Tidal Wave (9 page)

“What in heaven’s name are you doing? I thought we were headed home.” Victoria’s touch on his arm distracted him.

He turned and handed her his cell phone. “Press star one seven and Braden will come and get you. I’m sorry I can’t escort you home, but I think Alexia needs me.” He looked around carefully to make sure the area was clear of tourists and locals not aware of merfolk. He had intended on following the example of the man before him and wading clothed into the tide, but the sense of urgency rose to a feverish pitch, and he made the radical decision to change right then and there to St. Elmo’s fire, his clothing falling to the seat of the truck.

“Joshua, you are the most impulsive boy I’ve ever met.” There was a trace of amusement in Victoria’s voice along with the concern. “I can believe Unca shared secrets with you. He always did march to the beat of a different drummer.” She flung open her door and gestured out. “Now go help my granddaughter.”

Joshua heard no more as he streaked across the beach and over the water toward where he sensed Alexia’s presence.

Alexia stood in the water next to Anthony as the tide tugged them toward the open ocean. He removed his shorts and threw them far up the sandy shore, above the high tide line. She stared in admiration at his firm body, muscles glistening in the reflected sunlight off the water.

“I said I’d take you for a ride, but if you keep looking at me like that I can’t guarantee it will be on my dolphin.” He caught her in his arms, his erection pressed hard against her thigh.

“Why isn’t the water too cold for…?” Alexia shimmied her hips against him and giggled. It felt good to relax and enjoy his company, the warmth of their lovemaking still clinging to her heart. His hand brushed her breast and Anthony wrapped them closer together, their bodies touching intimately, the thin material of her swimsuit all that separated them.

“Are you cold?” he asked. “The water feels fine to me.”

Alexia considered for a moment and decided he was right. The water did feel slightly warmer than the air against her skin. She could also feel warmth radiating off his skin as he stood close beside her. The urge to touch was irresistible, and she wrapped her fist around his cock and watched Anthony close his eyes and moan. She stroked him firmly, her hand slipping easily over his shaft. It amazed her how he and Joshua seemed to always be either hard or at half-mast, and she wondered if it was a merfolk thing.

Anthony reluctantly pried her fingers off him. “Even though I’d like you to continue, you need to see something other than how much I desire you.” He pulled her deeper until they were treading water, floating up and down with the ocean swells.

“Can you show me your other two forms?” Alexia asked. “The dolphin and the merman?”

“I have three other forms, remember? The merfolk one is hard to show—the changes aren’t very visible, we pretty much look like our human forms—but I’ll try. Trust me?” He did a back float, pulling her on top of him.

“Of course.” How could she not? A constant stream of emotions flowed from him. Anthony’s confidence in the water rested on her like a warm blanket. His pleasure in being able to teach her about her pod swirled around them, sweet like a favorite dessert. His desire for her was there as well, present in every move he made.

He ran his hands down her sides and dragged her even higher, their mouths inches apart.

“Kiss me,” he said.

Mouths touched, his passion flowing over her as he slanted her mouth to the side and sealed them together. He stopped kicking and let them drop beneath the waves, the blue light of St. Elmo’s fire meshing together with the new blue tones of the sky as seen from underwater. Her vision was hazy as she looked past Anthony’s cheek, the sandy bottom blurred as she blinked in the salt water. His kiss distracted her for a moment but she needed to breathe soon and tightness began to bind her chest as she waited for Anthony to release her to the surface.

Alexia delayed as long as she could before struggling, pushing away to reach the air she needed as stars appeared in front of her eyes. A tinge of fear shivered up her spine. Why was Anthony not helping her? His hand cupped her neck, keeping her mouth open on his and suddenly her cheeks puffed out like a balloon.

If it were possible she would have laughed. It took a few tries to coordinate the timing, but eventually she realized if she breathed normally, her mouth sealed to Anthony’s, his body provided the oxygen for them both.

They dropped to the ocean floor, the current wiggling them back and forth gently. It was awkward to look around plastered to Anthony, so she took a deep breath and pulled away. Her fingers clung to his arm to keep him near enough that as soon as she needed more air it was simple to touch mouths and breathe in.

Alexia wished she had a pair of goggles. The blur of the water continued and her eyes stung from the salt. Suddenly she blinked and the watery world around them turned crystal clear. She faced Anthony and carefully examined him. His eyes twinkled back at her from behind a thin membrane, like a set of clear eyelids and she realized her body had changed.

