32. Sharkie
Date: 8-22-2024
Time: 1900
Breathe. One, two–
“Hurry up!” Moe yells as he pushes past me with his bag on his shoulder. It’s not as terrifying looking at the vessel bobbing by the pier as it was the last time I was near one. The cool air nips at my skin, turning my cheeks pink. It’s quiet besides the occasional crash of waves by the dock and the low hum of the large engine. I shift nervously and place my hands behind my back, only for them to be clasped in between calloused ones.
“I still think we should just take a plane.” Caspian says, rubbing soothing motions in my palms. I tilt my head at the sight before me, reading the writing down the side of our official team’s name and of our ship.
Seaborn
At least if we sink, it’ll be in something pretty, with an actual meaning behind it. Letting out a breath, I walk towards the ship with my chin held high. I didn’t expect Moe to put thought into our name, but I’m proud he did. I instantly fell in love with the idea, but it took some convincing with Caspian.
“Don’t tell me you’re scared.” I call out, but I don’t look behind me to see the scowl I’m sure he’s holding. He’s had a short fuse lately, but I assume it’s because we have zero privacy and the idea Moe keeps throwing around about tracking down his biological father.
It’s a lot more cozy than the previous ships I have been on. The environment just feels better. It feels safe. Maybe it’s just the ‘big brooding man’ trailing on my heels, but I don’t mind. I’ve held my own for as long as I know. It’s nice to have someone look out for me every once in a while. What can I say? He broke down barriers I held strong for so long and successfully helped me navigate my mind.
“Do I have a reason to be scared?” He mumbles under his breath to where he thinks I can’t hear him. He has every reason to be scared. For seven whole days, he’ll be stuck in this small space with me. Who says I won’t throw him overboard and watch him sink to the bottom of the sea? The intrusive thought makes me giggle, but I don’t try to hide it. We both know I can’t kill him. I toss my bags into a random cabin even though I know it’s not the right one, but I need him distracted for a moment.
As expected, an aggravated groan falls from his mouth and his footsteps disappear. Who the hell knows where Moe went? I’m sure he’s busy gawking at the female recruits around here somewhere.
I would go check on him, but I move to the nose of the boat instead so I can see where the world curls with the ocean only being highlighted by the setting sun. This time my stomach doesn’t turn, and my knuckles don’t turn white from gripping the rail. The horn bellows so loud it vibrates through my feet right into my chest. I raise my arms and clasp my hands behind my neck so I can take a deep breath.
We have a long year in front of us and more obstacles to overcome than I care to admit, but I’m finally doing it. In the end, when I’m ready to throw in the towel and live out the life I once dreamed of, I know Caspian will be by my side.
This time I’m doing it right with no blinders and no corruption. I’m not so sure I’m doing it for my parents anymore, though. I’ll always miss them, but if the world didn’t work the way it did, I’d never be where I am now with the people I need by my side. It’s a clean slate. With no shady past, no complicated present, and a future full of so many possibilities.
The salty air tickles my nose. Nothing scares me now. Not even the high tide. I won’t say that out loud it might hurt his fragile ego. As if he senses anytime I think about him, I feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand.
“Oh, come on!” Moe's protest has my head turning with my hand over my mouth to the sight of his ear pinched between Caspian’s fingers. The medic I’ve seen so many times before pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose and hurries off.
“You’re the one who said you wanted to start learning my role.” Tide purrs, tossing Moe in front of him and raising his fist. “How about I teach you through some training?”
“Cock-block!” Moe yells and throws his shoulder into Caspian's stomach successfully knocking him to the metal floor.
I roll my eyes. Brothers . What am I going to do with them? I cross my arms over my chest, unfazed by the soft jerk of the boat as it begins its journey into the sea. Seven days back to Bay's headquarters where we’ll fix whatever chaos is forming on American soil and gather whoever wants to move stations, then months’ worth of traveling to dock members in different locations. Not to mention hours of training and preparing each person for any situation that can appear.
Our goal is simple: keep wars from forming and stay hidden, but logically there will always be someone prepared to ruin it all. We simply protect both the land and the sea. Tide pins Moe to the ground, laughing at his red face and squinty glare. We want eyes and ears everywhere, so if a problem does arise, we can stop it in its tracks.
“It doesn’t feel good being interrupted, does it? Imagine how I feel almost every damn night when I have to go to bed with blue balls because you want to watch that stupid show with my wife.”
I roll my eyes at the statement and take one more glance at the sea before heading through the swaying white door. Technically we’re not married—he just insists on saying the word wife. I avert my eyes with a small grin as I walk past Sam with an arm perched against the wall above Jasmine’s head, caging her in like a small bird.
