Page 14

14

E cho paused outside the door of Dolphin Bay Coastal Management, second-guessing his outfit choice. He’d been on a high after morning sex with Mael, but once he came down, he wasn’t so sure he could walk in with any confidence. Perhaps if he walked really fast and got to his lab before anyone really saw, he could don his lab coat and hide for the rest of the day.

He took a deep breath and whipped open the door, nearly running for his lab.

Keeley stepped into his path and cut him off before he could get past reception. “Morning! Diego called out today, so I thought I could work with—” She paused and looked Echo over from head to toe. “Oh my god.”

Echo held his breath, his knees weakening under him.

A broad smile stretched over Keeley’s face.

“You look amazing.” Keeley reached in and untied his cravat. “But this is all wrong.” She re-tied it and poofed it a bit. “Better.” She stepped back. “I love this on you.”

Echo released the air from his lungs and fought a smile, cheeks warming from the compliment.

“You should’ve worn a bit of makeup, though. At least some shadow and mascara to make your eyes pop.” She sighed. “You have the prettiest eyes, and I hate you for it.”

“I thought I was pushing it as is, so I didn’t add makeup. Plus I was late.”

“If you’re already late, what’s five more minutes going to hurt?”

Echo chuckled. “Can I get to my lab now?”

Keeley moved out of his way and then fell into step beside him. “Anyway, as I was saying. Diego called out and I was supposed to help him in his lab today. Can I assist you instead?”

“What’s wrong with Diego?”

“He said he’s got a cold or something,” Keeley said.

A case of the Havocs is more like it. “He didn’t say anything else?”

“Just told me to ask you to call him when you were on your lunch break.”

Echo nodded.

“So, can I?”

“Can you?” Echo asked. “Oh, yeah… I guess I can get you to prepare some slides I’m behind on.”

“As long as you don’t send me out in the field today, I’m good doing just about anything,” Keeley said.

“Why don’t you want to go out to the field?” Echo asked as he unlocked his lab.

“I got my period this morning, and I feel like shit,” she said. “I’m not in the mood to go wading knee deep through marsh muck collecting samples.”

“Is that what you’re supposed to be doing today?”

“No. I was supposed to help Diego. I called Jenny after he called out, and she said if you had work for me, I could stay. If not, I’d be out in those salt marshes.”

“I’ll keep you busy here,” Echo said as he flipped on the lights.

“Yay!”

“But don’t expect this to be a cushy day.” He paused, remembering she wasn’t feeling well. “I will be a little easier on you since you’re not feeling great, but please don’t take advantage of it.”

“I’m not a slacker,” Keeley said. “I promise.”

Echo wasn’t accustomed to having much help in the lab. He had the occasional intern but preferred when they went to Diego instead. He liked the quiet of the lab. Keeley didn’t understand the word quiet, though. Yet he had to admit that it was nice having some company. Even when she prattled on about this or that, she didn’t bother him or make him lose his focus like other people usually did. Not only that, but she made it completely through the slides he’d been putting off. They were for sets for local schools throughout Washington State to use in biology classes that would be distributed over the summer break. He’d still had some time but having her do it saved him the bother.

“So, does this new look have anything to do with tall, dark, and handsome who had you against the wall Friday night?”

Echo eyed Keeley. “How much of that did you see?”

“I’m the one who suggested Diego check in on you. I couldn’t tell if you were into it or not.”

Echo paused, eyeing her.

“Then I saw you walk out all mad and Diego looked upset, too.” She winced. “Don’t blame him. Blame me. I was the one who put him in the middle of that.”

“Diego and I are fine,” Echo murmured. “Don’t worry.”

“And the guy?” Keeley asked, trying her best to look casual when her tone and vibe screamed the opposite.

Echo smiled softly. “He’s… a new friend. And if I’m honest, I suppose this look might be because of him.”

Because he makes me feel safe to be me.

Echo smiled to himself after that thought whispered through his mind.

“I heard Diego mention the word orca while he was back there. Is this guy an orca shifter?”

Echo tensed.

Keeley frowned. “I thought dolphins and orca don’t speak to one another or something? Some war that happened forever ago?”

