Cresting Tide (11 page)

"You must go," Cuke told his family as he heard the human surface craft land further down the beach. "It is the gods will. It is for the best," Cuke's voice was a whisper.

Peter did not understand why his lover was trying to send them away and resisted the elf's pushes toward the shore.

"I must go! Please take our child and love it enough for us both," Cuke begged his human and was desperate to be away but the pain on his human lover's face kept him rooted to the seabed. "They come!"

The clicks, chirps, and whistles sounded frantic to Peter's ear. It was not until his elf physically turned Peter's head to look down the beach that Peter saw what had stirred his lover to panic. Three men could just barely be seen walking toward them along the shore line. Peter watched as the specks that were the men grew larger and he knew they were approaching his section of paradise. His lover gave him one more shove toward the shore and Peter knew he had no choice but to retreat to the beach. He walked backwards, holding Magali as if she were his anchor, watching his lover until at last the elf sunk quietly into the sea.

Peter's gaze was back on the calm sea, searching instinctively for his sea elf as the sounds from down the beach behind him drew him back into his memories of the last day he laid eyes upon his love.

The men who approached Peter and his daughter were carrying casks on their shoulders. The shock on the men's faces at seeing Peter was evident even though they stopped several yards away.

"Boy?" The largest of the men called to him.

"Be that a babe in his arms, sir?" a second man asked.

Peter remained silent under the scrutiny of the men, clutching Magali to his chest as if afraid the men would take her from him.

"What is your name, boy?" The larger man asked. "Are you alone here?" The other men began looking into the tree line but the one who spoke never took his eyes off Peter and his daughter.

"Only I and my daughter am here, sir," Peter replied, answering the man's second question and ignoring the first.

The large man sat his cask on the onyx sands before stepping slowly closer. Peter held his ground. He did not think these men meant him or Magali harm but there was nothing he could do if that was their intention. The shell blade his lover had given him was still in the cave with the gifts his lover first brought him.

"Where is the babe's mother?" The man asked and again his companions looked into the tree line.

"She died shortly after the birth," Peter let all of the pain he felt at loosing his elf lover show on his face and did not notice the tears that were falling steadily from his pale blue eyes.

"Now, now, son," the big man came closer and stopped before Peter. "All will be well once we get you and the babe back to port and your family." The man pulled his shirt over his head and handed it to Peter. Peter took the offered cloth and carefully wrapped Magali into the light folds.

"Sid," the man barked. "Give the boy your shirt." After Peter accepted the garment and managed to put it on while holding Magali, the man spoke again. "I am Captain Rasic. Our ship was blown off course in the storm and we lost some supplies."

Peter shook the beefy hand that was extended to him but did not offer his name. Certain names could only be given to royals and his just happened to be one of them so he remained quiet.

"Could you show us to fresh water?" Captain Rasic asked politely and Peter pointed in the direction of the falls.

"Papa! Papa!" Magali's voice broke Peter from the memory of their rescue and the last time they were on this stretch of sand.

His eyes turned toward the musical lit of her voice. Peter watched as his daughter raced down the beach calling to him. Magali's blond curls bounced playfully upon her small shoulders and he could see that her green eyes shone with joy. Small pale feet stirred up puffs of onyx sand behind her while she held her dress in one hand and ran toward him. Peter's smile grew and his aching heart was filled with love once more when she launched herself unto his outstretched arms to be spun around.

Paul caught up to them, panting and said, "She grows quicker every day, brother. I don't envy you trying to keep up." He gave them a grin.

Peter held his daughter and once more marveled at how much she had grown. It had only been four years since her birth but Magali was the same size as her seven year old cousin. Had it not been for her rapid and unexplainable growth, they would still be trapped at the palace. It was hard enough for his parents, the King and Queen, to accept their son's child but it was even harder to hide their granddaughter's rapid growth from the kingdom. When Peter requested to return to the island of his daughter's birth, it seemed to be the perfect solution for everyone.

"I am sure Magali will let me keep up," Peter replied to his twin as he moved his daughter to sit on his hip.

"I am sure she will," Paul grinned and ruffled his niece's blond locks. "The supplies should take three or four days to unload. The carpenters and laborers will set up your temporary home before they set to work on your permanent residence. Are you sure you won't stay aboard the ship until they have everything set up?"

"Paul," Peter sighed at his twin's persistence. "I've told you, as well as father, we don't need a temporary home. We have lived perfectly fine on this beach before and it will be a waste of time and materials for something we don't need to be constructed."

"Some prince you are!" Paul said playfully as he watched Peter and shook his head. "I'll be back in two months with the rest of the building supplies." Paul started to turn away before turning back. "Oh, Captain Rasic has requested to stay incase you change your mind about sleeping ashore or have need of his ship. Father granted the request before we left port." Paul laughed at the look Peter gave him. "I'll see you both in two months." Paul gave them a tight hug before heading back down the beach to supervise the unloading of the long boats.

Peter turned his attention back to his daughter and followed her gaze out to sea. He wondered at what she was thinking, so he asked, "Share your thoughts, beloved?"

"I am hoping they come closer," she whispered to him. "Do you think they will, Papa?" she asked in the same quiet voice as she turned to look at him.

Peter's eyes roamed the flat surface of the sea to see what had caught his daughter's attention. It took him several moments to recognize what the breaks in the surface were and when he did, he replied.

"They used to." Peter smiled as she turned her eyes back out to sea.

"When you lived here with my other Papa?" her musical voice asked with excitement.

