Tourmaline (Awakened Sea Dragons Book 2) Read online

  And surrounding her were three men, attention all turned on her, like sharks circling their prey.

  “Kai, you’re safe!” he heard Renee call out in relief.

  “Hey, did you hear what I said? You owe me another drink,” said a man with brown hair that had been buzzed short on the sides.

  “Come on. We haven’t got all day,” another guy said, moving close enough that he bumped her shoulder.

  Instantly, Kai’s blood began to boil so hot it felt it would make the cold water around him steam, and he pushed through the water toward the shore. Surprisingly, the men hadn’t even bothered to look into the waves. Otherwise, they would have seen a raging, angry dragon fast approaching.

  In the back of his head, Diamond’s words from the book were boring into his mind like writing scrawled into the side of a rock wall.

  A good mate should be able to take your light along with your darkness. If she brings out the monster in you, good. Use it to protect her. —Diamond

  “Get away from me,” Renee said in frustration, turning around and shoving the man back a few steps. His friends laughed at the display, but the man she’d shoved only looked more irritated now. He angrily grabbed Renee’s hand and pulled her to the side, almost off her feet.

  “I’ll teach you to—”

  But before he could even finish his sentence, Kai was on the beach, his hand grabbing the man by the wrist and clamping down with a not-insubstantial amount of dragon strength.

  Immediately, the guy yelped and let go of Renee, and she ducked back behind Kai as he twisted the guy’s wrist backward, forcing him to kneel on the ground.

  “Ow. Ow. Ow,” the man cried in staccato noises as Kai’s grip twisted his wrist like a starfish prying open a clam.

  But unlike starfish, which were generally agreeable creatures, there was nothing agreeable about an angry sea dragon.

  “I’ll teach you to lay a hand on my mate,” Kai growled. If not for the collar’s restraint, he’d be breathing fire.

  “Your what?” he choked out, his arm only a hair from snapping now.

  “What the hell, bro? Let him go,” one of his compatriots implored, but all Kai could see was red.

  They’d unwittingly brought out the monster.

  “Let. Go,” the other said, charging at Kai from the side with a wide punch.

  Not slackening his grip on the first aggressor, Kai whipped his fist out, connecting with the other guy’s nose with a loud crack. In shock and confusion, the man stumbled backward into the sand, blood streaming immediately from his nose.

  Then, finally releasing his viselike hold, he threw the first backward onto the ground as he saw the third begin to mobilize, picking up a piece of driftwood next to him and raising it high above his head.

  “You brought this on yourself,” the guy holding the log yelled as he rushed at Kai.

  “No. You did,” Kai muttered as he strode forward a step.

  The log came down in a quick swoosh, and Kai raised a hand to effortlessly block it. It broke into dozens of pieces, spreading shards of sun-bleached wood around him as he continued advancing.

  Shocked and stupefied, the man just watched in horror as Kai threw a right hook into his cheek, making his skin ripple as the punch sent him flying backward onto the sand, unconscious.

  Even without his dragon powers, Kai knew exactly how much stronger than these disgusting human men he was. And he was going to make sure they never threatened his mate or anyone else ever again.

  Suddenly, the first guy came from behind, wrapping his arms around Kai and trying to restrain him.

  Kai would have laughed at the display if he hadn’t been seething, and in rage, he grabbed the man’s collar and hefted him over his back, grabbing his midsection to hold him in the air for a moment before leaning forward and slamming him into the ground.

  The sand jumped off the beach an inch around Kai’s victim from the force of his landing. Unsurprisingly, the frail human was out like a light, lying motionless in a tiny crater on the shore.

  One left.

  Kai turned to see the last one, standing to the side with one fist raised, the other holding his still-streaming nose.

  Well, if he was going to keep fighting, Kai was willing to oblige.

  With lightning speed, he lunged at the man, knocking him backward with a fist to the face so quick he didn’t even have time to raise his hands to shield himself. Limply, he rolled onto the sand, twitching once before going still.

  The interlopers dispatched, Kai looked over his shoulder to see Renee kneeling on the ground, watching him agape.

  There was explaining to be done. Badly.

  But first, Kai needed to drop off the trash.

  Renee stared at Kai as he proceeded to gather up the three men he’d beaten up, putting their hands together so he could pull them all at once, dragging them behind him toward the hotel.

  One minute, her heart had been about to burst; she was so afraid he was drowning.

  The next, he’d emerged like an angry sea creature and taken on three full-grown men as if they were nothing. Her heart didn’t really know how to react.

  She was glad he was fine, but was he really fine? The odd, tense mood he’d had after lunch seemed even worse now. He was pent up, as if something were frustrating him, beyond the obvious.

  She looked at the ocean, realizing his moment had been ruined. He’d been so happy to go out there with her, and then these guys had spoiled it.

  He was an odd man, but then again, he was also odd in being a gentleman who jumped out of windows to hunt rapists and who was learning to be more polite.

  She would cut him a break, especially since he’d just rescued her again. She wasn’t sure he would have had to if she hadn’t caused so much trouble with the men due to her panic over Kai.

