Page 16 of Little Shake of Salt

Marina shook her head. “No. You have to mark me back, and you have to accept the bond. You’ll feel some things more intensely since I did bite you, but it doesn’t influence your free will.” She took in a slow breath, her eyes narrowing. “I can be patient.”

I offered her a smile. “Thank you.”

“But not about sex.”

“Thank gods. I can’t either.”

She laughed and pulled me close to her. “I suppose I should show you my true form then, huh?”

True form?What did that mean? “Um . . . yes? Yes. I’d love to see all of you.Please.”

4 /MERMAID TAILS

Marina

The look of shock on Demi’s face was wonderful as my true form took over. To make it easier on our first date, I’d kept myself to a morehuman-sized form, but in reality—I was four times larger than that. Her pretty mouth dropped as I grew in front of her until her arms could not wrap around me. My hand was large enough to nearly wrap around the entirety of her thigh, my tail waving in the water.

I sighed, content now. I’d been as restless as the sea, but now that she was here, my heart had quieted.

“If it is too much, I can shift back?—”

“No.” Demi stared up at me, her eyes wide. “You’rebeautiful.Are you kidding me about shifting back? In both forms you’re stunning, but—Marina, I’ve never wanted someone as much as I do right now.”

A streak of need rippled through me.

“Can I touch you?” she whispered.

I nodded. “Anywhere you’d like to.”

“Everywhere, then.”

“Do I . . . should I show you how our anatomy differs?”

Demi paused thoughtfully, but then nodded. “Yes. Show me how you like to be touched.”

I wished that I could take her to my home. I thought about it for a moment, but it would be too deep for her in her present condition. Humans did not do well beyond the twilight region of the ocean. Her lungs would collapse from the pressure.

Eventually, if we became fully mated, she would be able to withstand the pressure on her body as we descended. She would never be able to go down to the trenches, of course. Even with our magic, there were some parts of the ocean not meant for humans. But she would be able to visit my home.

For now, we would make do with our open space and the cavern.

I swept my hair back over my shoulders, cupping my breasts. Her little teeth sank into her bottom lip as she watched me, her eyes wide and drinking me in. I loved the way she looked at me, and how open she was right now. It was a very different feeling from our first date. Her expression shimmered with desire.

I’d had some time to think about things. I'd even talked to a couple of my friends, Delphin and Aegaeon who were mated to their human, Matt. They reminded me that humans did not naturally have fated mates, were stubborn, and easily frightened. The concept of fated mates was so ingrained into my view of the world, but it was a new concept to her, even if she'd been with monsters before.

I hated being patient. More than anything I just wanted to complete our bond and start our new life. But I could give her the time she requested.I guess.

And in the meantime, I’d show her how good our future could be.

She drifted closer as a current swept past us. I brought her body to mine, letting her face nestle between my breasts.Between the two of them, they nearly buried her. She mumbled something, and I raised a brow.

“What was that?” I asked.

“I said that I could die happily now.”

My chuckle turned to a gasp as her lips found one of my nipples. She took it into her mouth, her eyes sweeping up to hold my gaze as she began to suck.

It'd been a long time since I had been touched like this. Far too long. My head tipped back as she kissed her way to my other nipple and took it fully into her mouth, sucking as she kneaded my breast with her hands. It was easy to get lost in the feeling of her body against mine, even though our bodies were so differently sized. She was warm, like the surface on a sunny summer day.