"Aye, baby," Peter continued to smile though he knew his daughter's gaze was glued to the dorsal fins that were periodically breaking the surface off shore and she did not see. He could just make out the clicks, chirps, and whistles over the slight sea breeze and realized how much he missed their sounds. Magali suddenly became excited in his arms and Peter tore his gaze from the dolphins to look at her.

"They say 'welcome home', Papa!" Magali squealed in delight and jumped up and down, riding his hip as if it were a pony.

Peter indulged his imaginative daughter by replying, "Of course they do, beloved. Why wouldn't they? They have missed you!" He hugged her tightly but noticed all of her attention was still on the dolphins.

"They say they have missed you Papa and want you to play with them again," Magali said in all seriousness as she watched the pod that was coming closer to shore.

"Tell them I have missed them as well and we will play together again soon." Peter pandered to his daughter's fantasy of talking with the dolphins.

Peter was so startled at the clicks and whistles that came from his daughter's mouth that he almost dropped her. Magali did not notice as she was so focused on the pod.

"They say my other Papa misses us, Papa. That he doesn't play with them anymore. They don't understand why," Magali's small voice sounded sad in Peter's shocked ears.

Was it possible? Could she really communicate with the dolphins? If she could…

"We miss your Papa too," Peter said quietly and Magali's small voice sent out a click and two whistles of varying tone. Peter watched as the pod split in two, half heading out to sea while the remaining half stayed near the shore voicing familiar sounds.

"They will tell him Papa," Magali replied. Peter's knees grew weak and he sank down to the onyx sand still clutching his daughter tightly.

Peter was so overwhelmed with hope at seeing his elf lover again that thought did not return to him until he felt Magali's small hand touch his cheek.

"Don't cry, Papa." Her small hand rubbed his tears of hope away. "My other Papa will come. They will fetch him. All we have to do is wait."

####

Read on for a special sneak peak!

Ever run into the ex that you never quite got over? Been stopped and searched at the unavoidable airport security checkpoint?

Aaron Johnson, sales rep extraordinaire has been through it all. Notorious for running into problems while flying, he’s also got a knack for turning these frustrating experiences into steamy sexual misadventures you won’t want to miss.

Cavity Search: The Complete Collection is a 16,000-word volume that contains all three stories that chronicles the sexy journey of one man and the strangers he encounters along the way.

Part I: Screw Security

The last thing Aaron Johnson needs on this business trip is hitting another snag. When airport security insists on searching his luggage, he can’t help feeling just a little frustrated. Good thing that a hunky, sex-on-legs security officer is on hand to give Aaron a pre-flight pick-me-up…

Part II: The LAYover

Aaron Johnson hates flying for business trips, because something always seems to go wrong. This time is no exception. He arrives in Japan for his connecting flight, only to find that his flight has been cancelled and delayed for a whole day because of mechanical issues.

To make matters worse, he runs into his former lover, who happens to be on the same grounded flight.

Stuck in a hotel in the middle of nowhere of an unfamiliar country for twenty-four hours with nothing better to do, Aaron accepts his ex Jesse’s invitation to go for a drink. What he doesn’t know, is that Jesse never quite got over Aaron either…

Part III: Mile-High Club Reunion

Notorious for encountering problems on business trips, Aaron Johnson had been expecting something to go wrong at any moment. But when everything so far on his current trip had gone smoothly, he can’t help feeling just a little anxious that something really bad is going to happen. It’s a good thing that Chris, the handsome flight attendant is on hand to provide Aaron with some “in-flight entertainment”.

When Aaron calls Chris later for a late night rendezvous, he’s surprised but intrigued by Chris’s proposal for a threesome. On camera.

Let the party begin.

Read on for a sneak peek of Soul Stealer…

1850

Shasta, California

The boomtown was like any of the hundreds that had cropped up in the state over the last two years. Everywhere there were an overwhelming number of gold-seekers and merchants who arrived from virtually every continent with dreams of striking it rich. Gold fever touched everyone no matter if they were Mexicans, Chinese, Britons, Australians, French, Latin Americans or Americans. Age, sex, class status… it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the gold.

Kira shook her head at the silliness of it all as she stood in the doorway to the brothel that was her current home. The sun would be setting soon and the miners would start making their way down from the Northern Goldfields. She still had time to watch the going-ons… there was no hurry to get back inside.

She watched as a horse laden wagon rolled by with crates of supplies. Every day they came in loaded down and the next morning left empty. Picks, shovels and pans were not the only goods brought into town. Nothing was made here so everything had to be carted in, fabric, tallow, and lantern oil, wood, food, booze… if you want it; it needed to be brought in.

Nay Tong bustled up to her with an armload of ‘clean’ laundry and gave her a smile. “Tốt ngày Ms Kira”

“Good day to you as well, Nay. Are those for Beatrice?” Kira nodded to his armload.

“Có. Cô nói để mang lại trước khi bóng tối.” Kira smiled down at the short little oriental man. She wasn’t exactly sure where he was from but she had learned his language over the last two years. She didn’t speak it well, but could fully understand him.

“She always wants them before dark. She should be in at the bar.”

“Cảm ơn bạn” Nay smiled his gap toothed grin up at her.

“You’re welcome.”

Kira watched as he went by her. His aura shone a pale yellow with the blue undertones of his good mood. He was a good man and it was a shame he was scraping by and inflicted with gold fever like the rest. Though she knew he wasn’t a greedy man and that he sent most of his money back home to his family.