Page 21 of Away in a Tentacle Lair
“Here?” I splutter before lightening the tone. “But you have nothing to tie me to.”
“I want to see what you're capable of with your hands-free.”
“Wait until you see what I'm capable of without needing my hands,” I boast, but I can say no more until I'm permitted to take him to my bedroom and reveal everything I can be. “Come with me.” I kiss him, moving away as I do until my lips tear from his.
He follows me, probably still thinking he's getting lucky. I mean, he is, but he's got to work for it first. I'm a water baby, not a flower fairy. If I'm going to do dirty things in public, it's going to be wet and wild.
We cross the field, scattering at least five rainbow sheep. Their woolly butts look like a rainbow because we believe in genetic diversity, and our seven rams are horney little blighters. They each have a different-coloured ink pad on their chests, so we know which ram has served which ewe, but it's a free-for-all most of the time.
This seems an appropriate moment for a joke about ramming, but he reaches the edge of the field, and I lose his attention. I'm not upset; I know I can't compete with the magical bay.
“This is beautiful.”
“Yeah, this is where I practise holding my breath when the sea is too rough.” I grin, wrapping my arms around his middle. He's bigger than me, so I can't see much over his shoulder once my fingers are hooked together.
“I think we can find a better way to do this.” Leo spins us around, and somehow, I’m leaning back into his chest, his thick fingers entwined with mine.
My eyes close and I imagine a moment where this could be my life, day and night, without any cares. But my future happiness rests in the hands of my family and the damn secret that threatens all of us.
Chapter fifteen
Leo
Holding Kai in my arms could quickly become the sole focus of my life. Inhaling the salty taste that never seems to leave his hair, I dream of a world where this could be my sole responsibility. I don't mean holding him in my arms but being with him, going to sleep with him in my arms and waking up beside him. Work is necessary, whether at the research centre or whatever capacity the family offered me, but I want the rest of my time to revolve around him.
"Want to see the real Seaspray Bay? The parts where tourists don't leave their flip-flops and sunscreen bottles?" Kai offers, breaking my daydream.
I blink, caught off guard but feeling the excitement of his company in my veins. "Sure," I say, because who needs caution when I've got Kai Briareus, my ocean prince, offering to be my personal tour guide?
"Great,” his grin widens as he turns to face me, trying to hide the fear evident in his eyes. I'm sorry about my family back there. They can be intense."
"Understatement of the century," I quip, and we both laugh, the sound getting swept away by the sea breeze. I'm not sure why he's thinking about this after so much rambling about sheep, eggs, and everything else his family dominates here.
We start walking down the pathway around the cliffs onto a dirt track that promises secrets as we head towards a small bay. My heart's still doing somersaults over analysing his motive for today. I thought he was being open about his life, but that look suggested maybe he was trying to scare me off.
Kai confidently leads the way; he knows every rock like they're old friends.
"Intense isn't bad," I add after a moment because I want him to know I understand. Families are complicated at best, and mine is no exception.
"True." Kai glances back at me, his ocean-blue eyes meeting mine. "It means we care a lot. Sometimes too much."
"Sounds familiar." I laugh softly but don't miss my parents in his presence. Maybe he wouldn't need his family as much if he had someone to love.
"Here we are," Kai announces as we round a corner to reveal a cove like nothing I've seen in any brochure. It's raw and untouched by the civilisation living around it. The water is clear with hints of life on the rocks beneath that beg for exploration.
"Wow," I breathe out, and Kai looks pleased. It's as if he's gifted me a treasure chest, and I've recognised its contents. I wonder how many of his family members are as devoted to the ocean as he is. Despite their encouragement, I wonder if they truly see it through his eyes.
"Come on," he says, and we scramble down the rocks to the shore. Every step feels like shedding layers of the ordinary until I'm standing at the world's edge with Kai beside me, everything else forgotten.
Until his hand snakes around the front of my trousers and finds my zipper. Now I remember exactly why we came here. Kai kneels before me, gently tugging my pants down. His eyes flick up, silently asking for permission. I give it with my smile. How can I refuse what this man is offering so freely?
His mouth moves down the length of my hardening cock, kissing and nipping at my heated skin. He laps at the liquid beading at my slit, then takes the bulbous crown into his mouth. He sucks like a banshee. If he keeps this up, I won't need to be impressed by his breath-holding abilities, although I think he is already stalling his need to breathe.
“Kai, I never came here looking for love, and I couldn't see how much I needed it over my desire for fame and glory. But none of that matters when I'm with you.”
“Are you saying I'm doing a bad job?” Kai mutters, his hand replacing his mouth around my cock.
“No. I -uh-”
