Too Deep

Hunter

Bluish black hair hung in waves around his face and neck.

I groaned loudly. Rolling onto my back and shielding my belly and breasts with the book, still open on my chest with my thumb pinned below. "How did you find me?"

"I can find you anywhere. You're easy to track." He tilted his head to study me. "Besides, I can sense your presence."

"Like hell."

He shrugged. Looking at me, then the tracks in the dirt and to the beach behind him. "Someone was here with you."

He stepped back to inspect the tracks more thoroughly.

"Briefly." I admitted. Frowning at the commanding tone he'd just assumed. Talking to me like I was some kind of minion.

"Stay away from him."

Annoyance flared through me. "I'm sure he'd say the same about you."

"Listen to me, Erin. You've no idea what's coming. Watch who you idle with."

"That's not a term."

Even with the sun shining above me. I could see the dark brows jerk together and frown down at me.

"Oh, no!"

"What now?" He drawled.

"What time is it?" I sat up. Seeing that it looked very near to noon.

Which means I should be getting ready for work.

He blinked at me.

Does he even know how to tell time?

I pursed my lips. Looking off in the direction of my cottage and knowing if I went back there, he could corner me again.

"Ah." He grinned. Flashing square white teeth. "You must go home to prepared for your time on the beach."

"Something like that."

"I'll go with you."

"You mean you'll try to get me alone there, away from those that might help me."

"Mmm." He rumbled with a lopsided smile. Revealing his dark intent as those melt-me eyes trailed over all the skin revealed around my book.

I groaned aloud. "I don't need to go home. I'll go in this."

I stood up and began stalking back in the direction of my jeep.

"Can only run so long, Precious." He called after me. A daunting note in his voice.

"The hell I can't. I'll call the cops."

He said nothing. But I had the distinct feeling that wasn't nearly enough to ward him off.

Does he even know what they are?

I got to work and found Rosie. She usually kept an extra suit in her locker and was about the same size as me. She agreed to let me borrow it with a quick smile and a bouncing brown ponytail.

I slipped into it and headed out to my section of the beach. Groaning aloud as I saw him there. Sitting along a bank at the edge of the beach. Surrounded by a group of people that must've invited him to join in hanging out and playing volleyball.

He wasn't looking at me just now. His gaze was fixated on the two teams knocking the ball back and forth.

He was quickly waved in by another guy. When he rose, he stood far taller than the lean man that was hobbling away from the net, favoring an ankle.

Malius tossed his black hair back from his face and focused on the ball.

It occurred to me today that it was probably interesting because he wouldn't have seen the game before.

Do they even play things like that, underwater?

What do they do?

But when he positioned himself in the middle of the others, he looked unworried. He watched the ball with predatory intensity as it went over his head. He turned and watched a girl set it and the guy near the net spike it over. Landing in the sand to resounding cheering. Everyone was high fiving. Congratulating each other on the win. Malius rotated to watch the ball.

Like a stiff robot. I laughed to myself. Adjusting my position on the tower chair and opened the book on my lap. Reading the lore of sirens luring people to their death. Persuading them to drown or disappear and never be seen again. They represented sexual allure and early demise.

That explained the fear and sense of foreboding I felt in his arms intermingling with the lack of control and the overwhelming sense of desire that washed over me. Making him more intoxicating than any drug I could imagine.

"Whatchya reading?"

I looked down near the legs of the tower chair and saw Ricky's lean frame gripping it to peer up at me. One hand shielding his light eyes from the sun.

"Nunya."

"It's a book about how we're done and over a year ago."

"Listen, Erin. I really didn't mean anything with Keri. She was just there...And I'd had a bit much to drink."

I sighed. I wasn't really bitter over it anymore anyway. "When a bit of alcohol gives you license to cheat, the relationship has clearly soured."

"Not to me."

"It had, to me."

"Come on. Don't be like that."

"We're friends now Ricky, maybe. And that's all we'll be going forward."

"Then come to Chel's party tonight."

"She's having another party already?"

"If you're coming, she is."

"Ha! Nice try." I dismissed his efforts to be charming, lifting the book back up purposely.

Just as I heard chanting followed by raucous cheering. Drawing my attention. I realized it was coming from the volleyballers. I looked over and saw Malius in the air. Slamming the ball back over the net.

It pierced the sand before anyone had the chance to touch it.

It was knocked back over the net to the other team who hit it back.

Malius dropped to his knees and swatted it upward. A competitive girl leapt over him to make the spike. Scoring another point.

It continued with the brutal punishment.

Apparently, once Malius had figured out how to play he'd become brutal.

He's a fast learner. I noted. Watching how quickly he moved. Then observing him jumping unnaturally far across the sand to swat up another ball.

Dangerous.

"He's got quite the reflexes, doesn't he?" Michelle said from below me.

I glanced down at her.

"How's the book coming?"

"Pretty interesting."

"Terrifying." She corrected.

"Do you know how many sailors from Castaway were supposedly lost to those?" She pointed up toward the book.