The humans in Dolphin Bay had a basic understanding of dolphin shifter issues, but they weren’t members of the pod or always privy to details. It seemed to Echo that the older he got, the less they understood about them, especially humans Keeley’s age and younger. If they didn’t keep the humans more in the loop, he feared they’d one day expose the pod—be it simply misunderstanding or perhaps even maliciously because they’d been left out.

“The pods were much closer once. There was a difference of opinion—over what we can never seem to get a straight answer about—and they stopped cooperating. Things turned ugly, they say.” Echo eyed Keeley. “The treaty stopped the violence that had gotten out of hand. It keeps them out of our waters and us out of theirs… but it doesn’t specifically mention our towns. It’s not illegal for him to be here. Even so, orca rarely come here or we there, so… it’s an unwritten rule for some. If some in the pod heard he was here with me—it could cause us problems.”

Keeley grinned. “Oh, so he’s your downlow boyfriend?”

Echo snorted trying to hold back his laughter. “I guess you could call him that. For now.”

“Does it feel like it could be serious?”

Echo nodded. “We just need time to figure out how we handle this.”

“Understood. I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Keeley grinned, miming the locking of her lips. “No wonder you don’t come out with us often. If I had a hunk like that at home, I wouldn’t either.”

Echo chuckled.

“Hey, it’s almost one… are we stopping for lunch?”

Echo eyed the clock. “Damn it, I just put some specimens in the centrifuge. You go ahead. I’ll grab something if I can.”

“Want me to grab you something while I’m out?”

“That would be great,” Echo said before digging for his credit card. He handed it over. “Just text me where you end up.”

“Sure thing, Boss,” Keeley said before sailing out the door.

Echo reached for his phone and called Diego—who didn’t answer. “Hey, I got the message to call you at lunch. I’m running behind and stuck in the lab, but I called. I hope you’re okay. I’ll try you again on the way home.”

Forty-five minutes later, Echo wolfed down a sandwich at his desk while instructing Keeley on how to prep some new slides. The rest of the day zoomed past. He hated to admit it, but he sensed it was having Keeley in the lab with him that made the day go so quickly.

“I enjoyed today,” Keeley said on their way out. “If you ever need help, please ask for me. I love working in the lab environment so much more than out in the wild.”

“As much as you got done today, I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”

“Great,” she said, excitement in her expression. “And tomorrow… eyeshadow and mascara. Maybe a little blush wouldn’t hurt, either.”

“I’ll think about it,” Echo said before sliding behind the wheel of his Mini.

When he pulled up into his driveway twenty minutes later, he found two huge men in his backyard, hovering over a table of sorts with their backs to him. Exiting his car, the ear-splitting sound of an electric saw made him wince.

“Excuse me? Excuse me?” Echo yelled over the noise.

After turning the saw off, they spun to face him—identical twins who looked a lot like Mael.

“Let me guess. Ravage and Storm?”

“Guilty,” the one closer to him said. Echo wasn’t sure which one was Storm, and which was Ravage, though.

“Can I ask what you’re doing out here?” Echo asked.

One of the twins pointed to the house. “Go look for yourself.”

Echo eyed the wide-open back door and panicked, imagining Tilly had escaped. He was not in the mood to hunt her down.

“Be careful, the back door might still be wet,” one of the twins called from behind him as he marched up the back stairs.

Echo turned, frowning. “You painted my door?”

“We repaired the knob and loose pane of glass—and accidentally scratched the wood. We took it down, sanded it, and repainted.”

“Oh,” Echo said. “Thank you.”

“Welcome,” they both said in unison before the saw was flipped on again, their backs to him.

Echo wandered through the house, following the sound of hammering inside. He entered the foyer and found Maelstrom kneeling and hammering in a wooden tread on his stairs. When he glanced to the left, a whole wall was gone—the one that had been on the outer side of the stairs. The railing was gone, too, and all of the treads looked new.

“Mael?”

Mael whipped his head over his shoulder. “Oh, hey.”

“What’re you doing?”

“Your stairs needed repairing,” Mael said, pure matter of fact with not an ounce of sarcasm.

“Okay, Captain Obvious… but you tore down a wall?”

