Final Cut Miami: Come, Go With Me

Belinda McBride

All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2011 Belinda McBride

ISBN: 978-1-60521-696-6
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Final Cut Miami: Come, Go With Me

Belinda McBride

One impossible night, two young men made love in a magical Caribbean bay,
only to be separated by a violent storm. Decades later Dave Riley still
remembers and grieves for a love long lost. Forever drawn to the ocean, he
never stops looking for the boy named Kai.

Kai is the descendant of a powerful Polynesian deity. His nomadic life was
disrupted when he became infatuated by a young human… one who slipped
through his fingers and into the darkness of a tropical storm. He should have
been able to move on, but Kai’s heart is no longer free.

A good deed and some well-intentioned magic reunite the couple. After so
many years apart, can an aging surfer and an immortal demi-god find anything
other than heartbreak?

Prologue

Riley lay on the mesh sundeck that stretched between the pontoons, staring down

into the water of Stardust Bay. His father had already retired for the night, heading off to

bed with a can of beer and Hemingway in hand. It was off-season, summer, and the end

of Riley’s year of freedom before college. He’d spent a lifetime on the water with his dad,

and true to form, the old man had saved this amazing trip for last.

The bay had been beautiful in the daylight, but as it grew dark, the water became

alive around them. Billions of tiny, photoluminescent plankton lit the water with the

slightest touch. Fish glided along in eerie schools and the edges of the Melody’s pontoons

glowed. Riley slipped his hand down into the gap between the deck and pontoon,

grinning as his fingers made a bluish-green trail in the water.

Deep down, a shape began to form. It glowed, leaving a line that lit briefly, and

then went dark. He swallowed. It had to be something big… a dolphin or a large fish of

some sort. As the light approached, it went deep, vanishing under the boat. Riley

scrambled to his feet, crossing to port, but the light didn’t emerge from that side. He

heard water slapping against the pontoons and slowly, reluctantly, turned back to the

sundeck. Nothing was there, but still, his heart didn’t slow. He stepped from the slick deck

of the boat to the nylon netting and knelt, peering over the edge. At first, there was

nothing. He pillowed his head on his arms and slowly relaxed. It had simply been a fish.

The lapping of the water against the pontoons began to carry him off, and

deliberately, Riley thought of Sasha, the pretty blonde girl he’d met back on St. Thomas.

She’d been on vacation with her family, and before they’d set off for Miami, he and the

girl had snuck off to a sheltered beach, having sex under the full moon.

His cock grew hard with the memory, and Riley ground his hips into the flexible

netting, enjoying the memory of that night. With his eyes closed, he replayed the

evening: the taste of beer on her breath, the taste of her pussy against his mouth. They’d

spent hours doing everything in their limited repertoire, and had ended up sweaty and

sticky, swimming away the sand in the warm, gentle water.

He rolled onto his back and opened his board shorts, clasping himself, lazily

stroking, fueling his arousal. There’d be girls like her in college, girls who were willing and

as curious as he. He stared up at the stars in the sky and imagined her face, but he

couldn’t remember it that well. Instead, he saw sea green eyes and tumbling dark hair.

It was Kai, the young man he’d run into dozens of times over the past year. He

was a bit older than Riley, handsome, and the best surfer he’d ever met. They’d talked for

hours about the waves in Hawaii, California and Tahiti. He’d taught Riley to windsurf, and

Riley’d taught him about classic surfer music. Riley had learned something else about

himself. His cock didn’t discriminate. It liked the idea of Kai just as much as Sasha. Maybe

more. Oddly, it didn’t freak him out. So his fantasy shifted from a blonde girl to a dark

haired boy, and his dick didn’t mind at all.

Beneath him there was a slight splash and Riley went still. He should be afraid, he

knew that. Out here in the middle of nowhere, it could be a pirate. Even in this day and

age, they were still about, stealing everything from cameras and jewelry to yachts. Or it

could be… no. He should get off the mesh deck and up to safety, but maybe safe wasn’t

what he wanted. His throat went dry and oddly enough, his cock stayed hard.

“Riley.” The voice was odd, accented. He’d met people from every corner of the

world, but he still didn’t recognize the accent. “Riley.” Tenor… young, but not a child. A

man -- a youth. His heart started pumping, and he didn’t bother to fasten his shorts. The

stars above grew blurry past the tears in his eyes. Kai had finally come to him. It was

crazy as hell, but here he was. Riley had never wanted a guy before, and now… he was

scared.

“Riley.”

Third time was always the charm. He dragged a deep breath into his lungs and

tucked his erection back into his pants, sealing the Velcro closure. Slowly, carefully, he

rolled back to his belly, peering into the water.

The water glowed around the young man’s form. The moon shone down on his

face. There was just enough light to tell Riley that Kai was even more beautiful… too

oddly lovely to be human, yet he had a face, hair, and arms like anyone else. Granted, his

eyes were large and languid, the face almost fey in its beauty. His wet hair waved into

spirals down his neck and shoulders, drifting out to halo around his body. He’d never

before noticed it was that long.

Kai was naked, and Riley continued to look, following the lithe, muscular torso to

where his hips and legs faded into darkness. The young man smiled and hooked his

fingers into the rope that lashed the net deck to the pontoons. He kicked and rose higher,

lighting the water around his… tail. Riley pressed his eyes closed and opened them again.

The boy was almost to the deck, and Riley drew back, torn between fear and fascination.

When Kai smiled, he smiled back.

“Riley, come go with me.” Kai reached out, and his hand lightly brushed Riley’s

cheek.

Her touch was electric. The arousal that had waned surged back. Unable to think,

to balance the risk, he rose to his knees, drawing closer to the edge of the deck. Now the

young man was out of the water, his elbows propped on the boat. Riley blinked… no tail,

just naked brown skin. Wet hair lay plastered down his back, partially hiding his lean,

muscular ass. His front was hidden, but he wondered if Kai was as aroused as he was.

He remained there on his knees, watching as a dark hand reached toward him

again. Cool, wet fingers trailed down his belly. Goose bumps rose on his skin. He shivered

as Kai traced a wet trail down to the waistband of his shorts, finding his rigid cock and

cupping it. He gazed up at Riley, a crooked smile on his face. The question was there in

his face, and Riley knew what he had to do. He moved to the edge of the deck as the

other boy slipped back into the water. Riley dangled his feet over the edge, jumping in as

silently as possible.

Immediately warm, buoyant water enveloped his body, swirling and glowing

around him. He kicked away from the catamaran, swimming toward the dark-haired boy.

In seconds, they were face to face, just inches from one another. The long, brown legs

were gone and in their place was a shimmering tail.

Mermen really did exist. Riley was most likely crazy, but when strong arms

enveloped him and he felt the press of a hard cock against his, he didn’t care. He didn’t

care that he was crazy or gay or whatever; he just had to feel more. He reached up,

letting Kai’s powerful body keep them afloat. He fumbled for their cocks, clasping them in

one hand, using the other to explore Kai, feeling where his shaft emerged from the

junction of torso and tail. The merman rolled onto his back, carrying them. Riley came

down for a deep, rough kiss. Powerful hands held him in place, one on the back of his

head, digging into his still dry hair. The other clasped Riley’s hip, controlling their

movements as their cocks stroked and rubbed, held tight in Riley’s hand.

“I’ve been waiting for you so long.” The merman’s voice was a husky whisper.

Their hips slowed to a languid, sensual rhythm. Riley looked down into that impossibly

beautiful face in wonder.

“I knew you weren’t… like other people. I’ve seen you in the water. Sometimes

with the dolphins.” His breath was coming fast. Between the water and the rush of his

arousal, he could barely think, could barely speak. The hand on his head pressed him

closer, till their mouths joined again. The merman’s lips were soft and salty-sweet. His

tongue slipped into Riley’s mouth, following the tempo of their hips. Their movement was

limited, lacking friction, yet it was the most perfect sex he’d ever experienced. Riley lay

cradled in warmth, rocked in the gentle embrace of the sea.

“You are mine, little human,” Kai murmured into his ear. “And I am yours.”

Their hips thrust faster, harder, and Riley had trouble clasping their shafts

together, but somehow, holding on seemed incredibly important. They panted, the salty

water foamed around their bodies, but they never slipped under the surface. Riley

pressed his forehead against Kai’s, feeling sweat mingle with seawater. He was in the

cradle of life… the womb of the Earth. As his climax seized every muscle in his body, Riley

groaned, feeling Kai’s fingers digging hard into his hip. They strained and thrust, and with

a final push, they both came, the milky seed of their release mingling and floating

through the water. It drifted around their bodies like a glowing cloud.

They groaned and panted, and Riley pumped their shafts rapidly, milking the last

bit of seed from their bodies. Kai’s hand released his hip and he now stroked Riley’s ass,

gently slipping down into his crack. They floated like that endlessly, carried by the ocean.

Above them, the sky grew dark, and heavy clouds obscured the stars.

Chapter One

The sun might set in the west, but it rose in the east. Dave Riley straddled his

surfboard, waiting for that inimitable moment when the sun kisses the sky and another

day is born.

He wasn’t alone in the surf. There were a handful of other early morning sun

worshipers, but this was when the beaches of Miami were most peaceful. This was when

the old guys like him could come out, catch a few waves and then get on with the day.

He watched as a slender young woman paddled and then stood on her board, still a bit

shaky and off balance. Riley watched in appreciation. She’d rented her board in his shop

the day before. She was probably getting ready to fly back to Des Moines or Wichita or

wherever she came from, grabbing a final memory of her vacation in Miami. She’d have

bragging rights when she got home. She was pretty good for a beginner.

Riley didn’t try to surf; he simply floated, bobbing over the smallish waves as they

rolled in toward the shore. He looked to the east, out toward the Caribbean. Someday

he’d go back. He’d sell his little surf shop, buy a boat like the one his dad had owned and

just sail into the sunset. Or the sunrise.

When the first rays of the morning bathed his skin and lit the turquoise depths of

the ocean, he gazed into the water, searching… searching… he laughed, shook his head

in disgust and turned his board in toward shore.

Another day waited.

* * *

“Riley… Riiiilllleeeeyyyyy…”

“What?” He frowned, annoyed at the singsong tone of Kimber’s voice. She was a

good employee, but sometimes rode his last nerve. He looked up from his messy little

desk. She was cute, which wasn’t why he’d hired her. She was also a good salesman and

honest as the day was long. That wasn’t why he’d hired her either. Kimber was tall and

brown, with more than a little Asian in her background. Maybe even Polynesian. She had

vivid green eyes that glowed against her tanned skin. That’s probably the real reason

he’d hired her. She was familiar. And she had that spark, that little bright flame that had

urged him to take in Coco the street girl and let her live in the boathouse. It was the

same spark he occasionally spotted on the street, leading him to the Final Cut, a bar

which was in no phone book or advertisement, and sometimes didn’t even seem to be on

the street he’d last encountered it.

He had no clue what Kimber really was, but he wanted her close, even if she

occasionally drove him crazy.

“The music.”

“What about it?” He ran a hand through his longish hair, fingers tangling in the

waves. He hadn’t bothered with a shower after the morning’s swim, and the residue of

salt made the texture rough. He needed a haircut.

Kimber leaned in the doorway, wearing a short tee-shirt dress, sandals, and a long

draping scarf thing. She wore her brown curls cut short to her head, playing up the

impression of someone not quite human.

“Beach Boys? Please. Can I change it?”

“This is a surf shop, Kimber. Besides, I like them.” He tilted his head, listening to

the lush harmonies of the group. Yeah, they were California, but brought back memories

of hours at sea with his father. “You can put on Jan and Dean if you like.”

She made a gagging sound.

