Page 129 of Tiger's Voyage

“That’s it, Ren. I mean it.Read … my … lips.I wantKishan. Notyou.”

His eyes tightened, but then shone with a wicked gleam. “I thought you’d never ask.” Suddenly, he yanked me into his arms. One of his hands splayed against my back, and the other slipped into my hair. He angled my head and crushed his mouth against mine. Our bodies snapped together like two magnets. A driving wave of heat washed through me. I could have sworn I was drowning, and he was my life preserver. I was so desperate to cling to him, to become a part of him. His touch was familiar yet new. He was like the ocean, so vast, so full of life, so essential to the world.So essential tomyworld.

My arms slipped around his neck and held on, while he slid his hands up and down my back, pressing me closer. One arm locked around my waist and the other pressed against my middle back. He kissed me wildly, overwhelming me like a giant wave rushing to shore. I was soon lost in the turbulent grasp of his embrace and yet … I knew I was safe. His kiss drove me, pushed me, asked me questions I was unwilling to consider.

But I was cherished by this dark Poseidon, and though he had the power to crush me utterly, to drown me in the purple depths of his wake, he held me aloft, separate. His passionate kiss changed. It gentled and soothed and entreated. Together we drifted toward a safe harbor. The god of the sea set me down securely on a sandy beach and steadied me as I trembled.

Effervescent tingles shot through my limbs, delighting me with surges of sparkling sensation like sandy toes tickled by bubbly waves. Finally, the waves moved away, and I felt my Poseidon watching me from a distance. We looked at each other, knowing we were forever changed by the experience. We both knew that I would always belong to the sea and that I would never be able to part from it and be whole again.

He brushed my cheek with his thumb, touching me lightly, gently. A part of me screamed that I needed him, that I belonged with him, that I couldn’t deny this. But another part of me felt guilty, remembered there was another who loved me, who cared for me, who would be hurt. And I’d made him a promise. I moved back and took a step away from Ren’s all-consuming presence so I could shake off my reaction to him. It didn’t work, but I sucked in a breath determined to pursue my course.

“Hmm,” he trailed his finger from my temple down my cheek to my lips and touched my bottom lip lightly. “That’s interesting.”

Sighing, I asked, “What’s interesting?”

“Despite your protestations, I would say that yourlipsdefinitely want …me.”

I let out a cry of frustration, more at my own betrayal than with him, pushed him aside, and brushed my lips with the back of my hand.

“Kelsey.”

“Don’t.” I held up a hand. “Just … just don’t, Ren. I can’tdothis. I’m not this kind of a person. I can’tbethis way with you anymore.”

“Kelsey, please—”

“No!” I ran out of his room though he called after me.

At that moment, something shook the ship. Ren barreled out of his room toward me, grabbed my hand and yanked me all the way to the wheelhouse. We entered at the same time and got stuck together in the door. Ren thought that was a wonderful opportunity to put his arms around me while I yelled at him. When I finally got through and headed for Kishan, he was frowning, and Ren was smirking. The ship lurched again and I fell into the bookcase and hit my head.

“Can’t you at least make sure she doesn’t get hurt?” Ren hollered.

“He protects me just fine!” I yelled back.

Kishan pulled me into his arms and rubbed the bump on my head. “Don’t let him egg you on, Kells. He’s only trying to get a rise out of you.”

“Perhaps you three could continue this conversation when the ship is not under attack?” Mr. Kadam said. “Nilima! Take the helm!”

Ren grabbed his trident and rushed to the stairs that led to the top of the wheelhouse. Kishan grabbed hischakramand ran to the front of the boat. I took the rear.

Ren shouted loudly, “I can see it! It’s a big fish of some kind.”

I stared at the water and gasped as I made out a huge tail. “It’s heading toward you, Kishan!”

The giant body shoved the boat until it leaned dangerously to one side. When we straightened and the boat fell with a splash, I took off running to Kishan’s side. Because thechakramcouldn’t cut through the water, I hit the creature with lightning, and it circled and dove. Everything was silent for a few forbidding minutes, and then a huge shape rose out of the water behind Ren.

My mouth opened in amazement. It was a giant monster fish. Its lower jaw protruded several feet past the upper jaw. Its mouth gaped. Huge vampire-like teeth stuck out from thick gray lips and a giant yellow eye fixed on Ren. Two long flippers whirred in the air like a hummingbird and long black stripes ran from head to tail. Its jaw suddenly snapped shut like a vise.

“Ren! Behind you!”

He spun and thrust the trident into the belly of the fish several times. Black blood pooled from the circular holes. The fish angled its body, and it fell partway onto the top of the tower. Ren fell overboard and slid down the slick fish’s body into the churning water below.

“Ren! Kishan, help him!”

Kishan at once dove into the water after Ren.

I screamed at the men below, “How’s that going to help?” and ran to the wheelhouse. The fish was circling the area and trying to snap at the two brothers floating next to the ship. Ren used his trident, but he wasn’t making much headway. It helped that the fish’s bottom jaw seemed too big to get close enough for a bite; it kept banging against the boat instead. I grabbed the Scarf and ran back to the side. By now, the fish had given up on biting them and was trying to smash them into the boat.

I mumbled, “Trying to make a couple of Indian prince pancakes? Well, not on my watch.”