Shit, it was true. She was going to be able to turn into something not human. She pointed toward the surface and Anthony nodded. He gave her a final breath of air and swam them upward with an easy dolphin kick, his strong body holding her close.

As their heads broke the surface Alexia let out a shriek, threw her arms in the air and splashed the water around them like a little child in a puddle.

“Holy
fuck
, I could see you! As clearly as if I were above water. I could see you!” She hugged him hard and they both submerged under the next wave as it broke over their heads. Alexia surfaced sputtering and spitting. Anthony supported her to let her catch her breath. “You asshole, stop laughing at me.”

He brushed a hand against her cheek. “I’m thrilled for you, Alexia, but it seems you still need to work on the breathing-water bit.”

She stuck out her tongue before lying back on the surface, her heart pounding. It was really true. Her mind spun with excitement. She pulled up to tread water again, grabbing Anthony’s arm. “Show me your dolphin.” He raised a brow and she bit her lip. That must have come across like a bossy child, and that’s not what she intended. “Please?”

He nodded. “Remember, the best way to ride is to hang onto my dorsal fin. And don’t go sticking your fingers in my blowhole—that’s kind of like sticking your finger up my nose and it’s not very polite.”

Alexia splashed water at him.

“Be careful, sweetheart. I have a bigger water pistol than you do.” He kissed her one last time, his lips clinging to her mouth before he backed up to tread water from a short distance away.

She watched closely, but she missed the actual moment of his change. One minute she stared at his sparkling green eyes and beautiful smile, the next—he was a sleek gray dolphin, his head hovering at the surface of the water. His smile had changed appearance but still warmed her heart.

He moved forward, bumping carefully into her side. Alexia slid her hands over his skin, marveling at how soft he was. She took a slow swim around him as he bobbed up and down in the water, her hands brushing his wide torso, rubbing his fins. She treaded water in front of him and stroked his nose and up his sloped forehead, all the while marveling that this was Anthony. She swam to the side to look into one eye, seeing there the intelligence and patience she’d seen in the man.

He lifted his head and dropped under the waves, returning to her side slowly. Alexia reached for his dorsal fin and hung on. The smoothness of his swimming made it easy to cling to him as he kept her head above the water.

Together they flew.

Minutes passed as they swam together. Occasionally Alexia let go and Anthony would circle around and rejoin her, stopping to jump high over her head or flip beside her, splashing her hard with the spray.

Alexia laughed every time he showed her something new. It was like Christmas and every birthday she’d ever had all rolled into one, satisfaction and joy filling her heart.

Suddenly there were more dolphins around her, all dancing in the waves. Anthony shifted back and together they floated, watching the pod play.

“It’s the youth. I teach them at the high school, and there are a few of the younger students here as well. For some it’s their first summer to be able to transform to their dolphin form and they’re pretty excited.” Alexia watched in fascination as the sleek bodies wove around them in circles, chasing and leaping over each other in play.

“They’re so beautiful. Are they part of the pod?” Alexia stroked the flank of one of the dolphins that swam by slowly on its side, showing off with one fin waving in the air.

Anthony snorted and pulled her in for a quick kiss. “Part of your pod, you mean? Yes, we’re territorial so any dolphins you find in these waters belong to Victoria’s pod. Now yours.” He kissed her again, more possessively this time and she was gasping for air when he released her. “He was too young for you.”

Alexia frowned. She must have missed something. “Who?”

He turned her in his arms and snuggled her butt to his groin, letting her feel his erection along the crack of her ass. He rocked his hips and fire shot through her veins. Damn it felt good.

“The dolphin you were rubbing. He’s just a teenager,” Anthony said, his voice deep and dark.

Alexia hid a smile and snuggled closer. Anthony was jealous. “I didn’t even know he was a boy, you silly man.”

She lay back into his arms letting him support her. There must be changes occurring in her body. She didn’t feel cold, even after being in the water for over an hour. Her fingers were still smooth and unwrinkled. In fact her skin was very slick, like there was a protective coat covering her.

Alexia rubbed a hand along Anthony’s thigh and felt the same texture on her fingers.

