Whirlpool: Forces of Nature, Book 2

by Vivian Arend

  Jamie’s watch beeped, and he glanced at it in surprise to discover the first set amount of their dive time had passed already.

  He’d been fascinated with the wreck, with the objects scattered over the ocean floor. The trio turned and headed toward the shore where the towering cliff plummeted to be swallowed by the surf. Here below the surface the crash was a constant buzz, and the tug of the tidal current like the embrace of a lover, cradling him and directing his path.

  The entrance to the cave was glorious, the stone worn smooth by millennia. Above them the roof hung in a solemn arc, guarding the surface of the water from the sky, the colors more muted and monochromatic as they passed out of the direct sunlight. They followed the right wall toward the back and the constant repetition of his breathing calmed his excited nerves. Jamie loved this. Being underwater, seeing a world that so few people had experienced to its fullest. Sailing or gliding along the surface was one thrill, but moving beneath the waves, exploring the dwelling places of creatures that lived for years in a constantly moving environment…

  It never ceased to amaze him.

  A soft touch on his arm brought his attention to the others. The two of them signaled to the back section and motioned they were ready to enter the cave system. Jamie checked his tank air levels, just to be sure. The danger of underwater spelunking was just the adrenaline rush he wanted right now, but he wasn’t going to be stupid.

  They set off together, the first section of the passageway wide enough for them to pass through three abreast. Soft white sand lined the floor, and he could imagine at low tide the stories of pirates dragging their chests back into the cave would have entertained the imagination of many, young and old.

  Slowly their route narrowed and Braden took the lead, guiding them through the eerie half-darkness that grew deeper the farther they proceeded. Jamie adjusted his headlamp, tightening the focus of the beam to shine the light into the more distance reaches. He kicked lazily, his flippers propelling him smoothly after the big man in front of him. The passage narrowed again and Jamie swallowed hard. The promise of the sights ahead pulled him along and gave him courage to proceed. Just a little farther, just one more bend.

  They were there.

  A beam of light descended from above, cutting through the glittering surface and breaking into a million sparkles of light. Luminescent algae and starfish of every color and size were everywhere. A sunstar with over twenty-four legs decorated the near sidewall, and Jamie stopped to examine the rigid bumps and prominences on the creature’s limbs. There were few colorful fish in the cavern, but many crabs that darted back under rocky ledges at their approach. Jamie smiled as an eel bared razor-sharp teeth in his direction when he ventured too close to its hiding hole.

  Paradise—an Eden hidden beneath the waves.

  They spent as long as they could exploring. The direct sunshine entering the top of the cavern disappeared and the light dimmed, now reduced to the vertical passage cutting through to the underground grotto. Thomas tapped him on the wrist and pointed to his watch. They were at their agreed turnaround checkpoint. Jamie took one final pivot, soaking in as much of the beauty around him as possible.

  They headed back out into the passage and Jamie noticed immediately the current had changed. Tide was sweeping in and the force of the water increased, propelling them backward if they didn’t deliberately kick toward the exit. He was glad of the extra light Braden carried that helped illuminate the tunnel.

  Jamie caught a glimpse of the stalactite just before the force of the tidal rush snapped him into the wall. He twisted his body rapidly, but there wasn’t enough time to take the full force on his forearms, and the thud of his tank crashing into the rock made his stomach clench with fear. His oxygen tube ripped from the tank, air bubbles rushing into the water surrounding him, his lifeline disappearing in an instant. The escaping pressure from his tank jerked his body. He twisted to attempt to shut the air valve off at the source. Scrambled for the secondary mouthpiece and clutched it between his teeth. He flipped open the valve to clear the air passage.

  Nothing happened.

  His lungs screamed for a fresh breath of air. He locked his teeth around the mouthpiece to force himself to remain calm for another few seconds. Braden and Thomas both had buddy breathers on their tanks. He reached a hand toward Braden, signaling his need. Out of the corner of his eye he vaguely saw Thomas shoot out of sight down the passageway.

