Harris, Daisy - Shark Bait [Ocean Shifters 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  David made a note not to ask any more questions. With the wind

  going by, Nereus would lose water through his skin faster as well.

  David pressed hard, adding more gas and positioned his body in front

  of Nereus’s as best he could to bear the brunt of the wind. Once they reached the busy, twisting streets, David’s concern that

  they’d been followed evaporated. Nereus nodded one direction, then

  another, leading him through the maze toward the ocean.

  The humid air became marginally cooler, and David smelled salt.

  Next to him, Nereus sighed, his body relaxing. The remnants of

  anxiety changed to another type of excitement as David noticed the

  merman’s sculpted muscles revealed by his open lab coat. City docks loomed directly ahead and David pulled up to the

  parking lot and parked behind a dumpster. He turned to Nereus,

  whose pale, sunken skin slowly regained color and turgidity. The merman took his hand, and pulled him toward a set of stairs,

  leading down from the docks to the water below. David followed him

  to the areas under the pilings, noticing the dark corners where

  indigents huddled.

  “Come swimming with me.”

  This is the part where the merman drowns the evil scientist.

  “Um…I don’t know that I can.”

  Nereus tugged at David’s shirt, popping a couple buttons, then

  tore at his trouser zipper. David looked around in fear, worried that

  the homeless under the docks would… Well, he didn’t really know

  what they would do.

  As if Nereus heard his thoughts, he said, “Oh please, you think

  those guys haven’t seen this before?”

  David clutched at his pants, stopping their descent down his legs.

  “I hate to state the obvious, but I can’t swim like you.”

  A pale hand pulled his shirt off his shoulders. “But you can swim

  a little, right?”

  He finally relented, stripping his clothes off. “Yeah, a normal

  human amount. But I can’t breathe under water.”

  Naked except for his checkered boxers, David watched as Nereus

  shrugged the lab coat off his shoulders and walked to the water’s

  edge. That ass was…

  “Hey, are you coming or what?”

  David folded his clothes and placed them near a piling where he

  hoped he might find them again later, but knowing they’d be gone by

  the time he returned. If he returned.

  Nereus held out his hand and broke into an absolutely devastating

  smile. “I’ll have you back in a few hours.”

  Chapter 8

  Raider’s legs burned and his feet scraped on the jagged rocks lining the shore, but he refused to slow down. Sophia gasped for breath a few steps behind.

  If his pace bothered him, it must be hurting Sophia way worse, and that was exactly as he intended. He wasn’t a guy a female like her would ever consider as a mate, but he wished she could at least pretend he was a person.

  They rounded a large boulder and he spotted the town nestled in the valley below, with a little dock protruding from the sandy shore. The houses and shops were dark, with only dim street lamps to light the way. He paused, eyeing the most hidden paths through town and the most poorly protected boats in the harbor.

  “Mercy!” she panted, catching her breath. The hitch of her voice set his blood pumping.

  He cursed that he cared if she wanted him or not. The feeling pretty much sucked. “We gotta keep moving if we’re going to get provisioned and out of here by morning.”

  Sophia let out a high-pitched “huh!” that had his cock rising to attention again.

  He grabbed her arm and dragged her forward. Much as Raider wanted to believe it was to punish her or scare her, he just wanted to touch her again. “I see the perfect boat.”

  The dirt path into town led to cobblestone pathways. The oldfashioned streets wound through plaster cottages with thatched roofs and imitations of them.

  “This could be romantic under different circumstances,” Sophia muttered.

  Raider reached for the handle to a small grocery and calmly tore the knob from the door.

  She yelped

  He gave her a stern look. “Shut. Up.”

  Her face screwed in outrage. “Don’t tell me to shut up. You’re stealing! Not just that, you’re breaking and entering to steal! You know, these people probably haven’t had a crime in…”

  “You wanted to be kidnapped by a shark-shifter,” he snarled, closer to her face than decency allowed. “I want to make sure you get the full experience.” The broken door gave way under his hand, revealing a little food boutique with organic non-perishables and a basket of fruits and vegetables. “I love tourist towns.”

