When Lake smiled, I caught a flash of his canines. “I’ll be sure to tell the captain all about it.”
I laughed.
It was going to be a great day.
***
Kuya stood knee-deep in the water, every muscle still as he focused on something below. With lightning quick reflexes, he snatched a fish from the water. “Look what Kuya caught!”
“That’s a big one,” I said, impressed. I was shoulder-deep in the ocean, my feet grazing the bottom. The current kept trying to push me farther out. “Good job.”
The section of beach was like a little slice of paradise. Powdery white sand, lush trees, tropical plants, and small rock formations that reminded me of fingertips broke the surface. Kuya had taken me there, saying it was where he and Sawyer often went to swim. When the prince wasn’t busy anyway.
Before coming to the beach, we’d strolled through town. I’d found a few hardbacks at the bookstore—okay, seven, but whatever—and then we’d purchased roasted pecans that had been glazed with a sweet caramel.
“Do you think we’ll see Prince Sawyer today?” I asked, floating on my back. I stared up at the blue sky. Tall, puffy clouds stretched into the distance.
“Possibly,” Kuya responded with a small growl in his voice. “But Kuya’s prince will be withher. So best that we not see him.”
Understandable. If I was in Kuya’s position, I would’ve been devastated to see Lake, Briar, or Maddox with someone else too. I didn’t believe for one moment Sawyer had done anything with Alina—romantic or sexual—but once they were married, it would be expected of him.
The caw of a seagull drew Kuya’s attention, and he crept toward it, the fish still clutched in his hands. “Come, come, little birdie.”
I snorted at him and continued floating around, enjoying the relaxation. The water rippled about three feet in front of me before teal-blue hair jutted up, followed by the glow of sapphire eyes.
“Hey, you,” I greeted the merman. He was the same one I’d seen a few weeks ago. “Nice to see you again. I’m still glad you’re not a shark.”
He sat up higher in the water and grinned. That close, I saw more of his features. A toned chest, sharp jawline, and bronze skin that had a rippling texture in some areas, like faint scales. “Not shark,” he said in a heavy accent that I couldn’t place. He touched his chest. “Storm.”
“Your name is Storm?”
He nodded.
“I’m Evan.”
“Evan,” he repeated, tilting his head to the side. “The water likes you.”
“It, um, does?” I glanced down at it. “That’s good to know, I guess. As long as it doesn’t like me enough to drag me to the depths and keep me forever.” When I looked back up, Storm was inches from my face. “Whoa!”
“This stone.” Storm regarded my necklace, completely oblivious to the fact he’d nearly given me a damn heart attack. “It shines like treasure.”
“It’s meant to protect me.”
Storm smiled. “Then wear it always.”
“That’s the plan,” I responded, amazed I was actually talking to a freaking merman. How cool was that? “So, do you come here often? Wait. Dumb question. You live in the ocean. Of course you do. Ignore me. I ramble when I’m nervous.”
“Why nervous?” Storm asked. “I won’t harm you.”
Maybe it was my trusting and sometimes gullible nature, but I believed him.
Everything was suddenly quiet. No splashing of water or the little chitters Kuya made when excited or playing. I looked toward the last area I’d seen him, finding nothing but my satchel, the bag of books I’d bought at the market, and our bundles of clothes and shoes. Well,myshoes. He didn’t wear any.
“Kuya?” Worry filled my voice.
A shadow passed beneath the water, and something soft brushed my thigh. That something then broke the surface and lunged at Storm. “Kuya bite!”
Storm caught him in midair and kept him at arm’s length, his expression a mix of curiosity and amusement.
