“So what should I try next?” he asks brightly.
I shake my head. I think I can share my magic with him and give him the ability to breathe underwater. Like Lello did with his human mate. It’s either that, or keep Sammy away from all water. Forever. Otherwise, he is going to drown someday. No maybe or possibly. It’s simply a matter of time.
He sticks his tongue out at me. “Maybe you just suck as a teacher.”
His tongue is very pink. It’s very distracting. Now I’m staring at his lips, trying to get another glimpse of it.
“Um…maybe Pink can teach you. He is a human. Presumably he had to learn,” I ramble.
But it is a good point. Trying to teach someone to swim is like trying to teach someone to breathe. I simply cannot fathom howit can be complicated. Sammy has all the same limbs as me. He should just be able to move them in the water.
Maybe somebody who had to learn would be better at explaining it.
Sammy looks a little crestfallen. “I’d rather spend time with you.”
My heart quickens. It is beating fast and strong now. If Sammy was a paranormal, he’d hear it.
“Okay,” I say, because I’d rather spend time with him too. Even if it is pointless.
And anyway, the stupid mate bond would just make me want to eat Pink if I had to watch him help Sammy in the water. So all in all, this is a much better plan.
Sammy’s grin is dazzling. His blue eyes are brighter than the late summer sky. “Shall I try again?”
I wave my hand. Whatever. I don’t think it matters. I’ve given him all the advice I can. I’ll just stand here and watch him flop about like a panicked fish and make sure he doesn’t thrash himself into the deep end. There is not much else I can do.
He takes a deep breath and dives back in. His arms and legs flail about as if he is having a seizure. The water turns white and waves crash over the edge of the pool.
Maybe he is being this terrible so he has an excuse to spend more time with me? That might make more sense than genuinely being this bad at it.
But no, that’s a crazy idea. He can’t be that desperate to be in my company. Unless the mate bond is messing with his mind.
A frown pulls at my lips. What if the mate bond is actually affecting him that badly? It is already messing with him enough that he can’t have sex with anyone else.
Guilt twists my gut. I need to get rid of this bond. But I haven’t gotten anywhere by asking discreet questions of my friends. Maybe I should come clean. Tell everyone. A problem shared is a problem halved, or whatever the saying is.
And it’s not like this is something I can Google. As for asking a siren elder, that’s completely out of the question, since I can’t step foot in an ocean.
For fuck’s sake, this is a mess. Sammy can’t be denied sex. Especially when it is how he earns money and money is so very important to him.
I have to free him. Or help him find another way to make money.
My teeth grind. I need to do both. I’m pretty sure Sammy likes sex for pleasure as well as for work. I can’t force him to be celibate for the rest of his life. Even if he has another way to earn an income.
Water sprays all over me as Sammy surfaces. It’s like a mini tsunami. He gasps again and shoves his hair out of his eyes once more. Water streams down his face and beads in his long dark lashes.
“How was that?” he asks.
“Terrible.”
He chuckles. And then pants like a steam train as he catches his breath. My gaze fixes on the rise and fall of his wet and naked chest. His nipples are as pink as his tongue.
“All right, I need a break,” he says.
I nod. Anything he wants. Anything at all.
“Let’s go raid the kitchen for snacks!” he says, with all the exuberance of a small child.
I nod dumbly again and follow him out of the pool. We walk side by side towards the house. His expression looks strained. Is he okay? His gaze flicks towards me and down and then sharply up again.