  He grabbed Braden’s outstretched hand and grasped for the life-giving tube. Braden shocked him by ripping off his own facemask and regulator and then pinning Jamie’s arms to his sides. Jamie struggled—kicking and kneeing as hard as he could, striving for freedom. The man had gone mad. Without Braden’s help he was going to die in an underwater grave. Suddenly his regulator was torn from his lips and the pressure of Braden’s mouth over his registered just as he gave into the instinctive urge to inhale.

  Sweet air.

  It made no sense. Why was Braden feeding him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation when he could just use the tank breather? Still, he wasn’t about to complain. He was in no position to ask any questions. He clung tightly to Braden, staring at him through his facemask. A clear membrane covered Braden’s eyes, and Jamie blinked in surprise.

  Another breath. Braden twisted them to head back to the entrance of the tunnel system. Braden’s tanks hung suspended in the current for a moment before slowly sinking and moving farther down the passage, dragging along the sandy bottom. As the abandoned tank vanished behind them Jamie felt lightheaded in spite of the regular oxygen supply.

  Maybe he’d actually drowned and this was a part of the final journey?

  The distance back to the surface took longer than he remembered, and he tried to close his mind to the hovering fear, the need to totally rely on Braden for his very life.

  The world grew a little darker, and Jamie, embarrassed even as it happened, passed out.

  Braden supported Jamie’s limp body against him carefully, his mind racing to figure out what in the hell to do.

  Of all the stupid, dim-witted and foolhardy things…

  He should have known to carry some oxygen. Merfolk always did when they swam with humans. Not a full tank, but enough in case of emergencies. It added to the illusion of using the tanks.

  Braden headed toward the surface. There was no way he could let Jamie drown. The man’s incredible rapport and patience with Chelsea—how he went out of his way to make her feel successful and competent—she didn’t get that kind of treatment from her family, or from many of the folks around town who saw her as just a pretty face.

  Jamie genuinely cared for Chelsea and it showed. And damn if that didn’t make the man even more attractive in his own eyes.

  Thomas darted back, passing a thumbs-up before swimming toward the cave, no doubt to gather the tank he’d left behind. Help would be waiting at the shore. Help that could keep secrets and make sure that Jamie was all right without alerting the entire world to the existence of the merfolk.

  Their heads broke the surface and Braden rolled to his back, cradling Jamie on his torso. He waited, making sure that Jamie drew a full breath of air on his own without any troubles.

  Troubles. Now that’s something they had in plentiful supply. Braden adjusted his grip carefully and made his way to shore with his precious burden.

  Chapter Ten

  Chelsea hovered outside the door of the bedroom. She’d come over as soon as she’d heard to make sure Jamie was all right. Now she couldn’t seem to stop herself from fluttering around like a lost bird. “Are you sure he’s okay? We don’t need to take him to the hospital?”

  Braden pulled her close and pressed her head against his chest, smoothing his fingers through her hair, rubbing her back gently. His touch calmed her, but still the ache in her belly refused to go away.

  “He’ll be fine. He’ll come around soon. The doctor gave him a shot to keep him sedated for a bit, but Jamie didn’t get any water into his lungs. Come on, we need to
talk about what we’re going to do before he wakes up.”

  She took one final look into the darkened room, listening to Jamie’s uneasy breathing. Braden tugged her toward the second bedroom just down the hall. He sat her on the bed and pulled the chair from the wall to sit opposite her. Her fingers were cold as he took her hands in his.

  “He’s seen us as merfolk.” Braden spoke quietly.

  Chelsea looked him in the eye. “I think we should tell him everything. He’s smart enough to understand why we need to keep undercover. We can trust him.”

  “It’s not our decision to make. You know the rules. You know why it’s important we stay hidden.”

  “But the matriarch isn’t here, so it is our decision.” She clutched his fingers. “There are humans in town who know about us. The doctor who was here, he’s human.”