  Regardless, she was glad it was over and that he wasn’t hurt… and that the guys would probably recover.

  As they reached the hotel, they were greeted by Steve, the manager, who jogged out, red and flustered. He stopped, hands on his knees, and looked up at them in exasperation. “What is it now, Kai?”

  Kai jerked a finger in Renee’s direction. “They tried to hurt her. They aren’t dead. Take care of them.”

  “Kai, you can’t just…”

  But the man trailed off as he realized Kai had no intention of listening to him. Instead, Kai walked to Renee, scooped her up in his arms, and held her against his chest.

  She would never get used to this feeling of being so light, so small against him. She liked it.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  His expression was stormy, so different from the one he’d worn when he was standing in the ocean, looking effervescently happy. “Apparently, I have to keep you this close to me if I don’t want anything to happen to you.” He shook his head. “Why is this world so evil? Why is everyone trying to take you from me?”

  “I think we’ve just had some bad luck,” she said. “They weren’t that rude at first, but I was so worried about you that I sort of spilled their drinks and then slapped them.”

  “They should have listened to you if you were worried. There is no excuse for them jerking you around like that. Laughing while you were distressed. Grabbing you.” His eyes darkened again, and she rested her head on his chest, trying to soothe him.

  “It’s okay. I’m fine. I’m just glad you are.”

  “Me? Why wouldn’t I be fine.”

  “You were under the water for minutes! Humans aren’t supposed to do that!” she said, jabbing him.

  “Any humans?” he asked as if he thought that was pathetic.

  “I don’t know. Maybe some special divers or something.”

  “Maybe I’m like them, then,” he said. “Or better.”

  “I don’t know, Kai. But don’t scare me like that again.”

  “I won’t,” he said firmly. “Besides, I can’t risk leaving you like that again. Surfacing and seeing men attacking you is something I never want to
experience again.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have handled it better.”

  “You are so hard on yourself,” he said. “Always blaming yourself when it’s not your fault.”

  “It is my fault,” she said.

  “It’s not,” he said. “It’s mine, for being single-minded and once again taking too many risks because I’m blind to what’s in front of me. You don’t like the water. You can’t be in it with me. It’s fine. I will have to adjust.”

  She caught his face with one hand. “Is that what’s bothering you?”

  He looked at her, expression cautious, as if she caught him dead on, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to be open about it.

  She was just kind of flattered that he was serious enough about her that he was worried about their future together.

  “I can try harder,” she said. “I mean, I was going to go in, but you freaked me out by going under. We just need to go a little slower.”

  “So what happened today didn’t make you want to never give it another chance?” he asked. “You said I scared you.”

  “You did,” she said. “But I will just come in with you next time. So I know you’re okay.”

  He nodded, looking a little lighter now that she’d understood him and was meeting him halfway.

  He set her down outside his room as he unlocked the door. “I’m going to take a quick shower. Don’t want to get seawater all over you.”

  “Okay,” she said. “But don’t be long.”

  He nodded, closing the door behind her and setting the deadbolt. She’d learned not to argue with him, and besides, she didn’t want to leave.

  It was cute that was he was so protective he was paranoid. Though, now that she thought about it, it was a little odd. The guy from the party and then the guys who hit on her on the beach… it wasn’t usual.

  Perhaps her new way of living was making her more attractive. Perhaps getting out of Liz’s way helped, too.

  She wasn’t really sure. No one’s attention mattered but Kai’s at the moment. She had a truly hopeless crush on him. And it wasn’t just his looks or his height or what he did for her.

  It was who he was. That odd mix of innocence and wariness. The way he missed the simplest of social cues but also pointed out things that she’d never realized were wrong with society.

  He made her think, made her live, made her comfortable. Gave her passion.

  It was time she gave him something in return. Remembering their conversation about his upbringing, she knew exactly what to do.

  As she heard the shower turn on in the bathroom, she went to the hotel phone to make a call to the front desk.

  Tonight, she’d be the one to surprise him.

  Chapter 12

  By the time Kai came out of the shower, he was mostly calm. His mate had agreed to not give up on the ocean, and he’d mostly gotten over the shock of her being in danger when he’d only taken his eyes off her for a minute.

  Regardless, he wasn’t going to do it again. No one could tell him he was too paranoid anymore. His mate was beautiful. Other men saw it, and they would take her from him if he wasn’t careful.

  He could hardly wait to get her to agree to be his so he could take her back to the mansion where she would be safe.

  He still didn’t know how to get over the whole “I’m an ancient sea dragon” thing, though.

  That would have to be figured out in time. He was far too exhausted today.

  He got dressed in another pair of jeans and a tee shirt, this time throwing a blazer over the top. Red had put that in his luggage, saying every man needed a blazer, and Red seemed to know how males should dress.

  He put his hand in the pocket and frowned as he felt something odd and crinkly. He pulled out several metallic packets and looked down in puzzlement at them. He rummaged farther in the pocket and realized there was a note. He pulled it out, looking down in confusion.

