And for the first time, he had seemed to finally fall asleep—or something closer to it, something unguarded and unwatchful—and he was lying there peacefully when the birds woke her. The sky was pale orange in greeting to the sunrise, which meant it hadn’t been long since she had drifted off. His breath was so soft, soslow, compared to hers that it truly seemed like he could stay underwater forever, as little as he seemingly needed to breathe.
Normally, she’d get up and start rushing to her tasks. Normally, the glass would already be cleaned, the brass shined, and breakfast cooking.
But here in his arms, nothing seemed to matter but the peacefulness of the sky, the stillness of the water, the call of the birds, and his skin against hers. If he had been awake, she would have pestered him for another round, but she found she didn’t need it. No, here beside him, with his arms around her was all she needed.
And as she leaned her head back against his chest, she could just make out his heartbeat. It made her think of how wrong those initial worries were of him being an incubus. She could never have imagined in those days that he would not only have had her but that she wouldmarryhim, and yet now it made perfect sense. Listening to his heartbeat—a heart she knew beat with love—it was clear he was nodemon or spirit but a man—or merman—and honestly, she wondered now if even him being a spirit would have made any difference to her. Kallias was Kallias. She would have taken him in any form.
She nuzzled back into his side, snuggling against the warmth she hoped to never lose, and smiled at the pleasure of how wonderful life could be.
CHAPTER 79
It must have been midday when she finally woke again. Now Kallias was awake and aware, and he smiled at her almost conspiratorially. “Good morning, my wife.” He seemed to get immense pleasure out of the word; his tail even flapped a bit and his joy made her blush.
Pulling him close, she kissed him again. “Good morning, Husband.” And now it was his turn to blush, though she had to admit she had said it rather seductively—or at least, that had been her intention.
“Did you not get enough?” he asked, his eyes shifting to seduction himself.
“I’ll never get enough,” she purred, rolling on top of him and kissing him again.
They laughed then—like music—before she settled on him, lying fully atop him with her head resting against his pecs. They were not the pillows they promised to be.
“Do you really want to again?” he murmured. “Should you eat first?”
“What do you want to eat?” she asked.
“Whatever you need. I can always get some fish.”
There was a pause as she thought it over. “I want you first,” she said.
“Oh?” he asked, with an uncontained smile. “I think I must be the luckiest man in the world.”
“Perhaps you’re just a great lover.” She smiled.
“Is that it?” he asked, blushing. “Well, you must be too.”
“Doyouneed to eat first?” she asked. He was already kissing a strand of her hair, and though she couldn’t explicitly feel it, he was sobeautiful doing it, so tender and gentle, so borderline reverential that her entire face lit up and she wanted him all the more. But she’d rather he eat if he needed to; she’d never want her own selfish desires to put him in distress.
“I’ll just eat you,” he said, sitting up and pressing his lips against her neck and playfully nibbling.
Laughing, she hugged his head, and then in a single second, she was back on her back.
“We need to get closer to the water,” she murmured. The bottom of his tail was touching but not much else.
But he said, “I think we’ll be fine. Let’s see what it’s like like this. Not in water might be better for you. We don’t know.”
“No, we don’t,” she agreed. “If you can.” Was he not exhausted from last night? He had been doing most of the work and now he didn’t even have the water to assist him.
He smiled dangerously though. “I can handle it.”
CHAPTER 80
She didn’t think it was possible, but he was already getting better, and the cries he drew from her made her glad she didn’t have any neighbors for miles in any direction. It felt like she would lose her mind in it, like he was truly possessing her, like any and everything else had dissolved away including her thoughts and she was left with just the blinding sensation of her body reacting to his. It was ecstatic, orgasmic, blissful, incredible, dare she even say holy, as if this was truly what they were made to do.
“I love you,” she whispered, and then her mind swirled again and it was like she was floating. She might’ve screamed out—she wasn’t sure—but when she focused for a second, Kallias was above her, beautiful and dry, save for a few beads of sweat, and his adorable, dry, curly hair was spilling every which way.
“I love you,” he barely breathed. He looked so intense, so primal in these moments, and in contrast to his normal gentle smile, well, it made him all the more stunning.
But it was like fate could never let anyone in its grasp smile. Ease was not the hand it dealt. No, it was nothing but cruel.