“Fine. Just keep it PG. No heavy metal.”

“Gloria Estefan?” She looked only mildly hopeful. Before he could answer, the

Miami Sound Machine took the place of the Beach Boys. He shivered at the sudden

change in music, and then reminded himself that the somewhat obsolete player had a

disk changer. Kimber began dancing to the tunes, and headed back out to the sales floor.

“Couple people here to see you.”

Annoyance shot through him. Why the hell had she just left them outside? “Send

them back, Kimber.” He shuffled through invoices and tried to remember if he owed

money to anyone.

“Riley?”

He glanced up, grinned, and stood.

“Coco. Oh, sweetie…” She looked good. The matted dreadlocks had given way to

silken blonde tresses. She was wearing the Ray Bans he’d talked her boyfriend into

buying for her. She smiled mischievously as he took in the changes. The big Brazilian

fellow had been good for her. The former model probably did her clothes shopping. He

opened his arms, hugging her tightly. “Well darn it all, Coco, where’ve you been? Last I

saw you, Antonio was whisking you out of here! I was worried I’d never see you again.”

He stepped back and another woman edged into the room.

Where Coco was all sun-kissed and casual, the stranger was smooth, chic and

exotic. Her hair was red… and so dark it looked like fine wine. Her milky skin was

untouched by the Miami sun. The cast of her features suggested someone of Middle

Eastern heritage. She wore a suit so well made it had to have come from someplace

much higher end than his section of Miami Beach.

“Riley, this is Genie. She’s the significant other of my cousin Luka and his partner

Quentin. She’s visiting me from Canada.” The woman met his gaze steadily, reaching out

to shake his hand. Her skin was cool, but a frisson of… something ran between them. He

rubbed his fingers together as though he’d been shocked.

Her lips turned up in a slight smile. Like Coco, she had that spark. No, it was more

like a blaze. His hair stood up on the back of his neck; even if he wasn’t a borderline

believer in the supernatural, this woman would convince him. He swallowed hard and

turned his attention back to Coco.

“So I just wanted to drop by and say thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

She sat down and Genie closed the office door before taking a chair for herself. She sat

quietly, her attention riveted on Riley. It was strange but not uncomfortable.

Riley retreated behind the desk and dropped into his creaky chair. He glanced from

one woman to the other, thinking that if he was a normal, warm-blooded man, he’d be

majorly turned on right now. And in a way he was. They were beautiful; he was healthy

and able. But they were just kids -- and he wasn’t. Hiding a smile, he glanced down at

the creased, weathered skin of his hands, absently noting that among the golden hairs

that stood out against his tan, quite a few silver hairs gleamed as well.

He gazed back up at Coco. “Catch me up, Coco. Where have you been? And I know

I probably shouldn’t ask. You don’t have to answer -- but what the hell happened to you?”

Her smile faded and she glanced at Genie. “I can’t go too much into why I was the

way I was.” She shrugged and her cheeks went slightly pink. “Just… I was a lawyer. I had

a big case and maybe it was stress or something, but I had a meltdown. My brother hired

Antonio to find me. Anyhow, he did find me and managed to get help for me. We’ve been

together since I recovered, and we’re opening an investigative agency in Ft. Lauderdale.

We’re talking marriage now.”

She wasn’t lying, but she was certainly skimming the truth. He didn’t blame her;

mental health issues carried such a stigma. He was just glad she’d found herself, and

apparently happiness as well.

He wished happiness would come to him like that, out of the blue. In all his life,

Riley could remember one year of perfect happiness. Once he’d left the boat and gone to

college, life had never held the charm he remembered from his youth. He’d give anything

for another year at sea on the Melody, swimming in the moonlight with Kai.

He smiled at the memory. He’d never even learned the young man’s last name.

Still, he remembered the feel of the water, the reflection of the moon in Kai’s gleaming

smile. As always, his heart contracted just a little. First love, and though he didn’t like to

think about it, his only love. Odd for a man his age. He’d certainly put effort into

romance.

In the corner, Genie inhaled deeply, abruptly; it was almost as though she’d been

in a trance. Coco glanced in her direction and the women exchanged a smile.

“Anyhow, things are on track for me now. And Riley, I don’t think I’d have survived

if it wasn’t for you. I just wanted to let you know you’re my hero. I won’t forget what

you’ve done for me.” She rose, moved behind the desk, and he stood, enfolding her tiny

form in his arms. She squeezed him tightly. “I’ll be around. If you need anything, please

call me.” She stepped back from him and pulled a business card from her pocket. “I’m still

practicing law, but our investor is more interested in doing good deeds. Since I’m not

getting the big payouts like I used to, I’m working with Antonio on investigations as well.

And I’m having a blast!”

He hugged her once again. “And you, Coco, if you need anything, you know where

I am.” When she turned back to her friend, Riley caught a glimpse of tears in her eyes.

And suddenly, he choked up as well. They hadn’t been close. It was difficult to be friends

with someone as mad as she’d seemed, yet Coco had been part of his daily life. He’d kept

her fed and housed and watched for her to come home after she’d been gone a while.

Watching her leave with her boyfriend had been difficult. He hadn’t been expecting to see

her again. He certainly hadn’t expected to see her sane and relatively normal!

Genie rose and Riley followed the women out into the shop. Kimber was on a

ladder, draping netting around a new wall display. She’d mounted a vintage surfboard up

high, where it dominated most of the wall space. She’d tacked up vintage photos of

surfers from around the world. The board had belonged to his dad, and later, to Riley. It

was a dinosaur, but that old board had been around the world more than once.

Genie and Coco glanced up at Kimber and looked away quickly. Suddenly, Riley

found himself awash in magic. He shivered. The three women all exchanged smiles that

looked suspiciously… clever. Dangerous.

“Hi, Coco. It was good to see you again.” Kimber wiggled her fingers and returned

to her work.

He didn’t imagine the flare of the little blonde’s nostrils, as though she was

scenting the air. “You too, Kimber. Don’t go falling off that ladder.” He got the impression

Coco wouldn’t mind bumping into that ladder. Her mismatched eyes held a gleam of

mischief. Funny thing was, they’d never seemed to take notice of each other when Coco

was still hanging around. Something had changed.

Okay, so he wasn’t a half-believer, he was a whole believer, and something

momentous had just taken place. He stood in the doorway, watching as Coco and Genie

headed off down the street. When he could no longer see them, he gazed out at the

ocean. As always, it called to him. It was a beautiful sight, white sand running down to

the vivid blue water. Surfers and kite boarders battled for space on the waves, and

tanned, toned bodies littered the beach. Far off in the distance, clouds were building on

the horizon. Whitecaps were beginning to peak from the water like frothy-maned horses.

He estimated another thirty minutes of sun then the rentals would start coming back in.

Far out in the deeper water, a single man rode a long board. He was too far for

Riley to see well, but he was dark and graceful, and the wave grew disproportionately

large. He held his breath as the rider came in closer. The wave broke and the man

vanished.

Riley shivered again. Spooky day.

Chapter Two

He locked the shop door and stepped out into the storm. The wind caught his hair,

so Riley scraped it back, pulling the top half into a ponytail. He cast a critical eye out to

the ocean. This storm hadn’t shown up on the weather reports, but would most likely

blow itself out without too much havoc. The breeze was warm and damp, and fine misty

rain whirled through the air, caressing his cheeks. Days like this reminded him of other

times and places. He took a deep breath and smiled. There was no point in grabbing an

umbrella or covering his head. The wind made certain that he was damp from head to

toe.

Riley started down the sidewalk; his condo was just a few blocks away from work.

Over the past few years, his world had narrowed. Once his father passed, he’d taken the

insurance money from the Melody and had taken over the shop, converting it from fishing

and tackle to water sports and surf wear. It’d been years since he’d been sailing. He

moved in a predictable pattern: from home to the beach, then on to work. Afterward,

he’d hang at a local bar or go on a date with a pretty tourist. Then on home, or

sometimes to a blanket somewhere on the beach.

Lately though, the girls had become women and the beach blankets had given way

to upscale hotel rooms. Frankly, it surprised him that the women were still interested. He

wouldn’t be seeing the sunny side of forty again. He wondered what they were looking for

when they stared at him. Freedom? A carefree life in paradise? The idea made him smile;

his life was pretty much without care. No one really cared for Dave Riley.

He hopped a curb and quickly crossed the street, catching the appreciative gaze of

a pair of college-age girls. They smiled and paused to talk to him, but Riley kept walking.

It wasn’t till he caught sight of the young surfer that he stopped. The man had blond hair

kissed by the sun. His smiling face was unlined; his body was taut and muscular. When

Riley stopped, the surfer stopped too. He stood, gazing at his reflection, watching it

slowly age until middle-aged Riley looked back at him.

Shit.

He glanced around at the nearly empty street. There must be magic in the air.

Either that, or Kimber had slipped something in his coffee.

A neon light flickered behind him and he turned, blinking in surprise. Had that bar

been there before? The Final Cut was all weathered wood and neon on a street of plaster

and palms. It was both quaint and upscale. He noted the businesses which surrounded it;

he’d spent hours in the bookshop next door. The hair salon on the other side was familiar

as well. Curious, he crossed the street, wetting his feet in shallow puddles. His deck

shoes squeaked with water.

Under New Ownership.

Well damn. He’d seen this place before, but was certain it was in another part of

town, not down here by his shop. He gripped the brass handle and pulled the door. It

stuck for a moment and then gave way. The cool air escaped with a sigh, chilling his face.

He stepped in.

It wasn’t unusual in any way. There were a few televisions mounted on the walls,

sporting events playing on them. Oddly, the patrons didn’t seem to be paying attention to

the televisions. They sat at the tables in clusters, or occasionally alone. He actually heard

the murmur of conversation over the volume of the TV sets. A parrot squawked. He

glanced at the bar, seeing the colorful bird and a bald man the size of a wall. The big

bald guy lounged at the bar, dwarfing the stool he sat on. He carefully watched the room

through dark glasses. When he stared directly at Riley, the image of a massive bear

formed in his imagination. His skin prickled and Riley moved further into the bar.

He took a chair at an empty table, picking up the menu and scanning the room

over the edge of the laminated page. Everything appeared normal, but the atmosphere of

the place made him a bit breathless. He glanced up as the waitress arrived at his table.

He swallowed at the vision of beauty she made.

“I’ll have a Sierra…”

She set a napkin and a bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on his table and walked

away.

“… uh… I’ll have that…” He turned in his seat, watching her disappear. He sighed

deeply and lifted the bottle to his mouth.

From where he sat, he had a good view of the room as well as the doorway. He

lingered over his beer, and just as he finished, the dark-haired waitress brought another.

He made a point of looking up, and when he saw the lovely features, he coughed. She

was a he -- and a lovely he at that! His shoulder length hair hung in a ponytail, and his

pouty lips gleamed as though they’d been glossed. A short apron covered his shorts, and

when he walked away, his ass swayed provocatively. Riley grinned. He was exactly his

type of woman, but not at all his type of man.

It didn’t matter. He’d still leave a hefty tip.

Right as it registered that he was growing hungry, his sexbomb server brought a

plate of sliders and another beer. Riley chuckled and started in on his food, watching the

other patrons as he ate. There were a couple familiar faces here and there, but mostly, it

just looked like a normal neighborhood bar. There was a beautiful woman in the corner,

turning over cards in an elaborate tarot display. Her white clothing gleamed against her

dark skin. A pair of rough looking men leaned over their table, talking quietly. At another

table, a couple sat, clearly flirting. The man picked up the woman’s hand, running his lips

over her wrist.

Vampires and shifters and Fae, oh my!

