him. It hurt his heart. His precious Cori
was in pain and he could not allow it.
“No, it’s okay, you don’t owe
me any explanations,” she continued on, “We had sex, it was just one night or
day. Really great sex but no big
deal, right? Right. So, no worries, I misunderstood your intentions, Your
Highness.”
She could not have caused him
more pain if she’d stuck a knife in his chest. To think what lay between them
was meaningless or that he would ever be unfaithful to his mate. He grabbed her
hands and forced her to meet his gaze. He wanted her to see into him, to read
the depths of his feelings for her and the truth in his words. “Listen to me. I
am a son of Poseidon. One of many, but yes, I am also the heir, named the next
in line for the sea throne. But I cannot take my rightful place as king until I
take a bride.”
Her chest heaved against his
and he saw the hurt flare in her eyes. She tried to hide it from him by looking
away.
“I believe you are my bride,
Cori. But, I wanted to give us time. Give you time to get to know me. I’m not
sorry we made love back in the cave, and given the chance, I’d do it again in a
heartbeat. From the moment I saw you on the deck of the ship I
knew—listen to me, Cori. I knew. How could you even think what we’d
shared was a one night stand?”
“That’s—that’s
impossible. You don’t know me, you don’t love me.”
He shook his head. “You’re
thinking like a landwalker.”
“That’s what I am.”
Even though they were in the
water, he could still see the tears in her sweet brown eyes. She couldn’t hide
them from him. “I’m not. My people only begin to age after meeting the soul
meant to join with theirs. It is when an unbreakable bond is formed. I hadn’t
aged for three hundred years, and looked like an adolescent about fourteen or
fifteen. I began to age about ten or fifteen years ago, and have now stopped.”
“But you and I have never met
before a couple of days ago, Xavior. So, she must be someone else, this bride
of yours, one of your sea people.”
“No. I have always known she
was not of the sea. I have been searching for her on the land. And….” He
inhaled. “She is also the only one who can bring me to orgasm.”
She shook her head. “What? But
you came. I felt you, inside me.”
He grinned. “Yes, my love, I
know.”
“Are you saying you’ve never
had an orgasm before?”
“That’s exactly what I’m
saying. I’ve never climaxed with any other woman.”
“That makes no sense. If you
did it once, you can do it again. Maybe it’s just a chemical thingy. But
whoever your mate is, she’s not me. I’m not a sea person, so I would like to
return to the world where I belong.”
The ache in his heart grew
stronger. “Do you feel nothing for me?”
She glanced away from him and
then back. “I will not lie about my feelings. Yes, there is something there.”
She shrugged. “But it’s just not meant to be.”
That gave him hope. He took
both of her hands in his. “There is one way to find out for sure.”
“How?”
“Sit in the chair.” He released
one of her hands to gesture toward the chair made out of living starfish and
other shelled creatures.
“No. No.” She tugged at his
hand. “I just can’t bear it. What if you’re wrong?” She sobbed.
Xavior took her into his arms
and placed her head on his shoulder. She put her arms around his neck and held
on to him. “What if I’m right?” Shifting their bodies, he lowered his head at
the same time, she raised her face to him and he captured her mouth. He
breathed into her and bubbles rose up around them, tickling his skin as his
blood rushed through his body and he dove deeper into the sensation of their
kiss.
She wrapped her arms tighter
around his neck, pulling herself against him.
He lost himself in her arms and
in their connection. He wanted to do more, but restrained himself. They were in
a public place, and word they were there would have
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