Page 10 of A Contemporary Mythos Summer
I propped myself on the board, readying to surf the first wave as it rolled toward me. Crouching, and balancing with my fingertips grazing the salty clear gulf waters tumbling over top of me, I rode. There was always a sort of eerie silence as the water curled around you, surrounded by it, at its mercy—vulnerable. Being the King of the Seas, it spoke to me in whispers. The curl was akin to bowing in royalty’s presence. And though I’d never wiped out on purpose, and never would, the water would do all to secure me—protect me. The same as I did for it. The longer I spent on land, the larger the homesick pit formed in my stomach. As soon as I was back in familiar territory, my muscles relaxed, breathing came easier, and the universe made that much more sense. And with my Queen back at my side, the seas sparkled with extra radiance, matching my own happiness.
Cordelia had said to surprise her with a maneuver especially for her as she watched from the shore. It’d be a quick flash to the mortal eye, but with our connection, I knew she’d catch it. Banking the board to the left, I plunged through the wave, the water clinging to my skin, soaking my hair. And as I emerged, I molded the water into the shape of a galloping horse.
As I returned to the beach with my board propped at my side, varying whispers from surrounding patrons echoed in my ears. “Can you believe that’s Simon Thalassa?” “Did you see him own that wave?” “My God, the man looks like a Greek statue with long hair.” “Since when are there surfing waves here in the Gulf?”
Ignoring most of them, minus the occasional wave and smile, I returned to Cordelia sprawled on the towel, propped on her elbows.
“I always have loved the horse trick.” She grinned up at me, shielding her eyes with one hand.
“Come on, Starfish. The water misses you.” I held my hand out to her.
* * *
C O R D E L I A
Holding onto my god-king’s hand, I let my eyes shut as the water lapped over my toes. Aside from when it rained, the Gulf always remained so clear and warmer than other coastal bodies of water in the US. It’s part of what gave it its uniqueness. As soon as the water hit my calves, my scales begged to make an appearance. They tickled and itched at my skin, but I forced them to stay hidden…for now.
As the water rose to my hips, Poseidon moved in front of me, wrapping his haven arms around my waist. He encouraged me to curl my legs around him, and he backed up until the water reached his chest. His hands slid down my thighs until they found my ass, and he held me there, turning a languid circle. Smiling at him, I rubbed our noses together as I combed his long wet hair with my fingers.
The water pulsed from our presence, but we’d be the only ones to sense it. Vibrations from the earth’s core simmered in my belly, and the faint sounds of whales communicating in the far distance played in my ears. If conversations were going on around us from nearby swimmers in the ocean, we could tune them out. It was part of being a protector of the seas—always alert to any disturbances, any anomalies.
Atlantis, too, called to us, beckoning us to grace its walls. But today was about Poseidon and me, a moment to reflect, remind each other why we existed apart but together, and refresh ourselves—mind, body, and soul.
“You weren’t kidding. The water is almost weeping with both of us in it.” I pressed my cheek to his, keeping my eyes shut to listen to the ocean’s lulling waves.
“If you were to ask me, I’d say the seas have gotten spoiled as of late.” A deep, rumbling chuckle boomed from Poseidon’s chest, his grip tightening on my ass.
Moaning a contented sigh, I dipped my hand in the water and dragged it through my hair, moistening it. “Maybe. But you know me, if I could, I’d live every waking day underwater. I am, however, amphibious it would seem.”
Poseidon’s hand shifted as a single finger tickled the hem of my bikini bottom.
“Are you being naughty?” I narrowed my eyes at him with a half-grin.
His touch explored further until his skin brushed my folds. “Me? Never.”
A breath caught in my throat as I pinned my knees at his sides. Glancing around at the dozen other swimmers nearby, I chewed on my bottom lip. “What if someone sees?”
“I, nor the water, would let that happen, Starfish.” He teased my entrance with the tip of his finger, inciting a low moan from me.
“Always the adventurous one, hm?” I bit into my smile, pressing my chest against his and tangling my fingers in his wavy hair.
A masculine growl vibrated from his throat. “How fiercely your mythical heart is beating right now, Cor rivals a depth charge.” Parting my bikini bottoms the rest of the way, he plunged a single finger into me, covering my mouth with his as I went to cry out.
He rocked in and out of me with his finger, sneaking a second one in as his tongue lapped over mine. His other hand massaged my neck, and he kept twirling us through the water, creating a trail of tiny bubbles that spiraled with us. He continued to kiss me, and if it weren’t for the water trickling between my toes as he spun us, I might have forgotten we were in the Gulf or even on planet Earth itself. The moment with my king transported me to Atlantis—another place, another dimension. I soon quaked in his arms, shivering as my body pulsed through its release. A satiated moan flowed from my mouth into his, and the grin etched on his features as we pulled away could’ve erupted a deeply buried volcano from the sea floor.
“You look entirely too hot in that bikini. I couldn’t help myself.” Poseidon pulled his fingers from inside me and readjusted my bikini before curling his hand over my hip.
Heat still surged between my legs, traveling up to my cheeks, warming them. “As I said,you’rebad.” With a playful glint sparking in my eyes, I splashed him.
The water beads trickled through his beard sparkled from the sun overhead, and he sputtered before suddenly dropping me. Much like a Dunking Machine, the water went over my head, the unexpected action taking me off guard.
As I emerged, making sure to blow out water in my darling god-king’s direction, I wiped away liquid collecting on my lashes. “You sure know how to flirt with a gal.”
“Oh? What I did to you doesn’t count as flirting?”
I arched a brow.
“I think it does, because this?” He flicked the water’s surface, sending several droplets at my face. “Is playing.”
