Cassandra Pierce - Diamonds in the Sand [The Aquans 2] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Special Edition) by Cassandra Pierce Page A

them were standing around her chair again. Ejan reached out and helped her to her feet.
    “I hope you’ll come back to chat.” Irissa took Maura’s hand next, pressing it affectionately. As she did, Maura noticed something surprising. Below the large bangles on her necklace, Irissa wore the same tattoo as her son and the others. She decided to ask about its meaning, but before she had a chance, the guys were already leading her back to the boat.
    As they set off from the dock, Maura felt a little woozy from the combination of the drink and the rolling of the water beneath them. She nestled herself into one of the deck seats. Ejan took the spot beside her while Tagin remained at the wheel.
    “How long has your mother been with Elliot?” Maura asked.
    “A month or so,” Ejan said with a shrug. “They’re still in the honeymoon phase. I’m glad she’s happy, but it probably won’t last. We’ve been through this before.”
    “Where’s your dad? Are they divorced?”
    “I guess you could say that,” Ejan answered, shifting his eyes to the left. Maura took his reaction to mean they had never been legally married, and Ejan was a bit ashamed of the fact. “He lives in Florida. That’s where they met. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for them. My mom swam off before I was born.”
    What a strange way to put it, she thought. “Do you have a relationship with him?”
    “I’ve met him a few times. We get along okay. My mother didn’t want anything from him, and he didn’t push it. He understood where she was coming from.”
    “She didn’t love him?”
    “I think she did, but she wanted to move on. Restlessness is in her blood. I’m pretty sure she started running the guest house so I’d have a stable place to grow up. Since I’m on my own now, she still takes off by herself once in a while. That’s why I suspect Elliot isn’t a permanent thing.”
    “Does he know that?”
    “I’m sure at some level he does. If not…he may find out eventually.”
    Maura shook her head. She couldn’t picture such a free lifestyle, but who was she to judge? Overall, she had to admire Irissa. She certainly looked lively and happy despite entering late middle age.
    “I hope it works out for them,” she said. “Age difference and all.”
    To her surprise, Ejan smiled. “Me, too.”
    When they got out into the bay, Tagin cut the motor and stepped out from behind the wheel. Maura looked around as the boat drifted under the stars. The sheer beauty of the sky, the calming breeze, and the moon reflecting off the undulating water left her breathless for a moment. In fact, she mused, only one thing would make the scene better…but, of course, that whole train of thought was crazy. Just the cocktail playing a wild calypso song in her head, she decided.
    “I thought we could take a few minutes to enjoy the sea,” Tagin said. “A lot of people find it soothing.”
    “I can see why,” she agreed. “But aren’t you worried about running into a rock? Or a shark?”
    “Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe. I know this bay like a part of my own body.”
    “I believe you.” She leaned back in her chair, loose and relaxed…free. Thinking about his body wasn’t unpleasant, either.
    When she turned away from the water, she found Ejan sitting much closer.
    “My mother says we look good together,” he said, still grinning.
    “I got the impression she thought so,” Maura replied. Casually she placed a hand on his shoulder, and his smile widened. “That’s sweet of her. But did she forget about Tagin?”
    “Not at all.” Ejan was clearly surprised by her response. “Maybe you didn’t quite understand. She meant the three of us.”
    “What?” It took a minute for his words to sink in. When it did, Maura blushed. “Oh.”
    “Tagin and I have a good thing going, sure, but I’ve never hidden the fact that I’m attracted to both men and women. My mother knows, by the way, and she’s fine with it.”
    Maura nodded.