Turbulent Waves, page 6
“I love you, both of you, and thank you. I’m glad you’re my dad, and we’ll both do better.”
She stood with Kai and gave Marsha and Frankie one more hug before waving them all good-bye. She was having trouble figuring out if her emotional overload was coming from the conversation with their parents or the pregnancy. The weekend had been eye-opening as to what her family dynamic could be, and she hoped it was a glimpse of their future.
“It’ll be exactly what you hope it’ll be,” Kai said, holding her against her chest. “The love was always there, and I messed up how they showed it. If you’re going to blame someone, blame me.”
“The one thought that’s run on a loop in my head is that my mother’s right. We were so young the first day we met, but I couldn’t help the feeling that I’d found my match. You were there, and then you were gone. I figured I’d be alone for the rest of my life when I realized you weren’t coming back, and it dimmed that part of me that wanted to love someone. That we found each other again makes us lucky.” That was the truth, and it gave her the boost to make it through the next week. Nothing could make her walk away from Kai—nothing.
Chapter Five
Are you ready?” Kai stood on the deck of the Salacia as she considered what Viv had said about them finding each other again.
“What are you thinking about?” Vivien stood on her toes and kissed her. The people coming with them on the Salacia ignored them, and she walked Viv to the seat that stretched across the stern.
“I know you’re a little nervous, but I can’t wait to introduce you to my parents. They were the ones who assigned me to work for your father, and I’m sure they’re waiting to gloat a little.” She kissed Viv again as she placed her hand on her back. “Now do you need more time, or are you ready to go?”
“I’ve been ready from the moment I met you when we were children. This shell”—Vivien held her shell and Kai’s warmed—“it led you back to me, and I can’t wait to see what I’ve searched for all my life. This is so exciting.”
“From the time I learned to swim, my mothers drummed into me the importance of never showing our true selves to the world. Everything they taught me didn’t matter the day I saw you and Franklin playing on that beach.” She held Viv as she pressed against her.
“What made you come up to us? You’ve never told me, and I’m sure you’d passed plenty of people when you were out exploring.” Viv gazed up at her and ran her fingertips along her forearm.
“You did. I wasn’t old enough to know what to do with a girl, but I knew enough to realize you were pretty. That was part of it, but it was your story of how if you threw the shell back into the sea, the water would gift you something more precious.” The picture in her mind of Viv standing on that beach, trying to make her little brother feel better, had touched her to the point of stopping. “It sounded like you really wanted to keep it, but you made Franklin happy. You’re such a caring soul.”
“Then stop thinking about the downside to what happened, and think about how it turned out.”
“My mistake started the schism in your family.” Kai had stayed close by and listened to what a hard time the Palmers had given their children.
“Honey, please.” Vivien moved closer and whispered in her ear. “You are everything I want, and I want to move on. Neither of us can change the past, but we can agree that it turned out okay.” She kissed her neck under her ear, then bit her earlobe gently. “Let’s get going, so I can meet your parents.”
“Take this.” Kai handed over a blue pill with a bottle of water. “The doctor sent them to make sure you do okay with the pressure.”
There were a few things to do before she lifted anchor, so she put out a call to Ivan and Ram. The two massive great whites had been with her for years, and their connection allowed them to survive wherever she was. Vivien stood next to her as they watched the sharks swim for the boat, their fins above the water.
“No wonder I had nightmares for years,” Vivien said and shivered. The story she’d told her parents was that the girl they’d seen had talked to her and Franklin and then swum off into the jaws of two sharks. “You couldn’t raise some friendlier pets?”
“My boys are friendly. You just need to get to know them.” She secured the hatches that held Ivan and Ram, her guards, as Edil Oliver, Talia, and Isla took care of everything else. “Are we set?”
“We can get underway, Your Highness.” Edil held her head slightly bowed, then stood aside to allow them to go down into the Salacia’s galley ahead of her.
“The boat really dives?” Vivien asked.
“It’s not your average cruiser.” Kai stepped to the controls and checked their radar. They’d sailed out to a spot in the Gulf that was completely desolate. It would be hard to explain a boat that sank and powered off. “I designed the Salacia myself for my quest. It wasn’t just a good way to get here but served as my quarters as well.”
“Not to mention attracted girls,” Vivien said and laughed.
“I was interested in only one girl.” She kissed Vivien and put her arms around her when Edil took over for her at the controls. “Let’s go home.”
* * *
“We’re on track for fourteen hours, Highness,” Talia said to Kai. They were cruising along the outer shelf of the Gulf with nothing on their radar.
“Let me know if there’s any problems,” Kai said.
Vivien accepted a cup of tea from Edil and was content to stay at the table watching the small group navigate. Kai had mentioned there were another two ships, one in front of them and another tailing as a precaution. That her brain hadn’t exploded from everything was unbelievable, but seeing all this on top of what had happened in her father’s yard with Pontos meant it was real. Everything she’d searched for all her life, Kai had shown her since coming back.
“Let’s relax,” Kai said, offering her a hand.
