Page 12 of Kiss for My Kraken (Fairhaven Falls #8)
S am drifted beneath the surface of the river, his body perfectly still as he watched Nina approach the dock, the blue fabric of her dress swaying around her legs like ripples in the water. The sight of her made his heart stutter in his chest—a sensation he’d never experienced before.
She was back. Waiting for him.
He watched as she reached into her pocket and withdrew something small that caught the fading sunlight. A stone. Another gift. She placed it carefully at the edge of the dock, then opened what appeared to be a sketchbook. Ozzie circled twice before flopping down beside her.
Despite his preparations the previous night, he’d spent the entire day in an agony of indecision, circling his island, rehearsing what he might say to her if he found the courage to return to her dock.
The idea of ferrying her across to his island had seemed preposterous in the morning light.
But watching her wait for him with such open expectation, it suddenly seemed possible again. Necessary, even.
He wanted to show her his world. His island. His home. The sanctum he’d never shared with anyone.
Before he could second-guess himself, he propelled his body forward, gliding silently through the water towards the dock.
He paused just short of emerging, studying her.
Her head was bent over her sketchbook, pencil moving with swift, sure strokes.
He couldn’t see what she was drawing, but the focused expression on her face captivated him.
Something welled up inside him—a feeling too large, too fragile to name. Even though he remained beneath the surface, she suddenly looked up. When she spoke to him he gathered his courage and allowed himself to rise, breaking the surface directly in front of the dock.
Water cascaded from his shoulders as he lifted his upper body into the air. Her eyes widened, and for one terrifying moment, he thought he’d made a mistake. Then her face transformed, blooming into a smile so radiant it seemed to illuminate the gathering dusk.
“You came back,” she breathed.
He nodded, suddenly unsure of his voice. Water dripped from his hair, running in rivulets down his chest.
“I wasn’t sure you would.” She sat down on the edge of the dock, her feet dangling in the water. “After last night, I mean.”
He found his voice at last. “I wanted to see you again.”
The words felt clumsy and inadequate. He spent so much time alone that human speech sometimes felt like a half-forgotten language.
“I wanted to see you too.” Her cheeks flushed pink, visible even in the fading light. She gestured to the stone she’d placed at the dock’s edge. “I brought you something. It’s not much, but…”
He reached for it, his fingers closing around the smooth river stone. It was small enough to fit in his palm, streaked with whorls of color—blue, green, silver—like a tiny echo of the river itself.
“Thank you,” he said, running his thumb over its surface. Such a simple thing, yet it felt like a treasure. He tucked it carefully into a pouch attached to the belt that encircled his waist—one of the few practical items he wore when in the water.
She watched him, her grey eyes soft in the twilight. “I’m glad you like it.”
“I do.” He hesitated, then added, “I have something to show you too. If you want.”
“What is it?”
He gestured towards the island that rose from the middle of the river, its silhouette dark against the evening sky. “My home.”
The word felt strange on his tongue—not because it wasn’t true, but because he’d never shared it aloud with anyone before.
“The island?” When he nodded, she turned back to him, a mixture of excitement and hesitation in her expression. “I’d love to see it, but… how would we get there? I can’t swim.”
He pulled the small rowboat out from under the dock—Jekyll’s boat, delivered as promised earlier that day.
“In this,” he said simply.
She stared at the boat, then at him, her pretty lips parted. “You planned this?”
“Hoped for it,” he corrected, feeling suddenly vulnerable. What if she refused? What if the idea of being alone with him on his island was too much, too soon?
But she was already nodding, her initial hesitation giving way to a look of determination. “Yes,” she said firmly. “I’d like that.”
He felt something tight in his chest loosen. “The dog can come too,” he added, noting how Ozzie had pressed himself against her legs, watchful but not growling.
She smiled, scratching behind Ozzie’s ears. “Hear that, buddy? We’re going on an adventure.”
He steadied the boat as she climbed in and settled on the center seat with Ozzie at her feet. The small craft dipped beneath their combined weight, but remained stable.
“I’ve never been in a rowboat before,” she admitted, gripping the sides as the boat rocked gently. “At least, not that I remember.”
“It’s safe,” he assured her. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Her eyes met his, and the trust he saw there humbled him. “I know you won’t.”
Taking a deep breath, he pushed away from the dock, propelling the boat forward with powerful, controlled movements of his tentacles beneath the surface.
He kept most of his body submerged, with only his head and shoulders visible above the water as he guided the boat towards the center of the river.
The evening air was cool, carrying the scent of pine and earth. A heron lifted off from a distant bank, its wings spanning the darkening sky. He watched her take it all in, her face tilted upward to catch the last light.
“It’s beautiful out here,” she said softly, trailing her fingers in the water beside the boat. “So peaceful.”
