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I jerked my hand from his grip and said, “It was a lot easier without you here trying to murder me or distract me.”
“I didn’t try to murder you, Maxine.” He ran his hand down his handsome face and said, “I’m sorry about that. You have no idea—look. I’m sorry about the water. Okay?”
I stiffly nodded as I ran my fingers under the cold water and hoped they wouldn’t blister, but I figured one might for sure. It felt like it was on fire.
“And distract you? I.” He stopped. I looked up at him. “I can’t.”
He lowered his head and moved out of my space. I finished with my hand, put some magic burn cream on it, and then went outside to find the blue giant standing in the moonlight looking at the dark water and listening to the sounds of the waves.
I moved up next to him and said, “I love it out here.”
“It’s perfect.” He looked down then back out to the water. “I’d love to stay here.”
“You are staying here.” I sort of giggled.
“No. I mean forever. I’d love to stay here forever.” He took several steps forward and left me to process that.
I didn’t walk toward him, but I did ask, “Why? You have—”
“Nothing, Max. I have nothing. I had the games, but the more magical human types couldn’t even let me have that, could they? And you… what did you see in the woods, Maxine?” He turned and looked at me.
“Nothing.” Liar, liar, fingers on fire. Damn. I saw plenty in those woods. It was why I knew I had to do this. I had to break this man before I broke. I didn’t exactly know what everything meant, but my greatest fear was ending up like my father or my mother for that matter. They were so focused on our family legacy and protecting the next generation of Mayhem that I think they forgot that meant I would need to agree to marry someone, provide an heir, etcetera, etcetera. “Nothing like what everyone says we see in there, anyway.”
“Tell me.” He was looking at me in that way that set my blood soaring through my veins in sparkly, little tingles that made me feel as if I could actually glow in the dark if I focused on letting the sensations take over long enough.
I shrugged. “I was shown my greatest fear.”
He looked out behind him and then back to me. “The ocean? You have a lot of interest and curiosity—”
“No. I mean, yes. I do have a lot of interest and curiosity in the ocean. If I went in there and was swept out into the water and tossed about like I had here, sure. I would have ran out of there screaming.” I blinked as realization dawned. “I would have drowned in there?”
“No one knows for sure what happens to those who don’t come out.” Thurst took a tentative step toward me and then realizing he did that, he took a step back.
“It doesn’t matter. I faced my greatest fear and made a decision about my life. Just like you and any other who entered the challenge.” I squared my shoulders and looked up, way up, at Thurst. “All that matters to me is that my choice was very clear. And very blue.”
“My brother—”
I put my hand up. “Invited me to your parent’s land-dwelling home for dinner and to meet mermaids. Mermaids. I was doing my research project on history and lore. He is a merman and said I could interview your mother. I had no idea that he was your brother. Much less that he was going to suddenly announce we were together, as in going to that festival as a couple, until he announced it to the entire table in such a formal way, I… how could I say anything else?”
Thurst tilted his gorgeous head and studied me with an increasingly hard expression moving over his features.
I continued, “It wasn’t like we were anything real. It was publicity, an attempt to get attention for the cause for him and maybe, for me, it was an attempt to show my independence to my parents.”
“You.” He stepped closer. “You never—”
I could feel my eyes widen, my mouth open on the gasp of shock as I realized what he was asking me. “No.”
“I’m.” Thurst’s eyes seemed a bit wild. His lips pulled back just a sliver and revealed what looked a lot like shark teeth. A shake of his head and he had a less intimidating set of chompers in there. My whole body was overheating as one of our major obstacles was out of the way. His brother was of no consequence to me emotionally.
“I didn’t even kiss him on the lips.” Because I didn’t really like him. Everything was formal, planned, and paraded. I learned so much from Loudan, but my body ached for Thurston. I stepped closer and tried to tiptoe up to close the space that remained between us.
His nose almost brushed against mine before he stepped back, turned suddenly, and ran into the ocean. I stumbled forward a step and exhaled the defeat. Why did he just do that? I looked at the shore and knew the sweatpants would end up on the beach somewhere.
I looked toward the cabin and shrugged. I spoke to myself aloud as I walked. “This is why I have desserts. Those cakes are not going to disappoint me when I get to the kitchen.”
CHAPTER 6
Thurst