Vivien followed Kai to her cabin and smiled when the door clicked closed. From the way landmarks outside were flying by, their speed was extraordinary. Whatever kind of motors this silent-running vessel had, there was nothing like them in the human world. As curious as she was about that, being alone with Kai had a way of short-circuiting her thoughts. The last month of her life had awoken feelings she’d only read about in books.
“Fourteen hours, huh?” She tugged Kai’s T-shirt with the sailfish emblem over Kai’s head.
“We need to get it out of our system,” Kai said, dropping her shorts. “Once we get home, my mothers are going to deliver a long lecture about waiting for marriage. That you’re pregnant means no long, drawn-out engagement.”
“What? I’m sorry,” she said, staring at Kai’s perfect body. “Did you ask me to marry you?” The way Kai smiled at her made her wet—well, wetter. “You picked a Southern girl, and I might have more old-fashioned notions than I thought.”
“What notions?” Kai stepped closer and pressed against her back. “I need to drop to a knee?” she asked as she cupped her breasts.
“Yes,” she said in a low throaty voice. Her nipples were so hard she was going to have to beg for Kai’s mouth on them. She wanted Kai on her knees but not to propose, at least not right now. Her shirt was lifted off her, and her bra went just as fast. “Jesus,” she said when Kai pressed against her again, and her naked skin intensified the feeling.
“A ring should come next, right?” Kai unbuttoned her pants. “You’re soaking wet, my love. Now, answer my question.”
“Honey, it’s not the time for long conversations.” She moved her hips forward and wrapped her fingers around Kai’s wrist. The need to have Kai between her legs was overwhelming. “I need to lie down.”
Kai picked her up and gently placed her on the bed. “There’s never been a woman who’s made me this desperate.”
“Also not the time to talk about any other women.” She pulled Kai on top of her and kissed her when she lowered her head. “You’re mine, and I have no intention of sharing you.”
“I am yours, and I have to have you.” Kai sucked in her nipple, making her feel like it was connected to her clit.
“God, baby, you have to make me come. You know what I want.” She ran her fingers through Kai’s hair and tugged before moving her hands down.
“Fuck,” Kai said when Vivien squeezed her ass.
The shell at the base of her throat warmed, and she opened her mind like Kai had taught her. It magnified their connection, and the strength of it was proof that this was her true mate. She didn’t need a ceremony or any other trappings of marriage to know who she was in Kai’s life. Having insight into her thoughts showed her the intense love Kai had for her.
She’d spent her life with only Frankie seeing who she truly was, and he’d loved her nonetheless. Kai had unlocked the secrets of the shell, and it had demolished the walls she’d erected to protect herself from the world. The depth of Kai’s love gave her a sense not only of belonging, but of fierceness as well. She’d battle anyone to keep Kai safe and to stay at her side.
It was that overwhelming feeling that’d intertwined the essence of who they were as individuals, so they became one. She still didn’t fully understand how that had created life, but a trip to the doctor had proved the impossible. The baby she carried was Kai’s, and her reservations about motherhood had vanished when she knew the baby would belong to both of them.
She reached down and opened her sex since any shyness over intimacy had also disappeared under Kai’s hands and interest. “Give me what I want. I’m already pregnant.”
Kai laughed and brought her hips down. When Kai’s hard clit came down on hers, she moaned and wrapped her legs around Kai’s hips. It was so good it electrified every cell in her body, and she had to smile when she heard fuck very loudly in her head. The shells were connected, and Kai was an open book.
Kai held herself up with one arm, placing her other hand on Vivien’s ass to pull her closer. She rocked her hips, and Kai started their intimate dance. Her gasp made Kai open her eyes, and she shook her head.
“Don’t stop.” She raked her nails down Kai’s back to her ass and pushed her back down.
“I want you,” Kai said.
“I belong to you so…yes…oh yes.” She moved with Kai, and the pressure started in her sex. “Like that, baby, like that.”
Kai reached up and squeezed her breast, making both of them moan. The dim light in the cabin made her notice the thin line of golden light between the shells. It appeared both fragile and strong, and it thickened as her orgasm started.
“Let go for me, love,” Kai said as she pumped her hips faster. The loss of control made Kai’s movements jerky, and it sent Vivien off the cliff. “I can’t…fuck…I can’t—”
“Come with me.” She spread her legs as far as she could and pulled Kai’s head down to kiss her. “Yes, yes, yes,” she gasped as the orgasm washed over her like a warm wave. It took her a moment for her breathing to go back to normal. “Good Lord.”
“We say good goddess where we’re going, but I totally agree.” Kai rolled off her and put her arms around her. “I love you.”
“I love you and it’s wonderful when I sense it. These,” she said, holding Kai’s shell, “make it possible to see it. And that’s just…damn. I love it.” The shell warmed in her hand, and she smiled at the peace it brought her. “We might have to leave these in another room once the baby’s born.”
Kai laughed and tightened her hold. “You’ll be happy with only one?”
“No.” She lifted up to see Kai’s face. “Honey”—she placed Kai’s hand on her stomach—“I want this with you. You also know how important Frankie is to me. I want our baby to have someone to depend on and befriend. A sibling is that one person always in your corner.”
