“Thank you, Raif, for…everything.” The corners of his mouth curved upwards at the nickname I gave him. “How did I end up in your bedroom? How am I not dead?” I could feel my cheeks darken further as my thoughts wandered into dangerous territory.
I knew I should be concerned about my situation, but all I could think about was him. His presence was intoxicating. I was aware of our proximity and the intimacy of our position in an almost obsessive way. Looking at him, I almost forgot the fact that I’d drowned. If he touched me again, I thought I might die for good. My body was molten liquid, only sheer willpower holding me together and keeping me from making a complete fool of myself.
“The current brought you to my doorstep. When the portal opened, you quite literally fell into my lap. I was unsure of what you were exactly, until I was able to remove your extras. I certainly hope that they were unnecessary and not a physical part of you,” he said, his brow furrowing. “I would hate to have caused you any unnecessary pain. Thank Poseidon you share our females’ anatomy, for reviving you was a simple matter. You have been asleep for some time now. I worried I had removed some vital portion of you so I was leaning over to verify that you still had breath. Are you whole and well, or do you have need of anything?”
He was very animated as he talked. His body and expressions portrayed every ounce of struggle and frustration that he felt. When he was explaining how he was afraid he may have hurt me all I wanted to do was hold him to take away some of the pain and fear in his expression. He was hypnotic and I could have listened to him all day. I struggled to make sense of what he was saying and failed. All that existed was him. I’d never before had such a reaction to anything or anyone. My mind kept envisioning us together with such vivid detail that I could practically feel the imprint of his hands in the most intimate of places.
Raif took away any sense of what should have been important. It was much more important to find out what the hell happened after the sharks scared me than it was to think only of a soft satin sheet and a pair of silky pants blocking what could very well be every fantasy come true.
It was such an odd time to realize that my clothing, as well as all my equipment, was in a pile in the corner of his room. That’s when I noticed his room. It was like being inside a seashell. Everything shimmered except the carpet. The carpet looked like rabbit fur. He had a wardrobe made from seashells and a large four-poster bed made from a dark wood I’d never seen before. His sheets were satin smooth and extremely comfortable. They were also the only color in the room, black with teal embroidery. It was a very plain décor, yet it seemed to suit the owner.
“My lady, are you ill? Have I done something incorrectly? Did I—” I placed my fingers on his soft lips, suppressing a shudder as another wave of awareness washed over me. This had to be a side effect of whatever had happened to me. I’d never been so aware of my body in such a sensual way before.
“Raif, I’m fine. I’m just a little overwhelmed at the moment, but doing rather well, all things considered. Can you hand me my clothes? Where are we?”
“My apologies, my lady, I did not see fit for you to continue to wear such archaic clothing and sent to have some made for you. They should be here shortly. We are currently in my bedchamber,” he said, bowing his head slightly in respect.
“Thank you, Captain Obvious. Can I at least borrow a pair of pants and a shirt until my clothes get here? I’m uncomfortable being naked in your bedroom. I realize that we’re still in your bedchamber as you put it, but what island is it located on exactly, what continent?” I was getting nervous at his refusal to tell me where I was. When I was nervous, I was bitchy.
He moved to his wardrobe with a grace I could only dream of having. His muscles bunched and rippled as he walked away. That man had the best ass I had ever seen.
The sense of loss I felt without him by my side was staggering with its intensity, but I fought against it. I didn’t understand my strong reaction to him, but was uncomfortable with the things he was conjuring inside me. In thirty years I’d never instantly craved someone. Even that wasn’t a strong enough description, though. It was worse than a craving. The expression, ‘love at first sight’ popped into my head. I frowned, trying to release such a juvenile notion. People don’t really fall in love at the first sight of a pair of teal eyes.
Forget that he was more powerfully built than any other man I had ever seen. Calling him a man even seemed like an insult to him, for no man was nearly so perfect. It was just lust and the after effects of drowning. That thought brought me back to the more important issue at hand. If I’d drowned, how was I still alive?
“I am unsure of the fit of my clothing on your body, but I do have an older tunic that may be small enough for you.” He brought the item to me and I noticed that it was also teal. Everything he had was in the greener side of ocean colors. His hand brushed mine as he gave me his shirt and I had to relearn to breathe.
“We are located on the third isle, called Sumner. Not
