by Jaci Burton
Then the dolphin chattered, making strange sounds in a language she’d sell her soul to understand right now.
“I wish I could just step through that doorway and swim away with you. You think you’d like to take me away to your dolphin hangout, pal?”
Again he chattered, more animated this time.
“Hey, make me a credible offer and I’m yours.”
She laughed then, feeling ridiculous and not caring in the least. Despite the fact she should be terrified at what was happening around her, she’d never felt freer, more at home.
Ocean surrounded her. Her ocean. Her home, the place she loved most. Sea creatures that she adored swam right outside the transparent enclosure.
“You know, pal, everything I want is right here within my reach. If only I could do that deep sea breathing without needing oxygen, I’d be in heaven. Then I could go out there and take a swim with you.”
She swept the trailing edges of the bedsheet behind her and took a step closer to the wall. The dolphin backed away, completely submerged in the water once again. Jaz slipped her hand through the doorway, wriggling her fingers in the water. Then she stepped closer, watching the water slowly inch up her arm.
With a sigh, she pulled back.
“Wanna know something else?” she said to the hovering dolphin, unable to believe the feeling that had just come over her. “I wish Trey were here right now to share this with me. Isn’t that the dumbest thing you’ve ever heard?”
Chapter Eleven
Trey hadn’t expected Jasmine’s reaction to waking up in his sanctuary. Nor her enthusiastic curiosity about her surroundings.
Actually, he hadn’t expected anything. What a mess he’d made out of this situation. And now she was inside, and he was outside, unable to reveal himself to her.
He felt her longing, her wish to step through the portal and out into the sea. He could grant her wish, too, but at what risk? Once he revealed himself, she’d know. He’d have to tell her everything, and then take her back. Already the complications were nearly insurmountable. He’d taken care of her absence at the aquarium by stating that the two of them were going on an excursion to try and find the cause of the dolphin’s illness. That at least bought him a little time. And what about the dolphins there? What was their status? He needed to get back to them, needed to get her back up there.
Shit. This whole situation was a clusterfuck of epic proportions. He had to think, and quickly, of a possible solution. But instead, he hovered near the doorway like a lovesick mate worrying over its female.
Lovesick, that was a laugh. Trey didn’t love anyone. No, he’d been soundly cured of that affliction by Leelia, and he’d never fall for a woman again. But his feelings for Jaz came damn close to love.
Maybe he was just half in love with her. He blew the water out his air hole in laughter, making Jasmine squeal in delight as he popped in and out of the sanctuary.
He had to figure out what the hell he was going to do.
And he really should stop hovering and drooling over how Jasmine looked wrapped up in a sheet.
But goddamn she was sexy, like a siren. Compelling, with an aura that literally glowed around her body. He wanted to discover her body again and again, beginning with the treasures hidden beneath the silken sheet which clung to her breasts and hips.
“You know, pal,” she said, interrupting his lascivious thoughts, “if I wasn’t convinced I was dreaming, I’d sure think I was in heaven.” She turned and looked at the room, then back at him.
Her hair was a wild disarray of tangles and curls, her face flushed, giving her that sleepy, sexy look that drove him crazy. He wanted to thread his hands through it and draw her mouth into a kiss. God, he wanted that really bad right now.
“This place, this underwater home of…well, whoever it belongs to, is like a fantasy come true. This is my dream, actually. To live in the ocean, deep underwater, away from the trappings of land. What’s it like down here, pal? Can you tell me?”
He wished he could. He wanted to. No—he didn’t want to. He didn’t want his heart to ache for her, didn’t want his body to beg for her touch, didn’t want his soul to connect with hers in the way it had.
“No, of course you can’t tell me. But I wish you could. If it’s an illusion, I don’t ever want to wake. If it’s not, then I don’t ever want to leave.”
And why did that thought fill him with hope, with a yearning he hadn’t felt since—no. Impossible. He swore he’d never feel this way again. He had to get Jasmine out of there, and quickly.
“Are there other people like me down here?” She stepped toward the monitors. Fortunately, her body wasn’t programmed to receive the signals, so all she saw were ocean and beach scenes. “Someone please tell me where I am. Am I a prisoner, or what?”
Her pleading voice nearly did him in. Not because she seemed anxious to get out of there. On the contrary, her avid curiosity shocked the hell out of him. And suddenly he wanted to reveal himself to her, to tell her everything, just to watch her reaction.
Which would be a very bad choice. Yet she called to him in the worst way. Nothing like he’d ever felt with Leelia. Jasmine’s love for the ocean matched his. He felt her happiness, her giddy delight at being surrounded by water. Leelia had never looked upon Oceana as home. She’d longed for land her entire life, and despite the fact that Trey had loved her with all his heart, his love hadn’t been enough to keep her happy. In the end, land life had won, and he had lost.
He’d sworn he would never lose like that again. For years he’d been content to do his job. When he wanted a woman, or rather, sex, he knew where to get it. And not once had his heart been in danger.
Not once.
Until now.
Damn, he was going to do something really stupid and couldn’t do a thing to stop himself.
