Reed stepped forward, his eyes trained on Elliot. “Yes, I know. I have seen the two of you at work.” He turned to Elliot. “I actually came to ask a favor of you.”
“Of me?” the shifter laughed, incredulous. “You mean you’re not here to sweep this gorgeous witch off her feet?”
“You are a sea lion shifter, yes? And you grew up here in Crescent Cove, on both land and sea?” The merman hesitated, looking more nervous than she had ever seen him.
Elliot nodded but didn’t elaborate. Beside him, Tempest tipped her head to one side, trying to figure out what was happening. She certainly had assumed Reed was here for her. This turn of events had really caught her off guard and she waited for him to explain.
“My family will not listen to me,” continued Reed, distress evident in his face. “They do not believe such a place could exist, or that shifters could live in harmony with humans.”
“You guys are really sheltered, huh?” replied Elliot.
“They have offered me one chance to bring a shifter to tell them of this place and convince them Crescent Cove would be safe for our kind,” the merman explained.
Tempest looked back and forth between them, blinking. “You haven’t even met Elliot yet.”
“Not met. But I have seen him. With you, out on your boat,” Reed gave her a small smile. “I saw him transform and I saw you two playing in the sea. He is good to you, therefore I trust him.”
“When would you need me to go?” Elliot asked, drawing herattention from the merman.
“They have given me three suns—days,” he said hurriedly.
“I could join you after work tomorrow,” the sea lion shifter grinned.
Reed nodded enthusiastically. “That would be incredibly helpful. Thank you.”
“Sounds good to me, man,” Elliot said, all smiles.
Elliot took off at a jog toward the Boardwalk and Tempest watched her partner disappear. When she turned back to the handsome merman, his eyes were locked on her. Suddenly shy about her form-fitting wetsuit and how unflattering it could be when she felt bloated, she straightened her back and tugged at her wet braid.
“Now that’s settled,” Reed said softly, stepping toward her. “Would you like to get dinner with me tonight, Little Storm?”
“Oh, yes,” she murmured, blushing.
Her heart beat faster as he held out his elbow to her, allowing her to link her arm through his as they began the short walk toward the Boardwalk. He asked about her day and she told him about her storm, about finally successfully controlling her magic. Reed listened attentively.
“I…I made the storm dissipate exactly when I wanted to. It was incredible,” Tempest breathed out in a rush. “It’s never come to me so easily. Usually I am completely overwrought before I can call a storm into existence.”
Reed paused to meet her eyes, gripping her chin so she looked right at him. “You truly are magic, Tempest.”
Flustered, she bit her lower lip and tried to wriggle out of his grasp.
Instead, the merman leaned down slowly, purposefully, until his lips met hers. The warmth of his body pressed against her as he wrapped one arm around her waist and the other behind her neck. He tasted of salt and sea and something else she couldn’tquite name and Tempest yielded to him instantly.
When they came up for air, she gasped for oxygen even as she missed the feel of his mouth on hers.
Gods, why did that always feel so good?She wondered.
Kissing had never felt exhilarating with anyone else. Man, woman, shifter, witch—no one felt like this. Like him. As if she really could just go without air, forget to breathe, as long as he kept holding her like that.
“You must be hungry,” Reed said quietly, maintaining eye contact. “Where should we go?”
“Toast & Tide is the best for dinner and drinks,” she replied just as softly.
They stepped up to the podium and informed the server it would be just the two of them. She nodded and grabbed their menus, leading them to a small two top by the water. Tempest pointed out her favorite meals and explained new concepts to the merman as they perused the menu, finally deciding on fish and chips for her and mahi mahi for him.
As the server disappeared to put in their orders, Reed took her hand from across the table. “Tempest, I really like you. I hope it’s not too forward of me to say so this soon.”
“Oh, Reed,” she squeezed his hand reassuringly. “I really like you, too.”
