Page 23 of Tempting Triton
I growl. “That cheating son of a—” I push myself onwards, kicking through the water, determined to catch up to the overgrown fish.
We reach the barrier in record speed, Triton practically lounging against it by the time I reach him, his arms folded across his chest while he waits.
“Took you long enough.”
“You cheated!” I splutter, swimming right up to him and poking him in the chest.
“Did I?” Triton feigns innocence, wrapping his hand around mine and pulling me into his body before placing a kiss against my lips.
“You said—” I protest.
“No essence, I swear.” He lifts my hand to his mouth and kisses the back of it. “Let us get to work, my Elena.”
We spend hours swimming along the barrier, testing it for weak spots high and low before we begin to lose daylight.
I link my fingers and stretch my arms behind my back, groaning as I try to loosen the tension that has settled back in between my shoulder blades.
“We have stayed out too long. We will likely not make it back to shore before we lose the sun, but I know of a placewe can rest for the evening, and we will not have to swim as far to the barrier in the morning.”
Triton seems off; his lightness from this morning long since disappeared. I can’t tell if it’s because we haven’t found a break in the barrier yet or because he doesn’t want us to. On one hand, maybe his family will get to come home. On the other hand, I get to go home. Regardless of what we may or may not find, one of us will lose something.
“Thank goodness, I’m exhausted.” I let out a squeal as Triton scoops me up in his arms and swims off towards wherever it is we plan on resting for the night. I should feel offended that he thinks I am too tired to swim the last leg before we stop for the night, but honestly, I’m relieved to take a break, so I say nothing and snuggle into his broad chest, letting him carry me. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but the journey is a lot quicker when Triton isn’t limited by my human speed. I didn’t realize how much I had slowed him down, and I wonder if I should ask him to just drop me off at shore and finish off without me, since he’d be done in half the time.
“One more night and we should be close to home by the end of tomorrow.” It’s like he can read my mind, and at this point, Iwouldn’t even be surprised if mind-reading was a secret Mer power. I’ve noticed I’ve gradually become more comfortable with the mind-bending realities that meeting Triton has opened up to me.
We draw close to the wreck of a sunken ship sitting half-buried in the sand. The fading light casts the wreck in shadows to look like the open jaws of a shark, the rotten and broken wood like rows of sharpened teeth.
Goose pimples erupt along my skin. “We’re not staying in there, right?”
“Of course we are, my Elena, unless you want to sleep out here where the sharks might mistake you for a tasty treat. You are not scared, are you?”
“Well, I wasn’t. But now I am. I didn’t think there were any sharks!” I cling to Triton as we slip inside the sunken ship and become shrouded in darkness. The claustrophobic feeling of being stuck in the cave yesterday is still too fresh, and I hold onto Triton tighter, daring him to let me go. While being unable to see my surroundings, I’m as stuck to him as a barnacle on a boat.
Triton’s chuckle vibrates in his chest. “Yes, there are sharks. They will not bother us while you are with me.”
“And that’s because?”
“I am the more dangerous predator.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of you are one with the sea animals.” I let out a whoosh of bubbles as Triton takes us to wherever we are inside the ship and plonks me down on a bed, I assume, due to the cushioning beneath me. I’m suddenly glad I can’t see the extent of the rotten mattress and timber I imagine I might be sitting on.
Triton leans over me, my hands flat against his chest as he pushes me backwards, and I realize that he can probably see everything. Only I am at a disadvantage right now.
“You do not think I am dangerous?” he growls in my ear, and it’s like the ‘on’ switch to my lady parts has been flicked.
“I think you have the potential to be dangerous. To anything other than me.” He has already proven that he is incapable of hurting me because of the mate bond. Otherwise, I’d probably be Mer food by now.
“Hmm.” He runs his nose along my jaw and down my neck, and I’m immediately hot, achingand desperate for him. The mate bond ramps up a thousand volts, and I must shed my sports bra and shorts immediately lest I die from overheating.
Triton growls as I struggle to get my sports bra over my head, and I experience a flash of worry that he might tear it off me and I’d be without clothes in the morning, but then every sensible thought flees from my mind. When a warm mouth and tongue and palm find my breasts, I whimper as I attempt to wiggle out of my shorts, his slick cock already protruding from his pocket. It thrusts between us as I lift my hips to get my shorts down, unintentionally rubbing against it, causing Triton to groan against my nipple.
I get my shorts off, and Triton brings his hand to my lower belly where his resting cock has spread its lubrication across my skin. Rubbing his fingers through the substance, he then brings them down between my legs to encircle my clit.
“Yes.” I sigh, my body instantly relaxing under his touch. “More.”
Rubbing my clit with one hand, his natural lubrication helping him slide them against me, he brings his attention back to my nipples, licking and sucking and nibbling. His fingers dip furtherbetween my legs, finding my entrance, which has him pausing.
“No,” I whimper. “I was so close.” The ache between my legs is so intense, I’m desperate for something to fill me.