They're still in denial—probably for good reason—because he looks pissed, and she looks nervous. I've noticed the tension between them ever since we revealed that there's an issue in America that we need to relive before we accomplish anything else; like I said, there's always going to be some conflict somewhere. They're not my business. I find our proper room, pushing the door open beneath my palm, taking in the large space. A small chest sits against the wall for our belongings and a small restroom sits to the side with a sliding metal door. Where is home?
Taking slow steps, I stand in front of the window, watching the waves roll across the water. Quiet chatter rumbles through the walls mixing with the vibrations of the sea. I swear the devil hears me calling for him when my lips don’t even part. The soft click of the door is quiet enough I turn my head slightly towards the sound.
“Caspian, I know you’re–”
I gasp when my chest is pushed flush with the small glass frame, planting my hands on either side of it. I’ll never get tired of the hold I have on this man. He acts as if he can’t breathe without me by his side.
“Had any bad dreams lately?” He rasps beside my ear taking a nip at the lobe.
“Always the same one.”
“It's me, right?”
God, he’s so obsessed I love it. A wicked grin forms my lips as I quickly turn, placing my hand to his chest so I can walk him back toward the spacious bed covered in silk gray sheets and a black duvet.
I shrug in response.
“It better be.” He growls as if I don’t hold the power in my hands. I love handing myself over to him but some days I like to be reminded that I’m stronger than most. The back of his knees connects with the mattress toppling him onto his ass.
“What’re you doing?”
“Nothing.” My voice comes out higher than I intended. This asshole better not ruin my surprise, or I might just reconsider killing him.
“You know how I feel when you lie.”
I ignore him, slowly pushing my fingers through the buttons he loves to tap when things become too much. I vowed never to lie to him again, but it doesn’t hurt to stretch the truth a little.
“ Cordelia .” He draws out my name. I grin. I love the way he says it. I wonder if I’ll ever get tired of the sound. I sure hope not. Once his chest is bare, I push the fabric running my fingers over the ink that lines his skin, there's more than there was a few months ago. After getting on good terms with Jasmine she explained that the tattoo parlor just north of base is where Sam and Tide sneak off to for their ‘appointments’.
I think he’s right. We haven’t had enough time together. For a solid month, I went through therapy. The next month I dove so hard into planning that I hardly slept. Last month I stayed distracted trying to make everything perfect. I think most of the days I spent fully by his side I was apologizing, or we were attempting to enjoy each other only to be interrupted because I got Moe addicted to Game of Thrones.
“Do you trust me?”
He lets out a hard exhale through his nose. With practice ease, I pull his belt from his khakis and wrap it around my fist. I’ve noticed the times he focuses a little too hard on my movements when I’m cooking or how he checks in on training every so often. I like to think it’s simply because he likes to know I stayed but those stupid voices in my head say otherwise. I still haven’t kicked them but I’m trying. He nods. I crawl onto the bed behind him and pull his arms until I’m able to secure the leather around his wrist.
I tighten the strap making him grunt.
“Say you trust me.” I murmur, pulling my shirt and tossing it to wherever it lands. His head rolls but he doesn’t look back, I wish I could hear what was going through his head.
“I trust you, little siren.”
With a victorious grin, I slide off the bed to stand back in front of him, pushing my pants down my hips as he lets out a shaky exhale. I take my time admiring the way the navy lace contrasts against my tan skin. It hugs my breast just right and doesn’t exaggerate my scars to the point I’d feel self-conscious. I guess it's about time I wore it for him.
“I bloody love it when you wear blue.”
He cuts off my thoughts tempting me to roll my eyes.
Lowering to my knees I work at the button of his pants. I love our dynamic. How I can submit to him just as easily as he can for me. That’s a lie sometimes it’s a fight for dominance but at least right now it’s not. He lifts his hips allowing me to pull his pants and boxers from his hips, letting them pool at his ankles.
How can a human being possess something so massive? Oh my God… he is a monster. He jerks against his restraint letting one of those concerningly sexy growls rumble as I pull his length into my hand, examining his swollen red tip leaking pre-come.
“No touching until I say you can.” I mumble, tilting my head to get a good look at the vein that trails the underside of his cock. My tongue follows where I was just examining until I’m flicking it against the top letting his taste coat my tongue. Sweet and salty.
His hips jerk but I tilt back my head enough he can only feel my breath against the sensitive flesh. I wanted to go slow and savor having him at my mercy but as I look up at him through my lashes to his jaw set and hooded eyes, I can’t help but take him in until he’s hitting the back of my throat. Wrapping my tongue around his shaft I slide back up, relishing in the long moan that crawls through his chest.
“Just let me touch you. I promise you can do whatever you want.” The whispered words shock me at how much they sound like a plea. Pulling back, I gather saliva beneath my tongue letting it fall from between my lips until it coats his length.
