I’d been at the celebration. Everything was a blur and my head bobbled in every direction in an attempt to find my balance.
Suddenly, I was torn away in yet another direction. One second my eyes glimpsed a cheerful Mami Wata face and the next thing I knew I was pressed against the wall, staring into a new face. Another split second later, the drapes that were pulled aside surrounded us.
“Adrian!” I screamed and launched myself at him.
It felt so good to be in his arms within our own little hiding spot in the curtains.
“There you are,” he responded with a slow smile.
“What is going on out there? I know they're appreciative, but wow.”
I took a chance and slowly pushed the fabric aside just enough to peek out.
Holy crap.
I spotted Miriam. There was no other way to describe her actions other than out of control. Clearly, she was the type of queen who liked to mingle with her followers.
“I didn’t know Miriam could move like that,” I mused. “She seemed so demure… now she’s just as insane as the rest of ‘em.”
Instead of responding, Adrian slowly ran the back of his hand down my cheek, his face only inches from mine. I yearned to be above water, to feel his breath against my skin. Still, his presence made my heart thump inside my chest.
My hand dropped from the curtain, the heavy fabric falling back into place. Slowly, I turned my head toward him as his hand guided my face to his. Forcefully, I swallowed the lump—a good lump— that had formed in my throat. This moment that he’d orchestrated with a slight touch against my cheek was a complete oxymoron from the grabby hands on the other side of the curtains.
We hadn’t been “alone” since that moment in the dungeons when we shared our first kiss. There wasn't time to think about what that kiss had meant—until now.
I remembered how it sent a spark throughout my entire body. How I felt it in my toes. Then like a shiver, it moved up my legs and lingered in my core.
It changed things between us. Made us a team.
That kiss wasn’t planned. Desperation fueled it, clouding the fact that cold bars kept us apart. Here we were now, hiding in the corner. The musty smell of the drapes mixed with the natural scent of the water. The thumping of the music created our ambiance. It felt romantic and even a little forbidden.
And this time, it was planned.
Slowly, he pulled me closer.
Our second kiss was just as good as the first.
CHAPTER TEN
I woke up before the corals with an instant realization that it was New Year’s Eve.
It meant only one thing—time had almost run out.
As I rolled over to push out of bed, I saw Adrian stretched out on the couch in my sitting area.
Even though anxiety pulsed through my arms and legs to start our journey to the dolphin flower, I couldn’t help but take a moment to do something so simple as watch him sleep.
The few seconds we stole together last night in the curtains was just what I'd needed. A quick dash of normalcy in my life that now seemed foreign to me. Unfortunately, those seconds had passed too quickly and Adrian led me back into the room. He claimed it was important to do so before the merpeople panicked that both the prince and “princess” had gone missing. Personally, I thought, “let ‘em sweat,” but Adrian insisted for us to head back into the lion’s den.
The night wore on before an older mermaid, proclaiming how my actions would change their lives, released me from her grip and my eyes connected with Adrian’s from across the room. We quickly raced toward each other and slipped out of the room before anyone else pulled us back into the madness.
Finally—and I mean finally—the night had come to a close. My cheeks flushed from the barrage of merfolk and somehow my hands turned clammy in the water. My limit had been met for the amount of attention I could endure.
Don’t get me wrong, I'd tell anyone who’d listen that the Mami Wata were hospitable, kind, and
Suddenly, I was torn away in yet another direction. One second my eyes glimpsed a cheerful Mami Wata face and the next thing I knew I was pressed against the wall, staring into a new face. Another split second later, the drapes that were pulled aside surrounded us.
“Adrian!” I screamed and launched myself at him.
It felt so good to be in his arms within our own little hiding spot in the curtains.
“There you are,” he responded with a slow smile.
“What is going on out there? I know they're appreciative, but wow.”
I took a chance and slowly pushed the fabric aside just enough to peek out.
Holy crap.
I spotted Miriam. There was no other way to describe her actions other than out of control. Clearly, she was the type of queen who liked to mingle with her followers.
“I didn’t know Miriam could move like that,” I mused. “She seemed so demure… now she’s just as insane as the rest of ‘em.”
Instead of responding, Adrian slowly ran the back of his hand down my cheek, his face only inches from mine. I yearned to be above water, to feel his breath against my skin. Still, his presence made my heart thump inside my chest.
My hand dropped from the curtain, the heavy fabric falling back into place. Slowly, I turned my head toward him as his hand guided my face to his. Forcefully, I swallowed the lump—a good lump— that had formed in my throat. This moment that he’d orchestrated with a slight touch against my cheek was a complete oxymoron from the grabby hands on the other side of the curtains.
We hadn’t been “alone” since that moment in the dungeons when we shared our first kiss. There wasn't time to think about what that kiss had meant—until now.
I remembered how it sent a spark throughout my entire body. How I felt it in my toes. Then like a shiver, it moved up my legs and lingered in my core.
It changed things between us. Made us a team.
That kiss wasn’t planned. Desperation fueled it, clouding the fact that cold bars kept us apart. Here we were now, hiding in the corner. The musty smell of the drapes mixed with the natural scent of the water. The thumping of the music created our ambiance. It felt romantic and even a little forbidden.
And this time, it was planned.
Slowly, he pulled me closer.
Our second kiss was just as good as the first.
CHAPTER TEN
I woke up before the corals with an instant realization that it was New Year’s Eve.
It meant only one thing—time had almost run out.
As I rolled over to push out of bed, I saw Adrian stretched out on the couch in my sitting area.
Even though anxiety pulsed through my arms and legs to start our journey to the dolphin flower, I couldn’t help but take a moment to do something so simple as watch him sleep.
The few seconds we stole together last night in the curtains was just what I'd needed. A quick dash of normalcy in my life that now seemed foreign to me. Unfortunately, those seconds had passed too quickly and Adrian led me back into the room. He claimed it was important to do so before the merpeople panicked that both the prince and “princess” had gone missing. Personally, I thought, “let ‘em sweat,” but Adrian insisted for us to head back into the lion’s den.
The night wore on before an older mermaid, proclaiming how my actions would change their lives, released me from her grip and my eyes connected with Adrian’s from across the room. We quickly raced toward each other and slipped out of the room before anyone else pulled us back into the madness.
Finally—and I mean finally—the night had come to a close. My cheeks flushed from the barrage of merfolk and somehow my hands turned clammy in the water. My limit had been met for the amount of attention I could endure.
Don’t get me wrong, I'd tell anyone who’d listen that the Mami Wata were hospitable, kind, and
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