The Mermaid and her King (15 page)

Skyla

Sunlight shines through the long row of windows and wakes me. I’m twisted with Chase’s body, and it feels wonderful. He’s here this time.

My eyes hurt, and I can feel that they’re still swollen. I’m embarrassed for how hard and l
ong I cried yesterday. I thought he didn’t like me in the beginning, but he really did. My stomach knots when I think of the times I was out with Eric. It had to have been painful for Chase since he’d watched me for months.

I want to go make him breakfast, but after
last night, I think he’d panic if I wasn’t in his bed. The sunlight is shining on his hair, making it appear even more lustrous, and I can’t resist running my fingers through it. He lets out a little sigh and pushes himself closer to me. After a couple of minutes, he opens his eyes.

“Good morning,” I say, smiling.

He smiles and pulls me tight against his side. “It’s a good morning since you’re still here. When you told me you had several days off in a row, I planned a surprise for today, so you need to cancel whatever you have going on.”

“I was going to do
laundry,” I say, giggling.

“What fun is th
at?”

“You can’t surprise me again. They’re stressing me
out.”

“This one will be fun and relaxing. We’re going to stay the night on my boat.
”

“So, you just decided this on you
r own? What if I say no?”

“I’ll beg. I’m not above it with you,” he says as he rolls onto me. W
e better get moving. I’m looking forward to seeing you prance around in a bikini without there being other spectators. Well, except for the crew, but I’ll throw them overboard if I catch them.”

“Yo
u have a crew?”

He gazes at me, an
d his expression turns serious.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Hilda. I didn’t know how.”

“I know, but I can’t believe you spent that kind of money just so you could see me once a week. It’s really insane. I’m glad it helped Hilda out, anyway.”

“You have no idea how
much it was worth it.”

I gaze back at his brown eyes that become a lit
tle less mysterious every day. “My brother will be pleased to know I’m seeing someone who’s good to me. I have a track record for picking losers.”

“How often do you talk to him?”

“I’ve only spoken to him a couple of times since he left. We write letters to each other. He worries about me being here alone, but I wrote to him last week, letting him know I’ve made friends.

“He’s trying
to come home around Christmas. I’ll be twenty-one and can finally have my trust fund from my dad’s insurance policy. My brother’s the executor, so it will take months of paperwork back and forth between him and an attorney if he can’t come home.

“
I need it to pay for school, so he’s trying hard to get leave for a couple of weeks. It’ll be during the holidays, which will be nice, too. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”

“As sweet and pretty
as you are, I bet he’s protective as hell.”

“He acts that way when we’re together, but we’ve hardly
seen each other for a couple of years. He talked me into moving here, so he could keep an eye on me, but then he got his orders to leave. We’ll eventually be here together since he plans on staying in Hawaii when he gets out of the Army.”

“I’ll have to share you with another
man. I don’t like it already.”

“You’re
funny. What’s it going to take for you to see just how much of your attention I want?”

“Let’s get up befo
re we end up here all day.”

“I have no complaints about bei
ng in this bed. Well, actually …”

“Wha
t is it, Skyla?” He looks at me with concern.

“I just hate thinking of all the women that have
been in this bed.” I bite my bottom lip, nervous that he’ll be upset with me.

He smiles. “
You’re the only woman that’s been in this bed. I bought a new one when I got out of rehab. I didn’t want anything in this house that was tainted from my past. It was made for you, baby.” He chuckles and plants a big, wet kiss on my cheek.

I can’t help but grin at him. He’s too stinkin’ cute.

“I want to make love to you on my damn boat, so get your cute ass moving.” He gives me a sly grin before he climbs off of me.

***

“Chase Kalani! This is not a boat. It’s a damn yacht!”

“Well, OK, mayb
e a small one,” he says as he helps me step on board. He thinks his surprises are funny. I tried to surprise him in the shower yesterday, and I think I succeeded, but I can’t compete with this.

