. When she moved to clean her pubic area, he felt the last tenuous thread he held himself in check with snap.

Grunts and groans were punctuated by hissed breaths as he pumped faster. Water from the showerhead caused his hair to cling to his skin when he bowed his head forward, but he didn’t care about the tendrils of hair near his eyes. He was close, and his breathing changed to rapid, shallow pants as his sac tightened. He held onto the shower door for dear life and screwed his eyes shut as he felt his climax upon him. When Alicia spread her lower lips and began to wash herself, he came, shooting arcs of his seed into the endless stream of the shower while he visualized replacing her fingers with his mouth. He maintained his grip on the door and tried to hold himself steady through the aftershocks. Keeping his balance was a tough feat with legs that felt like gelatin.

After a few minutes he was in control, and he turned off the water. He grabbed a towel from the handle outside the glass shower door and wrapped it around his waist. A quick manipulation of the water and his hair and body were dry. He felt lighter on his feet as he headed for his closet, and images of her continued to play in his mind. He moved his gaze over his clothes and laughed as a thought popped into his head.
Alicia, you’re not even here and you’re going to be the death of me.

Chapter 5

Alicia arrived to find Daniel outside the restaurant. He stood just beyond a grouping of wrought iron outdoor tables and appeared to be lost in thought as he stared out at the lake in silence. She watched him for several moments and observed his pressed dark slacks and matching blazer.

She couldn’t see his shirt with his back to her, but she liked the view she had all the same. After a few nervous swallows, she finally summoned the courage to walk over to him.
No more excuses, Alicia. You’re going to give the guy a chance before you dismiss the opportunity. At least this time, right? Right? What am I doing?
The urge to call her friends slowed her steps, and she gripped her purse as her nerves began to get the better of her.
This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t be doing this. I don’t date. I don’t know anything about dates.

Part of her wanted to turn around and go back to the car, but another part of her kept moving one foot in front of the other despite her mixed feelings. As she continued to walk toward him, she felt her chest tighten, and a nervous energy surged up her spine. When he turned as she approached, she smiled and did the one thing she could think of to calm her nerves. She visualized his heart.
Based on the size of his hands, he should have a normal presentation if there are no congenital deformities. I hope he’s not a smoker, that can cause all sorts of…
Oh, just say hello to him.

*

It wasn’t intentional, but when Alicia got close enough, Daniel could sense her.
Try to act natural; don’t say anything stupid.
As he turned to face her, he felt a wave of relief rush through his water at being in her presence again. The moment he looked upon her, his eyes widened.

She wore a midcalf-length white dress that hugged her waist with a slim fit down her thighs. A light blue shawl draped her shoulders, and the entire ensemble was completed by her high-heeled strappy sandals, which made her gorgeous legs even longer. The white fabric of the dress contrasted against her brown skin and stretched over her body in a way that highlighted her figure without being too tight. She was fit but not sculpted, and the tone of her muscles was easy to spot. Her hair was in the same ponytail, which hung down between her shoulder blades.

As he took a breath, he noticed a different fragrance around her, and a small smile curved his lips when he recognized the scent of gardenias. The vision of her along with the pull he felt toward her left him in awe, and words failed him for a time.
She’s … perfect.

“Hello again.” Her voice was a little shaky, but the smile on her face was warm and inviting.

“Good evening. You look lovely.” He watched her cast her eyes to the ground while her lips spread in a demure smile. It was too dark to see if her face reddened, but he imagined it did.

“Thank you.” Her voice was quiet, and if he didn’t know any better, he’d say it was uncertain.
Don’t make her uncomfortable.
He offered his arm, and when she took it, a surge of euphoria enveloped him. He felt invincible in her presence, and as he led her to their table, he had the sensation that his feet barely skimmed the ground.