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And yet he hadn't seemed the least bit uncomfortable, not even when she'd heard his words in her mind. Even when he had swum away, it hadn't been in an upwardly direction.
She'd get some damn answers about him. There was something fishy going on around here, and she wasn't referring to the fish in the ocean.
After she'd sent out her queries, she closed the laptop and put it away, then readied herself for bed.
The waves crashed against the shore, the salt-tinged air streaming in through her open window. Night creatures walked the beaches and swam in the oceans, their calls and cries filling her ears with thoughts of Dax. No matter how hard she tried, the ocean she loved so much was now irretrievably connected to a man she'd known intimately, and yet didn't know at all.
Despite the fact she was still wide awake, she slipped under the covers and turned out the light, determined to put Dax and whatever feelings he'd stirred out of her mind. First thing tomorrow, she'd get some answers to the questions about who he was. Next time, she wouldn't let sex distract her.
*
The ocean called to him. Tired of trying to sleep in the bungalow on the beach, Dax paced back and forth. His mind and body stayed connected to Isabelle. Isabelle and his home in the sea.
But mainly, Isabelle. He felt her tension, her wariness and her desire. Her thoughts filled his head. Her uncertainties registered like a shout in his mind. She doubted both him and herself, and he wanted to go to her and offer comfort.
Exactly the last thing he should do, and he damn well knew it. The best thing would be to get as far away from her and her thoughts as possible.
He slipped out of the bungalow, glancing over at hers and noticing the lights were out. Maybe she'd gone to bed, but she wasn't asleep. Her mind was filled with images of their lovemaking. His was, too. In that, their connection remained. Dax's cock hardened at her visions, her wishes, her unspoken desires so similar to his own.
It was time to get away, and fast. Before he did something really stupid like walk through her door and grant all her secret wishes.
He ran down the beach and dove into the water, its salty chill somewhat relieving the ache between his legs. The dolphins came to greet him, chirping their hellos and filling him in on their day. He spoke in their language, laughing at their jokes and descriptions of the tourists of the day.
After he bid them farewell, he headed to the depths of the ocean, going deep for miles, way beyond the level where land humans could survive.
He swam through the doorway to his sanctuary. The glass enclosure was his haven, and his place to work. The large screens within the lab played a constantly running silent picture of his assigned area. Surveying the action on the monitor, he breathed a sigh of relief. The seas were calm. At least nothing major went on while he was topside fooling around with Isabelle.
Something he knew damn well he shouldn't be doing. But he couldn't help himself. The situation presented itself, she was warm, smelled good, alluring as hell silhouetted in the moonlight, and he'd taken advantage of her.
Not that she'd seemed to mind one bit. His cock twitched as visions of the two of them entwined in the water came to mind. Her scent, her sweet taste, the feel of her body merged with his all combined into one irresistible combination.
And then she'd dropped him faster than a tuna running for its life from a hungry shark.
But why? What had he said or done to upset her? It seemed as if she couldn't get away from him fast enough, almost as if she were afraid of him. At least the wide-eyed look on her face and nearly dead run toward her bungalow gave him that impression.
Then again, maybe she was afraid of herself, of how she reacted to him.
Yeah, right. Like he was some kind of super lover.
He dragged his hand through his hair, his gaze fixed on the clear wall in front of him. The world's oceans had been peaceful today, thankfully. Of course, if they hadn't been he'd have already heard about it. He'd have known, or one of his brothers would have let him know.
Someone was always in his damn head, anyway.
"Pisses you off, doesn't it?"
He wasn't surprised in the least to hear his brother Triton's voice. He felt the concern of his brothers, of Ronan, of the entire League. He knew it was inevitable that Ronan would send someone to talk some sense into him.
"Does what piss me off?"
"Having us in each other's heads."
Dax turned and grinned at his older brother. Triton's dark blue eyes sparkled with mirth despite his brotherly frown.
"I can tune you all out when necessary," Dax replied.
"You mean during those times you're fucking a hot little land lubber named Isabelle King?"
Dax shot a glare at Triton. "Mind your own goddamn business, Triton. I don't need you interfering in mine."
Triton raised a dark brow. "I see."
"See what?"
"This land human means something to you."
He didn't want to get into this discussion, knowing a lecture would follow about how he was taking chances he shouldn't be taking. Tell him something he didn't already know. "Tell Ronan I have a handle on things and I know exactly what I'm doing."
Triton snorted. "Famous last words. Ones I've spoken myself before. And I was dead wrong, if you'll recall."
His anger forgotten, Dax walked over to Triton and placed his hand on Triton's bicep, over the dolphin tattoo that matched his own. "Your situation was different. It's not the same thing at all."
Triton's eyes darkened with the pain and anger he clearly still harbored for all land humans. Dax knew his brother's pain stemmed from one woman who'd broken his heart.
"I'm sorry, Triton. I didn't mean for this to bring up the past."
"She didn't break my heart," Triton said, replying to Dax's thoughts. "Best damn thing that could have happened was her decision to leave the oceans. I don't need or want a life mate who doesn't want to live with me in the sea."
Shit. He hadn't meant to dredge up Triton's pain. They all knew how much Leelia had hurt him despite his efforts to show an uncaring front. "You cared about her. She hurt you. In doing so, she hurt us all."
Triton shrugged it off, then narrowed his eyes. "This isn't about me. I'm here to talk about you."
Dax sighed and focused on the scanners, comforted by the soft whirr of oceanic images playing across the screens. "There's something special about her
, Triton."
When Triton didn't respond, Dax looked up. The hard glint in his brother's eyes had softened and he said, "I know. I felt it. Hell, Dax, you know how it is. We all felt it. Whenever one of us connects to someone like that we all know about it."
He wondered what privacy would feel like. Just for one damn day, to keep his emotions to himself. But that wasn't their way and it had never bothered him before. Until he met Isabelle. "There's nothing going on between me and Isabelle. She doesn't want there to be. It's just...I don't know. Sex."
"Uh huh. Just sex."
"Exactly. I'm not tied to her in any way. This will play out and then she'll be on her way and so will I."
"You don't operate like that, Dax. You never have, although I've tried my damndest to get you out for some fun. I just worry about you getting too close with this woman. Fun is fun, but you know every time we let a land human into our world, that's one more person who knows about us."
"That's not going to happen. We're not heading in that direction. Hell, right now I don't even think she likes me." Although she sure as hell enjoyed the fucking tonight. And she writhed and panted and screamed to the heavens when he licked her pussy.
"You know," Triton said, a gleam forming in his eyes, "there are a helluva lot of water sprites more than eager to fulfill every one of your fantasies. And they don't mind sharing you with each other, either. They give the best damn orgies under the sea."
Dax laughed. "I'm not looking for a fuck, Triton."
"Then what are you looking for? A life mate? A woman who'll live under water with you, raise some babies? And will this woman give up her life topside to do that? It's a very rare land female who'll sacrifice all she knows to be with one of us."
He massaged the ache at his temples. The one that had been growing to near pounding size by the minute. "Don't you have work to do, Triton? Surely Ronan has some task more important for you to do besides watching over me."
"Nothing more important than you, Dax. I don't want to see you hurt like..."
Dax's gaze met the pained eyes of his brother, and he nodded, knowing Triton's intent was to spare him the same pain he, himself had gone through. "Thanks. Duly noted. Now go watch your corner of the world."
They grasped arms and Triton said, "Think about what I said."