“Lubricant. We have a higher oil content on our skin to stop the salt water from damaging the tissues.” His fingers slipped along the edge of her bikini bottom, briefly brushing her mound. “Another adaptation is an increase in body fluids. We can safely make love in the water. Full humans have troubles with lubrication and also with the danger of air and water pressure. Our merfolk bodies don’t have those same issues.” His fingers stroked her belly, rubbed lightly up her arms. His body supported her as they floated together on the water’s surface. Alexia closed her eyes to enjoy the massage when a splash soaked them and tossed them underwater. They rose to the surface and she coughed a few times to clear her mouth and nose of the stinging liquid.

“Alexia, come here,” Anthony warned, his hand snaking out to pull her close.

She looked around warily. “What’s wrong?” The teens circled them, a tight protective ring. One of them raised his head above the water and made a series of clicks and chatters, clearly warning of danger.

“Could be a shark, it’s not usual in these waters, although I don’t sense anything close by but the pod. Let me change and go see, I can swim faster that way.” He kissed her quickly. “Don’t worry, you’re safe. If it is a shark, they’re afraid of a dolphin pod. I’ll be back as quickly as possible.”

He dropped under the water, transformed, and Alexia lost sight of him as he swam from the circle. The motions of the youth grew more frantic, more concerned, if Alexia read them right. She tried peering underwater while she held her breath. The longer she practiced the more easily her clear eyelids flipped into place. A couple of the dolphins opened the circle and through the gap a larger body shot toward her. She reached out with her awareness to see what his intent was, what his emotions told her.

Before she could register more than a blur of anger and bitterness, the young male she’d touched before dashed in and she grabbed his fin, letting him drag her away from the path of the new arrival.

A wild chase ensued. Alexia held on for dear life as her ride darted from side to side, trying to avoid the pursuing male. In the flying bodies and splashing waves, she lost sight of details. There was nothing but brief flashes of images, bursts of emotion that brushed her mind. The youth she clung to was determined to keep her away from the larger, older male, driven less fear by for Alexia’s life than a deep sense of commitment to Anthony. Whoever the newcomer was, the youth sensed he wasn’t trying to kill her.

Recognition hit as she caught a stronger trail of emotion. It was Michael who chased them, routing through the pod like a demon-possessed entity. A shock of fear raced through her and she fought down the urge to scream. Her mind suddenly recognized the fact the emotion wasn’t hers. It was a projection from Michael, a false emotion he was sending her way.

She gasped for air each time her protector rose high enough for her to breathe. Her legs and arms were wrapped as far around him as possible to avoid being thrown apart. Anthony reappeared, his sleek body racing toward them. How she recognized him in the group of similar shapes and colors she didn’t know, but she rejoiced he had returned. He slammed into Michael hard, forcing his cousin away. Alexia attempted to watch the action, to reassure Anthony she was all right.

A sharp pain hit her side and arm, and the youth beneath her fell away. She tumbled through the water, a brilliant light surrounding her, cradling her as they drifted toward the bottom. She held her breath, her body shuddering with pain from the hit. Looking upward she watched the pod surround Michael, their interplay clear against the sparkle of the water’s surface and reflected sky.

She needed air but the surface grew farther away, the familiar blue of St. Elmo’s fire pulling her instead to a large outcropping of rocks on the ocean floor. Then she was in Joshua’s arms and he touched their mouths together, passing her life-giving air as he held her close and hid them in a cleft in the rocks.

It took a long time for her heart rate to drop to anywhere near normal, pain and fear shaking her body as she thought through the attack. The adventure had been so wonderful and then so terrifying. She was tempted to throw the medallion back at her Gram as soon as she reached the safety of the surface.

Then the reality of what she was truly experiencing broke over her. She was underwater, breathing air from a merfolk, her body warm and safe in his arms. She knew that Michael had deliberately tried to frighten her. It was another attempt to turn her from the path she needed to follow, manipulating her situation to make her fear the world she was being introduced to.

It was dangerous in the water, especially with her being so new to the experience. Michael wasn’t lying about that, even if he was a bastard for trying to scare her away. What he didn’t realize was that she knew the air world was a dangerous place too. Car wrecks, lost jobs, broken hearts and broken families. There was no guarantee rejecting the world of the merfolk would mean she was safe.

A dolphin approached and she slid behind Joshua, farther into the protection he offered. How he had been able to appear right when she needed him was a miracle. That was another thing she’d throw away if she rejected the position her Gram offered. She and Joshua were bound together in some magical fashion. She peered around his shoulder to see Anthony resume his merfolk form and join them, taking her into his arms and kissing her softly.