  He snatched her dry-bag and opened it, loading everything in arm’s reach into the bag.

  “At least let me leave them some money!” Sophia pulled at his arm and reached inside the bag. Her excitement rose off her skin like the scent of hard liquor.

  He bowed his head to her hair.

  Sophia made little noises of consternation as her hand met with various objects that were not her wallet.

  “For the love of fuck!” He pulled the bag away and drew out his own wallet, then tossed it to her. “Here.”

  Her face pinched, “Don’t you think it’s a bit rich to pay for stolen goods with stolen money.”

  He plucked a final few items from the shelves. “Oh please, stolen from a boat full of pirates! Where does your money come from?”

  She tossed a few of his larger bills to the counter.

  He shoved her out the door ahead of him. Snatching back his wallet, he gripped her arm in one hand and the heavy dry bag in another. He searched for a store where he could grab some shoes.

  “I work in accounting for my father.”

  Spotting a shop with several pairs of men’s topsiders in the window, he replied absentmindedly, “Eh, a numbers girl.”

  She started talking again as he fiddled with the door handle— something about human-world schools. The metal gave way without his needing to break it. He placed his fingers over her mouth. “This is the loudest robbery I’ve ever taken part in. You need to shut the fuck up.”

  She pressed her lips together. Damn, he wanted to pinch them between his teeth. Instead he grabbed a pair of size eleven boat shoes off the display. He turned to go, but reached for a polo shirt and a pair of khakis in his size just in case.

  “You planning on playing golf, shark?” Apparently, Sophia couldn’t resist speaking for more than a few seconds.

  He scowled and threw a few bucks on the counter.

  They scurried down the street to the dock just as the sky purpled with morning light. The dragoness yawned.

  “Perfect timing.” No one would wonder at a boat leaving the harbor at this hour. The dock was unguarded and unlocked. He searched out the little Dory at the end. The small cruiser looked local, so with any luck it might take a day or two before someone noticed it missing.

  “Please tell me we’re not stealing a boat!”

  Gods, he wanted to gag her. “Let me clarify this for you, sweetheart. I’m a pirate. I pretty much live on boats. Currently we have no boat, hence…”

  He reached with one foot to stabilize the boat at the dock, and then placed his hands on her waist, hoisting her into the aft. “It should only take a few days for the dragons to find us. And then the noble dragons can return it to the poor helpless humans.”

  He could tell she wanted to argue but chose to ignore whatever it was she said next. He jostled the ties free. They were settled into their cleats, a sure sign that no one had moved the boat in a while. Unwinding the ropes, he turned to Sophia. “Start the motor but in neutral…quiet!”

  She did as he said. That was the nice thing about the drago
ness, she might argue and fret, but she followed orders well. That damn monster between his legs thickened again at the thought of all she might do if properly directed.

  The boat eased forward, and Raider kicked off the dock with his new shoes. It had been a while since he had shoes. They felt a little uncomfortable and fancy.

  The vessel motored slowly out of the harbor, and Raider breathed a deep draw of satisfaction. The floor swayed lightly under his feet, the feeling so familiar. That mild nausea he’d experienced while on land passed, and his equilibrium returned. He pulled aside the door and came into the cabin right behind Sophia who stood at the steering wheel.

  Her short height forced her on tip toes to see through the windshield.

  His arms wrapped around her, and without thinking, his lips found that spot where her shoulder met her neck. Out on the water he didn’t feel his desperation or his poverty. The Dory was twenty-two feet of his own damn boat. His female, if only for a few days, drove it out to sea.

  * * * * David kicked, feeling un-coordinated, behind the mermaid’s elegant batting tail. His arms windmilled over his head, and he turned his head to breathe as he’d learned all those years ago in summer camp.

  Nereus remained close to the water’s surface and circled back to sweep alongside David’s body. Only a few feet in any direction, the water faded to black. The half-moon sky left shadows between the docks and the boats. If it hadn’t been for company, David would be scared out of his mind.

