Page 29 of Little Shake of Salt

The aphrodisiacs were working their magic because I could feeleverything,and I loved it.

With one final thrust, my orgasm shook me, my claws digging into her shoulders as I came. Demi kissed the base of my throat as I melted against her.

“That was perfect,” I huffed out.

She smiled against me. “You’reperfect.”

We held onto each other, blissful. I felt like I was floating in the clouds, my body relaxed and satiated. With a wave of my tail, I took us to the surface of the pool, and we unraveled our bodies, Demi slowly pulling out of me.

My voice was husky as I spoke. “I like that tentacle.”

“Me too,” she said. “I’m glad I happened to have an unused monster dildo lying around.”

I snorted, smiling as she climbed out of the pool and spread out on the floor next to me. Her hand dipped in the water, and I brought mine to hers, holding her hand as I watched her dreamily. She had dark lashes and a dusting of freckles over her nose and cheeks, her lips a bit puffy from kissing. I moved closer, laying my head on her stomach.

This was what I’d always dreamed of. I closed my eyes, listening to her breaths. Drawing in her scent like it was my own drug.

“Maybe we can dig a hole through the rock under the lighthouse,” Demi suddenly said. “So you can swim up to my home.”

I chuckled. “I do know of a merperson who has that home arrangement with their mate. They’ve made it work, although it’s not the best for when there are storms. She’s a witch, though, which helps.”

Demi nodded. “Maybe we can find someone who can cast a spell for us.”

“We certainly could.” I swallowed hard as she traced circles of my scales with her fingertip. “I’m trying to devise something in my city as well. I spoke to my brothers about it. We’re very creative, and merpeople do have magic as well. Not quite like a witch, though we have our own inscriptions to protect our cities from humans.”

Demi swallowed hard. “That makes sense. I have wondered how the humans who don’t know about monsters haven't figured it out yet.”

“A lot of magic, a lot of science, a lot of hoping technology doesn’t become strong enough to do so one day.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind my finned ear, her eyes softening. “The company I work for focuses on sustainablefishing, and we make sure we aren’t being harmful to the regions we’re in. I work as a deckhand, really, which includes a lot of odd jobs.”

“Oh, speaking of. I’ve asked for guards to be assigned to you when you work if I am unable to watch you.”

Her eyes widened. “What? You don’t need to?—”

“I want to. At least while there are these strange storms. I don’t know exactly what’s happening in the world above, but I cannot rest unless I know you are safe, Demi.”

She didn’t argue. Instead, she cupped my cheek with her palm and nodded. “I’ll be careful, of course. I always am.”

I could hardly ignore the feeling in my gut, but I nodded anyway. Demi leaned over and kissed me, and it wasn’t until I finally caved andreallykissed her back that our conversation slipped away from me, and all I could think about were the sex toys we still had to play with.

“What if . . .”

I raised a brow at her as the corner of her mouth lifted.

“What if we got out the lube, and figured out the best way to use that hook?”

“Yes,” I said. “And there are cuffs that goes with it too . . .”

She raised a brow. “You thought of everything, huh?”

“I always do,” I said. “Are you sure it’s something you want to try?”

“Yes,” she said without missing a beat. “Absolutely.”

Fifteen minutes later, Demi gasped as I worked her hole, slowly easing her open. We spent a while making sure she was ready. I wanted her body to be adjusted to the stretch before we used the hook.

I was turned on all over again just from touching her.