“Well, repair was the plan, but the stringers were all cracked and so were most of the risers and all of the treads—so we tore it down and started fresh,” Mael said. “Then we suspected the wall wasn’t original to the house, so we checked the blueprints. It appeared they’d torn down a wider, curved staircase and replaced it with a boring, straight one and added the wall for some reason—it wasn’t necessary. I assumed you’d prefer the original, so we’re returning it to the way it was built.”

Echo took a step back and noticed the gentle curve to the new stairs. He glanced around the foyer—which appeared much larger without the wall. It was much better than the staircase he’d had, particularly since it had been in desperate need of repair.

“I love that you wanted to do this for me, but we should’ve discussed it,” Echo said. “This isn’t a simple repair. It’s a home renovation.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Mael murmured, tucking his hammer through a loop on the toolbelt around his hips. “I’d only planned a fix, and it kind of snowballed.”

Echo couldn’t stop staring at Mael’s hips and that fucking pelvic vee. The toolbelt weighted his jeans down, allowing for the perfect view. His mate’s body was too much of a distraction. He cleared his throat and dragged his gaze up. “How on earth did you get the house’s blueprints?”

“State records,” Mael said, a hint of a smile to his lips suggesting he’d sensed where Echo’s mind had gone. “Storm’s a contractor and specializes in preserving and renovating older homes. He had a digital copy in a matter of minutes.”

“Ahh,” Echo said, his gaze fixed on the new stairs and how much better they looked.

“We’re just about done for the day. We’d hoped to get it done in one, but since it became a bigger job, we’ll need another few days.” Mael reached over and lifted a few brochures. “I picked these up at the hardware store. It has samples so you can tell me what color you want everything painted. Or we could do a stain on the stairs. Maybe a nice runner?” He sat down on the bottom tread and wiped sweat from his brow. “I was also thinking a chair rail and wainscoting might look nice. It would protect the walls from damage. Storm said it would be appropriate for the period the house was built and might’ve been there originally.”

Echo walked closer and pressed between Mael’s spread knees.

Mael lifted his hands. “I’m sweaty and gross. I don’t want to ruin your clothes.”

Echo ignored him and grabbed his cheeks with both hands before planting a kiss on his lips. Mael slid his hands around Echo’s waist and pulled them closer, deepening the kiss.

“We’re outside working our asses off and you’re in here smooching?”

Mael pulled his lips from Echo’s and grinned at his brothers. “I suppose you’ve met Rav and Storm?”

Echo turned to the twins. “I did, but if there’s a cheat code for telling them apart, I’d appreciate it.”

“Rav has a small scar under his left eye,” Storm said. “That should help.”

“Thanks,” Echo said, narrowing his eyes as he searched for the scar—which he didn’t see.

“He’s talking shit,” Ravage said, placing a stack of lumber on the floor and leaning it against one shoulder. “There’s no scar.”

Echo turned to Storm—who fought a smile.

He searched the pair from head to toe. They were identical in almost every way. Same haircut. Same face. Same grin. But then Echo noticed something a bit telling. Storm was just a bit thicker and more muscled than Ravage. It wasn’t much, but enough that it might help him tell the difference—but only if they were both there to compare.

Luckily they were wearing different colored t-shirts. That would serve him for one day if nothing else. He waved to the stairs. “And this… they look amazing. Thank you so much. I had no idea Mael was planning to do this.” He focused on Mael. “Nor did I ask him to fix them.”

“Did they need it?” Mael asked, lifting a brow.

“Yes,” Echo murmured.

“Mael told us it was a surprise,” Rav said. He lifted the lumber off his shoulder and turned to Mael. “We can use this for the temporary handrail.”

“Do we need one?” Echo asked. “We can manage for a couple of nights, I’m sure. Unless… you’re not coming back tomorrow?”

“We’ll be here tomorrow, but emergencies come up on occasion,” Storm said. “Just in case, I’d prefer to put up a temp so you have something until it’s finished.”

“It shouldn’t take us more than an hour to get this up and cleaned up for the night,” Rav said. “We’ll be out of your hair soon.”

“You’re not in my hair,” Echo said. “I’m so thankful for this.” He stood back and watched the three get back to work. It was then that he realized that his savings was already lagging with the boat and dock repairs he was paying for. He moved closer to Mael and whispered, “How much do I owe for this? I don’t have much cash on me, but I can go run out to an ATM.”

