Heads or Tails (34 page)

Michael began to cough again. ‘You saved me? I was d-drowning?’

‘Yes mate, you were. But you’re going to be okay.’ Lincoln glanced down at the man’s shivering body. ‘Do you want to sit up?’

Michael nodded. ‘Yes-please.’

Lincoln slung his arms under Michael’s shoulders and lifted the heavy man into an upright position. ‘Here we go... easy now…Grace can you take off his wet socks and shoes? He’ll catch a cold otherwise.’

‘Okay.’ Grace said, moving down to the man’s feet and untying the laces of his black shoes. ‘Boy Mick you’re sure lucky your wife was worried about you enough to send out a search party!’

‘Michael! Michael oh my god!’ Remi’s screech caused them all to look around. They saw Bane and Remi, her hair a wave of fire behind her as she gracefully sprinted the circumference of the pool-which was only a foot-wide curb between the water and the dense gardens. ‘What happened? Is he okay?’

‘Good as new!’ Lincoln called back. ‘Probably going to be feeling pretty sorry for himself in the morning though, I’ll bet.’

Remi crouched over her husband, tears running sown her cheeks. ‘Oh sweetheart! Are you all right? You’re never drinking around water again, got it?!’

Michael nodded, looking both shame-faced and railroaded. He pushed his soggy sandy blonde hair out of his grey eyes and pulled her closer. ‘Baby calm down. I’m okay….you can lecture me later. God what if I’d never seen this beautiful face again?’

‘Oh don’t say that!’ Remi wailed, burying her face into his neck.

‘Um, Link?’ Grace’s church-yard quiet voice drew his focus from the reunion. ‘When you said good as new, I think you might have been a little...
off
.’

Lincoln looked at Grace questioningly. ‘Huh? Why?’

Remi’s head snapped around.

‘What?’ Michael hissed. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘This is a saltwater pool isn’t it? Look at this.’ Grace lifted Michael’s white bare foot up out of the shadows, then ran her finger up his ankle. She then held her palm up to Lincoln, her expression astounded.

Lincoln saw the pale orange scales clinging to her fingers, and his mouth fell open in surprise. Grace then shoved Michael’s pant leg down his calf, exposing a shimmering leg that oughtn’t have been shimmering.

Lincoln lifted his gaze to hers. ‘But... how?’

Grace’s expression melted into a breathtaking smile. ‘Link sweetie, looks like you can turn after all!’

Lincoln’s shocked curse was drowned out by the delighted screech of the redhead behind him.

16.

Tristan used his chin to rake Ivyanne’s hair back over her shoulder, so his lips grazed her ears as he rolled his hips beneath her. ‘Admit it,’ he whispered, kissing the back of her shoulder gently. ‘You thought I was hot.’

Ivyanne turned her profile to his, meeting his gaze steadily. ‘
Thought
would imply past tense, Loveridge.’ She whispered. ‘And
hot
is an understatement.’

Tristan grinned, pleased. ‘What word
would
you use?’

She lifted a hand, stroked his jaw again. ‘All of them….’  Her palm lowered, cupping the base of his erection through his shorts. ‘Though
epic
comes to mind.’ Her fingers slid along his length through the fabric of his board shorts with such articulation that his body quivered under hers. ‘Unequalled is another.’

‘So fucking marry me!’ He groaned through clenched teeth.

‘But when I make my choice...it won’t be for all of those words,’ Ivyanne stroked him again. ‘But for the ones I can’t say yet.’

Tristan squeezed his eyes shut and attempted to reign in his thoughts and reflexes. ‘Then say something else before I-’

‘
Kiss me.
’ The command came on a breath, and his lips were on hers before he drew another of his own. Her wet, sweet mouth opened and her tongue licked against his, beckoning his in then spiraled it slowly, drawing him deeper into her for only the briefest, sweetest of moments before she tore her mouth away, threw her head back on his shoulder and gasped for air.

‘Can’t handle that yet!’ She panted. ‘Just touch me Tristan!
Everywhere
!’

Tristan groaned and curved his hands around her breasts, almost hyperventilating the feel of her supple skin under his palms. Her nipples stiffened and he caught them with his fingertips and pulled gently, eliciting another sharp cry from her that sluiced through him and made his cock swell to what felt like twice it’s normal size. He thought he’d been hot for her the first time-but that had nothing on what he was feeling now, knowing what he was in for this time-knowing how tight and silken she’d feel when he sheathed himself inside her. Groaning he tugged again and her breasts filled his palms. She rocked again and he looked down, seeing the delicious line of her spine arch away from him then back, grinding her ass into his lap as she returned for more. It was too much for any man to bear and all of his good intentions went flying out the window. He angled his hand between her legs, his pointer finger glancing off her little bud before curving up and into her. Ivyanne jolted and gasped, her legs squeezing around his hand.

