Alex regarded Liam with admiration. "As they say, yougo , girl!" "The dayI am a girl is the day you can bury me, as well. Into the portal, Alex. It will take you to where you should be. Dylan"s side. Are you prepared?"
Squaring his shoulders, Alex nodded. "Just about ready, mostly willing, and possibly able."
Liam sighed. "Good enough." He shoved Alex hard in the small of his back, forcing him forward into the opening. Alex"s last sight was of Liam grinning at him, wicked as a little devil.
Then it was shrieking-rush time again, almost like plummeting down a unbelievably steep rollercoaster in the dark. In the wild void, Alex focused his mind on Dylan, only Dylan, and found that he did regret acting like such a child, after all.
"Grow up!" he shouted at himself, his voice silent and yet carried away by the nothingness.
Then the portal closed and deposited him in a vast room that smelled of sunny summer afternoons spent by the briny ocean.
Well, d.a.m.n. I"m definitely not inKansasanymore, am I?Alex took a step forward, slipped in a shallow pool of water, and landed on his a.s.s.One more time ... d.a.m.n!
This had better be worth the effort.
Chapter Seven.
The first thing Alex heard was laughter, soft and low, like a peal of thunder off in the distance. He shook his head to clear away the lingering aftereffects of traveling by portal, and turned in the direction of what looked like an Olympic-sized pool ... in the middle of a freakin" forest.
"d.a.m.n. Amour Magique should be fined for defying the laws of time and s.p.a.ce," he grumbled. "Who"s making fun of me?"
"Look to your left, and you"ll know," a familiar voice said.
Alex stood up, shaking water off his already ruined pants, and pivoted to face the speaker. His heart positively went pit-a-pat and his loins started to throb. Dylan was in the pool, arms propped on one cement, faux-woodsy edge, looking at him in a way that made his liver quiver. Part anger, part pure amus.e.m.e.nt, and all s.e.x.
"You can"t say I don"t know how to make an entrance," Alex announced, striking a pose with one hand on his hip. "Dylan. How have you been?"
"Working off some tension. I don"t use the seal skin anymore, but I love swimming. Lucky for me Amour Magique has this big pool. They use it for when the mermen decide to come by, or even for other outcast selkies, but when it"s wide open ... then I swim." Dylan propelled himself away from the edge and began doing a fast b.r.e.a.s.t.stroke to the opposite side of the pool.
Alex watched him go. His hands curled into fists out of pure nerves, then uncurled. Dylan might soundgood-natured, but only a fool would think the man wasn"t still majorly p.i.s.sed at him.
And much as it pained him to admit, Dylan had every right.
With a sigh, Alex rolled up the legs of his pants and sat down on the wet edge of the concrete, dangling his feet in the water. The liquid felt cool and soft, no sharp chemical edges. Curious, he dipped a finger in and tasted.
Salt. Of course.
Watching Dylan flash in and out of the water, quick as a -- well, aseal -- was a sight to behold. Alex shook his head. What in the h.e.l.l had possessed him to be such a devil-may-care fool? This was a big, strong, powerful guy, every inch a man, and not one to be pushed around. Alex knew he"d let his urge to play get the better of him.
Well, he saw it now. The question was -- could he convince Dylan of how sorry he"d become?
At the far edge of the pool, Dylan turned around and began the lap back. Alex"s heart sped up even as Dylan swam a little slower, as if he, too, were dreading the coming confrontation ... but he did keep coming, drawing closer and closer.
When he reached a spot about five feet away from where Alex was seated, he pulled to a stop, treading water. "So, you have something to say?"
"I did. Now, I"m not sure that anything I have on my mind is going to cut it. Especially when I realize what a natural you are in the water. But then, you were born to it."
"Decades before you ever took your first step," Dylan rumbled in that edible voice of his. "While I lived in the skin, I didn"t age like humans do. I"ve put on a few years since I decided to go ash.o.r.e."
Alex bit back his curiosity. "I won"t ask why."
"Really?" Dylan made a face. "And here I thought you were going to be just full of questions. Why this and why that."
"I don"t want you to be more angry at me than you already are."
"It"s a little late for that, Alex. I should get out of the water and take a portal back to my room, lock the door, and sleep until you"re gone." Dylan paused. "I don"t know why I"m not."
Alex hesitated. "Maybe because you feel what I do?"
"And what would that be?"
"A link. A tie." Alex put his hand to his heart. "I don"t know how or why, because this most definitely has never happened to me, but I keep sensing there"s a connection between us."
"Body shots will do that to a man."
"Bulls.h.i.t. I"ve had men licking more than creme liqueur off my body before; we kissed in the morning and never saw one another again." Alex bit his lip. "I don"t want that to be the way things go betweenyou and me."
"Is that a fact?" Dylan paddled nearer. "So tell me more about this "tie." Is it striped or paisley? After all, you"re the valet."
"Not fair. I could ask you if the water tasted like your margaritas."