W
hile he’s on deck speaking to a male crew member, he tells me to go inside and look around. There’s a kitchen with stainless steel appliances on this thing! I run back up the stairs to the deck.

He stops speaking
and looks at me with a smirk.

“What is it, angel?”

He must see that goofy grin on my face again. “You have a kitchen.” I’m such a dork. I say it like he wouldn’t know. Now, the man he’s speaking with is smirking.

“Yeah, there’s a bed in there, too,” he says with a wink.

Shit. Now I’m embarrassed, so I hurry back inside. I look around, and sure enough, there’s a bed in its own room. This is not like any boat I’ve ever seen. This is a luxurious house on water. Unbelievable. I’ve really lived a simple, sheltered life. It has a bathroom, a bar and a small living room with a couch. There are two flat screen TV’s, and the woodwork throughout is remarkable.

I’m stari
ng at the kitchen stove, nervously chewing on my thumbnail. For some reason, I find the fact that there’s a kitchen on this boat fascinating. I feel arms wrap around me, and Chase whispers in my ear.

“I’d prefer
you be more interested in the bed than the kitchen.”

I turn around. “You have a stov
e, a refrigerator and a sink.”

“A
nd a bed.” He pulls me into his arms and kisses on my neck. He obviously has sex on the brain.

“So, do I make you this horny
, or is it the fact that you own a yacht with a bed in it?”

He barely
removes his lips from my neck. “Mostly you, but I can’t lie. The bed does it for me, too.”

His hands work their magic, moving up under my sundress until his fingers slide into my bikini bottoms
and into me. I lean against him from the immediate pleasure, already feeling my legs wanting to buckle.

“I want you right now, Skyla.”

I remember there are other people onboard and pull away from him. “You have other people here. What if they walk in?”

He frowns. “That won’t hap
pen. I can assure you.”

The next thing I know, he’s picking me
up and carrying me to the bedroom, using his foot to shut the door behind us. In one swift move, he has my dress off.

His eager hands and mouth are everywhere, and as always, it feels
incredible. I try to get his clothes off, which is challenging since his hands are on the move. I can’t help but giggle.

He stops and gives me a piercing stare.

“I’m sorry, but I’m trying to get your clothes off, and you’re not making it easy,” I say.

“Get into bed, Skyla.”

I climb in and watch him dig through a duffle bag. He holds a condom wrapper between his teeth while he takes off his clothes. I try not to laugh, but his urgency is humorous. I haven’t seen him like this before. My bikini is still on, so I start to remove my bottoms, and when they’re half way down my legs, he yanks them off.

“Roll over
,” he says.

Oh, my. W
e’re not making love. I feel the pull of the strings on my bikini top before he slides it right out from under me. He’s on top of me, holding himself up by his forearms. He moves my long hair before he’s kissing and nibbling the back of my neck.

I know any se
cond he’s going to be inside me, and my body is aching for it. He reaches around and grabs hold of my breast, massaging it in his large hand. I lean up until I’m on my hands and knees, giving him easy access to every part of my needy body.

He growls, squeezing my breas
t harder as he thrusts into me. The forward movement continues, and the friction against my sensitive flesh is mind blowing. His hand moves from my breast to the back of my hair. I feel it being gathered and twisted around his wrist before he gently tugs it.

I’ve never
imagined wanting my hair pulled, but it sends a prickling sensation across my scalp that only spreads further throughout my body, and it feels surprisingly great. I close my eyes as the pleasure builds from his thrusts.

T
he most glorious sensation rushes to my core as I see sparks of white. With one hard thrust and light yank of my hair, Chase pulses deep inside of me, squeezing my ass with his other hand as he climaxes. He growls loudly and collapses on top of me. We lie breathless and stuck together for a few minutes before he moves next to me. I’m still on my stomach, my head facing him.

“
Your ass is spectacular, and I know this because I had the best view.” His face is inches from mine.

I giggle. “I hope you enjoyed it because that’s as close as you’
re getting to it.”