  Braden reached out and cupped her face in his hand. “He’s married to a merfolk. He knows if he discloses anything his wife would face the same scrutiny as the rest of us.”

  Her hopes rose. “So if Jamie’s connected with us, he could know?”

  He paused. “It’s not as simple as that.”

  “Why not? Braden, you know making someone forget us can be dangerous—it’s possible to go too far and wipe out huge portions of their memory. He’s a good man, and I don’t want anything like that to happen to him. Call Lady Victoria, call someone. Talk to the elders, make—”

  “We need to make a decision now. Not by committee.” Braden took a deep breath, his gaze dropping from hers for a moment. When he lifted his head his eyes were dark, a swirl of his St Elmo’s fire showing blue and iridescent. “Do you care about him?”

  “Of course I do. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you, why I don’t want anything to happen to him.”

  He fell silent for a moment. “Do you care about him as…more than a friend?”

  Everything in her froze. Oh my God, what would telling the truth do to their relationship? The last thing she wanted was to hurt Braden. Yet his concerned expression and the gentle touch of his thumb along her jawbone calmed her. She gathered her courage.

  “Yes.” His touch didn’t change at her confession and she brought her own hand up to hold against his.

  Braden nodded slowly, lowering their joined fingers into his lap. “It’s okay, baby. I know.”

  Her throat felt tight, and it was tough to speak. “What difference does it make?”

  “It’s a possible solution. If you make love with Jamie and let your St. Elmo’s fire free, it will affect his memory. Any other way of making him forget is riskier, liable to effect more than his short-term memory. During lovemaking the magic is more focused, and it would be far safer for him.”

  “I don’t want to use merfolk pheromones to seduce him. That would be wrong.”

  He laughed, the soft sound out of place, and yet not. “Sweetheart, trust me. You don’t need to seduce him. He wants you already, without any additional encouragement. It’s clear in every move he makes that he desires you. The lovemaking would be exactly that—free and willing on both your parts. The only difference is that at the end you let your fire free. A really high concentration will affect his memory of what happened in the ocean. He’ll forget he saw me breathing under the ocean without tanks.”

  “He’ll forget me.” Her voice cracked.

  Braden nodded slowly. “He’ll probably forget things directly related to the last few hours. Like the lovemaking.”

  Chelsea crawled into his lap and dropped her forehead on his chest. How could something she’d secretly hoped to happen be breaking her heart?

  “He’s my friend. I don’t want him to forget me.”

  “You’ll get to work with him still. He should remember you as that, as his assistant. Using lovemaking is the safest way to ensure his other memories aren’t affected.”

  Sadness enveloped her. The past weeks she’d grown to value Jamie’s friendship. He listened to her, truly listened, and he made her laugh when she needed it. She didn’t want to do anything to change his memories, not of any of his experiences. Resignation filled her. There was no other solution she could see, but she didn’t have to like it.

  “Braden, if I do this—you have to be there too. I’m with you now and I…” A shiver shook her and he held her close.

  “I can stay with you. Help direct the fire, guide you.”

  He’d be there too? Warmth rose, loosening the tight knot in her belly. “You think he’ll let you be there?”

  Braden smiled. “I’ve seen him watch you, baby. He’s not going to say no to you, no matter who else is in the room. Not if I say it’s okay. And…”

  “And what?”

  Braden stroked a hand down her back. “I have the feeling he’s got some interest in me as well.”

  So she hadn’t been the only one who’d noticed. She held on tight, listening to Braden’s heart beating under her ear. His spicy fragrance filled her head and filled her with need. She hesitated to ask, but spoke before she lost her nerve.

  “Will you make love to me too?”

  A short chuckle rose, his chest moving under her. “I wondered if you’d thought about that. Yes, I’ll join in if it seems appropriate. I care about him as well, and as long as he’s not averse to my presence, I’ll act. He’s become special to you, and if I can make this better for the two of you, I will.”

