ShakenandStirred Read Online Free Page A
nudity. It wasn't nice or fair to tease him.
She pattered out the door and looked to the master bedroom. The door was ajar and even in the dim light, she could see the pristine bedding. He hadn't come inside.
The back door opened soundlessly under her hand and she walked out to the covered pool. It was larger than it appeared from inside the house. She crept outside and looked into the dimly lit water. If she squinted, she could see him twisting slowly under the water.
The sheet she was wearing covered her loosely, so she took pains to hold the fabric clear of the water as she took a seat on the edge of the pool. While dangling her legs in the water was tempting, this was his private environment and she didn't want to intrude.
It was soothing to watch him swimming slowly under the surface. The pool was deep, at least fifteen feet on either end. Her stomach gave a nervous shimmy as she looked into the depths--swimming had never been her strong suit.
As if her nerves had made it to him via his empathy, Micix turned his head to look at her and he rapidly swam to the surface, breeching in front of her.
"Tosha, what brings you out here?"
"I had a nightmare. I was going to wake you up and chatter incessantly to you, but you weren't there." She was having a hard time looking at his face. Gills rode the sides of his neck that were normally covered by the uniform.
"Are you all right?" His concerned voice snapped her out of her dazed realization that she was partnered with a man who could breathe water.
"I am fine. A little shaken. It wasn't a fun dream." She rubbed her forehead and blinked as Micix whooshed out of the water completely nude and sat next to her.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" His hair dripped slowly onto the broad slope of his shoulders and down the well-defined muscles that were normally hidden by the suit.
She took in a shaky breath and sighed. "I hear Alara screaming. I try to run to her, but I am trapped on an island. Black space is between us and nothing I do can cross that void. Are you sure she will be all right?"
"She told us what needed to be done. We are doing it."
"Why can't you tell me?" Tosha was near tears. She hated being helpless."
He sighed. "Tosha, I know this is hard on you, but your cousin was very specific. You can't know what is going on or the whole plan will fall apart."
Fat, hot tears broke free and ran down her face. "That sounds like Alara. She could always see the big picture even when I wanted to push things into place."
He sat next to her in silence and took her hand. The warmth of his skin was back. They sat in silence until the sun warmed the glass and dawn came knocking.
Her voice was hoarse when she asked him, "Did you get any sleep?"
"I don't always need sleep. A good night in the pool works just as well." He stood and she blushed as her gaze was drawn to his endowments.
"Shall we get the day started? I am feeling the urge to shake some plates." She let him pull her to her feet as he slipped his uniform back on. Internally, she whined in disappointment as all those muscles went back under the pale grey suit, but externally, she tried to keep herself calm.
"Back to the house with you. We need to get you dressed and stuffed full of breakfast before you get shaking." His arm around her shoulders felt right after the hours he had spent at her side.
She carefully arranged her sheet so he wouldn't step on it and left the pool house together in the bright light of morning.
Echoes of unease still ran through her when she thought of Alara, but if her cousin had given those instructions, she had a plan. Tosha would have to trust that Alara knew what she was doing and let fate decide for both of them.
"Back into the uniform?"
"Yes. Back into the uniform. I don't like it either. Your uniform fits far too well." His low grumble did wonders for her mood.
She laughed and retrieved her suit from the foot of her bed. In under a minute she had it on under her sheet and he was
She pattered out the door and looked to the master bedroom. The door was ajar and even in the dim light, she could see the pristine bedding. He hadn't come inside.
The back door opened soundlessly under her hand and she walked out to the covered pool. It was larger than it appeared from inside the house. She crept outside and looked into the dimly lit water. If she squinted, she could see him twisting slowly under the water.
The sheet she was wearing covered her loosely, so she took pains to hold the fabric clear of the water as she took a seat on the edge of the pool. While dangling her legs in the water was tempting, this was his private environment and she didn't want to intrude.
It was soothing to watch him swimming slowly under the surface. The pool was deep, at least fifteen feet on either end. Her stomach gave a nervous shimmy as she looked into the depths--swimming had never been her strong suit.
As if her nerves had made it to him via his empathy, Micix turned his head to look at her and he rapidly swam to the surface, breeching in front of her.
"Tosha, what brings you out here?"
"I had a nightmare. I was going to wake you up and chatter incessantly to you, but you weren't there." She was having a hard time looking at his face. Gills rode the sides of his neck that were normally covered by the uniform.
"Are you all right?" His concerned voice snapped her out of her dazed realization that she was partnered with a man who could breathe water.
"I am fine. A little shaken. It wasn't a fun dream." She rubbed her forehead and blinked as Micix whooshed out of the water completely nude and sat next to her.
"Do you want to tell me about it?" His hair dripped slowly onto the broad slope of his shoulders and down the well-defined muscles that were normally hidden by the suit.
She took in a shaky breath and sighed. "I hear Alara screaming. I try to run to her, but I am trapped on an island. Black space is between us and nothing I do can cross that void. Are you sure she will be all right?"
"She told us what needed to be done. We are doing it."
"Why can't you tell me?" Tosha was near tears. She hated being helpless."
He sighed. "Tosha, I know this is hard on you, but your cousin was very specific. You can't know what is going on or the whole plan will fall apart."
Fat, hot tears broke free and ran down her face. "That sounds like Alara. She could always see the big picture even when I wanted to push things into place."
He sat next to her in silence and took her hand. The warmth of his skin was back. They sat in silence until the sun warmed the glass and dawn came knocking.
Her voice was hoarse when she asked him, "Did you get any sleep?"
"I don't always need sleep. A good night in the pool works just as well." He stood and she blushed as her gaze was drawn to his endowments.
"Shall we get the day started? I am feeling the urge to shake some plates." She let him pull her to her feet as he slipped his uniform back on. Internally, she whined in disappointment as all those muscles went back under the pale grey suit, but externally, she tried to keep herself calm.
"Back to the house with you. We need to get you dressed and stuffed full of breakfast before you get shaking." His arm around her shoulders felt right after the hours he had spent at her side.
She carefully arranged her sheet so he wouldn't step on it and left the pool house together in the bright light of morning.
Echoes of unease still ran through her when she thought of Alara, but if her cousin had given those instructions, she had a plan. Tosha would have to trust that Alara knew what she was doing and let fate decide for both of them.
"Back into the uniform?"
"Yes. Back into the uniform. I don't like it either. Your uniform fits far too well." His low grumble did wonders for her mood.
She laughed and retrieved her suit from the foot of her bed. In under a minute she had it on under her sheet and he was
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