He laughed at himself. Okay, so Coco and her man were not your run of the mill

people. Same for Genie, and even Kimber. But vamps? No way.

Nevertheless, he’d be getting out of this place before it got fully dark. Those two

seemed hungry.

He finished his food and then gazed out the window facing the ocean. Sunset was

rapidly approaching, and the water appeared grey and angry. In the distance, lightning

forked through the sky. No doubt there were still a few die-hards out there, making the

most of the weather. Once upon a time, he’d have been one of them.

He smiled, shook his head, and looked around for his server. It was time to go. To

his surprise, the lovely creature was nowhere in sight. Odd, since he’d anticipated every

one of Riley’s requests long before they came. He stood and dug out his wallet, pulling a

pair of twenties out. Before the cash was out of his wallet, wind whipped through the

room. He glanced up, expecting to see the front door open, but nobody was there. That’s

when he remembered…

The bar had no windows.

He sat back down… hard.

Chapter Three

Laughter echoed through the room, piercing Riley’s abstraction. The air felt heavy

and cool, as though the storm had come inside. Pressure built, and when he heard

thunder rumble, he felt no surprise at all. He glanced from the closed door to the bar, and

for the second time that night, he felt the floor fall away.

A man stood at the bar. He was wet as though he’d come in from the rain, but the

rain wasn’t heavy enough to have drenched him so completely. His tank top and board

shorts were wet, and his laughter boomed through the bar as he caught the towel the

bartender tossed him. The wide shoulders and narrow hips belonged on an athlete. His

bare legs were long and muscular; his skin was tanned and brown. When he turned, his

profile was clearly Polynesian, with a strong nose and sensual lips.

Kai.

Riley’s cock was hard and aching. His heart constricted in his chest. For a moment,

Riley worried about the sudden, clutching pain, and then realized it was simply the echo

of old loss. Kai would be his age now, not a man in his twenties. And though the memory

was foggy, he swore that his Kai was not quite human. He frowned. The memory was

mostly constructed of emotion and sensation, the feel of warm water and a strong body

suspending him. He remembered the scent of a rogue tropical storm and the taste of the

young man’s kisses. For whatever reason, he also remembered wild, impossible details…

a silvery green tail and a journey under the inky surface of the water.

Impossible. But whatever the case might be, the stranger wasn’t Kai. It couldn’t

be. He frowned, calculating the years. Twenty? No, more than that. More like thirty. Kai

was no doubt living in Hawaii now, watching his own kids or grandkids learn to surf. Or he

was settled down with another man and living a mundane life somewhere. Yet Kai had

been far from ordinary.

Standing, Riley dropped his cash on the table and headed for the door, doing his

best to remain unnoticed. The bald bouncer tracked his movements and he felt even

more hunted. He hit the swinging door and rushed out into the rapidly cooling evening.

He tucked his hands into his pockets and headed toward home, and for the first time in

his life, Dave Riley was frightened of the shadows.

* * *

Riley opted to skip his morning in the water. Once he arrived at the shop, the idea

of hauling his board across the street and down to the beach simply seemed like too

much of an effort. His knees ached and he was tired. Instead of surfing, he made coffee

and went to the boathouse, gazing at the slip the Melody had once occupied. He’d

redesigned the space so now smaller boats docked here. A couple boaters leased space

from him; the others were rental boats.

Coco used to keep them cleaned for him. These days, he did it himself. Though he

knew the boats were spotless, he got his supplies and went over them again, wiping

down vinyl, making notes of needed repairs. When he finished, he sat in one of the seats,

gazing down into the water as he’d done a million times before. Maybe one day he’d

catch sight of a mermaid. Coco used to insist they talked to her.

After his night in the Final Cut, he might be more inclined to believe her. He’d

retraced his route on the way to work, but the bar was no longer there.

Maybe it was early onset dementia. Maybe the too-beautiful server had spiked his

drink with a Roofie. Or maybe the rumors that had filtered to him were true. Maybe there

really was a paranormal bar in Miami. He got up and headed back into the store. Kimber

was opening up, getting ready for the morning rush of renters. During high season, he

brought in extra staff. Right now, they should be able to handle the traffic.

“Funny weather we’re having.” She shot him a sidelong glance. “Storms roll in,

storms roll out.”

“That’s the way it is on the ocean.” He folded his arms, staring out at the sunny

morning.

“Nothing on the radar about last night’s storm. I went online and checked. It was

supposed to stay clear.”

He said nothing, remembering the lone surfer out in the storm. It was the sort of

behavior that ended in death, but the adrenaline high that came with it… Riley

remembered days when he’d done the same thing. Days and weeks and years when he

sought to clear his memory of that single night and a storm that had risen unexpectedly,

tearing him and Kai apart. He remembered being under the water… struggling, until his

father had dragged him to the surface, choking and near dead.

He also remembered the sensation of a storm inside of the Final Cut, and the

huge, wet man. Canals with boat slips ran behind many of the businesses in this district.

In fact, Coco used to travel the canals on her paddleboard, rather than walk on the

sidewalks. So maybe his stranger had been in the canal… Maybe he’d come in from the

ocean on a surfboard…

Didn’t matter. Customers were coming in. Kimber was already busy at the counter,

passing out rental forms and checking IDs. Riley grabbed the completed slips and began

to distribute everything from boogie boards to bicycles. Thankfully, he didn’t have time to

think anymore.

* * *

Gloom.

Kai jammed himself into a booth at the Final Cut and stared out at the ocean.

Gloom and doom. He frowned at the bank of clouds that had been forming in the

distance. For nearly three decades, he’d slipped the family leash and headed for the

Caribbean, haunting the islands and bays for a small catamaran called the Melody. This

would be the last time. He’d traveled to the Keys on this trip, thinking maybe the man

and his son had moved to other fishing waters.

The reality was, he knew it was a fool’s errand. After this much time, the boat was

probably scrapped and his young man had moved on. He’d been ready to head to land…

to college. And his father had been ill; alcoholism was subtly destroying his body.

Kai was frustrated. He’d done everything just right. The ritual had certainly taken

root within him. It should have bound Riley to him as well. He’d been stupid. Stupid and

disobedient. His grandfather had been right; humans were not fit companions for their

kind. They were too short-lived and fragile, their natures inconstant.

The Fae server brought him a plate of lightly grilled fish and a bottle of water. He

paid and looked down at the food. So much time had passed and he’d wasted much of it.

He was here in Miami only on an impulse. He’d been angry and defeated, and the family

had given him an ultimatum. His obsession with the human was pointless and

demeaning. He’d never mentioned the fact that he’d fallen in love with young Riley, or

that he’d danced him to the bottom of the sea. He’d been young and foolish, not fully

understanding just what he’d done to the boy… or to himself.

He picked at his food and gazed around the room. His hearing was sharp; he

picked up snippets of conversation here and there. Over the fragrance of the mahi-mahi,

he caught another scent… one that broke him out into simultaneous chills and heat.

“… he was cute, but human. Very human. Ever since Sam bought this place, the

wards have been haywire.”

He stood, staring at the table by the window where two shapeshifters sat sipping

their apple martinis. No one would guess these soccer moms went furry on a whim.

“Excuse me.” He approached their table, not bothering to tone down his size or the

aura. They were paranormals. They might not know what he was, but they’d know better

than to be frightened. Or they should. The woman with the chic blonde bob nearly did a

spit take when she glanced up at him.

“Was there a human in here? Wavy blond hair? About this high?” He held his hand

in the vicinity of his shoulder. The redhead started at his feet and worked up, her gaze

lingering at his crotch before continuing upward.

She cleared her throat. “Um… sort of silver blond… and a bit taller than that.” His

disappointment must have shown. She looked at him sympathetically, then continued.

“He was human, but he knew something was odd about the place. Maybe he’s a talent or

something.”

The other woman nodded in agreement. “He was older… maybe in his late 40s…

but hot. Kind of an ageless Margaritaville sort of guy.” She grinned at her friend. “I’d take

him home on a rainy night!”

Hope began to tingle up and down his body. Kai readjusted his mental image of

Riley. He’d be older now, so his hair might be graying. And he’d still been a teen back

then… Human males sometimes continued gaining height into their twenties. “Did he

have a name?”

They both shrugged.

“Riley.” The Fae drifted past, picking up the women’s plates. He gave them a

smoldering gaze, causing Kai to readjust his opinion of the waiter’s sexuality. “He owns a

surf shop, down on the beach most likely.”

Kai didn’t bother to ask how he knew. The Fae knew pretty much everything and

that which they didn’t know, they could find out.

“Your food’s getting cold, Maui.” The server smiled down at the women once

again, and then looked at Kai. “After you eat, you might want to head south.”

Maui. The Fae shouldn’t know that; nor should he know the proper pronunciation of

the name: May We.

But this was the Final Cut, and he doubted many people had secrets from this

particular waiter. He returned to his table and sat, forcing the food into his mouth even

as his heart slammed in his chest. When he was finished, he took the plate to the bar and

set a hundred dollar bill next to it. The Fae watched him quizzically. He reached deep into

his pocket and dug out a perfect round, golden pearl. He’d found it in a wild oyster on the

ocean floor near Tahiti. To the humans, it would be worth a great deal of money. The Fae

lifted it, an otherworldly light coming into his eyes. The Fae understood it was truly

priceless.

He headed out the back of the bar, grabbing his board and leaping into the deep

water of the canal. If he found Riley, he’d bring the match to that first pearl. The Fae

would have earned it.

Chapter Four

Like the previous day, clouds built on the horizon. In the distance, lightning

flashed. It was too far away to hear the rumble of thunder, but renters trickled in, ending

their day early. It wasn’t bad; Riley charged per day and would be able to go home early.

He sent Kimber home an hour before the rain started. He wasn’t sure where the impulse

came from, but Riley felt compelled to go to the beach, to let the stinging salt of the

ocean wash over him. With his board in hand, he made the short walk and planted his

board in the wet sand, sitting down to watch the water grow rough and wild. He stripped

the shirt from his body so the rain had an unobstructed path to his skin.

In the distance, thunder rumbled. Stupid thing, being out here in a storm, but it

felt good. He felt alive. His sluggish blood quickened, and his cock went hard in his

shorts. He grabbed himself and laughed, grateful there were no onlookers.

“Riley.”

The voice was so close, he jumped. His hand dropped from his cock and he looked

up, seeing nothing. No one. But he’d heard someone. Riley stood, searching out over the

beach. Except for a dog trotting in the distance, he was alone.

“Riley. Come with me.”

Fear stripped him of any desire to be on the beach. He grabbed his board,

wondering what in hell he was doing out here in the first place. Someday he’d like to see

fifty. Hell, he wanted to live till he was a bent old man, spending his days beachcombing.

He’d like to fish the Keys and sail the Caribbean. He had nearly enough saved to buy a

sailboat… No, not one like the Melody, but something nice.

He turned to face the ocean again. Out in the heavy swells, a single man straddled

his board, waiting for his wave. When he spotted Riley, his hand came up, gesturing. He

wanted Riley to join him? He gave a short laugh and shook his head. Maybe he wasn’t

destined to cruise easily through life. Maybe it was a sign that he needed to run for the

risk again.

He watched the rough, choppy waves. They weren’t world class, not like the waves

he’d surfed in Hawaii and California, but they were wild and unpredictable. He took a step

into the water, feeling its warm clasp around his ankles. He took another step, and

another, finally tossing the board, taking it out over the surf. He lay on his belly, rising

up, searching for the other rider. A couple miles out, lightning forked down to the water

and seconds later, a clap of thunder shook the air.