“The way it works, my love, is we both have to be happy and want it. If you’re ovulating, though, we’ll have to be careful, or we’ll end up with a dozen.”
“There’s no way I’m going through that much morning sickness,” she said, feeling the blood drain from her face at the thought.
“Don’t worry.” Kai ran her hand up and down her back. “I’ll take my shell off until we’re ready to try again.”
“Good, because giving this up isn’t in my plans either.”
The calmness that overtook her was new. She’d never been so comfortable in her own skin and not worried about what came next. Her job had come with some satisfaction, as had the treasure dives she’d done, but not having anyone special to share that with had left her lacking. Falling in love with Kai wouldn’t make life perfect because she didn’t think perfection existed, but it would make it fuller. No matter what they faced, she was looking forward to building on their love.
* * *
“Is everything prepared?” Galen asked Oba.
They were in Galen’s office, and Galen realized this would be the first time her high priestess and friend would see Kai in love, but not with her. Oba had always told Kai what they shared could never go any further than a casual thing, but facing the reality of someone you cared for being with someone else would be difficult. That and there had been no natural conclusion to their relationship either. Kai had left on her mission with the thought of returning to Oba and what they’d shared. Until Vivien happened.
“The court and the magistrates will gather in the throne room tonight to receive them. Your first order of business is to declare Miss Palmer a citizen of the realm and introduce her. I’m sure Kai will appreciate a few days to complete what’s required.”
“How quickly can we have a joining?” She knew their people well enough to guess what the rumors would be. Kai getting Vivien pregnant would be both smiled and frowned upon. It was up to her and Hadley to set the example. “As much as I’m looking forward to being a grandmother, I’d like this not to turn into an episode of that dreadful TV show. The one that always turns into a brawl.”
“Jerry Springer? I didn’t realize you watched that,” Oba said, laughing.
“Hadley flips to it to aggravate me at times, and every time I see it, it makes me think something’s going horribly wrong in human evolution.” She stood and poured them each a glass of wine. “Are you okay?”
There was no pretense about not understanding what she was referring to. “You know how special Kai is to me, but I’m truly happy for her.”
“Oba, you don’t have to pretend with me.” She handed over one of the glasses. “Kai should’ve talked to you.”
“It was me who tried to talk to her, Highness. She never heard me when I spoke of my devotion and the vows I’ve taken to the goddess and what it meant for anyone in my life. I don’t have to be celibate, but I can’t bond myself to anyone.” Oba took a large gulp, as if to stop her rambling, and coughed. “All I want is for Kai to be happy.”
“I never really put much credence in prophecies, but listening to both you and Kai speak about fate from different perspectives makes me believe this one. If anything, it’s proving to me that love can make anything possible.” She looked up to the glass ceiling. The water above was dark, but the stars still shone brightly in the depths.
On nights when she could, she loved swimming out there. The silence was overwhelming, and she enjoyed letting go of everything and simply being alone in her head at times. She was born to carry the responsibilities of a nation, and she wouldn’t change her fate. Only now, the one person she brought into the world would no longer need her. Kai had met her mate, and she and Hadley would take a lesser role in their daughter’s life.
She took a moment to let that sink in and didn’t give in to the sadness of the truth of it. There was no doubt in her mind that she and Hadley had given Kai the foundation to swim off on her own and find a woman to love. Their lessons had also been about finding the person who fit with you and loved you that way in return. The truth was Kai would always be her child. Her age, her experiences, even building a family of her own wouldn’t change that. It was just going to take time to adjust to the truth that she and Hadley wouldn’t be the first ones Kai would turn to any longer.
“We all need to realize Kai has done the impossible. What she found with Vivien Palmer should’ve only been a brief affair. The bonding shouldn’t have worked.”
The conviction in Oba’s voice made Galen smile. “Kai is someone I’d believe in even if I wasn’t her mother. She gives you the sense of confidence to follow her anywhere, be it battle or for a walk. If anyone could create a bonding where none should be, it would be her.”
“You raised a wonderful daughter.” Oba smiled and stared up as well when she placed her empty glass on the small table between them. “If I’m honest with you, it’s why I couldn’t resist her.”
“Hadley is very like our daughter, so I’ll never blame you for what you shared with her. They’re hard to resist. Am I right?” she asked, and Oba nodded. “Kai isn’t perfect, but I truly believe she’ll be a good queen.” She remembered being at the point in her life where Kai was now, and it filled her with warmth.
Beginning a life with Hadley had been exciting, but when they’d finally been ready to have a family, she’d fallen in love with Hadley all over again when she watched her with Kai, and they’d loved their daughter from her first breath. They’d planned for a bigger family, but once Kai had been born, not even their doctors had been able to reverse the damage. Kai would be their only heir.
“When’s she due back?” Princess Clarice Merlin asked when she came in and sat next to her. “And you’re wrong, she’s totally perfect.”
Clarice had a habit of walking in and immediately dropping herself into the conversation. It was one of the things she loved about her sister. “Tonight, and you need to be there early so we can meet Vivien before we throw her in front of the nation.”