Instantly he was inside the sanctuary in human form. Jasmine had her back turned and hadn’t yet noticed him. He stood watching her, listening to her hum a familiar song about life under the sea, feeling the vibrations from her body, and wanting her more than he wanted to breathe. He was near shaking with the desire to hold her, feel her heartbeat against his chest, and taste her.
“Jasmine.”
She jumped and whirled at the sound of his voice, her eyes widening. “Trey! Oh my God, Trey!”
He walked toward her, loving the shocked look on her face, and the desire that instantly crept into her eyes when she saw he was naked. Naked and hard.
“I don’t understand. Where are we? How did I get here? How did you get here?”
“Later.” He reached her and without halting his stride, swept her into his arms, tearing the sheet away from her body and crushing his mouth against hers.
She met his lips with an eager whimper, threading her hands around his neck and fitting her body against his. He turned and walked through the doorway into the water.
Jasmine didn’t have time to even gasp before he’d converted her to ocean breathing. She pulled her lips from his as he swam away from the sanctuary, her face registering shock.
“You can breathe in the water, just relax. And you can talk, too. Everything you can do on land, you can do here. And more.”
“But how?” she asked hesitantly, as if trying her voice to be sure what he said was true.
“Later. I want to make love to you now, Jaz. I can’t wait any longer.” He took her to a sheltered cave, the place where light flickered in and out like a roomful of candles. Billowing seagrass and waving anemone greeted them as he swam through the entrance.
Jasmine’s heart pounded against his chest, her nipples hardening as he gathered her closer in his arms. Her eyes darted everywhere, as if she couldn’t get enough of all the sights.
Damn, he suddenly wanted to show her everything, tell her everything, let her ask questions for days, weeks…
Years.
No, he wouldn’t think that. He wouldn’t feel it. He just needed to be inside her right now. Fucking her was all that
He held her up in the water and touched her like he’d been dying to do, running his fingertips over her skin. His balls tightened at the thought of being sheathed inside her here in the sea, loving her on his home ground where they could hang suspended, weightless, do anything they wanted to do in any position.
Her lips parted as she wound her arms around his neck, wrapping her legs around his waist. Her cunt rocked against his erection, the heat from her body burning him, making him want her, need her, more than he should.
But he couldn’t help himself. She was a fire in his blood, and not even the water surrounding them could quench the flame.
He reached between them and grabbed his shaft, probing the entrance to her sex. She lifted and impaled herself on his cock with one quick move.
Christ, she was tight, and so hot and wet he could come in an instant. She didn’t speak, just lifted herself up and down on his rigid pole.
Trey moved them through the water, turning them in circles. Jaz held on tight, her eyes wide, the green orbs as dark as the ocean floor moss.
“Kiss me, Trey,” she whispered, then fit her mouth against his.
He was dying, spiraling out of control with her in his arms. A need to be deeper inside her overcame him, and he pushed her torso backwards so she was lying prone, then held onto her hips and drove himself hard and fast within her.
Jasmine gasped her pleasure, her cunt tightening around his cock. Trey thrust harder each time, rewarded with a flood of her heated juices.
Locking his gaze on her body, he swept his hand over her upthrusting breasts, watching the nipples tighten and bead. He moved his hand downward, feeling the flinch of her belly as he swept over her waist, then petted the curls on her mound.
When he reached for her clit, circling it gently, tugging it, she cried out.
“Trey, I’m going to come!”
He wanted that more than he’d ever wanted anything. Watching her eyes widen, feeling her body convulse against his, drew his balls up tight and forced a release so powerful he had to hold onto her hips to control his movements.
He jerked repeatedly against her, hanging onto her as her body shuddered against his, her clenching vaginal muscles milking him.
When he emptied the last of his seed within her, he pulled her upright and laid her head on his shoulder.
What the hell had he done? He’d revealed himself to her, showed her things he had no intention of showing her.
Ronan was going to have his ass for this.
* * * * *
Jasmine sucked in a deep breath of…well, actually she sucked in a deep breath of water, the thought of which still brought a sense of wonder. The whole biology of being able to breathe in the ocean should have perplexed her.
If she had a working brain, which she hadn’t since Trey had appeared. One look at his naked body, his erection gloriously jutting out, and she’d forgotten her shock and surprise at seeing him, her body taking over completely in a frantic rush of desire.
But now that her desire had been sated, temporarily at least, she had questions.
Lots of questions.
“Trey?”
He pulled her tighter against him. “Yeah.”
“I have questions.”
“I know.”
No answer. She waited as patiently as she could, until she couldn’t wait any longer. Pushing lightly against his chest, she met his gaze. “Trey, I meant I have a lot of questions.”
His bleak expression told her he knew the answers. And quite possibly, he didn’t want to give them.
Her head was spinning. Oddly enough, she wasn’t afraid, despite the fact she was standing on the ocean floor, breathing water into her lungs. For that matter, so was Trey. No, the only thing she felt was a rabid curiosity that demanded satisfaction.
“Let’s go back to the sanctuary.”