  Use these for protection. Human women expect it, even if there is no way we can harm them. PS: It goes over your dick.

  He winced at the crude word and shoved the packets back in his pocket. He supposed it was a presumptuous thing to carry around, and he didn’t really want Renee to see them.

  He grabbed his wallet and walked into the living room to see her sitting there looking coy. Her pants had dried, and her hair had come loose out of her braid, but despite what they’d been through, she seemed oddly happy.

  “What is it?” he asked suspiciously.

  “Nothing,” she said, standing and coming over to take his arm. Her breasts pressed into him pleasantly as she did, and he looked down at her, feeling his body responding. “Come on. I’ve planned dinner.”

  “Where?” he asked, instantly wary. The last thing he wanted was to end up somewhere they could see Liz again. He didn’t think he could take any more stress today.

  “It’s a surprise,” she insisted, tugging him toward the door.

  He dug in his heels. “I don’t know.”

  “Trust me. You’ll love it.”

  “I want us to be alone,” he said, somewhat sharply. She looked at him in confusion, and he hoped he wasn’t giving anything away. He hadn’t figured out what to say about Liz yet.

  “Yes,” she said. “We’ll be alone.”

  “Just us? No one else?”

  “No one else,” she said. “For certain.” She pulled him toward the door again, and this time he let her. “Actually, this is the best possible place for us to go if we want to be alone together.”

  “Okay…” he said, letting her pull him. He was used to dictating things, not used to going along with someone else’s plans. It always made him uncomfortable.

  But he wanted to make his mate happy, so he would go.

  She kept her hand in his all the way to the front lobby. She told him to wait, that she had to stop at the front desk at the moment, and he waited as she asked for what looked like some keys. Probably something she needed for her room.

  They started walking again, and he was surprised when she walked past all of the restaurants and toward the front doors leading out to the beach.

  Was she planning a beachfront rendezvous? That would be pleasant.

  But she wasn’t looking at the beach at all. In fact, she was pulling him assertively toward the sole dock in view, at the end of which was… a boat.

  He stopped for a second, stunned. She couldn’t mean…

  But then she jerked him forward, and he followed. She hesitated before stepping up onto the dock, taking him with her, and he felt his heart rise like the sun over the ocean.

  “What are we—”

  “Shh, you’ll see,” she said, pulling him along.

  When they got to the end of the pier, she handed him something, and he realized they were the keys she’d picked up from the front desk.

  Keys… to a boat.

  His eyes widened as he looked down at her.

  She smiled in pleasure, fidgeting slightly.

  “Do you like it?”

  “Like it?” Those weren’t the right words. He wanted to cry he was so touched. But dragons were too tough for that, so instead, he simply stepped onto the boat—which was large and white with a deck and a railing with seats all around and a large steering wheel up in the front—and held out his hand to help her on.

  To his surprise, she jumped forward, and he caught her, swinging her onboard. He settled her on a chair with her back to the railing and went to untie the mooring ropes.

  He’d been on a few boats in New York, when the dragons had taken him to the sea to see if they could find something to mollify him other than living in the ocean.

  He’d liked the boats, liked the improvements from his day, though he sort of missed the old, creaking, wooden strength of vessels from his time.

  “Do you know how to drive them?” Renee asked, tucking her hair behind one ear. “I mean, I just assumed, given what you said about growing up on the water.”

  “Yes, I do,” he said
. “But what about dinner?”

  “It’s all ready, below deck. We can eat here or take her for a spin and drop anchor.” She looked out at the waves around them. “Whatever you want.”

  He stopped undoing the ropes and sat next to her for a moment, putting his hand in hers. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded, looking slightly nervous. “I mean, you’ll be here, and there are lifejackets.” She blinked, focusing her golden-brown eyes on him in a way that made him feel like the center of the world. “And you’ve been so good to me. I wanted to be good to you.”

  He smiled. “You are. This is amazing. Unnecessary, but very much appreciated.” Though, if he were honest, it was necessary. Being on the ocean made it easier to breathe, and after a day like this, he needed that freedom.

  The fact that she understood that made him surer than ever that she was the perfect mate. He only hoped he could be the perfect mate for her as well.

  He would try harder and harder to be more human for her.

  He busied himself untying the ship and then pushed off, getting to the helm so he could steer them away from the dock safely. He took them far out into the ocean, stopping to drop the anchor just as the sun started to set in front of them.

  They brought dinner up above deck and ate it on the cushioned white chairs instead of the fancy table below because they didn’t want to miss the spectacular sunset.

  Rays of orange and blue clashed over the ocean, mingling with clouds lined with silver. The waves reflected the colors, splashing with little sprays that caught the light.

  Kai sighed happily as he chewed his steak, his gaze going between his beautiful mate and her face in the rays of the sunset and the view all around him of his ocean, his home.

  Now they were both his home, and it was amazing to feel them together.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked. “Sometimes you seem a million miles away.”

  “I was thinking you and the sea are beautiful, and I love both.”

  She stared at him, blinking as she set her plate down. “Love? Don’t you think that’s a little strong?”