Page 7 of Hammerhead (Kinkaid Shifters #4)

D eidre wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing by inviting the shark to her quarters, but that was her human side and its doubting nature speaking. The selkie side of her wanted to play more with the shark in whatever form he took. It wanted to be around him…possibly forever.

Whoa . It was too soon to start thinking about that sort of thing. Too soon to pin any sort of hope on Miguel as a life-long partner. He’d admitted to having questionable judgement in the past and having been a mercenary. While she didn’t have any objection to a man who knew how to fight, the idea of fighting for money—not for what was right—made her wonder.

Was it even possible that a shark could serve the Light? The ones she’d run across before had been firmly in the gray or even in service to the darkness itself. Of course, she’d never met a hammerhead shark before Miguel. They didn’t look like other sharks. Maybe the differences weren’t just in their looks, but in their souls as well.

She couldn’t be sure on such short acquaintance, but she had gotten to know him a little over the past day or so, and her inner beast was a fantastic judge of character. It didn’t see in shades of gray. It either liked someone or it didn’t, and it truly liked Miguel. In fact, it almost loved the big man.

Which meant it would be very easy for the rest of Deidre’s soul to take that final plunge and fall all the way in love with him, if she wasn’t very careful. Knowing that, she still couldn’t quite bring herself to end the night without making love with him. It had been a long dry spell for her, and her wild side needed the release as much as her human half did.

She hadn’t met a man that attracted her as much as Miguel did in…probably…forever. She couldn’t bring herself to deny them both the pleasure that she was almost certain could be found in each other’s arms. She wanted him. Tonight.

Tomorrow would take care of itself. She hoped.

Taking a deep breath for courage, she opened the small hatch that led to her stateroom. It wasn’t very large, but it was private, and as long as they kept the noise level low, nobody outside this small cabin would hear what they were doing. Or so she hoped.

She was pretty sure at least one or two of her eagle-eyed relatives had spotted her leading the big shark shifter to her room, but they hadn’t stepped in or interfered. For that, she was grateful. She would’ve had to have strong words with anybody who tried to stop her from doing what she wanted to do. She was a full-grown woman. Not a child to be protected from the big, bad shark.

She felt him behind her, following closely but not making a sound. He had stealthy ways, which she could respect. Her brothers were like that too. They’d all served in the military forces back home and had learned all sorts of special skills that they’d never seemed to forget. They were especially good at sneaking around and spying on their sister, which had annoyed her to no end when they’d all been younger.

These days they reserved their super top-secret ninja skills for more important things and had learned to let their sister do as she pleased. Mostly. They still butted their big noses in from time to time, and she’d have to remind them that she was a fully capable adult, and their interference was neither appreciated nor appropriate.

She gave up all thought of her overprotective family as Miguel entered the small cabin behind her and shut the door. She went straight for the bottle of whiskey, which was the ostensible reason she’d invited him to her room. She might as well follow through with the idea of a nightcap, just in case he wasn’t on the same page as her. Plus, a little so-called Dutch courage wouldn’t hurt. It had been a long time since she’d been with a man. And she didn’t think she’d ever been with a man as powerful as Miguel.

He was strong, but he also had this very Alpha personality that impressed her. And he was as handsome as sin, and probably knew it. Just looking at him made her breath catch. She’d been attracted from the first moment she’d seen him, and that hadn’t altered since getting to know him a little better. If anything, she was even more attracted to him now.

She took the bottle out of its niche. Everything on the boat had to be secured against the motion of the ocean—especially breakables. Next to the bottle were two glasses, also secured in specially-built cubbies. This stateroom really was meant for luxury, and it was kind of her cousins to give her such nice accommodations. She would’ve been happy in a smaller and less well-appointed room, but they’d gone all out to make her feel welcome.

She’d sent several cases of the family’s tasting whiskey ahead for them. Shifters weren’t as affected by alcohol as humans, but they did enjoy the subtle flavors, and her family’s Irish whiskey was among the best of its kind, if she did say so herself.

“Do you need any help?” His voice was low, and right behind her. She spun to find him only inches away.

“You’re even stealthier than my Navy SEAL cousins,” she whispered as her breath caught at the smoldering look in his eyes.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” he replied, giving her one of those sexy, lazy smiles of his that made her knees weak.

Wordlessly, holding her gaze, he took the bottle out of her hands and put it back on the shelf, in its secure cubby. He stepped even closer to do so, reaching past her shoulder and pressing his body lightly against hers. The hand that wasn’t holding the bottle made its way around her waist, and as soon as the bottle was secure, his other hand moved to cup her cheek.

“Why don’t we save the tasting for later? I’ve got other things I’d like to sample right now. What about you?” His audacious smile dared her to agree.

“I think you might be on to something there,” she said, smiling back as she moved into his embrace. His head lowered as she lifted her chin, and then, his lips were on hers, and their kiss was the most delicious ambrosia she had ever tasted.

Who needed whiskey when there were such kisses to be had?

She wasn’t sure how long they kissed. Time sort of stood still, and only sensation mattered as her senses took over her body. Enjoying. Lingering. Learning this new lover who was so incredibly considerate of her wants and desires. Her needs.

She was quickly coming to need him as she’d never needed anyone before. By the time he took her down onto the smallish bed that took up a large part of the cabin, she was more than ready. He’d undressed her by bits and pieces, so there was little left in the way of their passion by the time she lay beneath him on the soft sheets.

He had given attention to every part of her as he uncovered it, laving her skin with kisses and little nipping motions of his lips that sent excitement shivering through her body. She hadn’t let him do all the work, of course. She was as curious about his body as he probably was about hers. She’d daringly pushed at his shirt and then his pants until he was naked and in her hands.