This was crazy! He laughed, partly from fear, partly from exhilaration. But concern

overtook excitement; he couldn’t see the other man. Had he caught a wave? Maybe he’d

gone under. Riley straddled his board, looking around. He was alone. Rain hissed into the

water around him and Riley looked at the sky. The late afternoon sun fought through the

clouds, setting him in a weird landscape of purple and green, punctuated by blue-white

flashes of lightning.

The surges grew and suddenly, this was no longer fun, it was just stupid. Rain and

wind was one thing, lightning was something else completely. But still, if he was getting

back in to shore, he’d have a hell of a ride. Quickly, with skill honed by years on the

water, Riley caught his wave, cutting through the temperamental tossing water. Though

focused on his ride, he noticed the figure on the beach and felt a wave of relief. The other

surfer had made it in.

He relaxed into the ride, grinning and tasting the salty tang of the water. Rain

pelted him and the surf cascaded over his board. Unfortunately, years of experience

hadn’t prepared him for what happened next.

Something slammed into him with the force of a truck, forcing the nose of his

board up into the air, throwing Riley backward. A million thoughts rushed through his

mind in that second… shark… the board was coming down… he wasn’t ready to die…

He shouted, swallowed water and choked, and then was under the waves, tossing

and rolling in the violence of the storm. Impossibly, he heard thunder, saw a white bolt of

lightning, and smelled the stench of singed fiberglass and hair. He went down and down,

into the depths of the sea. Even as he gulped water and frantically kicked for the surface,

Riley knew this was wrong. The water was too deep; the current was too furious. He

forced his eyes back open, blinking against the sting of the briny water.

Dark figures danced and slid from his vision. Weird lights swayed and darted away.

The pressure built. He looked around for the surface, unable to orient himself. Stale air

burst from his lungs and reflexively, he gasped, sucking in a lungful of water.

Fuck.

Frantically, he struggled against the grip of the water. When something huge and

powerful clasped his arms, he screamed.

“Riley. Calm down.”

He froze. Impossible. He held his breath, feeling the distinct sensation of hands

clamped around his arms, a body close to his. It took every ounce of control he

possessed, but Riley opened his eyes and looked at the man -- the creature -- before him.

Kai.

The struggle went out of him and he went limp, unable to look away from the face

he’d craved for so long. Kai. He shook his arms loose, raising his hands to cup the other

man’s face. Suspended in the twilight of the ocean, Riley panted in shock. He realized he

was… breathing… underwater. That seemed too crazy to be important. Unable to process

the information, he set it aside to focus on the other wonder before him.

His fingers explored Kai’s face… still young and exactly as he remembered it. When

Kai leaned in, capturing his mouth in a deep, gentle kiss, he didn’t fight or struggle. He

closed his eyes, soaking up the feel of lips and tongue and the warmth of the other man’s

skin. His eyes stung with the salt of his own tears.

“I’m dead,” he thought, certain he’d shaped his own version of heaven. Kai broke

the kiss, leaning back to smile at him.

“You’re alive. With me. Safe.” His lips moved, but Riley heard the voice in his head

rather than with his ears. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, Riley.” He came in and

kissed Riley firmly, pressing their bodies closer.

Riley felt the swell of their erections press together and reached down, running a

hand down Kai’s smooth, powerful back, over the curve of his buttocks. “No tail,” he

commented without breaking the kiss. In this dream… this hallucination, Kai was clearly

telepathic, which made communication much easier. He got the impression of a smile and

under his fingers, smooth scales formed, and Kai’s lower limbs fused together. “You are a

merman.”

“No, not a merman.” His long hair floated out behind him like a veil, each strand

forming perfect corkscrew curls. In the blink of an eye, he was back to human. “Not a

shifter either.”

“Then what?” Riley didn’t resist as the other man moved back a bit. It allowed him

to look some more. Kai deftly loosened Riley’s shorts and they drifted away, leaving both

men naked.

“Some other magic.” He suddenly grew larger, a bit older. This was the man Riley

had seen in the Final Cut. His heart caught somewhere between the pit of his stomach

and his throat.

“I saw you the other night. You looked familiar, but too young to be my age.” Kai

was kissing him again, lips running up his throat, teeth digging gently into his jaw. “It

hurt to see you, so I left.”

“I’m so sorry.” He tugged at Riley’s ear, licking up the edge. “I’ve searched for you

so long. I was about to give up.”

It was crazy. It had to be a hallucination that preceded death. Even now, Riley’s

body was battered and tossed around in the shallows by the storm. He didn’t care. His

hands roamed Kai’s body, fingers tracing his powerful muscles. Of course he was bigger;

he’d grown up. And he hadn’t really aged because magical beings never do grow older,

just as lost loves never age in memories.

As one, their hips began pumping and thrusting. Riley ached to take him, to taste

him and feel him deep within his body. He needed to feel all that powerful muscle around

his shaft. But right now, he was in too big a hurry. The water proved to be no deterrent

to their movement. Kai held him close and they rubbed, their cocks sliding and catching,

their testicles squeezing with each thrust. He groaned, pressed his forehead into Kai’s

neck, and winced as the other man’s teeth gripped his shoulder. He shuddered as they

began to move wildly. He groaned, throwing his head back, gasping for breath. Kai bit

harder. The pain snaked from his shoulder down his belly, straight to his balls. It was too

fast, too slow, and just right.

The moment his seed jetted from his body, Kai’s sharp teeth punctured his skin.

The huge man shook and trembled, and the water clouded with blood and their combined

seed. Orgasmic waves swamped Riley again and again, squeezing every bit of semen

from his balls. He clung to Kai, holding on until the wave of passion ended, finally daring

to open his eyes and look up.

Kai was still there, and the water was hazy with their fluids. As the blood touched

their semen, it glowed, encompassing them in a soft light not unlike the bioluminescence

they’d once drifted in. And finally… finally… Riley knew fear.

They’d started something all those years ago, something big. Something had gone

unfinished, rendering his life incomplete. And whatever was happening… wasn’t finished.

He’d spilled his semen, and now his blood. He’d put his life in the hands of someone --

something -- of unimaginable power.

He kicked away from Kai, and as soon as they parted, Riley began to choke and

sputter, drowning in the depths of an ocean that shouldn’t exist. He kicked hard,

swimming desperately, but he didn’t know where.

“Riley!” The voice was faint in his mind now. He was drowning, and the world was

going dark.

Chapter Five

“Riley.”

Someone shook his arm, and Riley jumped. He blinked, looking at the familiar

surroundings of the surf shop.

“That’s the last of the rentals. You want me to lock up?” Kimber leaned on the

counter next to him, her green eyes bright with curiosity. He shivered, realizing that she

had an uncanny resemblance to Kai. To the Kai of his dream, that is. He glanced at the

clock, and then looked outside. Had he really imagined his journey to the beach, and to

the bottom of the ocean? Had he just had hot, impossible sex with some sort of sea god…

in a daydream?

“Ah, yeah. Let’s get everything put away, and then you can take off.”

“Okay. Cool.” She worked quickly, cleaning and stowing equipment while Riley did

the receipts for the day. He hated the paperwork, but it gave him a few minutes to

gather himself. He was dry and wearing the clothes he’d put on this morning. Obviously,

he hadn’t sent Kimber home; it was sunny outside. The storm had already blown through.

He took a deep breath and felt the twinge of a pulled muscle, the sort of pain that would

follow a nasty fall on his board. But he hadn’t been surfing. He was sure he hadn’t taken

the board out.

Riley shoved back his chair and went to examine his board; it was propped in the

corner just as it always was. It was dry and polished. He lifted it, examining it thoroughly.

No scuffs or chips. Whatever he’d hit would have left some sort of mark. This was proof

he’d imagined it.

He snorted in wry humor. Here he was, having hallucinations, and not even having

the fun of getting wasted. Must be age. He sat in his chair, gazing idly at his computer

monitor. As always, it was online and the weather feeds scrolled along. He clicked on

one, reading a news brief about a freak storm that had risen, causing treacherous waves

and riptides. It had come and passed in less than an hour. Several swimmers had been

rescued all along the beaches. But not Riley… He’d been here the whole time.

“Boss?” He glanced up at Kimber. “You okay?”

For once, she didn’t have a snide remark or an insult about his Hawaiian shirt and

tattered cargo shorts. He forced a smile to his face. “I’m fine. You can take off now.”

She lingered a moment longer. “You want to maybe grab dinner? I forgot to go

shopping, and was just gonna stop at the taco place down the street.”

He started to refuse, and then reconsidered. Maybe food would help. He had a

headache starting and his stomach rumbled in sympathy. Riley nodded, shutting down

the computer for the night. “Meet me up front. And dinner’s on me.” She gave him a smile

and left the little office, waiting by the front as he shut down the lights and set the alarm.

Riley locked up behind them and paused to gaze at the ocean. It was peaceful now. He

wished he felt that calm. He rolled his head, trying to work a kink out of his neck. His

shoulder throbbed with the movement and he reached up to rub it. The muscle burned

and ached. As they walked, Riley’s fingers traced the bite mark in his skin.

Once again, everything he thought he knew was wrong.

* * *

“Could you possibly have made this worse?”

Kimber paced the wooden dock behind the Final Cut, fury and frustration trailing in

her wake. Without the illusion she hid behind, her skin glowed and she was much… more.

“How long have you known where he is?” Kai was furious as well, and he’d been

tamping his anger for hours now. Kimber turned to stare up at him. Kai stood a bit

straighter, making himself taller and a bit more intimidating. To no effect. Kimber was his

elder by decades. Nevertheless, thunder rumbled in the distance and wind riffled the calm

surface of the canal. If he wanted, he could summon a waterspout that would leave her

wet and frigid.

“Grandfather sent me here a few months ago. Obviously, he’s known where Riley

was from the start.” She put her hands on her hips. “Riley’s a really nice man, Kai, and

who’s to say what his life might have been if you hadn’t messed with him to start with.

You should just stay away from him.”

Kai fumed, watching her pace. His anger manifested in the lightning out over the

ocean.

“Tone it down, Kai. You might hurt someone.”

He clenched his fists, focusing on stillness. The wind dropped. “I can’t stay away

from him. I love him.”

She snorted. “You had a quick fling with him decades ago, and you’re in love?” She

shook her head. “Obviously you took it too far back then. Did you take him down to the

bottom? Did you offer?”

“We both offered to the sea. But Grandfather interfered. Riley nearly drowned.”

Anger rippled through him again. Kai had made his choice back then. What right did

Grandfather Maui have to put his foot in it? At the memory, Kai felt the thunder rolling up

in his veins again.

“You offered? Both of you?” Kimber rubbed her temples, as though she had a

headache. “What about this time?”

“We offered. And I marked him.”

“He bled?” Her eyes went wide. Kai nodded. “Oh, Kai, do you know what you did?

Never mind. You do. That’s the problem.” She slumped against the wall. “You did tell him

what that meant, didn’t you? I mean, all these years…” She trailed off. “You didn’t tell

him, did you?”

His cheeks went hot with shame. He’d been young back then. That wasn’t much of

an excuse, but it was true. He’d been so infatuated with the blond, blue-eyed youth that

he’d known Riley was his mate. He’d felt it the first time he’d seen him on the docks,

laughing and flirting with the pretty girls on vacation.

He’d followed the Melody on its journeys, pushing the limits of his grandfather’s

rules. He’d shifted into a great bird, shadowing the boat, or perched in a tree, listening to

the young man having sex with one of the tourists. He’d been so fascinated he’d never

even been jealous. When he’d had the opportunity to seduce Riley, he’d taken it and had

sealed the deal as well, ensuring that there was a bond between them.

Today, he’d taken it further.

“Kai, did you mate with that man and not tell him?”

He nodded, not meeting his cousin’s sharp gaze. She sighed in frustration. “He’s a

human, Kai. Grandfather won’t allow it, and now you’ve tied Riley even tighter to you.