  Chelsea found his lips and kissed him. A gentle, soft touch that she tried to make mean so much more. He let her take charge, take control, and a small flutter of desire flickered to life. The part inside her that longed for the attention of two men stirred, and this time she let it rise to the surface.

  In the midst of the bitter for what was about to be lost, there was sweet gain. Even as temporary as it would be, she intended on giving everything she could to Jamie for the one night.

  Jamie sat up and looked around, trying to get his bearings. There was a ringing in his ears and his lungs ached. A dry sensation scratched the back of his throat, painful and harsh.

  Memories crashed over him. Holy shit, he’d almost drowned.

  Curtains blocked the light, the room muted and dark. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a flash of movement.

  “Hey, how are you doing?” Chelsea’s soft voice caressed him and the bed sank with her weight as she sat at his side. She reached out to stroke his hair back off his face. The touch felt intimate, caring.

  Dangerous. He wasn’t supposed to feel this attracted to the woman.

  “Good,” he rasped out, wincing at the rough sting. “Damn.”

  She reached to the side table and grabbed a glass of water, passing it to him. “I was worried when they told me about the accident.”

  The accident. Right. He sipped a little slower and tried to calculate his next move. Let the images he’d seen line up with the research he’d done.

  Holy crap, Braden and Thomas were mermaids. Mermen. His mind reeled at the implications. He was back in his room; a sliver of darkening sky visible through the crack in the curtains showed evening had arrived.

  “Why am I in the condo?”

  “Do you want to see a doctor?” Concern tinged her voice. She touched his forehead, her hands warm against his skin. “They said you weren’t hurt badly. That you simply passed out.”

  He pressed a finger over her lips. “Shh, I feel fine. I avoided swallowing half the Pacific. It’s all good.”

  She grabbed his hand and tears filled her eyes. “I was so scared.”

  All his defenses slipped away. Fuck it. Maybe he’d discovered that legends were real, but so was this woman in front of him. He wasn’t about to hurt her if he could help it. “Hey, don’t cry. I’m okay, see? Still around and planning on making you work twice as hard tomorrow since I don’t think I’ll be putting in any time at the house tonight.”

  She had his hand trapped in hers and lifted his fingers to her mouth, kissing them tenderly. Her touch sent a tingle up his arm and suddenly he didn’t feel like he’d been dragg
ed along a rocky shore.

  Adrenaline and lust both made a man recover damn fast.

  When she crawled closer and curled up beside him, snuggling against his side, he wasn’t quite sure where to put his hands. Chelsea had no such qualms. She curved one arm behind his back, resting the other on his bare chest. He sat still for a second, willing his body to ignore the enticing fragrance rising around him. This was not the time to become aroused.

  He casually dropped a hand to rub her back. “Didn’t mean to frighten you. Kinda threw myself for a loop, you know.”

  Her soft tresses spread over his skin and he bit back a groan. All the erotic dreams he’d had over the past weeks raced through his mind. He needed to concentrate on something other than how wonderful it felt to hold her warmth next to him.

  “You know what happened?” Her gaze remained fixed on his torso, as if she was avoiding his eyes. He debated lying, but he’d never believed it was a long-term solution. Still, in case she didn’t know what Braden and Thomas were, he didn’t want to frighten her.

  “I had troubles with my tank. Braden helped me buddy breath, I’m not sure what happened after that.” After he passed out. It was the truth, not the complete truth, but enough.

  Chelsea twisted, sitting upright beside him. “I’m so glad you’re safe.” She inched closer, pressing her hands on his chest. He grabbed her shoulders, holding her steady.

  She leaned so close her scent filled his brain and when her lips touched his, a switch flipped. It must have been the master control for all logical thinking because the only thing left functioning was his sex drive. He fought the dire urge to roll her under him and thrust into her body.

  Lips, soft and succulent, caressed his. She tilted her head to the right slightly, stroking his mouth with her tongue, poking until he opened and the burst of her flavor rolled over him.