He nodded, keeping a careful distance from the boat while guiding it forward. He didn’t want to frighten her with the full sight of his lower body—the powerful tentacles that propelled him through the water with efficient grace. Not yet.
He studied her face for any sign of fear or discomfort, but saw only wonder. The soft curve of her lips, the curious tilt of her head as she gazed at the island drawing nearer—she seemed genuinely eager to see his world.
The thought both thrilled and terrified him.
As they neared the island, he remembered something—a hidden wonder he’d discovered years ago, one he’d never shared with anyone. On impulse, he changed course slightly, steering the boat towards sheltered cove on the island’s southern side.
“There’s something I want to show you first,” he explained when she gave him a questioning look. “Something special.”
Her eyes lit up. “A surprise?”
“A secret. One I’ve never shown anyone before.”
The admission seemed to please her. She leaned forward eagerly as the boat glided into the shallow cove, where overhanging trees created a natural canopy above the water.
“Close your eyes,” he said softly.
She hesitated for only a moment before complying, her lashes fanning down against her cheeks. Even Ozzie seemed to sense the importance of the moment, sitting perfectly still at her feet.
He guided the boat to the center of the cove, then gently positioned it so that she faced the bank. He used his tentacles to strike the surface of the water in a specific pattern—three quick splashes, then two slower ones.
For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, like stars winking to life, tiny points of blue-green light began to appear along the shoreline. First dozens, then hundreds, then thousands—a cascade of living light spreading across the embankment and reflecting in the still water of the cove.
“You can open your eyes now,” he whispered.
Her gasp as she beheld the spectacle made every nerve in his body sing with pleasure.
“Oh my God,” she breathed, her eyes wide with wonder. “What are they?”
“Bioluminescent algae.” He was watching her face rather than the display. “They respond to vibrations in the water. I discovered them after a storm a few years ago.”
“They’re incredible.” She leaned forward, mesmerized by the pulsing lights that transformed the ordinary cove into something magical. “Like underwater fireflies.”
“They’re most active at dusk.” He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. The blue-green light reflected in her eyes, casting her face in an ethereal glow. “I come here sometimes, when the world feels too…” He trailed off, unsure how to express the weight of his isolation.
“Too much?” she asked quietly, her gaze still fixed on the glowing shoreline.
“Yes.”
She turned and smiled at him. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
He felt his heart clench in his chest—an unfamiliar ache that was almost painful in its intensity. “You’re welcome.”
She turned back to the glowing algae. “Is this what you wanted to show me on the island?”
“One of the things. There’s more.”
For a while, they simply floated in the cove, surrounded by living light. Her fingers trailed through the water, creating ripples that sent new patterns of luminescence swirling around the boat. Ozzie watched from his spot at her feet, his head tilted curiously.
“We should go,” he said eventually, noting how the true darkness of night had fallen while they lingered in the cove. “Before it gets too late.”
She nodded, though he could tell she was reluctant to leave the magical display behind. As the boat left the cove, the lights gradually faded, replaced by the silvery glow of the moon rising above the treetops.
He guided the boat around the island, past the stony shore and the treacherous currents of the river’s deepest channel. Finally, they rounded the eastern point of the island and approached the floating dock that marked the entrance to his home.
Even though it extended out over the water, the cabin was partially concealed by the island’s dense trees, its weathered wood blending into the natural landscape.
He watched her take it in, suddenly anxious about what she might think of his humble dwelling.
It wasn’t grand or particularly impressive, but it was his. His sanctuary. His home.
“Did you build this?” she asked as he guided the boat towards the floating dock next to the cabin.
“Yes.” He secured the boat to one of the pilings. “When I first came to Fairhaven Falls.”
“It’s beautiful,” she said, and the sincerity in her voice eased some of his anxiety. “Perfect for this spot.”
He helped her from the boat, careful to keep most of his body submerged as he steadied her with one strong arm. Ozzie leapt onto the dock after her, sniffing the unfamiliar wood with interest.
“This way,” he said, swimming alongside the dock as Nina and Ozzie made their way towards the cabin.
A few steps led from the dock up to the broad porch that surrounded the cabin on two sides.
She climbed them, then paused, taking in the view from the porch—the dark water stretching in all directions, the distant lights of town barely visible through the trees, the vast sky above filled with stars.
“I can see why you chose this place,” she said softly. “It feels like another world.”
He raised himself higher out of the water. This close to his home, he felt more secure, less concerned about hiding. Still, he kept most of his lower body in the water, not yet ready to reveal himself fully.
“Would you like to see inside?” he asked, gesturing towards the cabin door, before a flicker of uncertainty passed through him. What if she didn’t like it? What if the stark evidence of his solitary existence repelled her?
But she was already nodding eagerly. “I’d love to.”
He reached past her and unlatched the cabin door. The door swung open, revealing the interior of his sanctuary—the place he’d never shared with another soul.