You’ve made him lonely for years, and now even more years stretch out before him.”

“I didn’t take it all the way.” He hung his head in shame.

“Small comfort to Riley. Do you know he shifts a little? Sometimes when he’s

happy, the years fall away. He’s got women chasing him all the time, all ages. He has no

clue why.” She looked at Kai, her gaze steady. “He doesn’t notice men, not even that

tiger shifter that Coco hooked up with, and that guy… whew!” She waved her face, and

then switched back to her serious mode. “You realize that if he accidently made a child

over the years…”

“It could inherit our gifts.” Damnation. He hadn’t thought of that. And given the

nature of Riley’s life, the mother would be long gone; the child would be completely

unaware of its true nature.

He took a deep breath. “I don’t know what to do, Kimber.”

“Fix it.” She folded her arms, glaring at him.

“I don’t know how.”

She walked up to him, grasping his arms in a surprisingly powerful grip. “You can

only go forward and seal the deal, or backward and undo it. And since I can’t turn back

time --”

“I can’t either.” He shut his eyes tightly. There was one person who could. “I have

to give him the choice, don’t I?”

Kimber didn’t answer. That told him what he needed to know.

Chapter Six

In the darkness, the neon sign beckoned. Riley looked up and down the street;

nothing was different except the Final Cut. It was sandwiched between the bookstore and

the beauty shop, just as it had been earlier. Thunder rumbled in the distance and fat

raindrops began to patter on the pavement. Riley reached out, clasped the brass handle

and pulled.

Tonight, it was crowded and noisy. Music played over the sound of the televisions

and several people were up dancing. The energy in the room was high, causing the hair

on his arms to prickle. He caught sight of a familiar face. Genie. She smiled and nodded

in his direction, then turned her focus back to the pair of men at her table. He’d really like

to know what her story was.

Opting against a table, he headed for a small booth toward the back of the room,

settling against the soft leather padding. In just seconds, a waitress came. This one had

breasts and her beauty was a bit more tolerable. He smiled at her and ordered his beer.

Riley then watched the crowd in fascination.

They weren’t normal people. He reached up, rubbing the bruise on his shoulder.

He wasn’t normal either. After dinner with Kimber, he’d returned to the shop, catching up

on a bit of paperwork. He’d gone to the bathroom and washed up; when he gazed in the

mirror, an eighteen-year-old version of Dave Riley looked back at him.

He hadn’t even been surprised. He’d faded back to normal and then closed his

eyes, focusing on the sensation of smooth skin and a powerful, agile body. He opened his

eyes and watched as the younger version returned. The stiffness in his knuckles and

knees had come on so slowly over the years that he hadn’t even been aware of it. In that

moment of change, it had melted away like an illusion.

Now, sitting here at the Final Cut, he was himself, whatever that might be.

As he knew it would, the air around him went heavy and damp, and he imagined

that he smelled ozone from the far-off lightning. He glanced up to see Kai standing, just

yards away. Their gazes met and did not break. He nodded and Kai slid into the seat

opposite him.

They did not speak.

Riley wondered if storms always traveled in Kai’s wake, or if they came and went

with his mood. Right now he was unhappy, and it showed on his face like a bank of storm

clouds. At the same time, his green eyes were full of pain.

He didn’t know what to say. He simply stared at the man who’d occupied so much

of his heart for so very long. Kai didn’t appear as Riley would have expected. He was

young, but not the teenage boy he remembered. He was taller by nearly a hand span; his

shoulders were massive. His white linen shirt hung open to his chest, offering a glimpse

of smooth brown muscle packed onto his torso. His hair was long, brown, and tied away

from his face. No doubt corkscrew curls cascaded down his back.

Kai was beautiful, frightening, and the most welcome sight he’d ever seen.

“Riley. I’m so sorry.” His voice was deep and husky with emotion. His accent was

slight, sounding of the islands. He wasn’t Hawaiian, nor was he Samoan or Tahitian. He

was all of that, yet unique. “I’m so very, very glad to see you again.”

Without speaking, Riley stood up, left a bill on the table and walked away,

knowing the other man would follow. He passed the main door, heading for the rear

access. Following the dim green of the exit sign, he opened the door out onto a wooden

dock. As he’d expected, it floated on a saltwater canal. Kai moved almost silently, but he

knew the other man followed when he heard the creak of wood. Kinda weird that a dude

his size could move so quietly.

He turned and stared at Kai.

The other man stood motionless, waiting. His expression was apprehensive; it

looked odd on that regal, arrogant face. Riley moved toward him, pushing him into a

shallow alcove by the wall, pinning his body in place. They froze like that, hip to hip,

chest to chest. Kai was taller, but the difference wasn’t so much that he couldn’t look him

in the eye, pull him down for a fierce, angry kiss. He dug his fingers into Kai’s hair, feeling

the curls coil around his hand as though they were alive. He forced his tongue into the

other man’s mouth, let his teeth click and scrape against tender skin. When Kai broke

away and tried to speak, Riley kissed him again.

After that, all thought fled and Riley was a creature ruled by his body. His cock

hardened and throbbed, his balls ached, his heart slammed against his ribcage. Pulling at

the white shirt, he bared Kai’s chest, hands roaming, and then he lowered his head,

mouthing the man’s pebbled, erect nipple. When Kai touched him, he grabbed his hands,

holding them out of the way.

This was for Riley. This was for all the years of memory. He’d been a boy then, and

willing to let Kai lead, but now he was a man. He needed to assert himself on this flesh

and blood version of that dream. He jerked open Kai’s loose pants, working them down

over his hips.

Like the rest of him, his lower assets were beautiful. His cock was thick and meaty,

his balls swung heavily. Black hair curled tightly at his groin. His loins were lean and

defined; supple, toned muscle ran down his thighs. He shoved Kai around simply to look

at his ass. It was magnificent. Riley bent down, nipped the taut skin of one buttock,

reached out, and gently cradled his balls. He smiled as a moan broke from the big man. It

was as deep and resonant as thunder.

The sound reverberated through Riley and he reached around, clasping Kai’s cock.

It was hard as a rod, yet soft as velvet. He leaked from the tip and shuddered as Riley

pumped him. This wasn’t going to be romantic. It wasn’t going to be pretty. Riley dropped

his shorts and shoved his shaft between Kai’s massive legs, striking his balls as he thrust.

He pulled back, and pumped forward again. Once he caught Riley’s intention, Kai

tightened his thighs, creating a warm, tight passage for Riley’s cock.

Every stroke nudged past the larger man’s balls, and Riley pumped his shaft, hand

fucking him in time to the rhythm of his hips. Kai leaned against the wall, one hand

reaching back to rest on Riley’s leg.

“Riley… need you…” Kai moaned. In answer, Riley pressed himself into Kai’s back,

his chin on his massive shoulder. He wrapped his free arm around Kai’s waist, pulling

them together as close as humanly possible.

They fucked like that forever, but not nearly long enough. Sweat slicked their

bodies, even as fluids seeped from their cocks. They were silent, only their panting breath

and the slap of skin breaking the silence. Somewhere in the distance, lightning

illuminated the sky. It felt like lightning was spearing through his body. Riley’s body went

taut; he thrust once, twice, and felt the spill of Kai’s seed over his hand. As though that

was his signal, he came. Pulses of semen jetted from his body, smearing slick and warm

between Kai’s powerful thighs.

As his body wrung itself out, he looked up at the sky, losing himself in the vista of

roiling clouds directly above them. They flashed purple and green and white. Kai gave

one final gasp and a jagged bolt broke from the cloud, striking and arcing, leaping from

roof to boat to building in a crazy electrical dance.

Kai went limp in his arms, sagging against the wall, carrying Riley with him. They

panted and huffed, both sweaty and drained. Kai twisted and reluctantly, Riley leaned

back, only to find himself pulled forward into a pair of powerful arms.

“How I’ve searched for you! How I’ve longed for you, Dave Riley,” Kai murmured

into his hair. “Now that I’ve found you, it won’t be so easy for you to slip away again.”

Riley thought about pulling back and arguing. It had been Kai who’d vanished,

right into the depths of the sea. But it felt good where he was. All the emptiness within

was filled. “Did you make that lightning dance around the canal?”

Kai chuckled. “I was a little excited. Couldn’t hold back.”

Riley sighed and relaxed a bit more. His shorts were still around his ankles, but he

didn’t really care. Besides, his shirt probably covered his ass.

Like a child, he buried his face against Kai’s broad chest, overwhelmed by the

entire day. It felt so damned good to be held. “What are you?”

“There isn’t really an answer for that question.”

Finally, Riley looked up at him. “Who are you, then?”

“I’m Kai. I’m a descendant of Maui.”

He pronounced it differently than the name of the island, and Riley scrambled

through his memory of mythology. “Maui the Trickster? The Hawaiian god?”

Kai gave a small, lopsided smile. “Most of Polynesia has stories about Maui, though

he’s never limited himself to the South Pacific. But yes, I’m a grandchild of the Trickster.”

“That makes you a demi-god.” Riley pushed back from Kai, staring at him in

disbelief. He looked human, though clearly he had some influence over the elements.

“You knocked me off my board today.” He glared at the big man who still held him

tightly. “And you bit me!”

“I might have been a little overexcited.” Kai grinned sheepishly, but his smile

quickly fled. “My grandfather is secure in his belief that we are divine. I personally believe

we are a bit more mundane. Though I admit our abilities are a bit more extensive than

those possessed by the average shifter.”

“You really aren’t a merman then.”

Kai smiled gently. “No, I’m not a merman. Though I do have fun with the drunken

fishermen. They tend to react strongly when they see my tail.” His smile faded. “I can be

a bird or even a dolphin, anything the ocean might give life to. I cannot follow a human

onto dry land. Not far, anyway. All those years ago, your boat vanished into the storm. I

found the Melody at a dock in Miami, but never found you again. And then I lost even the

boat.”

“It capsized. My father… my father was alone, moving the boat to a hurricane hole.

The storm caught him and he went down with the boat. They never recovered the

Melody.”

“I’m so sorry.” He didn’t argue when Riley pulled away, dragging his shorts back up

his hips. Kai pulled his pants back on but left the shirt hanging open. “Come over here.”

He pulled Riley to the edge of the dock and they sat, feet dangling in the high tide.

The water was cool around Riley’s ankles, tugging at his flip-flops. He had an

overwhelming urge to slip in; to let it carry him where it would. He was still sticky with

sweat and semen.

“What did you do to me?”

Kai sighed and kicked at the water. He didn’t look at Riley. “I began to… convert

you.”

“Convert me? Like… to your religion? Or to metric?” Riley felt the stiff smile on his

face. Suddenly, the kaleidoscope of emotion began to slow down, focusing on fear and

apprehension. Anger joined the mix as well.

“No. Not a religious thing.” Kai didn’t laugh at the crappy joke. He licked his lips.

“Back then, I was rash and impulsive. I started something… I thought you were my soul

mate. I didn’t think about what you might want or need. I took you in the water. We both

climaxed… an offering to the ocean. I took you down deep and you breathed through me.

The storm that pulled you from my arms was Grandfather Maui stopping what I should

never have started in the first place.” He gazed sadly at Riley. “I began a ritual mating.

That night was the first step in creating a bond between us, one that linked your life to

mine. It also began to alter your body. That’s why you didn’t age.”

Riley shook his head, as though he could throw off the confusion. “I did age. I’m

nearly fifty, have the wrinkles to prove it!”

Kai then did something… impossible. He gestured to the water and a spout

sprayed upward, settling into a shimmering, solid looking sheet. One more flick of the

hand caused the darkness to fall away, just in the space around Riley’s head and

shoulders.

