Chapter 31 #2
It feels like that now. The sun is hitting the water at just the right angle, and the whole cave turns turquoise, glowing up from beneath the surface.
Life taught me not to believe in magic, but standing here with him, I do.
“Welcome to the Mermaid Pool,” I say. “They say that centuries ago, merfolk were created by stepping into this glowing blue water. After that, they belonged to the island forever.”
He finally looks up at me, and I swear, this is where his sapphire eyes must’ve been created.
“I’m ready to belong here,” he whispers. He takes his shirt off and drops it beside his checkered Vans. Before I can blink, he’s in the water, the splash reaching my face. He disappears, then pops back up a few seconds later, droplets running over his parted lips like starlight. It’s mesmerizing.
“What?” he calls. “You just gonna stand there? Screw that cooling-off bullshit of yours. You totally brought me here to make out. Now cool off in here!”
I don’t have an argument against that, because a small part of me—yeah, the same part that said fuck it earlier—absolutely did have that intention.
It doesn’t take long for me to undress and dive into the pool. The cold water feels welcoming after our hike under the midday sun. I pull out my hair tie, tucking it into the pocket of my swim shorts before diving to Tom.
When I break through the surface, he’s waiting for me, only inches away now.
“Come here,” he murmurs, fingers digging into my shoulder to draw me closer.
He’s waiting for me to meet him halfway. That small act of mutual consent, feels just right in this delicate moment.
I find his waist, slide my hand to his hip, then lower, inside his shorts. My hand grips his ass, tugging him closer until our bodies collide.
The first touch of our lips is short. So is the second. And the third.
Tom laughs as he chases my mouth, teeth meeting teeth, pulling away just as I lean in again. It turns into a playful game of cat and mouse, each of us teasing, waiting to see who gives in first.
It’s him.
His hand slides to the nape of my neck, keeping me there as he finally crashes his lips into mine. And we just stay like that, feeling it, how they fit each other. Then a quiet groan slips from his throat, and I lose control.
My tongue presses hungrily into his. He stops me with slow, careful movements that catch me off guard.
His hands come up to cradle my face, his thumbs stroking my cheekbones, and just like that, I feel myself being loved rather than objectified. I give in to it, tasting salt and all of him.
He takes control, and I let him, eager to follow his lead.
His tongue explores every edge, every soft ridge inside my mouth. He’s learning me, and he’s taking his time with it.
I match his pace, my hand sliding up between his shoulder blades to the back of his head, scrunching his curls between my fingers. He pulls back, sinking his teeth into my lower lip just enough to make it sting. The moan that tears out of me is desperate, needy for more.
“Fuck,” he whispers hoarsely, smiling against my mouth.
My thumb drags over his lips. “You’re such a good kisser, Tom.”
“Can’t remember feeling anything this intense,” he says, breathless. “No numbness.”
“Stay with me, Sapphire, and you're allowed to feel all of it.”
He holds me tight like letting go isn’t an option anymore.
I lift him onto the rock at the pool’s edge. He locks his legs around my waist, pressing himself against me, holding me there so tight it hurts.
His fingers dig into the small of my back, and with his free hand, he grabs my chin and yanks it to the side.
The next thing I feel is his teeth dragging over the sensitive spot on my neck. A hard suction against my skin, followed by soft kisses all over my scars. It sends a shiver to my stomach, but I let him. I’m confused that I let him.
“You’re mine,” he growls.
I don’t answer. I can’t. My body’s burning, pinned under his hands, locked between his thighs.
He rocks into me, and I gasp, head tipping back, eyes squeezing shut.
“Look at me,” he says.
I do.
His eyes are wild, like the wolf on his chest, and they tear right through me. My hips move on their own, chasing friction, and he meets me with the same urgency. His fingers grip the roots of my hair, tugging me forward until our foreheads press together, our noses brushing.
“Don’t stop,” I whimper.
“I won’t.”
We keep making out, but the moment his hand slides into my shorts, we freeze.
There’s laughter somewhere up the path, voices getting closer.
“Fuck.”
Tom’s body tenses against mine. In a heartbeat, he slips out of my hold and back into the water. I swim away, forcing myself to the other side of the pool. The cool water washes over my skin, but it does nothing to put out the fire raging inside me.
I look up. He’s looking too.
Two stormy eyes meet mine over the rippling water. Neither of us blinks or looks away. My chest heaves with shallow, uneven breaths.
I try, God, I try to school my face into something close to casual.
Tom doesn’t make any effort to hide his arousal.
Not even when three girls appear around the corner, giggling as they take selfies.
Tom leans back against the rock where we were seconds away from losing control. He drags the side of his thumb over his kiss-swollen lips, wiping away the last traces of me, daring me to look away.
In the glowing light of the Mermaid Pool, he’s the most dangerous kind of beautiful I’ve ever seen.