Page 17 of Tempting Triton
“Anyone would think you did not want to spend this much time alone with me, my Elena. Are you worried you will find me so irresistible, you will be unable to control yourself?” Triton has spun to face me, so he’s swimming backwards, a cheeky grin plastered on his face.
I roll my eyes. “You seem to think so highly of yourself, Triton.”
“Of course, my Elena. Who do I have to compare to?”
I grunt. He’s got me there. “Human men?” I don’t sound convincing.
“Tell me about your human males, my Elena. Are they as handsome and honorable as I? Are they worthy of a female such as yourself? Is there one waiting for you back home?”
I ponder his question and come to the conclusion that human men are actually trash. Sure, there’s a handful of good ones out in the world, but the majority? No, thank you very much. I think about the very few exes I’ve had, that come to a whopping total of two, and despite Triton’s lack of sexual etiquette, they still don’t hold a candle to him. Which probably says a lot about me and my taste in men.
“No on all counts.”I sigh.
His smile grows even wider, showing off those blinding pearly whites. “Well then, my mate, perhaps winding up in Aeolia was a stroke of luck. Destined by the Fates, perhaps?” He trails off, his smile falling into a frown.
“What?” I’m curious as to what has caused the little wrinkle between his brows to return.
“Oh, it is nothing, just a thought.” He turns his smile back on, only this time, it doesn’t reach his eyes, and I know he’s hiding something from me.
“If you know something about why I’m here or how I got here, you need to tell me, Triton.”
His shoulders slump. “It is just a thought, but I suspect it has something to do with the Fates.”
Confused, I ask, “What does fate have to do with anything? Are you going to start telling me this was my destiny or something?”
“No, theFates.” He shakes his head, accentuating the last part as if the Fates are a physical entity and not some hippy nonsense made up to make people feel better about all the shitty things that happen to them.
I raise my eyebrow at him, waiting for him toexplain.
He sighs, drawing a hand through his floaty halo of golden curls. “The Fates are the ones who put the barrier in place to protect all of us here from the evolving human population. They are three old hags who like to meddle, and it has just occurred to me that it would not be above them to drop a container of women on the island to cause havoc while they watch on from their perch at the top of the mountain.”
“You’re telling me the Fates are real? Like really real, living and breathing people?”
“Well, I do not know if you would call them people. Divine beings, perhaps.”
My jaw would hit the floor if there was one. I don’t know why I’m so surprised, really. I’m out in the middle of the ocean, swimming with a goddamn merman. Why wouldn’t there be Fates? Why not throw in a Minotaur, a Cyclops, and some goddamn dragons while we’re at it, if we’re running down the list of mythological monsters. We may as well add in some gods, too, and really get the party started.
“Fuck me.” This just opened up a world of possibilities.
“Right now? Interesting timing, but how can I resist?” He flips to face me, so I’m no longer looking at the tail end of him.
“No! Notfuck meas in let’s have sex. It’s an exclamation, not an invitation.”
He chuckles before spinning back around and continuing his inspection of the barrier.
17
Elena
Triton leads us back in towards the island shore as the sky begins to dim, casting the ocean into gradual darkness. Butterflies flit around in my stomach, knowing we’ll have to spend the night together. I think of the previous night, how I used my body heat to keep Triton warm, and I’m nervous as heck. I’m also nervous about what our sleeping quarters are going to look like. All I can imagine is a dark cave carved into the side of the island, devoid of light and warmth; the complete opposite of the coral castle. I grimace. At least the giant clam is comfortable, if not an entirely strange experience.
“We have made good time today, clearing the northern section of the barrier. We have passed the shipping containers.”
“Oh! I hadn’t realized we had traveled so far.” The few other times we’ve swum back to the beach I was stranded on, I have growntired from the distance or been attacked by our mate bond, and struggled with the separation from Triton.
“It is my essence. The more I give you, the better your stamina and endurance, and the longer you can stay beneath the sea…” Triton trails off.
“Until it’s permanent,” I state, matter-of-fact.
