Chapter 22 #2
“We’re overdressed,” he said with a laugh, pulling his shirt over his head. “Good thing we have the place to ourselves.”
I followed his lead, stripping down until we both stood naked on the shore. The feeling of the sun on my bare skin was intoxicating, a forgotten pleasure that made me feel alive in a way I hadn’t in years.
Teddy’s eyes roamed over my body appreciatively. “Race you to the water,” he challenged, already running toward the sea.
I laughed and chased after him, feeling the tension melt away with each step. We crashed into the waves together, the water cool and refreshing against our sun-warmed skin.
“It’s perfect!” Teddy shouted, diving beneath the surface and emerging with his hair slicked back. “I’ve never been anywhere as beautiful as this!”
I couldn’t help but smile at Teddy’s enthusiasm. The sight of him frolicking in these sacred waters, my home, made something in my chest expand. His golden hair turned darker when wet, clinging to his head as he rose above the surface again.
“Come on!” he called, beckoning me further out. “Show me! I want to see your tail again.”
My heart raced with anticipation. I hadn’t transformed in the Aegean since I was a teenager. There was something almost religious about doing it here, where I’d first discovered that part of myself.
“Stand back,” I warned, wading deeper until the water reached my chest.
I closed my eyes, feeling the familiar tingle start at my core and spread outward.
The transformation was always easier in salt water, especially here.
It felt like coming home, like my body remembered exactly what to do.
The sensation of my legs melding together, of scales pushing through skin, was both strange and wonderfully familiar.
When I opened my eyes, Teddy was staring at me in awe, his mouth slightly open. My cerulean tail glittered beneath the Mediterranean sun, more vibrant here than it had ever looked in the chlorinated pool back at Widdershins.
“You’re even more beautiful here,” he whispered, swimming closer. “Like you belong.”
“I do,” I admitted, using my powerful tail to propel myself in a circle around him. “This is where I’m supposed to be.”
The water felt like silk against my scales, every sensation heightened. I dove beneath the surface, reveling in the clarity that allowed me to see for what seemed like miles. Schools of small silver fish darted away as I approached, and I could make out the colorful reef formations in the distance.
When I surfaced, Teddy was treading water nearby, watching me with an expression that made my heart skip.
“Want to explore?” I asked, extending my hand to him.
He nodded eagerly, taking my offered hand. I pulled him close and wrapped an arm around his waist.
“Hold your breath,” I instructed. “I’ll take you down.”
Teddy nodded and inhaled deeply, and I pulled us both beneath the surface. Using my tail, I propelled us through the water at a speed no human swimmer could match. I felt his arm tighten around my shoulders, his body pressed against mine as we glided through the underwater landscape.
I showed him everything. There were the hidden caves carved into the cliff base, the colorful fish that hadn’t yet abandoned these waters, and the strange formations of rock and coral that had been my childhood playground.
When I felt his chest begin to tighten against mine, signaling his need for air, I brought us back to the surface.
Teddy gasped, filling his lungs with fresh air. “That was amazing!” he exclaimed, droplets flying from his hair as he shook his head. “I’ve never moved through water like that before!”
“Want to try something even better?” I asked, unable to keep the mischief from my voice.
“What?”
“I can share my breath with you,” I explained. “Like I did in the pool. We could stay under much longer.”
His eyes widened with excitement. “Yes! Let’s do that!”
I pulled him close again, my arm secure around his waist. Our faces were inches apart, and I could see every droplet of water clinging to his eyelashes.
“Ready?” I whispered.
Teddy nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. “Ready.”
I pressed my lips to his, breathing into him, sharing the magic that allowed me to survive underwater. His body relaxed against mine as he realized he could breathe, and I deepened the kiss, my tongue exploring his mouth as I guided us back beneath the waves.
We stayed underwater for what felt like hours, though it was probably closer to thirty minutes.
I showed him a hidden underwater cave, its ceiling dotted with tiny openings that let shafts of sunlight pierce the blue depths.
We floated there together, kissing and touching in the ethereal light, weightless and free.
When we finally returned to the shore, the sun was high overhead, beating down on our wet skin. We collapsed onto the warm sand, breathless and laughing.
“That was incredible,” Teddy said, propping himself up on one elbow to look at me. The transformation back to my human form had been automatic as we approached the shallows. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
I smiled, feeling oddly vulnerable. “I’ve never shown anyone that place before. Not even Linden knows about it.”
“Why me?” he asked, his voice soft.
The question hung between us, dangerous and tempting. I knew the answer, but I couldn’t say it. Not without risking everything.
“Because you asked,” I replied instead, reaching out to brush sand from his cheek. “And because you’re not afraid of what I am.”
Teddy caught my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm that made my heart stutter. “How could anyone be afraid of something so beautiful?”
I wanted to warn him that beautiful things were often the most dangerous. That the most alluring creatures in nature were usually the deadliest. But I couldn’t bring myself to break this perfect moment.
Instead, I leaned forward and kissed him, pouring everything I couldn’t say into the press of my lips against his. He responded eagerly, his hand sliding into my hair as he pulled me closer.
The kiss deepened, his tongue sliding against mine as his body shifted to cover me. The weight of him felt perfect, grounding me as desire flooded through my veins. His hardening cock pressed against my thigh, matching my own growing arousal.
“I want you,” he murmured against my lips. “Here, in your place.”