"What?" Dylan was apparently surprised into a laugh. "You really don"t do well when you"re backed into a corner, do you?"
Alex raised one shoulder with a half-laugh. "I"m trying my best here, Dylan. This isn"t something I"m used to. Want to cut me a piece of slack?"
"I can bet this isn"t part of your routine. Love "em and leave "em."
"Or part by mutual agreement."
"You"re not used to actually making a connection to someone that goes beyond d.i.c.k into a.s.s ..." Dylan paddled a few inches closer still. "Am I right?"
Alex sighed. "No, I"m not. And this scares the ever-loving s.h.i.t out of me, okay? I don"t like feeling vulnerable, and you make me ten kinds of uncertain. This bond freaks me out, even if it does feel right. It did when I was back in your room, and saw the pictures on the walls."
"You looked at my pictures, too? What did you see?"
Dylan didn"t seem angry, only curious, so Alex figured it was safe to answer. "Weird things. One was a picture of a seal sunning itself on the beach. I looked at the painting, and it turned into one of those Magic Eye things. Sucked me right in like a portal, and there I was on the sand with you."
"Those paintings aren"t what you might call ordinary." Dylan was almost up against the side of the pool now. "What happened?"
"Well, we didn"t exactly whip out a silver cart and have a high tea, if that"s what you"re wondering."
"I don"t know. You made a pretty good meal earlier."
A glimmer of hope flickered to life in Alex"s chest. "I don"t think I"ve ever enjoyed fine food more," he admitted. "And we both know it"s not the first time someone"s eaten off my body."
"What made it different?"
"The man that the mouth belonged to. Like I said, there"s a link between us, Dylan. I was high on the s.e.x rush, but when I came down I realized the connection was there. Had been there from the moment I saw you, nailed into place when we just couldn"t wait that first time. And when you accepted me for what I am -- a silly little flirt."
"A flirt with issues. A blind man could tell you that."
"Yeah, well ....you didn"t laugh at me, not once. You took me for who I am." Alex inhaled deeply. "And I should have accepted you at face value, not pushed you to be something you aren"t." "So you"re saying you were wrong to insist I put that skin on?" Dylan was close enough at this point that he reached out and put a hand on Alex"s knee. His skin felt cool from being immersed in the water, but still good. An absolutely great working man"s hand. "You"re sorry you tried to make me change for you?"
"Yes, and more. I acted like a jacka.s.s."
"Hee haw," Dylan said, although his voice was not unkind. "How about you pin on a pair of ears and a tail? Youwere an a.s.s, Alex. And if I didn"t feel this tie myself, I"d have walked out of this pool room a long time ago. Thereis something between us, a piece of magic I"ve never felt before. I"m not about to spill my guts and write "I love you" all over the walls in purple crayon, but I think we could have something special together. Now that you"ve apologized, I"m almost sure of it."
"Good. I don"t think I could handle the crayon. Do you mind if I come in?"
"Take off your clothes first. No need to put on a show. Just get naked, enter, and join me." Dylan stroked backward a little. "And, hey, don"t splash me, will you? Even if I am already soaked, I don"t like getting splattered."
Alex tilted his head, but swallowed the questions that remained in his mind. He still had to be on his best behavior. Scrambling up on the pool edge, he undid his shirt b.u.t.tons and shrugged the fabric off, letting it spill to the ground.
Dylan"s eyes warmed. "I see you"re still wearing your badge of honor."
"Oh, yes. A beautiful stain advertising the fact that I couldn"t wait."
"While you were sucking my c.o.c.k ... the way you looked with your mouth wrapped around me was a gorgeous sight. Do you know how fiery it made me to have you get off on that alone?"
"Scorching enough to boil this water?" Alex asked as he skinned off his pants. Good G.o.d, he"d been running around barefooted! "Feels okay when I test it, but how cold is it in there, anyway? Really?"
"Bracing. After the first shock, you"ll love it." Dylan hummed in the back of his throat. "It"s a little like home used to be."
Alex hesitated. "I thought you didn"t want to talk about your past."
"So maybe I"ve changed my mind. But we make it an even trade, because nothing is free, remember?
You"ve come down here to eat some crow, and I"ll trade you a little info on why I became what I am.
Fair?"
He couldn"t tell if this was a test or not, but Alex took a chance and nodded. Swallowing hard, he slid his feet back into the chilly water, and then, holding his breath, slipped over the edge and plummeted down.
Hol-ee f.u.c.k! Cold! Cold, cold, cold!The change in temperature the deeper you went was a serious shock to the system. Alex all but shrieked, remembering at the last second that it wouldn"t exactly be s.e.xy for Dylan to need to perform CPR to get the conversation going again, and shot to the surface. He poked his head above water with his teeth chattering. "G-g-good G-g-od!"
Dylan roared with laughter. "Wuss."
