Page 11 of Drowning in Sins
I pulled out my light to get a better look, and that’s when I saw it—the chest. It was locked, and there was no telling what could’ve been inside. Or if it was empty. I signaled to Bryan so he could get a shot of it before moving around the area. A dark fin, spotted out the corner of my eye, had me spinning to see what fish followed us.
An eel swam nearby, and I realized this was something I hadn’t been fully prepared for. I knew fish and things were down here, learned how to avoid and react properly to their presence even, but since they weren’t around in the practice pool, it wasn’t anything we got used to by exposure. We were going to have to be careful not to disturb or frighten anything that lived down here too badly.
The last thing I wanted was to be attacked by some sea creature that decided to make this shipwreck its home. It’d been down here for hundreds of years and would be for many more, if I had to guess.
Tyler flashed his light for my attention, and I swam closer, spotting a rolled-up collection of thick paper that would most likely disintegrate if we attempted to move it. A few sturdier pieces were in frames, and we carefully cleaned them off.
The entire time, Bryan recorded our findings. We didn’t want to risk moving most of the things we found, just cleared it off as best we could to see what could be taken up with us.
After recording our findings, we regrouped and swam back to the surface. It’d been colder than we expected down there. So, once we were lifted from the platform, we moved into a room under the bridge to warm up. The whole research team gathered as we went over our findings and made a plan for how best to proceed the next day.
They were talking about sending Bryan down with some other piece of equipment to see if they could lift the chest up. Beth argued that it needed to be wrapped so nothing would be damaged, and I agreed.
The last thing we needed was for the company to hook the chest up for selfish reasons and it break on the way up, losing anything that might’ve been inside. We talked about the materials that could be used to safely wrap it before lifting it and the proper way to open it without damaging anything.
They wanted to send us down with more equipment next time to scan the area from below. There were more parts of the ship that were closed off from us to inspect. Not to mention an entire half of the ship that was mysteriously missing.
Tyler and Bryan came up with a plan as I excused myself from the room. I wanted to get in drier clothes, then review the footage to see what I missed. On my way down the steps, I nearly slipped, but firm hands gripped me once again.
“Whoa, you okay?” It was Kai this time who held me up as I regained my footing. “These stairs are pretty narrow.”
I carefully treaded down the last step, and he released me. “Yeah.” It was a lie. I felt lightheaded, to be honest, but I didn’t want to say anything.
“You sure?” He arched his brow, and I stared at his blue eyes. They were slightly speckled, like golden bubbles near the center.
“I think I’m gonna go rest for a bit.” I swallowed.
“All right.” He smirked.
I quickly walked down to the bunkroom. With everyone up on the top deck, I changed and then lay down on my bed. Just a little nap. I rolled to face the wall and let the soft rocking of the ship put me to sleep.
It came in flashes. Small touches. A twist here. A gasp there. Like an erotic music video cutting in and out. The bass pumped through my veins as his hands roamed up my legs. His lips brushed across my shoulder, stirring me from my nap until I forced my eyes open.
“Tell me.” His voice poured over me like warm whisky.
I was in a larger bed, the blankets a mess beneath me as my hands grasped for something to hold on to. Anything to keep me steady as his lips moved across my clavicle and down my chest.
I shook my head as his mouth hovered above my nipple. His tongue flicked over the piercing, and the sensation went straight to my clit.
“Tell me who this pussy belongs to,” he spoke as he traveled farther down my body.
I looked down as Kai continued his descent, until his mouth aligned between my thighs. His eyes met mine as he pressed his lips to me. His hand moved up to play with my nipple as his tongue darted out to taste my wetness.
“I believe it belongs to me,” a voice came from the door.
I turned to see Frederick enter the room as Kai sucked on my sensitive clit. He watched us for a moment before making his way over.
Chapter Ten
KAI
Ididn’t think it was possible to wake up both horny and pissed off, but I had. She’d taken up every free moment in my head. My grandfather used to tell anyone who would listen that it was bad luck to bring a woman aboard. It was his old-sailor way of thinking. It never made sense until now.
They could be a distraction.
When I thought back on it, women wereneverpart of the crew, not even my temps. I didn’t know if there was a subconscious reason for it, or if it just worked out that way. Even if they had been, it would’ve been the same. They would’ve just been another member of my crew, putting in the work.
It was like a fever had taken over, and we weren’t a full week into the trip. She occupied my thoughts whether I was awake or asleep. It was unnerving. This felt like more than a crush.