“You’re so obsessed.” I purr. He opens his mouth to speak but cuts off at the sensation of my lips wrapping back around his throbbing cock taking him in and relaxing my throat. With every bob of my head, I can feel his body jerk and struggle with a need. I go light-headed forcing my mouth off with a shallow breath for air.
“Caspian.” I gasp, caught off guard from the way his hand wraps around my throat drawing me to my feet. When the fuck did he break out? Now I guess I know how it feels . He stands guiding my steps until my back is against the window.
“Sorry love, but I’ll go fucking insane if I’m not inside you soon.”
I try to speak but I’m quickly cut off as he twists my body pushing my face to the glass and takes my underwear into his fist, yanking hard enough the snap from my body. I’d be pissed if I was able to think logically but I can’t. Not when the cool air hits the slick heat trailing my thighs.
“Who were you made for?” He purrs, dragging the head of his cock through my folds. I whimper. The sunset creates a beautiful glow across the vast ocean. For once there’s not a cloud in the sky to block it. His hand curls into my hair making my scalp scream as he presses my face harder into the clear casing.
“You.” I breathe out. It’s true. Everything that makes me mind, body, and soul belongs to him. It always will and somewhere deep down I believe it always has.
“Good girl.”
The praise goes straight to my core. My thighs clench but he spreads me wider by kicking my feet apart. I want to stay focused on the gorgeous scenery but my vision crosses as he sinks into my pulsating cunt with one fluid thrust. Rolling his hips I can feel every inch so deep inside I’m almost convinced we couldn’t get any closer unless he sewed his skin to mine. My toes curl into the cold metal floor and my nails dig into the steel wall.
“Caspian.” I whine. I need to feel more. The longer I sit full of his cock the harder it is to breathe. My skin feels as if it’s been kissed by fire. It’s so sensitive that the lightest brush of his lips between my shoulder blade has my knees trembling threatening to give out below me.
“I love the way you say my name. Such a little siren.”
I push my ass back unwilling to lose too much of him at once. My teeth sink into my bottom lips as his palm comes down on the flesh making it ripple. I’ll never get tired of the pain he causes especially when it’s morphed into pure pleasure. His fingers trace the welt as he slams back in again.
“That’s it. You’re taking me so well, love. You're going to take every drop, aren't you?”
He pulls my head back until it’s pressed against his shoulder, biting and sucking at my skin like it’s the most amazing thing he’s ever tasted. What would be a beautiful view is blurred as black spots start to fog my vision. Each brutal thrust hits that spot that has my lips parting and my thighs trembling. Lewd sounds of his skin slapping mine and his incoherent curses with my husky moans fill the confined space. Every muscle in my abdomen pulls taunt, threatening to snap.
“I swear if you stop, I’ll fucking kill you.” I whimper. The asshole chuckles, slowing his pace, and shallowly rocks only allowing his tip to slide in and out of my weeping core.
“Is that a promise?” He murmurs darkly. I nod my head, growing frustrated with the way he holds me at the edge refusing to push me over.
“Good thing I want to die by your hands.”
His teeth sink into my shoulder hard enough to make me cry out his name at the same time as he buries himself back in. His fingers trail against my sensitive skin until they’re flicking against my swollen clit.
“You're sick.”
“And you're twisted.”
My muscles tense so I stand on my toes as every nerve ending comes to life sparking and sending electric currents through my body. I cry out his name loud enough my throat goes dry and my orgasm crashes into me like each wave that rocks the boat. Caspian grunts turn into primal growls with my name falling off his lips like a recited prayer. For a moment everything is still my mind is blank and my fingers buzz.
Heavy breaths wash down my skin, with what sounds like a quiet ‘come here’.
My body falls onto the soft sheets bringing everything back into focus. Deep green eyes hover above mine holding me captive until my breathing starts to steady. I hate him so much I love him. His hair sticks to his head with a thin layer of sweat and his grin turns into a crooked smile showing the white of his teeth, crinkling his eyes.
“I think I love you.” I say, finally finding my voice. The bed dips under his weight, hovering his mouth above mine.
“I know I love you.” He murmurs into one of those soft kisses that has my heart melting and my body relaxing.
“You’re trying to get the last word.” I tease lightly, pulling my head back to rest it against the pillow. He slides between my legs, resting most of his body weight on his elbows.
“It sounds like you’re the one trying to get the last word, little siren.”
My laugh is breathless, but I hope it carries everything I’m feeling: happiness, contentment, and love. I run my fingers through the back of his hair earning a soft sigh. His head falls and rests against my own.
“Say you’ll stay.” I whisper as I slide my fingers to the column of his neck tracing the small scar. The moon bounces off the water, creating rippling light in the room. I always hoped for love like my parents. I never expected to find it in the person I was determined to despise.
Where is home?
Right here.
“I’ve already told you, little siren. I’m never letting you go.”