He coughs again, nods and gives me the thumbs up.
Eventually his breathing steadies. He pushes his wet hair back, out of his eyes and turns to me with a sheepish expression.
“Don’t suppose you fancy giving me swimming lessons?”
I stare at him. He looks good with drops of water running over his cheekbones and jaw.
“You can’t swim?” I ask, a little dumbfounded.
I thought all humans could. I didn’t know it was something that needed to be learned. That sounds awful. It’s almost enough to make me feel sorry for the human race.
“Is it that obvious?” he says with a wide grin and a wink.
As if he didn’t just nearly die. As if I didn’t just save his life. When I don’t even know why I did. I hate touching people. I don’t touch anyone voluntarily. I could have just let him drown. I had no reason to help him. But I barely hesitated.
I suppose the others might have been mad at me. They might have even thought I lured him in on purpose. And I really don’t want that kind of drama. But this human doesn’t know that.
He just seems to think that saving him was no big deal.
Oh no.
Oh no, no, no. Realization is hitting me like a summer squall. Startling in its sudden intensity and ferocity. How could I havenot thought of this? Why, oh why, did I just react so blindly in the moment?
Saving him is a huge deal. A very huge deal. The hugest of deals. A life-changing, life-altering thing that cannot be undone. An action of a moment that I will now live with forever.
I took him from the water. He is a human who was drowning, and I brought him to the surface. This is not the sea, but it’s still the goddess’s domain. I have a sinking feeling that the premise still counts. I claimed him from her. He is my responsibility now. Mine to protect. He belongs to me.
Cold horror floods my soul. This cannot be happening. It’s too big. Too much. I can’t cope with it.
I slip under the water. He calls after me, but I ignore him. He is safe. He doesn’t need me right now.
Oh goddess, what am I going to do? I can barely look after myself and now I’ve accidentally gone and taken a mate.
Amphitrite help me.
Chapter two
Sammy
This coffee is amazing. Staying in a house with a proper coffee machine is incredible. Going back to instant granulated crap is going to be hard, so I really hope they don’t get fed up with me for a while.
This kitchen is nice too. All bright and airy, with posh wooden counters. Fancy, like the rest of the house. It truly is lovely here. The house and the people. Easily the best place I’ve ever stayed, and that makes pissing Blue off even more terrible because not only do I feel shitty for upsetting him, I don’t want to jeopardize my place here.
Pink walks in and flashes me a bright smile as he heads for the coffee machine. For a moment, his beauty takes my breath away. Not as badly as Blue’s did, but still disconcerting. Which is stupid because I need to get used to it. I’m living with the seven most beautiful men on the planet. I mean, they used to belong to the richest man on Earth, and that scumbag searched the globe for only the very best for his perverted collection. So, of course, they are all absolutely stunning.
It’s quite something living amongst the freed harem boys. I thought I’d be more pissed off about no longer being the prettiest in any room, but actually I’m finding it hugely relieving. And doesn’t that just hint at a whole heap of trauma that I’m never unpacking.
“You alright?” asks Pink as he sits beside me with his mug of coffee.
“Yeah, just feeling a bit shit for upsetting Blue,” I confess.
Pink’s eyes flash with surprise. “You got to meet him? He swam up to you?”
“Yeah,” I grin.
My stomach is feeling all tingly at that thought. I guess I’m proud that the notoriously shy boy approached me.
“What happened?”