Hard. Hot. Ready.

When his finger slipped into her to test her readiness, she nearly came on the spot but held strong. She wanted to feel the real thing. She wanted to know his possession in all ways and reach for the pinnacle she sensed finally lay within her reach. Not that she hadn’t known pleasure in the past, but she’d never had that nearly divine experience some of her friends had told her about. She thought maybe she’d find that with Miguel.

If he couldn’t bring her to that place that she’d only dreamed of but never experienced, then nobody could. She’d bet good money on that. Miguel was like no man she’d known before. He spent so much time just making sure every touch and every motion was good for her. He really seemed to care more about her pleasure than he did his own, which was a bit of a change.

Not that she hadn’t had some considerate lovers in the past, but those men hadn’t had the level of self-control that Miguel was exhibiting. He impressed her in so many ways. Not least of which was the way he controlled himself and his immense power. She’d noticed that before. He walked and held himself carefully, as if aware, even in his human form, of the damage he could inflict should he somehow lose control.

He was like a sheathed blade. Deadly in potential, but safe if kept under control.

She looked down his hard, naked body and realized with a grin that maybe his blade was out of its sheath now, but she knew just where to put it to keep it safe. It would be her pleasure. She was sure of it.

Deidre lay back on the bed and spread her legs, inviting him in. Miguel smiled once more, licking his lips as he did the unexpected. He didn’t claim her immediately. Not in the way she expected, at least. Instead, he lowered his head to her most intimate place, and that devilish tongue of his taught her new heights of pleasure. She did her best to contain her cries, snatching one of the pillows and pressing it to her lips so she wouldn’t scream as climax after climax wracked her bones.

By the time he crawled up her body to join them together, she was almost convinced that she couldn’t find any more pleasure that night. Maybe not ever. He’d killed her with ecstasy.

Then he pushed inward and proved her wrong in the most glorious way possible.

“Is this all right?” he whispered near her ear when he was fully seated. She felt the little nibbling kisses on her ear and temple ignite a whole new fire inside her, which she’d thought impossible just a few moments ago.

“It’s a lot better than just all right,” she murmured in response. His masculine chuckle made her heart feel light and happy. Her inner seal approved, enjoying the playfulness even at such a serious moment.

“Stay with me, meu corac?o ,” he counseled gently. “I promise to make it even better.”

“I didn’t think that was possible,” she answered honestly, letting just a bit of her astonishment and approval into her tone.

“Oh, I like that,” he replied, beginning to move slowly at first. “And I also hate it that none of your other lovers have ever treated you right.”

“Remind me to ask you later if this sort of thing is normal with you Latin lovers or if you’re some sort of anomaly,” she said as her breathing started to pick up…along with her passions as he began to move more swiftly within her.

He laughed again but tried to stifle it. They really couldn’t make too much noise, lest the whole boat know what they were doing. Not that they didn’t already, but it would be even more embarrassing for her if everyone actually heard them having noisy sex. It was considerate of him to play along and try to keep it down. Some men she’d known would deliberately slip up and make some sort of undeniable noise just to prove their masculinity, but she had the feeling Miguel was very secure in his own place in the world. He didn’t have anything to prove. She knew that for certain now.

He began to press into her in a way that ignited something inside her she’d never felt before. He hit a spot in her channel that made her rise higher than she ever had before and then… She was falling over a precipice, but Miguel was with her, holding her, keeping her safe even as she split apart into a million pieces of pleasure. He held her throughout, and she felt him pulsing within her in one dim corner of her mind.

They had come together in this perfect place that she had never known before. Now, finally, she understood the indefinable something that poets wrote about and her friends had claimed to have found with their mates.

Sweet Mother of All! Had she just found her mate?

She didn’t speak of it. It was too soon to even think such things, though the thought had already crossed her mind. She just really and truly hadn’t believed such a thing might actually be possible. And now, here she was, held tightly against a man who had not only rocked her world, but who might just be the man she needed in her life—permanently.

Miguel rolled, taking her with him, their breathing harsh with completion, his arms still around her. He was cuddling her, she realized with a sense of amazement. Had she finally met a man who actually liked to cuddle after sex? Would wonders never cease?

Her inner seal was basking in the attention of her new lover, enjoying the cuddling as much as her human side. Never had her wild side been so involved in any of her relationships. Never had her seal liked one of her human playmates enough to make itself known like this.

Deidre snuggled into him, enjoying the closeness. She stroked his shoulders, loving the feel of his muscles and the sleekness of his skin. Which made her wonder what his shark skin would feel like under her fingertips. Maybe someday soon, she’d find out.

“So, tell me. Was that better than just all right?” Miguel asked, grinning at her as he spoke in a low, intimate tone that didn’t carry beyond the two of them.

She wanted to laugh but held it in check. She knew her expression showed her merriment, and she saw an answering glimmer in his dark eyes as he watched her. He was so handsome, just looking at him sent butterflies dancing in her stomach.

“I think you already know the answer to that,” she replied, reaching up to nibble on his lips for a short moment. She was giddy with the languor of pleasure. Her limbs felt heavy, and her whole body was sated. “And for the record, I do think you’re an anomaly.”

“In a good way, I hope.”

“Oh, most definitely. In the best possible way.” She kissed him then and lost track of time as the passion, which she thought had been extinguished, rose to a bright flame once more.

This time, they came together more slowly, but no less explosively. If anything, the pleasure was even greater, which she hadn’t believed was possible.

It was a long time later before they finally got to sampling the whiskey, and then, they sampled other things a few more times before finally finding a bit of rest before the sun rose.