His eyebr
ows raise, and he smirks. “You’re a dirty girl. That thought wasn’t there, but it is now.” He shakes his head. “My angel with horns.”

I giggle more.
“That was erotic. Everything you do is over the top, and I don’t know how I’m going to surprise you.”

“Yo
u surprise me every minute, Skyla.”

Chase

I just fucked her doggy style while pulling her hair
, and she’s telling me how erotic it was while giggling at the same damn time. She’s a piece of work. The finest piece I’ve ever touched or tasted. An exquisite piece of fine art that I plan to have on display in my home forever.

I make love to her the rest of the times we do it
on the yacht, and I really enjoy it. I have more time to touch her silky skin, and I get to be inside of her longer. It’s awesome. Not to mention that I get to see a gushing smile from her gorgeous face after. She loves it when I’m gentle with her, and I’ll do more of anything she wants to keep her with me.

All we do on the yacht besides make love i
s eat and lounge on deck. I spend a lot of time staring at her flawless body in tiny bikinis and decide that she needs more of them. She also needs lingerie. That’s a sight I’m craving, too.

***

I’m really unhappy when I take her home. She refuses to stay the night. The good news is tomorrow’s Tuesday, and she’ll be over to clean, so I’ll get four hours with her. I don’t feel right having her do it now that we’re dating, but she insists that it’s a way for her to get paid and see me at the same time. Although, she laid down the law that she won’t sleep with me while she’s here working since she’s getting paid during that time. Some of her morals are funny but refreshing.

Skyla

I can hardly sleep without him, waking up constantly throughout the night.
I had no idea being in love would feel this good and scary all at the same time. Knowing how easily he could crumble up my heart in his hand is unnerving. I’m trusting him more every day, so that’s what I’m hanging onto.

Chase is insisting I bring some things over to leave at his house, so to appease him I gather som
e toiletries, a bikini and an extra change of clothes. I’m literally right down the street from him, but I see it will make him feel more secure that I’m his and that I’m not going anywhere. I guess he has the same fears I do. I finish the other homes I clean and walk to his place.

“Aloha, baby
. Get your butt in here, so I can hug you.” He’s grinning.

I
t tickles me to see how enthused he is. We stand in his foyer, making out like teenagers until I feel his erection. “OK, I have to work,” I say, pulling away from him.

He kisses my neck. “No, I’ll say you did. You can exert your energy in other ways.”

“No, Chase. We just talked about this, and you’re failing the first day.”

He frowns and groans like a child. “OK, fine. I’ll let
you work. You should give the agency notice that you’re quitting, and let me take care of you. Then I can spend more time with you before you’re busy with school. I don’t want you having to work this hard.”

“Chase, we just got together. I can’t just give up my job and let you support me. That’s crazy. You know I’m not that kind of person.”

“I’ll let you get to work, and we can discuss it later.”

I sigh. “OK, fine.” I can’t argue with him right now, or I’ll ne
ver get done today. He’s not going to drop this.

I
t takes about an hour longer for me to finish cleaning since Chase wants us to talk and make out about every twenty minutes. It’s cute and makes me feel loved. I can’t be upset with this man.

“You’ll be satisfied to hear that
I brought a few of my things over.” I hold up my bag.

“Good, your things belong in this house
. I’ll make room for them in my dresser.”

“That’s silly. You have a ton of rooms. I’ll just put them in a dre
sser in one of the spare rooms.”

“OK. W
hile you’re doing that, I’ll fix us something to eat.” He gives me another heated kiss, and I know what’s on his agenda for the rest of the day. I go into one of the spare rooms and open a drawer. It has extra towels in it, so I open another one. It’s full of loose pictures.

Right on top is one of Chase when he was young. It’s so obvious it’s him. He’s smiling, and it makes me think about how happy he probably was before his parents died.

I pick up another photo of him, and then I see it. I’m paralyzed, unable to move or breathe. I tremble as I pick up the picture. It’s Bud. My Daniel. My Bud. Why? Why is his picture in Chase’s home? I sit on the bed and stare at it. He’s in swim trunks, holding his board and smiling.