  He paused to tread water and catch his breath, and Nereus lifted his head from the water, kicking his tail below to lift him like a dolphin at Sea World.

  “I need to slow down,” David panted. “I can’t keep up.” The merman flashed a grin and took his hand. When his tail pumped forward again, David speared through the water like a fallen water-skier dragged by a motorboat. They came to a stop alongside a sail-cruiser.

  A thick padding of slimy green moss covered the hull. Strands of black seaweed floated at the water’s surface. The merman shoved the flora aside and gestured to David to follow him up the metal ladder leading from the water to the dock. “They never expect anyone to arrive by water.”

  Nereus climbed first, and David smiled at the view. Merman or not, no one looked good when viewed from underneath. Still, David wanted to nuzzle that soft pink patch behind Nereus’s dangling testicles.

  The docks were lit by the gentle yellow glow of halogen lamps. Nereus stood gloriously nude, water dripping from his long hair down his body. David wanted to lick those tiny droplets off each and every ridge and valley.

  “This ship should work.” The edge of the merman’s lip curled up in a self-deprecating grin. David couldn’t help it. He leaned in and took that perfect mouth with his. Anxiety and excitement created a cocktail of desire that made David giddy, reckless.

  Pulling away, Nereus smiled against his mouth. “Let me get you on the boat first.”

  He watched those gorgeous arms press down and Nereus’s long body lift onto the side deck. Following suit, David pressed himself upward, hoping he looked half as graceful as the object of his desire. Before he’d even gotten his footing on the rocking fiberglass surface, Nereus took his hand and, laughing quietly, led him to a hatch to go down into the main cabin.

  A padlock hooked through the lock on the door, but the merman rifled under the side benches and found several buckets of tools, oil, rope, and files. From the depths, he pulled a small set of rusty keys. “What do you want a bet this unlocks it?”

  Padlock opened, the men descended the short staircase into the cabin. Small benches lined the walls. One had a little dining table folded in front. Paisley curtains covered the windows.

  Nereus turned to face David, body rising and falling with the force of his breaths, and David felt a catch in his chest. The moment was too ripe, too desperate. He thought he’d burn up with it.

  His hands launched, pulling the merman into a frantic embrace. His kiss an attack, David plunged his tongue into the cavern of Nereus’s mouth. David licked at his tongue, explored each of his teeth. The merman groaned, a low growl that David felt in every cell of his body.

  Nereus grasped his neck and ass. The cock David had sucked and stroked a few hours ago pressed hard at his thigh. His own stood rigid next to its mate. In the frenzy if kissing, their dicks brushed against each other. Nereus’s hard satin skimmed his.

  The merman’s long arm reached further until he pushed his finger into David’s anus. The thick digit pinched, and David stilled. His eyes pressed together, he bit his lip to stifle a groan. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to let on how much he liked it.

  Nereus’s other hand trailed down his chest. Those strong, elegant fingers wrapped around his shaft and gave several firm strokes. “I want to fuck you while I jack you off. Can I?”

  David’s heart raced. He swallowed against the fear and twinge of humiliation that rose from his gut. Shit, he wanted it. But he hadn’t before and didn’t want to be anything less than perfect for this dream man.

  “Um…Yeah, I’d like that.” He tried to keep his voice low and raspy, but heard the higher-pitched edge of nerves.

  Those strong digits invaded further, pressed harder. Soft caresses teased his erection, causing pre-cum to collect at the tip. Nereus smiled down at his cock, swiping his thumb over the sensitive head to spread the thick juice. “I’ll go easy.”

  David’s pulse danced. Struggling to get back in control, he nibbled Nereus’s collarbone and reached down to cup his balls, fingertips gentling the taint. The merman gasped, and David’s confidence returned like a freight train. He sucked a line of kisses up the side of Nereus’s neck until he reached the coil of his ear. “Do me.”

  “Hold on a sec.” David heard him rifling through supplies in the head. A second later, Nereus pressed him toward the bow of the boat, to the master berth. The mattress hit his knees, and David fell onto his back. The merman fell onto him, his heavy curtain of hair at either side, a shield from the outside world.