"I am not! I just don"t like being frozen." Alex clung to one pool edge. It"d been years since he"d done more than sit in a hot tub with a mimosa at his side, and he wasn"t at all sure he wouldn"t drown.
"Oh, for heaven"s ... come here, would you?" Dylan pried Alex"s arms away from the edge and pulled him into the circle of his arms. The bartender felt buoyant, like a cork, comfortable to hang onto and, oh ... so ... naked.Yum. Safe, naked. And -- how can I help myself around Dylan? -- h.o.r.n.y. I really hope this leads to the inevitable .
Apparently Dylan was thinking along the same lines, because his lover slid one wet hand behind Alex"s head and brought him in for a kiss. His lips were also cool, but the mouth-on-mouth was plenty hot.
d.a.m.n, did the man know how to work a good smooch. Nibbling at Alex"s bottom lip, then sweeping his tongue in, Dylan chuckled into Alex"s moan of pleasure and tilted their heads so he could plunder deeper.
Alex gladly surrendered control, head over heels with the feeling of being wrapped up in those strong arms.
Both men were rigid by the time Dylan drew back to let Alex get some air. Alex could feel his lips swelling slightly from the bruising force of the kiss, and he licked them, loving the sensation. Dylan rubbed the back of Alex"s neck, soothing and comforting, which made Alex think he could be content to just savor this particular moment, no frills necessary.
That was, until Alex changed his mind on a whim.What? It could be a man"s prerogative, too. He shifted accidentally-on-purpose and brought their c.o.c.ks b.u.mping together. Dylan sucked in a deep breath, then grinned. "s.e.x kitten."
"And we all know how much cats like water." Alex regretted the words as soon as they were out of his mouth.
Dylan didn"t seem to mind, though. "Every now and again there"s a cat who likes to swim with the big dogs. Maybe you"ll learn to love the water." He sighed. "And I suppose I should tell you why I stopped."
"You explained a little before," Alex said, not wanting Dylan to feel pressured any longer. "The seas aren"t safe anymore."
"They aren"t, but that"s not all. I"ll tell you if you promise to hush and let me get this all out, okay?"
Dylan laid one finger over Alex"s lips. "That, by the way, meansshush ."
Blinking innocently, Alex nodded.
"There aren"t many of my people left, and among those remaining few, they had a compulsion to breed.
I"d never enjoyed s.e.x with the females, even though I"d tried it often enough when someone asked me for a tumble ... so I couldn"t stay with the seals or I"d be untrue to myself. I suppose you"d say that was my big "coming out."" He laughed a little bitterly. ""Out" is the operative word. They pushed me away and refused to let me back in."
Alex shook his head. He was being good, being quiet, but he hoped Dylan could understand his unasked why? andwhat happened next? It seemed he did. "I hitched a ride with the captain of a fishing boat, pretending I"d fallen overboard from another ship. He was a nice man. Big and fat, with a white beard like Santa Claus. He gave me the trunk that you saw and didn"t ask questions about the seal skin. I got the feeling he knew I wasn"t telling him the whole truth, but he left well enough alone."
Alex felt himself flushing a deep dark red.
"Stop that. You aren"t him." Dylan tugged Alex closer. "For one thing, I never had a single urge to f.u.c.k him until he was nothing but a puddle that whimpered." He pushed their groins together, starting up a slow and steady rhythm. "You, on the other hand, I can"t get enough of."
Taking a chance, Alex raised his hand. Dylan was clearly amused, but said, "You have a question?"
"A few, but I"ll keep it simple for now." Alex twined his arms around Dylan"s neck. "Have we kissed and made up? I"m so sorry I was such an unbearable t.w.a.t earlier. And now I really know just how much you don"t like those."
"Depends. Do you want to keep being a part of my life?" Dylan gave Alex another taste of the old b.u.mp-and-grind, grownup style. "Or do you want this to be a one-nighter with a, what did you say, a kiss and goodbye in the morning?"
Alex bit his lip. The thought of being with someone long termstill just about scared the s.h.i.t out of him, but for a chance with Dylan ... "Let"s see how long we last," he said quietly, just loud enough to be heard over the lapping water. "I think you"re worth it; do you think I am?" He rubbed his chest against the ex-selkie"s. "Tie, remember?"
Dylan grinned, then slanted his head so that he could fit his lips over Alex"s. His tongue flickered out, sliding suggestively along Alex"s own, tickling and enticing. Alex moaned into Dylan"s mouth, loving every second of this.
Do I have another chance? Maybe, maybe?Alex thought he sensed reluctance in the selkie when Dylan brought their kiss to an end. The bartender was still grinning, though, as he flicked a wet strand of hair from Alex"s cheek.
"Then I"ll have to take you to a beach one day. I won"t exactly be in seal shape, but we can still have a good time sunning ourselves."
Alex perked up. "Can we go to Hilton Head?"
"If I get enough time off."
"Your get-out-of jail-free-due-to-the-Brotherhood card only lasts for one night?"