“Look.”

It was a mirror fashioned of seawater, illuminated by lightning. He swallowed,

more than a little frightened of the creature that claimed to be his soul mate. Slowly, he

gazed at his reflection, completely unsurprised to see a young man. Not the eighteen-

year-old youth, but a man in his prime. His blond hair was golden and gleaming; his blue

eyes were the color of the sea. His skin was tanned and smooth. Looking down, he saw

the firm muscle and powerful build of his body. He hadn’t looked this way for years. No,

that wasn’t correct. He’d never looked like this… glowing and otherworldly, a bit more like

that magical waiter than a human.

“This isn’t right, Kai.” He blinked rapidly. He’d put in his years. He’d been a good

person, built a business and did his best for the people around him. He’d earned the right

to grow old. At the same time, the joy of youth and health coursed through him. He loved

it… and he hated it. “Your grandfather stopped you before. But you started it again.

Today.”

If the situation wasn’t so dire, he’d laugh at the guilty look on Kai’s striking face. “I,

uh, suppose I never outgrew being rash and thoughtless,” Kai said.

“Ya think?” The seawater mirror slipped back into the canal, and the light slowly

faded, leaving them in the darkness. Yet Riley could see. “Can it be undone?”

“I had hoped…” Kai broke off. “Yes. My grandfather can sever the tie. It will be

painful. Worse than before.”

“I searched for you for years. Decades.” Riley straightened, getting ready to stand.

“I never fell in love after you. Every time I thought maybe I’d met someone special, my

very soul grieved for you. Now you’re telling me it’ll be worse? Fuck, Kai!”

The other man grabbed his shoulder, holding him in place. “He can sever it

completely, Riley. But you will lose your memories of me, of all that happened between

us.” He looked away and bowed his head.

“What about you?” If he’d been bound to Kai, then surely he’d have the same need

for Riley. If he spoke the truth, he’d been searching for years.

Kai met his gaze. “I will not forget.” He turned to face Riley, stroking his face. “But

you can choose otherwise, Riley. You can choose a future with me, as my lover and soul

mate. We will live however, wherever you wish. We can have a boat and sail the world.

Or we can live here and sell surfboards. Anything, Riley. I will do anything for you.”

“But it’s forever.” He shook his head. Staying young had its appeal, but

immortality?

“Nothing is forever, Riley.”

He sighed. “How old are you, Kai? Do you even know? How many lifetimes have

you spanned?”

The demi-god didn’t answer.

“You were young when we met; was that your real face, or did you wear that face

to seduce me?”

“That was my face when I was with you. I didn’t… manufacture it to deceive you.”

Riley was liking this less and less. He stood with more agility than he’d had in

years. “I can’t choose to spend my entire future with you based on a year back when I

was a kid.”

Kai swallowed. He nodded. “But you loved me. As I loved… love you.” He glanced

up at Riley. It was so hard seeing the hope slowly fading in that sea green gaze, but Riley

didn’t look away.

“I need you. I want you like nothing I’ve ever felt before.” It was true. Even now,

his cock was hardening. He wanted to take the man back to his home, to take him into

his bed and stay there forever. “Maybe I loved you then. I don’t know you now.”

The hope died. “Come, go with me, Riley. Give me a week… a day. Come to the

ocean with me. See my world.”

Riley felt the weight of despair crushing his heart. He wanted to accept, yet

needed to refuse. “I’m human, Kai. I wasn’t meant to live forever. I wish it could be that

way. I wish the two of us could sail away together. I wish that year on the Melody had

been forever. I wish things could be right for us.” He paused and cleared his throat. It

was tight and painful. “You’re the grandson of a god. If he’s the only one who can make

this right, that’s what has to happen.”

“Riley.” Kai started toward him, hand outstretched. He then pulled back, clenching

his hand into a fist. “If that is what you want, that is what must be.” He watched Riley for

a long moment. “I will always love you, Riley. I will return with Maui. We will make things

right.”

But not for you, Riley thought. Even as the thought crossed his mind, Kai dove

gracefully into the water, vanishing from sight. He indulged in a moment of self-pity,

coupled with guilt. He couldn’t live out his life that way, no matter how appealing. No

matter what Kai had started, he was human. Humans and whatever Kai was just weren’t

meant to mate and live happily ever after, circling the world in a sailboat.

Although… that’s what he’d always dreamed of. A catamaran, going back to the life

he’d lived so long ago. But instead of his father, he’d be with his lover. His love.

“Oh… Shit. I wish…” For a moment, he nearly called Kai back. Now that he was out

of reach, Riley craved him, missed him. The thought that Kai would continue to suffer as

he had… “I wish. Oh, Kai… I wish!”

He walked slowly down the dock, heading back up to the street. As he left, a figure

emerged from the shadows.

“Wish granted.” Genie smiled whimsically. “Now where does one locate a god?”

Chapter Seven

Kai floated on his back, staring up at the sky. He’d known what would ultimately

happen. In fact, if Riley hadn’t chosen to sever the bond, he’d have ultimately followed

that path himself, simply to give the man a choice. The whole damned thing had been

doomed from the start. The swell of the ocean lifted and carried him further from shore.

He turned his head just a bit, watching the brilliant lights of Miami against the night sky.

He liked the city. He’d been honest with Riley; he’d spend eternity right here if it made

the other man happy. He’d spent years wandering alone, looking for the man who was his

other half. For the briefest time, things had been perfect.

Well, things had been perfect up until they started talking. The minute he’d

opened his mouth, everything had fallen apart. He should have just pretended to be a

merman without a voice.

Kai knew the exact second that he was no longer alone. Beneath him, the sea life

paused, and then scattered. Wind kicked up and Kai drew upright, assuming a respectful

attitude. He didn’t always like Maui, and certainly didn’t necessarily agree with his archaic

attitude, but the old trickster was definitely formidable. And though he’d given plenty of

grief to humans over the centuries, he also did his best to protect them. The water

around him boiled as his grandfather surfaced from the depths.

Maui sometimes took the form of a horse or a bird. Now, he was in the form of a

man; an elderly, magnificent man. He’d borrowed the image of Poseidon; he’d probably

seen a statue of the Greek god somewhere. Hell, he might have run into the real thing at

some point. He rose from the water, easily seven feet tall, silver-green hair floating in a

wind that wasn’t there.

He slowly settled back into the water, sitting on a low chair made of churning

seawater. “You’ve found him.”

Kai took a deep, painful breath and nodded.

“Kimber told me you planned to give him a choice. I did not instruct you to give

him a choice. You were to find him and free him. Not fuck and bleed him.” His voice held

a chill that went straight to Kai’s bones. He shivered. “If you’d done as you were told…”

“This would never have happened in the first place.” Kai nodded. “But Maui, the

first time I saw him all those years ago, I knew.” He looked at his grandfather. “He is my

other half. I cannot live without him. But I cannot force him to bond with me. I know that

now.”

It was surprisingly quiet this far from shore. The wind gentled and the warm water

slapped softly against his skin.

“We don’t belong in their world, Kai. And they don’t belong in ours.”

“I know. But for a time, that year, our worlds blended. Even here, there are places

that welcome us. I can walk in the city, and eat in their restaurants without hiding. There

are others… paranormals. It can be done.”

“You understand why it must not be done.”

“It’s wrong to pull humans from their families and their homes. But Maui, his only

family is dead. He walks through his life without real joy. His happiness is on the water,

not the land.”

“That is not for you to decide.” The water began to boil around the sea god once

again. Kai wasn’t sure if Maui was angry, or if he was preparing to leave. “It is forbidden

for us to meddle with humans, Kai. You will return to our home. You will cease this

foolishness.” Maui morphed into a stunning man, very similar to Kai. This was the true

appearance of the trickster.

“I should go with you. I started this; I need to be there when you end it.”

For a moment, compassion lived in Maui’s harshly beautiful face. “I am sorry, child.

I am sorry for the pain this will bring you.”

Kai swallowed hard and nodded. For him, the memory would never end. The

needing would never cease. He’d never taken another to his heart, not since Riley. It was

harsh punishment for an impulsive act from his youth, but even then, he’d known this

could happen. He’d known that Riley might reject him or that his grandfather might pull

them apart. He just hadn’t believed it would. Losing Riley all those years ago had been

bad enough, but he’d had the search to give him hope. He’d been able to console himself

with the occasional lover. Yesterday, he’d marked Riley and set his own fate. Riley would

be free, but Kai would remain forever bound to his lover. This would hold him for the

duration of Riley’s life, and upon Riley’s death, Kai would be released from the mating. Or

he might die as well.

“Go home, Kai. Wait for me. I will join you after this is finished.” Maui didn’t wait

for him to answer; he took his grandson’s obedience for granted. And Kai felt too crushed

to fight the issue. For a moment, he watched, even after Maui vanished under the waves.

He’d be at Riley’s side in just minutes. He’d sever the tie and erase all of Riley’s

memories of their time together. The human would become mortal and mundane, with

only the occasional longing for something unknown. However, he’d be free to move

forward, to finish out his life.

Riley would be free. He should celebrate that fact. Kai tried a shaky smile. The salt

of his tears blended with the salt of the ocean. “Goodbye.” His heart ached; his soul

grieved. He turned his back on the city and dove deep, down in the darkness where the

sun was only a glimmer.

Then he went deeper still, until he entered the hidden slipstream that carried him

home.

* * *

Riley had been unable to sleep.

He’d lain awake, tossing between giddy happiness and morose sadness. The

sadness won out because he knew damn well he’d never see Kai again. He’d been right

to send the demi-god away; he’d taken away Riley’s freedom to choose his own future.

Never mind that given the choice, he’d have gladly accepted the bond all those

years ago. Now he knew how wrong that would have been.

He got up from his rumpled bed and used the bathroom, gazing at his young-old

face in the mirror. Would that go away? Once Maui ended this bonding, would he look

different? It didn’t matter because he wouldn’t remember.

Oh shit.

Riley sat on the sofa in his living room, looking at the space around him. It felt like

the house of a stranger. The furniture had been here when he’d moved in. A photo of him

and his father on the Melody was one of the few personal touches in the room. So much

of his life had been lost when the Melody had gone down.

All those years ago, Kai had been everywhere they’d sailed. When they’d taken

tourists to St. John, he’d been lounging on the beach. He’d been fishing off Dominica.

Riley had hung around with him at docks and nightspots at every island they’d visited.

Eventually, Riley had recognized that it hadn’t been coincidence, and had become

infatuated with the handsome young man. It had been odd, since he’d never felt

attracted to men before. Now that he’d seen Kai again, the memories flooded back.

Once, when they were sailing, Kai swam amidst a pod of dolphins, hanging onto

the dorsal fin of one of the sleek, grey mammals, letting them speed him through the

water. Many times, he’d floated past the window of Riley’s cabin, smiling and gesturing.

Come, go with me, Riley…

And he remembered that night he had finally gone to Kai, swimming in the glowing

water, touching, stroking, letting go of his amazement as he kissed another man for the

first time, surrendering to the heat and passion of youth. They’d thrust and rubbed one

another to climax, and Riley remembered the cloud of seed that had released into the

bioluminescent water, almost like a baptism.

“I knew. I knew and I let it happen.” He stood, walking to the sliding door that let

out onto a tiny balcony. “I knew. Do you hear me, Maui? I knew what would happen!”

The only answer was the touch of the warm breeze. And shit! He’d sent Kai away.

He doubted there were cell phones wherever Kai came from.