‘Tristan-no!’ Came her plaintive cry and Tristan thought he’d wither and die if not combust at the sound of it. He didn’t want to stop-he’d come too far now-but he couldn’t break his promise either!

‘Why?!’ He demanded in a mournful moan, sliding his finger out of her and dropping his head in her shoulder as he bemoaned: ‘What have I done
now
?’

‘It’s not what you’ve done,’ Ivyanne said breathlessly, turning to face him, sinking to her knees on the floor before him. There was a glint in her eye and a curve to her lips that betrayed her lack of humanity with clarity. ‘It’s what I haven’t done to you.’

He lifted his head, confused. ‘What?’

She smiled, rested her hands on his knees and then ever so slightly, opened his legs. ‘Kept my promise to kiss every ache.’ She whispered. Her fingers slipped into the knot at the tie of his shorts and tugged. ‘Aren’t you aching here too?’

The sound of his velcro fly tearing open partially disguised his moan.

But only partially.

*

Lincoln had never been smacked on the back so many times before in his life. He was beginning to feel like Lockyer after an origin match. The grin wouldn’t leave his face, and neither would anybody else’s.

‘Well this has been a terrific little impromptu celebration!’ Adele announced, clapping her hands together. They’d gathered out the front of the bar around a picnic table near the crest of the hill to discuss what had just transpired. ‘Link’s a hero and a legend and now we all know it!’ She held up a finger. ‘But we still have two hundred heads inside-leaving one barmaid per hundred. Back to it!’

‘I’m going to do a quick patrol of the esplanade.’ Price said quickly.

Adele winked at him. ‘Don’t be too long,’ she said before hurrying inside.

Price grinned and sauntered off. Lincoln shook his head, all amusement, zero jealousy.

‘Agreed.’ Bane thumped Lincoln again and got to his feet, lacing his fingers through Dalton’s. ‘Wanna learn how to pour a drink you sexy lifeguard you?’

Dalton shrugged. ‘Why not? With Link around, I might have to throw my hat in.’ He winked at Lincoln. ‘Good form mate. I like you much better when you’re not afraid of the water!’

Lincoln laughed at his former boss. ‘I was never afraid of the
pool
, you retard.’ He glanced at Grace and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. ‘Besides, it’s this one we all owe. If she hadn’t told me the right way to breathe, things might not have gone so well.’

Grace’s arm went around his waist and she looked up at him with shining eyes. ‘Teamwork,’ she said softly.

Remi got Michael, who was still too incoherent to fully grasp what had happened to him, to his feet. ‘I better get this one home.’ She said with a grin. ‘Poor thing needs a sleep.’

Lincoln couldn’t imagine how it would feel to learn that not only were you a merman, but that mers existed at
all
-in one hit. At least Ivyanne had filled
him
in on the legend an hour prior to Ardhi turning him so he hadn’t been completely blind-sided.

‘Of course,’ he said quickly, hoping that Michael would be happy once he understood how drastically his life had just changed. ‘Michael I’ll come by tomorrow and say G’day.’

Michael nodded woodenly and allowed Remi to lead him away. The redhead looked back and blew Lincoln a kiss, her grey eyes bedazzled. He blushed.

‘Well..’ Grace said as everyone cleared off. She tilted her face up to him. ‘Quite the night for you! I mean, saving a guy is one thing... but now that you can turn…’ She shook her head in amazement. ‘Just...
wow
.’

Lincoln grinned. His body was vibrating with happy vibes like it hadn’t in a long time. He felt tall, and powerful and in control again-a mindset he now saw that he’d lost when Ivyanne had initially told him that Sherri had been turned by Ardhi’s lips, not his own. He hadn’t realized how big a blow to his ego that had been. ‘I know right?’ he smiled down at her. ‘But I meant what I said-Michael
would
be dead if you hadn’t been there to help.’

Grace blushed prettily. ‘Thanks,’ she said. But then her smile faded. ‘Well I guess this is the part where I apologize, right?’

Lincoln frowned. ‘I’m not following.’

‘You know,’ she made a face. ‘For forcing myself on you the way I did.’ She inhaled and exhaled shakily. ‘Now that the crown is in the bag for you...I’ll mind my place.’

Lincoln looked down at her. ‘You’ll let go?’ he asked her softly, his body flooding with relief. He’d been afraid that his gift would only encourage her further. ‘Really?’

‘For the good of the kingdom? I have to.’

He cupped her lovely face. ‘Grace I’m sorry,’ he said honestly. He hated himself for breaking her heart. ‘You’re a beautiful girl. I’m going to miss my number one fan, for sure.’

She smiled sadly and shrugged, brushing the lock of wet dark hair which had flopped over his eyes back into place. ‘It’s okay. I get it. Kind of wish I’d gotten at least
one
kiss from the most gorgeous man on the planet though...’