  David fought a yelp when the broad, lubricant-coated cap met his anus. All his boyfriends had been younger than him, newer to exploring their sexuality. He felt like he was forever giving guys their first blowjob. To be with someone more experienced than him, who took charge and pushed David to new places, was a thrill he’d almost given up on.

  Nereus pressed forward. David’s tight anal ring gave way with a harsh popping burn that left David gasping.

  Stopping his advance, the mermaid rasped between pants, “You okay, baby?”

  David forced his vocal cords to work for something other than moaning. “Did you just call me baby?”

  That brilliant smile returned, right before Nereus sank forward, sheathing himself to the hilt in David’s ass. The scientist keened then panted. Nereus reached down and took his cock in hand then plunged again, twisting David’s erection in time with his thrust. Holyfuckingmotherof…!

  The burning stretch in his bottom intensified the pounding in his cock. David grasped Nereus’s shoulders, then lower to the tight muscles of his ass as they tensed with each drub forward. David’s neck strained up to take the merman’s mouth with his own.

  “I can’t wank you if you don’t press me close, baby,” Nereus whispered between pants.

  David responded by pulling him closer. The strokes at his prostate ached and billowed. Nereus’s taut, sweat-drenched stomach licked at his jumping cock. He wondered if he could come by this alone, and knew he’d shoot it the moment a hand again circled his erection.

  Nereus bucked harder, his eyes pressed tight. David knew he was trying to control himself, not be too rough. “Don’t hold back...”

  A slow, boiling roar rose from the merman and David took his aching dick in his fist and pumped. Once, twice. His balls burned like hot embers, and David wished he could draw this moment out forever.

  Nereus fucked harder, merciless. His thick cock pillaged David’s sensitive opening, the bite ratcheting sensations higher. Suddenly that pole in his ass w
ent rock hard and David pumped a few fast pulls, shouting Nereus’s name in the close cabin. The spasms alternated pain with searing pleasure, and David flew in the blinding white light of orgasm.

  * * * * Sophia’s eyes opened to the damp fiberglass walls of the small boat. She stretched her arms above her head. Her palms met the back wall of the V-berth and her feet pinched in the triangle in front. The motor revved, its loud vibration rumbling through the vessel. She pulled aside the curtains separating the bed from the cabin.

  Her eyes met Raider’s jean-clad thighs. He stood at the steering wheel, legs apart. His free hand held her sat phone and his thumb texted furiously. Ever since he’d found the device in her dry bag, the shark had been online, gathering information on where they should go next.

  He didn’t seem to hear her over the engine’s noise, because he put down the phone and scratched at his groin, and then lifted the front of his shirt to wipe his face. The ridged board of his belly flashed brown before his worn T-shirt fell back to his hips. She licked her suddenlydry lips. That pulsing ache in her center started again, human reproductive organs swelling and dampening.

  His stance turned rigid.

  She knew he could smell her heat coming. In a few more days even a human might sense it. The front of his jeans inflated, worsening that burn in her veins.

  “Take the wheel, I need to sleep.” His tone was curt. She didn’t even consider arguing. She hurried out of the berth and to the head. After a quick brush of her hair and teeth, Sophia came up behind to Raider to grab the wheel.

  He stiffened at her touch then threw open the curtain to crawl into the cave-like bed.

  As Raider slept, Sophia wracked her brain to figure out what she’d done wrong. Not that it should matter why he was cross with her. In fact, in a crucial moment, his anger might make the situation more believable. Still…she didn’t enjoy the cold shoulder and resolved to discuss it when he woke up.

  An hour later, his head emerged from between the folds. He’d taken his shirt off to sleep and as he pulled open the door to the tiny bathroom, she watched him from behind. Twin dimples graced the dip of his back, right at the curve of his hips. When he re-emerged, his hair stood at odd angles, ruffled from sleep. For a moment she thought he’d say something nice, but his face hardened like marble.