He rushed back into the apartment and dressed, then hurried to the elevator. Once

outside, he ran, not stopping for breath until he reached his shop. With trembling hands,

he unlocked the door and keyed in the code to deactivate the alarm. He had no idea

what to do, but Riley knew this was where he needed to be. Maybe the boats… He could

find Kai…

He ducked into his office and skidded to a halt. Kimber sat in his chair. But damn…

it wasn’t Kimber, it was someone else completely. She leaned back lazily. The chair

squeaked as she rocked it.

The door slammed shut behind him. Kimber propped a sandal-clad foot on his

desk, knocking a stack of statements to the floor.

“My original plan was to kill you, Riley. If you were dead, the bonding would die

with you and my grandson wouldn’t suffer.”

Riley remained with his back to the door. “I changed my mind. I remember… how

it was between me and Kai. I want it back.”

“It’s not your choice, Dave Riley. It never was. Now come and sit down.” Kimber --

or whoever she was -- gestured to the chair at the client side of the desk. Riley opted to

stand. Irritation flashed over her face, but she didn’t push the issue.

“You aren’t Kimber, you’re Maui. Are you… occupying her, or are you a shifter too?”

Maui smiled from Kimber’s face. “You are astute. My granddaughter is at her

home, sleeping. I thought her form would be less threatening to you.”

“Well, it’s frigging creepy. And your toenails… Hers were painted purple this week.

You missed that detail.”

Maui shrugged but didn’t shift form. “You understand what has happened to you?”

“Kai started a bond with me when we were kids. He took it a little further

yesterday. He told me everything.”

“And he explained that in order to break the bond, your memory must be severed.”

“Yes.” It bothered him. Memories of him and Kai were precious, especially since

more had begun to surface. “If you do this, he’ll continue to suffer?”

Maui looked grave. “Yes, much as he has these past decades. But for Kai, the

binding cannot be broken. He will eventually learn to tolerate it.”

“Then I change my mind.” Riley’s heart pounded in his chest. Even as the words

came out, they frightened him. “He was willing to let me go, even knowing he’d be the

one to pay. I can’t let that happen.” He wrapped his arms around himself, suddenly cold.

“I don’t want to live forever. I don’t want to be… whatever this is. But we’ve both paid

enough for the past.”

“It’s not payment for the past. It’s the penalty of the present. Kai bled you, Riley.

Before, you could remain underwater as long as he touched you. Now you can breathe for

short spells on your own. Before, your shifts were subtle, now you have control. You have

changed on an elemental level. Kai cannot go unpunished.”

Maui stood, flowing smoothly from the petite young woman to a tall, magnificent

warrior. His similarity to Kai was strong, but Maui was more… taller, broader and more

powerful. His features were similar to Kai’s, but more exaggerated and fierce. He was

seductive, and if the tales Riley had heard were even close to true, Maui had taken

advantage of scores of human women. Which made him think…

Riley cocked his head. “Just who was Kai’s mother? Or his grandmother? Were they

human?”

Maui’s thick black brows shot up.

“They were. But you never bonded to any of them, did you? You simply seduced

them and left. Why is that acceptable behavior compared to what Kai wishes to do?”

“If Kai bonds with you, he will have no children. Ever.”

Riley watched his face for clues. Maui wasn’t a god, but he was a creature of

awesome power. He didn’t want to push his anger too far. “How many grandchildren do

you have?” he asked gently. “Last night, I thought long and hard about what Kai did and

what he is willing to do for me. He was thoughtless and impulsive, but the more I think

about it, the more I realize that’s just the way he is. He’ll always be a bit rash. But he

made a mistake and he’s willing to take the consequences. He loves me enough to set

me free, at great cost to himself. I refuse to allow that sacrifice.”

Maui’s face went dark with anger, but Riley didn’t back down. It helped that he had

his back to the wall.

“I’ve changed my mind, Maui. I’m not willing to lose him again. I will accept the

consequences of bonding with him.”

Maui’s face gentled slightly. He looked a bit sad. “I respect that you are willing to

give up the life you know for Kai; I love him dearly. I love all my family. But this is not

your decision to make, Dave Riley. I will not change my mind. I cannot allow a human to

cross over.”

He raised a massive hand, and Riley braced, wincing at the pressure that built in

the air. And yet… nothing happened. Thunder rumbled and the furniture shook, but Riley

was unaffected. He squeezed his eyes against the building wind and reached out for the

door behind him. It was already open. He opened his eyes and moved toward the door.

“Dave Riley, what have you done ?” Maui’s voice filled the room, and probably the

entire building. The furious power died down slightly, and then built in another attempt to

sever the bond between Riley and Kai. He took another step toward the door. He didn’t

know what was blocking Maui’s power, but wanted out of the way. Something was going

to give, and he didn’t want to be around when it blew. A cool hand gripped his arm and

he jerked, unable to break the grip.

“Save your power, Maui. It won’t work.” Coco’s friend Genie entered the room. Her

cool presence tamped the winds that lifted and scattered the papers that had been

whipping around in the air.

Maui glowered, but she didn’t flinch. Slowly, the trickster toned down the storm.

With both fists, he struck the desk, shattering it into splinters. In his fury, he grew even

larger. It took a few moments, but he eventually gained control over himself, pulling the

power back in.

“Who are you?” Maui’s voice wavered between rage and incredulous shock. Clearly,

he was unaccustomed to such defiance.

Genie ran a hand through her dark red hair. It was immaculate. “I’m Genie

Talison.” She glanced at Riley, and he knew she was addressing him as well. “You know,

shifter communities are incredibly close knit. My mates are Siberian shifters. Not long

ago, Riley here saved the life of our cousin Coco. Her family wanted Riley rewarded. I

volunteered to grant him a wish.”

“Genie… as in genie?” Maui hovered between shock and interest.

Genie slipped her hand from Riley’s arm to his hand. “Yes, I’m a genie. I’m without

a master, and able to grant wishes at my discretion. And last night, Riley here uttered the

true wish of his heart. You cannot undo it.”

He thought back, trying to recall when he might have voiced a wish. He probably

had, and just didn’t remember. Things had been pretty crazy.

“Riley wished to sail away with Kai. He wanted it to be like it was when they first

found each other. The bond that the boys started is in place, all that remains is to

complete the ritual. And you cannot interfere, Maui.” She rubbed Riley’s arm comfortingly.

“I will not be manipulated by a… a mere djin!” Maui’s power began to build again.

It whirled around them fruitlessly.

She gripped his hand a bit tighter. “Hold on, Riley.”

Before he could react to her words, they were out of the office and in the

boathouse. No sooner did his feet hit the wooden dock than Kai exploded into view, rising

up on a water spout.

“Riley!” He lost his balance and scrambled toward the dock. “Riley, are you all

right?” Kai grabbed Riley, wrapping him in a fierce embrace.

Riley’s feet left the dock. “I’m fine!” He coughed, recovering his breath. Carefully,

Kai set him down. Behind him the water boiled, and Maui rose up, awesome in his anger

and fury. He hovered in the air, feet supported by a spray of seawater. Behind him,

Kimber also emerged from the water. She skipped lightly to the dock and hopped up.

Maui rose higher. Suddenly, all the painful, hot power ebbed. The storm began to

abate. Riley took a deep breath, glad to be able to breathe freely again. He gazed up at

the god with a sensation of foreboding. He was certain the trickster had never been

thwarted so completely. Kai was behind him with his arms wrapped protectively around

Riley’s shoulders.

Kimber turned and faced the men. From the subtle way her face altered, he

guessed she was speaking for her grandfather. Maui simply glared. Then he looked down

as though saddened.

“You must forgive Maui for the pain he’s given you. He could not allow Kai to take

such a permanent step at such a young age. Yet he knew that Riley would not survive

long enough for their commitment to be tested. That is why he allowed the two of you to

begin the binding.”

The entire tone of the altercation had changed. Again. He looked up at the giant

levitating over the water. Kai’s grip on his shoulder loosened a bit.

“Your feelings did not abate over the years, Kai. And Riley, time might have

dimmed your memories, but not your emotions. Yet for a binding to be truly permanent,

there must be sacrifice. Kai offered his heart for your freedom. Riley offered his mortality

and the life he knows for Kai’s heart. By these offerings, you have closed the binding. It is

done.”

At those words, Maui clapped his hands. The noise thundered through the room,

echoing off the beams and metal walls of the boathouse. When the noise settled, he

turned to the small group on the dock. This time he spoke for himself. “Djin, we are

fighting the same battle. However, I had to test Riley to his limit.”

A dimple appeared in her cheek, and Riley had to wonder if Maui’s words were

honest, or if the trickster was saving face.

They’d probably never know. It didn’t really matter. Maui would never admit it.

Riley closed his eyes, leaning back into Kai’s strong embrace. Was it over? He turned his

head slightly, meeting Kai’s gaze.

Kai understood Riley’s unspoken question. “It’s over, Riley.”

“Good. Then I’m on my way.” Genie smiled, stepping up to face the men. “You

have friends, Riley, if you ever need us. This wish was a gift from Coco and all who love

her. What you will see when I’m gone is from me.” She winked and vanished so suddenly

that both Kai and Riley took a step back.

“Well, damn.” He looked around for Genie and saw… the Melody. She floated in

the furthest slip, a behemoth among the smaller boats. She was as fresh and pristine as

she’d been when his father had first bought her.

“Oh, damn.” Riley felt tears come to his eyes. “Oh…” Kai’s arms slipped away, and

Riley hurried toward the catamaran, almost afraid to step onto the broad pontoon. She

was clean and sleek, vintage wood gleamed and brass glistened, even in the dim light.

“When she went down, the insurance company called it a total loss. They wouldn’t even

authorize salvage. They found Dad’s… They found him washed ashore on a small island.”

Though his eyes were full of tears, he nimbly hopped on board, feeling more at

home on the craft than he’d ever felt on land. Glancing around, he saw that everything

was where it belonged. Magic still tingled all around him. Through the glass door that led

into the main cabin, he saw a small stack of paperwork. Clearly, Genie had thought of

everything.

Before he turned back to Kai, he caught a glimpse of himself in the glass. He

wasn’t a post-pubescent eighteen, nor was he fifty and grizzled. He now looked like a

man in his prime. He knew that for the rest of his existence, that’s exactly how he’d

remain, if that’s what he chose. It was an unsettling concept.

“Kai.” He turned and saw that Kai had also come aboard, but remained on the

deck that bridged the aft pontoons. “Come in here; let me show you my home.” He held

out a hand. “Our home.”

Kai followed Riley into the air-conditioned cabin and gazed around in awe. It was a

substantial room, with a tiny galley at one end, a spacious living area at the other. Stairs

both fore and aft led down to the sleeping spaces in the pontoons. The Beach Boys were

playing on the stereo… Come go with me…

“Come, go with me, Kai.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than he was in Kai’s embrace.

Chapter Eight

The Melody lurched and then rocked gently. Kai felt a moment of disorientation.

He wasn’t quite steady on his feet, but he didn’t let go of Riley. He didn’t think he’d ever

let go of his Riley.

“Would you look at that?” Riley’s voice held amazement. Outside it was dusk. They

gazed at one another and went back out onto the deck. The catamaran was no longer in

the boathouse. They were no longer in Miami. In fact, they were miles away from

anything. The breeze was balmy and the water lapped gently at the boat. They were in a

bay. The island was lush and green and apparently deserted. The water glowed gently as

fish moved through the depths.

“We’re back where it all started.” He looked up at Riley, who was fixated on the

water. He wore a solemn expression on his face.

“Is this a place of power?”

Kai nodded. He’d known that even as a boy, when he’d coaxed Riley out to join

him in the water. He remembered their first kiss, that first embrace as they floated in the

velvety embrace of the tropical water.

Kai knew what they needed to do next. “We should finish what we started. Here.