Lincoln’s heart skipped a beat. He delved his fingers into her thick dark hair and pulled her closer, feeling a wave of confidence and desire crash over him. ‘How about a kiss goodbye?’ he asked her softly.

Grace’s eyes widened. ‘You’d
do
that?’

‘Like
you
said..’ his other arm went around her waist and pulled her tightly against him. There was an element to all of this he found appealing-giving a beautiful young girl a first kiss she so desperately needed. ‘I don’t think Ivyanne will begrudge me one moment, given all I can bring to the table now-do you?’ He didn’t add that he was ninety-nine percent sure that Ivyanne would have kissed Tristan by then, without him there running interference-if not worse! So why not have a bit of fun of his own if it served to end Grace’s longing? He was in the mood to celebrate!

Grace shook her head wordlessly. ‘She’d be a fool..’ she agreed, leaning in. ‘And she’s no fool.’

‘One kiss in celebration,’ he repeated. ‘And then we walk away, got it?’

‘Got it…’ Grace breathed and then pressed her lips eagerly against his.

*

Tristan barely registered his shirt being torn free of his shoulders, but when Ivyanne’s mouth connected with his tattoo again, his eyes flew open. All he could see of himself under the cascade of pale golden curls spilling over his mid-section was his knees on either side of her shoulders-and he’d never looked so good as in that moment.

‘Yes!’ He hissed, feeling the trail of moisture descend from his ribs to his navel and down. ‘Yes...
yes
…!’

Ivyanne responded by tugging his pants down his thighs, over his knees and to his calves. Her movements had been eager and furtive, but then suddenly she slowed, guiding the garment carefully down his injured shin before tugging it off the other foot, impatience renewed.

Then the night air whispered against his cock as it sprung free and he forgot about every other part of his body.

‘Oh… god…’

Hands cupped his hips, and he could practically feel her intimate appraisal. It wasn’t the first time a woman had stared at him so, but it was an outer body experience with her that consumed almost every sense. He wrenched his eyes open to make it a total domination, knowing he never wanted to forget how she looked in that moment-wetting her trembling lips with the tip of her tongue, eyes wide with wonder.

‘How did that
ever.
..?’

‘Slowly…’ he managed to say without his voice cracking. ‘Inch by inch-remember?’

‘I remember..’ Ivyanne’s voice trembled. ‘I just can’t believe I wasn’t paralysed as a result.’

Tristan chuckled and sat up, stroking her curls gently. ‘You were ready for it, sweetheart.’ He closed his eyes, enjoying the memory. ‘I slid into you like you’d been sculpted to take me. I-’

And then her mouth was on him and Tristan cried out. The world spun and he felt himself sway, but Ivyanne’s grasp on his hips was firm and she pulled him in deeper, her mouth sliding down and over him, hot and wet. He collapsed over her, only just catching the bed post at the last second so he wouldn’t crush her.

‘Damn!’ He exclaimed, every nerve ending in his body shooting off sparks like bolts of lightning as Ivyanne suckled greedily on what length she had managed to inhale. Ardhi’s zap had never been so powerful, even with all the forces of nature at his call.

‘Mmm…’ Ivyanne hummed onto his shaft and Tristan thought he was in serious danger of blacking out. Then he was moving, pushing her back against the floor and thrusting into her throat as she lay below him.

‘Oh!’ He grunted and then gasped, trying to retreat the moment he realized what an uncomfortable position he’d unwittingly put her in-horrified with himself for being such a monster. His injured muscles throbbed in protests as he tensed them all. ‘Ivyanne! I’m so-’

But her hands rocked his hips forward, steering him down her throat and instantly he saw that it wasn’t his doing at all-but hers! She’d thrown herself back and brought him along with that damn energy! Now she was suckling him rhythmically and vigorously and showed no sign of slowing the pace any time soon. Pleasure rocked him, seared him from the inside out and when one of her hands left his hips and cupped his heavy balls in her hot palm-release became an immediate inevitability.

Tristan’s hand shot out, searching for something else to hold onto, to ground himself with, and then tightened around the nearest object he could find. But as his hand closed around soft cloth-Ivyanne drew him in deeper-and he fell, taking the curtains with him, rod and all.

Moonlight filled the room, illuminating her as her eyes flew open with surprise, and she was a vision unlike any other.

‘You have-to…. stop!’ he gasped, pushing off the ground and withdrawing from her mouth.

‘What? But…!’ She rubbed her thumb over her bottom lip in a rare show of insecurity and that made him want to force his own thumb into her mouth to feel it’s caress in any way only he feared even that would un-man him. ‘Am I doing it wrong? Do you not like it?’

‘Are you crazy?!’ he choked out, and his erection throbbed, echoing Ivyanne’s protest. He wanted to knock her to the floor and force more of his length into her willing mouth, to hear her gasp for breath around him. But he slid down the length of her body instead until they were face to face and pulled her up against him. ‘This is the second hottest moment of my life!’