“Nothing.” Mael frowned, lifting a brow. “It’s already paid for.”

“No, it’s not,” Echo said, emphatic.

Mael scoffed and returned to work, refusing to answer.

“How much did all the supplies cost?” Echo yelled up to the twins.

The twins eyed him. Then Mael. And then him again.

“It’s paid for,” Storm said.

Echo sighed. “When you’re done, I want a bill. Supplies, time, and labor.”

Storm snorted. “No.”

“This isn’t right. You deserve to be paid,” Echo said. He whipped to look at Mael. “Please.”

Mael leaned closer. “It’s. Paid. For.” He pressed his lips to Echo’s and returned to work.

Echo wanted to argue, but he sensed he was no match for three stubborn alpha orcas. He’d figure out a way to repay them, come hell or high water. “How about I go pick up some pizzas and beer while you finish up? It’s the least I could do.”

“Sounds good to me,” Rav said.

Storm eyed Mael, who nodded. He looked over his shoulder at Echo. “We’d love that, thanks.”

“You had to get Mael’s permission first?” Echo asked, lifting a brow.

“I’m not dumb. I know he wants you to himself tonight,” Storm said. “I’m not getting my head chewed off tomorrow for getting in his way.”

“I would not chew your head off after all your help today,” Mael said.

“Uh-huh,” Storm said.

Echo had to smile at the brothers. All of Mael’s siblings seem to genuinely care for him, and that said a lot about the man. The fact the two of them had been willing to come out and help build Echo’s stairs said even more.

“Are there any requests for the pizza or beer?” Echo asked.

“A lot of meat. A lot of cheese. Extra anchovies. No pineapple. And anything that’s not Budweiser or the same piss yellow for the beer,” Ravage said.

Storm and Mael nodded their agreement.

“I’ve never fed three hungry alpha orcas. How many pizzas should I get?”

“Six large… and however much you’ll eat,” Mael suggested. “Wouldn’t hurt to get one more just in case. We’ve worked up an appetite today.”

Echo’s eyes widened for a brief second. “Okay … eight pizzas coming right up.” He turned to go before spinning to eye Mael. “Where’s Tilly?”

“Upstairs in your bedroom with the door closed,” Mael said. “I brought her food, water, and litter box up there, and they’re in your bathroom. We’ve checked on her a few times today. She’s not exactly happy, but she’s fine.”

Echo sighed with relief. He was also touched that Mael had taken care of his little furball and kept her safe. “Thank you.”

Mael leaned in for another kiss. A kiss that lingered a little longer than expected. Not that Echo was disappointed by that.

“Get a room,” one of the twins said, their tone filled with humor.

Echo’s face warmed. He smiled at Mael. “That’s the second time a Marino has told us that. I’m starting to get a complex.”

Mael kissed him softly, biting his lower lip as they parted. “They’re just jealous.”

Heat washed over Echo from the look in Mael’s eyes. The sound of a hammer dragged him from his naughty thoughts. He took a step back from Mael before he did something stupid.

“Is it possible for me to run up really quick and change before I head into town? It’s okay if I can’t,” Echo asked the twins.

“Be our guest,” Ravage said, waving up the stairs and backing up out of the way.

Echo walked up as swiftly as he could, grinning like an idiot at the lack of noise with each step. When he reached the top, he spun and smiled down at Mael—who stood watching him. And likely gauging his reaction. Mael blew a quick kiss and returned to work.

With a smile, he swept into his bedroom, overjoyed at his very sweet surprise. Being an only child, it brought him joy watching Mael and his siblings together. They all seemed so close. Echo had always wanted siblings. He was jealous of Mael’s big family.

And he’d have to give that away if he was exiled from his pod.

Echo flinched.

He couldn’t allow that to happen. No matter what Mael said about them moving on, he couldn’t rob Maelstrom of his family. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.

He took a few deep breaths and pushed the worry aside as best he could. After petting and loving on Tilly and assuring her that her prison sentence would soon be over, he tugged on a pair of shorts… and Mael’s sweater. He was going to wear it out if he wasn’t careful.

In the end, it might be the only thing he’d have left of Maelstrom.