He held her hand and propelled her along in the water, back toward the glass-like enclosure they’d left. That must be the sanctuary. He pulled her through the doorway, and instantly the water left her lungs. Not even a gasp escaped her as she easily made the transition from breathing water to breathing air again.
Where that air came from, she had no idea. She still didn’t even know how she’d gotten here, or for that matter, where ‘here’ was.
Her body dried quickly. The ambient temperature in the room was comfortable enough not to need clothing, yet Jaz felt strange wandering around naked. Trey didn’t seem to mind it at all, a fact that wasn’t lost on her.
When he wandered into the kitchen and immediately opened a cabinet and pulled out two shell-like glasses, she began to wonder.
“Is this your place?” She stepped into the room, marveling at the strange dishes and appliances. If they even were appliances. More like transparent boxes that sat where a stove and a sink would sit.
“Yeah.” He kept his back turned to her when he answered, then paused as if waiting for her response.
Questions bombarded her and she didn’t know where to start. Instead, she stayed silent, waiting for him to start talking.
When she didn’t say anything, he filled their glasses with something green and handed her one. She sniffed it and took a small sip. It was sweet, yet tangy. “This is good. What is it?”
Trey motioned her into the living area. “It’s made from one of the sweeter seaweeds. It’s like punch or tea.”
She followed him into the living area and sat next to him on a cushiony sofa that felt soft as a cloud, still feeling strange about having a conversation while naked. Her eyes gravitated to Trey’s body, mesmerized by his strength, the way his abdominal muscles rippled when he moved, the light dusting of curling, dark hair on his broad chest.
Instead of concentrating on her questions, she was memorizing every square inch of Trey’s magnificent body.
And watching the way he was watching hers, the result being her traitorous nipples puckering under his heated gaze.
“You’re doing that on purpose,” she accused.
He arched a brow. “Doing what?”
“You know very well what.” She set the glass nearly between her legs, which afforded her no cover whatsoever. Instead, it drew his gaze down to the mound of red curls cushioning the drink.
Trey took a long swallow, then set his glass on the table in front of them. “Not my fault you’re sexy.”
She watched his cock lengthen and squirmed in her seat, her body quickly igniting. Ignoring her reaction to his arousal, she said, “I need answers, Trey.”
“Wouldn’t you rather play some more?” he asked, grazing his knuckles over her cheek.
She shivered, her body telling her that’s exactly what she’d rather do. But she remained firm, needing answers right now more than she needed sex. “Yes, but later. I really need to know what’s going on here.”
With a sigh, he nodded. “I’ll answer what I can. Start asking questions.”
Chapter Twelve
Where to even begin? Jaz sucked in a deep breath and started with, “How can I breathe under water?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Try me.”
With a sigh, he said, “It’s an easy transformation for those of us down here. The biology isn’t something I can easily explain to you, except to tell you that when the ocean water enters your lungs, they convert from air breathing to water breathing. Your lungs are able to pull the oxygen it needs from within the water you ingest.”
She blinked, her mind not even beginning to assimilate the possibilities. “Where am I?”
“In the ocean.”
Okay, that one was a given. “How did I get here?”
“You hit your head on a jagged rock ledge. Knocked you out. Had a nasty gash on your head, too.”
“But I woke up here, in this sanctuary, as you call it. How?”
“I found you and brought you here.”
She touched the tender spot on her head, but felt no cut, only a tender bump. “I don’t have any stitches.”
“I healed you.”
Okay, that part would require some questions. Shock and a grateful warmth surrounded her at the thought of him rescuing her from what would have surely been her death. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Before his husky voice distracted her, she asked, “What is this place?”
“It’s my sanctuary.”
“What do you do here?”
“I live here, I work from here.”
“In other words, you’re not from a rich family in Philadelphia.”
“No.”
“Are you human?”
“Yes. Well, sort of. I have the same human biological makeup as you do. With a few subtle differences.”
Breathing underwater was a subtle difference? No way. “Are there others like you?”
He paused, then nodded. “Yes.”
“How many?”
“I can’t say.”
“Why can’t you?”
Trey stood and walked to the glass wall. Jaz’s body heated as she surveyed his perfect body, marveling at his broad shoulders, long legs and especially his well-shaped ass.
“I shouldn’t have told you what I have,” he said.
She stood and approached him, stopping a few feet behind him. “Why not? And you haven’t told me anything, Trey.”
“You shouldn’t be here, you’re not supposed to know about us.”
“Who is ‘us’?”
He turned, his smile apologetic. “I can’t tell you.”
Frustration began to simmer. “Dammit, Trey, if what you say is true—if you brought me here, if these wondrous things I’ve witnessed are real…it’s more than I’ve ever dreamed could be possible. But I’ve got to know more.”
He studied her for a few minutes, as if fighting some internal battle. Finally, he said, “This is Oceana, a civilization of underwater inhabitants.”
She could barely form words, her mind taking in what he’d just said. “An entire…civilization?”
“Yes.”
“People just like you live down here?”
His lips curled upward. “Not all like me. Some are like me, some are creatures of the sea, some are a combination of both. Everything you could imagine, Jasmine. All types of creatures.”
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