On the boat.”

Riley watched him for a moment, and then grinned. His smile was infectious, and

Kai felt himself grinning back. “Meet me up on the bow.” He gestured to the front of the

boat. “On the sundeck that spans the pontoons.” He returned to the cabin and Kai

gingerly made his way along the narrow sides of the boat. In time, he’d become

accustomed to living on the craft, but now, he didn’t have his sea legs.

That thought made him laugh.

He lay back on the mesh deck, looking up at the stars in the sky. He used to watch

Riley lying here just like this. He’d spent hours watching the golden young man as he’d

gazed at these same stars. A whisper of sound alerted him to Riley’s approach. He was

naked.

Kai soaked it all in: the feel of the air, the sounds of the ocean, Riley’s beautiful,

lithe form. His bright hair lifted a bit on the breeze; his cock was partly erect, hanging

heavily with its own weight. He moved with the grace of a dancer as he joined Kai on the

deck. Riley gave Kai a wicked smile. “I thought we might need this.” He had a tube of

lube in his hand. “I left the condoms.”

“They aren’t necessary.”

“I didn’t think so.” Riley’s smile faded slightly. “I’ve never bottomed.”

“Neither have I.” He leaned back on his elbows, gazing up at his soul mate. It

seemed if he listened hard enough, he’d be able to read the thoughts racing through

Riley’s mind.

Riley cleared his throat. “I’ve… ah… never topped before. With a man.”

“Neither have I.” He watched as Riley stared at him in amazement. He then

dissolved into laughter. Riley grinned sheepishly and joined him on the deck. It took a

moment before Kai collected himself enough for the conversation to continue. “So, in that

sense, we’re both virgins?”

“I guess so.” Riley rolled to his side and faced Kai. Suddenly, things weren’t quite

as hilarious. He glanced down and as he watched, Riley’s cock slowly hardened, resting

on his thigh. And Kai responded. His need became urgent, and it didn’t matter who the

hell was on top. He just needed Riley.

“Help me undress.” He sat up and as he worked on his shorts, Riley tugged and

pulled at his tee shirt. A button popped and a seam ripped, then the clothing went

overboard. They were both panting by the time he was naked. They kissed, pressing

close, and to Kai, it felt achingly familiar, yet strange. There was no water cradling their

bodies. They were under the starry sky. The kiss broke, and they lay, a mere inch

separating their faces. He could feel their auras meeting and blending as though they

truly were one person.

“I want to be on the bottom.” He had an urge to be filled, to look up and see Riley

gazing down into his face. “Next time I want to take you.”

Riley’s breathing hitched. “I can do that.” He nodded.

“I know you can.” Kai reached up, touching the other man’s lip. Riley nipped his

finger, and then closed in on him again, trailing kisses down his arms, across his chest,

and over his nipples. When his tongue teased Kai’s pebbled bud, he shivered, feeling his

shaft growing and throbbing. He stroked Riley’s hair as warm lips stroked and gentle

teeth nibbled. By the time Riley reached his belly, Kai’s cock was there to greet him

eagerly. A quick swipe of the tongue had him gasping.

“I think I’m glad you decided to bottom.” Riley looked up at him, his hair hanging

over his sparkling eyes. “I get the feeling this is going to take some adjusting to. You’re,

ah… big.” He grinned and placed a gentle kiss on the smooth head.

Kai let his eyes drop closed. “I can shapeshift, Riley.”

“Say what?” Riley stopped, his hand loosely wrapped around the base. “You can

change this?” He looked so stunned that Kai chuckled.

“For a short time. Long enough to help you adjust to my size.”

“Dude. Awesome.” Riley ducked his head again, giving attention to Kai’s balls.

They were hot and heavy, throbbing with need. Riley tugged gently, and Kai arched up

from the deck. He needed the other man’s mouth on his dick. He ached to be filled. He

needed it all, but Riley continued to tease and play, licking him, but never giving him the

friction he wanted. Riley’s mouth engulfed his cockhead, his tongue lapping up the pre-

come at the tip. Kai rocked and thrust, unable to hold still. When Riley let him go again,

he wanted to weep.

“Kai, do you want to come now?”

“Yes! No, I mean…”

“I see.” That hot mouth covered him again, and finally, Riley gave it all to him.

One hand pumped his root; the other tugged and stroked his balls. His fingers were slick

with lube, and Kai had no idea how it got there. He rolled his head and groaned, his hips

bucking and fucking and completely out of control.

When one of those slick fingers penetrated his ass, he shuddered. There was

pressure on a spot he’d never felt before and every inch of Kai’s body froze with the most

electric, magical sensation he’d ever felt in his life. A spasm started deep in his gut,

snaking out to his spine, down his legs and into his balls. A second clenching contraction

gripped him, and a third. His seed scalded as it burst from his body. It was slick as Riley

pumped him, drawing it forth again and again. His eyes were open, but blind. Distantly,

he heard thunder.

He went rigid, and then every muscle went lax. Sweat covered his skin and he

smelled the musky, earthy scent of his own release. Riley knelt between his knees,

staring at him in wonder.

“Do you cause an electrical storm every time you climax?”

Kai tried to grin; it felt lopsided on his face. He glanced down at his belly and the

sheen of his own release. “I have no idea. I’m usually underwater when I come.” He

wasn’t used to all the bodily fluids either. He reached down, sliding his fingers through his

semen. Curiously, he tasted it. Riley did the same, wiping it from the corner of his face.

Obviously, Kai had shot everywhere but into Riley’s mouth.

“Tastes like the ocean.” Riley leaned down and kissed him, his tongue sliding into

Kai’s mouth. He felt Riley’s cock resting on his belly, heavy and hot. His stomach lurched

as a bit of fear cut through him. Then he remembered the feel of Riley’s finger on his

prostate. Fear fused with arousal, and his cock began to fill again. Riley ended the kiss

and looked down at their bodies. Slowly, he rose back to his knees.

He lubed his fingers and gently returned to Kai’s ass, spreading and massaging, till

Kai couldn’t help but relax into his touch. His human might not have done this with a

man, but he’d undoubtedly done this before. He felt a bit more confident. He drew up his

knees and then watched as Riley lubed his own penis. It was hard and flushed. Riley

hissed between his teeth as he spread the gel over himself. He closed his eyes. It was

finally happening.

In all his life, Riley had never felt anything like this… anything so breathtaking. Kai

was beneath him, offering up his body, trusting Riley implicitly. As he lubed himself, it

took every ounce of willpower to hold back, to keep from spilling at the touch of his own

hand. He gently pressed his cockhead to Kai’s body, pressing firmly. “Relax into it. That’ll

make it easier.”

Kai flinched, winced and then his eyes went wide as Riley’s cockhead slipped past

the tight rings of muscle. It was tight and hot and as he watched, Kai pulled his knees up

further, instinctively moving into a position that allowed Riley better penetration. He

paused, gathering his control before sliding out and slicking himself with more lube. When

he entered Kai’s ass once again, he moved easier, deeper.

He knew to the second when penetration shifted from frightening and a bit painful

to sheer bliss. Kai grunted, and then groaned as Riley’s cock slid over his prostate. That

sensation had taken Kai right over the edge earlier and Riley stopped for a moment,

squeezing his eyes closed as his ass clenched in sympathetic need. He leaned forward,

coming down face-to-face with the beautiful demi-god. Kai’s hair was loose and spread

out over the deck in an explosion of curls. Even in the darkness, it gleamed. His body was

hard and taut with arousal; his cock quickly grew erect in the vice of their bodies. His

eyes were heavy-lidded and dreamy.

“I will always remember you making love to me under the stars,” he murmured

into Riley’s ear.

Lightly, he kissed each of Kai’s eyebrows, then his eyelids. He dropped a lingering

kiss on his lips as he began to pump in long, smooth strokes. They breathed as one,

slowly and deeply, never looking away from one another. Riley was afraid if he closed his

eyes, Kai would vanish like a dream, and he’d be alone once again. Perhaps Kai read the

fear in his eyes because he wrapped his arms tightly around Riley, cradling him close,

crooning in his ear.

Gradually, their pace increased, they began to pant more rapidly. Riley felt the

burn of orgasm building right from the soles of his feet, but he fought it, not wanting this

perfect, amazing moment to end. Beneath him, Kai’s powerful body strained and rocked,

their sweat mingled on their slippery skin.

“Riley…” Kai groaned. He reached up, clasping Riley by the back of the head.

“Come… come go with me…”

Together they surrendered, and as Riley shouted his ecstasy, a bolt of lightning

broke from the cloudless sky, a clap of thunder drowned out their voices.

After that, there was only the sound of two hearts beating, two men panting for

breath. And when they were able to move, two men slipped into the magical waters and

vanished into the night.

Epilogue

“We’re closing in five…” Kimber glanced up from the brochure and paused for a

moment, barely recognizing the woman before her. Coco, in a suit. Would wonders never

cease? She looked her over from head to toe and whistled. “Court date?”

“Deposition. A Fae. I think she managed pretty well without my assistance. She

glamoured the prosecutor and her entire team as well. I’ll probably be able to convince

her to drop charges.” She grinned and leaned on the counter. “What’s this?”

Kimber pushed the brochure to her and watched as Coco read it over. “Come go

with us to discover the magic of the sea…” She looked at the cover. “Melody Charter

Cruises. I like. How’re they doing?”

“Eternal honeymoon. They’ve got this plan to sail to Tahiti next year. Kai wants

Riley to see our world our way.” Coco gazed at her in question. “From under the sea. And

Riley wanted to sail. So they’re doing both. But they’ve got to fund their little expeditions,

so they started a business together.”

“And you? Are you staying on here?”

Kimber propped her chin on her fist and studied the little Siberian shifter. Everyone

was so in love. Ugh. “Got nothing better to do. Riley gave me a huge raise and free run of

the place, so yeah, I’ll stick around.”

She hopped off her stool and came around the counter, standing to face Coco.

“How did you do it? How did you manage to wring a wish out of a genie? I understand

she’s family, but still, that’s pretty impressive.”

Coco wandered to a rack, looking through the sundresses. “Well, like she said,

Siberian shifters are a small community. We’re scattered but tight. I could have asked our

boss Jedidiah for the favor --”

“But he’s a demon.”

“Yeah. And while I adore the man, he is a demon. So I opted to try the family first.

Genie said she needed to meet Riley to decide if he was worth it. She took it from there.

He earned her gift.”

“But she wouldn’t have granted the wish if you hadn’t brought her. So on behalf of

my family, I thank you. I haven’t seen Kai this happy in years.”

Coco turned to her and smiled. “He kept me alive. No one forced him to feed and

shelter me. And Kai never wavered in his faith and love for Riley. I think both men earned

their happiness.” She gave Kimber a quick hug. “I’ve got to go; Antonio’s waiting in the

car.” She headed for the door and paused. She returned to the counter, picking up the

brochure. With a wink, she was gone.

Kimber locked the door then stood staring out at the beach. Clear skies for miles.

When a bolt of lightning cut through the cloudless sky, she threw back her head and

laughed.

Belinda McBride

Belinda lives in the wilderness of the Siskiyou Mountains and at night, she runs

naked with a pack of wolves…

Uhh…

Belinda lives near the Siskiyou Mountains and shares her home with a pack of

Siberian Huskies who like to pretend they’re wolves. And she usually keeps her clothing

on when she goes outside.

Belinda loves to travel, collect rare gemstones, make soap and spend precious

time with her daughters. Her degree is in History with a Cultural Anthropology minor. On

weekends, you will often find Belinda ringside at a dog show, comb and spray bottle in

hand.

She invites you to visit her website at www.belindamcbride.com, or email her

directly at [e-mail].