Think, Skyla.
Think, think. Which one of Bud’s friends is Chase? He’s wealthy and has a house on the beach. Oh. My. God. He’s King. Bud’s best friend, King. He thinks he’s responsible for Bud’s death. This explains everything.

I have to get out of here
!
I need time to figure out what to do. I jump as I hear Chase coming down the hall. After shoving the photos in the drawer, I take a deep breath. I’m not a liar, but I have no choice right now. I could lose him if I don’t think this through.

“
Baby, what are you doing?”

“Sorry, um ... I’
m not feeling well. I need to go home.”

“What’s wrong? You’re really pale.”

“My stomach’s bothering me. I don’t want you to catch something if I’m getting a virus.”

“No way, angel. Let me take care of you. We’
ve been kissing, so I’m already exposed, anyway. I don’t know how good I’ll do, but I really want to take care of you.”

“No,
I’d feel better in my own bed.” Damn, the look on his face. I’ve hurt him.

“Please, Skyla. Get in my bed.”

“I might throw up.”

“I don’
t care. I want to take care of you,” he says, picking me up.

“I’ll compromise. I’
ll stay here for a while, but I’m going home later. I have to work tomorrow, so I want to be there.”

“We’
ll see.” He carries me to his room.

I
am
sick at my stomach. It’s twisted into knots. I see Chase differently now, loving him even more. Should I tell him who I am? He covers me up after placing me in his bed.

“
What can I get you for your stomach?”

“
Would you go to the store and get me some ginger ale or Sprite?”

He points his finger at me. “Sure, but you s
tay in this bed. Don’t leave, or I’ll drag your ass back here.”

“OK, I won’t.”

He kisses my forehead, and I can see it pains him to leave me. I don’t know how I’ll get out of this house today. My heart’s pounding, and I’m sweating. “Eric and Andy!” I yell out. “They’re Shooter and Brody. From Bud’s stories, Eric has to be Shooter.

This is insane. I found Bud’
s friends that he talked about all the time. I should’ve known it was a possibility since I’m near where he died, but they don’t go by their nicknames. I feel foolish that I didn’t piece it all together. Shit, of course, that’s why Chase doesn’t surf. I recall all the emails Bud and I exchanged about his friends.

Chase
and I fell in love on our own. Bud wanted King and Nixie together, and it happened. Grief over Daniel spills from me in the form of tears. He’s been in this house countless times, and I feel like he’s here. I feel like I’m home.

Anguis
h washes over me as I think of the suffering Chase has put himself through. It wasn’t his fault. How can he not see that? He even got clean like Bud wanted. Shit, I mentioned Bud at the bar, so Eric and Andy have to know. How could they not tell us? I have to talk to Eric. Chase returns and brings me something to drink.

“
Skyla, what’s wrong? I can tell you’ve been crying.”

Right now I just need to be close to him. The concern and love he has for me is written all over his face.
“I’m not feeling good, and I’m a little emotional. When I feel bad, I miss my mom.” That’s the truth. I truly wish my mom was here to tell me what to do. “Will you lie in bed with me?” I ask.

His eyes light up. We’re such alike, desperate to be
loved and needed.

“Of course
.” He climbs into bed, and I try to fall asleep. I need the time to pass, so I can talk to Eric.

***

I wake up in Chase’s warm arms. Sitting up, I glance at the clock and see we’ve been asleep a couple of hours. I lie facing him and stare at his captivating face. What if the guilt is too much for him and he pushes me away? I won’t let him. I won’t. Desperation and fear weave through the contentment and love that fills me. I feel a need to be even closer to him.

“Chase.” I run my fingers through his
satiny hair until he opens his eyes.

“Are you OK? Do you need something?”

“I feel better.” I nuzzle my face into his neck and start kissing it. “Chase, will you please make love to me? I need to be closer to you.”

He
rolls over onto me and shows me how much it means to him to know he’s needed and loved.